UC Davis Affiliated Startup Aims to Improve Detection of Congenital Heart Defects in Newborns

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Heather Siefkes, assistant professor of pediatric critical care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital

Heather Siefkes, assistant professor of pediatric critical care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, and founder of the startup NeoPOSE, signed a letter of agreement for the exclusive rights to commercialize a new technology developed at UC Davis that could improve the detection of congenital heart defects in newborns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, roughly 7,200 babies in the United States are born with a critical congenital heart defect (CCHD) every year. The condition is life-threatening and prevents the heart from circulating blood effectively throughout the body.

The current approach to screening for these defects uses pulse oximetry. The non-invasive, painless and low-cost test measures oxygen saturation in blood as an indicator of how well oxygen is supplied to tissues through the body. All states now require the screening. Siefkes herself helped get legislation passed in Oregon — testifying in support of the screen as legislation was being considered.

“The mandate by states was a tremendous step forward to help screen, but unfortunately, an estimated 15 percent of critical congenital heart defects still go undetected,” said Siefkes. “And, when it comes to such heart defects, the timeline for detection is critical.”

Siefkes personal clinical experience bolsters her motivation to continue to improve detection. She recalls one event in particular when a two-week-old baby came to the emergency room very sick.

“It was clear that the baby had a heart defect that was not detected by the oximeter test,” she said. “The late diagnosis contributed to the unfortunate death of the baby and lit a fire in me to explore research to prevent such tragedies from happening again.”

“Pulse oximetry is good at catching defects that cause poor oxygenation of the blood flow, for example, when the pathway from heart to lung and back to heart is interrupted,” she said. “But conditions that obstruct blood flow to the body, such as coarctation of the aorta, are only detected about one-third of the time by oxygen saturation screening.” Coarctation of the aorta, or narrowing of the aorta vessel, is one of the most common critical heart defects.

To address the gap, Siefkes looked to enhance the current screening tool, knowing it could be the quickest path to clinical acceptance.

Pulse oximetry can also be used to quantify blood flow to pick up abnormalities caused by obstructions to flow to the body, but the variability in the data over time makes that impractical to interpret and apply in a clinical setting. As a practicing clinician, Siefkes knew the data would need to be processed in a manner that would make it clear and actionable.

Siefkes enlisted the help of graduate students, and Professors Chen-Nee Chuah and Satyan Lakshminrusimha to develop a screening algorithm that combines non-invasive measurements of perfusion, oxygenation and waveform characteristics.

In 2019, the team received a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) award and a National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) grant to conduct a clinical study at six hospitals. The objective was to develop a machine learning/artificial intelligence model to identify the perfusion (blood flow) value that can predict CCHD.

In 2020, Siefkes received internal funding through a proof-of-concept grant from the Venture Catalyst Data, Informatics and Application Launch (DIAL) program. The program provides grants up to $20,000 to advance research and innovations with commercial potential.

The team has enrolled 300 patients to date and looks to complete enrollment this fall. Once the study is complete, the team will conduct a follow-up study to validate the algorithms developed during the initial study.

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. and UC Davis Establish Collaboration to Transform Research into Potential Therapies for Genetically Driven Diseases

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BridgeBio team work closely with investigators at UC Davis

BridgeBio Pharma, Inc. announced a collaboration with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis), to advance research and the development of investigational medicines for patients with genetically driven conditions and cancers.

“UC Davis is a top-tier research university and we feel honored to get the chance to collaborate closely with the talented team there as we work to discover, create, test and deliver breakthrough medicines for people who are suffering from genetic diseases,” said BridgeBio founder and CEO Neil Kumar, Ph.D.

Under the agreement, the BridgeBio team will work closely with investigators at UC Davis to seek and evaluate potential research projects in genetic disease and precision oncology.

“We have a great appreciation for BridgeBio’s vision to create new pathways that connect innovative research to potential treatments for diseases that may not otherwise be pursued in the marketplace,” said Bill Tucker, interim associate vice chancellor for Innovation and Technology Commercialization at UC Davis. “We are thrilled to combine our expertise in the hope of expanding the impact of our research to help those in need.”

BridgeBio collaborates with stand-out academic institutions, including UC Davis, to support research around genetically driven conditions and is focused on rapidly translating findings into meaningful treatments for patients. Today BridgeBio also announced formal partnerships with Brown University, GlycoNet, The Lundquist Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center and University of California, San Diego – for a total of 20 partnerships between BridgeBio and leading academic and research institutions to date

Read the company’s full press release here

Repurposing Used Electric Vehicle Batteries for Solar Power Storage

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Local startup licensing technology from UC Davis aims to reduce energy costs and environmental impact

University of California, Davis and RePurpose Energy, a clean energy startup, have executed a licensing agreement for an innovative system that repurposes batteries from electric cars to use as energy storage systems with various applications, like solar power

The University of California, Davis and RePurpose Energy, a clean energy startup, have executed a licensing agreement for an innovative system that repurposes batteries from electric cars to use as energy storage systems with various applications, like solar power. The license, negotiated by InnovationAccess, the university’s office for technology transfer, provides RePurpose access to commercialize the technology developed at UC Davis.

As battery technology has advanced, its use has expanded into many applications, with a particular impact on the increased adoption of electric vehicles. Over the last ten years, battery powered electric cars have increased dramatically, reaching 3.2 million in 2020.

With this rapid growth comes an imminent challenge — how to dispose of all of those batteries that need to be replaced.  Over time, batteries lose their storage capacity and require special methods for disposal due to their toxic components. For electric vehicles that begins when batteries lose 25 to 30 percent of their charge capacity, often occurring after five to ten years of use.

Retired electric vehicle batteries paired with a solar panel system in a microgrid at the Robert Mondavi Institute Winery

Retired electric vehicle batteries paired with a solar panel system in a microgrid Retired electric vehicle batteries paired with a solar panel system in a microgrid at the Robert Mondavi Institute Winery (Credit California Energy Commission)at the Robert Mondavi Institute Winery (Credit California Energy Commission)

Jae Wan Park, professor Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC Davis looked at this from a different perspective, one of opportunity.

“While these batteries can no longer meet the needs to power the vehicle, they still have plenty of energy capacity to service other applications,” said Park. “We see an opportunity not only to reduce the environmental impact of batteries, but to also offer more affordable clean energy solutions.”

Park, who had been researching fuel cell technology for over a decade, turned his attention to exploring different applications. He noticed a parallel trend happening in the industry with the rapid deployment of solar panels. In 2011, he purchased a used battery on eBay and retrofitted it to test the idea at his home with a solar panel system.

After almost a decade of researching and innovating, Park received a grant from the California Energy Commission to install energy storage in a microgrid at the Robert Mondavi Institute Winery using retired electric vehicle batteries paired with a solar panel system. This allowed his team to prove a scaled up, 300kw commercial system.

One of the biggest challenges was quantifying the used batteries’ state of health and balancing the capacity of each unit for optimal efficiency and safety. Initially the team labored through a three-hour process of discharging and then recharging each battery, but they quickly realized the need for a more efficient approach. Over time, they developed a better method that measures the response to an electrical pulse and uses machine-learning algorithms to determine the state of health in less than 15 seconds.

In 2018, Park decided to commercialize this idea and founded RePurpose Energy with his graduate students Ryan Barr and Joseph Lacap, who have become COO and CTO, respectively. To do so, he enlisted the help of the UC Davis Venture Catalyst team.

“I recall the realization that the entire team was comprised of engineers without a firm grasp on what needed to be done to make this commercially viable,” Park said. “We were pleased to be connected with the resources through Venture Catalyst to guide us in the right direction and help get us started.”

The team quickly began to receive attention, winning the grand prize in the 2019 Big Ideas contest supported by the University of California Office of the President as well as a $12,500 award from the UC Davis Big Bang! Business Competition. More recently, the U.S. Green Building Council selected RePurpose as one of the top 10 green building products for 2021.

(Left to right) Professor and Chief Executive Officer Jae Wan Park, Chief Operating Officer Ryan Barr, and Chief Technology Officer Joe Lacap

(Left to right) Professor and Chief Executive Officer Jae Wan Park, Chief Operating Officer Ryan Barr, and Chief Technology Officer Joe Lacap (Credit Big Ideas Contest)

The company is now engaged in validating a 1.2-megawatt system in an industrial complex in Sacramento thanks to a $3 million grant from the California Energy Commission. The need for such reserves in power is growing with the increased power outages in Northern California due to wildfire risk, especially in industrial applications with refrigerated goods.

“We are always thrilled to see companies like RePurpose bring innovations from UC Davis to the market that address important needs in our society,” said Bill Tucker, interim associate vice chancellor for Innovation and Technology Commercialization. “That connection between entrepreneurship and innovation is critical to helping our regional economy flourish.”

Technology Commercialization Proof-of -Concept Grants Available

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VENTURE CATALYST PROOF-OF-CONCEPT PROGRAMS

Venture Catalyst manages three proof-of-concept programs, which provide funding and resources to translate basic UC Davis research with commercial potential by demonstrating proof-of-concept and establishing market viability. These programs also help develop an innovative and entrepreneurial culture that extends the benefits of UC Davis research activities beyond the boundaries of the university.

  1. Science Translation & Innovative Research (STAIR™) Grant
  2. Food Systems Innovation Grant
  3. Data, Informatics & Application Launch (DIAL™) Grant

Key features of the proof-of-concept programs include:

  1. targeted funding to bridge the gap between basic research and early-stage commercialization efforts,
  2. project work conducted over a 12-month period,
  3. Review Committee consisting of industry representatives with corporate, investor, and entrepreneurial expertise,
  4. feedback and guidance on commercialization from members of the Review Committee and the Venture Catalyst team, and
  5. structured entrepreneurial training.

Over the past seven cycles, the proof-of-concept programs have awarded over $2.2 million of funding to 49 projects. These projects have resulted in 22 intellectual property agreements, including 16 startups launched around foundational technologies, and have been able to attract roughly $33 million of follow-on funding. See the list of previous awardees here and view the executive summary for the 2019-20 cycle here.

Venture Catalyst will begin accepting application for the eighth cycle of the proof-of-concept programs on January 19, 2021 with an application deadline of March 3, 2021 at 5:00 pm PST. Applications for all proof-of-concept programs can be submitted through Office of Research’s InfoReady grant application platform (Kerberos login required). The direct links to each grant are as follows:

Potential applicants can view a recorded information session for the 2020-21 cycle. If you would like to request an overview presentation and/or a Q&A session for your department or unit, please email [email protected].

For the STAIR and DIAL Grant programs, Venture Catalyst has engaged campus and industry partners to expand potential funding available to particular technologies and projects through the program. Partners include Elanco, the UC Davis College of Biological Sciences, the UC Davis College of Letters & Science, the UC Davis School of Medicine, and the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. See additional details on types of funding and areas of interest in the program materials below.

Aspect

Technology Focus

IP Consideration

Project Budget

Funding Available for 2020-21 Cycle

Download Program Materials for 2020-21 Cycle


STAIR Grant

Broad

Patent potential

Up to $50,000

$250,000*

STAIR Grant Program Announcement

STAIR Grant RFP

STAIR Grant Application Form

STAIR Grant Application Instructions

Funding Partner Information

STAIR Grant Invitation to Self-Identify Form


Food Systems Innovation Grant

Global nutrition and food systems

Patent potential

Up to $50,000

$50,000**

Food Systems Innovation Grant Program Announcement

Food Systems Innovation Grant RFP

Food Systems Innovation Grant Application Form

Food Systems Grant Application Instructions

Food Systems Innovation Grant Invitation to Self-Identify Form


DIAL Grant

Data, information science, and software

Copyright or patent potential

Up to $20,000

$40,000

DIAL Grant Program Announcement

DIAL Grant RFP

DIAL Grant Application Form

DIAL Grant Application Instructions

Funding Partner Information

DIAL Grant Invitation to Self-Identify Form


*Supplemental funding available from campus and industry partners
**All eligible Food Systems Innovation Grant applicants will also be reviewed through the STAIR Grant program

Email questions about any of the proof-of-concept grant programs to [email protected].

UC Davis Licenses Novel COVID-19 Lung Treatment Using Inhaled Statins to InVixa, Inc

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Amir Zeki, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UC Davis and co-founder of InVixa Inc.

Amir Zeki, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UC Davis and co-founder of InVixa Inc.

The University of California, Davis and InVixa Inc., a biopharmaceutical startup, have executed a licensing agreement for a novel method using inhaled statins to treat the severe respiratory disease known as COVID-19. The license, negotiated by the InnovationAccess team within the UC Davis Office of Research, provides exclusive access for InVixa to commercialize the technology developed at the university for COVID-19.

While statins are one of the most prescribed drugs on the market, typically used to treat cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease and stroke by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood, some studies have demonstrated a potential link to improved outcomes in some lung diseases due to statins’ immune-modulatory properties.

Dr. Amir Zeki, associate professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UC Davis and co-founder of InVixa, began investigating the potential use of statins to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2007. At the time, pre-clinical studies showed a clear positive effect; however, subsequent human clinical trials using oral statins yielded mixed findings.

“While some people started to discount the potential and effectiveness of using statins to treat respiratory disease, I suspected it might have to do with the delivery method, and that with the oral route not enough of the drug was reaching the lung tissue,” said Zeki. “Scientific understanding of statins’ pharmacokinetic properties certainly supports this theory in principle, and ongoing work is testing this idea in humans.”

Zeki began researching an alternative approach by delivering the statins directly into the airways via inhalation using animal models. The use of inhaled drugs is common in clinical practice to treat airway diseases such as asthma and COPD, albeit using different FDA-approved drugs.

Zeki tested the idea on rodents, followed by non-human primates at the California National Primate Research Center at UC Davis. “Depending on the statin tested, we found we could give appropriate statin doses via the airways which were well-tolerated, and with beneficial effects,” he noted. “That is when we pivoted to seeing this as a large opportunity to develop better treatments for our patients.”

A ‘Pandemic’ Pivot

Working in the Intensive Care Units with his physician colleagues, Zeki was on the front lines when the COVID-19 pandemic reached the United States. He quickly learned about the clinical manifestations of COVID-19 and the severe respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. In response, he pivoted with his team to explore the use of inhaled statins to protect the lungs against the virus’s damaging effects.

Existing observational research has shown that patients taking oral statins regularly prior to and during their illness had faster recovery from the flu, along with lower mortality rates. A recent study by researchers at UC San Diego Health established a similar effect in COVID-19 patients, where patients taking oral statins had a reduced risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease, as well as faster recovery times. Another retrospective clinical study in China on nearly 14,000 patients showed that statin use was associated with a significant reduction in mortality among patients with COVID-19.

“These results shed some light and revealed the potential role statins could play in the treatment of COVID-19. However, these were limited to the conventional oral application,” said Zeki. “Our research is looking at the impact of using an aerosolized delivery mechanism to explore the full potential of these drugs.”

He added, “The inhaled delivery approach allows for statin doses with a potentially greater local airway therapeutic effect. Given what we know of statin pharmacokinetics, their physiochemical properties, and generally low oral bioavailability, as well as prior negative, or equivocal, clinical trials using oral statins to treat other respiratory conditions, we believe our approach has a strong chance of achieving a beneficial clinical effect in COVID-19.”

In collaboration with UC Davis virologists, the team began pre-clinical cell culture studies in 2020 and will begin experiments using COVID-19 rodent models in early 2021 to evaluate the statins’ efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Zeki’s lab is using primary human airway epithelial cells grown in air-liquid interface to elucidate governing mechanisms. The lab is working in collaboration with Professor Stefan Rothenburg in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. In parallel, Zeki is also preparing to conduct animal studies to address inhaled statin efficacy in two COVID-19 rodent models with Professor Lark Coffey in the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology at the School of Veterinary Medicine.

Supported by the campus’ Venture Catalyst program, Zeki and colleagues launched the new company, InVixa, to commercialize the novel application. UC Davis’ Venture Catalyst unit offers several innovative programs that bridge the gap between early-stage research and commercialization. InVixa participated in Venture Catalyst’s START program, which provides training, resources, and networking opportunities to help university-affiliated startups succeed.

“The UC Davis Venture Catalyst unit played a pivotal role getting us off the ground,” said Zeki. “I can’t imagine getting to this point without their guidance and supporting programs.”

David Lubarsky, Vice Chancellor for Human Health Sciences and CEO of UC Davis Health, said, “This is another excellent example of leveraging UC Davis Health’s scientific resources and entrepreneurial spirit to explore solutions for crucial health care needs. I applaud Dr. Zeki and his team for pursuing novel approaches based on their direct clinical experiences and research. There is a tremendous need to help patients facing respiratory failure, which has been the leading cause of mortality for patients with COVID-19.”

InVixa is continuing its pre-clinical testing, which includes pharmacokinetic studies, to identify a lead candidate for formulation. Thereafter, the company plans to pursue human clinical trials later in 2021.

Contact

AJ Cheline, UC Davis Office of Research
530-752-1101
[email protected]

UC Davis to Lead New Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next Generation Food Systems

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UC Davis to Lead New Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next-Generation Food Systems

The University of California, Davis, has been awarded $20 million as part of a multi-institutional collaboration to establish an institute focused on enabling the next-generation food system through the integration of artificial intelligence, or AI, technologies. The award is part of a larger investment announced today (Aug. 26) by the National Science Foundation, or NSF, in partnership with several federal agencies — distributing a total of $140 million to fund seven complementary AI research institutes across the nation.

The AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems, or AIFS, aims to meet growing demands in our food supply by increasing efficiencies using AI and bioinformatics spanning the entire system — from growing crops through consumption. This includes optimizing plant traits for yield, crop quality and disease resistance through advances in molecular breeding, in addition to minimizing resource consumption and waste through development of agriculture-specific AI applications, sensing platforms, and robotics. The team’s plan also intends to benefit consumers through enhancements to food safety and development of new tools to provide real-time assessment of meals that can guide personalized health decisions.

‘Paving the way to a transformation’

“The food system is ripe for disruption, with many advances over the past decade paving the way to a transformation,” said Ilias Tagkopoulos, professor in the UC Davis Department of Computer Science and Genome Center, and director of the new institute. “AI will serve as both the enabling technology and the connective tissue that brings together these elements and catalyzes this transformation to a safer, fairer and more efficient food system for the next generation.”

Other principal investigators from UC Davis include Nitin Nitin, professor in the Departments of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and of Food Science and Technology; Mason Earles, assistant professor in the Departments of Viticulture and Enology and of Biological and Agricultural Engineering; and Xin Liu, professor in the Department of Computer Science.

The institute has been designed to be inclusive, fostering collaborations to develop open-source AI solutions across the food system. Given food’s fundamental role in human health and well-being, coupled with its far-reaching impacts on the national economy and environment, the institute will bring together more than 40 researchers from six institutions: UC Davis; UC Berkeley; Cornell University; the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; UC Agriculture and Natural Resources; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service.

Engagement and collaboration

In addition to the scientific and technical objectives, the institute’s charter includes a significant focus on education, outreach and collaboration.

“Our success won’t only come from breakthroughs and innovation of new technologies and systems, but also a ready workforce, an engaged public and collaboration with industry partners to solve real challenges,” said Gabriel Youtsey, chief innovation officer at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The institute’s plan includes programs specific for K-16 education, college internships and fellowships, curriculum enrichment, broadening participation and diversity, corporate engagement, and knowledge transfer. These programs will be bolstered by leveraging existing platforms such as UC Davis’ Innovation Institute for Food and Health, CITRIS Banatao Institute and Agriculture and Natural Resources’ Verde Innovation Network for Entrepreneurship, or VINE. Additional efforts are planned in alignment with NSF’s call to ensure AI systems are secure, safe, ethical and fair through design, accountability and transparency.

Development of the proposal for the award was facilitated by the Interdisciplinary Research and Strategic Initiatives division of the Office of Research at UC Davis. The institute is designated as a special research program under the administration of the Office of Research.

Assembled expertise offers hope

“As with many of our world’s greatest challenges, addressing the critical needs in our food supply requires extensive collaboration between experts from different disciplines,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research at UC Davis. “The collection of expertise assembled for this new institute brings much hope for transformative advancements to be realized.”

Funding for the institute is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture as part of a larger initiative led by the U.S. National Science Foundation to establish new artificial intelligence institutes to accelerate research, expand America’s workforce and transform society in the decades to come. The NSF AI institutes will collaborate with industry and government to advance the frontiers of AI as well as a range of science and engineering disciplines and societal sectors that stand to benefit from AI innovation.

“Recognizing the critical role of AI, NSF is investing in collaborative research and education hubs, such as the USDA-NIFA AI Institute for Next Generation Food Systems anchored at UC Davis, which will bring together academia, industry, and government to unearth profound discoveries and develop new capabilities advancing American competitiveness for decades to come,” said Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation. “Just as prior NSF investments enabled the breakthroughs that have given rise to today’s AI revolution, the awards being announced today will drive discovery and innovation that will sustain American leadership and competitiveness in AI for decades to come.”

Media Resources

Ilias Tagkopoulos, Genome Center, 530-752-4821, [email protected]

AJ Cheline, Office of Research, 530-752-1101, [email protected]

Andy Fell, News and Media Relations, 530-752-4533, [email protected]

Innovative Startups Commercializing UC Davis Technologies

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venture catalyst startup handbook bg

During the past fiscal year, 15 emerging startups executed agreements to access patented technology developed at the University of California, Davis.

“Startups play an essential role in advancing and commercializing new technologies that are developed by researchers and innovators at UC Davis,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor of research at UC Davis. “These partnerships lead to substantial contributions to society in the form of new products, services and economic growth.”

Storx Technologies is commercializing a noninvasive fetal pulse oximeter for use during deliveries. Founded by the inventors — Soheil Ghiasi, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Daniel Fong, who recently received his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from UC Davis — the company’s innovation may lead to safer births and fewer cesarian sections.

Two of the medical technology companies that licensed technology this past year are developing vaccine innovations.

Tendel Therapies has licensed foundational technologies developed in the laboratories of Dennis Hartigan-O’Connor, associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, and Peter Barry, professor emeritus with the Center for Immunology and Infectious Diseases. The company is commercializing first-in-class, genetically adjuvanted vaccines engineered for durable B- and T-cell immune memory. Tendel has adapted their technology to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and is preparing for a Phase I safety trial of their vaccine candidate.

The Vaccine Group, a biotechnology firm in the United Kingdom, licensed foundational UC Davis intellectual property that provides a non-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) method to create a recombinant DNA fragment for insertion into a target sequence. The company is developing herpesvirus-based vaccine platforms to protect animals against infectious diseases, including zoonotic diseases that are transferred from animals to humans.

“The majority of startups accessing intellectual property from UC Davis this past year are focused on medical technologies and solutions, including several that are developing therapeutics and improved diagnostics for specific cancers,” said Bill Tucker, interim associate vice chancellor for Innovation and Technology Commercialization. “We also have startups advancing solutions related to novel food technology platforms and nutrition.”

Food-tech company BCD Bioscience is developing proprietary techniques around natural carbohydrate structures to create and commercialize novel prebiotics, synbiotics and immuno-modulatory therapies for human and animal health. UC Davis professors Carlito Lebrilla, David Mills and Bruce German are the founding scientists for the company.

In agricultural innovations, Spectral Analytix, launched by Christian Nansen, an associate professor in the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, applies machine vision and machine learning to the classification and sorting of insects and also seeds, creating fast and nondestructive methods to eliminate nonviable seeds.

Additional companies that acquired rights to foundational intellectual property from UC Davis during the 2019-20 fiscal year include:

  • Alphacait — Novel leukemia stem cell-targeted ligand and nanotherapeutics for human leukemia treatment.
  • AmCyt — Automated rapid onsite evaluation device that mitigates the 20 percent sampling error in fine needle aspiration biopsies.
  • Breeze Biosciences — New method for targeting nuclear receptor ROR-gamma in tumor cells for prostate cancer treatment.
  • Carrisan Technologies — Novel antimicrobial solutions to prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses and minimize food losses due to pathogens.
  • HistoliX— Rapid slide-free tissue imaging and decision-support tools that provide real-time results to address critical needs in cancer care and medical diagnostics.
  • InStatin — Lung-targeted inhaled therapies to treat chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD.
  • Matrubials — Novel and selective antimicrobial therapies to treat bacterial infections based on antimicrobial peptides found in milk.
  • NanoElements Technologies — Revolutionary nanotechnology-based intellectual property to remove lung-penetrating sub-0.3 micron air pollution particles and viruses.
  • Orox BioSciences — Dual inhibitors of soluble epoxide hydrolase and cyclooxygenase-2 for the treatment of inflammation, pain and cancers.
  • Sarya — Alpha-4 Beta-1integrin ligands for imaging and treatments of cancer, autoimmune diseases and inflammatory diseases.

Milestones for previous startups

During the past 10 years, a total of 115 startups have been formed with an emphasis on commercializing UC Davis technologies. Approximately 75 percent are still active.

Several of these UC Davis-associated startups experienced important milestones this past year as they transitioned from product development to commercialization.

  • PvP Biologics, a spinout from UC Davis and the University of Washington, was purchased by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited following a Phase 1 proof-of-mechanism study of investigational medicine TAK-062 for the treatment of celiac disease.
  • Bouncer, which was incorporated in May 2019, was accepted into the Y Combinator accelerator, which will invest $125,000 in the company. Bouncer provides powerful verification with a simple scan for any card or identification, while cleanly flagging stolen cards and high-risk transactions
  • EicOsis LLC was awarded a $15 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to support human clinical trials of a non-opioid pain therapy for neuropathic pain, EC5026. The drug candidate also received Fast Track designation from the Food and Drug Administration.
  • Molecular Matrix announced it formed a strategic alliance with Philosys Healthcare to expand the availability of a next-generation bone graft substitute technology to the Asian market.
  • Novoheart announced a partnership with AstraZeneca to develop the world’s first human-specific, in vitro, functional model of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Building a culture of entrepreneurship

Enabling startups through the licensing of intellectual property from UC Davis is just one of the ways that the university is building a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, with the goal of translating research into societal and economic impact.

Venture Catalyst, within the Innovation and Technology Commercialization division, also offers grants to campus innovators to facilitate commercial proof-of-concept studies; support services; and connections to a network of resources to help them succeed. Over the past fiscal year, Venture Catalyst supported 33 new startups with direct ties to the university through foundational technology and/or faculty, students, staff and alumni. During the 2019-20 fiscal year alone, startups that Venture Catalyst has assisted through its programs raised approximately $60 million in funding.

Fueled by innovation

InnovationAccess received 141 invention disclosures from campus innovators over the prior fiscal year. The majority of these relate to biomedical and human health, followed by inventions in engineering and physical sciences, agricultural and animal health applications. Over the same year, InnovationAccess filed 182 patent applications and received 89 domestic and foreign patents with UC Davis researchers named as inventors. InnovationAccess also executed 40 plant and utility licenses, 72 copyright licenses, 152 data transfer agreements and 937 material transfer agreements. Almost half of the MTAs executed were in support of medical research.

Media Resources

AJ Cheline, Office of Research, 530-752-1101, [email protected]

Andy Fell, News and Media Relations, 530-752-4533, [email protected]

UC Davis Awards Grants to Advance Innovative Solutions with Commercial Potential

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Wheat plants photographed in Robbins Hall at UC Davis

Wheat plants photographed in Robbins Hall at UC Davis. UC Davis Professor Jorge Dubcovsky and Postdoctoral Researcher Josh Hegarty are collaborating with flour mills and artisan bakers to test and select a variety of Triticale, a hybrid that combines wheat and rye. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis)

DAVIS, Calif. — Seven scientists at the University of California, Davis, are receiving grants to advance research and innovations with commercial potential. The recipients are addressing an important range of challenges — from cancer to climate change — with unique solutions.

Now in its seventh year, the Science Translation and Innovative Research, or STAIR, grant program provides awards of up to $50,000 to campus innovators to enable demonstration of early proof-of-concept for technologies being developed at the university. A second program, Data, Informatics and Application Launch (DIAL), provides awards of up to $20,000 for innovations specifically geared toward data, information science or software.

“UC Davis is committed to seeing that innovations from the lab, clinic and greenhouse make their way to the marketplace so society can benefit from our discoveries,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research. “The funding and support from this grant program fill a critical gap, allowing researchers to explore and test the commercial potential of novel and bold ideas that otherwise may not have been possible.”

The programs are funded and managed by Venture Catalyst in the UC Davis Office of Research. Several campus and industry partners also joined this cycle to increase the funding, including BASF, Elanco Animal Health, the UC Davis School of Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine and College of Biological Sciences.

External review committees consisting of industry professionals, investors, and experienced entrepreneurs, assembled by Venture Catalyst, reviewed the proposals and selected the recipients of the awards.

In addition to receiving grants, recipients participate in a structured entrepreneurial training program, such as the Entrepreneurship Academy hosted by the UC Davis Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Awardees are also paired with experienced business mentors to provide guidance on commercial translation. Read more >

UC Davis Startup Develops Monitor That Measures Baby’s Blood Oxygen Saturation in the Womb

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Daniel Fong (left) an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student, and Soheil Ghiasi (right), a professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Daniel Fong (left) an electrical and computer engineering Ph.D. student, and Soheil Ghiasi (right), a professor of electrical and computer engineering, are photographed in Ghiasi’s lab in Kemper Hall, February 2020. Ghiasi and Fong have invented a patented device that can measure blood oxygen saturation in a fetus through the maternal abdomen. (Karin Higgins/UC Davis Photo)

Soheil Ghiasi, a professor in the UC Davis Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has launched a startup, Storx Technologies, to commercialize a noninvasive pulse oximeter that can measure a baby’s blood oxygen saturation while it is still in the womb. His innovation may lead to safer deliveries and enable new fetal research.

Since he joined the UC Davis faculty in 2004, Ghiasi’s main focus has been application-specific embedded computers.

“These are computers that don’t look like computers,” said Ghiasi. “They are pretty much everywhere. Some are in low-end devices like toys or coffeemakers. But some have high-end, mission-critical requirements, and are integrated into military applications, airplanes or medical devices.”

He became interested in fetal monitoring technology after his daughter was born. During her delivery, the readings on the fetal monitors, which measure heart rate and uterine contractions, fell into a gray zone, indicating possible low oxygen levels. Inadequate oxygen supply to the fetus can result in hypoxic brain injury, and can lead to disabilities or death.

“Some patterns are obviously alarming so doctors do an emergency C-section,” said Ghiasi. “And some patterns show there isn’t a problem. But there’s a gray area in the middle, which is referred to as ‘non-reassuring’ fetal heart rate traces. ”

Because of his daughter’s non-reassuring heart rate, she was delivered via C-section. Both mother and daughter were fine, but the major abdominal surgery meant a long recovery for his wife.

Afterwards, Ghiasi learned that non-reassuring fetal heart traces are not uncommon during delivery. He also learned that in the United States, C-sections account for almost a third of all births — a rate higher than most developed countries — without resulting in better health outcomes for mothers and babies.

“I was new to this. I did some research and connected with colleagues at UC Davis Health who work on the obstetric side as well as those working with animal models. There’s a large body of research about fetal oxygen levels,” said Ghiasi.

With current fetal monitors, the health of a baby is inferred from her heartrate and mother’s uterine contractions, but the baby’s exact level of oxygen is not known. Ghiasi began to think about a non-invasive way to determine the fetal blood oxygen levels in utero, rather than solely relying on cardiac patterns, to know when a fetus was truly in distress and in need of delivery by C-section.

He pictured something similar to a pulse oximeter, the inexpensive devices that are widely used in healthcare and can be clipped onto a finger, earlobe, or even toe to measure blood oxygen saturation.

“When blood is not oxygenated it looks darker, and when it’s oxygenated it looks redder. The pulse oximeter shines light and registers how much of the light is absorbed. Then, it performs some color analysis to compute the fraction of red blood cells that carry oxygen,” explained Ghiasi.

Developing a noninvasive fetal monitor

In fall 2018, Ghiasi received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to work on improving fetal monitoring.

Along with Daniel D. Fong, a Ph.D. student in his lab, Ghiasi designed a noninvasive transabdominal fetal oximeter that transmits near-infrared light through the mother’s abdomen.

The small amount of tissue-diffused light is sensed on the maternal abdomen; the measurements are subsequently analyzed to remove the contributions of mother’s tissue layers and to infer measurements that are strictly due to the fetal tissue. Such measurements are then utilized, similar to conventional pulse oximeters, to compute the baby’s blood oxygen saturation.

Ghiasi worked with InnovationAccess to file a Record of Invention for the technology and, in July 2018, the University of California filed a patent application for his and Fong’s invention.

They collaborated with Diana L. Farmer, a renowned fetal and neonatal surgeon at UC Davis, to successfully test and validate the trans-abdominal fetal oximeter on pregnant ewes.

They also worked with Herman Hedriana and Aijun Wang at UC Davis Health; Andre Knoesen, Vivek Srinivasan and Weijian Yang at UC Davis; Michael G. Ross at UCLA; and M. Austin Johnson, previously at UC Davis Health and now at the University of Utah.

“Through collaboration with all of these colleagues we were able to successfully test our innovation in animal models,” said Ghiasi

Results from their research were presented at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine pregnancy meeting in February, and were recently published in IEEE Transactions in Biomedical Engineering.

Next up is testing the novel fetal monitoring system with humans.

“We have approval to test patients who are at least 36 weeks pregnant and are coming in for routine checks. If that goes well, the next phase will be to test this during labor. That would be the ultimate application,” said Ghiasi. Read more >

Contact

AJ Cheline, UC Davis Office of Research, 530-752-1101, [email protected]
Soheil Ghiasi, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, 530- 752-0836, [email protected]

 

UC Davis Names Recipients of 2020 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards

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Honoring Advances in Medical Imaging, Infant Health and Pain Relief, Plus Commitment to Building Aggie Square

Recipients of 2020 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards

Original post: ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-names-recipients-2020-chancellors-innovation-awards

The University of California, Davis, today (June 15) named the recipients of the 2020 Chancellor’s Innovation Awards. The awards recognize faculty, project teams and community partners for their work, dedication and success in improving the lives of others and addressing the needs of our global society through innovative solutions.

“Research universities like UC Davis play a critical role in advancing innovative solutions for the global community that not only stimulate our economy but create a better quality of life,” Chancellor Gary S. May said. “The recipients of this year’s awards demonstrate the impact of reaching beyond what is expected to deliver game-changing innovations that address some of the world’s most critical issues.”

The awards comprise Innovator of the Year, Innovative Community Partner and Lifetime Achievement in Innovation. The program is managed by the Office of Research.

“Some of the greatest examples of bold innovation emerge when experts from different disciplines work together to solve a problem,” said Prasant Mohapatra, vice chancellor for research. “Many of the recipients for this year’s awards illustrate just how effective those collaborations can be.”

Read more..