Texas A&M System Inventors Recognized

Superfund Basic Research Program

Dr. Phillips honored with Patent and Innovation award

In February 2007 Dr. Timothy D. Phillips, SBRP project investigator, received an Innovation Award from the Office of Technology Commercialization (http://sago-news.tamu.edu/releases/?p=227) at Texas A&M University. Phillips was recognized for his toxicology research related to hazardous chemical and microbial contaminants of food, particularly the aflatoxins. To address this problem, Phillips and colleagues have demonstrated that NovaSil clay can be utilized to preferentially and tightly bind these poisons in the stomach and intestines resulting in reduced bioavailability, toxicity and cancer causing effects. He is also working on the development of similar therapies for environmental contaminants through the Superfund Basic Research Program. Because of this work, the Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC) at Texas A&M University has recently launched a Texas-based start-up company (Texas EnteroSorbents, Inc. (http://www.texasenterosorbents.com/) ). One of the objectives of this new company is to commercialize novel products that will serve to diminish exposure and risk from food-borne and environmental carcinogens.

More information on Dr. Phillips' research can be found on the SBRP website on his project web page and on the SBRP Products and Accomplishments web page.