By David Stauth, 541-737-0787

Contact: Vincent Remcho, 541-737-8181 or vincent.remcho@oregonstate.edu

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Chemists and students in science and engineering at Oregon State University have created a new type of chemical test, or assay, that’s inexpensive, simple, and can tell whether or not one of the primary drugs being used to treat malaria is genuine – an enormous and deadly problem in the developing world.

The World Health Organization has estimated that about 200,000 lives a year may be lost due to the use of counterfeit anti-malarial drugs. When commercialized, the new OSU technology may be able to help address that problem by testing drugs for efficacy at a cost of a few cents.

When broadly implemented, this might save thousands of lives every year around the world, and similar technology could also be developed for other types of medications and diseases, experts say.

Findings on the new technology were just published in Talanta, a professional journal.

“There are laboratory methods to analyze medications such as this, but they often are not available or widely used in the developing world where malaria kills thousands of people every year,” said Vincent Remcho, a professor of chemistry and Patricia Valian Reser Faculty Scholar in the OSU College of Science, a position which helped support this work.

“What we need are inexpensive, accurate assays that can detect adulterated pharmaceuticals in the field, simple enough that anyone can use them,” Remcho said. “Our technology should provide that.”

The system created at OSU looks about as simple, and is almost as cheap, as a sheet of paper. But it’s actually a highly sophisticated “colorimetric” assay that consumers could use to tell whether or not they are getting the medication they paid for – artesunate – which is by far the most important drug used to treat serious cases of malaria. The assay also verifies that an adequate level of the drug is present.

In some places in the developing world, more than 80 percent of outlets are selling counterfeit pharmaceuticals, researchers have found. One survey found that 38-53 percent of outlets in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam had no active drug in the product that was being sold. Artesunate, which can cost $1 to $2 per adult treatment, is considered an expensive drug by the standards of the developing world, making counterfeit drugs profitable since the disease is so prevalent.

Besides allowing thousands of needless deaths, the spread of counterfeit drugs with sub-therapeutic levels of artesunate can promote the development of new strains of multi-drug resistant malaria, with global impacts. Government officials could also use the new system as a rapid screening tool to help combat the larger problem of drug counterfeiting.

The new technology is an application of microfluidics, in this instance paper microfluidics, in which a film is impressed onto paper that can then detect the presence and level of the artesunate drug. A single pill can be crushed, dissolved in water, and when a drop of the solution is placed on the paper, it turns yellow if the drug is present. The intensity of the color indicates the level of the drug, which can be compared to a simple color chart.

OSU undergraduate and graduate students in chemistry and computer science working on this project in the Remcho lab took the system a step further, and created an app for an iPhone that could be used to measure the color, and tell with an even higher degree of accuracy both the presence and level of the drug.

The technology is similar to what can be accomplished with computers and expensive laboratory equipment, but is much simpler and less expensive. As a result, use of this approach may significantly expand in medicine, scientists said.

“This is conceptually similar to what we do with integrated circuit chips in computers, but we’re pushing fluids around instead of electrons, to reveal chemical information that’s useful to us,” Remcho said.  “Chemical communication is how Mother Nature does it, and the long term applications of this approach really are mind-blowing.”

Colorimetric assays have already been developed for measurement of many biomarker targets of interest, Remcho said, and could be expanded for a wide range of other medical conditions, pharmaceutical and diagnostic tests, pathogen detection, environmental analysis and other uses.

With a proof of concept of the new technology complete, the researchers may work with the OSU Advantage to commercialize the technology, ultimately with global application. As an incubator for startup and early stage organizations, OSU Advantage connects business with faculty expertise and student talent to bring technology such as this to market.

Read the publication here.

By: David Stauth, OSU News and Research Communications

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers today announced the creation of an imaging technology more powerful than anything that has existed before, and is fast enough to observe life processes as they actually happen at the molecular level.

Chemical and biological actions can now be measured as they are occurring or, in old-fashioned movie parlance, one frame at a time. This will allow creation of improved biosensors to study everything from nerve impulses to cancer metastasis as it occurs.

The measurements, created by the use of short pulse lasers and bioluminescent proteins, are made in femtoseconds, which is one-millionth of one-billionth of a second. A femtosecond, compared to one second, is about the same as one second compared to 32 million years.

That’s a pretty fast shutter speed, and it should change the way biological research and physical chemistry are being done, scientists say.

Findings on the new technology were published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, by researchers from Oregon State University and the University of Alberta.

“With this technology we’re going to be able to slow down the observation of living processes and understand the exact sequences of biochemical reactions,” said Chong Fang, an assistant professor of chemistry in the OSU College of Science, and lead author on the research.

“We believe this is the first time ever that you can really see chemistry in action inside a biosensor,” he said. “This is a much more powerful tool to study, understand and tune biological processes.”

The system uses advanced pulse laser technology that is fairly new and builds upon the use of “green fluorescent proteins” that are popular in bioimaging and biomedicine. These remarkable proteins glow when light is shined upon them. Their discovery in 1962, and the applications that followed, were the basis for a Nobel Prize in 2008.

Existing biosensor systems, however, are created largely by random chance or trial and error. By comparison, the speed of the new approach will allow scientists to “see” what is happening at the molecular level and create whatever kind of sensor they want by rational design. This will improve the study of everything from cell metabolism to nerve impulses, how a flu virus infects a person, or how a malignant tumor spreads.

“For decades, to create the sensors we have now, people have been largely shooting in the dark,” Fang said. “This is a fundamental breakthrough in how to create biosensors for medical research from the bottom up. It’s like daylight has finally come.”

The technology, for instance, can follow the proton transfer associated with the movement of calcium ions – one of the most basic aspects of almost all living systems, and also one of the fastest. This movement of protons is integral to everything from respiration to cell metabolism and even plant photosynthesis.  Scientists will now be able to identify what is going on, one step at a time, and then use that knowledge to create customized biosensors for improved imaging of life processes.

“If you think of this in photographic terms,” Fang said, “we now have a camera fast enough to capture the molecular dance of life. We’re making molecular movies. And with this, we’re going to be able to create sensors that answer some important, new questions in biophysics, biochemistry, materials science and biomedical problems.”

The research was supported by OSU, the University of Alberta, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Originally printed in Terra Magazine – Courtesy of Nick Houtman

Professor Rich G. Carter (left), co-founder and CEO of Valliscor LLC, confers with Rajinikanth Lingampally, a research associate at Oregon State. (Photo: Chris Becerra)
Professor Rich G. Carter (left), co-founder and CEO of Valliscor LLC, confers with Rajinikanth Lingampally, a research associate at Oregon State. (Photo: Chris Becerra)

A good recipe depends on high-quality ingredients. That’s as true in industry (electronics, food products, chemical manufacturing) as it is in our kitchens. So when two Willamette Valley chemists developed methods for producing industrial chemicals with exceptional purity, they saw a business opportunity. The result is a new company: Valliscor. Co-founded in 2012 by Rich G. Carter, professor and chair of the Oregon State University Department of Chemistry, and industrial chemist Michael Standen, Valliscor produces organic building blocks for the pharmaceutical, electronics and biotech sectors. Its first product is a compound known as bromofluoromethane (BFM). BFM is a critical ingredient in the synthesis of fluticasone propionate, the active component in two popular medications: Flonase, a nasal spray; and Advair, an asthma inhaler. “The company was created to exploit the synergy between industrial know-how and academic innovation,” says Carter. “Valliscor harnesses licensed technology from Oregon State and from industrial partners to provide unique and cost-effective solutions for producing high-value chemicals. We can provide ultra-high purity materials that are superior to those offered by our competitors.” Before founding Valliscor, Carter and Standen had collaborated on numerous projects over the past 10 years, including the commercialization of an “organocatalyst” called Hua Cat, an advance in environmentally friendly chemical manufacturing. The OSU Research Office and the Advantage Accelerator program have been key to the company’s growth, Carter adds. “We’ve had great mentorship and guidance from the Advantage Accelerator leadership: Mark Lieberman, John Turner and Betty Nickerson. When we get stuck on a problem, they are just a phone call away.” The Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) supported the company in 2012 with proof-of-concept funding and guidance from commercialization specialists Jay Lindquist and Michael Tippie and from Skip Rung, ONAMI executive director.

Photo by Mike Francis / Oregonian
Photo by Mike Francis / Oregonian

CORVALLIS – Lots of startup companies have big ambitions, but Amorphyx’s are bigger than most.

The four-employee company wants to change the economics of manufacturing liquid-crystal displays. Amorphyx team members hope the process they are developing in an Oregon State University lab will be adopted by the world’s largest display manufacturers, who are eager to cut production costs for the screens used in televisions, signage and mobile devices.

But it’s a big job for a young entrant in a market full of Goliaths.  Read more…

Article used with permission of author, Mike Francis, c/o The Oregonian

The Research Office received 16 proposals for the Research Equipment Reserve Fund (RERF) Spring 2014 solicitation with requests totaling $684,237. After review and evaluation the Research Council provided the Research Office with a prioritized list of proposals recommended for funding. The Vice President for Research has approved 7 proposals for funding with combined budgets of $266,826.

 

The following proposals have been selected for funding:

  • Blunck, David (School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering): “FLIR SC6700 Camera with Required Software and Lens”
  • Fang, Chong (Dept. of Chemistry, College of Science): “Advanced Spectroscopic Imaging System for Ultrafast Characterization of Materials”
  • Indra, Arup (Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy): “Tali™ Image-Based Cytometer”
  • Kosro, P. Michael (College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences): “Repairs to HF Surface Current Mapping System”
  • Leid, Mark (Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy): “Synergy™ HT Multi-Detection Platereader”
  • Li, Kaichang (Dept. of Wood Science and Engineering, College of Forestry): “Replacement of Fourier Transfer Infrared (FTIR) Spectrometer”
  • Taratula, Oleh (Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy): “BD Accuri C6 Flow Cytometer System”

Walt Loveland, et. al, recently published a paper in Physical Review Letters.  As part of the publication and promotion, Physical Review Letters, requested a short summary of the article be written in layman’s terms.  Below is that summary:

OSU Scientists Explain Synthesis of New Chemical Elements
Exploring the limits of existence of the chemical elements is a driving force for chemists and physicists. OSU scientists (Yanez et al.) have reported (in Physical Review Letters) an important step in understanding
the production of the heaviest chemical elements and their survival.  Their novel approach, data and interpretation are ” of key importance for a better understanding”,  of the synthesis reactions.

The heaviest elements have been produced by hot fusion reactions at unexpectedly high rates.  The authors have measured the survival probability of one of these nuclei, 274Hs, at high excitation energy, finding a unusually high survival and have shown that survival is due to dissipative effects during de-excitation. These dissipative effects decrease the probability of fission occurring in these nuclei and thus increase their survival.  This finding helps explain the paradox of hot fusion reactions that make nuclei at high excitation energies (where the effect of nuclear shell structure is “washed out”,  and the apparent stabilizing effects of “the island of stability”  in these synthetic reactions.

Congratulations all!

Please stay tuned for links to the article!

 

 

College of Science Chemistry Professor Mas Subramanian will discuss the discovery of new pigments with energy-saving applications in the 2014 F.A. Gilfillan Memorial Lecture May 6 at 6:15 pm at the LaSells Stewart Center. Subramanian is the 2013 recipient of the F.A. Gilfillan Award for Distinguished Scholarship in Science recognizing College of Science faculty who have a record of distinguished scholarship and scientific accomplishments.

Guest Bloggers: Kim Thackray & Mike Lerner

Have you looked around and noticed that more and more items are powered by lithium ion batteries?  All cell phones and laptops use lithium ion batteries, and automobiles and even ships are moving toward this technology.  Advances in technology are making these batteries (and the products they power) smaller, lighter, and longer-lasting—but what happens to the batteries once they have outlived their usefulness?

Dr. Sloop battery researcher
Dr. Sloop enjoys football too.

The current technology for handling used batteries follows 2 tracks:  batteries are either ground up in order to extract the expensive components (nickel, cobalt), or…they go to the landfill.  Good earth stewardship demands a better, lower-energy alternative.  Dr. Steve Sloop (OSU, 1996), founder of OnTo Technology, is in the forefront of this field, helping to change the battery waste flow into a battery resource flow.

Working closely with researchers and students at Willamette University and OSU, OnTo Technology is developing direct recycling processes that entail disassembling used batteries into their reusable components, ensuring component quality, and then introducing these components back into the battery manufacturing process.  The associated recovery technologies, which must continually evolve as lithium-ion battery technology evolves, use much less energy and create much less waste than current recycling methods.  Although their new procedures are somewhat more labor-intensive, Steve calculates they use 1/62 as much energy (based on the Hess cycle calculation for smelting, boiling, and purifying the valuable components).  If the energy used to originally extract these materials from the earth is included, the savings are even greater.

OnTo Technology came into being as a company in 2004, starting with a loan from the Oregon Department of Energy.  This loan allowed Steve to hire a staff and to purchase equipment for pilot-plant scale research.  A battery recall by Apple provided the raw materials required for initial testing.  Interestingly, one of the first revenue streams for this fledgling company was reselling perfectly functional batteries (obtained in the recall but not on the recall list) on eBay.  Since that time, OnTo Technology has largely moved away from the small consumer electronics batteries to work with automobile and ship batteries; a grant from the US Department of Energy, Vehicles Division supports this newer focus.

When asked about the business model for his company, Steve explains that OnTo Technologies is not planning to become a battery manufacturer.  Instead, their goal is to license battery recycling technology to a manufacturing partner; currently they are working with XALT, a major US based manufacturer of large format batteries for cars and boats, and other manufacturers as well.  The scientists at OnTo are working to keep up with rapidly evolving battery technologies, in order to keep their partners in the forefront.  Their main product is knowledge and expertise in this exciting field.

Mike Lerner researches batteries full time at OSU
OSU’s Mike Lerner

In addition, OnTo works with OSU Chemistry’s Dr. Mike Lerner and his group to characterize material structures and compositions at different points in the recycling process. This information helps guide OnTo’s process development.  Collaborating for several years now on battery chemistry, Dr. Lerner and Dr. Sloop met 20 years ago when Steve was a doctoral student working with Mike.

Battery companies are not only interested in Steve’s ideas in order to save money on minerals.  There is momentum in local and state governments to require battery recycling, in order to reduce the toxic load in landfills; California already has such laws.  In addition, the marketing value of being considered a “green” manufacturer cannot be overstated.  Steve believes recycling is inevitable; he is leading the way in developing the best way to do it.

Many challenges remain; some manufacturers still think it is crazy to consider processes that are so labor intensive when it is easier/cheaper to grind and smelt, or discard, old batteries.  In the future, an automated disassembly line may reduce the required labor.  Right now, the scientists at OnTo Technologies continue to work on these challenges.

Guest Blogger: Mike Lerner

Dr. Lerner's booth before the other staffers arrived.  (photo courtesy of Mike Lerner)
Dr. Lerner’s booth before the other staffers arrived. (photo courtesy of Mike Lerner)

I attended the 31st International Battery Seminars in March. One the one hand, I presented a short review of current academic research on graphene in energy storage applications. My conclusions were that “gen-2” graphenes, with tailored functional edges and basal surfaces, present a possible route towards dense, electrically and thermally conductive composite hierarchical structures for battery or supercapacitor electrodes. And also that this is no secret, there is a lot of research activity ongoing all over the globe.

On the other hand, I manned an OSU exhibitor booth extolling the virtues of our soon-to-be-offered online course called “Chemistry and Materials of Batteries and Supercapacitors”.  There was an encouraging level of interest from large and small companies, governmental agencies, and other academics. I hope we’ll get a mix of students from these sources; among other advantages it will make for interesting class discussions.

Finally, the conference itself was fantastic. One could feel, almost palpably, the pull from industry for better batteries to meet the demands of the electric vehicle and smart grid markets. At the same time, we heard from many contributors that the existing technology and its logical extensions will not likely get us there — that major and fundamental advances in materials and chemistry are needed. What does this all mean? For one thing, it’s a very good time to be a battery chemist!