Tuesday, June 24, 2008

MTTC awards $280K in latest grant round

By Mass High Tech Staff

The Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center has given out $280,000 in seed funding to seven Massachusetts researchers in its latest round of grants, according to the organization.

The $40,000 awards are intended to help entrepreneurs get to the point when they’re ready for investment from the private sector. Since its founding in 2004, the center said it has helped launch more than 20 startups based on the work of Massachusetts researchers, such as University of Massachusetts Amherst biofuel spinout SunEthanol Inc., and MIT biotech spinout Hepregen Corp.
 
The following research projects won MTTC spring 2008 investigation awards:
• Jeffrey Karp, Harvard University, MIT and Brigham and Women’s Hospital: gecko-inspired tissue adhesive. 
• Rajiv Gupta, Massachusetts General Hospital; Alexander Slocum, Nevan Hanumara and Conor Walsh, MIT:  Robopsy, robotic biopsies.
• Uday Pal, Boston University: A process for high-purity, reduced-cost hydrogen and syn-gas for clean energy-generation applications.
• Satish Singh, Mark Horenstein and Andre Sharon, Boston University: Variable stiffness endoscope with smart articulated joints.
• John Porco, Boston University; Synthesis of derivatives of silvestrol, a new chemotherapeutic agent.
• Rajeev Ram, MIT; Development of cheaper and improved integrated microfluidic bioreactor modules for the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. 
• George Tegos, Massachusetts General Hospital; Development of skin creams using photoactivatable compounds and visible light, to be used as a coating for orthopedic prosthetics, and as a treatment of localized MRSA infections.