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highlights opportunities new faces Controlling Motion Investing in New Board Members and more New Mexico Technology New Sta pages 2 & 3 page 5 page 6 & 7 WWW.STC.UNM.EDU VOLUME XVI - FALL 2008 In This Issue President’s Corner TC.UNM ended its fi scal year on concentration and June 30th with a number of accom- dynamism,” an in- Splishments: crease in the rankings from 31st in 2004. • an increase of over 30% in the number This metric measures of disclosures received the stock of capable • total STC income was near the $1 mil- entrepreneurs and Lisa Kuuttila President & CEO, STC.UNM President’s Corner .............................................pg 1 lion mark and included equity acquisi- risk capital available Controlling Motion ...........................................pg 2 tions in several new companies to support the conversion of research into Ligand-Based Biosensor for • six new start-up companies were formed commercially viable technology products Detection of Microbes ...................................pg 2 • over $2 million in research funding to and services. UNM from companies related to STC Innovative Reverse Osmosis option and license agreements STC is pleased to be an important part of Membranes ...........................................................pg 3 the growing entrepreneurial infrastruc- STC Hosts 5th Annual Creative Of the new disclosures received in FY2008, ture in New Mexico. It is exciting to see Awards ......................................................................pg 3 we had 23 fi rst-time inventors or creators the tangible results of new products and Is Your Patent Pending? .................................pg 3 represented as lead inventors, indicating services being developed and introduced 3rd Annual Call for the growth in STC’s outreach efforts in the based on UNM technologies as well as the Gap Funding Proposals .................................pg 4 UNM community. While the past year was many new companies being formed which Biotech Start-up Based on diffi cult in terms of the U.S. economy and will help build our business base in New UNM Technology Gets the subsequent challenges for established Mexico. VC Funding of $5.5M .......................................pg 4 and new companies, it was also a time of Investing in UNM Technology healthy economic activity for our inventors As always, we are eager to learn about your and in New Mexico ..........................................pg 5 with six new start-up companies based on discoveries and welcome the opportunity UNM technologies. In addition to STC’s to work with you. Please contact me or GPB Scienti c Deal for active program of start-up support, the anyone else at STC if you have ideas that Nanostructured Devices ...............................pg 5 general environment for entrepreneurism in may have commercial potential. st Issued Patents for 1 Half 2008 .................pg 6 New Mexico is increasing, which accounts New Board Members ......................................pg 6 for the signifi cant results in start-ups. New Sta Member............................................pg 7 Intern Interview: Isaac Estrada ...................pg 7 And the growing entrepreneurial climate in New Mexico is being recognized on the na- Lisa Kuuttila Sta Directory ......................................................pg 7 tional level. The Milken Institute released President & CEO Board Directory ..................................................pg 7 a state index in June 2008 ranking New [email protected] Seminars & Events .............................................pg 8 Mexico as 4th in the nation for “technology 505-272-7905 Sell Your Inventions Online .........................pg 8 STC.UNM • 801 University Blvd., SE, Suite 101 • Albuquerque, NM 87106 • UNM MSC 04 2750 1 Technology Highlights Controlling Motion otion control is present in every solutions. However, these solutions have aspect of everyday life. Motion many shortcomings, such as the creation Mis controlled in devices such as of excess vibration that results in wasted conveyor belts, cars, trains, robots, and energy. The current method for creating any device that requires movement from smooth velocity pro les is to use simple one point to another. It is most widely lters. Filters eliminate the complex- used in the semiconductor and assembly ity and special cases required in tting industries, and most polynomial blends, but importantly in the do not address or elimi- Wideband Suppression of design of industrial Motion-Induced Vibration nate residue vibration. robots. There are Reference number STC-PS-0802 Another method uses two basic types of Gregory Starr, Ph.D. velocity steps and pulse smooth velocity pro le while eliminat- motion pro les that Department of Mechanical Engineering trains to eliminate resi- ing residue vibration. The results are University of New Mexico exist to control the due vibration, but does pro les that are superior to the current motion of a system: not produce smooth techniques. This approach results in position-time pro les and spatial pro- velocity pro les. the generation of smooth pulse-based les. Time pro les determine distance position pro les at real-time, the sup- and velocity along the path, whereas Dr. Gregory Starr, UNM Professor in the pression of a wider range of frequencies, position pro les determine the path. Department of Mechanical Engineering, and improved frequency spectrum while found a new approach to controlling maintaining computational e ciency— Most issues involved in controlling motion that combines the advantages of which satis es all current demands for motion have moderately acceptable the two current methods by producing a controlling motion. ■ Ligand-Based Biosensor for Ligand-Based Biosensor for Detection of Microbes Detection of Microbes Reference number STC-LS-0365 Ligand-Based Surface Acoustic Waves Biosensor for Detection of Viruses and Cells group of UNM inventors from the scientists have recently veri ed Reference number STC-LS-0388 Health Sciences Center (Rich- this using the Hanta and Herpes Richard Larson, M.D., Ph.D., et al. ard Larson, Marco Biso , David viruses. School of Medicine A University of New Mexico Brown, Pamela Hall, and Brian Hjelle), working in collaboration with Sandia The researchers recently identi- National Laboratories, have recently ed a number of biological ligands (bind- The advantages of this technology in- developed a novel system which allows ing molecules) that bind speci c mi- clude the following: for the detection crobes, both bacteria and viruses. These of bio-agents ligands, combined with signal-transmit- • allows for the rapid detection of poten- (bacteria, viruses ting materials and surface chemistry, tial threats (less than 15 seconds) and toxins) at low produce a highly selective ligand-based • has high sensitivity (below level of virus levels and in real biosensor. These ligands are tethered to needed for infection) time, eliminating a surface that allows transmission of a • detects speci c threats whether bacte- time-consuming signal and have been developed to rec- rial, viral or toxin based sample prepara- ognize speci c pathogens from mixtures • could be modi ed to detect non-bio- tion. Further, this as complex as river water. This capability logical samples technology can has broad ranging applications for front- • is hand held with no sample prepara- detect speci c line military uses, bioterrorism, medical tion required Dr. Richard Larson molecules at lev- diagnostics and public health. The level • is robust and portable, ready for eld HSC School of Medicine els well below of sensitivity for the technology is a dra- use ■ what is needed to create infections; UNM matic four-parts per trillion. STC has led patent applications on these exciting new technologies and is currently examining commercialization options. If you are interested in information about any of these technologies, please contact Andrea Kemp at [email protected] or 505-272-7886. 2 STC.UNM • 801 University Blvd., SE, Suite 101 • Albuquerque, NM 87106 • UNM MSC 04 2750 • Portal al Mercado • Fall 2008 Technology Highlights Innovative Reverse Osmosis Membranes everse osmosis has become an im- UNM researcher Roslyn Higgin developed a portant water treatment technology technology that caters to the demand for a Cleaning and Controlling Silica Rbecause of its ability in removing a Scaling on Reverse Osmosis better reverse osmosis membrane. This new wide variety of dissolved contaminants from Membranes membrane promises to be inexpensive and water, particularly its ability in desalinating Reference number STC-PS-0837 avoid chemical anti-scalants by using a water brackish groundwater or seawater to provide Roslyn Higgin, M.S. additive which will increase the life expec- large volumes of relatively non-salty water University of New Mexico tancy of the membrane—a green alternative for industrial, agricultural, or home use. Un- that will decrease water treatment costs. The fortunately, reverse osmosis membranes are water additive, unlike current anti-scalants, expensive and subject to silica fouling. Foul- behavior or even complete plugging of the can be used not only to clean previously ing is the deposition of material, referred to membrane, at which point the membrane fouled membranes, but also can be used as a as foulant, on the membrane surface or in its will either have to be treated with harsh means to prevent silica scaling from occur- pores, leading to a change in the membrane’s chemical anti-scalants or be