{"id":98103,"date":"2019-06-04T10:47:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T14:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=98103"},"modified":"2020-09-09T10:17:28","modified_gmt":"2020-09-09T14:17:28","slug":"ucf-among-top-100-universities-world-patents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-among-top-100-universities-world-patents\/","title":{"rendered":"Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ Among Top 100 Universities in the World for Patents"},"content":{"rendered":"
Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ ranks among the top 100 universities in the world when it comes to issuing patents and 31st<\/sup> among public universities in the nation, according to new rankings released today by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association.<\/p>\n The groups come together to issue annual rankings as a way to highlight the important role universities play in discovery and bringing inventions to the market where people can benefit from the research conducted around the world. The 2018 rankings were calculated using the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. For patents assigned to more than one entity, credit is given to the first named entity.<\/p>\n Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ ranked 75th<\/sup> with 32 patents. Another eight patents were secured with partners and were not included in the calculation. Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½ has ranked in the top 100 for the past five years.<\/p>\n The top university in the world was the University of California, which secured 526 patents, followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with 304 and Stanford University with 226. The University of South Florida, University of Florida and Florida State University also made the list.<\/p>\n \u201cResearchers develop solutions every day at Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½.\u201d \u2014\u00a0Svetlana Shtrom ’08MBA<\/strong>, director of Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½\u2019s Technology Transfer Office<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The research that led to Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½\u2019s 32 patents covers everything from new technology developed to enhance science-education delivery, to newly developed synthetic materials aimed at protecting citrus from disease and keeping wood, ceramics and fibers protected against bacteria and fungus.<\/p>\n \u201cResearchers develop solutions every day at Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½,\u201d says Svetlana Shtrom ’08MBA<\/strong>, director of Âé¶¹Ó³»´«Ã½\u2019s Technology Transfer Office, which is responsible for securing patents based on innovative university research. \u201cProtecting inventions is critical to incentivize partnerships to transform promising research results into products that benefit the society by improving public health and well-being.\u201d<\/p>\n Among some of the inventions that led to patents in 2018:<\/p>\n Citrus Greening Fighter<\/strong><\/p>\n Lead researcher: Swadeshmukul Santra, NanoScience Technology Center<\/p>\n A new non-phytotoxic composite polymer film barrier as a repellent to protect citrus crops from Asian citrus psyllid, an insect known to carry the bacteria that cause Huanglongbing (HLB), or citrus greening disease. The process involves a uniform application of the film material onto the plants, which creates a barrier that prevents HLB transmission.<\/p>\n Protecting Woods and Ceramics<\/strong><\/p>\n Lead researchers: Joshua Bazata ’12 ’15MS<\/strong> and Swadeshmukul Santra, NanoScience Technology Center<\/p>\n A new silver-based nanocomposite material that provides the antimicrobial benefits of silver without discoloring or staining surfaces. The clear, colorless, non-toxic material enables manufacturers to produce coatings and disinfectants that can protect wood, plastic, metal, ceramic and fabric against bacteria, fungi and other harmful microbes.<\/p>\n Illicit Drug Detector<\/strong><\/p>\n Lead researcher: Richard Blair, invention developed while based at the NanoScience Technology Center<\/p>\n A new portable device that easily detects the presence of drugs. A sample suspected of containing illicit drugs can be placed on a test paper and then analyzed through a portable spectrometer, which generates a unique optical spectrum of each drug. These results can easily be read via smart phone or other mobile computing device through an application, which ensures proper and rapid reading of results and provides confirmation of whether illicit drugs are present.\u00a0 The Office of Technology Transfer is in the final stages of discussions with a start-up company to license and commercialize this technology.<\/p>\n Cancer-Killing Agent<\/strong><\/p>\n Lead researcher: Annette Khaled, College of Medicine<\/p>\n This patent describes a biological agent that can be used to kill cancer cells, bacterial cells and other microbial cells. The biological agent includes a small special protein (a peptide) that is encapsulated in a nanoparticle. The nanoparticle protects the peptide and enables delivery of the peptide to the target cells. Once delivered, the peptide ruptures the membranes (protective covering) of cells, causing the cells to die. This peptide can be used as a therapeutic agent to destroy cancer cells, as well as harmful bacteria and fungi. This technology is licensed to a start-up company.<\/p>\n