Flashes of Genius

The Graz Universities honoured their inventive scientists, among them Manfred Hartbauer (Uni Graz, front row, from left), Katharina Kocher (TU Graz), Simon Sedej (Med Uni Graz) and Susanne Zimmermann-Janschitz (Uni Graz) as well as Gabriele Berg (TU Graz; 2nd row from left), Shruti Daga, Ellen Heitzer (both Med Uni Graz), Konstantinos Kostarakos (Uni Graz) and Stefan Spirk (TU Graz). © Lunghammer – TU Graz.

The Graz universities yesterday honoured those scientists who have pioneered research in the last two years with their inventions and patents

Since 2015, the Medical University of Graz, Graz University of Technology and the University of Graz have been honouring particularly "inventive" researchers in a joint ceremony every two years. 260 scientists were invited to the third occasion of this award, whose inventive talent produced no less than 169 invention disclosures and 71 patent applications between July 2017 and June 2019. The three Graz universities have thus recorded a total of around 1200 inventions over the past fifteen years.

Hellmut Samonigg (Rector of the Medical University of Graz), Martin Polaschek (Rector of the University of Graz) and Horst Bischof (Vice Rector for Research at Graz University of Technology) underlined in their welcoming addresses the importance of these achievements for Styria: "Universities are places of innovation. Inventions and patents are an essential factor in the measurability of innovation in research. Applicable technologies produced by the research work of our scientists are a guarantee of social progress and an essential basis for a strong, efficient economy."

Competent support: from the idea to the patent application

Technology transfer and research exploitation require a bridge to industry. The respective service departments at the universities provide support here. The Research & Technology House of TU Graz, the Research Management of the University of Graz and the Research Management of Graz Med University help researchers in all project phases and make a significant contribution to the development of technological innovations from research, which ultimately lead to patent applications or even to successful company start-ups.

From science to innovation

Three success stories from health research were presented as examples at the festive event.

TU Graz researchers Ingo Klimant and Sergey Borisov from the Institute of Analytical Chemistry and Food Chemistry developed biochemical sensor products for the medical technology sector together with the Graz branch of B.Braun Melsungen AG. The founding of the development office of B.Braun Melsungen AG in Graz was the result of an EU-funded project with a Graz focus.

An invention was successfully licensed to the biotechnology company Gilupi GmbH at the Medical University of Graz. Amin El-Heliebi, head of the research group at the Department of Cell Biology, Histology and Embryology, has developed a detection method with which resistance to therapy in prostate cancer can be detected at an early stage. He is concentrating on the search for biomarkers that show in advance whether the standard therapy will be effective or whether another form of therapy is necessary.

The Longevity Labs – a spin-off of the University of Graz – distributes spermidineLIFE throughout Europe. This is a product containing spermidine that slows down cell ageing in the body and prevents age-related diseases. The research results of Frank Madeo and Tobias Eisenberg provided the basis for this. The two researchers from the Institute of Molecular Biosciences at the University of Graz identified spermidine as the first non-toxic substance that prolongs the lifespan and health span of various organisms.

The following scientist from the University of Graz have been honoured:

BAUER, Maria-Anna | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
CARIONI, Marcello | Institute of Mathematics and Scientific Computing
CARMONA-GUTIERREZ, Didac | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
DALLINGER, Doris | Institute of Chemistry
DREXEL, Sebastian | formerly Institute of Geography and Regional Sciences
EISENBERG, Tobias | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
GRABNER, Gernot | formerly Institute of Molecular Biosciences
HARTBAUER, Manfred | Institute of Biology
KAINZ, Katharina | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
KAPPE, C. Oliver | Institute of Chemistry
KOSTARAKOS, Konstantinos | Institute of Biology
KROUTIL, Wolfgang | Institute of Chemistry
KUNGL, Andreas | Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
LEBL, René | Institute of Chemistry
MADEO, Frank | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
PREISS-LANDL, Karina | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
ROYER, Philipp | formerly Institute of Molecular Biosciences
SALEM, Ziad | formerly Institute of Biology
SCHMICKL, Thomas | Institute of Biology
SCHÖNWETTER-FUCHS-SCHISTEK, Stefan | Institute of Biology
SEEBACHER, Werner | Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
STEFANEC, Martin | Institute of Biology
WINKLER, Christoph | Institute of Chemistry
ZECHNER, Rudolf | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
ZIMMER, Andreas | Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences
ZIMMERMANN, Andreas | Institute of Molecular Biosciences
ZIMMERMANN-JANSCHITZ, Susanne | Institute of Geography and Regional Sciences

Christoph Pelzl (TU Graz) & Gerhild Leljak

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