(10/06/23) BATON ROUGE, La. —The LSU AgCenter kicked off the semester by recognizing scientists for their research projects that have been awarded patents while others received career achievement and intellectual property awards.

Wade Baumgartner, director of Sponsored Programs and Intellectual Property, said the Annual Patent and PVP Club Awards and Semester Kick Off event recognizes outstanding work and presents awards for excellence in their field and is not so much about commercialization of their work.

“What we want to do is broaden their perspective. It’s almost like travelling,” he said. “The more different experiences you encounter, the more likely you are to think differently.”

Baumgartner said he is all for the scientists having their hard work commercialized and available to solve common problems.

“Information transfer is what we do and that requires a broad perspective,” he said. “This is what opens the door to new ideas.”

This year, the AgCenter recognized those who have been awarded grants and patents at an awards ceremony on the LSU campus.

The grant awardees this year include Prasanta Subudhi, Denise Holston, Andy Nyman, Bret Collier, Terrence Tiersch, Changyoon Jeong, Qingxiao Li, Drew Fowler, Adam Famoso, Jeff Davis and Jeff Kuehny.

— Subudhi was recognized for his work on climate-resilient innovations for sustainable production of rice.

— Holston was recognized for her healthy access behaviors and communities work.

— Nyman received an award for his roseau cane dieback work addressing plant decline and opportunities for restoration.

— Collier was awarded for his LSU AgCenter monitoring agreement.

— Tiersch for his work on safeguarding genetic resources of aquatic biomedical models.

— Jeong for smart strategies of water management.

— Li for a study on the economic and social impacts of SNAP-authorized retailers and implications for policy.

— Fowler for identifying factors influencing nocturnal foraging site selection by adult female mallards and northern pintails in south Louisiana.

— Famoso for development of superior rice varieties for Louisiana

— Davis for CleanSEED, a project to ensure the sustainability of U.S. sweet potato seed programs.

— Kuehny for the holiday light show at the Botanic Gardens at Burden.

Those recognized for patent awards and their patent numbers are:

— Ida Wenefrida, Herry S. Utomo and Steven D. Linscombe, 9888637, LSU AgCenter high-protein rice.

— Dorin Boldor and Daniel Hayes, 10,010,881, catalysts useful for biomass pyrolysis and bio-oil upgrading.

— Jeffrey S. Beasley, Edward W. Bush and Maureen E. Thiessen, 10,188,051, method for controlling irrigation.

— Jose Daniel Estrada Andino and Jack N. Losso, 10,376,566, composition and method for improving sleep duration and quality.

— Donald La Bonte, PP32021, sweet potato plant named LA 13-81.

— Carlos E. Astete, Cristina M. Sabliov, Ede Bodoki, Oliviu Vostinaru, Ovidiu C. Samoil and Elena Dinte, 10,952,974, delivery of bioactive, nanoencapsulated antioxidants.

— Famoso and Linscombe, 202000299, herbicide- tolerant long-grain rice called CLL17.

— Witoon Prinyawiwaktul, Yixiao Shen and Zhimin Xu, 11,634,651, effective method for improving solubility of high-molecular weight chitosan.

— Daniel Swale and Lane Foil, 11,632,953, targeting potassium ion conductance pathways to prevent insect feeding.

The 2024 Career Achievement and Intellectual Property awards winners are:

— Linscombe for 22 issued U.S. patents and plant variety protection. Six licenses have been generated from Linscombe’s inventions. Six are exclusive.

— La Bonte for 17 issued U.S. patents and plant variety protection (one is pending in the U.S. and two overseas). He has 22 issued foreign patents, and 71 licenses have been generated from La Bonte’s inventions. Eleven of those are exclusive, with 60 non-exclusive.

— Steve Harrison for 25 U.S. patents and plant variety protector, three of which are pending. Twenty-one licenses have been generated from Harrison’s inventions; 17 are exclusive and two are non-exclusive. He also has one option and one research agreement.

The awards are presented each year to those who have shown through their research how ideas can become commercially viable products.

Wade Baumgartner, director of Sponsored Programs and Intellectual Property, and assistant director Michelle Miller prepare to present awards at the Annual Patent and PVP Club Awards and Semester Kick Off event recently on the LSU campus. Photo by Johnny Morgan/LSU AgCenter