Kentucky launches center for cancer and metabolism research

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The University Of Kentucky has been awarded an $11.2 million prestigious Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) grant to assist with the study of cancer and metabolism.

The grant was received from the National Institutes of General Medical Sciences and will fund the research and development project for the next 5 years.

The project aims to discover and prove a direct link between obesity and cancer. The need for research into this field is of high necessity, particularly for Kentuckians. Kentucky has disproportionately high incidences of both cancer and metabolic disorders and currently leads the nation in cancer deaths and obesity rates.

The University of Kentucky and its Markey Cancer Center have developed one of the strongest cancer research, prevention and treatment programs in the country. The awarding of the competitive grant is recognition of the University being a national leader in biomedical research.

Kentucky’s Center for Cancer and Metabolism (CCM) capitalizes on highly specialized institutional strengths in cancer and advancement metabolomics tools. This research focuses on the underlying mechanisms that link dysfunctional metabolism to cancer. Recent studies have shown that Mitochondria, the metabolic powerhouse of cells, can influence how aggressive a cancer becomes.

Research and development is at the core of economic and human development and it is why the University of Kentucky is the state’s instrumental change agent, health provider and economic engine.

The importance of the following R&D grant is largely significant to Kentucky, as the synergy and collaboration between researchers and clinicians to further studies in cancer could not be carried out without them.

To find out more about R&D or to determine whether your business is eligible for Kentucky’s .395 Research Facilities Tax Credit, contact a Swanson Reed R&D tax specialist.

Idaho Company Increases Sustainability Efforts

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Fish Breeders of Idaho is setting up a feed facility to recycle a waste product into an expensive feed ingredient.

Fish Breeders raises a variety of fish and had been giving away the waste generated by producing fillets and other products for the market. But this is all about to change. This is all about to change. The company is building a facility to generate fish feed without using dry fishmeal.

“The best thing you can feed a fish is another fish,” said Leo Ray, company found and president.

The company has plans to make many different kinds of feed to cater both to the different species of fish raised, and for different life stages.

Ray says that about 30-50% of the store’s fish may be sold while the other percentage would be considered waste products.

“If you grow a fish, you have enough waste to make fishmeal to grow another pound of fish. If you do it right, it’s a very sustainable process, all you have to do is add grains – there’s not excuse for depleting the ocean,” said Ray.

Using an internally generated product instead of fishmeal is supposed to cut the company’s expenses for fish feed almost in half.

To find out more about R&D or to determine whether you may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit  Contact a Swanson Reed specialist to see if you qualify.

Invent Penn State Driving Innovation and Economic Development

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Launched in 2015, Invent Penn State has created innovation hubs across the Commonwealth. The university is committed to becoming a first-class innovation hub in order to contribute to Pennsylvania’s economic development.

The Invent Penn State program connects researchers with those who can commercialise their discoveries and intends to encourage entrepreneurship, economic development and student career success over the long-term. The university is developing a culture that encourages, nurtures and rewards entrepreneurship in all fields of study. Areas include energy, environmental protection, healthcare, food security and manufacturing.

Recognizing that great ideas need support, Penn State have invested an initial $30 million in the program with $5 million in funding annually, in order to turn research into commercial products and services while creating jobs in the process. The investments will allow students to be placed in emerging fields and provide job opportunities.

Penn State University contributes over $16 billion to the state’s economy per year, making it the single largest provider. Graduate starting salaries are very highly ranked in business magazines.  Their Fund for Innovation is proving very successful and has already started seven new ventures and has funded around 50 emerging technologies. This fund wants to accelerate and de-risk the commercialization process for new technologies.

The Fund for Innovation awards grants to inventors from the colleges at various stages of commercialization. It administers these awards in partnership with college commercialization grant programs such as the College of Engineering ENGINE Grant Program.

The faculty Associate Dean for Research issues a request for proposals up to twice a year and chooses the most commercially viable projects. The college then provides a grant and matched funding is provided by the Fund for Innovation.

State and federal R&D tax credits are available for start-ups in Pennsylvania. To find out whether your business is eligible, contact one of our Swanson Reed offices for an obligation-free assessment.

North Carolina R&D project receives $1.47m Grant

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SeaTox Research Inc. and the University of North Caroline Wilmington (UNCW) have collaborated in an R&D study to further develop toxin tests for seafood.

The study has now received a $1.47 million R&D grant, which will provide significant advancement in its ability to detect neurotoxins from harmful algal blooms that make people sick when they eat contaminated fish and shellfish.

The tests are designed to be used by research groups and regulatory agencies to monitor toxin content in fisheries to protect the public from the detrimental effects of neurotoxins.

SeaTox Research Inc. is a biotechnology company located in UNCW’s CREST Research Park. It is involved in assay development and pharmaceutical R&D utilizing materials, originating from the marine environment.

Assay development involves inventing and designing scientific tests, modifying the tests to optimize efficiency and then validating those tests with a large pool of data to determine effectiveness.

The university’s strategic plan includes innovation as one of its core values as this is a commitment to continuous improvement and breakthrough advances to ensure distinctiveness.

To find out more about R&D or to determine whether you may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit Contact a Swanson Reed specialist to see if you qualify.

New 3D printing R&D facility opening in North Carolina

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North Carolina may become the next 3D printing hub in the near future after Swiss company, Oerlikon, announced it will be opening a new R&D production facility for advanced 3D printed parts in Charlotte, NC.

The new facility will offer clients integrated, end-to-end services for advanced additive manufacturing. 3D printing offers manufacturers a number of advantages over traditional manufacturing processes, such as customization and efficiency in terms of materials, lead time, and cost.

Oerlikon, the globally recognized technology group, will be investing roughly CHF55 million (Approximately $55 million USD) into the new facility over the next two years and will create over 100 new jobs.

The company says additive manufacturing has been identified as a potential growth area, and is primed to leverage its strong materials heritage, service reputation, access to markets, and more.

With its new 3D printing R&D and production facility, Oerlikon is aiming to further establish itself as a global leader in surface solutions and advanced materials. The expansion of the company’s global additive manufacturing business can be owed to the simultaneously growing demand for advanced 3D printed metal parts in various industries.

The planned R&D facility in Charlotte will be an important step in Oerlikon’s plans to grow their additive manufacturing business and investment in key technology areas.

To find out more about R&D or to determine whether you may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit  Contact a Swanson Reed specialist to see if you qualify.

Minnesota Researchers Develop Groundbreaking Process

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A groundbreaking one-step, crystal growth process for making ultra-thin layers of material with molecular-sized pores, has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota. Researchers demonstrated the use of the material, called zeolite nano-sheets, by making ultra-selective membranes for chemical separations.

This new discovery could  improve the energy-efficiency of chemical separation methods used to make everything from fuels to chemicals and pharmaceuticals.

“Overall, we’ve developed a process for zeolite nano-sheet crystal growth that is faster, simpler, and yields better quality nano-sheets than ever before,” said Michael Tsapatsis, the lead researcher on the study. “Our discovery is another step towards improved energy efficiency in the chemical and petrochemical industries.”

Today, most chemical and petrochemical purification processes are based on heat-driven processes like distillation. These processes are very energy-intensive. For example, chemical separations based on distillation represent nearly 5 percent of the total energy consumption in the United States.

Several companies and researchers are developing more energy-efficient separations based on membranes that can separate molecules based on size and shape. One class of these membranes is based on zeolites, which are silicate crystals that have pores of molecular dimensions. However, the multi-step processes for manufacturing these membranes are costly and difficult to scale up, and commercial production remains a challenge.

The researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed the first-ever, bottom-up process for direct growth of zeolite nano-sheets, which can be used to make high quality molecular sieve membranes. The new material, is only about five nano-meters in thickness, and several micrometers wide. The new nano-sheets also grow in a uniform shape making it much easier to make the membranes used in chemical purification.

Mi Young Jeon, the first author of the study describes the new material as being like tiling a floor with large, uniform tiles compared to small, irregular chips of tile. Jeon explains that uniform-shaped zeolite nano-sheets also make a much higher-quality membrane with surprisingly high separation values that can sieve-out impurities.

The research findings are a big step forward and researchers are looking forward to the future changes the discoveries will make to energy efficiency in chemical and petrochemical industries.

To find out more about R&D or to determine whether you may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit  Contact a Swanson Reed specialist to see if you qualify.

New La-Z-Boy Innovation Center In Dayton

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Exciting times of innovation lie ahead for La-Z-Boy – Users may soon be able to operate their chairs with their iPhones!

Chief Executive Kurt Darrow, says innovation at the company is vitally important and is one of the things that makes the company different from others. In light of this, La-Z-Boy have opened a new $16 million research and development center in Dayton, Tennessee. The 70,000-square-foot center will serve as the innovation hub for the entire company.

The innovation center will be located directly across the road from its 1.2 million-square-foot manufacturing plant, which is also due to receive a $10 million upgrade and renovation.

The R&D center will add an additional 115 employees to the existing 1,400 people who already work at the Dayton site, where more than 800,000 pieces of furniture are made every day.

Gregg Schweir, the company’s vice president of R&D, said the work is a commitment to customers, employees and the Dayton community. “We build great products and spend a lot of time innovating,” he said. “It’s an investment in people and will keep us competitive for years to come.”

Allen Borden, assistant commissioner for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, said the state’s workforce and improved education offerings are the biggest reason why Tennessee is making R&D strides.

The new R&D center, which is planned for opening in approximately 12 months, will about double the size of the company’s existing facility in Dayton. It will have much more equipment and hold added space for working teams. The facility will house approximately 75 people and will have a model shop, technology center, test lab and 3-D printing capabilities.

The Dayton plant is the only La-Z-Boy facility that makes furniture in all three upholstery categories — recliners, motion sofas and stationary upholstery. It also makes about 90 percent of the various frame styles in the company’s manufacture-branded product line and services the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast parts of the country.

Don Mather, vice president of La-Z-Boy Tennessee, said the work produced at the new innovation center will “drive a stake in the ground” for Dayton. It will help the company be an innovative leader in its industry.

To find out more about R&D or to determine whether you may be eligible for an R&D Tax Credit  Contact a Swanson Reed specialist to see if you qualify.

Navy to conduct drone flight research

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The short-term R&D project, in which unmanned aerial systems (UAS) will be tested, is being conducted by the Office of Naval Research with the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University.

According to the office of Naval research, the flight testing to evaluate UAS capabilities will commence at the Stennis Space Center in coastal Mississippi in May and continue through to June. One of the features planned to evaluate are drone-mounted lasers that can measure water depth from the air, known as Light Detection And Ranging technology (LIDAR).

LIDAR measures the distance to a target by shining a laser light beam on the target, it is the same technology being used by law enforcement agencies now, in replace of radar guns, to measure the speed of a moving vehicle.

The drone in use for the test is called the Outlaw SeaHunter, developed by Griffon Aerospace in Huntsville, Alabama. The twin propeller drone has a 16-foot wingspan and a length of 9.9 feet, according to Griffon Aerospace. With a payload capacity of 90 pounds, the drone can fly for over four hours and over eight with an external fuel tank.

SeaHunter is the most capable member of Griffon’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) family, it is designed as a cost effective, reliable, Class III Multi-engine platform. SeaHunters are currently being used by military, universities, and research agencies for training, testing, data collection, and system R&D.

The demonstration of the LIDAR technology will be a short-term project, so there won’t be a permanent presence of the Navy. That being said, it is suggested that the research associated with the project could lead to a better understanding of coastal ecology and wetlands ecology.

To see whether your company can take advantage of the R&D tax credit, speak to one of our expert advisers at Swanson Reed.

Kansas is the new hot spot for global baking innovation!

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Plano county in Kansas is now home to a state-of-the-art, 30,000 square-foot, innovation baking center. Middleby Bakery Group has installed their truck-sized innovative baking machinery into the innovation center and is already churning out diet-busting sweets at almost the speed of sound.

The collection of machinery at the facility work together to automate baking in a way unimaginable to most bakers. The $2.3 million center will serve as a test kitchen, allowing commercial bakers who have been testing new products in small batches, to ramp up production and see what tweaks are needed when the muffins, buns or breads roll out at a rate of four tons an hour.

The facility is an extended R&D lab for bakers worldwide who want to try new things without having to shut down their own production lines to conduct tests. It allows bakers and food makers to test-drive their ideas at the center instead of spending large amounts of money in producing experimental lines in their stores. For consumers, the benefits consist of significantly reducing the time its takes innovative goods to come to the market, and also providing better consistency in the products out now.

Mark Salman, president of Middleby Bakery Group, says with the equipment available at the center, adjusting products to specific consumer dietary requirements or providing less fat and sugar options, can now be developed and produced in weeks and months, as apposed to several years. Additionally, the facility will also work on projects to improve the overall shelf life of its baked goods.

In addition the the hundreds of highly innovative and world class machinery at the facility, the R&D baking center also contains the world’s widest tunnel oven and is expected to draw commercial baking customers from across the globe to the industrial area. The center is also expected to bring people to the area from outside the state that want to partner with Middleby on improving the food production process and using automation and leveraging technology.

Currently the most impressive piece of machinery at the center is the Auto-Bake Line, a 46-foot long by 11-foot tall oven with three baking levels, which can produce more than 25,000 golden-topped blueberry muffins an hour.

While the introduction of the new equipment is a significant adjustment, the majority or workers have been able to embrace the change. Ron Baker, strategic campaign coordinator with the Grain Millers International Union, says “As a union, we don’t reject technology, we embrace it and make sure people are treated fairly when innovation comes into the workplace.”

To find out whether your experimental activities are eligible for the R&D tax credit, contact Swanson Reed R&D Tax Advisers for an obligation-free assessment.

Could human gene therapy be the next cancer cure?

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Perry Hackett, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, had a significant breakthrough in using DNA to fight cancer. Hackett received significant research and development funding due to his form of cancer treatment using viruses like no other treatments do.

Hackett has invented the Sleeping Beauty Transposon system, which is a basis for many cancer-fighting immunotherapies. Transposons are DNA that are not uniform throughout an organism, a concept which is easily seen throughout Indian corn, where the kernels are multicolored because a DNA element is hopping around the corn genome. It is named Sleeping Beauty because it was a gene that was active 13 million years ago, however went extinct.

Hackett began his research journey almost 40 years ago when he first started genetically engineering larger fish, however now his more recent work can reprogram a person’s immune system to fight cancer. Hackett explains that an immune system has memory, and it can target specific things that are bad for your body by targeting virus-infected cells. His breakthrough was introducing a gene into a cell that will recognize such foreign cells in the body.

Hackett’s virus differs from others in that traditional viruses are expensive to make and take a long time, however, the Sleeping Beauty Transposon is simple enough for an undergraduate student to make.

Hackett calls his research, “One of the grandest Minnesota fishing stories ever,” as initially he was working to find a way to improve the lives of fishermen by genetically engineering fish and eventually this research lead him to immunotherapy and finding a cutting-edge tool to treat cancer.

In addition to treating cancer, Hackett’s research has also lead to further understanding into how cancer progresses and how to correct genetic diseases that people inherit. In the future, therapies based on Hackett’s Transposon system could eliminate  or correct the symptoms of inherited diseases.

The university will continue working on this research, as a cancer treatment like this can provide 80% of people who use it with complete recovery or remission of cancer.

As a result of R&D grants, such as the one Perry Hackett received, innovative thinking and research can be rewarded, continue to progress and ultimately save millions of lives.

If your company is undertaking certain R&D activities, you may be eligible to claim the state and federal R&D tax credit, which can then be reinvested into the business. To find out whether your business qualifies, contact Swanson Reed R&D Tax Advisers.