News Archive

Protagen AG announced that it has entered into a long-term collaboration agreement with QIAGEN targeting the development of novel protein-based companion diagnostics for autoimmune disorders. Under the terms of the agreement, QIAGEN will gain access to the proprietary SeroTag® technology platform of Protagen, which enables the discovery and validation of novel protein-based marker panels. Such markers hold great promise for the development into companion diagnostics to guide treatment decisions in various autoimmune disorders. Financial details of the collaboration were not disclosed.

Two University System of Maryland schools are turning investor.

University of Maryland, Baltimore, and University of Maryland, College Park plan to invest up to $500,000 each in Maryland-based startups that use technology licensed from the universities.

University of Maryland UM Ventures and Harpoon Medical, Inc., announced today that the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) has invested $100,000 in Harpoon Medical. This is the first equity investment UM Ventures has made in a company and completes Harpoon Medical’s $3.6 million Series A financing. The investment also coincides with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s decision to grant a patent for the innovative beating heart mitral valve repair technology Harpoon Medical licensed from UMB. The team in the Division of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine developed the licensed technology.

ATCC, the premier global biological materials resource and standards organization, is pleased to announce that Ralph Koch has joined ATCC as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration/Chief Financial Officer and Dr. James Kramer has joined as the Vice President of Operations.

ATCC has a reputation for delivering high quality biomaterials and services to support scientific research and breakthroughs that improve the health of global populations.

The Life Sciences Impact Grant Program was created in 2014 to provide financial assistance to life science employers who retain jobs and to stimulate the organic growth of life sciences in Montgomery County.

The Department of Economic Development will award grants in the amount of between $5,000 and $25,000 to 5-7 life sciences companies, enabling them to advance a business development/product development goal.

Connecticut Innovations (CI), the leading source of financing and ongoing support for Connecticut’s innovative, growing companies, today announced that the Connecticut Bioscience Innovation Fund (CBIF) has awarded $1.8 million to bioscience projects at the conclusion of the latest review of project applications.

The Department of Health and Human Services has expanded its entrepreneurs-in-residence program with new partners who will work with agency employees on various projects over a 12-month period.

A Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering student team has placed second in the undergraduate division of the Collegiate Inventors Competition for its AccuSpine probe, marking the third consecutive year that a Johns Hopkins team has been awarded a top prize in this challenge.

The president of the University of Maryland University College, rejecting a recommendation from an outside committee, has decided he won’t ask the state to let the university convert to a private nonprofit institution or break away from the University System of Maryland.

What do beekeepers, marching band members, engineers and choir singers all have in common? They all raised money for various projects through Launch UMD, a new crowdfunding platform at the University of Maryland, College Park.

(Screenshot courtesy of launch.umd.edu)