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Taking research from the lab to the marketplace


Learn more about the support services and funding structures needed to go a step beyond traditional research

research-office-grantsAfter seeing an increase in arsenic contamination in developing countries, a researcher at the University of Texas at Arlington created a solution that he hopes will be used in the field someday soon.

Purnendu Dasgupta, who did a decade of research, has developed an environmentally friendly field analyzer for arsenic levels in water. Thanks to nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation, Dasgupta is a step closer to bringing his analyzer to market.

“Arsenic contamination is a problem in many parts of the world,” said Dasgupta, UTA’s Jenkins Garrett professor of chemistry. The World Health Organization lists arsenic as one of 10 chemicals of major public health concern, and chronic arsenic exposure can lead to serious health problems.

On college campuses around the country, professors like Dasgupta are working to take their research from the lab and classroom to the marketplace. They’re creating new products that can solve problems like arsenic contamination or help government agencies detect fraudulent documents.

The process of bringing research to market is important for research institutions such as UTA. When university researchers bring their products to market, they make a name for themselves and the school and contribute to economic growth in the region.

Universities like UTA rely heavily on federal grants to make that possible. Various government agencies, such as the Department of Justice and Department of Defense, provide university research funding.

The National Science Foundation is another large supporter. With a budget of $7.2 billion in fiscal 2014, the foundation funds about 24 percent of the federally supported basic research conducted by America’s colleges and universities.

(Next page: Support beyond funding)

Along with federal funding, schools have dedicated offices to support faculty and student research and innovation that can be turned into products or services.

The University of Texas at Dallas helps researchers market their work through its Office of Technology Commercialization.

Created in 2008, the office is responsible for reviewing research, finding avenues for commercialization and helping researchers find investors, said Asha Rajagopal, UTD’s director of technology commercialization.

The office maintains a database that allows future investors to look for a technology or invention to commercialize in categories such as biomedical, electronics and research tools.

“We want to be able to serve as advocates to researchers,” Rajagopal said.

At UTA, researchers turn to the Office of Technology and Management to find out if their research is patentable. The office also monitors research and license agreements to ensure the product’s development and commercialization, said Carolyn Cason, UTA’s vice president for research.

Last year, UTA also partnered with startup incubator Tech Fort Worth to enhance its efforts. Through the partnership, faculty members and research teams have increased access to North Texas entrepreneurs.

Within the University of Texas System, inventions generated using university facilities are owned by the Board of Regents, said Teri Schulz, director of the Office of Technology and Management.

When a licensing partner is granted the right to commercialize a researcher’s technology, the UT System’s governing body maintains ownership of the patent rights as well, she said.

Once a licensee takes the product to market, the university would receive royalties. License fees, milestone fees and royalties are considered patent revenue, which is split evenly between the school and the inventors.

The research that is easiest to commercialize offers real-world answers to society’s problems, Cason said.

Take Guido Verbeck, an associate professor of chemistry at the University of North Texas, who created a device that allows investigators to analyze materials used to create counterfeit documents. Verbeck received nearly $400,000 from the National Institute of Justice for his research.

“It’s important to listen to the world and what it needs,” Verbeck said. “The best devices are those that are the most beneficial.”

To bring his arsenic analyzer to market, Dasgupta partnered with two others: Aditya Das, a senior research scientist at the UTA Research Institute, and Scott Evans, president of Arlington-based technology company Chipotle Business Group.

Evans’ company is responsible for market analysis, completing a business plan and testing the analyzer. Evans believes the tool will be valuable for regulatory agencies and environmental consultants.

While other approaches for arsenic testing use toxic chemicals, Dasgupta’s analyzer allows for detection of two types of arsenic in a way that’s less harmful to the environment, Das said.

The research has been personal for Dasgupta, who has family ties to Bangladesh, where arsenic contamination has been prevalent.

“This process has been very challenging, but at the same time it’s very rewarding,” Dasgupta said.

A working prototype of Dasgupta’s analyzer is expected to be available by the end of the year. The device is expected to cost no more than $5,000.

“We’re hoping the analyzer will be our first product to market,” Evans said.

(c)2014 The Dallas Morning News. Visit The Dallas Morning News at www.dallasnews.com. Distributed by MCT Information Services

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