August 7, 2003
Teranode Corp. licenses two UW-developed technologies
A private technology start-up company, Teranode Corp. of Seattle, has licensed two technologies developed at the UW: Labscape, which promises to revolutionize how data is collected and analyzed in laboratories, and JSim, which offers cutting-edge simulations of biological systems.
“We’re delighted to see this promising technology in Teranode’s capable hands. This is a model example of how the University can help develop technology that then flourishes in private industry and stimulates economic development in our region,” said Charles Williams, director of the UW Office of Software & Copyright Ventures.
Many of the officers in the company met while working at the UW. For example, the company’s chief executive officer, Joseph Duncan, was previously chief of operations and information technology at UW’s Cell Systems Initiative (CSI), part of the Department of Bioengineering. The company’s chief operating officer, Dr. Neil Fanger, was formerly on the CSI staff.
“Universities are a great way of incubating ideas and technology before the kind of research and development that private industry can then provide,” Duncan said. “We’re very excited about the advances in biology that will be made possible by these new technologies, and our continuing collaboration with the University of Washington.”
Two technologies are involved in the licensing agreements:
— Labscape forms the foundation for TeraLab, a ubiquitous laboratory assistant that helps researchers gather and organize data, and analyze and predict results. Labscape was invented by Dr. Larry Arnstein, a former professor of computer science and engineering at the UW who is now chief technology officer at Teranode. He is now an affiliate faculty member in the Bioengineering Department. . (At the UW, Arnstein worked with Dr. Gaetano Borriello, professor of computer science and engineering, and Dr. Bob Franza, director of CSI and research professor of bioengineering.
— JSIM is a mathematical simulation platform for the modeling of biological systems and analysis of experimental data. Teranode has licensed the computational engine of JSim, and is further developing it as part of the commercial product called TeraSim. JSim was developed in the UW’s National Simulation Resource Facility (NSR, a NIH/NCRR center), which is directed by Dr. James Bassingthwaighte, professor of bioengineering and radiology. Dr. Zheng Li, the chief science officer and founder of Teranode Corp., was the associate director of NSR and research assistant professor of bioengineering. Li led JSim design and development at NSR with a team that includes Erik Butterworth, a software engineer, and Dr. Mike Kellen, a former graduate student at NSR and now a senior scientist at Teranode.
The Labscape technology was made available through a CSE Technology Access Program (TAP) supervised by Borriello. This novel program provides industry access to technology developed by the Portolano project in a membership format designed to accelerate adoption of these technologies by the public. The Portolano TAP includes pre-priced non-exclusive licensing levels that TAP member companies can choose from, ranging from “internal use only” to commercial distribution of a technology. Ultimately, a TAP member company can request a restriction license which allows negotiation of an exclusive license with the UW for a specific technology, provided that other TAP members at the commercial licensing level do not object. Teranode is a commercial level member of the Portolano TAP and distributing TeraLab already. The JSim license provides Teranode with a sole position to commercialize the JSim technology for a specified period of time, Williams said. The company, in both cases, pays a licensing fee to the University and retains revenues from any product based on the technology.
“People think of universities as places where you develop technologies, but we also develop people and relationships,” Williams said. “It’s very telling that Teranode formed from former faculty and students of the University. UW is a great place to meet other talented people with a broad range of interests, and find others who share your vision for the future.”
Other companies are encouraged to participates in UW’s Portolano Technology Access Program, in which private companies collaborate actively with University researchers and get a first look at developing technology. UW’s other current partner in the Portolano TAP is Intel. UW hopes to have other TAP projects soon.
The Portolano TAP seeks to create a testbed for investigation into the emerging field of invisible computing, devices are so optimized to particular tasks that they blend into the world and require little technical knowledge on the part of their users. Portolano charts are the seacoast charts created by Portuguese sailors of the 14th and 15th centuries. They were fundamental to the Age of Discovery initiated by Portugal’s Prince Henry the Navigator that led to the European discovery of the African coast and the New World.
