Evolve BioSystems, Inc., a spin-off from the UC Davis Foods for Health Institute (FFHI) that is developing novel solutions to restore and maintain a healthy newborn gut microbiome, announced findings from new research that connects elevated infant fecal pH levels to a change in the infant gut microbiome. The release states that over the past 100 years, the average pH of a baby’s stool, which can indicate the type of bacteria in the baby’s gut, has undergone an alarming increase from pH 5.0 to 6.5. The study, published in the American Society for Microbiology journal mSphere, connects this rise in pH to a generational loss of Bifidobacterium, a critical gut bacteria during infancy, and an accompanying increase in a number of harmful bacteria. Evolve’s founding team, which includes UC Davis faculty members Bruce German, David Mills, Carlito Lebrilla and Daniela Barile, along with former FFHI Assistant Director Samara Freeman, has been conducting research at the forefront of infant nutritional health for over a decade, focusing on the key role that breast milk plays in creating a healthy intestinal tract.... Read More

Venture Catalyst will be collaborating with Ingensity ^TM IP through its VentureNet program to offer participants in the Smart Toolkit for Accelerated Research Translation (START ^TM) program access to intellectual property assessment and strategy services. These services are designed to help entrepreneurs and startups identify opportunities to sync their intellectual property strategies with business goals and timelines and strengthen their portfolio. To learn more about the package of services available through VentureNet and the process for engaging with Ingensity ^TM IP, please contact Venture Catalyst. 

To learn more about Ingensity ^TM IP, click here

To learn more about the Venture Catalyst VentureNet program, click here

Izotropic Corporation announced that it has applied to list its shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE). The company plans to offer 2,000,000 common shares at a price of $0.10 per share for a total proceeds of $200,000. Izotropic Corporation, through its US subsidiary, Isotropic Imaging Corporation, signed a licensing agreement with UC Davis for the rights to commercialize a novel computed tomography (CT) scanner that has the potential to improve breast cancer detection and positively impact women’s health. The technology was developed at UC Davis by a team led by Dr. John Boone, Professor of Radiology and a member of the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center.... Read More

Chirp Microsystems, a startup enabled with technology developed at UC Davis and UC Berkeley, announced it has been acquired by Japanese electronics giant TDK Corporation. Based in Berkeley, Chirp Microsystems makes tiny, ultra-low power sensors that function like sonar or echolocation, sending out ultrasonic sound waves and then measuring how long it takes for the returning echo to come back. The micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology enables extremely precise sensing, ranging from several centimeters to several meters. Chirp’s sensor technology can be used in drones, robots, vehicles, smart home products, augmented reality and virtual reality systems, and many other applications. Chirp was one of 13 companies enabled by UC Davis research during fiscal year 2014–15.... Read More

UC Davis Venture Catalyst and TechAccel LLC, a Kansas City-based technology and venture development company, announced an expanded partnership that provides increased support for the university’s Science Translation and Innovative Research (STAIR™) Grant program, which provides funding for proof-of-concept research aimed at demonstrating commercial feasibility of university-generated technologies. TechAccel will commit $50,000 in grant funding to an expansion of the Venture Catalyst STAIR grants, which are in their fifth year of enabling the commercial translation of UC Davis research and technologies through proof-of-concept funding. This promise of additional funding is intended to elicit more agriculturally-focused technologies. TechAccel’s additional funding will support a sixth STAIR grant this year, focusing exclusively on a technology in plant or animal agriculture, animal health, animal nutrition, or technologies to reduce postharvest food waste and increase food safety.... Read More

TechAccel LLC announced it has initiated a protein engineering research project with the Siegel lab in the Genome Center of UC Davis. The project will determine if specific mutations in the DNA encoding for a wheat enzyme can produce plants capable of thriving in warmer temperatures. At the Siegel lab, researchers will use advanced techniques in protein structure prediction to construct and test a handful of enzyme variants that TechAccel has been studying. The ultimate goal is to create a “recipe” for enzyme improvement to produce wheat that can thrive in warmer growing seasons–up to 10 degrees Celsius above the ideal range.... Read More

UC Davis continues to be ranked first in the world in veterinary science and second in agriculture and forestry, according to the 2018 QS World University Rankings. In addition to veterinary science and agriculture and forestry, UC Davis was ranked 13th in environmental sciences, 26th in anatomy and physiology, tied for 29th in biological sciences and marine sciences, and 31st in developmental studies.... Read More

For the first time, the UC Davis School of Medicine has ranked in the top 20 percent of institutions in the country for research funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The ranking, posted online in February 2018, is based on 2017 data collected and tabulated by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, a North Carolina nonprofit organization that uses the NIH’s Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools for its annual rankings.... Read More

In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at UC Davis were able to develop a new culture system that allows them to efficiently derive stem cells on almost every single attempt. For more than 35 years, scientists have tried to isolate embryonic stem cells in cows without much success. Under the right conditions, embryonic stem cells can grow indefinitely and make any other cell type or tissue, which has huge implications for creating genetically superior cows. Producing embryonic stem cells from large livestock species like cattle is important for genetic testing, genome engineering and studying human disease. The cells may offer a better model for human stem cell therapies. Mice and rats are sometimes too small to demonstrate whether certain therapies will work on humans.... Read More

About Venture Catalyst 

 

UC Davis Venture Catalyst facilitates the translation of University research and technology by enabling the development of new ventures. Venture Catalyst engages with the Davis and Sacramento business, governmental and economic development community to highlight the development of technologies and ventures coming out of UC Davis that will drive tomorrow’s regional job creation. Working closely with these partners, Venture Catalyst is invigorating the technology-based entrepreneurial ecosystem of the entire region. 

The Venture Catalyst START™ Suite of programs and services provides the ABCs to equip UC Davis entrepreneurs with the tools they need to form and grow robust startups. The program gives founders the START they need to create a well-structured company and ensure the company is prepared for success. 

 

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