CNMS faculty at UMBC are on the cutting edge of applied research through the development of novel technologies and systems. Collaborations with corporations, near and fa, using these inventions take place via license agreements developed through the UMBC Office of Technology Development. A sampling of these agreements includes:

• Nabi Biopharmaceuticals: Headquartered in Boca Raton, FL with a branch office at Rockville, MD. Ramachandra S. Hosmane, Professor, UMBC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Engaged in R&D, Nabi has licensed from UMBC the Hosmane lab's patent on ring-expanded nucleosides and nucleotides (RENs) that have shown promising in vitro anti-tumor and antiviral activities. Nabi's main focus at the moment is to develop anti-hapatitis therapeutics based on REN technology.

• Novadaq: Headdquartered in Toronto, Canada. Ramachandra S. Hosmane, Professor, UMBC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Novadaq is engaged in novel technologies related to medical practice. It has licensed the Hosmane lab technology on a designer dye for surgical use in opthamology. The dye allows a surgeon to visually trace the flow of vascular fluids during operations, which would otherwise not be possible.

•Aurora Analytics, LLC, techcenter@UMBC, Baltimore, MD
William R. LaCourse, CEO - Professor of Analytical Chemistry, UMBC
Aristotle G. Kalivretenos, COO - Adjunct Assistant Professor of Chemistry, UMBC Aurora Analytics, LLC is an innovative boutique chemistry company providing expert chemical synthesis to create novel consumer and research diagnostic products, as well as specialized contract chemical synthesis for R&D and production projects. Aurora currently offers alcohol diagnostic reagents (G-Mark) and seeks to expand its presence in the alcohol biomarker market. Aurora is developing the Freshdicator product line for food freshness testing and LumiPro products for protein labeling based on proprietary technology. According to Dr. LaCourse: "The “1-Hydroxybenzotriazole-6-Carboxylic Acid, Derivatives Thereof and Uses Thereof” (UMBC Ref. 2387AK)” technology is the basis of the biogenic amine detection system, and “A Novel Method for the Determination of Glucuronides in Physiological Samples” (UMBC Ref. 2445WL)” technology is used in methods for glucuronide determination, see below.

A biogenic amine detection system. Naturally occurring amines (e.g. putrescine and cadaverine from rotting fish, proteins) are modified via this technology to visually detectable compounds using an immobilized reagent. With strategic benefits of sensitivity, rapid results, ease of use and low-cost, the amine modification technology has broad application in food safety and research diagnostics.

Glucuronide Diagnostic reagents and methods. Glucuronide metabolite analysis is a fast growing market for drug and alcohol use analysis (e.g. opioids, diazepines and alcohol) with unlimited potential. Aurora has secured rights to glucuronide sample preparation methods with much broader application than existing methods.

The explosives technology uses high-performance liquid chromatography with photo-assisted electrochemical detection (HPLC-PAED) is used in conjunction with ultraviolet detection (UV) for determining explosives in environmental samples. The system utilizes an on-line solid phase extraction technique for sample pretreatment and concentration, thus reducing the required ground water sample size from 1L to 2mL and minimizing sample handling. Limits of detection for explosives using solid phase extraction and photo-assisted electrochemical detection range from 0.0007 mg/L to 0.4 mg/L, well below those achieved with ultraviolet detection for several important explosives. The method has demonstrated good accuracy, precision, and recovery for all tested explosives, thus proving that the method is suitable for evaluation of explosives in ground water with competitive advantages over the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 8330. A system adaptable for the on-site environmental analysis of explosives has been developed and validated, which is the basis of the patent."

• Achillion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., New Haven, CT
Michael Summers-UMBC Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator The license to Achillion relates to the N-terminal portion of the immature HIV-1 gag polyprotein, which regulates maturation and infectivity of the human immunodeficiency virus (“HIV”) (UMBC Ref. 2392MS; HHMI Ref. 02368), and a number of compounds which bind to the HIV-1 gag polyprotein and interfere with its maturation, and therefore, the replication of HIV (UMBC Ref. 2398MS; HHMI Ref. 02457). According to Dr. Summers, this license to Achillion enables the development of a new class of antiviral agents, discovered at UMBC, that bind to the capsid domain of the immature HIV-1 Gag polyprotein and inhibit the formation of core particles during viral maturation.