November 24, 2009 -- OCAST board members this week approved $1.8 million for the Oklahoma Applied Research Support program to fund 10 projects chosen on the basis of quality science and expectations for commercialization. They also were advised that OCAST is expecting to eliminate the $1.9 million spring competition for the applied research program as a budget-cutting measure.

OCAST is the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology. A one-to-one match is required of successful applicants for Oklahoma Applied Research Support awards most of which represent research projects that run for up to three years.

Peer reviewers from around the nation evaluated the applied research applications and collectively placed them in order of the project’s expected ability to achieve commercialization through sound scientific investigation.

Projects range from a new therapy for age-related macular degeneration to a high pressure/high temperature quartz transducer.

OCAST applied research funds target accelerated and proof of concept technology that has significant potential for producing a commercially successful product, process or service with high potential to benefit the state’s economy.

A report from OCAST staff advised that next spring’s applied research competition could be a victim of the state budge shortfall. Improvements in the budget picture could place the spring competition back on schedule.

The applied research award winners for biotechnology include the following:

Biotechnology

• Oklahoma City – DNA Solutions and Oklahoma State University will provide matching funds for a project that calls for a commercial assay for prion disease detection. Brandt Cassidy is principal investigator. The goal of the project is to develop protocols for the use of selected white-tailed deer cell lines for the ante-mortem and environmental detection of CWD prions. Prion disease is related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy and chronic wasting disease. Award: $230,608 for two years
• Oklahoma City – The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center working with principal investigator Courtney Houchen will work on development of a novel cancer stem cell model. The Veteran’s Administration and Swaasth Inc. will provide matching funds. Cancer stem cells have been identified in a wide variety of breast, pancreas and colon cancers. The goal of the project is to develop a cancer stem cell model that can be used to identify novel therapeutic stem cell targeting agents. Award: $300,000 for three years
• Stillwater – The National Institutes of Health is providing matching funds to Oklahoma State University and principal investigator Lin Liu for development of a microRNA expression library. The collection will satisfy a growing demand for expressing microRNAs in cells and animals for gain-of-function and therapeutic studies. Award: $90,000 for two years