University of Maryland Announces 17 Research Projects Involving Faculty, Maryland Companies to Develop New Commercial Products

COLLEGE PARK, Md. , Feb. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The University of Maryland's Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program (MIPS) today announces 17 research projects between Maryland companies and university faculty to develop technology-based commercial products.

The projects, which span the State of Maryland , include environmentally friendly floors for poultry houses, portable wind turbines for generating energy, sound-expanding technologies for electric guitars, therapeutics for lupus, breast and ovarian cancer, and new, fast diagnostics for the flu and a common bacterial infection in children.

Worth $4.8 million, the projects combine $3.4 million from participating companies and $1.4 million from MIPS. Funding supports research in the laboratories of participating University System of Maryland faculty, who work closely with partner companies to advance their products. All funding goes to the project faculty and often supports the work of graduate students.

Nine of the projects are medical therapeutics or diagnostics, four relate to homeland security or defense, two involve energy, and two are in electronics. Four institutions are participating: the University of Maryland, College Park, with ten projects; the University of Maryland Baltimore, with four projects; the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, with two; and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, with one. Four project companies are in Baltimore or Baltimore County , four are in Rockville , one is in southern Maryland , and one is on the Eastern Shore. Company partners include 14 start-ups and three small companies.

Projects approved include:

This is the 43rd round of MIPS funding. The program has supported research projects with more than 400 different Maryland companies since 1987.

Projects are subject to final contract negotiations.

Commercial products benefiting from MIPS projects have generated more than $16.9 billion in revenue, added jobs to the region, and contributed to successes such as Martek Biosciences' nutritional oils, Hughes Network Systems' HughesNet(TM), MedImmune Inc.'s Synagis(R), and Black & Decker's Bullet(R) Speed Tip Masonry Drill Bit.

About MIPS (www.mips.umd.edu)

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships Program, an initiative of the A. James Clark School of Engineering's Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute, or Mtech (www.mtech.umd.edu), brings university innovation to the commercial sector by supporting university-based research projects to help Maryland companies develop technology-based products.

SOURCE University of Maryland