Farmingville, NY - On Wednesday, June 23, the Town of Brookhaven hosted the First Annual Inventor’s Reception, a gala event honoring local inventors whose groundbreaking scientific research and discoveries earned patents in 2009. Held at Flowerfield in St. James, the event was presented in partnership with Long Island's premiere research institutions, Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Supervisor Mark Lesko served as host for the evening and also delivered opening remarks along with esteemed guests Dr. Samuel Aronson, Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory and Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr., President of Stony Brook University.

In his opening address, Supervisor Lesko said, “The 40 miles between Brookhaven Laboratory, Stony Brook University, and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory should be known as the “cradle of innovation”. This research tradition not only includes these institutions, but dates back to the 19th and early 20th Century, when Nikolai Tesla was developing AC Current, among his 100s of inventions. I urge our inventors to think about becoming entrepreneurial with their inventions, because the future of the cradle of innovation depends on the successful commercialization of these inventions.

Deputy Supervisor and Councilwoman Kathleen Walsh, who was also in attendance said “The patents developed here in Brookhaven are changing lives around the world. We house world class research facilities that help to provide outstanding opportunities for our local scientists and researchers to continue to pioneer new groundbreaking and innovative discoveries.”

An impressive list of over 30 patented technology inventions were recognized during the awards ceremony with certificates of excellence presented by Supervisor Lesko to each inventor whose achievements earned them the honor. The inventions covered a wide range of scientific categories.

Commenting on the accomplishments of the honorees, Dr. Stanley said, "I am very proud of the individuals from Stony Brook and our sister institutions, whose innovative discoveries are being honored tonight. The road from discovery to patent is a long and difficult one, and it speaks volumes about the quality of discoveries that have been made, as well as to their potential benefits to society that they have come this far. I greatly appreciate the Town of Brookhaven and Supervisor Lesko honoring Stony Brook University faculty and students in this way. I know all of us are hoping that some exciting products come from these innovative discoveries."

Dr. Aronson also commented, “At Brookhaven Lab, we place high value on discovery and innovation processes that result in advancing basic knowledge of the world in which we live, as well as innovations that result in things of practical use to all. I commend all of the innovators in our midst and thank Supervisor Lesko for honoring them in this very special way. It’s gratifying to know that the Town of Brookhaven recognizes the importance of the discoveries being made here and how they can improve our quality of life, here on Long Island, across the country and around the world,” ”

The evening’s keynote speakers were Dr. Ralph B. James, Senior Scientist and Program Manager with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and Dr. Maria Badalamente, Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center.

Dr. James previously served as the Associate Laboratory Director for the Energy, Environment and National Security Directorate at Brookhaven Laboratory from 2001-2008 and is the author of more than 450 scientific publications and holds 13 patents. He has received numerous international honors in recognition of his accomplishments in the areas of energy, environment, homeland protection and medical imaging. The output of his research on semiconductor radiation detectors, particularly cadmium zinc telluride devices, is finding numerous applications in the fields of gamma-ray spectrometers, astrophysics, and high-resolution imaging for medical uses. Dr. Badalamante has authored 60 articles in medical journals and has presented her work at conferences around the world. She is a member of the research team that developed Xiaflex, a new drug to treat Dupuytren’s Contracture (a deformity that affects the connective tissue under the skin on the palm of the hand), that was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In addition to the certificate of excellence awards given to the honored inventors, a $1000 scholarship from the Stony Brook Foundation was presented to Michael Farrell, a Longwood High school graduate from the class of 2010. Michael will be attending Stony Brook University in the fall where he is enrolled in the biology program. At Longwood, he participated in the 2010 High School Science Olympiad where he competed in weekly challenges based on various aspects of the science curriculum. Michael commented that his inspiration to study science came from a family member, “I got interested in biology when my brother was diagnosed with a heart condition that has since been corrected. That’s what steered me to medical field.”

The Town of Brookhaven’s First Annual Inventor’s Reception was made possible by generous sponsorship commitments from platinum sponsors Hoffmann & Baron, LLP; Scully, Scott, Murphy & Press, PC; gold sponsors Baker Botts LLP, Dorsey & Whitney LLP, F. Chau & Associates, Fish & Richardson, Dilworth & Barrese, LLP, and silver sponsors Kenyon & Kenyon LLP, Cooper & Dunham LLP and Farrell Law Firm.

Some examples of the scientific inventions that were recognized at the Inventor’s Reception are:

• Mercury Contamination Extraction U.S. Patent No. 7,589,248
  Inventors: Mark Fuhrmann, John H. Heiser, and Paul D. Kalb / Brookhaven National Laboratory
  The Brookhaven team invented a new method to remove toxic mercury from soil, sediment, sludge and other industrial waste. The method allows mercury to be treated in situ – at its original location in the ground. When mercury contaminates a large area, it is too expensive to scoop up and transport for remediation. This new method can remove mercury without excavating and replacing large volumes of toxic soil or other waste material, reducing both cost and environmental impact. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that mercury-contaminated waste be treated to either remove or stabilize the toxic metal and prevent it from leaching into soil or groundwater. In cases where large areas are contaminated with levels of mercury that are not extremely high, current mercury-extraction methods are expensive and impractical for removing mercury. In contrast, the new Brookhaven process, called “In Situ Mercury Stabilization” (ISMS), can treat and remove mercury contamination from the ground in a cost-effective manner.
   
• Regeneration of Aluminum Hydride / U.S. Patent No. 7,521,037
  Inventors: Jason Graetz and James J. Reilly/ Brookhaven National Laboratory
  This innovation is the development of a new procedure to insert hydrogen into aluminum to produce aluminum hydride, a promising hydrogen storage material for fuel cell vehicles. This material has an extremely high hydrogen density, twice that of liquid hydrogen and roughly 10 times that of compressed gas. Fuel cell vehicles will help break our dependence on fossil fuels for transportation.
   
• Corrosion-resistant Metal Surfaces / U.S. Patent No. 7,507,480
  Inventor: Toshifumi Sugama / Brookhaven National Laboratory
  This technology offers a chrome-free, corrosion protection coating system that forms an ultra-thin corrosion-resistant film on a variety of metal and metal alloy surfaces.
   
• Flame Retardant and UV Absorptive PMMA Nanocomposite (R-7533) U.S. Patent Number: 7,521,499
  Inventors: Dr. Miriam Rafailovich, Michael Goldman, Mayu Si and Vivek Vasudevan/ Stony Brook University
  Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), commonly known by the trade names of PlexiglasTM or PerspexTM , is a high modulus, high gloss, glassy polymer which is naturally transparent and colorless. Consequently, PMMA is often used as a replacement for glass since it is shatterproof and easily molded. However, PMMA has poor thermal properties which is a major disadvantage in further developing PMMA for use in windows or windshields where its high impact and shatter resistant characteristics would be highly beneficial. PMMA is also known to ignite quickly and has poor thermal stability. On the other hand, when PMMA burns, it does not emit much smoke. PMMA can also be subjected to large temperature extremes without cracking. Technology provides an improvement in the flame characteristics of PMMA allowing for its broader market appeal as a glass replacement, shatter-proof material.
   
• System and Method for Performing a Three-Dimensional Virtual Examination of Objects, Such as Internal Objects (R-7151.3) / U.S. Patent Numbers: 7,474,776, 7,486,811 and 7,477,768
  Inventors: Dr. Arie Kaufman, Dr. Jerome Liang, Dr. Mark Wax, Dr. Ming Wan, Dr. Bin Li,
  and Dr. Dongqing Chen / Stony Brook University This portfolio of innovations are elated to performing three-dimensional virtual examination, navigation and visualization of internal organs, the most common use for which is “virtual colonoscopy.” 3-D Virtual Colonoscopy was approved for Colon Cancer Screening in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration in 2004. This innovative computer graphics technology puts computed tomography (CT) images of the patient’s abdomen together into a high quality 3-D computerized model of the patient’s colon. This allows a radiologist to virtually “fly through” the patient’s colon, from beginning to end, and around all folds, seeing 100 percent of its surface as opposed to the estimated 77 percent with conventional colonoscopy, and thoroughly searching for polyps, the precursor of colon cancer, that are as small as a few millimeters. By contrast, a conventional colonoscopy using a fiber optic endoscope is invasive and expensive, and requires a day of preparation involving harsh laxatives and usually a day for the procedure since the patient must be sedated. A conventional colonoscopy also carries the risk of perforation of the colon wall and even a small risk of death.
   
• Anti-Tuberculosis Taxane Compounds (R-7836) U.S. Patent Number: 7,615,653
  Inventor: Dr. Iwao Ojima / Stony Brook University
  Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its high rate of infection and its life threatening potential makes TB one of the most serious public health issues today. The current treatment regimen is dated and arduous. It relies on drugs developed in the 1960’s that require treatment lengths of six to nine months. Further, if the treatment protocol is not followed by the patient, there is a risk of developing drug resistant TB, which has been on the rise even in developed countries. Therefore, there exists the need to develop new drugs that attack TB in novel ways. Dr. Iwao Ojima, Distinguished Professor from the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University and Director of the Institute for Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, has applied his knowledge of taxane compounds to fighting TB. Taxanes have been used for years as a chemotherapy for treating cancer. Taxol is a type of taxane that inhibits cancer growth by binding to and inhibiting a protein in the cell called tubulin. Since tubulin function is essential for cell division and cancer growth, taxol inhibits the cells from dividing further. Dr. Ojima discovered taxane compounds that inhibit a similar protein found in M. tuberculosis called FtsZ. Just a tubulin is required for cell division in people, FtsZ is required for the M. tuberculosis cell to divide. Dr. Ojima refined the compounds that inhibit FtsZ so that they did not affect tubulin function and thus can be used safely in humans. These compounds, with their novel mechanism of action, have the potential to be the next breakthrough in TB care.
   

Supervisor Mark Lesko (left) presents certificates of excellence to inventors Richard Kew and Jianhua Zhang from Stony Brook University who were among over 100 honorees at the Town’s First Annual Inventor’s Reception on June 23 at Flowerfield in St. James. The gala event which honored local inventors whose groundbreaking scientific research and discoveries earned patents in 2009 was presented by the Town of Brookhaven in partnership with Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Supervisor Lesko, who served as the evening’s host, referred to Brookhaven Town as the “cradle of innovation” and urged the inventor’s to “think about becoming entrepreneurial with their inventions, because the future of the cradle of innovation depends on the successful commercialization of these inventions.” Pictured left to right are Supervisor Lesko, Mr. Kew, Mr. Zhang, Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr., President of Stony Brook University and Dr. Samuel H. Aronson, Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory. Mr. Kew and Mr. Zhang were honored in recognition of their patent for Antagonist Peptides to the C5A Chemotactic Function of Vitamin D Binding Protein.



Supervisor Mark Lesko presents a $1000 scholarship check from the Stony Brook Foundation to Longwood High School 2010 graduate, Michael Farrell at the Town’s First Annual Inventor’s Reception on June 23 at Flowerfield in St. James. Michael, who was selected for the honor among a number of local students that submitted essays, is enrolled in the Biology program at Stony Brook University starting this fall. At Longwood, Michael graduated with a 95 GPA and also participated in the 2010 High School Science Olympiad where he competed in weekly challenges based on various aspects of the science curriculum. Supervisor Lesko, who introduced Michael at the event, applauded his decision to pursue a career in medicine and commented that his inspiration came from his younger brother who was diagnosed with a heart condition at an early age. The gala event which honored over 100 local inventors whose groundbreaking scientific research and discoveries earned patents in 2009 was presented by the Town of Brookhaven in partnership with Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Pictured left to right are Supervisor Lesko, Michael Farrell, Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr., President of Stony Brook University and Dr. Samuel H. Aronson, Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory. Dr. Stanley and Dr. Aronson were also guest speakers at the event.



On June 23, Supervisor Mark Lesko served as the host and awards presenter at the Town’s First Annual Inventor’s Reception held at Flowerfield in St. James. The gala event, which honored over 100 local inventors whose groundbreaking scientific research and discoveries earned patents in 2009, was presented by the Town of Brookhaven in partnership with Stony Brook University, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. In his opening remarks, Supervisor Lesko referred to Brookhaven Town as the “cradle of innovation” and urged the inventor’s to “think about becoming entrepreneurial with their inventions, because the future of the cradle of innovation depends on the successful commercialization of these inventions.” Pictured left to right are Deputy Supervisor and Councilwoman Kathy Walsh, Dr. Samuel H. Aronson, Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory, Dr. Samuel Stanley Jr., President of Stony Brook University and Supervisor Lesko. Dr. Stanley and Dr. Aronson were also guest speakers at the event.

 

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