Date:
3/9/2006
Contact: Wendel Sloan at 505.562.2253
PORTALES—Two Eastern New Mexico University professors have had a provisional patent application accepted by the U.S. Patent Office. Dr. Robert Long, assistant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Newton Hilliard, assistant professor of chemistry/graduate coordinator for chemistry, have synthesized new compounds for use as biological buffers.
The Patent application is titled "Substituted Aminomethanesulfonic Acids and Derivatives for Use as Biological Buffer Compounds." It has been assigned Application No. 60/759,656 by the U.S. Patent Office. A provisional patent provides protection for a one-year period prior to filing of a formal patent application.
The University of New Mexico Science and Technology Corporation (STC) has agreed to commercialize the technology. The agreement enables STC to begin researching markets for the patented technology.
ENMU shares in any proceeds derived from the patent. According to Dr. Long, "The way it works is, first, any proceeds pay off the lawyers' fees. Then STC gets 50 percent, with the other 50 percent going to ENMU. Dr. Hilliard and myself divide a portion of the ENMU portion based on a sliding scale. So you could say that STC and ENMU share any licensing fees, with ENMU sharing with the inventors."
The new buffers exhibit desirable properties at lower pH levels and have significant advantages over those currently available. The discovery of the compounds occurred while the doctors were investigating alternate production methodologies for biological buffers.
Dr. Long says, "The chemistry faculty at ENMU is happy to have an avenue for commercialization of our research work with the cooperation of UNM and STC. We are hopeful that this invention will provide additional tools to researchers and laboratories for conducting work at low pH levels."
STC is a non-profit corporation formed by and wholly owned by the University of New Mexico to protect and transfer intellectual property and faculty inventions to the commercial marketplace. As STC has evolved as a unique entity, the corporation not only assists UNM faculty, but students, outside inventors and entrepreneurs.
For more information about this technology, contact Karol-Lynn Reed at 505.272.7346.
