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Shear-Induced Nanoscale Binding Switches based on Adhesion Molecules, UWIL #3758

   Technology Description

Researchers at the University of Washington have developed techniques to change the binding strength of adhesion molecules in order to develop new systems, devices, compounds, and drug delivery methods.

Applications / use-cases:

Methods, compositions, and devices for using shear-dependent binding switches in a variety of applications are useful in biomedical and other fields. Applications for this technology include the following: 1) as a non-invasive probe for force fields; 2) to control the aggregation of ionic and molecular scavengers; 3) to fabricate devices for particle and cell sorting; 4) to allow for the assembly of molecules, particles, and micro- or nanosystems into novel materials and devices; and 5) for drug delivery or as part of carriers for cardiovascular, urinary tract, and other medical applications.

Advantages over current alternatives:

The shear-induced switches offer greater control over conventional mechanical, molecular and biochemical switching mechanisms.

Seeking partnerships for:

Licensing:	The UW currently has US and foreign patent applications filed on this technology.
Comercialization:	Initial data and working prototypes exist, and this technology is available for licensing.

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