Article: Congress is weakening patents and threatening to kill the innovation economy

Link to the full article on TheHill.com.

Monthly Inventor Networking Meeting Tomorrow

Please join us tomorrow morning for the First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk monthly networking meeting.  Inventions, innovation, patents and startups are the topics of discussion, and the coffee it hot!  It takes place from 9:30-11:00 a.m. at the SIU Student Center McDonalds - hope to see you there.

Great reading for the long weekend: The Spark of Invention

What better way to spend some time this Thanksgiving weekend than thinking about invention!? The meaning of invention, the status of inventing, the future... Here's a link to a recent article in TIME Magazine entitled "The Spark of Invention."  Happy Thanksgiving!

SIU inventor's medicine to protect hearing nears final research phase

The 2012 SIU Inventor of the Year Dr. Kathleen Campbell in the news!
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/11/prweb11265064.htm

According to the State Journal Register, thousands of American soldiers and millions of civilians could avoid Noise Induced Hearing Loss if D-met trial is a success.

• 

(PRWEB UK) 4 November 2013

The next stage of research, scheduled to begin in November at a U.S. Army base, hopes to prove the benefits of a protective medicine, invented by a scientist at Springfield’s Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Dr Campbell has created an orange-flavored liquid, which contains a concentrated substance called D-methionine. This component of protein is commonly found in dairy products. In various studies, D-met has been shown to slow the development of “free radicals,” which can lead to long-term hearing loss.

“I want to see this over the finish line,” said Kathleen Campbell, an Southern Illinois University faculty member for 25 years. Ms Campbell is the school’s first researcher to develop a product that has reached the highest level of testing, a Phase 3 trial conducted before Food and Drug Administration approval.

The Phase 3 trial, scheduled for the next two years, will consist of four daily tablespoons of D-met syrup being taken by drill-sergeant instructor, during two weeks of rigorous training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

The U.S. Army are particularly interested in her research, and they have become heavily involved in the clinical trial.Noise induced hearing loss is the most common reason troops cannot be redeployed. Agriculture and Construction are two of the many industries who would benefit substantially from a drug that could reduce, or even cure, noise induced hearing loss. (2)

“They fire exactly 500 rounds of M16 weapon fire in 11 days,” Campbell said. “It’s a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. At the end of the trial, we should have less permanent hearing loss in those that are on D-met rather than the placebo.”

A total of 600 soldiers will be involved with the study, funded by the $2.5 million grant Campbell received from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Thomas Fairclough, Asons Executive, Stated that:

“Cambell’s developments could finally provide a solution for Noise-Induced Hearing Loss. Whether it is as a result of exposure to gunfire, or from working in a loud working environment, these developments made by the Southern Illinois University could be life changing for the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from Noise Induced Hearing Loss, or Industrial Deafness.”

If a private company is willing to provide financial support to Campbell, assisting her in licensing D-met patents and by funding the final Phase 3 trial, the medicine could be on the market in as soon as five years, pending FDA approval.

Studies so far indicate that the medicine could be used prior to, during, and up to three days after noise exposure, and still help cells in the inner ear recover, preventing Noise-induced hearing loss.

If D-met makes it to market, Kathleen Campbell’s invention will be the first medicine proven to prevent noise-induced hearing loss, the most-common cause of hearing loss worldwide. (1)

However, Dr Campbell says the treatment should not be considered a substitute for hearing protection, like earmuffs or earplugs. (2)

Asons Solicitors suggest, that if someone would like to learn more about Noise-Induced Hearing Loss, or if they would like to better understand the causes of Industrial Deafness, that information is available athttp://www.asons.co.uk, or via an expert helpline on 01204 521 133.

SIU inventor’s medicine to protect hearing nears final research phase - http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x882691286/Final-research-phase-for-SIU-inventor#ixzz2iMsE5qzs – The State Journal Regiter October 2013
Springfield Researcher Promotes Treatment For Hearing Loss - http://wuis.org/post/springfield-researcher-promotes-treatment-hearing-loss - WUIS October 2013

About Asons Solicitors:

Asons Solicitors is a Bolton-based law practice that specialises in personal injury and industrial disease claims. Founded by brothers Imran Akram and Kamran Akram, Asons Solicitors has developed to become a young and dynamic law firm that delivers practical solutions to clients in times of difficulty. Their continued focus on their staff has seen them awarded with the Investors in People “Gold Award”; which is reflected in the professional and personable approach they take in working with clients. They strive to grow and to develop, and their supportiveness and attention to detail ensures that their clients use them time and again.

Free Patent Seminar on Nov. 15 in Carbondale

A free patent seminar is taking place on Friday, November 15.  The topic of the seminar is “Patents, Innovation and the America Invents Act.”  Mr. Ari M. Bai, patent attorney for Posinelli business and litigation law firm will be the guest speaker.  Please view this PDF flyer for additional information.

There is no registration fee and a box lunch will be provided starting at 11:30 AM.  Space will be limited, so registration is required.  Register by phone: 618.453.6754 or by email: innovation@siu.edu.

First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk next week, Nov. 5

You can join the SIU Technology Transfer team (Jeff Myers, Amy McMorrow Hunter) at the SIU Student Center McDonald's every first Tuesday of the month for coffee and rolls. We discuss patents, innovation, startups, and try to answer any questions you may have, or provide updates on your case or other things happening.  Just drop in if you can between 9:30-11:00 a.m. and join the discussion.  Hope to see you there!  Questions?  Email techtran@siu.edu or call (618) 453-4556.

The Saluki Times: Innovation and Saluki Idea award winners named

By Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s 2013 Technology and Innovation Expo and Saluki Idea competition fostered and honored Saluki innovation and creativity. 

The two-part event took place Oct. 25 at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center and included the announcement of the 2013 Inventor Award winners.
The winners are:

• Inventor of the Year -- David Lightfoot, professor of plant, soil and agricultural systems, College of Agricultural Sciences, honored for his research primarily focusing on crop productivity and disease resistance.  He is co-inventor for seven patents issued since 1999 and also the inventor or co-inventor for eight pending patents.
• Innovator of the Year -- Peter Fadde, associate professor in curriculum and instruction, College of Education and Human Services, honored for work with computer applications used for training expert perceptual skills in sports.  A patent is pending and Fadde’s research resulted in a product now being sold commercially nationwide.
• Startup Company of the Year -- Minerals Development Technologies Inc., whose founders include Paul Chugh, mining and mineral resources engineering professor, College of Engineering.  The business is initially focusing on dust control technologies for continuous mining machines.  One patent has already been approved and two are pending.
• Student Startup of the Year -- orderbolt, an app that is promoted as “the new premier mobile payment platform.”  The business is operated by Bryce Morrison, Tom Harness, Jonathan Bening, Geoff Veliz and Aarika Price and others, most of whom are all graduates, students, or former students at SIU Carbondale. 

The event also served as the final round for the Saluki Idea Competition in which students and student-led teams showcased their ideas for new, technology-based, commercially viable products and services.  

The theme was “Innovating for Impact,” with contestants competing for $1,000 in grant funds from the SIU Sustainability Council.  In addition, SalukiTech Computer Store and Help Desk provided a Dell tablet as a door prize.  More than 20 campus and community organizations and entities provided support for the Tech Expo and Saluki Idea Competition.
Saluki Idea Competition winners are:

• First place -- D.scribe, a communication eco-system that provides accurate transcriptions of conversations for the deaf or hearing impaired, by Christopher Faller and Briana Royster, seniors in industrial design.
• Second place -- Radiation Water Pump for Developing Countries or Off-grid Communities, an affordable, solar-powered water pump/irrigation system, by Felipe Paulino Silva, and Abdiel Quetz, mechanical engineering students.
• Honorable mention -- PowerPrice, an e-commerce, online, auction-type website allowing customers to solicit for their desired item and prices, by Azadeh Omrani-Kermani, MBA student.
• Honorable mention -- ReNew, an interactive recycling/sustainability campaign, by senior industrial design students John Leco and Gene Park.
• Honorable mention -- Solar for All, a solar power-sharing concept, by senior technical resource management student David Schau.   

Judges for the competition included Jim Garvey, vice chancellor for research; Dennis Cradit, dean of the College of Business; Robyn Laur Russell, SIU director of business development and international trade; Chester Wilson, associate professor at Louisiana Tech and Lawrence Cruz, chief patent council for Conair Corp.  

For more information about the Tech Expo visit www.tie.siu.edu.  To learn more about the Saluki Idea Competition, visit siu.launcht.com/.

New patent rules explained

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Issues Final Rules to Implement Provisions of the Patent Law Treaty that Change Aspects of U.S. Patent Laws

Thanks to Marshall Gerstein Borun LLP for the info.

SIU's 2013 Inventor Awardees Announced

The organizers and sponsors of the 2013 SIU Technology and Innovation Expo would like to congratulate our inventor award winners:

Inventor of the Year:

Professor David Lightfoot, Department of Plant, Soil, and Agricultural Systems, College of Agricultural Sciences, has been a prolific inventor since arriving at SIU. He has been the co-inventor on 7 issued patents since 1999 involving crop productivity and disease resistance primarily focused on soybeans. Three of these patents are licensed to a major US agriculture and plant biotechnology company and the inventions have earned substantial royalties to date. David is also an inventor or co-inventor on 8 pending patents. These inventions could help make a big difference for the productivity of farmers nationwide and beyond.

Innovator of the Year:

Dr. Peter Fadde, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education and Human Services, specializes in computer applications for training expert perceptual skills in sports such as tennis, softball, and baseball and other fields requiring perceptual decision making.based upon cognitive recognition. Peter's research has broken new ground in this field, and he has been applying training techniques with numerous baseball and softball organizations, both amateur and professional, as well as the United States Tennis Association. Peter has a patent pending for his invention for baseball and softball applications and his research has already resulted in a product now being sold nationwide by a sports training company, with other products anticipated.

Startup of the Year:

Dr. Paul Chugh, Department of Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering, College of Engineering has been an active researcher and inventor in the fields of mining safety and productivity for decades. Paul, along with a management team involving other current and former SIU staff, has recently formed a company to commercialize a number of his inventions.. Minerals Development Technologies, Inc (MDT) will initially focus on dust control technologies for continuous mining machines. The first dust control-related patent has been approved by the United State patent and Trademark Office with two others pending, and MDT is well on its way to achieving its first commercial sales to coal companies in the region.

Student Startup of the Year:

orderbolt, Inc. - orderbolt has evolved into the premiere mobile application for streamlining rent payments. Bryce Morrison, founder and CEO of orderbolt, was a senior in marketing at SIU when he won the 2011 Collegiate Camp CEO-Saluki Operation Bootstrap. Bryce won $7500 in seed capital and $2500 in resources. The original idea was using smartphones to place orders in bars and restaurants. orderbolt’s team has six Salukis, including two interns.

The 2013 Tech Expo makes a splash in the DE

Clean air research hopeful for use in coal mines

Seth Richardson Oct 28th, 2013

SIU’s most promising research and business ideas from the previous year were on display Friday at the Technology and Innovation Expo.

A crowd of about 130 faculty, staff, investors, inventors and students gathered at the expo in the Dunn- Richmond Economic Development Center to view new technology and business ideas developed by university faculty and students....Read the article on the Daily Egyptian.

Psyched for the SIU Tech Expo today!

You can view the agenda here.  Drop in if you're in the area at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center, or email techtran@siu.edu to get the live webcast link.  Thanks again to the sponsors!

Today's DE: Competition sparks ideas for social, environmental change

Read the article on the DE. 

Sign up to watch this Friday's finals in person or by webcast!

All-day event this Friday showcases SIU innovators

The 5th annual SIU Technology and Innovation Expo is this Friday at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center in Carbondale.  All attendees are eligible for the door prize: a Dell Latitude 10 tablet.  The all-day event starts off at 9:00 a.m. with technology presentations by SIU faculty covering computer science, medical devices, energy and more.  Lawrence Cruz, chief patent counsel for Conair Corporation and SIU alumnus will keynote the luncheon catered by 17th Street Barbecue.  An expert panel covers innovative financing alternatives for entrepreneurs after lunch. At 3:00 p.m. elevator pitches for the Saluki Idea Competition are presented, followed by three tech presentations by current and former SIU students.  Innovator and Saluki Idea Competition awards start at 4:00 p.m. at the catered reception.  A shuttle bus will operate from the SIU Student Center hourly from 8:30 a.m., and a live webcast is available.  

More information: http://tie.siu.edu 
Registration: http://siutechexpo.eventbrite.com
Questions: techtran@siu.edu; (618) 453-4556

Notice of allowance: Chugh's water sprays

SIU inventor Dr. Y. P. Chugh has received a notice of allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for his invention "Water sprays for dust control on mining machines."  Dr. Chugh will be presenting at the SIU Technology and Innovation Expo next Friday.

Vote for your favorite Saluki idea!

Student teams have submitted their ideas and crowdvoting is underway at http://siu.launcht.com.  You can read the entries and vote for your favorite Saluki idea!  Don’t be afraid to share – everyone can vote.

Coffee Talk today

Please join us at the Student Center McDonald's from 9:30-11:00 a.m. today for the monthly Tech Tran Coffee Talk.  We can discuss patents, innovation, the Saluki Idea Competition, the Tech Expo, or anything else that may interest you!  Hope to see you there.

Webinar Tuesday: Innovation Opportunities at SIU

A webinar entitled "Innovation Opportunities at SIU" is taking place on Tuesday, September 24, from 2-3:30 p.m. - please sign up here; you can also attend in person at Woody Hall C227.  We will provide an overview of intellectual property, the invention disclosure process and information about resources for SIU faculty, staff and students.  Email techtran@siu.edu or call (618) 453-4556 for more information.

A Virus We Can Love

Something is going on here at the SIU campus in Carbondale.  Just this afternoon, two undergraduate students came to our tech transfer offices for help and information on how to file a patent for their inventions. This is great, is there a virus or something going around campus?  If so, I say: PASS IT ON.;)

It's perfect timing too, because as many of us know, the Saluki Idea Competition is underway, where SIU students/teams can win cash and grant money they could put towards further developing their invention and/or filing a patent, among other things.  We had a similar outbreak last year around this time if I recall, during last year's competition.  If you know someone with a great idea, please do your part in contributing to this HOT virus by sending them to http://siu.launcht.com. Thanks and hope everyone has a great weekend!

Tech Tran Coffee Talk Now!

Come join me for a chat if you can!:)

Cheers--Amy
PS - Student Center McD's, at the start of the seating area in view of the order counter.

Tech Tran Coffee Talk this Tuesday

The monthly meeting for discussion of tech transfer, patents, and innovation at SIU is this Tuesday, September 3, from 9:30-11:00 a.m.  Feel free to drop in at the Student Center McDonald's during that time for a coffee.  Do you have questions about the Saluki Idea Competition? Perfect time to get your questions answered.  Hope to see you there!

Innovation is the theme of Saluki Idea Competition

The Saluki Times
August 29, 2013By Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. – SIU Carbondale students can show how creative, innovative and entrepreneurial they are by entering the 2013 Saluki Idea Competition.

The competition offers students and student-led teams a chance to showcase their ideas for new products and services.  They can win prizes by submitting commercially viable, technology-based ideas that relate to the theme “Innovating for Impact.”  All entries should have a positive social or environmental impact. 

The competition is open for submissions; entry deadline is Oct. 4. 

“We were very pleased with the number, quality and innovative nature of the ideas submitted by our students last year,” said Jeff Myers, senior technology transfer specialist with the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research. “We are working to increase the size and scope of the competition this year.” 

All entries will be online and the public can vote via the Internet.  Finalists will make three-minute “elevator pitch” presentations to highlight their ideas before a panel of expert judges at the Technology and Innovation Expo on Oct. 25 at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center. The finals begin at 3 p.m. with the winning entries announced starting at 4 p.m. 

The grand prize is $500.  The runner-up prize is $200, and there are three, $50 honorable mention awards. 

The 2012 competition drew 13 diverse entries, with the grand prize going to “EcoLight,” a product concept that powers streetlights through a combination of solar energy and kinetic energy acquired through low-profile roadway rumble strips.  

For complete contest rules and details, visit http://siu.launcht.com. More information is also available by contacting Amy McMorrow Hunter with the University’s Technology Transfer Office at 618/453-4556.  

Blast from the Past - Saluki Idea Competition Video

Remember this?



Don't forget: 2013 Saluki Idea Competition launches Monday!

New SIU Patent Filed: Glass-ceramics based antioxidants for the oxidation protection of carbon-carbon composites

Visit the Tech Page for more information.

Fall 2013 Saluki Idea Competition Rules and Timeline Available

Visit http://siu.launcht.com for all the info. The competition will open for submissions August 26, 2013.

If you have a great idea, you could win cash! SIU students can compete on their own or as part of a team. Our theme this year is "Innovating for Impact."  Your idea needs to be technology-based, for-profit and have measurable social and/or environmental impact.

Fwd: Apply by September 16 for University Innovation Fellows Program

UNIVERSITY INNOVATION FELLOWS Apply by September 16, 2013 for Fall Training       The University Innovation Fellows are part of a national movement to ensure that students gain the necessary attitudes, skills and knowledge required for them to compete in the economy of the future. These student leaders from schools around the country work with their peers to catalyze even greater levels of innovation and venture activity on their campuses.   CURRENT FELLOWS. Our 37 students from 33 schools are mostly undergraduate engineering majors. As interdisciplinary collaboration is vital, we also have several graduate students as well as undergraduates majoring in biotechnology, biochemistry, business, entrepreneurship and child psychology.   BECOME A FELLOW. Apply online at dreamdesigndeliver.org/apply to become a University Innovation Fellow. Interested students should apply by September 16, 2013 to attend the Fall Training. Each student application must have a matching faculty sponsorship; online form also located at dreamdesigndeliver.org/apply.   CRITERIA FOR SELECTION. The ideal candidate demonstrates a strong interest in innovation, creativity and the entrepreneurial mindset coupled with a genuine desire to inspire fellow students and make a positive impact on campus. We like to select students who are: Actively enrolled: ideally rising juniors, but underclassmen/women and graduate students will also be considered. Engineering, STEM majors AND any students who realize the importance of these technical majors paired with an entrepreneurial mindset, creativity, design thinking and innovation to excel personally and as a society. Students in no-STEM majors who value innovation should also apply! Action oriented: students who possess a great attitude, strong listening skills and exceptional execution abilities. Respected by friends and classmates: candidates who can inspire peers and recruit/manage/empower a team of volunteers. Insightful and mature: students who can develop a rapport with faculty and institutional leadership, build support and form coalitions. Strategic thinkers: students who understand that change in academia is not easy, but possesses the persistence, perseverance and willingness to set up systems that will continue even after they graduate. Cool all 'round individual: candidates who the other 33 University Innovation Fellows would want to have in their network as peers, friends and potential collaborators. TRAINING AND SUPPORT. We train students to conduct in-depth analyses of their campus ecosystems; provide them with tools, resources and year-round mentorship; and connect them with one another digitally and at conferences and events. Having a national network of like-minded students helps our ambassadors learn from one another and create multi-institution collaborations.   PROGRAM SPONSORS. The program is run by the National Center for Engineering Pathways to Innovation (Epicenter), funded by the National Science Foundation as a partnership between Stanford University and the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA). We call on students and their peers to dream, design and deliver innovations that solve real-world problems.

New SIU Patent Issued Today: Intermetallic Bonded Diamond Composite Composition and Methods of Forming Articles from Same

Southern Illinois University is pleased to announce that US patent number 8,506,881 has been granted for the invention "Intermetallic Bonded Diamond Composite Composition and Methods of Forming Articles from Same."  Also known as IBD's, the material is a novel composition of nickel, aluminum, metal carbide, and industrial diamonds.  Tests have found IBD's to be several hundred times more wear-resistant than carbide.  IBD's have shown great potential in numerous industrial applications including a broad array of cutting tools, mining tools, and drill bits.  Inventors Peter Filip and Dale Wittmer of the SIU College of Engineering have recently founded Advanced Diamond Composite Materials, LLC to commercialize the technology.

Link to the SIU technology page for more information.

Gap Funding Report for Q1 2013

By Innovasource: "The goal of the Gap Funding Activity Quarterly Report is to advocate for and inform practitioners and the general public on the importance of this funding mechanism to the future of technology and start-up development. Through this report, we will establish and share the first and most comprehensive set of activity data through close partnership with university-affiliated gap funds."

Read the Report (pdf).

Visit the Saluki Concept Fund for information about one of SIU's gap funding mechanisms.

Coffee Talk Tomorrow

Dear SIU Community: Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday, August 6, at the Student Center McDonald's any time between 9:30-11:00 A.M. for an informal gathering to discuss patents, innovation, and start-ups.  Bring your questions about your inventions, the Tech Expo, the Saluki Idea Competition, or whatever's on your mind.  We hope to see you there!

New SIU Patents Filed: Computer Science and Coal Processing

Invention: Multicast Routing Protocol for Computer Networks
Inventors: Bidyut Gupta, Shahram Rahimi (LinkedIn Profile), Sindoora Koneru

Invention: Automated System for Coal Spiral
Inventor: Manoj Mohanty (LinkedIn Profile)

Good news for student innovators

Growing the region's economy: 'A priority for us' The Southern ... Dallas, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, United States Department Of Agriculture, Technology Entrepreneurship, Small Business Development Center, ...

Local startup orderbolt gets snaps

They earned the designation of Extra Help, Inc.'s July Client of the Month.

Small Business Incubator adds medical scribe firm

The Saluki Times:

July 18, 2013
By Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A medical scribe company created by Southern Illinois University Carbondale alumnus Erich Rempel and Dr. Dan Doolittle is the newest tenant in the University’s Small Business Incubator.  

ScribeConnect, LLC offers physicians and health administrators medical record documentation and electronic health record integration through the implementation of medical scribe programs and scribe training courses.  

ScribeConnect formed in 2012 and is the beneficiary of various services and support through the University.  Rempel, a graduate of the University’s aviation management program, has more than five years experience in medical scribing, scribe program implementation, and scribe training and management.  He serves as CEO of the business. 

Doolittle is a board-certified physician in family and emergency medicine with more than 20 years experience.  He serves as the chief medical officer for ScribeConnect. For the past 17 years he has practiced exclusively in emergency medicine, including 10 years as the medical director for various emergency departments.  He is currently emergency department medical director and chief of staff at Crossroads Community Hospital in Mount Vernon. 

The Small Business Development Center assisted the company with its business plan, and the SIU Small Business Incubator is the site of company’s first office location.  The incubator and center are components of the University’s Office of Economic and Regional Development. 

The Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center (http://www.growsi.com/sbip/index.htm or http://researchpark.siu.edu/about.html) is SIU’s economic development unit and hosts the Small Business Incubator.  The center offers office space, a wet laboratory and light industrial space and has attracted a wide variety of growing enterprises as tenants.  

The incubator serves as a site where companies can test their innovative and entrepreneurial concepts and launch successful businesses.  Since its inception, nearly 60 businesses, including six during the past year, have graduated from the incubator.  In addition, 11 new tenants have been accepted into the incubator’s programs within the last year, with ScribeConnect becoming the most recent. 

For more information about ScribeConnect, LLC, visit www.scribeconnect.com. 

To learn more about the Office of Economic and Regional Development and the many programs and services it offers to businesses, visit http://researchpark.siu.edu/about.html or call 618/536-4451.

SIU School of Medicine technology for diagnosing bowel disease gets Notice of Allowance from USPTO

This application is set to issue within a few months: Methods for diagnosing bowel disease.  Congratulations to SIU School of Medicine inventor Dr. Deliang Cao.  Dr. Cao presented at the 2010 SIU Tech Expo; you can view a pdf of his presentation here.

Now: First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk

Please join me at the Student Center McDonald's between 9:30-11:00 a.m. for the First Tuesday Tech Tran Coffee Talk gathering.  Stop by and I'll

• Get you a coffee
• Answer your questions about patents and inventions
• Listen to your suggestions for themes for the Saluki Idea Competition, 
• And so much more!

Cheers,

Amy

Thermaquatica gets Notice of Allowance for Coal-to-Liquids Technology Patent

Thermaquatica Inc., an SIU start-up that was recently in the news because of a partnership with Greenpower Energy Limited, received a notice of allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for their patent entitled Process for the Dissolution of Coal, Biomass and Other Organic Solids in Superheated Water.  Congratulations to Thermaquatica and SIU inventor Dr. Ken Anderson!

Heads up youngsters: 10 business lessons you should know by age 40

After 30 years in business, an entrepreneur reveals 10 of the most important lessons he wishes he had learned earlier in life.  By Barry Moltz.

Have you saved the date? 2013 Tech Expo on Oct. 25

The 2013 Tech Expo is scheduled for October 25, 2013, at the Dunn-Richmond Economic Development Center.

This year's keynote speaker is Lawrence Cruz, chief patent council for Conair Corporation and SIU alum.

Our tech presenters will be announced soon! The afternoon panel topic will be "Crowdfunding."

The Saluki Idea Competition elevator pitches will take place in the afternoon following the discussion panel, with winners announced at the reception.

Stay tuned for more info! You can also follow developments on Twitter or Facebook.

Please Give Feedback!

For the fall 2013 Saluki Idea Competition (remember, we run it on http://siu.launcht.com, crowdvoting, student teams, etc.) we are thinking of using the theme: Innovating Your Community.  Think along the lines of a benefit corporation; we will encourage entries with ideas for innovative community-based technologies, products or services that will not only be financially viable but will also socially and/or environmentally benefit the public.  Using the power/resources/know-how/whatever of the community where everyone wins!  It's similar to last year's theme, which was "Sustainability in your Community," but with a twist.

Do you think this is a good theme?  Do you have a better suggestion or suggestions for improvement?  Please give us your feedback here on the blog or at techtran@siu.edu.  Thanks!

Entrepreneur workshop for older adults is June 20

 

 

Sent to you by Amy via Google Reader:

 

 

Entrepreneur workshop for older adults is June 20

via The Saluki Times on 6/4/13

An event this month at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will highlight that a person is never too old to become a successful entrepreneur.

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to The Saluki Times using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

SIU Research Project on Kickstarter

Detect the Spawn: Biosensor for Fish Conservation

by Dr. Jim Garvey

Link to campaign: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/358503718/detect-the-spawn-biosensor-for-fish-conservation

Ever wanted to make a donation to help a species in need of conservation but didn't really know how your contribution was going to be used?  Researchers at SIU Carbondale have kicked this trend by using the popular fundraising platform Kickstarter.

"We've been conducting research on sturgeon in the Mississippi River basin for more than 15 years," says Dr. Jim Garvey, Director of the Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences at SIU.  "Funding has been steady until the last couple of years.  We are trying to find alternative sources to continue our research.  Crowdfunding seems like an effective, grass-roots option."

Among the sturgeon Garvey and his colleagues research is a federally endangered species called the pallid sturgeon.  Key to recovering this species is identifying its spawning habitat in the river.

"One of the big mysteries for most any fish species is its spawning habitat.  In rivers like the Mississippi, it is impossible to actually see spawning occurring.  Knowing the site of spawning is critical because this is where the next cohort in the population will be produced.  Spawners need the right habitat and proper protection during the spawn."

Garvey and his team including Dr. Brian Small, Ian Suni, and Haibo Wang at SIU are raising money on Kickstarter to develop a sensor that will tell scientists when sturgeon are spawning.  The sensor will be implanted in female fish and attached to a transmitter.  When spawning occurs, the transmitter-sensor combination will be activated and send both the time and location information back to the researchers.

Garvey notes, "All the technology for developing a working biosensor that detects the spikes in reproductive hormones that occur during spawning are available.  The key is to develop a working model for the field affixed to commercially available animal transmitters.  We hope we can raise sufficient funds from Kickstarter to interest both government agencies and industry in partnering with us on more research."

Kickstarter is a great way for the public to become involved in conservation research at SIU and learn more about sturgeon in the rivers of the US.  The researchers benefit by accessing a unique source of funding.

Ultimately, the sturgeon win.

Coffee Talk today - shortened

Tech Tran Coffee Talk on Tuesday, June 4, will have a slightly altered schedule. Jeff Myers will be at the Student Center McDonald's from 9:45-10:30 a.m. for discussion of patents and innovation.

Southern Illinois University Start-up Secures International Partnership for Clean Coal-to-Liquids Technology Development

1740 Innovation Drive, Suite 212
Carbondale, IL USA 62903
+1.314.616.4473
info@thermaquatica.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thermaquatica Inc. Partners with Greenpower Energy Limited to Develop Coal-to-Liquids Technology 

Research agreement will fund development of Thermaquatica’s novel, environmentally friendly OHD process

Carbondale, IL, May 30, 2013 – Thermaquatica Inc. of Carbondale, IL, USA announces the signing of a Research and Option agreement with Greenpower Energy Limited at Thermaquatica’s Headquarters on May 24th, 2013. Under terms of the agreement, Greenpower will contribute US$2 million toward further development by Thermaquatica of Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution (OHD), a process for conversion of low grade hydrocarbon material to higher grade material, in particular as it applies to conversion of low rank coal to high value liquid products. In return, Greenpower is granted a two-year option to take an exclusive license for the commercial application of this process within Australia and New Zealand.

OHD is a novel, environmentally friendly technology for the conversion of coal, lignocellulosic (woody) biomass, and other organic solids into low molecular weight, water-soluble products, many of which are potentially valuable for making polymers and other hydrocarbon-based products. OHD works by reacting coal or other macromolecular organic solids with small amounts of oxygen in high-temperature, high-pressure liquid water. Professor Ken Anderson and his collaborators discovered and developed the OHD processes at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU), which owns the pending patents for this technology. Professor Anderson, Thermaquatica’s Chief Technical Officer, founded Thermaquatica in late 2010 to commercially exploit this process. Thermaquatica holds the exclusive worldwide license from SIU to the patent rights. Early development of the process and an engineering scale-up Process Development Unit have been funded by a $950,000 grant from the Illinois Clean Coal Institute. Additional assistance has been provided by the SIU Technology Transfer Office and the Southern Illinois Research Park.

Greenpower Energy Limited (www.greenpowerenergy.com.au) is a publicly traded company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:GPP). Greenpower’s mission and focus is to seek practical ways to find realistic, commercial, and effective processes to provide the increasing amounts of energy required to meet the world’s needs – processes that will significantly reduce man’s carbon footprint on our planet. Greenpower holds exploration mining tenements in the Latrobe Valley of Australia containing inferred deposits of lignite estimated at over 500 million tons and has been searching for appropriate processes to convert coal to liquid products in order to produce transportation fuels and other products in an environmentally friendly way.

Commenting on this agreement, Dr. John P. McAlister, Thermaquatica’s CEO stated, “The relationship with Greenpower established through this agreement empowers Thermaquatica to aggressively develop and commercially deploy OHD in a number of application areas. We are delighted to partner with Greenpower in its efforts to exploit the abundant natural resources at its disposal in an unique and environmentally friendly way.” Dr. McAlister continued, “We believe this is the first in a potentially large number of applications for OHD, a process which has been demonstrated to work equally efficiently on a wide variety of biomass including wood chips, corn stover, and sugarcane bagasse, as well as oil shale, tar sands, and many others.” 

Mr. Gerard King, board director of Greenpower commented, “We at Greenpower are very impressed with the demonstrated capability of Thermaquatica’s OHD process and with the research and engineering capabilities of the team led by Professor Ken Anderson. We look forward to bringing this technology to bear on our large resource holdings in Australia where we believe it can have a real and positive impact.” 

“Thermaquatica is a great example of groundbreaking research by our outstanding faculty and their focus on helping to solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental and economic challenges,” SIU Chancellor Rita Cheng said. “I am pleased that our entrepreneurship programs, which encourage and guide our faculty, helped Dr. Anderson and his team achieve this level of commercial success.”

About Thermaquatica Inc
Founded in November 2010 and located in Carbondale, Illinois, Thermaquatica is dedicated to the scale-up and commercial exploitation of the Oxidative Hydrothermal Dissolution process discovered and pioneered by Professor Ken Anderson of Southern Illinois University. Thermaquatica is merging creative chemistry with engineering to pioneer the development of environmentally friendly means to produce next generation materials and fuels.

About Greenpower Energy Limited
With a long legacy in coal production as Gunnedah Colliery Company before changing its name and mission in 2007 to Greenpower Energy Limited, Greenpower’s mission and current focus is to seek practical ways to find realistic, commercial, and effective processes to create the increasing amounts of energy for today’s world needs – processes that will significantly reduce man’s carbon footprint on our planet. Greenpower has not limited the scope of this search in any way – for example the company is testing methods to produce and use existing fuel sources such as natural gas and coal that are practical and economic and make a real reduction in carbon emissions. Greenpower is also exploring commercially viable renewable energy sources and production methods.

Quote for Today

"Hard work generates more opportunities for small-business owner to get lucky." --Barry Moltz, 5 Reasons Stupid People Make More Money Than You

New SIU Patent Issued: E-nose

Congratulations to SIU inventor Dr. Andrei Kolmakov for his recently issued U.S. patent entitled "Analyte multi-sensor for the detection and identification of analyte and a method of using the same" (direct link to patent).  For more information about the technology and contact information, please visit the technology page on the SIU Tech Transfer website.

Startup Strategy

This article in the Harvard Business Review entitled "Why the Lean Start-Up Changes Everything" about the Lean Launchpad is freely available for another week or so.  Nice summer reading!  And here's a direct link to the business model canvas.

Starts Tomorrow: Research Commercialization Introductory Course Starts on May 21

This is a forwarded message that was originally sent to SIU Tech Transfer.  It's a free class and might be good idea for anyone looking for some summer learning opportunities! 

Message:

National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer Presents

Research Commercialization Introductory Course

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 to 2:30 PM ET
twice weekly from May 21 to June 18, 2013

REGISTER NOW CLICK HERE

INTRODUCTION

Now on its fifth run, the Research Commercialization Introductory Course is a very popular online course designed to help science and engineering researchers better understand how research commercialization works. Over 4000 researchers from across the US take the course each time it is offered.

Research commercialization involves taking articles, documentation, know-how, patents, and copyrights, which are created during research activities and getting them to users and patients for real societal impacts.

In some cases, commercialization involved taking patents based on the research and licensing them to a company. This usually involves also having the researchers consult to the company. In other cases, commercialization involves forming or creating a startup and applying to federally funded commercialization programs. In all cases, though, research commercialization typically involves defining the nature of the research being commercialized (e.g., in a patent or intellectual property agreement), establishing a commercial relationship with another party (e.g., employment, a sale or license), and negotiating a contract (e.g., compensation).

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE?

The Research Commercialization Course is recommended for all science, engineering and medical researchers in public or private research institutions (e.g., grad students, post-docs, and faculty). This is an indispensable course for S&E grad students looking for jobs in the next 6-18 months.

ABOUT THE RESEARCH COMMERCIALIZATION INTRODUCTORY COURSE

Areas covered in the course include intellectual property, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, licensing agreements, employment agreements, consulting agreements, tech transfer, creating and funding companies, and federally funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs

Each lecture is a live 90-minute online class with Q&A.

HOW TO REGISTER

There is no cost to attend this course but registration is required by clicking on the GoToWebinar link below. 

or go to (https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/818109106)
By clicking on the link above you will be registered to all sessions of this course.
Once registered, you will receive a reminder email 24 hours before each session.

 

CLASS SCHEDULE

Lecture 1: The Importance of Commercializing Research
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 2: Patents
Thursday, May 23, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 3: Copyright, Trademarks and Trade Secrets 
Tuesday, May 28, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 4: Employment and Consulting Agreements
Thursday, May 30, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 5: Tech Transfer and Licensing Agreements 
Tuesday, June 04, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 6: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Grants
Thursday, June 06, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 7: Introduction to Early Stage Funding
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 8: Introduction to Structuring and Leading the Research-Intensive Company
Thursday, June 13, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

Lecture 9: Moving from R&D to Manufacturing
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 , 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET

 

REGISTER FOR THE FINAL EXAM AND CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

A Final Exam will be available to all registered students AFTER the course.

Registering for the Final Exam is separate from the GoToWebinar registration. If you would like to take the Final Exam and be issued a Certificate of Completion register for a free NCET2 account (click here). Once registered, login and click on "Subscribe" at the top of this page.

The Final Exam is an online, multiple-choice test. Subscribed students who achieve 60% or greater on the FinalExam will receive a Certificate of Completion for this course. The Final Exam will be opened after the last session and will remain available for 3 weeks to give you enough time to review and take the exam.

 

DOWNLOADING COURSE MATERIALS AND VIEWING RECORDED VIDEOS OF PREVIOUS SESSIONS

The materials and recorded video for each session will be uploaded on a separate page before and after each session. Did you miss a session? The video recording will be posted with 24 hours after each session and will be available for you to view until after the Final Exam.

Ali Andalibi 
VP Research and CSO
Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center
former Program Director SBIR/STTR National Cancer Institute, NIH

Clara Asmail 
Sr. Technical Advisor, NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
formerly SBIR Program Manager 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)

Frank Barros 
SBIR Program Analyst
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Lenka Fedorkova
Assistant Manager, SBIR/STTR Programs, 
Office of Extramural Research, 
Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health

Deputy Director, Licensing & Entrepreneurship 
Office of Technology Transfer 
National Institutes of Health 

Juan E. Figueroa
Division of Industrial Innovation and Partnership 
National Science Foundation

Tony Stanco 
Executive Director 
National Council Of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer

Christine Villa
Chief Technology Officer, BRTRC, Inc.
Principal Consultant, DOD SBIR/STTR Programs

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ATTENDEES:

WEBINAR SCHEDULE: This course is scheduled every Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm ET starting May 21 through June 18, 2013. Changes in schedules or topics will be posted on this page and sent to you through email.

WEBINAR DURATION: Each session is a 90-minute webinar with 60 minutes of presentation and 30 minutes of Q&A.

COST: Free, but registration required by clicking on the Register button above. You only need to register once. Your registration is valid for all sessions in this course.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE?: This webinar is online. You need a computer with web access for the visual/audio. You may also dial-in using the audio-only telephone number. The call in details and instructions on how to join the webinar will be sent to you via email after you register. Once registered you will also receive a reminder email 24 hours before the start of the webinar.

QUESTIONS TO SPEAKERS: Q&A is conducted by a chat box to the speakers.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THE WEBINAR?: The Research Commercialization Course is recommended for all science, engineering and medical researchers in public or private research institutions (e.g., grad students, post-docs, and faculty). This is an indispensable course for S&E grad students looking for jobs in the next 6-18 months.

SLIDES AND VIDEO: The materials and recorded video for each session will be uploaded on a separate page before and after each session. If you are unable to join the live webinar, you may view the recorded video that will be posted within 24 hours after the scheduled webinar ends.

Student-founded business earns startup award

The Saluki Times

May 17, 2013

By Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A growing business founded by three former Southern Illinois University Carbondale students and grown through assistance from the University is a winner in the Arch Grants 2013 Global Startup Competition.

RoverTown will receive $50,000 in funding and free support services.  The business is one of 20 selected this week from 707 applicants from 40 states and 15 countries.  The business, Rover Enterprises, LLC., was launched in 2009 by then-SIU Carbondale students Mike Philip, and co-founders Brad Miller and Joshua Freeman. 

Philip, from Wheaton, was at the time an information systems and applied technologies major.  Freeman earned his finance degree in December 2009, while Miller completed his management degree in May 2010. Freeman and Miller are both from Rantoul.

“It is very gratifying to witness the evolution of an idea by three former University students into a scalable venture.  Their passion and drive is to be commended,” said Kyle Harfst, executive director of the Southern Illinois Research Park and executive director of Economic Development.

Initially, Rover Enterprises produced a $20 plastic RoverCard that students could purchase and use to get discounts and special deals at participating area businesses.  Businesses could change their deals on a daily basis.

Philip, the company’s chief executive officer, is a 2009 graduate of Operation Bootstrap, a collaborative program between the SIU Carbondale Office of Economic and Regional Development and the Delta Regional Authority set up to help new or potential businesses.  The company earned $3,000 in start-up funding through the program. 

They made a small profit their first year and soon moved the company to the Southern Illinois Research Park’s Small Business Incubator at SIU.  The company evolved quickly.

RoverTown is now a mobile marketing company that allows area businesses in college towns to reach students through mobile devices, which enhances their business traffic by offering students special discounts and deals.  Students can also scan table displays to participate in a loyalty program, similar to a paper-punch card.  The company motto is “Throwin’ you bones,” and the bones, of course, are discounts. 

The popular discount program, a client of the Small Business Incubator and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at SIU, has expanded extensively in just a few years.  According to Philip, 1.4 million college students on nearly 70 campuses now have access to the RoverTown student discount program in dozens of states from Hawaii to New York.  He said more than 2,000 businesses reach college students via smartphones, with 12 businesses gaining exposure to students every 60 seconds on the platform.

Participating businesses pay a $50 monthly fee to the company to receive “Roverlink,” software developed by Rovertown that allows businesses to manage their discounts on students’ smartphones, view analytics and track their return on investment.

Philip notes that the company has proven successful in a number of ways, as evidenced by the significant growth and expansion and by the fact that it has raised more than $100,000 in capital before winning the Arch grant.  In February 2011, RoverTown was Southern Illinois’ only downstate participant for the Chicagoland Entrepreneurial Center’s CAP 20 program, a component of the Cluster Acceleration Program. The program fosters growth by connecting startup businesses with statewide resources over a five-year period. 

Currently joining Philip as principals in the company are Michael Rzeznik, a 2012 SIU Carbondale graduate in information systems and applied technologies from Lake Zurich who serves as chief technology officer, and Jeffry Harrison, a 2012 SIU Edwardsville business administration finance and entrepreneurship graduate from Red Bud and former student trustee on the SIU Board of Trustees, who serves as chief operating officer.  RoverTown officers say SIU Carbondale and the Office of Economic and Regional Development have been instrumental in their success.

“The University and its Dunn-Richmond Economic Center programs and staff have been a critical support system that we have relied on as we expanded RoverTown across the United States,” Philip said. 

In conjunction with the Arch Grants competition, designed to help grow businesses and entrepreneurship in St. Louis, Rover Enterprises will relocate to St. Louis this summer.  To learn more about RoverTown, visit the website at www.rovertown.com or follow it on Twitter at twitter@rover_mike. 

For more information about the Office of Economic and Regional Development and the many programs and services it offers to businesses, visit http://researchpark.siu.edu/about.html.