Texas Tech Researchers Selected for 2010 WBT Showcase

Four Texas Tech researchers have been selected to present technologies to venture capitalists and license partners at the WBT Showcase 2010 March 16-17 in Arlington, Texas. The annual event provides commercial market exposure for more than 100 different technologies from across the nation.

Featured Texas Tech University researchers are Seshadri Ramkumar who will present a patented chemical decontamination wipe that was invented at the Institute of Environmental and Human Health; and Robert Shaw, of the chemistry department, who will explain how Metallo-Beta-Lactamase inhibitors can maintain the effectiveness of many types of medications.

From the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Margaret Weis, of the School of Pharmacy, will present a new category of drugs that can limit the damage in ischemic stroke; and Paula Grammas, executive director of the Garrison Institute on Aging, will present her research involving the use of angiogenic drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

“The conventional wisdom for venture capital is that a down economy can be a great time to invest,” said Paul Huleatt, WBT Showcase chief executive officer. “The pace of new innovations accelerates, the best deals rise quickly to the top and sophisticated investors receive great value for their money.”

According to Huleatt, one in three WBT Showcase presenters goes on to secure venture funding, license their technology, or sell their IP outright. He also added that researchers who present their technologies at the WBT Showcase leave with new contacts and information that help take their technologies to the market.

“This is an excellent opportunity to highlight some of Texas Tech’s most promising technologies,” said Amber Dean, associate managing director of the Texas Tech University System Office of Technology Commercialization. “Some of the nation’s largest companies and investment firms attend this event each year in search of new investment ideas. We want to help them understand the market potential of these technologies and work with them to develop commercial market applications.”

Attending conferences such as the WBT Showcase allows the Office of Technology Commercialization the opportunity to meet hundreds of potential investors/licensees under one venue and to form important relationships. A good contact at a specific company is often the first step in creating a meaningful relationship for future commercialization of university technologies, Dean said.

The Texas Tech University System Office of Technology Commercialization works with university researchers to bring their discoveries and inventions to the marketplace. The office works to protect the intellectual property developed through university research and bring it to the public through licensing agreements and the creation of startup companies. For more information, go to www.texastech.edu/otc.

For more information on the 2010 WBT Showcase go to www.wbtshowcase.com.