From the Director: A Year of Celebration Comes to a Close

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

When I kicked off our 40th anniversary celebrations back in January, I don’t think many of us knew the changes that 2025 would bring. Emory University and many of our peer institutions grappled with serious uncertainty, as proposed budget cuts to federal research agencies and a government shutdown threatened funding for essential research. Throughout the year, we were braced for impact, expecting that the shifting guidelines in federal research funding would dampen the university’s life-saving research efforts. However, while some impacts were felt, Emory’s research enterprise and technology transfer activity remained strong: the number of invention disclosures and grants remained Read More …

How Do So Many Candy Canes Exist?: The Technology, Innovation, and History Behind The Festive Treat

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The candy cane is synonymous with holiday cheer — and they seem to be everywhere this time of year. With 1.76 billion canes sold in the U.S. annually (and 90% falling between Thanksgiving and Christmas), there’s deep technological efficiency and innovation keeping this festive treat in homes. Early History While today we know and love the crooked shape that gives the candy cane its name, the candy cane began as a straight, white sugar strike during the 17-18th century in Europe. These early renditions of the modern-day treat were peppermint or anise flavored, with candymakers mixing, pulling, twisting, and shaping Read More …

How the Grinch Stole the Big Screen: Adapting Written Intellectual Property to Film

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

We all have those movies that we watch during the holidays. They make us laugh or cry or fill us with Christmas cheer and that warm, happy holiday feeling. And many of our favorite films, such as How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Polar Express, A Christmas Carol, and It’s a Wonderful Life, were actually books, short stories, and novellas before they were adapted into movies. So, how does a piece of written intellectual property (IP) get turned into a movie? Copyrights and Wrongs When anyone creates an original work of authorship fixed in a tangible form of creative expression Read More …

Let it Snow: How Synthetic Snow Redefined the Magic of Winter

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Snow imagery often rings in the winter season, but not everyone gets to enjoy it. Even for those in northern climates, snow needs an ideal balance of weather conditions to form. Understanding that not everyone can enjoy the fun and excitement of this wintertime delight, researchers developed a solution: synthetic snow. A happy accident In the 1940s, a group of scientists in Canada aimed to study how ice could impact the productivity of airplanes’ jet engines. In their attempts to create ice by spraying water vapor in front of the airplane’s tunnel-like engine, the vapor was instead sucked into the Read More …

Emory Patent Group: Protecting Emory Inventors’ Intellectual Property Since 2010

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It’s a tale as old as tech transfer: an academic researcher invents a revolutionary technology and wants to get it out of the lab to the public, maximizing its real-world impact. But there are many steps involved in this process – including securing intellectual property protection via patents. For that, they’ll need a patent application with strong claims and knowledge of their university’s IP policy. If they’re an Emory inventor, the Emory Patent Group (EPG) is the go-to resource for navigating the patent process. Patent Power When Emory inventors make a discovery or innovate a new technology, they disclose it Read More …

Marking Milestones: 40 Years of Firsts at Emory OTT

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At Emory Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), we’ve trailblazed many “firsts” in our 40 years, which have opened the door to hundreds of discoveries, partnerships, and breakthroughs — events that continue to define our impact today. Here are 9 milestones worth remembering. First Invention Disclosure: A Potential Drug to Control Steroids In 1985, the same year OTT began, the first invention disclosure was submitted: “Novel Compounds for Inhibition of Steroid Biosynthesis” from inventor Dave Lambeth, PhD. An invention disclosure is the confidential document that starts the journey from idea to impact, capturing the details of a discovery so OTT can Read More …

15 Good Minutes: Lily Yang, MD, PhD

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When asked to describe her job, Lily Yang, MD, PhD, said that she is first and foremost “a translational scientist of oncology research.” Yang is also a professor of Surgery and Radiology and Imaging Sciences, the Nancy Panoz Chair of Surgery in Cancer Research, and Director of the Surgical Oncology Nanomedicine Research Lab, all at the Emory University School of Medicine. She is an innovator and researcher within the field of oncology, and she has made a career of recognizing shortcomings in clinical management of cancer patients, filling the gaps in oncological knowledge, and developing better treatment options for cancer Read More …

No Patent Needed: Commercializing with Copyrights and Open-Source Licenses – Part 2

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In Part 1 of this series, we learned how OTT helps inventors commercialize their copyrighted work while also exploring some of the limitations of copyrights, including the problems that can arise when inventors use copyleft licenses or reveal details of their inventions before securing their intellectual property. Below, we will learn about open-source software (OSS) licenses and how they factor into the commercialization process, or how they might impact commercialization. What is Open Source? When talking about software, open-source generally means that anyone can access and modify the software in question for free. When commercializing, there are two ways in Read More …

OTTie’s Summer Travels: Following Emory OTT’s favorite office mascot around the world

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At Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), we’ve long referred to ourselves as “OTT-ers”— pronounced like “otters,” the adorable marine mammal. While the nickname started off organically, it eventually stuck, becoming a fun, unofficial way to describe the team. That same nickname also inspired the introduction of OTTie: a plush, stuffed otter who got his start a few years ago as a way to celebrate the work happening within the office. But OTTie quickly became more than just a symbol of success—he’s become a member of the team in his own right. He’s posed for photos, been passed from desk Read More …

NAI Member Spotlight: A Q&A with faculty driving innovation at Emory OTT

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Faculty research is what drives our work in Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Their discoveries shape every part of our mission, whether it’s filing patents, licensing technologies, or guiding early-stage startups. As a way to honor their accomplishments, OTT nominates outstanding faculty innovators to the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), an esteemed organization that recognizes inventors with U.S. patents. In our 40 years of existence, OTT has fostered relationships with faculty members and encouraged academic inventorship. Here, we spoke with several of Emory’s esteemed NAI Fellows and Senior Members about their career as innovators and experiences partnering with OTT. Read More …

No Patent Needed: Commercializing with Copyrights and Open-Source Licenses – Part 1

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In the process of commercialization, the word “patent” has become something of a status symbol. Which is fair, considering the basic road to commercialization is to invent, patent, and produce. But what about copyrights and open-source software (OSS) licenses, which don’t involve patents? These different types of intellectual property warrant special consideration during the commercialization process. What is a license? The term “license” comes up quite a bit in the commercialization process. Basically, a license is an agreement between the owner of the intellectual property and the entity that wants to use said intellectual property. The agreement allows the licensee Read More …

The Emory OTT Licensing Internship: Cultivating the Next Generation of Tech Transfer

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The OTT licensing internship, according to its coordinator Catherine Murari-Kanti, PhD, is about “setting up a pipeline for future licensing associates and the future of tech transfer by making sure we have excellently trained people who can take the reins over the next few years.” The program, aimed at graduate students both within the Emory community and outside of it, offers interns a look at a fulfilling career outside the lab – one that sits at the exciting intersection of science, business, law, and innovation. What to Expect The program commences in the last week of August, where the students Read More …

4 Emory OTT Success Stories You Might Not Know

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Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer has transformed many ideas into products on the market in the last 40 years. You may have even heard of some of our products, like the HIV antiretrovirals emtricitabine and lamivudine, which went on to become brand names like Truvada, Dovato, and Descovy. Or maybe you’ve heard of molnupiravir, one of the world’s first approved oral medications for the treatment of COVID-19. While not all of Emory’s 65+ products to make it to the market have been blockbusters, they all certainly have created positive impact. Here, we’re highlighting a few under-the-radar success stories that demonstrate Read More …

The 2025 Tech Partnership Forum: Technology, Partnering and Faculty Honors

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Each year, Emory researchers push the boundaries of innovation, developing groundbreaking technologies with the potential to change the world. When these technologies are patented, licensed, and brought to market, it marks a significant milestone in advancing research and real-world impact. On April 17, 2025, Emory OTT hosted the Tech Partnership Forum: Technology, Partnering & Faculty Honors. Since the event’s inception in 2007, it’s changed names and locations, and it’s grown to host more than 150 people. But even as it’s evolved, our annual event has always highlighted exceptional faculty contributions to innovation and commercialization. It was an especially remarkable year, Read More …

Transforming Ideas into Impact: Linda Kesselring’s Legacy in Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer

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  Linda Kesselring is a seasoned operations leader who has dedicated nearly 30 years to Emory University, with almost two decades as the Operations Director in the Emory Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Throughout her career, she has been a key player in enhancing the office’s strategic direction, focusing on project management, financial oversight, and technology transfer. Linda’s innovative approach has led to significant improvements in operational efficiency and has fostered a culture of excellence within the team. Notably, her efforts have helped position OTT as a leader in the field, enabling impactful collaborations and driving advancements in technology transfer. Read More …

15 Good Minutes: Claudia Morris, MD

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Pediatric emergency medicine physician, research director for the Center of Clinical and Translational Research, professor of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, and chief investigator for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. These are only a few of the many hats that Claudia Morris, MD, wears as she works to improve the lives of her patients, students, and those impacted by her clinical research. Morris has been involved with clinical and translational research for over 25 years. In her words, it has been “quite a journey.” That said, she didn’t intend to be a Read More …

OTTers Reflect on 40 Years of Creating Impact

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Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) helps researchers and inventors turn their research into reality, and the people behind the scenes make it possible. OTT staff members are a tight-knit team who work tirelessly to commercialize Emory technologies and maximize their impact. Did you know that we call ourselves OTTers (or “otters”)? Our collective nickname, along with our monthly OTTer Award honoring high-performing licensing associates, build a strong sense of camaraderie and drive us to do our best work. To celebrate the outstanding work of OTT employees over our 40 years, we asked a few current OTTers about their experience Read More …

Celebrating 40 Years of Innovation: The Story of Emory OTT

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The passage of the Bayh-Dole Act in 1980, which allowed universities to take ownership of their inventions made with federally funded research, was a pivotal moment for academic innovation. The shift prompted universities nationwide—including Emory University—to establish technology transfer offices to facilitate this newfound process, and by 1985, Emory had created its Office of Technology Transfer (OTT). Over the next four decades, Emory OTT grew into a leader in the field, setting the standard for how universities can transform academic innovation into tangible solutions. As we celebrate 40 years of Emory OTT, let’s take a closer look at its beginnings, Read More …

Biolocity: The Business of Making Science

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What’s the real measure of research impact? To quote John Nicosia, the former interim managing director of Biolocity, “A researcher might consider their research to be impactful if they publish their findings in a prominent journal and receive 200 citations on their paper. But imagine the impact if their research was translated into a product that treated 200,000 people.” That’s the goal of Biolocity: to find promising biomedical research in academia and supply those researchers with the resources, support, and tools they need to make their dreams of making an impact in medicine a reality. Overcoming guidance and funding challenges Read More …

From the Director: Emory OTT Celebrates 40 Years of Innovation

Posted onAuthorAsher Alt

Happy New Year, and I hope 2025 brings you joy, happiness, and prosperity. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Emory’s Office of Technology Transfer (OTT), so I’m reflecting on what the world looked like four decades ago. In 1985, Back to the Future was released, and who knew the kind of cultural phenomenon it would become? Michael Jordan was also named NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1985 (but I think we all knew then that he was something special). Personally, I’d just finished my undergraduate degree at Oregon State University and had begun my research career at the Read More …