Trio pitching to grow Ohio’s innovation economy

Groundbreaking research from three female faculty in The Ohio State University College of Engineering has been featured in “PITCH X: From Lab to Market,” a new video series presenting innovative discoveries from Ohio’s university entrepreneurs.

PITCH X is part of the recently launched Ohio I.P. Promise, which aims to establish a clear path for licensing Ohio institutions’ cutting-edge breakthroughs that could change the world forever. Betty Lise Anderson, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Katelyn Swindle-Reilly, assistant professor of biomedical engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering; and Jessica Winter, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and biomedical engineering, were among just nine selected for the initial launch of PITCH X.

By raising awareness for revolutionary technologies developed in Ohio, PITCH X is helping connect university research with private sector investment as Ohio grows its innovation economy.

A solution for data center energy efficiency

Anderson has invented a way to switch fiber optic signals without having to convert them to electricity and back.

“Our solution at Buckeye Photonics uses technology developed at Ohio State that can switch the direction of fiber optic light beams using tiny mirrors on a chip,” said Anderson. This method removes the energy-wasting need to convert the optic signal to electricity and back and could help data centers dramatically lower energy costs through the use of optical switches instead of electrical ones.

“Our device is much simpler to build and to control,” she said. “Now we can more easily keep everything optical to optical—no electrical conversion, no heat, no wasted energy for cooling.”

Treating age-related macular degeneration

Swindle-Reilly is developing ocular drug delivery technologies for patients with age-related macular degeneration, the third leading cause of blindness, which currently has no cure. The technology, in the form of biodegradable injectable implants, will reduce the frequency of patient treatment and improve visual outcomes.

“This research represents a significant improvement over the current treatment of monthly injections required for age-related macular degeneration,” said Swindle-Reilly. “The research in my lab has shown that we can fine-tune our extended-release capsule to sustain drug release for at least six months to over one year.”

Swindle-Reilly’s technologies have been licensed by Vitranu, a startup focused on applying this technology to treatments for age-related macular degeneration.

“The ultimate goal is for people like my parents to see first steps of grandchildren, read a favorite book, do crossword puzzles or play a round of golf. This technology can improve their quality of life and help them live a fuller life in later years.”

Connecting quantum dots to detect cancer

Winter’s innovation establishes new materials for detecting cancer and its recurrence. These materials are quantum dots, which are semiconductor nanoparticles that light up and can be used as an imaging agent to label different parts of a cell. The sensitivity of these quantum dots allows clinicians to detect cancer cells in much lower quantities, resulting in quicker diagnosis.

“Amazingly, perhaps ironically, I was diagnosed with breast cancer while I was doing this research and it really changed my perspective on how research is conducted,” said Winter. “I realized that I had a really unique opportunity because unlike most cancer patients, I'm also a researcher and I have the ability to fight cancer on both fronts. I wanted to take the technologies that I developed in my lab and use them to help other people so that maybe they wouldn't have to go through what I did.” 

Winter founded Core Quantum Technologies, which is focused on applying this technology to Leukemia and Lymphoma diagnostics.

Born from the knowledge that we have world-changing discoveries every year that originate in universities, but need help moving from lab to market, Ohio’s I.P. Promise was launched by Lt. Governor Jon Husted as an extension of InnovateOhio in the fall 2019. A total of 16 Ohio universities agreed to work together to make technology commercialization faster, easier and more impactful.

To watch all of the PITCH X presenter videos, visit the PITCH X YouTube channel.

by Meggie Biss, College of Engineering Communications | biss.11@osu.edu