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Accelerator Technology: Texas A&M Professors Turn Magnets Into Business
By REBECCA WATTS

The next major medical breakthrough towards curing cancer could result from technology being developed right here in the Brazos Valley. Accelerator Technology Corporation (“ATC”) is building the world’s first commercial 1.2 GHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer. When completed, the machine will be housed at Texas A&M University. ATC will develop, manufacture, and sell the technology to biomedical manufacturing companies that will use the technology to isolate the mechanism by which diseases attack the body.

Dr. Peter McIntyre, president of ATC and professor of physics at Texas A&M University, said “We’re not doctors, we can’t cure disease, but we’re hoping to develop this whole new generation of magnets that can empower the folks who are good at that to do it faster and better.”

Magnets are the catalyst for TMR spectrometers. TMR spectrometers are used to isolate the cell proteins that allow and often reproduce cell mutations that cause cancer and autoimmune disorders. Proteins are the source of all activity within cells. They are rigidly structured crystals, but have joints that are flexible, similar to the elbow joint, where chemicals can bind and potentially alter the message the protein relays to the body. Spectrometers use an exceptionally high electromagnetic field that allows researchers to pinpoint the type of protein by the way it responds at a certain frequency.

“They do a little dance and spiral around at a certain frequency, just like a top,” McIntyre said. “That frequency is an ID card for that atom -- what kind of atom it is and what kind of environment it is in.”

The higher the electromagnetic field, the sharper the resolution is for identifying the proteins and the sites chemicals bind. Recent advancements in superconducting technology and materials provide the capability to produce a higher magnetic field than those currently on the market can provide. However, these materials are similar to porcelain and are crushed by the magnetic force field. ATC has two unique superconducting patents developed by the company’s principals that provide a solution for this problem.

Eight years ago, McIntyre created a structured cable technology that houses a six-on-one twisted cable that cushions the superconducting material and prevents the field from crushing it. The cable preserves the performance and integrity of the material. A secondary technology is a refining process for superconducting powder developed by Dr. Mohit Bhatia, a researcher at Texas A&M University and ATC principal. The powder is developed by using technology similar to aerosol technology and is sent to an advanced system that sorts small particles from larger particles. The particles are continually refined until they reach the smallest size possible before being placed into wires. This powder makes it possible to generate a higher current. Bhatia said the concept is similar to placing balls inside a tube.

“If you’re putting balls in a tube, there is a limited number of balls you can put in and the space would be lost as void, so holes,” Bhatia said. “The smaller the balls are you reduce the amount of veracity of space in between them. You can utilize the space even more, making it much better.”

The binary process reacts the same way in each disease and if a complete protein binary process can be identified, it could lead to a cure for the disease. By identifying these sites, researchers at pharmaceutical companies could potentially develop medications to treat or cure some of the world’s deadliest diseases. Pinpointing these mechanisms further allows physicians to tailor treatment to patients that respond uniquely to some diseases, a treatment that could be particularly useful in auto-immune disorders. Personalizing medication takes weeks just to get a sample. ATC’s technology could shorten that time to days.

McIntyre said “What we’re trying to do is push that performance to make it possible to acquire images faster and make it more accessible.”

The company has, for the time being, virtually no competition due to the two unique superconducting patents the company’s principals developed. The company will sell their products to companies at half the cost with twice the performance power of current models. However, marketing a new technology company poses challenges. ATC already has $820,000 in funding and has applied for $200,000 more in Small Business Innovation Research Grants. NMR spectrometers cost $8 million to build, with $6 to $7 million of that cost attributable to the magnet. Using the newly developed superconducting technology, ATC is able to offer twice the power for half the cost, which makes the company a little easier to market said Will Botts, a local business man and the third principal in the company. ATC’s innovation helps and hinders its success as a business. Botts is working in partnership with the general manager of the Research Valley Innovation Center, James Lancaster, to develop a marketing strategy and business model to overcome structural and performance issues.

“There is a market today, so the challenge is showing that our product is better than what’s available. The prominent main factor would be not showing interest in it,” Botts said. “The solution to that is to take it to the end user and let them know we’re providing twice the power at half the cost. We believe that market force will allow us to develop a relationship with manufacturers.”

The Research Valley Partnership believes the company will be successful and early last month selected ATC as the winner of the Research Valley New Ventures Competition. The award provided $30,000 for start-up costs provided the company operate out of the Brazos Valley. Lancaster said the company was selected for its innovation. “ATC had the sexiest, far-out science fiction technology that we felt could be delivered,” Lancaster said. “It’s real easy to stand up there and talk about real sexy technology and stuff, but that makes it science fiction. To feel like the team could deliver it and create a business out of it is pretty new for a new technology like this.”

The company’s ground breaking technology is in stark contrast to its surroundings. Located in west College Station off of FM 60, only a green mail box marks the company’s entrance. White gravel separates a small path from the surrounding trees and dips, twists, and turns before finally revealing a massive metal building. The 6000 square foot structure will house ATC as a business and allow for the development of the magnet and superconducting powder and cable. The first magnet should be completed in five years and in the meantime, the company will sell the processed superconducting powder and structured cable. The 1.2 GHz NMR spectrometer will be housed at Texas A&M University near the physics department.

McIntyre said, “We are launching out as a venture that has its origin in my company, Accelerator Technology Corp. We are about to spin out a new company out of that will be entirely devoted to that venture and it will be called Texas Nano Materials.”

Beyond bringing the Brazos Valley to the global playing field, ATC will bring jobs and expand wealth in the area. Lancaster expects specialized companies to relocate to the area and said the effects are far-reaching and difficult to predict.
“Typically when there is a break-through product like this, the products get used in ways that you can’t imagine right now,” Lancaster said. “This company may not be the company to take it to market. [ATC] has envisioned a handful of applications for this product, but the real breakthrough will be in someone that comes up with an idea of how to use it to enable something you can’t even imagine.”