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Aegis Biosciences
Spokane
http://www.aegisbiosciences.com
Research Partner: Stephen Warren, PhD, Gonzaga University, Chemistry Department
Project Description:
Treating chronic or slow-healing wounds can be a challenge. It is estimated that over 2 million people suffer from chronic wounds annually in the U.S. alone. The costs to treat these wounds are high, ranging from a few thousand dollars to as much as $80,000 for serious wounds. The costs are high because the treatment times are long and involve multiple therapies at various stages of healing that can include monitoring for, and treating infection(s). Aegis Biosciences is looking to develop a new "smart" interactive wound dressing that can be customized to treat a multitude of injuries including chronic wounds, burns, and surgical wounds at an affordable cost. The dressings utilize a patented hydrogel material in the form of microspheres to create a hydrophilic wound dressing with the ability to prevent infection, modulate noxious biomolecules, and stimulate healing. The dressing is able to deliver multiple therapeutic agents in order to address a variety of complex biochemical issues, while simultaneously protecting the wound, maintaining and controlling moisture, and combating infection.
Labels: Gonzaga, Life_Sciences, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Spokane
American Premix Technologies
Creston
Researcher: Dr. Shulin Chen, Washington State University, Biological Systems Engineering Department
Year Project Began: 2004
This project is focused on converting biodiesel waste into an additive for a new commercial animal feed supplement. During the typical biodiesel production process, glycerin is the primary waste product. The current market for glycerin products can only absorb about 50 percent of the amount produced from biodiesel production. An alternate use for this waste presents strong market potential. APT and WSU are working on technology to optimize a process for converting biodiesel waste to algae biomass that is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. This biomass can then be used as a supplement to an organic animal feed that the company plans to develop and market. The algae act as a nutrient conductor to the animals, whose systems cannot synthesize large carbon fatty acids by themselves. This technology has the potential to create an emerging business opportunity and at the same time, convert an environmental liability into a commercial product for end-use health benefits.
Labels: Creston, District_7, Life_Sciences, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, WSU
Argo Technical Publishing
Spokane
Researcher: Dr. Steve Simmons, Professor of Computer Science, EWU
Year project began: 1999
Maintenance or malfunction of complex technical equipment, such as semiconductor fabrication machines or medical instrumentation, can shut down critical operations, posing a safety threat and costing thousands of dollars in downtime. Getting the equipment back online quickly is a high priority, and suppliers are willing to provide the best tools available to keep it running. Online documents for technical support are critical to this effort. The current state of the art for electronic document support includes CD-ROM 'manuals' with narration, graphics, text, and video. The next advance in field service documentation is the addition of voice command capability, enabling users to open necessary documents or videos on a notebook computer while keeping their hands free to work. Dr. Steve Simmons, EWU Professor of Computer Science, is working with Argo Technical Publishing to develop a speech recognition and synthesis interface tailored to the noisy environments in which this equipment is often found. The completed interface will be packaged for integration into equipment documentation systems and the software used to develop these systems.
Labels: District_6, EWU, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Spokane
Avista Utilities
Spokane
http://www.avistautilities.com/
Researcher: Gustavo V. Barbosa-Canovas, WSU Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering
Year project began: 2001
Dr. Barbosa-Canovas is collaborating with Avista, a natural gas and electricity utility, and Inland Northwest Dairies to develop an augmented milk pasteurization process, using pulsed electric fields to obtain a product of better quality and longer shelf life. Energy requirements are expected to be significantly less than the requirements of competing processes.
Labels: District_3, Energy, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Spokane, WSU
Bio-OriGyn, LLC
Valleyford
http://www.bioorigyn.com/
Researcher: C. Harold Mielke, WSU Health Research and Education Center
Year project began: 2001
To meet medical blood transfusion demands, there is a critical need for a continuous supply of fresh human blood platelets. However, because of inferior storage methods, much of the nation's supply of platelets is discarded every year -- at a loss to the industry of nearly $300 million. Since 1994, OriGyn Technologies has specialized in cell storage and in vitro handling systems, discovering a proprietary plant sugar currently used in their infertility products. These sugars, by reducing cellular oxidative stress during handling, can be used to improve the storage of blood products. In the FTI project funded by WTC, Bio-OriGyn is working with Dr. Mielke to develop a novel liquid storage system for banking fresh human platelets that not only prolongs platelet viability, but also improves functional capacity following collection and storage. Dr. Mielke is an expert on blood platelets and is the founder and editor emeritus of the Journal of Clinical Apheresis, a journal specializing in blood banking, blood cell separations, and blood cell storage.
Labels: District_9, Life_Sciences, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Valleyford, WSU
Flat Spin Media, LLC
Spokane
Researcher: Michael Hendryx, WSU-Spokane, Health Policy and Administration
Year project began: 2001
Flat Spin Media, an information-technology-based hardware and software development company, is developing an electronic touchscreen notebook device for data collection. The company is collaborating with Dr. Hendryx to design a mental health survey application for their device. This technology can help health care system providers survey clients rapidly, efficiently, and confidentially, thus enhancing their clinical management and accountability.
Labels: Life_Sciences, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Spokane, WSU
Galaxy Compound Semiconductor
Spokane
Researcher: Dr. Matthew McCluskey, WSU Department of Physics Research
Year project began: 2004
Dr. McCluskey will focus on characterizing a new infrared detector material that will have a wider spectral range than conventional detectors. An indium-antimonide(InSb)-based material that operates in the far infrared region would be a strong competitor for mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) semiconductors in this market. To achieve this, Galaxy proposes adding Bismuth (Bi) to the alloy to extend the wavelength. Prototypes of the new detector will be tested, opening up new markets for Galaxy and increasing interest in InSbBi semiconductor materials.
Labels: District_4, MEMS_and_Nanotechnology, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Spokane, WSU
GenPrime, Inc.
Spokane
http://www.genprime.com/
Researcher: Jim Fleming, EWU Dept. of Biology
Year project began: 2001
GenPrime, a biotech company, has developed and is selling test kits for determining microbe concentrations in the cultured dairy and brewing industries. Funds will support generating a new rapid test for raw milk, which will alert farmers to contaminated milk within minutes - rather than after the milk has gone to the dairy processor.
Researcher: Dong-Hyun Kang, WSU Dept. of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition
Year project began: 2002
Dong-Hyun Kang of WSU is also collaborating with GenPrime to develop a method to test for coliforms, or bacteria that make humans sick, in half the time of current methods for a fraction of the cost. Dr. Kang is a food safety specialist with expertise in detection of food-borne pathogens.
Labels: District_3, EWU, Life_Sciences, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_A-K, Spokane, WSU
Sterling International
Veradale
http://www.rescue.com
Researcher: Donald S. Matteson, Washington State University Dept. of Chemistry
Year project began: 2000
Museum collections -- plants, animals, books, mummies, etc. -- are susceptible to attack from Stegobium paniceum and Lasioderma serricorne, two species of beetles. Sterling International, manufacturer of non-toxic pest control products, is teaming up with Dr. Donald Matteson to develop pilot-scale synthesis of pheromones that will attract these beetles into traps.
Researcher: Dr. Prashanta Dutta, Washington State University School of Mechanical & Materials Engineering
Year project began: 2003
Sterling International manufactures RESCUE® pest control products, which use pheromones to attract the insects. This WTC project teams the company with Dr. Prashanta Dutta to develop a precision micro-pump capable of controlling the dispensing rate of pheromones in insect traps, which eventually will be capable of responding to environmental conditions, such as turning on or off at night. This system will be both inexpensive and use little power. With no moving parts, it is an ideal solution for battery-operated traps with a long operating life.
Labels: District_4, Life_Sciences, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_L-Z, Veradale, WSU
Vaagen Brothers Lumber, Inc.
Colville
http://www.vaagenbros.com
Research Partners:
Drs. Vikram Yadama, Karl Englund, and Robert Tichy
Washington State University, Wood Materials and Engineering
Year Project Began: 2004
Project Description:
Vaagen Brothers is an industry leader in lumber manufacturing, processing between 2500 and 3000 tons of logs every day. The result is a significant volume of wood residue. In its raw form, this residue (shavings, sawdust, wood chips and bark) has a low profit margin. The ability to convert this waste into a new source of revenue as a staple in wood-plastic composites (WPCs) would greatly diversify and strengthen the lumber business. The U.S. market for residential decking is estimated at $3.5 billion annually. WPCs currently capture only 15 percent of the total building materials business. However, their popularity in commercial and residential decking products is growing. In 2005, 30 companies manufactured WPC products for sales of almost $1 billion - a 200 percent growth since 2000. To capture a greater share of the market, WPCs need to gain wider acceptance by meeting standards for improved performance, appearance, low chemical use, and cost effectiveness. Vaagen Brothers and WSU researchers tested the feasibility of using sawmill waste to manufacture WPCs in a 2004 study with excellent results. The funding from this follow-on, second phase grant project will go towards perfecting the formula for producing WPCs that are ideal for use in commercial decking and gaining building code acceptance for the use of these materials in this market.
Labels: Colville, District_7, Northeast, RTD_Grant_Program_L-Z, WSU
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