UWS PhD student inventor wins award

Image: Marina Belkina (middle) receiving her award at the CHEMECA 2011 conference

We are proud to announce that PhD student, Marina Belkina has won the David Trimm Award for the best catalysis student paper entitled “Direct low temperature synthesis of carbon nanotubes on Si/SiO2 substrates without using a metal catalyst” at the CHEMECA 2011 conference.

The paper describes a potentially revolutionary new method for the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTSs) at low temperature without metal catalysts. CNTs are one of the most important emerging nanomaterials and this new synthesis method will potentially be able to assist in solving a number of key manufacturing problems.

Marina’s work forms part of a project being conducted under the supervision of Associate Professor Kamali Kannangara and Dr Adriyan Milev. The Carbon Nanotubes project has recently undergone a provisional patent application and we are currently seeking to engage commercial partners to:

- Promote licensing of the patented technology or;
- Engage in collaborative R&D to further develop the technology.

For enquiries, please contact Robert Burnside on 02 9685 9742 or on ip@uws.edu.au

RiB seminar series garners UWS researchers interest

Image: (left to right) Bill Kerr from Enterprise Connect chats with Prof Simeon Simoff from the School of Computing and Mathematics

In conjunction with the UWS College of Health and Science, UWS Innovation & Consulting recently hosted a seminar series promoting the Researchers in Business (RiB) program. Delivered by Bill Kerr from Enterprise Connect, the aim of the seminars was to inform UWS researchers of the opportunities for supporting the take up of applied research and consulting placements in businesses.

The Australian Government has committed $10 million annually within Enterprise Connect to support the placement of researchers from universities or public research agencies, into businesses that wish to develop a new idea with commercial potential. Funding for up to 50 per cent of salary costs, to a maximum of $50,000 will be provided for placements spanning from 2 to 12 months.

Examples of eligible research projects include:
Product innovation – developing and testing new, or improved products or services
Process innovation – addressing production/process issues
Marketing innovation – analysing brand, product or service consumer perceptions and impct in the market
Environmental sustainability – identifying, measuring pollution/waste reduction opportunities
Mathematical science – quantitative analysis/modelling of data to improve product, process or marketing innovation.

The RiB program may be of particular use to researchers and businesses that have applied for an ARC linkage grant and narrowly missed out on selection. UWS I&C welcome interested parties to contact us to explore opportunities on how our researchers may be able to collaborate with you. Please contact us on 9685 9742 or at ip@uws.edu.au

Successful Innovation Workshop 2011

Image: UWS students alongside Hamish Hawthorn (third from right) and Andrew Stead (second from left) of ATP Innovations.











This year UWS again selected some top postgraduate research students to attend the Successful Innovation Workshop conducted by ATP Innovations at the Australian technology Park.

UWS encourages both academics and students to be inventive and entrepreneurial through its IP Policy and regular contact with the Innovation & Consulting arm.

The Successful Innovation Workshop, otherwise known as the commercialisation bootcamp should provide attending students with useful real life skills to consider aspects of their research in a different light.

“In this 2 day workshop you will explore ways to commercialise your research through practical case studies, workshops and networking.

At the end of this program, you will have a greater understanding of what is involved in successful commercialisation. Speakers will help you understand how to prepare yourself, what questions to ask and how to develop wealth from your research”

Academics and students of UWS interested in protecting the IP in their research should contact the Innovation & Consulting team at ip@uws.edu.au

New R&D tax credit passed by parliament

The Federal Government’s A$1.8 Billion R&D Tax Credit was recently passed by Parliament and ushers in a new chapter for Australian investment and innovation.

Starting retrospectively from 1 July 2011, the R&D Tax Credit has two core components:

a) A 45 per cent refundable tax offset (equivalent to a 150 per cent deduction) to eligible entities with an aggregated turnover of less than $20 million per annum.

b) A non-refundable 40 per cent tax offset (equivalent to a 133 per cent deduction) to all other eligible entities.

The new credit is said to be a key factor for Australia in attracting global firms looking to focus on R&D or those looking to partner research organisations to build their long term competiveness.

UWS is a Registered Research Agency (RRA), thus making it capable of performing contracted R&D on behalf of eligible companies. In addition to being able to claim the R&D tax credit, one of the major advantages of working with an RRA such as UWS includes the ability to undertake R&D programs without having to invest in costly equipment and expertise.

With UWS’s ever expanding intellectual property portfolio and continued investment in world class research, we welcome inquiries from companies that are interested in partnering on collaborative research projects. Please contact Robert Burnside on 02 9685 9742 or at r.burnside@uws.edu.au

UWS invention awarded NSW government grant

We are pleased to announce that a UWS invention, called Direct Contact Membrane Distillation Refrigeration (DCMD-R), has received $20,000 in market validation funding from the NSW Government. This innovative technology allows for energy efficient liquid concentration at low temperatures in order to produce a superior concentrated product.

Forming part of a pilot scheme implemented by the NSW Department of Trade and Investment, Regional Infrastructure and Services, the grant is designed to assist NSW research organisations to identify and prove a market for their intellectual property. The pilot grant program was managed by ATP Innovations with a view to creating an ongoing market validation scheme to support new business formation.

With the funding coming at a crucial stage of the project, it will enable UWS Innovation to continue to test and validate the technology before it is presented to industry partners for further development through collaboration.

Direct contact membrane distillation has recently emerged as an alternative to other concentration techniques when both high final concentration levels and high quality are required. DCMD-R technology however, is more energy efficient than other direct contact membrane distillation processes due to the incorporation of a unique refrigeration process. It is also able to produce a superior, concentrated product that retains the original nutritional and sensorial characteristics. The technology is ideal for concentrating thermally sensitive liquids such as fruit juice, coffee, tea extracts, dairy liquids and biological fluids.

We encourage you to watch here for future developments of this exciting technology. If you have a commercial interest in this technology or any inquiries about harnessing UWS research for your business, please contact UWS Innovation & Consulting on (02) 9685 9742 or by email at ip@uws.edu.au

UWS pioneers new carbon nanotube production method

Researchers at the School of Natural Sciences have developed a potentially revolutionary new method for the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) at low temperature without metal catalysts.

CNTs have been touted as one the most important emerging nanomaterials as they have extraordinary properties due to their unique structure: graphene sheets consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms in a honeycomb framework that can be rolled into a tube measuring about a nanometer in diameter. Per unit weight, they are among the strongest and stiffest materials known and are also excellent conductors of electricity and heat. The tiny structures may be used in dozens of applications that touch nearly every industry, including aerospace, electronics, medicine, defense, automotive, energy and construction. While crude CNTs are currently produced en masse for uses such as structural reinforcement, advanced applications such as new printed electronics and energy storage devices require a much more refined version of the material.

Dr Adriyan Milev, Dr Kamali Kannangara and PhD student Marina Belkina have developed a new method for the low temperature and metal catalyst free synthesis of CNTs. The invention will potentially be able to assist in solving a number of key manufacturing problems and has recently undergone a provisional patent application filing.

UWS is seeking to engage with commercial partners to:

· Promote licensing of the patented technology or;

· Engage in collaborative R&D to further develop the technology.

For enquiries, please contact Robert Burnside on 02 9685 9742 or at r.burnside@uws.edu.au

UWS part of the green biotech revolution

A UWS developed biotechnology has been recognised in an article published in the May/June edition of Life Scientist. Titled “Biotech spotlight: big deals”, the article highlights a select group of biotechnology companies to watch in the year ahead. In the article, Western Australian company Bio-Gene Technology Ltd is mentioned for its development of Qcide, a revolutionary natural insecticide. Developed as part of a research collaboration between UWS, Southern Cross University (SCU) and Bioprospect Ltd, the intellectual property has been assigned exclusively to Bio-Gene Technology, which has worldwide rights to the technology.

Qcide is being developed as a new, environmentally friendly treatment for household and agricultural pests. The technology is based on Tasmanone, a natural insecticide derived from the leaves of Eucalyptus cloeziana, a forest tree species found in areas of Queensland. The active molecule exhibits a unique mode of action thought to be targeting the octopermine receptor in insects. This has been identified as the basis for a patenting and for commercialisation of the compound as an insecticide with applications in urban pest control, crop protection and animal health.

Bio-Gene believes that Qcide has the potential to make significant inroads into the global marketplace, where it will offer a greener alternative to established products such as additives required now to combat pyrethrum resistance. Pyrethrum which has a global market currently valued at US$500 million a year.

We encourage you to watch this space for future developments of this exciting technology.If you have any inquiries about harnessing UWS research for your business, please contact UWS Innovation & Consulting on (02) 9685 9742 or by email at ip@uws.edu.au