Idaho Office of Science & Technology July 2005

In this issue:

# UI Researchers Solve 25-Year-Old Physics Riddle
# Idaho Students Receive Funding for Summer Biomedical Research
# ProClarity Teams With Microsoft
# Khamu Releases Latest Software for Restaurants, Arenas
# Conference to Highlight Idaho Nanotechnology
# AMIS Buys Flextronics Semiconductor
# Micron Launches Doctoral Engineering Program at BSU
# Research, Collaboration Will Foster Idaho’s Bioscience Industry
# Positron Awarded Contract for Damage Evaluation
# $9 Million Grant to Boost Water Research
# DocuTech Partners On Online Mortgage Documents
# "Smart Women" Grants Available
# Dedicated Devices Ships Home Entertainment System
# US Geothermal to Build 10MW Project
# HP to Release Industry’s First DAT Drive
# SCP Sells Technology to Applied Materials
# Kickstand Elects New President
# Dr. Bowen to Head INRA

Online Issue: http://cl.idaho.gov/portal/

UI Researchers Solve 25-Year-Old Physics Riddle

(Moscow, Idaho) University of Idaho researchers have made a discovery that may lead to new materials that convert heat to electricity.
Their paper was named one of the most influential and most downloaded papers of 2004 by the Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter.
The buzz is over the paper’s explanation of a 25-year-old mystery about why the compound zirconium telluride generates electricity when one side is colder than the other, university physicist David McIlroy said.
The implication is refrigerators or desktop computers may someday generate electricity from heat that would otherwise be wasted.
McIlroy worked with UI graduates Sam Moore, Daqing Zhang, Jayson Wharton and Bradley Kempton along with scientists from Clemson University and the Ames National Laboratory.
Moore now works for Micron Technology Inc. in Boise, Kempton for Hewlett-Packard Co. in Boise and Wharton for the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls. Zhang is now an assistant professor of physics at California State University in Fresno.
For more information, contact David McIlroy at (208) 885-6809, [email protected], or Bill Loftus, UI science writer, (208) 885-7694, [email protected].

Idaho Students Receive Funding for Summer Biomedical Research

(Statewide) Thirty-nine undergraduates from throughout Idaho received 10-week $5,000 fellowships to further research projects in everything from breast cancer to chemotherapeutic drugs to asthma.
The National Institutes of Health funded the statewide program called IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE).
The students are conducting research at Boise State University, University of Idaho, Idaho State University, Albertson College of Idaho, and Northwest Nazarene University.
Chelsea Isom, a junior majoring in biochemistry, is working with Boise State chemistry professor Ken Cornell on studies to identify new targets for antibacterial agents. Isom said she’s gaining valuable research experience that will support her plans to go to medical school after graduating from the university.
Another Boise State student, Zachary Heuman, is using atomic force microscopy techniques to investigate the properties of collagen found in cartilage as part of research in the lab of electrical and computer engineering professor William Knowlton.
"This is graduate-level research. It’s fantastic that I get to have this kind of research experience as an undergraduate," Heuman said.
Some INBRE students are conducting research at universities other than the ones they attend. For example, Boise State student Magdalena Zimmerman of Hayden is working on the University of Idaho campus in Moscow this summer in the lab of chemistry professor Thomas Bitterwolf.
Her research area involves developing new ways to alleviate blood vessel constriction in the limbs of amputees.
Another INBRE fellow, Kwang ho Ha of Brigham Young University Idaho, is conducting research this summer at Boise State. Ha is working in the lab of biology professor Troy Rohn on research involving Parkinson’s disease.
"This is something that isn’t available at BYU-Idaho, which is primarily a teaching institution," Ha said.

ProClarity Teams With Microsoft

(Boise, Idaho) ProClarity Corp., a maker of business intelligence software, has teamed with Microsoft on its new business performance management scorecard application called "Maestro."
ProClarity technology will add analytic tools so organizations can thoroughly evaluate the performance of key business metrics and better understand business performance.
"Maestro helps businesses turn information into action by surfacing key business metrics in the Office System," said Chris Caren, general manager of the Office Business Applications group at Microsoft. "The ProClarity platform extends this capability by adding robust analytic capabilities and advanced business performance analysis to Maestro."
More information is at proclarity.com.

Khamu Solutions Releases Latest Software for Restaurants and Arenas

(Boise, Idaho) Wireless software firm Khamu Solutions, LLC has released Sapphire 3.0, a software product line that enables faster service at restaurants and sports arenas.
"Sapphire has been a huge time-saver for both management and our wait staff, which translates into an overall dollar savings," said Sean Newell, general manager of Angell’s Bar and Grill in Boise.
The software enables wait staff to enter orders on a handheld device and send them wirelessly to the kitchen. In addition, sales information is automatically logged online and management has the ability to access real-time information from any online device.
"We also love the wireless feature as we can serve our customers faster with fewer mistakes with the handhelds, and also provide a public WiFi hotspot so our customers can access the Internet or check their emails," said Newell.
More information is at khamu.com.

Conference to Highlight Idaho Nanotechnology

(Statewide) Idaho’s nanotechnology sector will be highlighted at a Pacific Northwest forum this month.
The forum is being held in conjunction with the 15th Annual Pacific Northwest Economic Region Summit in Seattle. Idaho’s Office of Science & Technology will present nanotechnology work being done by a number of companies and research organizations, from Micron Technology to the Idaho National Lab.
The summit is the largest regional gathering of elected officials, attracting more than 400 legislators from five U.S. states and western Canada. The Nanotechnology in the Pacific Northwest forum will showcase technologies, explore complementary specializations in each region, and discuss federal and state programs dedicated to this area.
Nanotechnology has been identified as an emerging core competency in Idaho and is viewed as a potential economic driver of the future.
More information on Idaho’s core competencies is at technology.idaho.gov. Details on the Nanotechnology forum is at http://www.pnwer.org.

AMIS Buys Flextronics Semiconductor

(Pocatello, Idaho) AMIS Holdings, Inc. parent company for AMI Semiconductor has signed an agreement to purchase the semiconductor division of Flextronics for $135 million in cash.
The purchase includes three divisions which specialize in custom mixed-signal products, imaging sensors and digital applied specific integrated circuits.
AMIS President and CEO Christine King said the deal with increase the firm’s market presence and enhance their product offerings.
The transaction is expected to close early this fall. More information is at amis.com.
AMIS also is the new featured company at technology.idaho.gov, the state’s Web site that provides news and information for the technology industry. Technology.idaho.gov, launched early this year, provides information about funding opportunities, business incentives and other resources.

Micron Grant Launches Doctoral Engineering Program at BSU

(Boise, Idaho) A doctoral program in electrical and computer engineering is under way with a $320,000 grant from the Micron Technology Foundation.
The grant also challenges the university to find additional partners for the full implementation of the doctoral program in fall 2005. The grant, together with university funds, has enabled the college to hire three new instructors in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.
The new Ph.D. program will help provide the workforce necessary for the region’s growing high-tech economy and create a culture of innovation in research and development, said Cheryl Schrader, dean of BSU’s College of Engineering.
"We will also be looking for the opportunity for additional partners to join us in this effort," said Schrader.

Research, Collaboration Will Foster Idaho’s Bioscience Industry
(Statewide) If Idaho wants a piece of the nearly $55 billion worldwide biotechnology industry, state leaders must concentrate on their research institutions and foster collaboration, the state’s top technology leader believes.
"We need to intensify our efforts and align our research programs with our strengths in the science and technology industry," said Karl Tueller, executive director of Idaho Commerce & Labor’s Office of Science & Technology.
Bioscience is identified as one of Idaho’s key strengths in expanding its science and technology base.
Idaho’s legislature will play a role in these efforts this summer as it convenes a Biosciences Task Force to study economic development opportunities and assess strategies for developing the biosciences in Idaho.
Tueller was part of an Idaho contingent in June at the worldwide Biotechnology Industry Organization convention in Philadelphia, where more than 18,000 people from 48 states and 61 countries gathered.
Idaho representatives from the three state universities, BioIdaho, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Idaho Office of Science & Technology and the Idaho Economic Development Association hosted a pavilion during the three-day convention.
A global report by the Ernst & Young accounting firm found that the biotechnology industry continues to grow at a rapid pace.
In 2004, global revenue was up 17 percent to $54.6 billion, and spending on research and development climbed 12 percent to $20.2 billion, according to the report. Currently, there are 641 publicly held biotechnology companies in the world, just over half in the United States.
Agriculture is at the root of Idaho’s biosciences industry. New seeds for food or forage crops, exploration of biomass for fuels and animal medicine are the focus of research and commercial activity.
But other growing areas cover everything from Alzheimer’s research at Boise State University to medical equipment at Sapidyne Instruments in Boise to pharmaceutical analysis at Alturas Analytics in Moscow.

Positron Awarded Contract for Damage Evaluation

(Boise and Pocatello, Idaho) Positron Systems, which does advanced nondestructive and material characterization testing, has received a contract from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to evaluate damage in steel, aluminum, and titanium alloy materials used in military aerospace applications.
The contract is aimed at evaluating the company’s technologies for use in monitoring accumulated cyclic fatigue damage build-up in aircraft structural support components. The sponsoring agency for the project is the U. S. government.
Current methods of damage detection are limited in the size of defects that can be detected. Development of this technology may result in safer and less expensive operations of components susceptible to mechanical fatigue damage.
Research is taking place in Positron Systems’ Test and Analysis center in Pocatello.
More information is at positronsystems.com.

$9 Million Grant to Boost Water Research

(Statewide) A $9 million federally funded research program will bolster Idaho’s ability to study critical water and aquaculture issues.
Researchers at the University of Idaho, Boise State University and Idaho State University will share the funding for the three-year National Science Foundation grant.
The funding will support expanded computer analysis tools for research in areas like nitrogen and carbon cycles in Idaho landscapes, stream ecology, aquaculture and environmental nano-scale sensors.
Idaho’s wealth of watershed research remains largely untapped by scientists elsewhere and will gain visibility with the new projects. The state’s leadership in aquaculture and agricultural water research was another asset that helped land the funding.
The grant also reflects the state’s desire to support a growing high-tech industry and Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s desire to expand Idaho universities’ scientific expertise in select areas.

DocuTech Partners On Online Mortgage Documents
(Idaho Falls, Idaho) DocuTech Corp., an Idaho Falls-based software firm, has formed a partnership to offer lenders access to online closing documents at the point of sale.
DocuTech partnered with Commerce Velocity Inc. of Irvine, Calif. The integration of products will put brokers and loans officers in control of decisions, automated underwriting, and closing documents.
DocuTech provides compliance services and documentation technology for the mortgage industry.
More information is at docutechcorp.com

"Smart Women" Grants Available
(Statewide) Zion’s Bank is giving grants up to $3,000 to empower, support and educate women in achieving financial independence.
The program awards micro grants totaling $20,000 to women in the areas of: small business start-up and expansion; community development; continuing education; and other areas.
Grants are open to residents of Idaho and Utah and the deadline for applications is Aug. 1.
Applications are at http://www.zionsbank.com/womens_finance.jsp, or by calling (801) 594-8150.

Dedicated Devices Ships Home Entertainment System
(Boise, Idaho) Start-up firm Dedicated Devices Inc. is distributing its award-winning netwroked digital home entertainment system through Leviton Manufacturing Co., North America’s largest manufacturer of electrical and electronic wiring devices.
The product is specifically designed and built to utilize the Ethernet structured wiring systems home builders have been installing to "future proof" new homes.
Two of the home building industry’s largest distributors, ADI and Worthington Distribution, were the first to sign on earlier this year.
For more information, go to dedicateddev.com.

US Geothermal to Build 10 MW Project at Raft River
(Boise, Idaho) US Geothermal Inc., a renewable energy development company, has signed an agreement with a subsidiary of CH2M Hill to start construction of a 10 megawatt geothermal power project in Raft River, Idaho.
"The agreement with a world class company like CH2M Hill is more evidence of progress toward the production of electrical power at Raft River," said Daniel Kunz, the company’s president and CEO.
US Geothermal owns 660 acres and holds the geothermal rights to another 3,500 acres of private lands. Together, they comprise the Raft River project development in southeastern Idaho, a geothermal reservoir that was the site of a former U.S. Department of Energy geothermal research facility.
Earlier this year, US Geothermal entered into three power purchase agreements with Idaho Power Co., a subsidiary of IdaCorp, for a total of 30 megawatts of electricity, potentially worth $330 million in future revenue generation. Energy production for the first 10-megawatt phase is targeted for late 2006.
More information is at usgeothermal.com.

HP to Release Industry’s First Digital Tape Drives for Servers
(Boise, Idaho) The industry’s first digital audiotape USB tape drive for servers will be released by Hewlett-Packard Co. this month, with design work developed at its Boise facility.
The products are aimed at small to midsize businesses, which commonly use tape as a backup medium for data protection. The new tape drives allow users to recover not only their data but, in the event of a catastrophic disaster, their complete system configuration with the push of a single button.
More information is at hp.com.

SCP Sells Technology to Applied Materials
(Boise, Idaho) SCP Global Technologies, a provider of semiconductor equipment, has agreed to sell its single wafer cleaning technology and related intellectual property to Applied Materials Inc.
The sale is the first step to establish SCP’s new strategy as a "services" company to the wafer wet cleaning equipment industry. The initial focus will be on the extensive installed base of tools SCP has sold to its customers globally.
SCP has been in the semiconductor equipment production business for 30 years and has an extensive intellectual property portfolio.
More information is at scpglobal.com.

Kickstand Elects New President
(Boise, Idaho) Kickstand, a non-profit networking and education organization for entrepreneurs, has elected Meg Carlson as president for a one-year term.
Carlson is a former vice president at Ore-Ida Foods, Inc. and chief operating officer for online marketing company Duckets. She also co-founded C&H Group, a business intermediary firm that provides transaction and strategic advisory services.
Kickstand holds monthly networking meetings and educational programs.
More about Kickstand is at kickstand.org.

Dr. Bowen to Head INRA
(Idaho Falls, Idaho) Idaho State University President Dr. Richard Bowen has been named the new president of the Inland Northwest Research Alliance, a consortium of eight research universities in the northwest.
A nonprofit, scientific and educational organization, the alliance fosters collaborative research programs to educate America’s future scientists and engineers. The alliance has brought nearly $35 million into the Inland Northwest region in the form of new innovative research and educational programs.

Have an Idea/Submission for this Newsletter?
Contact Julie Howard at the Idaho Office of Science & Technology at (208) 334-2650, ext. 2147, or at [email protected]

2005 Events Calendar
July 9-Aug. 20
World Nuclear University Summer Institute

Idaho Falls
75 World Nuclear University Fellows from 33 countries will learn about a wide range of nuclear energy topics. Some programs will be open to the public. Keynote speakers include Hans Blix, former director of the International Atomic Energy Association and the former lead United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq.
More information is at world-nuclear -university.org.

July 10-15
Geology & Geologic Hazards of the Lost River Area
Big Lost River, Idaho
The Idaho Geological Survey’s 2005 earth science teachers’ summer field workshop will be held at the Idaho State University Lost River Field Station on the Big Lost River near Borah Peak. Contact: Gayle Wells at (208) 885-7991.

July 31-Aug. 5
Northwest Economic Development Games
Ellensburg, Wash.
Consultants, practitioners and teachers collaborate on how states and communities can establish a healthy environment for businesses. For information, go online to http://www.cted. wa.gov/ed/et.

Aug. 7-10
Biomedical Research Conference
Nampa, Idaho
Researchers from Idaho universities will present biomedical research projects at the IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence conference.
Contact Lodi Price, (208) 885-5373.

August 22-23
Northwest Energy Symposium
Portland, Ore.
This energy technology event brings together entrepreneurs, utilities, investors, research organizations, academia, and government officials involved with the region’s emerging energy sector.
For more information, go to http://www.nwetc.com

September 15-16
Biodiesel Utilization Workshop
Boise, Idaho
A series of workshops will provide information about this alternative fuel technology.
For more information, go to biodieseleducation.org.

September 22-23
Sustainable Transportation Conference
Moscow, Idaho
Topics range from biodiesel fuel production to land use and sustainable communities.
Registration and information is at http://www.webs1.uidaho.edu/ sustainable_transportation

September 28-30
Venture Capital Conference
Philadelphia
The National Association of Seed and Venture Funds provides education to investors and economic developers on expanding funding sources for entrepreneurs.
More information is at http://www.nasvf.org.

October 5-6
Idaho Intermountain Venture Forum
Boise
Emerging companies from throughout the region present their innovations to potential investors.
For information, go to http://www.ivf.org.

October 13-14
Idaho Manufacturing & Innovation Conference
Boise
Idaho’s second annual manufacturing conference is produced by TechHelp. Keynote speaker Ken Schmidt, of Harley Davidson, will be featured. Cost is $250; $35 for keynote luncheon only.
Register at http://www.techhelp.org, or call Melissa Jensen at (208) 426-3767.

For more calendar information, visit Conferences and Events at cl.idaho.gov

"We Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities and Market Idaho."

IDAHO COMMERCE & LABOR
PO Box 83720, Boise, Idaho 83720-0093
Tel: 208-334-2470; Fax: 208-334-2631
Web: cl.idaho.gov
05-62000-250

DIRK KEMPTHORNE, GOVERNOR
ROGER B. MADSEN, DIRECTOR
KARL TUELLER, DEPUTY DIRECTOR & OST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Idaho Commerce & Labor is an equal opportunity employer.
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