There is a (gradual) changing of the guard at the University of Minnesota’s Venture Center. Beginning last July, director Doug Johnson trimmed his work schedule to three days a week, allowing associate director Russ Straate to assume more responsibilities.

Organizers of the planned Minnesota Science Park officially unveiled plans for the 32-acre, one million-square-foot private research park adjacent to the University of Minnesota’s Biomedical Discovery District during Thursday’s Association of University Research Parks annual meeting.

Forget “One Life to Live” or “As the World Turns.” If you want a real soap opera, look no farther than the University of Minnesota. One week after MedCity News first reported that University Enterprise Laboratories (UEL) and the school’s medical device fellowship program were close to a deal to establish MDC Launch Pad, an incubator for companies created by the fellows, the university’s top technology transfer official is opposing the project.

In the end, Matt Kramer’s departure from the University of Minnesota was a lot more low key than his hiring less than a year ago.With great fanfare, the school had hired Kramer in July 2009 to run what was then known as the Academic and Corporate Relations Center. The university had good reason to crow: [...]

The University of Minnesota is no Pfizer or Merck. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t act more like Big Pharma.The school has begun an ambitious effort to convert its considerable drug research into actual products. The idea is to better coordinate drug discovery projects among programs like the Masonic Cancer Center, medical school and College [...]

Tim Mulcahy’s eyes lit up as the thought suddenly seized him.“Here’s what we can propose,” said Mulcahy, vice president of research at the University of Minnesota. “Perhaps the university is too risk averse in our assessment” of potential startups.“We will make any of those technologies and potential companies that we pass on immediately available for [...]

Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-St. Paul) has good reason to feel a fresh spring in his step these days.He helped pass long overdue tax credits for angel investors and research and development spending, a feat that earned him a prime spot (second from the left) behind Gov. Tim Pawlenty when the presumed Republican presidential candidate signed [...]

University of Minnesota tech transfer officials have spoken about the “Big One,” a blockbuster technology that would create or upend an industry while earning the school a hefty return for its efforts.There’s Miromatrix Inc., which hopes to grow organs from stem cells, and VitalMedix Inc., a startup developing a drug to keep alive patients suffering [...]

Quantity or quality?Like most things in life, that’s not always an either/or question. Most people would prefer both. But as the University of Minnesota starts to shop its intellectual property a little more aggressively to investors, as evidenced by its first Life Sciences Showcase event at University Enterprise Laboratories Thursday morning, it’s something to think [...]

Last week, mRemedy launched its first app called Mayo Clinic Meditation for Apple’s iPhone and iTouch, a program created by Dr. Amit Sood, a Mayo professor, to teach people breathing and relaxation techniques. The company has already sold 200 apps, each priced at $4.99 on iTunes.