Purdue innovators moving to fast-track COVID-19 diagnostic, therapeutic solutions

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the U.S. and the world, Purdue University scientists are working to move solutions to diagnose and treat the virus to the marketplace as soon as possible.

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization is working with innovators from across the university to patent and license technologies that focus on the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of treating COVID-19.

Among the technologies being developed:

• Paper-based and microfluidic, rapid-detection systems that are cheap and portable solutions to diagnose COVID-19 in the field.
• Drugs and vaccine options for treating and preventing coronavirus infections.
• Environmental and surface decontamination technologies to sterilize surfaces, water and air.

“We are expediting the review and processing components of our pipeline to move these inventions from Purdue to a world in need,” said Brooke Beier, vice president of OTC. “We are intensely seeking industry partners to help us accomplish this mission.”

Industry partners and others interested in licensing Purdue technologies can contact OTC at

otcip@prf.org

.

Purdue innovators are drawing on their strengths in areas such as environmental engineering, health sciences and chemistry to create solutions to help diagnose and treat people infected with the novel strain of coronavirus.

“I think it is important to note that Purdue investigators are not only thinking about today during this pandemic, but we are pragmatically providing long-term solutions for tomorrow so that we are better prepared for these types of challenges in the future,” said Thomas Sors, who is assistant director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, which is currently leading the COVID-19 task force effort at Purdue. “I’m impressed by the way our scientists and experts are responding swiftly to pivot their focus on this current outbreak. Many of them have already been developing solutions in related areas that can now be re-tooled and directly applied to COVID-19.”

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About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university’s academic activities through commercializing, licensing and protecting Purdue intellectual property. The office recently moved into the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in Discovery Park District, adjacent to the Purdue campus. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Visit the Office of Technology Commercialization for more information.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to today’s toughest challenges. Ranked the No. 6 Most Innovative University in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at purdue.edu.

Writer: Chris Adam, 765-588-3341,

cladam@prf.org

Sources: Brooke Beier,

blbeier@prf.org

Thomas Sors,

tsors@purdue.edu