“WSU is like an undiscovered diamond in terms of commercialization opportunities,” said Keith Jones, executive director of the WSU Research Foundation. Hoping to point investors toward that buried treasure, the Foundation – together with Greater Spokane Inc. – last week hosted the first ever event promoting WSU research and technology transfer.
The program, held in the Academic Center on the WSU Spokane campus, featured five faculty members whose cutting edge technologies are in line to enter the market place.
“Pullman is kind of distant, so we decided to bring some technology to town,” said Jones addressing a crowd of about 50 listeners. “We want to give you a chance to meet the researchers and see for yourselves some of the wonderful things going on in technology.”
Participants listen to technology presentations
The Spokane area is home to many entrepreneurs and business owners with the financial and technological expertise to help develop and market research discoveries.
Greater Spokane, Inc., alone, is funded by over 1500 private sector member investors with a mission to spur economic growth throughout the region. This fits well with the goals of the WSU Research Foundation – a non-profit organization which manages the intellectual property of WSU researchers.
The Foundation seeks to find business owners willing to license new technologies and inventions – and transfer them into the marketplace.
Jones said the commercialization activity at WSU has nearly tripled over the past few years and the opportunities for development are expanding. One reason may be the creation of the Cougar Gap Fund – through the Office of Research and the Office of Intellectual Property.
Many researchers run into funding problems when trying to move basic research from the lab into the commercial market – and inventions often take further development before attracting business investment. The Cougar Gap Fund provides funds to “close the gap” and encourages those with promising inventions to move forward toward commercialization.
Cancer detection and prevention
Among those taking advantage of the Cougar Gap Fund is Suzanne Lindsey, associate professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Lindsey created a buzz as she described the development of a diagnostic test which uses an atypical gene called MIG-7 as a marker to detect certain cancer cells. MIG-7 is present when cancer is metastasizing. In her presentation, she explained that it is possible to block MIG-7, which could prevent the spread of many solid (tumor) cancers.
Suzanne Lindsey explains cancer research
She also said that an antibody could be produced which may someday be used as a possible vaccine against cancer. “This is the first detection method and treatment for cancer cells that may change the way we treat cancer patients,” Lindsey said. “It shows low or no toxicity – we could possibly change cancer into a benign thing.”
Fuels for the future
Alternatives to shrinking petroleum resources were the concern of other faculty presenters. Grant Norton, professor and associate dean in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, said that the global demand for energy may be society’s biggest challenge. He suggested the only way for mankind to meet that demand is through new technologies – such as storing hydrogen in microscopic glass springs called nanosprings.
Grant Norton explains nanotechnology
Developed through GoNano Technologies, in collaboration with University of Idaho researchers, the unique nanomaterial can be molded into many different shapes and shows great promise as a hydrogen storage material.
Norton also hopes to someday use nanowires to store solar energy. “We have not yet found a way to convert solar energy efficiently,” he said. “But if we could, a single day of solar energy could provide enough (stored) energy for a year worldwide.”
Norm Lewis, Director of the Institute of Biological Chemistry, offered a more terrestrial solution in the use of plant biomass as an alternative fuel source. Lignin, the “bone material” of plants, said Lewis, comprises one third of all plant biomass but is largely treated as a waste product. His team is developing new types of plants where the lignin biosynthesis is redirected into more useful compounds. They predict these plants could produce biofuels as well as plastics, flavors and fragrances.
Norm Lewis fields audience questions
Representatives from Biological and Environmental Systems and Technology (BEST), in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering, were also on hand to discuss technologies for converting agricultural wastes into bioethanol and other biofuels.
Ventilation Issues
One invention was comparatively simple but brilliant in design. Max Kirk, assistant director of the Construction Management program and associate professor in the School of Architecture and Construction Management, presented his creation called the AirDamp – an energy efficient device for bringing fresh air into a building.
Today’s airtight houses don’t “breathe” well and tend to trap chemical vapors in the air. Though there are a few competing products on the market, Kirk’s patented ventilator is much less expensive – only $57 including labor. Operating as a small fan which uses a solenoid to open and close the damper, the AirDamp is predicted to save $45 – 100 per year in energy costs.
