Name of Intellectual Property: Self-Assembling Peptide Nanostructures for wide ranging applications

Submitted by: Larry Loev, Business Director, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Ramot at Tel Aviv University, Ltd.

Inventor Information: Prof. Ehud Gazit, PhD, Vice President for Research and Development, Chair for Nano-Biology, and Professor of Molecular Microbiology & Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University

Non-Confidential Technology Summary: We have developed a unique and novel family of peptide nanostructures that are based on aromatic homo-dipeptides. This includes peptide nanotubes, nanospheres, and hydrogels with nano-scale order. It has also been demonstrated that these peptide nanotubes could serve as a mold for the fabrication of metals and building blocks of a novel electrochemical platform. Furthermore, the peptide tubes were demonstrated to have very strong mechanical rigidity with Young modulus of about 19 GPa. Our work also reveals that a peptide homologue can form spherical nanometric assemblies. Both the nanotubes and nanospheres assemble efficiently and have remarkable stability.

Why is this important or intriguing? A huge range of applications is available for implementing peptide nanostructures, including textiles, structural materials, MEMS, and chemical and biological sensors. Key features of these novel nanostructures are:

• Remarkable rigidity
• Thermally stable to ~300 C
• Chemically stable (acids/bases/organic solvents)
• Can be produced using simple building blocks, is water soluble, and formed under mild conditions
• High versatility, with a chemical structure that allows tailor-made chemical and biological modifications

Synopsis of Business Opportunity: Joint ventures are welcomed in fields seeking to give additional properties of internal and external strength, surface area increase, preferential uptake of chemicals/biological materials.  We are seeking an enterprise interested in in-licensing our technology and working together toward commercializing it.

Ownership: All IP and know-how are owned by Ramot, the tech transfer office of Tel Aviv University.

Patent Status: U.S. patents 7,491,699 and 7,504,383; European patent 1,583,713; 4 PCTs

Contact Information:

Larry Loev
Business Director,
Engineering and Physical Sciences
Ramot at Tel Aviv University, Ltd.
PO Box 39296 Israel
Tel Aviv, 61392

E-mail: larry.loev@ramot.org
Phone: 972-3-6406544

Posted June 25th, 2009 under Hot IP, Nanomaterials. [ Comments: none ]

Name of Intellectual Property: Buckypaper: A High-Performance and Multifunctional Nanotube Composites Technology for use in large-scale applications to provide enhanced material performance

Submitted by: John Fraser, Executive Director, Office of Intellectual Property Development and Commercialization, Florida State University

Inventor Information: Dr. Ben Wang, Director; Dr. Richard Liang, Chief Technologist, High-Performance Materials Institute (HPMI), Florida State University; and Dr. Chuck Zhang, Professor and Chairman, Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering

Non-Confidential Technology Summary: The HPMI team has manufactured carbon nanotube composites demonstrating mechanical performance equivalent to the state-of-the-art aerospace-grade carbon fiber composites and possessing exceptional conductivity properties. The team is conducting feasibility studies for scale-up continuous production and continuing development of a preliminary database for real-world engineering applications.

Many researchers and engineers consider nanotubes one of the most promising materials for developing the next generation of high-performance, multifunctional lightweight composites for aerospace, high-end sporting goods, advanced electrical/electronic devices, and energy harvesting applications.

Why is this important or intriguing? Carbon nanotubes demonstrate exceptional mechanical, thermal and electrical properties that may be incorporated into composites to make lightweight, multifunctional structures.

HPMI has produced product prototypes for lightweight materials offering applications for lightning striking protection, EMI shielding, composite conductors, and thermal management.

The HPMI technologies have received several accolades, including the MICRO/NANO 25 Award (R&D Magazine and MICRO/NANO Newsletter), and the Nano 50 Award (Nanotech Briefs, 2008).

Synopsis of Business Opportunity: Sponsored by ARL, AFRL and ONR, the research team at FSU High-Performance Research Institute (HPMI) has developed novel material treatments and composite manufacturing technologies that have resulted in major breakthroughs in both mechanical and electrical conducting properties. FSU is seeking corporate development partnerships to move the technology into particular applications which can be scaled up into usable products

Ownership: Florida State University

Patent Status: Several U.S. applications pending

Contact Information:

John Fraser
Executive Director
Office of Intellectual Property Development and Commercialization
Florida State University
Westcott Building
Tallahassee, FL 32306
USA

E-mail: jfraser@techtransfer.fsu.edu
Phone: 850-644-8637

Posted January 27th, 2009 under Hot IP, Nanomaterials. [ Comments: none ]