ENERGY EFFICIENCY Aeroseal (startup)
In the United States alone, the loss of heated and cooled air in ducts costs
homeowners and building operators $5B. A Berkeley Lab research team invented
a device to deliver a mist of polymer particles that seal ductwork leaks, even holes
too small to see or too difficult to reach from attics and crawlspaces. Their startup,
Aeroseal, is now available through over 400 franchises in the United States plus
distributors in Canada, Europe and Asia. The Aeroseal process reduces up to 90%
of leaks while reducing HVAC workload and improving indoor air quality.
SENSORS / DETECTORS • IMAGING
Digirad (exclusive licensee)
Researchers at Berkeley Lab discovered that a photodiode originally designed for a particle collider
could track scintillations in gamma ray detectors and follow radionuclide tracers in medical scans.
Medical imaging device maker Digirad licensed the Berkeley Lab photodiode technology to make
a line of smaller, lighter, more affordable gamma cameras – unlike early gamma cameras weighing
over 1,000 pounds, mostly due to the detectors. By incorporating the Berkeley Lab photodiode,
Digirad’s portable gamma camera can be rolled to the patient to image blood flow during a heart
stress test or to diagnose kidney disease and arthritis.
BIOENGINEERING
TeselaGen (startup)
Lab researchers invented modular software that saves significant time and money constructing
the combinatorial protein libraries used to develop new medicines, feasible bioenergy solutions,
and other biotechnology innovations. Over 1,300 researchers in hundreds of non-commercial
institutions use the software at no cost. Researcher startup TeselaGen licensed the technology
to serve commercial users in the multi-billion dollar DNA synthesis market.
BATTERIES CalCharge (industry consortium)
Berkeley Lab and the California Clean Energy Fund created CalCharge, a battery and electrochemical energy storage consortium that joins Berkeley Lab energy storage experts with innovators,
developers, and stakeholders in the field of next generation batteries to accelerate development
and deployment of clean energy technology. A streamlined partnership agreement for consortium
members reduces contracting times, enables projects to begin quickly, and includes an option for
an exclusive license in a pre-negotiated field of use for intellectual property generated.