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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 1, 2004)
UO gets $2 million from licensing Licensing agreements are up from 2002-03, and two University projects receive national recognition BY ANTHONY LUCERO NEWS REPORTER Last year, the University received nearly $2 million from licensing in ventions and became home to two promising creations. The University disclosed 40 new inventions and 28 new license and option agreements, up from 36 inventions and 25 new li cense and options agreements in 2002-03, according to a University press release. The University recognized biolo gy Professor Eric Selker for finding the anti-cancer properties of Zebu larine, a potential anti-cancer drug, which is currently being tested for human use. The National Institute of General Medical Sciences report ed it to Congress as one of the 10 most-significant innovations. “I hope it has some value,” Selker said. “It was just a byproduct of re search. It’s not what I’d want to be Known ior. During a routine lab procedure, Selker dis covered he could reac tivate certain silenced genes in fungus prone to DNA methylation. Methylation is danger ous in some scenarios because it can silence a gene that may control cell growth or regulate healthy and unhealthy cells. His procedure — picked up by re searchers at other universities — has slowed down tu mor-cell growth from between 32 to 68 percent, according to a Medical News Today article. “We’re not much different from fungus in some ways,” Selker said. “The only danger with reactivating cells is that we may reactivate a harmful one.” IN RECENT YEARS The University has steadily increased its revenues from licensing inventions during the past few years: 1999- $232,000 2000- $312,912 2001- $515,404 2002- $536, 434 2003- $1,788,985 2004 -$1,920,000 Source: Office of Technology Transfer Another innovation will enable researchers to study the realistic movements of dinosaurs. DinoMorph is software that assembles a dinosaur by its bone structure and maps skin across the bones to make a realistic portray al. Using the dinosaur’s bone model, the software can then accurately display the creature’s movements, making a dinosaur exhibit go beyond just showing fossils to demonstrate how it moves and even hunts. Computer and information science Professor Kent Stevens began work ing on DinoMorph in 1994 as an un dergraduate project, when computer science students used it to be creative with code. It has blossomed into a ful ly developed program that renders ac curate animal movement and has spawned a company, Kaibridge, Inc. “DinoMorph has the potential for a very commercial (application),” Stevens said. The University is licensing it to mu seums for educational kiosks. Using the animation for film recreations is among several other possibilities. “I’m having a lot of fun with Di noMorph because you can really study range of motion with di nosaurs,” Stevens said. “Now we can find out using this software about some misconceptions of di nosaurs’ movement.” TECHNOLOGY, page 7 A Students can still travel overseas this year BY JESSE DUNCAN FREELANCE REPORTER Cari Vanderkar, associate director of the Overseas Study Program, said it is not too late for students to apply for study abroad programs that com mence this winter — the Canberra, Australia program has a deadline in November. Also, Australia’s winter is our summer, she said. Due to student requests, the Uni versity is now offering an overseas program in Ireland. Also new this year are study opportunities at uni versities in Taiwan and Singapore. University senior and Overseas Study Program peer assistant Krys tal Murphy spent the 2003-04 aca demic year studying abroad in Tam pere, Finland. She lived in a renovated hotel with students whose points of origin spanned the world. “It was fun to be around so many international students,” Murphy said. “The Finnish lifestyle is very healthy, and Finnish food is very healthy.” In Finland, Murphy enjoyed pul la, a sweet bun; Karelian pies, a rye crust with a rice porridge inside; and glogi, a spiced warm drink similar to cider. abroad,” Murphy said. “Especially for Americans, it is important to get an idea of how the rest of the world Murphy said she was exposed to Fin land’s sauna culture. Most of the homes and the building she lived in had saunas. READ MORE ONLINE^ For a complete schedule of study abroad information sessions, visit studyabroad.uoregon.edu/dates/dates.htm operates.” While Murphy spent an entire year abroad, the length of over seas programs One Finnish winter ritual is to go from sitting in a sauna to diving into a near-frozen lake, she said. “Any issue that you have, whether it is financial or whatever, can be worked out when it comes to study varies. Students can earn credits that apply to their major in programs as short as one month. Students may also apply for a ABROAD, page 7 A IN BRIEF Man arrested in Corvallis after allegedly attempting to kidnap OSU student Oregon State Police arrested an Albany man Thursday on charges of attempting to abduct a 21-year-old Oregon State University student, state police Lt. Gregg Hast ings said. Corvallis police found Aaron James Evans, 21, in a local grocery store parking lot Wednes day night while responding to a report of suspicious activity. Offi cers determined that his clothing matched the description of a suspect who attempted to kidnap a woman Wednesday morning, Hast ings said. By Thursday, detectives had gath ered enough probable cause to arrest Evans on charges of second-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree at tempted sexual abuse and menacing, Hastings said. Wednesday’s incident occurred near 26th Street and Western Boule vard, about two blocks from where 19-year-old Brigham Young Universi ty student Brooke Wilberger disap peared last May. “Because the area where the crime occurred was similar for this attempted abduction and for the previous abduction, and because of the fact this person was arrested related to those charges,” police will continue to investigate whether the two incidents are related, Hast ings said. While police called Evans a “person of interest,” he has not been established as a suspect, Hast ings said. Kara Hansen EAT. LAUGH. PRAY. 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