Research that has shown promise in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and cancer shared the stage with multiple technologies available for use by high-tech industries at the Florida Research Consortium’s two-day Florida Tech Transfer Conference hosted by the University of Central Florida.

Presenters from universities across the state focused on research being done in a variety of technology areas, from hardware and software to power systems and biosensors and detectors.

Approximately 400 registrants, including industry executives, entrepreneurs, university researchers, and investors, attended the event produced by the Central Florida Technology Partnership, the Florida Research Consortium and the Tampa Bay Technology Forum and held at the Hilton Walt Disney World on May 18th & 19th.

Jay Hickman, director of UCF’s Nansocience Technology Center and Ron Eaglin, an engineering and computer science professor who helped develop a data sharing technique being used by law enforcement agencies statewide were among the UCF presenters who participated in technology discussion groups.

Ben Noel, executive director of UCF’s new Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, spoke of the growing role interactive media will have in education at the luncheon on the event’s second day.

As the host university, UCF emphasized the major role university- business partnerships have in strengthening the state’s economy, said Tom O’Neal, associate vice president for research and chief executive officer of the UCF Technology Incubator.

“We’re really pleased about the addition of the Innovation Florida showcase to the event this year.” O’Neal said. “Florida’s universities play such an important role in the economic development of the state.”

In addition to the company presentations, UCF researchers joined their counterparts from across the state in presenting specific technologies available for commercialization and licensing.

Kiminobu Sugaya, a professor in UCF’s Biomedical Sciences Center, presented his pioneering process for increasing the potency of adult stem cells which can then be used in cell replacement therapies. A recent Wall Street Journal column described the work as offering “tantalizing” possibilities in treating Alzheimer’s disease.

And Otto Phansteil, an associate professor of chemistry, spoke about his research which is paving the way for targeted delivery of selected drugs directly into cancerous cells, potentially eliminating some of the negative side-effects typically associated with cancer-fighting agents.

In addition to UCF, participating universities included Florida A & M University , Florida Atlantic University, Florida International University , Florida State University, Nova Southeastern University , University of Florida , University of Miami , University of North Florida , University of South Florida and the University of West Florida .