UK SPOTLIGHTS FEMALE PATENT HOLDERS, NEW INNOVATION CONNECT MANAGER HIRED AND MORE!

Innovation Insider

APRIL 2022

FEATURED NEWS

FEMALE PATENT HOLDERS SPOTLIGHT COMMERCIALIZATION AT UK

Patents are a critical step in protecting discoveries made in the lab on the journey to become life-changing products or treatments. UK women are leaders in commercialization, and three of them share their perspective, as UK’s top female patent holders, as part of UK Research’s “Women Making History” series.

READ FULL UKNOW ARTICLE

UK INNOVATOR SURVEY LIVE!

Are you a UK Innovator who interacted with the Office of Technology Commercialization in 2021? If so, we need your feedback to continue to improve our services.

Please complete the OTC UK Innovator Survey 2021 by April 30, 2022.

OTC INNOVATOR SURVEY

UK INNOVATE WELCOMES NEW INNOVATION CONNECT MANAGER

Kim Sayre, P.E., is the Innovation Connect Manager for UK Innovate. She will be providing focused and dedicated support to advancing impactful innovation and research industry partnerships specifically for the College of Engineering, in addition to contributing to and executing the overall UK Innovation Connect strategic plan.

Previously, Kim was with the College of Engineering supporting industry engagement initiatives where she managed the Lean Systems Program, a partnership with Toyota; ran an Engineering Assistance Program for Kentucky Manufacturers; led the Innovation Extension Center, which provided product and process innovation assistance to Kentucky Manufacturers and UK Scientists; and connected students and employers as Director of Engineering Career Services. Kim serves as Advisor to the UK Society of Women Engineers Student Section, is a licensed Professional Engineer, a graduate of the Leadership Kentucky Class of 2010, and is a Kentucky Colonel.

Before joining the university in 1995, Kim worked at Texas Instruments and Boeing Electronics, a subsidiary of the Boeing Company, in roles as Automation Engineer, Quality Manager and Production Manager. She has an Industrial Engineering degree from The Ohio State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Dallas.

UPCOMING OTC WEBINAR

APRIL OTC WEBINAR:

HOW CAN THE COMMERCIALIZATION TEAM HELP YOU?

Under OTC's restructuring, there is a Commercialization Team dedicated to helping determine the best commercialization pathway for the University of Kentucky (UK) technology you have developed. Join us to learn how the Commercialization Team can help you.

#ICYMI

AUTM 2022 ANNUAL MEETING CLOSING SPEECH

"It is with humility, pride and great optimism that I take on this role for AUTM..." said AVPR and AUTM Chair Ian McClure during his closing speech at the AUTM 2022 Closing Ceremony. Hear his inspiring words to the annual meeting attendees.

OTC's MARCH WEBINAR: HOW DOES THE OTC RESTRUCTURING BENEFIT YOU?

The Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) has a new director and has gone through a restructuring to better serve clients. Check out the recording to learn about the restructuring and how it benefits you.

SPOTLIGHTS

TECHNOLOGY SPOTLIGHT

Novel Immunotherapy to Treat Ovarian Cancer

This is a novel technology, macrophage-derived engineered vesicles (MEVs), to both deliver chemotherapy directly to cancer cells and convert M2 tumor-associated macrophages to M1 macrophages, sensitizing cancer to immunotherapy. Recent evidence shows that endogenous extracellular vesicles (EEVs) from pro-inflammatory macrophages (M1) can alter anti-inflammatory macrophages, shifting them from M2 to M1 polarization. While EEVs are being evaluated as potential immunotherapies, low yields and complex separation procedures pose significant barriers to their use. These MEVs are a potential strategy that maintains the desirable properties of EEVs while overcoming feasibility challenges. The inventors have demonstrated that MEVs can reprogram M2 (tumor-associated macrophages) to a proinflammatory (anti-cancer) phenotype. In-vivo studies in xenograft mouse models showed that the MEVs exhibit cancer specificity and targeting.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS TECH

INNOVATOR SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Les Anderson is an Extension Specialist for the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment in the Department of Animal & Food Sciences.

Dr. Anderson participated in Launch Blue's UAccel program to develop a commercialization path for the beef production tool X10D.

READ THE UACCEL STORY

UK STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

"X10D is a web/app interface platform that enables users to focus their information on their beef operation in one site. X10D was created by Dr. Les Anderson at the University of Kentucky and by Dr. Justin Rhinehart at the University of Tennessee. These gentlemen have over 40 years’ experience as Extension Beef Specialists and have worked with thousands of beef producers during their careers. Their experiences in the beef cattle industry led to the development of the beef production tool called X10D (pronounced “extend”)." --X10D Website

X10D Website

BY THE NUMBERS

PATENTS

MARCH 2022

11,282,700

"Method for manufacturing perovskite-based devices in ambient air"

Zhi David Chen

College of Engineering

LICENSES/OPTIONS

MARCH 2022

AVA Surgical Technologies, LLC

Kyle Murphy

College of Medicine

Empire Discovery Institute, Inc

David Watt

Vitaliy Sviripa

College of Medicine

Enzyme Therapy, Inc

Chang-Guo Zhan

Hsin-Hsiung Tai

Hoon Cho

Fang Zheng

Xiabin Chen

College of Pharmacy

FEATURED EVENTS

SAVE-THE-DATE!

UK ENTREPRENEUR SHOWCASE (VIRTUAL)

JUNE 9, 2022

12:00 - 1:30 PM ET

The UK Entrepreneur Showcase provides an opportunity for UK faculty innovators, alumni entrepreneurs and Launch Blue program participants to showcase their entrepreneurial experiences, technologies, and/or startups.

Join the UK Office of Technology Commercialization and UK Alumni Association for this virtual showcase.

Registration is coming soon!

PNC BUSINESS INNOVATION SUMMIT

April 22-23, 2022

"The PNC Business Innovation Summit is a time for the bright minds of the campus and community to learn valuable life lessons from industry leaders. This two day event includes an Innovation Conference and the Wildcat Pitch Competition. Join us for opportunities to learn and connect with industry leaders and an opportunity to win seed funding for innovative business plans that will disrupt the current market and lead to lasting community change."

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

EVENTS

Startup Breakfast

Every Wednesday, 8:00 - 9:00 am ET

Virtual

Kentucky SBDC Weekly Webinars

Every Wednesday, 12:00 pm ET

Virtual

Launch Blue Virtual Office Hours

Every Friday, 12:30 - 1:30 pm ET

Virtual

Freelance Fridays at BaseHere

Every Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm ET

110 W Vine Street & 249 E Main Street

5 Across April 2022 Startup Pitch Competition

Wednesday, April 27

5:00 - 7:00 pm ET

Lyric Theatre

300 E Third St

Lexington, KY 40508

SAVE-THE-DATE!

#ONEDAYFOR UK

April 21, 2022

Office of the Vice President for Research and KYNETIC

As an NIH Research Evaluation & Commercialization Hub (REACH), the Kentucky Network for Innovation and Commercialization (KYNETIC) supports the translation of groundbreaking innovations and discoveries into products that improve patient care and public health.

KYNETIC aims to support underrepresented innovators, including graduate students, professional students, and postdoctoral trainees, in their innovation and commercialization efforts.

Your gifts to the UK Research Gift Fund on One Day for UK will support underrepresented UK innovators who apply to the KYNETIC program!

LEARN MORE

DID YOU KNOW?

UK Innovation Connect provides dedicated efforts to support industry and other private sector partnerships for research and innovation, coordinating closely with and supporting the Office of Business Engagement and college-dedicated business development staff.

UK Innovation Connect is building a list of resources with the first two being from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

CHECK OUT