By Codell Rodriguez, Southern Business Journal, July 18, 2010
With Southern Illinois University Carbondale being a research university, innovations are made and the Technology Transfer Program is there to ensure those innovations are successful.
The program helps identify potential successes at the university and help make them successful by acquiring patents and marketing inventions to industries.
“We’ve always felt one of the key aspects of research is to get it out there into the public, to utilize it and do some good,” said Jeff Myers, senior technology transfer specialist.
One of the professors making use of the program is Luke Tolley, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry. He developed the DIABLA method with fellow associate professor Matt McCarroll. Tolley said the method helps understand how drugs and molecules work in the human body.
Proteins and drugs are placed in a small tube. Drugs are hit with a laser and look for slow-spinning drug molecules to know which proteins react with which drugs.
Tolley said the process could help design better drugs and reduce the amount of side effects. He said he has enjoyed working with the program.
"I'm very excited to have the opportunity to bring my product to the market," Tolley said. "It's been a very good experience."
Getting the university's research out on the forefront is something SIUC Chancellor Rita Cheng has shown great interest in. Her husband, Tom, who has a background in business, said he would volunteer time to help in any way to boost the success of the program. He said he is still exploring his options for getting involved and helping out.
Myers said the program can help the university's name recognition by getting quality-inventions on the market and can also help the region in ways such as producing startup businesses.
"We think it's going to make a difference for the region's economic development," Myers said.
Read the full article with photos on Southern Business Journal.
Visit the related websites:
SIUC Technology Transfer
Dr. Tolley's Homepage
Dr. Tolley's technology available for license
