The Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center announced its latest round of Technology Investigation Awards for Massachusetts researchers today. The awards of $40,000 each went to seven teams of researchers working on projects they hope to develop into commercial products.
According to MTTC, the center’s awards have helped to launch more than 20 companies since 2004 based on technologies licensed by Massachusetts researchers and students, including cellulosic biofuel company SunEthanol, liver tissue cell screening startup Hepregen, and nanoscale solar-cell technology company Solasta.
Startups funded or coached by the center have raised more than $70 million from investors and grants. “Translational awards such as these are very difficult to secure and the MTTC offers the first and only award program that is available to researchers at all Massachusetts research institutions,” the center said in a press release.
This spring’s award winners are:
- Jeffrey M. Karp, Harvard MIT division of Health Sciences and Technology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School: “A Tissue Adhesive Tape Inspired by Nature”
- Rajiv Gupta, Ph.D., Volume CT Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital; Alexander Slocum, Ph.D., Precision Engineering Research Group, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Nevan Hanumara, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Conor Walsh, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: “Robopsy—Inexpensive Medical Robotics”
- Uday B. Pal, Department of Manufacturing, Boston University: “Solid Oxide Membrane Electrolyzer for the Production of Pure Hydrogen and Syn-gas from a Source of Waste and Steam”
- Satish K. Singh, Ph.D., Department of Gastroenterology, Boston University; Mark N. Horenstein, Ph.D., Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University; Andre Sharon, Ph.D., Fraunhofer Center for Innovative Manufacturing: “Variable Stiffness Endoscope with Smart Articulated Joints”
- John A. Porco, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, Boston University: “Chemical Synthesis of Cyclopenta[b] benzofurans and their Development as Adjuvants to Chemotherapy”
- Rajeev Ram, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: “Manufacturability of Application Specific Microbioreactor Modules”
- George Tegos, Ph.D., Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital: “Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) with efflux pump inhibitors to combat localized MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aurous infections)”
