Podcast: Energy Initiative Leadership Council, Business and Education

"We definitely need a connection to the business community for the academic research that goes on, so that the business community can hear what is going on and we can understand in the academic world, what some of the leading trends are," said Kate Tallman, Director of the CU Tech Transfer Office (Boulder and Colorado Springs). Kate and Paul Nelson, who is focused on Special Projects for the Energy Initiative Leadership Council (EILC) discuss the goals of EILC as well as how they will help support the Colorado energy sector and Colorado's position as the epicenter of the clean tech energy scene.

Listen to the podcast.

October 2008 Newsletter Now Available

Highlights from TTO's October 2008 newsletter:

BioRelix Licenses CU Riboswitch Technology
The University of Colorado recently executed an exclusive license with BioRelix, Inc. for riboswitch technology developed by Robert Batey, CU-Boulder Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. BioRelix, founded in 2005 and based in New Haven, CT, was established to discover and develop novel and highly potent anti-infective compounds against pathogens resistant to currently available drugs. Riboswitches are short stretches of messenger RNAs that bind small metabolites and control genes required for the survival of many disease-causing bacteria; novel riboswitch technology may be used to defeat bacterial resistance to currently available antibiotics. BioRelix previously licensed jointly owned University of Colorado - Yale University riboswitch technology through a license with Yale, as well as another CU-owned riboswitch technology.

Taligen Options Four CU Technologies
Taligen Therapeutics, a company focused on autoimmune diseases and which has licensed a variety of technologies from the University of Colorado, recently optioned 4 technologies developed in the UC Denver labs of V. Michael Holers and Joshua Thurman. These technologies primarily relate to complement and bleeding disorders, viral infections like Epstein-Barr Virus, and the identification of new peptides and antibodies useful for the treatment thereof. Additionally, one of the optioned technologies utilizes knowledge gained in these studies to design novel imaging particles that can be used in real-time MRI imaging of clots and other bleeding disorders.

Electric Power Research Institute Licenses CU Hydrogen Sensor Technology
TTO recently executed an exclusive license agreement with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) sensors with improved selectivity for hydrogen. This technology, developed by Will Medlin of the University of Colorado at Boulder (with collaborators at Sandia National Laboratories), enables real-time hydrogen detection in various industrial settings (see U.S. Patent 7,340,938). Sublicenses are available from EPRI.

CU-Boulder Launches Cross-Campus New Venture Challenge
The CU New Venture Challenge (CU NVC) is a cross-campus collaboration of various centers and departments on campus consisting of a business plan/new venture challenge and supported by a year-long program of events. The events include introductory business workshops provided by the Deming Center, the Silicon Flatirons Center's entrepreneurial crash courses, a series of faculty seminars and panels hosted by the CU Technology Transfer Office, and other networking opportunities. The CU NVC is designed to encourage entrepreneurship at the University, facilitate collaboration across the various disciplines, and foster a supportive environment for the creation of viable startups to emerge from the University and surrounding community. The rules, requirements and lineup of events for the year are available on the CU NVC website (http://www.cunvc.org/).

On November 6, the CU NVC will host a Pitch Day and Poster Session, an opportunity to present your ideas and search for partners to join you in your venture. At this evening event, individuals interested in promoting their technology or business ideas will have prepared a poster display and will have up to 2 minutes to announce their idea. Following the announcements (informal oral pitches), attendees have the opportunity to meet with the presenters and view their posters. Registration is required - please contact Jill Rennert for more information -- 303-492-0426 or jill.rennert@colorado.edu.

TTO Accepting Proposals for Renewable Energy Proof of Concept Grants
The CU TTO has set aside $200,000 to support Proof of Concept grants (POCg) of up to $50,000 to support the further development and validation of promising CU-Boulder renewable energy technologies. Proposals are sought in all areas related to the development of renewable and sustainable energy sources as well as efficient utilization of energy. The fall application deadline is Friday, October 24. Information about the Renewable Energy POCg program, selection criteria, application requirements, and the application form are available online; for questions, contact Kate Tallman, 303-492-5732.

Reminder: Deadline for State Matching Funds for Early Stage Bioscience Companies
The Early-Stage Bioscience Company Grant Program is one of the funding initiatives in the HB 1001 legislation, and is intended to accelerate the commercialization by Colorado start-up companies of bioscience technologies developed at research institutions in Colorado. The program provides for a 1:1 match of eligible company funds, up to a total grant amount of $250,000. To be eligible for a grant, a company must be an Early-Stage Bioscience Company as defined in the OEDIT Program Rules, have a license to commercialize bioscience technology from a Colorado research institution, and have secured at least a 1:1 match of the grant amount requested, sourced from other grants or third party investors. More information is available online, including a link to the Rules and Application and accompanying forms. The deadline for this application round is Sunday, November 30.

Read the full newsletter.

Press Release: BioRelix Licenses Univ. of Colorado Riboswitch Technology

BioRelix, Inc. will use RNA technology to develop treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections. (LINK)

BOULDER, Colo. (October 8, 2008) - The University of Colorado recently executed an exclusive license with BioRelix, Inc. for riboswitch technology developed by Robert Batey in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at CU-Boulder. BioRelix, founded in 2005 and based in New Haven, CT, was established to discover and develop novel and highly potent anti-infective compounds against pathogens resistant to currently available drugs.

Antibiotics have long been recognized as reliable drugs which have largely overcome the lethal and devastating effects of bacterial infections. However, all known classes of antibiotics are increasingly encountering wide-spread resistance by many prevalent bacterial pathogens; in fact, about 70 percent of bacteria that cause infections in hospitals are resistant to at least one of the drugs most commonly used to treat infections. Unless antibiotic resistance problems are detected as they emerge, and actions are taken to contain them, the world could be faced with previously treatable diseases that have again become untreatable, as in the days before antibiotics were developed.

Riboswitches are short stretches of messenger RNAs that bind small metabolites and control genes required for the survival of many disease-causing bacteria. Therefore, novel riboswitch technology may be used to defeat bacterial resistance to currently available antibiotics. BioRelix previously licensed jointly owned University of Colorado – Yale University riboswitch technology through a license with Yale, as well as another University of Colorado owned riboswitch technology. “We look forward to continuing a strong and mutually beneficial relationship with BioRelix,” declared Mary Tapolsky, Senior Licensing Associate with the University of Colorado’s Technology Transfer Office.

About BioRelix
BioRelix, Inc. is a drug discovery and development company focused on identifying new anti-infective drug treatments. BioRelix is building a portfolio of anti-infective products based on novel patented RNA targets, termed riboswitches, which were identified in the laboratory of BioRelix co-founder, Ronald Breaker Ph.D., Howard Hughes Investigator and Henry Ford II Professor at Yale University. For more information about BioRelix, please visit www.biorelix.com.

Link: The latest tech companies emerging from CU-Boulder

Business blogger Dave Taylor has posted his write-up of TTO's Innovation Alliance Breakfast earlier today, with overviews of the presenting companies. (Link.)