Tech transfer income doubles

he University earned $29.5 million from basic research during the fiscal year that ended June 30, more than double the amount earned last year and about 10 times the $2.9 million in royalties earned during the 1999 fiscal year.

The dramatic growth comes as the University puts increased emphasis on commercialization of intellectual property.

In the last two years, the University has spun off four new companies, including RTek Medical Systems LLC, which is commercializing a new prostate cancer treatment system; Socratech LLC, which is looking at new ways to treat Alzheimer's disease; Vaccinex, which is developing cancer vaccines; and VirtualScopics LLC, which is developing new ways to mine important data from CT and MRI imaging systems.

The newcomers join such established University spin-offs as Rochester Photonics (now a subsidiary of Corning, Inc.), a company that develops opto-electronic components and systems, and Praxis Biologics, founded to develop vaccine technology. (Praxis is now known as Wyeth Lederle Vaccines, a unit of American Home Products, which last month announced plans to move the unit out of Rochester.)

In all, more than two dozen high-tech companies have risen from the University's basic research in the past two decades.

"There is a marked increase in companies calling us about our technologies, as well as interest from venture capital firms," said Mark Coburn, associate provost and director of technology transfer. "Rochester is really getting on the map for technology transfer. Success breeds success."

Income from such licenses is divided between the University and the inventors, with much of the funding plowed back into research and education.

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