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Organic Fuels Algae Technologies LLC http://www.organicfuels.com/technology/algae
enters the algae biofuels market as a joint venture of Organic Fuels and The University of Texas at Austin. The company was formed to commercialize the oil production system developed at the UT Austin Center for Electro Mechanics (CEM) under a research program funded since October 2006 by Organic Fuels, a leading producer of renewable fuels with current commercial-scale production of biodiesel.
The combined production capacity of the world's biodiesel refineries is currently about five billion gallons per year. To produce enough algae to make that amount of biodiesel would require 250,000 acres of algae — about half the size of the city of Houston. With yields as high as 20,000 gallons per acre per year, biodiesel from algae is a $25 billion opportunity.
Oil from algae: CEM has developed a breakthrough application for the extraction of lipids from algae, the highest potential source of biofuel with yields that are orders of magnitude higher than the best performing plant crops. CEM’s algae program focuses on applying new technology to drive down the cost of producing biodiesel with an efficient, low-energy process for the extraction of oil from algae. The UT Austin innovation is the first key enabling technology that can allow an algae-based biofuel to compete with crude production. This extraction technology has the potential to capture a significant share of the quickly emerging algae biofuels market. With an extraction unit targeted for completion by the end of 2009, commercial deployment is expected to be achieved within two to three years.
$50K in TIF funds are being used to demonstrate the scaling up of the technology from batch to continuous processing, a key “market-readiness” milestone.
Galena Park Facilities: Organic Fuels produces sustainable, renewable fuels with substantial environmental advantages, using state-of-the-art technologies in natural oil production and re fining.
In January 2006, Organic Fuels successfully started up its first production facility in Galena Park, Texas. With a nameplate capacity of up to 45 million gallons per year, it was among the largest of its time, capable of producing as much biodiesel as was consumed throughout the US in 2005. Built within an existing bulk liquid terminal operated by Vopak North America Logistics, the plant has direct access to rail, truck, barge, and deep-water vessel logistics in an ideal location on the Houston Ship Channel.
Pulmotect, Inc. http://www.pulmotect.com/index.html is a Houston-based biotechnology company, developing products that boost the innate immune system to protect against a wide range of lung infections.
Three major markets exist for Pulmotect technologies:
1. Immunocompromised patients: Initial focus is centered on high-risk leukemia patients, where physicians are eager to conduct clinical trials. Additional immunocompromised patients include ICU, elderly, HIV and other cancer patients. |
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2. Treating and preventing pneumonia: Current methods to treat the flu are inadequate. By locally stimulating the innate immune system in the respiratory system, the flu could be better prevented and treated. Additional government concerns deal with pandemic threats. |
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3. Bioterror uses: First responders, military personnel and the US population could benefit from locally stimulating the immune system providing protection in seconds instead of weeks. |
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have developed a drug that stimulates the immune response and protects against specific infections. technologies stimulate the body’s natural defenses to provide safe, broad-spectrum, fast-acting protection against bacterial pneumonia (including MRSA), influenza, fungal pneumonia, and Class A bioterror agents (including anthrax, tularemia, and the plague). The Aerosolized Lung Innate Immune Stimulant (ALIIS) protects against pneumonia for patients whose immune systems are compromised and could be a significant defense against a bio-terror attack or epidemic.
$10K in TIF funds were used to complete pre-clinical trials necessary to meet FDA requirements, and as a bridge grant to the Texas Emerging Technology Fund.
 “This is a ‘platform technology,’ which means it has multiple uses,” Dickey explains. “Our findings not only have implications for guarding cancer patients against infection, but also they potentially offer the general public protection against both biological weapons and respiratory epidemics such as avian flu. And while most of our results so far have involved prevention, this technology has treatment applications as well.”
From left: Brenton Scott, Ph.D., and Burton Dickey, M.D., work with a cell disruptor, which breaks the bacterial cells used to make Aerosolized Lung Innate Immune Stimulant. ALIIS stimulates the immune systemto protect against infection.
Xanapath LLC http://xanapath.com/ was launched in April 2009 to bring an advanced hyperspectral imaging technology, termed the “Intelligent Single Cell Optical Profiling Engine” (I-SCOPE), to the life sciences and biopharmaceutical markets. The company’s mission is “To drive targeted, personalized therapy through advanced diagnostic information.” Xanapath was formed based on cooperation between Lynntech, Inc., a technology-development company, and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Based in Dallas, Texas, Xanapath is offering to use I-SCOPE analysis of specimens from life science and biopharmaceutical researchers through a laboratory services operation.
$10K in TIF funds were used to develop a commercial prototype and diagnostic kit, demonstrate that the imaging system works for its first target disease market – pathological analysis of breast cancer, and complete a business plan for the start-up company, Xanapath.
The technology utilized by Xanapath was developed within the Garnering Innovation research labs at The University of Texas Southwestern at Dallas and includes patented processes for generating advanced diagnostics. The technology uses a hyperspectral microscope imaging platform, advanced imaging software and an engineered panel of dyes to analyze each cell in a specimen. It enables better diagnoses by simultaneously testing for many cancer types, including breast, lung, and colon.
Research applications include phenotypic profiling of circulating tumor cells to support personalizing therapy, profiling tumor cell lines for development of new therapies, and characterization of stem cells to predict functional capabilities.
 Hyperspectral Microscopy Imaging (HMI) system is comprised of a microscope, spectrograph, motorized xy stage, CCD camera, light sources and computer.
See presentation by Michael L. Huebschman, Kevin P. Rosenblatt and Harold R. Garner, presented at SPIE Photonics West, San Jose, California, January 24-29, 2009, entitled: Hyperspectral microscopy imaging to analyze pathology samples with multi-colors reduces time and cost.
 
ZT Solar http://www.ztsolar.com/ is well positioned to develop disruptive and universal surface structuring technologies for all types of solar cells, including polycrystalline silicon solar cells and thin film solar cells. ZT Solar’s mission is to commercialize innovative technologies for cost effective optical designs in solar cells, and the company is committed to provide complete customer solutions to solar cell manufacturers.
Researchers at UT Arlington have developed a surface texture (Omni-ARTM) which may be safely and easily applied to solar cells to improve their energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness. The surface structuring technology is solution based with low cost, high throughput and significant efficiency improvements that can be easily integrated into current solar cell manufacturing processes.
$50K in TIF funds are being used to perfect a manufacturing process, develop a prototype for application of the surface texture to commercial solar cells, and gather data to convince solar cell manufacturers to incorporate this coating into their existing production processes.
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