AnnuAl RepoRt of ReseARch Activity fy 2007

office of the senioR vice pResident foR ReseARch

overview .............................. 3

statistical snapshot ............. 4

Research highlights ............. 6

technology transfer ........... 11

innovation park .................. 14

contacts ............................. 15

A t this early point in the 21st century, we face a technological

shift of historic proportions as we wean ourselves from

reliance on fossil fuels.

The issue is social and political as well as technological, and it will

become increasingly intensified as the world’s population grows

toward a predicted nine-to-twelve billion people in the ensuing decades.

There is unprecedented urgency to find and develop new, and renewable,

sources of energy.

Compounding the problem is the growing need to avert serious envi-

ronmental degradation. One of the great challenges of this century will

be stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the global atmosphere,

thus slowing the rate of climate change.

Energy and the environment are thus tightly coupled, and will be even

more so in the future. Two great needs long seen as standing in opposi-

tion—to be good stewards of our environment and to meet our growing

energy needs—must at last be reconciled. Innovative research will play

a crucial role in finding the way forward.

Scientists and engineers at Penn State have been engaged in such

research for over a century. Our earliest research programs, in agricul-

ture and mining engineering, formed the pillars for what is now a nearly

$700 million per year research enterprise. Energy is our history, as it

is the history of Pennsylvania.

Combining this rich heritage with cutting-edge excellence in fields

ranging from bioengineering to materials science, Penn State is well-

positioned to help meet this growing challenge. We are well-equipped

and ready to lead society toward a sustainable energy future.

Eva J. Pell, Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of The Graduate School

Welcome

Cover: A structural representation of bituminous coal, seen from the inside. Carbon atoms are green, hydrogen atoms white, nitrogen atoms blue, oxygen atoms red, and sulfur atoms yellow. Cutting-edge coal research is an important component of Penn State’s energy initiative. Illustration by Marielle Narkiewicz / Jonathan Mathews

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total research expenditures at Penn State increased slightly more than 1 percent in FY2007, moving from

$656 million to $665 million. Included in this total was $375 million in funding from federal agencies, up from $372 million a year ago. Funding from the Department of Defense increased 2.3 percent to $152 million. Funding from the Department of Education increased nearly twofold to just above $7 million while funding from the Department of Transportation jumped nearly 11 percent.

National Science Foundation data for 2006 again demonstrates the broad range of Penn State’s research expertise. In addition to ranking 13th overall among U.S. universities in R&D expenditures, Penn State ranked first in materials and sociol-ogy, second in psychology, third in engi-neering, seventh in mathematics and earth science, and ninth in physical sciences. Overall, Penn State had 11 top-ten rankings for individual study, second only to Johns Hopkins.

Penn State also showed continued lead-ership in industry-sponsored research with expenditures of $98 million.

Both of these qualities are vital to the university’s expanding initiatives in the increasingly important area of energy research. In January 2006, Eva J. Pell, senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate School, charged an Energy Task Force consisting of energy experts from across Penn State to assess the University’s current assets in energy science and engineering and to recommend a course of action that would strengthen those assets.

Later that year, the task force presented its report, a strategic vision to enhance already strong research, education, and outreach activity within the areas of energy sciences, engineering, and policy. The report recommended five major areas for new investment: efficient fossil energy extraction and conversion, bio-energy systems, hydrogen energy, nuclear energy, and solar energy, especially photo-system conversion of light energy to clean fuels such as hydrogen.

To promote this new initiative, the University committed funds for the creation of 24 new faculty positions. In addition, the existing Penn State Institutes of the Environment was renamed the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment, reflective of an expanded scope formally including energy science and engineering.

The new PSIEE brings together eight Penn State academic colleges and several University research institutes and centers to encourage cooperation across academic disciplines.

Finally, in October 2007, Penn State announced the launch of a major research alliance with one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, Chevron (see page 6). This joint initiative will focus on coal chemistry and conversion technology, advanced fuels, and CO2 greenhouse gas management and conversion. Under the alliance, Chevron will provide up to $17.5 million over the next five years to Penn State, funding which will make possible significant opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as they develop skills needed to solve global energy problems.

oveRvieW

As the Penn State Energy Task Force report concludes, “Penn State is well-positioned to be a leader in the develop-ment of new knowledge needed to train energy professionals, develop energy technologies, manage energy resources, and implement energy policy. Combined with our heritage of education and engagement, our agricultural, engineering, and science research excellence provides underlying strength in all aspects of the energy challenge.”

Putting those strengths to work for the good of society is at the core of Penn State’s land-grant charter, adds Pell. “It’s an important part of our mandate to serve the people of Pennsylvania, and the United States, through research, teaching, and outreach.”

Detail from “Miners in a Lift,” by Henry Varnum Poor. Poor’s Land-Grant Frescoes, in the lobby of Old Main, document Penn State’s link to the state’s rich energy heritage.

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total and federal Research expenditures, 1988-2007

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defense Related Research units $163,684,000

expenditures from federal Agenciessources of Research funding

industry and other $100,347,000

commonwealth of pennsylvania $88,820,000

university $101,324,000

usdA $17,636,000

doe $16,203,000

nAsA $9,992,000

nsf $50,330,000

other $33,848,000

department of defense $151,997,000

department of health and human services $94,634,000

commerce = $1,630,000education = $7,098,000epA = $841,000 interior = $1,072,000 transportation = $4,954,000 other federal = $18,253,000

other colleges = $26,419,000

Arts & Architecture = $1,108,000 communications = $78,000 education = $12,169,000information sci & tech = $6,604,000 law = $124,000 smeal college of Business = $6,336,000

Agricultural sciences $82,072,000

commonwealth campuses $12,832,000

earth & mineral sciences $72,667,000

engineering $89,884,000

medicine $74,940,000

health & human development $38,952,000

eberly college of science $80,369,000

Altoona college = $666,000 Behrend college = $3,776,000 Berks-lehigh valley college = $216,000capital college = $4,316,000 Great valley = $364,000penn college = $2,117,000 other commonwealth campuses = $1,387,000

fy2007 total - $665,131,000

fy2007 total - $665,131,000 fy2007 total - $374,640,000

liberal Arts $23,312,000

federal $374,640,000

Applied Research lab = $130,135,000 electro-optics center = $33,549,000

expenditures By college

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ReseARch hiGhliGhts

An AlliAnce foR eneRGyOn October 3, 2007, Penn State an-nounced the launch of a major research alliance with one of the world’s leading integrated energy companies, Chevron Energy Technology Company, to research coal conversion technologies. The alliance capitalizes on the University’s historical strengths in both energy science and indus-try-sponsored research.

“Penn State has been involved in energy-related research and graduate training for more than a century, beginning with one of the first formal schools of mining engineer-ing in the U.S.,” said Penn State President Graham Spanier. “Since that time, Penn State has evolved its coal-related research streams in many directions, including conversion of coal to liquid fuels, model-ing and simulation of coal conversion, and carbon dioxide capture and sequestration.”

Building on this solid foundation, in 2006 the University Energy Task Force, established by Eva J. Pell, senior vice presi-dent for research and dean of the Gradu-ate School, published a report in which it proposed a bold new strategic vision to enhance existing research, education, and outreach activity within the areas of energy sciences, engineering, and policy at Penn State. To promote this expanded energy initiative, the University has committed funds for the creation of 24 new faculty po-sitions to strengthen teaching and research efforts.

Penn State will target key strategic areas: state-of-the art coal conversion and carbon dioxide management technolo-gies; materials and nanotechnology for energy efficiency; biofuels, bioenergy, and biomaterials; hydrogen production, storage and transportation for fuel cells; public and social discussions of nuclear power; and conversion of light to do work.

“When Chevron visited Penn State a year ago to learn more about our initiative,” said Pell, “they recognized our commitment to areas of interest to them, and became con-vinced that an alliance would be mutually beneficial.”

As fossil fuel reserves dwindle, coal sup-plies remain relatively plentiful, not just in the U.S. but in rapidly industrializing countries like China. Coal’s cheapness and availability make it an important near-term energy resource, in spite of its environmen-tal drawbacks. Increasing emphasis, there-fore, is being placed on finding cleaner

and more efficient ways of unlocking coal’s energy.

The joint research initiative will focus on coal chemistry and conversion tech-nology, advanced fuels, combustion, and CO2/greenhouse gas management and conversion. This alliance will also inte-grate research with educational and career opportunities for students and graduates specializing in coal conversion and energy technologies. Under the alliance, Chevron will provide up to $17.5 million over the next five years to Penn State.

“Chevron values technological excel-lence and R&D capability and is impressed with the quality of coal research done at Penn State over the last century,” said Don Paul, vice president and chief technology officer for Chevron Corporation. “Chevron also has a rich history in coal through our Chevron Mining Company and its prede-cessor P&M Coal. We will draw on the deep expertise of both institutions to push the front edge of technology and innovation into the 21st century.

“We look forward to a highly productive research relationship that will contribute to the technical innovation of clean coal and coal-to-liquid technology,” Paul added.

Based in San Ramon, California, Chev-ron has about 56,000 employees, and its

subsidiaries conduct business in more than 180 countries. Chevron operates across the entire energy spectrum—exploring for, producing, and transporting crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing, and dis-tributing fuels and other energy products and services; generating power; designing and marketing large-scale energy efficiency solutions, and commercializing the energy resources of the future, including biofuels and other renewables.

Penn State and Chevron have enjoyed an important partnership for some time, with gifts and grants of more than $6 million and $1.68 in research contracts. As of a year ago, Chevron has employed 223 Penn State alumni.

“Rapid growth of global energy consump-tion has brought the challenge of sustain-ing national and global energy security into sharp focus,” Spanier said. “With the help of partners such as Chevron, Penn State will continue to step up to the challenge of training new generations of experts in energy, developing fundamental new knowledge and innovative applications, and educating the public about energy issues and options.”

To learn more, see: http://www.iro.psu.edu/chevron

Members of the Penn State Energy Task Force with Senior Vice President Pell. From left: Thomas G. Hughes; Robert J. Santoro; Chunshan Song; Donald A. Bryant; Pell; Thomas L. Richard; Henry C. Foley; and William E. Easterling. Not pictured: Frank R. Baumgartner; Harold H. Schobert.

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pRospeRinG Kids And fAmilies In December 2007, Penn State received a $5.7 million grant from the National Insti-tute on Drug Abuse to continue develop-ment of PROSPER, (Promoting School-Community-University Partnerships to Enhance Resilience), an innovative, multi-level alcohol and drug-prevention program for middle- and high-school students.

In its first five years, the project, an interdisciplinary collaboration between Penn State and Iowa State University, reached about 12,000 youth in 28 com-munities throughout Pennsylvania and Iowa. Penn State’s PROSPER team is led by Mark Greenberg, Bennett chair of preven-tion research and director of Penn State’s Prevention Research Center.

PROSPER works by partnering preven-tion scientists and extension educators with school and community leaders. Its goals are reducing rates of youth substance use and problem behavior, fostering positive youth development, and improving family com-munication. Programs are evidence-based and tailored to the particular community, and undergo continuing evaluation of their effectiveness.

Researchers have shown positive out-comes from the first phase of the project, documenting improvements in family functioning and lower levels of adolescent substance use where programs have been delivered. Their results also have shown effective community partnership mobi-lization, successful local recruitment of community families for the program, high-quality delivery of validated prevention programs, and successful community fund-raising to sustain the community programs.

“PROSPER can make a difference in the lives of Pennsylvania youth, families and communities,” Greenberg said. “The project helps give families and youth the skills to promote the development of young people into healthy adults.”

PROSPER is intended to be a model for a national network of partnerships, Green-berg added. In 2006, PROSPER was named a Program of Distinction by National 4-H. In 2007, it received a 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Award from the An-nie E. Casey Foundation.

To learn more, see: http://www.prosper.ppsi.iastate.edu

fAntAstic voyAGePenn State’s Applied Research Laboratory has a long, proud history in experimental fluid dynamics, beginning with construc-tion of the Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel in 1949.

In the 1970s, ARL researchers began working with computer simulations of fluid flow as a complement to experimental ap-proaches. Until recently, however, compu-tational fluid dynamics (CFD) was focused almost exclusively on developing undersea systems for the lab’s traditional sponsor: the U.S. Navy.

That work continues apace, but as computer power has increased and CFD algorithms have matured, additional research opportunities have emerged, says Rob Kunz, head of ARL’s Computational Mechanics Division. One area of recent activity is the biomedical.

Until recently, Kunz explains, the major fluid-flow systems within the human body—respiration and circulation—were just too complicated to model. However, he says, “The dramatic improvements in medical imaging over the last ten years have helped us map complexities of internal geometry, like vasculature and respiratory bronchi-oles, that we just couldn’t get at before.” In addition, decades of research have yielded new levels of insight into physiological pro-cesses at microscopic and molecular scales, such as gas uptake, nutrient exchange and cellular interactions.

Building on these developments, the Computational Mechanics Division cur-rently has three projects aimed at biomedi-cal applications. In one, with NIH sponsor-ship, ARL researchers are working with colleagues at Penn State (Dan Haworth, MNE) and Drexel University to model the fluid mechanics of the respiratory system, Kunz says, “ultimately down to the molecu-lar level.” The goal is to one day join this model with imaging technology as a new tool for diagnosing respiratory ills.

In a second project, also NIH-funded, bioengineering professor Cheng Dong is working with Kunz on modeling the physi-cal processes of cancer-cell transport and interactions in the bloodstream, in order to better understand the process of metastasis.

The third and largest project is the de-velopment of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD)—a temporary pump employed to relieve stress on the heart during recovery from heart attack. “Its development involves

detailed fluid dynamics modeling, both to optimize hydrodynamic performance and to minimize clotting and hemolysis,” Kunz notes. “We’re working on a third-genera-tion design now, and the University has patents pending.”

In addition to these three active proj-ects, collaborative research between ARL’s Fluids and Structural Mechanics Office, the bioengineering department, and Hershey Medical Center has advanced several artificial heart and LVAD concepts (and their components) over the past 20 years. CFD has become a critical element in the design, optimization and assessment of these devices.

To Kunz, it’s no great leap from under-sea technologies to biomedical ones. “The same basic technology that goes into the design of a submarine propeller 15 feet in diameter goes into designing a blood pump that fits in a chamber of your heart,” he says. “The physics—the governing equa-tions—are the same.”

To learn more, see: http://www.arl.psu.edu/capabilities/fsm_compmech.html

CFD model showing molecular bonds formed between a cancer cell and a white blood cell.

Rob

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leAdeRship in plAnt sciences While research arenas such as nanotech-nology and artificial intelligence have a distinctly futuristic ring, solutions to some of the greatest challenges facing us in the 21st century will likely emerge from a more prosaic-sounding source: the world of plant sciences. In fact, our ability to meet some of the most fundamental human needs—food, clothing, shelter, health care, fuel—de-pends in large part upon advancements in this broad and growing field.

With its deep roots in agriculture as one of the nation’s first land-grant institutions, as well as its distinguished interdisciplin-ary roster of researchers, Penn State is answering this important challenge. Under the umbrella of the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, directed by Peter Hudson, Penn State scientists are working in diverse areas such as plant genomics, crop and soil science, chemical ecology, forestry, plant pathology, and horticulture.

The University’s Intercollege Graduate Degree Program in Plant Biology boasts fac-ulty from nine departments and three col-leges, including molecular biologist Nina Fedoroff, a recent recipient of the National Medal of Science (see opposite page); and plant biochemist Daniel Cosgrove, discov-erer of expansins, an important new class of proteins that loosen cell walls and permit plant growth to occur (see page 13).

Another recent highlight is the discov-ery—by a team of researchers, including Don Bryant, professor of biotechnology—of a surprising new species of bacterium that transforms light into chemical energy. Found in the hot springs of Yellowstone Na-tional Park, Candidatus Chloaracidobacterium (Cab.) thermophilum is important for many reasons, not least because its discovery represents the identification of a new genus and species, and because it marks only the third time in the past century that a new bacterial phylum—Acidobacteria—has been added to the list of phyla with chloro-phyll-producing members.

John Carlson, associate professor of mo-lecular genetics, studies the potential use of fast-growing trees as biofuel feedstocks. In 2002, Carlson helped spearhead the genomic sequencing of the hybrid poplar, a tree widely grown in plantations for the paper industry. Since then he has been working on genetically modifying hybrid poplars and other species for lower lignin

and higher cellulose content. Biologists Claude dePamphilis and Hong

Ma have both played leadership roles in the international Floral Genome Project, estab-lished at Penn State in 2001 with a five-year research grant totaling more than $7.4 mil-lion from the National Science Foundation. The project is the first of its kind to isolate several thousand floral genes from each of 13 species of economically and evolution-arily important flowering plants, and to identify genes which control reproduction in 15 different flowering plants, including poppy, avocado, blueberry, magnolia and tulip poplar.

Among other goals, the Floral Genome Project may yield new strategies for protect-ing crops from parasitic plants, several thousand species of which are angiosperms, or flowering plants, the biggest group in the plant kingdom. These parasitic plants, which use specially modified roots to tap the food supply of their host, include some varieties of Striga (witchweed) that have had particularly devastating effects upon

major cereal grain and legume crops in Africa and Asia, contributing to the crisis of poverty and hunger in the developing world.

Discoveries in both basic and applied re-search in plant sciences can have far-reach-ing implications for society. One example of promising basic research can be found in the work of dePamphilis’s colleague and co-investigator, Hong Ma, recipient of Penn State’s Faculty Scholar Medal in 2005. Ma’s investigation of the role of the RAD51 gene in plant fertility may contribute to a better understanding of human infertility.

RAD51, a protein present in all animals, plants and fungi, helps cells repair DNA damage, including that caused by radia-tion and toxic chemicals. Ma’s experiments suggest that RAD51 not only is essential for sexual reproduction in plants, but also may play a critical role in the production of sperm and ova in humans.

The work of plant biologist Sarah Ass-mann addresses another very tangible glob-al problem—drought. Plants respond to dry conditions by producing the hormone abscisic acid (ABA), which causes the sto-mata—the leaf’s pores—to close, conserv-ing water. Specialized guard cells control the size of leaf stomata. Assmann’s research focuses on how and why these guard cells respond to environmental changes. A bet-ter understanding of how guard cells func-tion will point the way towards the breeding of more ABA-responsive—and therefore, more drought-resistant—plants.

The survival of the planet and its bur-geoning population depends heavily on our ability to harness the infinite possibilities presented by the plant world. Notes the Huck Institute’s Peter Hudson, “Penn State is heavily involved in such pressing issues as how to produce food efficiently, how to utilize plants as biofuels, reduce the impact of natural enemies, and lessen the deleteri-ous effects of environmental change on plant production.

“We tackle these issues by bringing together our best workers into collaborative teams so that we can have a greater intel-lectual mass to investigate the problems of tomorrow. We are world leaders in this field and we shall retain this precedence.”

To learn more, see: http://www.huck.psu.edu/education/plant-biology

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nAtionAl lAuReAte Plant geneticist Nina V. Fedoroff was honored with the 2006 National Medal of Science, the nation’s highest award for life-time achievement in scientific research, at a White House ceremony on July 27.

Fedoroff, who is Verne M. Willaman chair in life sciences and an Evan Pugh professor at Penn State, is one of the nation’s most prominent researchers in the life sciences and biotechnology. Throughout her career, she has distinguished herself in the devel-opment and application of molecular and genetic techniques to important biological problems.

Today, Fedoroff’s laboratory studies the recently discovered phenomenon of gene regulation by small RNA molecules, as well as genes that contribute to the ability of plants to perceive and protect themselves from environmental stressors, such as ground-level ozone. The overall goal of her research is to understand and strengthen the mechanisms that allow plants to with-stand the environmental challenges of a changing climate.

At the White House ceremony, Fedoroff was recognized for “pioneering work

on plant molecular biology and for her being the first to clone and characterize maize transposons. She has contributed to education and public policy pertaining to recombinant DNA and genetic modifica-tion of plants.”

Fedoroff was one of 16 scientists honored by U.S. President George W. Bush, who noted, “Each of our Laureates has deep-ened our understanding of the world, and many have directly changed our lives.”

Fedoroff has served on the boards of many national and international scientific organizations. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and in 2001 she was appointed by President Clinton to the National Science Board, a 24-person body that oversees the activities of the Na-tional Science Foundation.

A few days after the medal ceremony, Fe-doroff was named science and technology adviser to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. In August she moved to Washington, D.C., to begin a three-year term. Fedoroff’s duties as adviser include providing advice on current and emerging science and tech-nology issues as they impact foreign policy, enhancing science and technology literacy

and capacity at the State Department, and increasing the number of scientists and engineers working in Washington and in missions abroad.

To learn more, see: http://www.science.psu.edu/alert/fedoroff7-2007.htm

mAsteR of spAceInternationally reknowned architect Daniel Libeskind was honored at University Park in April.

Libeskind, who created the master plan for the reconstruction of the World Trade Center, was awarded the second annual Medal for Distinguished Contributions to the Public Advancement of Arts and Humanities by Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities (IAH). The first IAH medal was awarded to author Salman Rushdie in 2006.

Born in Poland, Libeskind came to the United States in 1965, after living for some years in Israel. He first gained international prominence for his design of the Jewish Museum in Berlin (1989). Subsequently, Libeskind has designed museums, concert halls, and other major cultural institutions around the world. Among his major works are the Danish Jewish Museum, the British Imperial War Museum, the Denver Art Mu-seum, and the 9/11 memorial “Memoria e Luce” in Padua, Italy. He has held professo-rial chairs at the University of Toronto, the University of Pennsylvania, Yale University,

and Universität Karlsruhe, and he has five honorary doctorates. Among his numerous awards are the 2003 Torch of Honor Award for furthering immigrant and human rights, the Hiroshima Art Prize for work promoting peace, and the Berlin Cultural Prize. In 2004 Libeskind was appointed the first Cultural Ambassador for Architecture by the U.S. State Department.

Of his World Trade Center design, and the 9-11 memorial at its center, Libeskind said, “I’ve always thought that architecture is a storytelling profession. It had to tell the story of that day.”

At the medal ceremony, Yvonne Gaud-elius, interim dean of Penn State’s College of Arts and Architecture, said, “Daniel Libeskind’s work has opened spaces—for living and working, but also for memory and history—that have enriched our world. He has brought great vitality and imagina-tion to thinking through how it is that we can best inhabit those spaces.”

“As an architect, you always have to have an optimistic view, because you’re always building something for a better world,” Libeskind has said. “Whenever you

construct something, the very notion of constructing is about a faith that the world can be a better world.”

To learn more, see: http://php.scripts.psu.edu/dept/iah/programs/medal.php

Nina Fedoroff

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vision foR BiomedicAl AdvAnces One of the shining successes in the history of Penn State research is the groundbreak-ing development of artificial heart and heart-assist technologies, a collaboration between the Colleges of Medicine and Engineering that began in the 1970s.

Today, cardiovascular-device design at Penn State is going strong, but the Univer-sity’s efforts in biomedical engineering have broadened to include ultrasound imaging, diagnostics and drug delivery, advanced magnetic resonance imaging, neural engi-neering, microvascular blood flow, cellular biomechanics, and biofluid mechanics.

“Our formula for success in medical devices is simple,” says Alan Snyder, associ-ate dean for technology development and professor of surgery and bioengineering: “researchers with varied backgrounds and skills working together toward a common goal.”

The Penn State Artificial Organs Team is a case in point. Tradition- ally, mechanical heart pumps had been used

for short-term ventricular support, during recovery after heart surgery or while await-ing a heart transplant, explains William Weiss, associate professor of surgery and bioengineering in the College of Medicine. “The need for heart-assist devices which can operate for years, rather than months, led us to develop a new technology”—com-pletely implantable systems powered by wireless energy transfer, such as the electri-cally-actuated LionHeartTM Ventricular Assist Device (VAD), and the Abiomed AbioCor II Total Artificial Heart.

Now, under Weiss’s leadership and funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Artificial Organs Team is one of five groups developing a pediatric VAD, needed for those thousands of U.S. children born each year with serious heart defects or suffering heart damage from other causes. One of the challenges of developing a smaller device, Weiss notes, is the increased risk of blood clots. A large interdisciplinary team of engineers, surgeons, and materials scientists at Hershey and University Park is currently at work on this problem.

Mary Frecker is making cutting-edge advances at an even smaller scale. Frecker, associate professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, has teamed with col-

leagues at the College of Medicine and Penn State’s Materials Research Insti-tute to design an improved generation of micro-surgical instruments for use in minimally invasive surgery.

"We have reached the limits of what can be done with today’s

materials and manufacturing techniques," Frecker asserts.

"There is a need for multi-functional instruments that are an order of magnitude smaller than current instru-ments. We’re talking about

a tiny scissors-forceps that can be used, for example, in surgery on

the retina.”When Frecker and

collaborators, including Randy Haluck, direc-

tor of the minimally invasive surgery

program at Hershey, faced chal-

lenges

with constructing the tiny parts they need-ed, they turned to Jim Adair—professor of materials science and engineering, and di-rector of Penn State’s Particulate Materials Center. “Jim can make precise micro-sized parts that are biocompatible, are able to be sterilized, and can withstand the stresses of the mechanical loads they will be exposed to," Frecker says.

The result? Promising nano-particle-based surgical instruments—dubbed “smart tools”—that will be useful in reducing scarring, infection rates, and healing time. Surgical device manufacturer Incision Tech is in the process of licensing Frecker’s patent and has supported her research, as have the National Institutes of Health, The Whitaker Foundation and the Life Sciences Greenhouse of Central Pennsylvania.

Cardiologists also rely on small-scale devices, such as metal stents. Unfortunately, the tiny mesh cylinders used to prop open coronary arteries following angioplasty procedures fail in about 30 percent of patients. Drug-coated stents have provided only a partial solution. For the nearly one million Americans who receive artery stents annually, improving this medical device is an important priority.

Barbara Shaw, professor of engineering science and mechanics, and Ian Gilchrist, a cardiologist in the Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, are collaborators in de-veloping a promising new advancement in artery stent materials and design.

Their project, which focuses on the use of biodegradable alloys in stent construc-tion, was among those selected to receive an Innovative Technology Research Seed Grant from Johnson & Johnson Corpora-tion, matched by funding from the Huck Institutes, The College of Medicine and the Materials Research Institute.

Notes Alan Snyder, “We have clinicians who recognize the shortcomings of present approaches and are eager to envision better ways of treating their patients. We have stel-lar scientists and engineers eager to apply their skills to these important problems. In an environment like ours that encourages teaming and collaboration, we see a great future for medical devices at Penn State.”

To learn more, see: http://www.hmc.psu.edu/otd/technology/

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Pediatric ventricular assist device, developed by Penn State’s Artificial Organs Team

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s a land-grant university and the largest non-governmental em- ployer in Pennsylvania, Penn State holds a unique responsibility for translating research into novel commercial concepts, products, and processes that improve the lives of citizens of the Commonwealth and the nation.

The University’s ability to fulfill the outreach and public service aspects of its mission depends, in part, on effective col-laborations with industrial partners.

At Penn State, technology transfer activi-ties are handled through the integrated efforts of four offices under the purview of the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research. Together, these offices span the University’s educational and economic mis-sions and cover every aspect of the commer-

technoloGy tRAnsfeR

A cialization process. Their activities include linking industrial research sponsors with faculty; patenting and licensing intellectual property; assisting start-ups with incubation and advice; and providing financing, coun-seling, technical assistance, and convenient physical facilities for companies large and small.

In keeping with the University’s shift towards a complementary tech transfer approach, the unit has strengthened its commitment to creating start-up companies based on its most commercially relevant in-tellectual property. A translational research program was created to identify and sup-port emerging technology research most suited for start-up business opportunities. Its first project is described on page 13.

Penn State also continues to pursue its

“Pennsylvania First” strategy to expand the University’s research strengths in support of the state’s economic development. This initiative enhances the competitiveness of Pennsylvania’s existing firms by giving them priority in tech transfer opportunities.

Last but not least, Tech Transfer’s mis-sion includes involving both undergradu-ate and graduate students in relevant and commercially useful research opportunities. More than ever, Penn State is determined to prepare its students to play important roles in building a high-tech economy for the future.

To learn more, see: www.techtransfer.psu.edu.

IDEA

PATENT

START-UP

INCUBATOR

SCALE-UP

SMALL COMPANY

PRODUCTPRODUCT

Intellectual Property OfficeScreens inventions for patentability and market potential Research

Commercialization OfficeCreates spin-offcompanies from university research

Ben FranklinTechnologyCenterProvidesresearch forPA's high-techeconomy

Innovation Park • 118 acres designed for business development

IndustrialResearchOfficeMatches facultyexpertise toindustry needs

PENN STATE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER • FROM IDEA TO PRODUCT

LICENSE

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technoloGy tRAnsfeR

intellectuAl pRopeRty officeResponsible for managing, protecting and licensing the intellectual property of all Penn State faculty, graduate students, and staff, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is integral to the University’s successful technology transfer program.

“The primary goal of our office is to find homes outside the University for Penn State technologies,” says Ron Huss, IPO’s director. “A secondary goal is to capture a fair portion of a technology’s value for the benefit of the inventors, the University, and the Penn State Research Foundation.”

In calendar year 2007, Huss and his technology licensing officers filed 125 U.S. patent applications, and 37 patents were awarded. These include one for an innova-tive washing technology that significantly enhances the shelf life of mushrooms, an-other for a novel drug delivery system that allows therapeutics to be inhaled versus injected and a third pertaining to advanced antenna designs.

Not including the equity Penn State holds in start-up and established compa-nies, Penn State intellectual property gener-ated revenues of $2.5 million in 2007.

industRiAl ReseARch officeForging successful partnerships is a key part of the Industrial Research Office’s mission.

IRO’s strong relationships with a diverse community of corporate clients help the office identify new collaborative opportu-nities and draw upon the rich intellectual resources at Penn State.

During FY 2007, IRO staff facilitated 197 projects with 42 companies, amount-ing to $15.3 million in industry-sponsored research. 17 of these companies were either Pennsylvania-based or firms with locations in the state.

As part of a growing focus on energy, IRO co-sponsored the 2007 Energy from Biomass and Waste Expo and Conference, held in Pittsburgh. In addition, the office was actively involved in CrossOver 2007, “Bioenergy: From Fields to Wheels,” which showcased a variety of bioenergy-related research at Penn State.

IRO played a lead role in Penn State’s signing of a major research alliance with Chevron in October 2007 (see page 6 above), and also realized a master agree-ment with Bayer MaterialScience, a

subgroup of Bayer, to facilitate the co-devel-opment and management of multiple new research projects at Penn State. The compa-ny’s non-profit branch, the Bayer Founda-tion, presented Penn State with a $300,000 grant to fund the university’s Bayer Gradu-ate Fellowship in Materials Science.

ReseARch commeRciAlizAtion officeThe Research Commercialization Office provides a helping hand for Penn State faculty and staff as they go through the process of creating new companies based on University research and technologies.

In partnership with Penn State’s Intellec-tual Property Office, RCO assists in evaluat-ing inventions for patentability and market potential, provides a University interface with multiple sources of early stage capital, and identifies mentors and potential man-agement team members.

In addition, RCO coordinates with the Intellectual Property Office and the Industrial Research Office to find and focus available expertise and resources and locate space for start-up companies in the Innova-tion Park at Penn State or the Penn State Zetachron Center.

Recent start-ups reflect the broad range

of Penn State’s expertise. One example is Agarigen Inc., the brainchild of C. Peter Romaine, professor of plant pathology at Penn State and former postdoctoral scholar Xi Chen. Romaine and Chen hold the patent to genetically modify Agaricus bispo-rus—the world’s most predominant variety of edible button mushroom—for use in vaccine development.

Other successful ventures include Strate-gic Polymer Sciences, Inc., which produces new high-energy-density capacitors for use in defibrillators, power electronics, hybrid electric vehicles, and other applications; and DayZero Systems, a company in the process of developing Proactive Worm Con-tainment (PWC), a software solution that will stop an infected host computer from releasing any worm throughout the system.

Ben fRAnKlin technoloGy pARtneRs of centRAl And noRtheRn pennsylvAniA Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Cen-tral and Northern Pennsylvania (BFTP/CNP) is one of four regional centers of the Commonwealth’s Ben Franklin Technol-ogy Development Authority, a statewide network that provides funding and business support services to emerging tech-based startups and existing manufacturers in a 34-county region. The program’s hands-on support, guidance and funding helps emerging technology-based companies and small manufacturing businesses achieve and sustain commercial success and a com-petitive advantage.

In 2006/2007 the Center’s Board of Directors approved investments totaling more than $6 million. These investments were made in 37 emerging companies and 8 existing manufacturers, as well as a variety of entrepreneurial support efforts such as business incubators, university-based cen-ters of excellence, and workforce develop-ment and training projects.

Says Steve Brawley, BFTP/CNP president, “In order to augment and support the financial investments we make in our port-folio companies—companies that represent a variety of industry sectors such as informa-tion technology, manufacturing, biotech, and homeland security—the Center provides additional resources needed for successful growth such as access to expert business management services and follow-on funding opportunities.”

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BoRon-BAsed medicines In the early 1990s, when Stephen Benkovic, Evan Pugh professor of chemistry at Penn State and Lucy Shapiro, a developmental biologist at Stanford’s School of Medicine, began collaborating on a research project aimed at understanding how gene function was regulated in a common non-pathogenic bacterium, developing drugs to counter a bioterrorist threat was not on their minds. The two, with a common interest in DNA replication, took an approach involving the synthesis of small boron-containing organic molecules and the application of these mol-ecules as biological probes to inhibit a key enzyme controlling gene regulation.

The concept of inhibiting a master regulatory enzyme in bacteria is novel and represents a unique approach to a promis-ing new class of antibiotics. But would their molecules act against other bacteria? At the request of the Department of Defense, Ben-kovic and Shapiro tested their molecules against dangerous pathogens including Bacillus anthracis and brucella, and found them highly effective.

Says Ron Huss, Director of Penn State’s Intellectual Property Office, “It’s excit-ing to see promising research results like Benkovic and Shapiro’s. We worked closely with these innovative scientists from the beginning, assisting them in getting patent protection to safeguard their technologies.”

In the spring of 2002, the inventors formed a biotech start-up company, Anacor Pharmaceuticals, at the DOD’s request. The ability of bacterial strains to evolve antibi-otic drug resistance is a key concern of sci-entists working on national security issues as well as doctors working with infectious disease. Anacor’s multi-faceted mission includes producing a novel class of antimi-crobials for both purposes. Boron-based compounds have a unique geometry that may “increase the difficulty for resistance to antibiotics by an order of magnitude,” Anacor CEO David Perry has stated.

More recently, Anacor has focused on the development of systemic and topical anti-fungal therapies, all based on a boron chemistry platform.

“Penn State is proud of Anacor’s success,” says Huss. “Benkovic and Shapiro had a very clear vision of how to launch a start-up company and their success is an inspiration to other researchers.”

To learn more, see: www.anacor.com

eARly discoveRyPenn State research has incubated many discoveries and products that improve the lives of people in Pennsylvania and the nation—from hardier varieties of turf grass and mulch to ultra-miniature metal wires and novel heart-assist technologies. How-ever, research with marketable potential requires seed money to grow from a prom-ising idea to a fully-developed concept.

“The dilemma we face is that traditional academic funding sources do not support commercially focused research; yet, insti-tutional investors are reluctant to provide financial support in the early developmen-tal stages of new technologies,” says Ron Huss, director of Penn State’s Intellectual Property Office.

To address this funding gap, Huss’s office launched a translational research program, funded in part by the Penn State Research Foundation. The aim is to provide financial and managerial resources focused on the identification and commercial develop-ment of promising Penn State technolo-gies. The work of plant biochemist and biology professor Daniel Cosgrove is the programs’s inaugural project.

Over a decade ago, while searching for proteins with wall-loosening functions, Cosgrove and his colleagues were the first to discover expansins, proteins that permit

plant cell walls to grow while maintaining their rigidity. Since this discovery, Cosgrove has determined that plants have many expansin genes with diverse roles.

Given society’s race to develop viable alternative energy sources, Cosgrove has re-cently evaluated a specific class of expansins for potential function in the breakdown of biomass for conversion into ethanol fuel. Inedible biomass sources, such as corn stalks, switch grass, and wood chips, represent an abundant supply of potential “energy feedstock,” but the current meth-ods of digesting these materials into the simple sugars from which ethanol can be fermented are slow and expensive.

Early experiments indicate that expan-sin proteins may act synergistically with cellulase in the breakdown of crystalline cellulose. “Companies are very interested in knowing whether these plant proteins can help overcome the economic hurdle in producing ethanol,” says Huss.

“Through our translational research program, we are investing resources to fund and manage a focused project to determine whether promising academic results can be reproduced under real-world conditions. While we don’t yet have the answers for this application, we believe that this is an invest-ment worth making.”

technoloGy tRAnsfeR hiGhliGhts

Blue dye reveals expansin proteins at work in a fabric of plant tissues. Discovered by Penn State’s Dan Cosgrove over ten years ago, expansins permit plant cell walls to grow while maintaining their rigidity.

Dan

Cos

grov

e

13

innovAtion pARK

Innovation Park at Penn State

Cou

rtes

y In

nova

tion

Par

k at

Pen

n S

tate

the ongoing mission of Penn State’s Innovation Park, now in its thir-teenth year, is to support the busi-

ness growth of its current tenants, facilitate collaborations between business and University research, and foster the growth of the region’s economy.

The burgeoning growth of the Park’s cur-rent occupants and the needs of new start-ups led to this year’s construction of two new buildings that, when completed, will expand the business development campus by 148,000 additional square feet.

The building at 330 Innovation Boule-vard was completed in November 2007. This 64,000 square-foot, three-story facility already has more than 50 percent of its tenants in place. Construction for a second building at 329 Innovation Boulevard, with 84,000 square feet, began in October 2007 and is expected to be completed by late 2008. Both buildings are being developed by affiliates of Innovation Capital Partners, a private partnership.

“We are pleased that current tenants

continue to flourish at Innovation Park and drive this expansion,” said Jack Norris, CEO of CB Richard Ellis/Pittsburgh, which is providing development management, property management, and leasing services at the Park. “Innovation Park is a dynamic location providing highly efficient buildings facilitating tenant productivity and growth.”

Several of the 330 building lessees are current Park tenants in need of expanded space. These include Gateway Management Company, which provides business advisory, accounting and legal services; Alpha Source Universities, a full-service procurement consulting company that uses a unique business model and proprietary software to host real-time competitive bidding opportu-nities for goods and services; McNees, Wal-lace, and Nurick, a law firm headquartered in Harrisburg; Adapco, a global enterprise company providing advanced computa-tionally-based engineering solutions; and Sinoceramics, an advanced ceramics, crystal and optical components manufacturer.

At Innovation Park, multiple options are

available for companies to meet the ever-changing dynamics of business including: a business incubator for start-up companies with “plug and play” space for internet com-panies; custom-built single-tenant buildings; redundant power and fiber-optic links; conference facilities and accommodations for travelers at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel; and an on-site child care facility.

At the heart of all these amenities, In-novation Park provides tenants with easy ac-cess to Penn State’s vast scientific, engineer-ing, technology and business resources.

“Innovation Park is reaching a critical mass,” says Dan Leri, director of Innovation Park and the Research Commercialization Office. “We are seeing continuing success at helping companies transfer the knowledge within the University to the marketplace and fostering economic development. The Park is the place where collaboration between the University and private sector companies can grow.”

To learn more, see: www.coolblue.psu.edu.

14

contActs

for more information, visit our Website at www.research.psu.edu.

eva J. pellSenior Vice President for ResearchDean of the Graduate School304 Old Main, University Park, PA 16802-1504 814-863-9580ejp@psu.edu

peter e. schiffer Associate Vice President for Research Director of Strategic Initiatives 304 Old Main 814-863-9658 pes12@psu.edu

Alan snyder Interim Vice Dean for Research College of Medicine Interim Associate Vice President for Health Sciences Research 717-531-7199 ajs5@ps.edu

Ronald J. hussAssistant Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer814-865 6277 rjh22@psu.edu david W. Richardson Assistant Vice President for Research Director of Sponsored Programs 814-865-3396dwr14@psu.edu

inteRdisciplinARy ReseARch

peter hudson Director, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences 814-863-3650pjh18@psu.edu

edward G. liszka Director, Applied Research Laboratory 814-865-6343 egl4 @psu.edu

susan mchale Director, Social Science Research Institute 814-865-2647 mchale@pop.psu.edu

carlo G. pantano Director, Materials Research Institute 814-863-8407 cgp1@psu.edu

thomas l. Richard Director, Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment 814-865-3722tlr20@psu.edu

marica s. tacconi Director Institute for the Arts and Humanities 814-865-0495 mst4@psu.edu

technoloGy tRAnsfeR

stephen p. Brawley President/CEO Ben Franklin Technology Center of Central and Northern Pennsylvania, Inc. 814-865-8669 spb4@psu.edu

Ronald J. huss Director, Intellectual Property Office 814-865 6277 rjh22@psu.edu

daniel R. leri Director, Innovation Park and Research Commercialization 814-863-6301 DanLeri@psu.edu

tanna m. pugh Director, Industrial Research Office 814-865-2878 tannapugh@psu.edu

puBlicAtions

david pacchioli Director, Research Publications 814-865-3477 dap1@psu.edu

15

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