ATECH Buzz
Happy New Year
It’s the old story about the glass being half empty or half full. The global recession forces some people and organizations to feel nothing but doom and gloom while they wait for better times ahead. Others look at tough times as a way to get more creative in how they target investments in product development. The past few months have shown that, at ATECH, we have a lot of half full glasses and more market-ready technological creations than ever. Since the last newsletter, we have picked up the pace at which we connect organizations to one another. The ATECH team also continues its strong focus on connecting organizations to the wealth of resources available through The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Kudos to Ohio State University Extension for partnering with ATECH in this effort. December marked the fifth consecutive month of traffic increases on the ATECH website (http://atech.osu.edu). Thus far, over five thousand organizations have come to us through the web.
Active projects are underway with companies in Poland, Germany and England as well as many states in the US – including our home state of Ohio. The projects include food safety, food processing techniques including coatings, natural purification of groundwater and industrial water runoff, probiotics, nutraceuticals, food flavorings, beverage processing and many more. We are also in the process of becoming part of a global network of technology investors and are currently in the first phases of working with companies focused on bio-based packaging materials, environmentally friendly and energy efficient food processing methods, natural material development, nutritional additives for foods and beverages, natural snack foods and more!
During the holiday season, we want to wish all of our readers good fortune and the good health to enjoy it. All of us here at ATECH are looking forward to delivering even more good things to you, and the world, in 2009.
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Spotlight On
Can probiotics help curtail global warming?
As harsh climates and natural disasters plague our planet, the ATECH team collaborates with top scientists to search for a solution. Many experts believe there is a strong link between global warming and the extreme weather patterns and conditions our planet is facing. Reduction in the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere will in no small measure reduce global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are the two major greenhouse gases. Methane is produced by microbial digestion of organic materials in the environment with agricultural sector contributing to the largest. By controlling methane gas that is produced in the agricultural sector, specifically the livestock, the end result can potentially be a reduction in global warming.
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Did You Know???
Farmers Fight Plan for Animal-Gas Tax
A proposed tax on gaseous emissions from cows and hogs is drawing opposition from American Farmers, who say it could put many of them out of business. In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that greenhouse gases from animals’ belching and flatulence are air pollution. Now the Environmental Protection Agency wants to charge large livestock operations an annual fee of $175 per dairy cow, $87.50 per head of beef cattle and $20 per hog. – The Columbus Dispatch
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What’s Happening
ATECH works with the Center for Advanced Functional Foods Research and Entrepreneurship (CAFFRE) and the largest private label juice manufacturer in the US
One of the hidden gems of The Ohio State University is the Center for Advanced Functional Foods Research and Entrepreneurship (CAFFRE). The CAFFRE mission is to serve as a catalyst for research and development of novel functional foods and components that will enhance health and quality of life for people of all ages. Comprised of nearly 30 award-winning, world-renowned scientists, CAFFRE targets the following areas of expertise:
- Plant and Horticultural Science Studies
- Food Science, Product Development, and Processing
- Food Chemistry and Nutrient and Phytochemical Analysis
- Preclinical Screening of Novel Food Products and Ingredients
- Phase I and Phase II Human Clinical Trials / Human Translational Research
- Market, Regulatory, and Agricultural Economics Studies
- Entrepreneurship, Technology Transfer, and Intellectual Property Rights Resources
The ATECH team envisioned huge potential for the CAFFRE Center. ATECH saw a market need that could easily be fulfilled by CAFFRE’s industry experts and the center’s state-of-the-art laboratory facilities. ATECH sought out the Cliffstar Corporation, one of the largest private label juice manufacturers in the country. Cliffstar’s CEO immediately saw the value of working with CAFFRE for many research needs.
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What in the World is ATECH doing?
ATECHS work in U.S. and international markets fosters Ohio's economic development.
It was a relationship that began over two years ago, at one of the largest industrial trade fairs on the planet. Members of the ATECH team attended the 2006 Hannover Fair, held in Hanover, Germany, and made the initial contact with Rudolf Wild GmbH & Co (WILD). From the very first meeting, executives from WILD felt that a relationship with ATECH would be very beneficial. Although there were no projects immediately produced from the ATECH/WILD collaboration, WILD remained informed about all of ATECH’s projects and progress within various markets.
ATECH was also referred to WILD while attending the 2008 Eastern European Biotechnology and Bio-Business Trade Show. Mr. John McCaslin, Senior Commercial Officer in Warsaw, Poland, suggested that WILD would be an excellent fit for an ATECH project. After hearing the referral, ATECH team members once again reached out to WILD, only to find that innovators at WILD were already knocking on ATECH’s door.
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Everyday Impacts
PCAST Report: US Government Should Support University-Industry Ties to Bolster 'Innovation Ecosystem'
By Ben Butkus
editor, Biotech Transfer Week
WASHINGTON, DC (GenomeWeb News) ¬ The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology recently issued a set of recommendations on how to improve university-industry research partnerships to promote an “innovation ecosystem” in the US.
The report, University-Private Sector Research Partnerships in the Innovation Ecosystem, was announced and distributed to attendees of a meeting of the University-Industry Demonstration Partnership at the National Academies of Sciences, held here this week. The report states that the economic and regulatory environments in the US require significant long-term changes, such as modifications to the R&D tax credit; urges the government to develop guidance documents on intellectual property and technology-transfer practices; and seeks changes to federal tax-exempt policies that it claims hinder industry-supported research on university campuses.
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Industry News
Ohio's agribusiness industry represents all elements of food processing and production
Ohio's agribusiness industry represents all of the elements that comprise food production and underlies Ohio's strength in food processing, as a strategic crossroads between the grain belt and Eastern markets. The state is also a leader in the specialized nutraceutical food production industry.
The process of bringing food to the table comprises the many areas of agribusiness – farming, seed supply, agrichemicals, farm machinery, wholesale and distribution, processing, marketing and retail sales all are components of Ohio's rich agribusiness industry.
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At Your Service
Taking your discovery from the lab to the marketplace.
If you're searching for office space or a connection on the OARDC Wooster campus, Jim Currie is the man to know. Jim spearheads development of The BioHio Research Park located on OARDC's research campus. The initial development site is 95 acres and an adjacent 4 acre site with build-out targeted in the 520,000 square foot range. Work has begun on infrastructure to serve the Park and the renovation of an existing structure on the adjacent site with funding Mr. Currie secured from EDA, the State of Ohio and the City of Wooster. Jim also has a knack for connecting many of the BioHio clients to local organizations and resources, aiding companies in various ways.
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ASK ATECH
You have questions about ATECH? Well, we have answers. Send us any questions you have about our organization and we’ll feature the answers in our next newsletter.
Q: I understand the need for ties to the commercial world. But, does ATECH's continued monetary success push us too far away from the role that a land grant university is supposed to play in its home state?
A: It's true that half of our funding comes from OARDC. But, the other half is provided by OSU Extension. The expectation is that we will continually be mindful of, and have a focus on, the impact of our "deals" on the lives of the citizens we serve. Key research areas such as food safety, disease prevention, renewable resources and bio-products development (to name a few) are increasingly making inroads into the products available to consumers. As we learn of the benefits of our college's research work, the goal is not always to create a product. The goal is to make the lives of people better. Our partner, OSU Extension, provides the best way of conveying what we learn to the people who will ultimately benefit from ATECH's efforts.
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Newsletter Archive
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ATECH
Food and Agricultural Technology Commercialization and Economic Development Program
1680 Madison Avenue
Wooster, Ohio 44691-4096
Phone: 330-263-3715
Fax: 330-263-3688
2120 Fyffe Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210-1066
Phone: 614-292-8876
Fax: 614-292-3263
E-mail: atech@osu.edu
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