More than 300 outstanding researchers were recognized by the Technology Transfer (TT) Division during an awards celebration at Fuller Lodge on May 29.
"Each year, Laboratory innovators continue to make important scientific discoveries that impact a broad spectrum of commercial markets,” said Principal Associate Director for Science, Technology, and Engineering Duncan McBranch. “This event is our opportunity to recognize our staff and applaud their achievements."
In fiscal year 2007, the Laboratory produced 159 invention disclosures. Laboratory patent attorneys submitted 106 patent application filings, and Laboratory researchers received 46 patents overall.
This year’s Distinguished Patent Award went to Dipen Sinha of Sensors and Electrochemical Devices (MPA-11) for his Noninvasive Characterization of a Flowing Multiphase Fluid Using Ultrasonic Interferometry patent. The apparatus noninvasively monitors the flow and/or the composition of a flowing liquid using ultrasound, and the technology has been licensed to Chevron for use in the oil and gas industry.
The Distinguished Copyright Award went to Tim Germann of Theoretical Chemistry and Molecular Physics (T-12) for EpiCast, software that models infectious disease spread throughout a spatially distributed population of individuals. The EpiCast software may be used in planning for potential pandemic outbreaks of influenza or other infectious diseases, and the underlying agent-based model may be adapted to other applications such as “social epidemics,” including the spread of fashion trends.
The Laboratory’s Licensing Program generated approximately $1.6 million through 60 licenses and 202 inventors during fiscal year 2007. Licensing a Laboratory technology is the granting of rights to commercial and noncommercial entities to patents and copyrights.
Yusheng Zhao of the Lujan Center (LANSCE-LC) received the Distinguished Licensing Award for Superhard, Ultratough Nanocomposites. Zhao invented a novel nano-structured composite that consists of diamond particles embedded in a matrix of nanocrystalline silicon carbide. The superhard, ultratough nanocomposites have been licensed exclusively to US Synthetic, whose super hard drill bits are used in oil exploration all over the globe.
Geoffry Waldo and Stephanie Cabantous of Bioscience, Advanced Measurement Sciences (B-9) won the Programmatic Impact Award for Green Fluorescent Protein. Their GFP Toolbox is designed to help scientists understand and solve the mysteries of protein dysfunction—the cause of many diseases—including misfolding, aggregation, and abnormal movement. GFP has been licensed to Merck & Co. Inc. and Johnson & Johnson for commercial uses, and many noncommercial licensees have used the GFP technology.
Also recognized at the ceremony were organizations, programs, or individuals that have made a significant contribution to the Northern New Mexico economy by creating new jobs or products. The Regional Impact award went to Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc. of Los Alamos. Award recipients included Steven Graves, Gregory Goddard, John Martin, Robert Habbersett, and Mark Naivar of B-9 and Gregory Kaduchak and Michael Ward of Acoustic Cytometry Systems Inc.
The Los Alamos-based company is a biotech startup commercializing a revolutionary method developed at the Laboratory for concentrating and aligning particles in a capillary. The company’s first product line will be a platform of novel cell analysis instruments targeted at life science research and ultimately deployed for clinical diagnostics.
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