The nexus between science and industry: evidence from faculty inventions

Against the background of the so-called European paradox, i.e. the conjecture that EU countries lack the capability to transfer science into commercial innovations, knowledge transfer from academia to industry has been a central issue in policy debates recently. Based on a sample of German scientists we investigate which academic inventions are patented by a scientific assignee and which are owned by corporate entities. Our findings suggest that faculty patents assigned to corporations exhibit a higher short-term value in terms of forward citations and a higher potential to block property rights of competitors. Faculty patents assigned to academic inventors or to public research institutions, in contrast, are more complex, more basic and have stronger links to science. These results may suggest that European firms lack the absorptive capacity to identify and exploit academic inventions that are further away from market applications. --academic inventors,university-industry technology transfer,intellectual property rights

R&D collaboration with uncertain intellectual property rights

Patent pendencies create uncertainty in research and development (R&D) collaboration agreements, resulting in a threat of expropriation of unprotected knowledge by potential partners, reduced bargaining power and enhanced search costs. In this paper, we show that - depending of the type of partner - uncertain intellectual property rights (IPR) lead to reduced collaboration between firms and may hinder the production of knowledge. This has implications for technology policy as R&D collaborations are exempt from anti-trust legislation in order to increase R&D in the economy. We argue that a functional IPR system is needed for successful utilization of this policy. --R&D collaboration,intellectual property,uncertainty,patents

R&D collaboration with uncertain intellectual property rights.

Patent pendencies create uncertainty in research and development (R&D) collaboration agreements, resulting in a threat of expropriation of unprotected knowledge by potential partners, reduced bargaining power and enhanced search costs. In this paper, we show that - depending of the type of partner - uncertain intellectual property rights (IPR) lead to reduced collaboration between firms and may hinder the production of knowledge. This has implications for technology policy as R&D collaborations are exempt from anti-trust legislation in order to increase R&D in the economy. We argue that a functional IPR system is needed for successful utilization of this policy.R&D collaboration; intellectual property; uncertainty; patents;

Commercializing Academic Research: The Quality of Faculty Patenting

The knowledge produced by academic scientists has been identified as a potential key driver of technological progress. Recent policies in Europe aim at increasing commercially orientated activities in academe. Based on a sample of German scientists across all fields of science we investigate the importance of academic patenting. Our findings suggest that academic involvement in patenting results in greater knowledge externalities, as academic patents appear to generate more forward citations. We also find that in the European context of changing research objectives and funding sources since the mid-90?s, the ?importance? of academic patents declines over time. We show that academic entrants have patents of lower ?quality? than academic incumbents but they did not cause the decline, since the relative importance of patents involving academics with an existing patenting history declined over time as well. Moreover, a preliminary evaluation of the effects of the abolishment of the ?professor privilege? (the German counterpart of the U.S. Bayh-Dole Act) reveals that this legal disposition led to an acceleration of this apparent decline. --academic inventors,faculty patenting,patent quality

"Wacky" patents meet economic indicators.

This study investigates whether standard patent measures for the importance and basicness of patents are able to distinguish between “wacky” patents and a control group of randomly drawn patents. Our findings show that forward citations are good predictors of importance. However, the “wacky” patents have higher originality, generality and average citation lags than the controls, which suggests that these indicators should be interpreted carefully.patents; patent indicators; quality measurement;

'Wacky' patents meet economic indicators

This study investigates whether standard patent measures for the importance and basicness of patents are able to distinguish between 'wacky' patents and a control group of randomly drawn patents. Our findings show that forward citations are good predictors of importance. However, the 'wacky' patents have higher originality, generality and average citation lags than the controls, which suggests that these indicators should be interpreted carefully. --patents,patent indicators,quality measurement

Universal Algorithm for Simulating and Evaluating Cyclic Voltammetry at Macroporous Electrodes by Considering Random Arrays of Microelectrodes

An algorithm for the simulation and evaluation of cyclic voltammetry (CV) at macroporous electrodes such as felts, foams, and layered structures is presented. By considering 1D, 2D, and 3D arrays of electrode sheets, cylindrical microelectrodes, hollow‐cylindrical microelectrodes, and hollowspherical microelectrodes the internal diffusion domains of the macroporous structures are approximated. A universal algorithm providing the timedependent surface concentrations of the electrochemically active species, required for simulating cyclic voltammetry responses of the individual planar, cylindrical, and spherical microelectrodes, is presented as well. An essential ingredient of the algorithm, which is based on Laplace integral transformation techniques, is the use of a modified Talbot contour for the inverse Laplace transformation. It is demonstrated that first‐order homogeneous chemical kinetics preceding and/or following the electrochemical reaction and electrochemically active species with non‐equal diffusion coefficients can be included in all diffusion models as well. The proposed theory is supported by experimental data acquired for a reference reaction, the oxidation of [Fe(CN)6]4− at platinum electrodes as well as for a technically relevant reaction, the oxidation of VO2+ at carbon felt electrodes. Based on our calculation strategy, we provide a powerful open source tool for simulating and evaluating CV data implemented into a Python graphical user interface (GUI)

The membrane environment modulates self-association of the human GpA TM domain—Implications for membrane protein folding and transmembrane signaling

AbstractThe influence of lipid bilayer properties on a defined and sequence-specific transmembrane helix–helix interaction is not well characterized yet. To study the potential impact of changing bilayer properties on a sequence-specific transmembrane helix–helix interaction, we have traced the association of fluorescent-labeled glycophorin A transmembrane peptides by fluorescence spectroscopy in model membranes with varying lipid compositions. The observed changes of the glycophorin A dimerization propensities in different lipid bilayers suggest that the lipid bilayer thickness severely influences the monomer–dimer equilibrium of this transmembrane domain, and dimerization was most efficient under hydrophobic matching conditions. Moreover, cholesterol considerably promotes self-association of transmembrane helices in model membranes by affecting the lipid acyl chain ordering. In general, the order of the lipid acyl chains appears to be an important factor involved in determining the strength and stability of transmembrane helix–helix interactions. As discussed, the described influences of membrane properties on transmembrane helix–helix interactions are highly important for understanding the mechanism of transmembrane protein folding and functioning as well as for gaining a deeper insight into the regulation of signal transduction via membrane integral proteins by bilayer properties

The fusion activity of IM30 rings involves controlled unmasking of the fusogenic core

The inner membrane-associated protein of 30 kDa (IM30, also known as Vipp1) is required for thylakoid membrane biogenesis and maintenance in cyanobacteria and chloroplasts. The protein forms large rings of ~2 MDa and triggers membrane fusion in presence of Mg2+. Based on the here presented observations, IM30 rings are built from dimers of dimers, and formation of these tetrameric building blocks is driven by interactions of the central coiled-coil, formed by helices 2 and 3, and stabilized via additional interactions mainly involving helix 1. Furthermore, helix 1 as well as C-terminal regions of IM30 together negatively regulate ring-ring contacts. We propose that IM30 rings represent the inactive form of IM30, and upon binding to negatively charged membrane surfaces, the here identified fusogenic core of IM30 rings eventually interacts with the lipid bilayer, resulting in membrane destabilization and membrane fusion. Unmasking of the IM30 fusogenic core likely is controlled by Mg2+, which triggers rearrangement of the IM30 ring structure