A utility model patent on "soil heavy metal remediation device" was granted by the State Intellectual Property Office recently. This is first national patent awarded to GTIIT, marking a solid step forward in intellectual property protection.

The patent, focusing on the worldwide problem of soil heavy metal pollution, can process 1000 kg of metal-contaminated soil at a time utilizing the principle of Microbial Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP)  in heavy metal remediation.

Prof. Varenyam Achal and his team have been conducting research on soil heavy metal immobilization for the past few years. "Soil heavy metal pollution has posed threat to biodiversity, agricultural activities, the overall environmental and human health. Our device is expected to cope with metal-contaminated soil in farmland, e-waste sites, mine tailings and other contaminated areas," said Prof. Achal.

Learning from the technology commercialized experience at the Technion, GTIIT has established an effective mechanism to encourage researchers to commercialize their technological inventions and discoveries, and provided an innovative chain service of intellectual property patent declarations and new products technologies incubation etc.

A professional scientific and technological achievement transfer and transformation team has been set up to actively connect with the research teams. The team acts as a gate-keeper on key aspects, such as intellectual property analysis and review, signing cooperation agreements, ownership of intellectual property rights. It also helps with patent exploration and navigation, and guides high-quality patent drafting.

Up to now, there are 11 patent applications under process at GTIIT, including 7 international patents. We will continue to strengthen the innovative awareness, promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and support for local economic and social development.

Text: GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photo: Prof. Varenyam Achal