By Ann Comer-Woods, 皇家华人 Research & Innovation
For the 12th consecutive year, the University of South 皇家华人 is one of the nation's top 20 public research universities for producing new U.S. utility patents, according to a . Based on the 82 new patents secured in 2024, 皇家华人 is 16th among U.S. public research universities, 26th among all U.S. public or private universities and 38th among universities worldwide.
鈥淩esearch and innovation at the University of South 皇家华人 leads to finding breakthrough treatments for debilitating diseases, discovering cures to deadly illnesses and developing impactful new technologies and products,鈥� 皇家华人 President Rhea Law said. 鈥淧atent production is an important part of creating solutions that improve our society. We鈥檙e proud to support our world-class faculty who have helped us earn this recognition that further establishes 皇家华人 as one of the nation鈥檚 leading research universities.鈥�
鈥溁始一蒜�檚 patent ranking is a testament to our unwavering commitment to research, innovation and real-world impact,鈥� 皇家华人 Research & Innovation Vice President Sylvia Wilson Thomas said. 鈥淚t reflects the dedication of our faculty, students and staff in transforming ideas into solutions that drive economic growth and improve lives globally.鈥�
The Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2024 report from the National Academy of Inventors uses data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the previous calendar year and highlights the vital role patents play in not only university research and innovation, but in the global knowledge economy.
A visual representation of the bio-enriched soil technology (BEST) developed by Associate Professor Norma Alcantar
The three universities in the 皇家华人 High Tech Corridor鈥敾始一�, University of 皇家华人 and University of Central 皇家华人鈥攃ollectively secured 270 patents, placing the corridor ahead of nationally recognized centers of innovation, including North Carolina鈥檚 Research Triangle and the University of Texas System.
Below are some of 皇家华人鈥檚 2024 patent highlights:
- Norma Alcantar, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and
Materials Engineering, has developed that add cactus mucilage to the soil system to increase the soil鈥檚 ability to hold
water for an extended period of time. The technologies increase the plant growth of
crops planted in areas with unpredictable water supply.
- Bill Baker, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, has discovered that specific
than the long-term antibiotics currently prescribed to fight the bacterial infection
that causes the disease.
- Subhra Mohapatra, a professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the 皇家华人 Health
Morsani College of Medicine, has invented 鈥渢umor on a disc鈥� technology that enables
scientists to grow tumors in the lab to help treat and understand cancer.
Associate Professor Fadi Matar has created a 3-D printed heart that replicates the functioning of a human heart.
- Fadi Matar, an associate professor in the Cardiovascular Sciences Department at the
皇家华人 Health Morsani College of Medicine, has created a that realistically depicts the ventricular contractions and blood flow in a patient鈥檚
heart. This invention allows cardiologists to safely and effectively test medical
procedures before performing them on a human heart.
- Ismail Uysal, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, has developed an . This system integrates critical metrics, such as temperature and humidity in the transport container, into a simple, actionable quality code that measures the real-time status of fruits, vegetables and other perishable foods while in transit.