The University of Kentucky was pleased to partner with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear and his economic development cabinet last month in Atlanta for the annual international biotechnology convention known as BIO. Special thanks to Dr. B. Mark Evers, UK’s new director of the Markey Cancer Center, and Dr. Jeffrey Moscow, Pediatrics Hematology-Oncology chief, who joined us for a business recruitment meeting during BIO. BIO is just one of our many initiatives and programs to advance technology commercialization, Coldstream Research Campus and business development for the university, the Lexington-Bluegrass Region and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Len Heller
Vice President, UKCED
President and CEO, KTI

Redundant Power Coming Soon to UK’s Coldstream Research Campus

Coldstream Research Campus will begin offering redundant power and fiber optics by early next year. Kentucky Utilities is currently constructing a new substation off Georgetown Road and an overhead route to the university’s research campus at the intersection of I-75 and I-64. Construction will begin later this summer on an underground duct bank system to distribute power and data strategically throughout the 735-acre campus.

Redundant power helps ensure that if one source of power malfunctions, a second one can pick up the slack without interruption. Fiber optics provide some of the highest connection speeds possible today which lets companies share large amounts of data quickly with suppliers, partners, researchers and customers.

“We know that redundant power and fiber optics are important to the types of companies we want at Coldstream — data and technology centers, labs with sensitive equipment, testing facilities, and financial centers,” says Len Heller, UK vice president for Commercialization & Economic Development, whose office includes Coldstream. “Adding redundant power to Coldstream will position us in the top tier of research parks in the Midwest.”

Work has been underway for the past year on a new vision and master development plan for Coldstream. “This infrastructure improvement will be an important asset for marketing the new Coldstream and recruiting companies, specifically high-tech companies, to our campus” says Coldstream Executive Director Tina Carpenter. read more

Kentucky, Argonne Partner to Help Build Domestic Battery Industry

The University of Kentucky is partnering with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the University of Louisville and Argonne National Laboratory to establish a national Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center.

The national research center, which will be located on Iron Works Pike in Lexington, near the UK Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER), will develop a domestic supply of advanced battery technologies for vehicle applications that will help secure U.S. energy independence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the economy. It will also contribute to U.S. President Barak Obama’s goal for one million plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

“The center will initially focus on lithium-ion battery manufacturing R&D,” says Mark Peters, deputy associate laboratory director of Energy Sciences and Engineering at Argonne.

UK carbon materials researcher Steve Lipka and his team at CAER will join U of L and Argonne researchers to develop these high-efficiency batteries and technologies. UK will also contribute expertise from the Center for Manufacturing. read more

UK Creates Consortium to Reduce Coal Carbon Dioxide Emissions

The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research (CAER) has created a consortium with government agencies, electric utilities and their research organizations to find cost-effective technologies to reduce and manage carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power plants. The consortium builds on a carbon management research partnership between CAER and E.ON US, an electric and natural gas company headquartered in Louisville, Ky., which began in 2006.

“This consortium is an ideal example of the public and private sector partnering to solve one of Kentucky’s – and the nation’s – major problems,” says UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. “In creating this partnership, Kentucky is asserting itself as a national leader in developing the next-generation technologies that will help reduce America’s carbon footprint. This is an important step for the future of Kentucky’s energy industry.”

The consortium will pursue three major carbon managment research projects including the development of a new combustion technology process for solid fuel like coal and biomass that could provide a more efficient power production technology for next generation power plants. read more

New Clinician Innovations Program Focuses on Medical Devices and Diagnostics

UK HealthCare professionals will hear about the university’s new customized commercialization process at the first annual Clinician Innovations Day on August 4. Clinicians will also find out how to work with Therix Medical, a new privately funded business development initiative set up to bring clinicians’ ideas to market. Clinician Innovations Day features keynote speaker Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty, inventor of the first balloon embolectomy catheter and professor of surgery at Stanford, and UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. The clinician innovations business development program and event is sponsored by the UK Office for Commercialization & Economic Development and Therix Medical. read more

KSBDC Recognizes 10 High Performing Kentucky Businesses

The Kentucky Small Business Development Center (KSBDC) inducted 10 businesses into the second class of Kentucky Pacesetters at the Capitol Rotunda in May. KSBDC created the Pacesetter award program last year to recognize Kentucky businesses that are changing the economic landscape of the Commonwealth by introducing innovative products, increasing sales and/or production and boosting employment. All inductees meet the minimum qualifications of a second stage business, including minimum sales of $500,000, six or more employees, and three or more years in business.

This year’s Kentucky Pacesetters are: Bella Rose, Lexington; Celerity Automation, Paintsville; Chaney’s Dairy Barn, Bowling Green; City Wide Maintenance of Cincinnati, Fort Wright; Digitech Services Inc., Glasgow; Light’s Enterprises, Ashland; Comfort Keepers, Owensboro; T.E.M. Electric Co. Inc., Louisville and Lexington; Taylor’s Concrete Cutting Services LLC, Franklin; and The Combs Group-CBJ Machine & Hydraulics, Pineville.

In addition, 2009 Pacesetter recipient Tom Masterson, owner of T.E.M. Electric Co. Inc., was recognized by U.S. President Barak Obama during his speech for the 46th annual National Small Business Week. read more

B2B Event Brings Faculty Entrepreneurs Together With Bluegrass Angels

The spring “Bench2Business” networking event drew more than 100 faculty entrepreneurs and specially invited guests, members of the Bluegrass Angels. UK President Lee T. Todd Jr. recognized 46 faculty in the categories of commercialization funding, new licenses, new ASTeCC companies and ASTeCC “graduates.” Faculty making presentations included Kozo Saito (engineering), founder of the Institute of Research for Technology Development; Braden Lusk (mining engineering); Peter Oeltgen (medicine), founder of Hibernetics; and Bruce Webb (agriculture), co-founder of ParaTechs. Jed Bullard, chairman of the Bluegrass Angel Venture Fund, also spoke. B2B faculty networking events are held twice a year and are sponsored by the UK Office for Commercialization & Economic Development. The Bluegrass Angels co-sponsored the spring event. read more

UK Monoclonal Antibody Receives FDA Orphan Drug Status

Using a monoclonal antibody developed at UK, Tolera Therapeutics Inc. has been granted “orphan drug status” by the FDA for TOL101 designed to prevent acute rejection of organ transplants. TOL101 is a biologic protein which will safely target T cells, components of the immune system that play a key role in the rejection, and ultimate failure, of transplanted organs. The monoclonal antibody used for TOL101 was developed by John Thompson, MD, director of research at the Lexington VA Medical Center and former UK chair of internal medicine. Orphan drug status, given to drugs intended to treat rare diseases or conditions (affecting fewer than 200,000 people annually in the U.S.), will facilitate TOL101’s entry into the clinic. read more

Coldstream Laboratories Celebrates Second Anniversary

Coldstream Laboratories Inc. (CLI), providing full service GMP small-batch sterile drug product production, has successfully completed its second year in business.

Based at Coldstream Research Campus, CLI has manufactured more than a dozen different drug products for pre-clinical through Phase III clinical trials since the $17 million, 20,000 sq. ft. facility has been in operation. CLI is currently working with 25 national and international pharmaceutical and biotech clients. CLI has also doubled the size of its technical staff to 65 full time employees to support its drug product development and GMP manufacturing services.

“Our future looks bright,” says Joe Wyse, Coldstream Laboratories president and CEO. “Customers appreciate our work ethic and enthusiasm for helping them meet their goals in clinical trials and generic drug filings. As a result, we are already seeing repeat work from a number of our customers.” read more

New UK Affiliated Company

TrackFive Diagnostics’ develops genome-based oncology tests: Using research by Penni Black, founder and assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, TrackFive Diagnostics Inc. will develop genomics-based tests to predict how cancer patients will respond to treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors for metastatic colorectal cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, head and neck cancers and pancreatic cancer.

New Licenses

UK has issued 17 new licenses to-date in FY 2009. The following UK-affiliated companies hold new licenses:

Merloc LLC, founded by David Atwood, chemistry, is developing multidentate sulfur-containing ligands for binding heavy metals for waste management or environmental cleanup applications. Located in Lexington, Ky., Merloc currently holds two licenses for 2009.

HiberNetics Inc., located in Frankfort, Ky. and founded by pathology professor Peter Oeltgen, is developing treatments for injury caused by the restriction and restoration of blood flow due to stroke or cardiac arrest.

TranSecurity Systems Inc. is developing a milk transport security system that enhances national food security while providing the food transport industry with a system that collects, stores, manages and assimilates data. The company, located in Lexington, Ky., was founded by Fred Payne, biosystems and agricultural engineering.

NanoMed Pharmaceuticals Inc., founded in 2000 by Russ Mumper, formerly of the College of Pharmacy, is developing a bio-adhesive berry gel for oral cancer treatment. NanoMed is located in Kalamazoo, Mich.

New Patents

UK has issued 19 patents to-date in FY 2009. The following UK principal investigators have recently received patents:

Joseph Chappell / agriculture
Malaya Chatterjee / medicine
Uschi Graham / geology
David Hildebrand / agriculture
Daniel Howe / medicine
David Jacques / engineering
George Wagner / agriculture
Nancy Webb / medicine

More News & Developments

Affinity Photoprobes moves R&D to Coldstream Research Campus

AllTranz competes for national funding awards

Clean coal technologies company moves into ASTeCC

Paige Shumate Short named leading business woman

Red Herring magazine names Mersive as a top tech venture

Transposagen receives federal and state funding; enters Japanese market

UK start-up companies featured in economic impact story

Professional development webinars series offered

Commercialization & Economic Development

Research Means Business at the University of Kentucky. Len Heller and his team of professionals are your UK contacts for innovative commercialization and strategic partnership opportunities.

UKCED

ASTeCC/AgTeCC Campus Incubators

Business Development

Coldstream Research Campus

Intellectual Property

Investor Relations

Kentucky Small Business Development Center

Kentucky Technology Inc.

Lexington Innovation and Commercialization Center

Licensing

Statewide Economic Development Initiatives

Technology Commercialization