June 27, 2008

Five Case Western Reserve University projects awarded research funding from Ohio's Third Frontier Commission

Two more projects recommended for August 2008 grant awards

Case Western Reserve University and its research partners have been awarded $20.6 million by the state's Third Frontier Commission through its Ohio Biomedical Research Commercialization Program (BRCP).

Two additional projects are recommended to receive a combined $7.3 million. The Third Frontier will make its decision on whether to approve the funding on August 4. One of the projects is recommended to receive $4.3 million through the Ohio Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program and the other is up for a $3 million grant from the Wright Projects Program.

"We are grateful to the Third Frontier Commission for recognizing the value of our research projects to both industry and society at large, " President Barbara R. Snyder said. "Our university is built on a history of collaboration among government, business and other institutions of higher learning. These grants testify to the power of individuals and organizations working together for a common goal."

Out of the total of six projects awarded grants through the BRCP, five are collaborations with Case Western Reserve. These projects and their various partners include:

  • Case Western Reserve, Diagnostic Hybrids, Inc. (lead collaborator) and Apath, LLC were awarded $5 million to further develop a yeast-based cloning system for viral diagnostics/treatment monitoring and to market these trials to hospitals, clinicians and pharmaceutical companies.
  • Case Western Reserve, The Cleveland Clinic's Clinical Tissue Engineering Center (lead collaborator), Akron General Medical Center, University of Akron and University of Cincinnati were awarded $4.9 million to expand its network and programs beyond musculoskeletal applications in the areas of burn and scar care, wound healing and nerve repair.
  • Case Western Reserve (lead collaborator), Copernicus Therapeutics, Inc. and Polgenix, Inc. were awarded $3.9 million for the application of three complementary activities: development of nanoparticles for treatment of cystic fibrosis and retinitis pigmentosa; commercialization of a two-photon ophthalmoscope for early detection of retinal disease; and development of contrast agents for the detection of clean margins during breast cancer surgery.
  • Case Western Reserve, The Cleveland Clinic (lead collaborator), NASA Glenn Research Center, The Ohio State University and Makel Engineering, Inc. were awarded $3.8 million to develop a nitric oxide sensor that will enable asthma patients to monitor their asthma at home.
  • Case Western Reserve, The Cleveland Clinic (lead collaborator) and the University of Toledo were awarded $3 million to develop small molecules that can enhance repair of the brain in multiple sclerosis with the goal not only of delaying progression of disability but reversing it.

A $4.3 grant recommendation through the Ohio Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program is for Case Western Reserve, reXorce Thermionics, Inc. (lead collaborator), Parker Hannifin Corp., University of Akron, Carbide Derivative Technologies, Inc. and Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc. Funding would be to develop technology that can capture waste heat and convert it into usable electricity.

A $30 million grant recommendation through the Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program is for Case Western Reserve University to create the new Case Center for Surface Engineering which will promote commercialization of a variety of industrial products through surface engineering enabled by state-of-the-art instruments for surface imaging and materials analysis.

About the Ohio Biomedical Research Commercialization Program:

The Ohio Biomedical Research Commercialization Program provides grants which support biomedical and biotechnology research leading to Ohio commercialization and long-term improvements to the health of Ohioans. Projects are to be collaborations among Ohio higher education institutions, non-profit research organizations, and Ohio companies in the areas of human genetics and genomics, structural biology, biomedical engineering, computational biology, plant biology and environmental biology.

About the Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program:

The Engineering and Physical Science Research Commercialization Program provides grants to support technology-based economic development through research, development, and commercialization activities in Ohio. Projects are to be collaborations among Ohio for-profit firms, Ohio higher education institutions, and Ohio non-profit research organizations. Proposals must focus on technologies in the fields of advanced materials, power and propulsion, information technology, and instruments-controls-electronics.

About the Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program:

The Ohio Third Frontier Wright Projects Program provides grants to support specifically defined near-term commercialization projects requiring major capital acquisitions and improvements at Ohio colleges and universities and non-profit research institutions. Projects must involve one or more Ohio companies and be in the areas of advanced materials, power and propulsion, information technology and instruments, controls and electronics.

For more information contact Robert Townsend, 216.368.4440.

Posted by: Kimyette Finley, June 27, 2008 03:40 PM | News Topics: Awards, Case School of Engineering, Collaborations/Partnerships, HeadlinesMain, School of Medicine, news

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