University researchers earn 'Oscar of Invention' award
Todd Headley • October 23, 2008

CSU researchers in the College of Engineering have recently been recognized broadly for excellence in inventing outstanding new technology and achievements in technology transfer.

On Oct. 16, researchers at Colorado State University and Lawrence Berkeley National Labs were presented an R&D 100 Award. Dubbed "the Oscars of Invention" by the Chicago Tribune, the award recognized the development of a new type of advanced microscope that uses an extreme ultraviolet laser as its light source.

The invention is credited to CSU researchers, Jorge Rocca, Carmen Menomi and others. The microscope is capable of "seeing" objects such as nanostructures that are 1,000 times smaller than a human hair.

This discovery will help researchers learn more about extremely small objects, including applications to chemical synthesis, protein analyses, and nano- and micro-scale devices.

The work of Rocca and Menoni is performed at the Engineering Research Center for Extreme Ultraviolet Science and Technology that is supported by funding from the National Science Foundation.

R&D Magazine notes that "for 45 years, the prestigious R&D 100 Awards have been helping companies provide the important initial push a new product needs to compete successfully in the marketplace. The winning of an R&D 100 Award provides a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that the product is one of the most innovative ideas of the year."

In another recent recognition for CSU innovation, the 2008 Royal Award for Sustainable Technology Transfer was presented to CSU's Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory. The three clean-tech projects recognized were an international cookstove project, a two-stroke engine conversion kit and the next generation of biofuels production from algae.

The cookstove and two-stroke retrofit kits products, both targeting pollution reduction in developing countries, are being commercialized by CSU startup company Envirofit International, which has received a multi-million dollar commitment from the Shell Foundation for the cookstove project.

An inexpensive mass production method of squeezing oil from algae for the production of biodiesel, including aviation fuel was also recognized. This technology is being commercialized by CSU startup Solix Biofuels.

The award was announced at the international Copenmind conference and exhibition in Denmark, which states it is the "world's largest marketplace for science and technology."

This year's theme at Copenmind was clean tech, and CSU showed it not only talks the talk about its position in clean tech, but has moved into a true leadership role.

Todd Headley is director of technology transfer for CSURF.