Local high-tech firms to share grants

BYLINE: MAX SHOWALTER mshowalter@journalandcourier.com

More than $7.3 million from Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund has been allocated to several high-tech companies in Greater Lafayette.

"While the state's big wins with ... Toyota and other large employers often capture the headlines, hundreds of growing entrepreneurial companies make up a critically important part of our state economy," said a statement from Nathan Feltman, executive vice president of the Indiana Economic Development Corp., in announcing the grants.

"These emerging, high-growth Hoosier businesses which often spring out of our research universities and established companies represent the high-paying jobs of the future."

The latest round of funding is topped, locally, by $2 million for Ash Access Technology Inc.

The Lafayette company will use the money to supplement a $2.7 million Small Business Innovation Research Grant which will help pay for clinical trials for Zuragen, an injectable therapy the firm believes can significantly reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections.

Nearly $1.95 million has been allotted to Arxan Technologies Inc., an anti-tamper technology company that was founded in 2001 at the Purdue Research Park.

"Arxan proposes to undertake two key development initiatives to continue expanding in the rapidly growing anti-tamper domain, and further establish Indiana as the world's leader in developing and commercializing AT technologies," said Eric Davis, the company's senior vice president

"As a further initiative, and with the support of its partners, customers and IEDC, Arxan will launch an anti-tamper cluster, bringing significant economic activity to Indiana."

Other companies in the Purdue Research Park receiving allocations from the 21st Century Research and Technology Fund are:

BioVitesse Inc. -- $1.3 million to build on technology licensed from Purdue University that could reduce the detection and identification time for live bacteria from the traditional two to 10 days to less the four hours.

QuadraSpec LLC -- $933,333 to leverage the equity capital the company has received to facilitate the launch of its first product for the veterinary diagnostics market.

Imaginestics LLC -- $500,000 to develop an advanced version of the company's i-advisor product which will meet specialized needs of the aerospace sector.

Two Purdue researchers also received funding from the state's grant program which was created in 1999.

Physics professor David Nolte will get $404,325 to further technology that can detect target molecules in blood samples.

Yung Shin, a professor of mechanical engineering, has been allocated $300,000 to explore innovations in laser-based manufacturing through a partnership with Ivy Tech Community College in Lafayette, related companies and local and state units of government.

"The partnerships will facilitate technology innovations and implementation, and provide education and training of future necessary work force, which will strengthen the regional and national economies," said Shin.

"The participating industrial manufacturing companies will collaborate with the Center for Laser-based Manufacturing at Purdue University to pursue further development of the key technologies, innovations and commercialization."

{dcdc}Other grants handed out

The 21st Century Research and Technology Fund also awarded grants to several projects being developed at Purdue University but not connected to Purdue Research Park.

Recipients include:

Prosalia -- $2 million to expand commercialization of the company's Omni Spray, which utilizes ionization technology invented in the chemistry laboratory of R. Graham Cooks.

Ceramic Interconnect Specialists LLC -- $1,075,000 for development of satellite radio for extremely small form factor applications. The work will be done through a newly-formed entity that will be a direct transition for technology commercialization for advanced microelectronics and high frequency circuit research at Purdue.

Optical Vitals LLC -- $590,000 to commercialize a non-invasive blood pressure monitor that uses light absorption technology developed at Purdue.