OCTOBER 2008: THE STATE WE'RE IN, DEAL WATCH
$2.4 million grant helps OSU research biofuel crops
When it comes to fundamental biological research, the fruit fly
has long been the classic model organism on which scientists
experiment.
Now, thanks to one of two $1.2 million federal grants,
researchers at Oregon State University are creating a sort of
fruit fly of their own that will be used for the study of
cellulosic biofuel feedstock crops that could one day become
alternative sources of fuel.
“What our project is about is really fundamental basic
research that relates to cellulosic ethanol,” says Todd
Mockler, an assistant professor of botany at OSU. “And
for that kind of research, you need a model
organism.”
Mockler’s project received a three-year, $1.2 million
grant from the Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to basically create a DNA chip for brachypodium, a
model grass that researchers can study to learn more about the
biofuel crops of tomorrow.
The chip, a tiny square packed with brachypodium DNA, will be
manufactured by the California firm Affymetrix and made
available to researchers all over the world. Those scientists
will conduct experiments to see how brachypodium can be made
into a superior crop that is, say, more resistant to drought or
insects. Once scientists figure out how to make those genetic
modifications in brachypodium, they’ll be able to make
them in closely related biofuel crops like switchgrass.
The other $1.2 million grant went to OSU forest science
professor Steven Strauss, who will study the poplar tree, which
itself may be a valuable biofuel crop someday.
But don’t expect to see poplar- or switchgrass-based
ethanol fuels at the pump anytime soon. While Mockler sees
these grants as a welcome opportunity for research, it likely
will be years before alternative fuels like these play a more
significant role.
“The technology isn’t mature enough yet to make
billions of gallons of ethanol from cellulose for fuel,”
he says. “But there are lots of possible
solutions.”
JON BELL
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MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
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PRICE
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EXP. CLOSE
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BUYER / PARENT (HQ)
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SELLER / PARENT (HQ)
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ANNOUNCED
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$310M
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Q3
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L-1 Identity Solutions (CT)
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Digimarc (Beaverton)
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8/4
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$34.25M
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Q3
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NDS Surgical Imaging (CA)
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Planar Systems (Beaverton)
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8/6
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$7.2M
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ND
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Transcat (NY)
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Westcon (Portland)
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8/14
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ND
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ND
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Harry & David Holdings (Medford)
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Cushman Fruit Company (FL)
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8/11
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ND
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ND
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Kriptiq (Hillsboro)
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Secure Network Solutions (Portland)
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8/19
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ND
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ND
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Maletis Beverage (Portland)
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The Odom Corp (Washington)
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8/6
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ND
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ND
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Norandex Building Materials Distribution (OH)
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Crown Building Materials (Portland)
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8/18
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ND
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Q3 (fiscal 09)
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Precision Castparts (Portland)
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Airdrome Holdings (CA)
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8/28
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ND
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ND
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Todd Edman (Eugene)
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Lunar Logic (Eugene)
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8/26
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REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS
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PRICE
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BUYER / PARENT (HQ)
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REAL ESTATE (LOCATION) / SELLER (HQ)
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ANNOUNCED
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$30M
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Guardian Management (Portland)
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Waterhouse Place Apartments (Beaverton)/ND
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8/15
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$12.1M
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G&S International (Portland)
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Office building (Portland)/Opus Northwest (MN)
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8/11
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$7.3M
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Robert and Donna Hansen
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Walgreens (Lake Oswego)/FWI Oregon (Lake Oswego)
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8/5
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$2.5M
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Momo Properties (Portland)
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9,080 sq feet, Pearl Design Center (Portland)/Stark
Group (Portland)
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8/15
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$2.2M
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KMR Limited Partnership-4700
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10 acres, Minnehaha Business Park
(Vancouver)/Erickson Properties (WA)
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8/11
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$1.6M
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City of Eugene
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40 acres of Amazon Creek headwaters (Eugene)/Joe
Green (Aurora)
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8/7
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$1.2M
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Urban Development Partners NW (Portland)
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The Richmond Building (Portland)/Sassafras LLC
(Portland)
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8/6
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$1.1M
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OSU Federal Credit Union (Corvallis)
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Bank building (Salem)/Bank of the Cascades (Bend)
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8/11
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$760,000
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Janro Properties (Wilsonville)
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Office building (Wilsonville)/Stafford Woods LLC
(Wilsonville)
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8/8
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$715,000
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MAJ Holdings (WA)
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39,640 sq feet, Van Mall Commons (Vancouver)/Addie
Soo (CA)
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8/8
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$140,000
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Wells Fargo Bank (CA)
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Two lots (Tillamook)/State investments (Salem)
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8/6
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ND
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RealNet Equities (Portland)
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Lochwood Square Shopping Center (CO)/ND
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8/4
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CAPITAL RAISING
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PRICE (TYPE)
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COMPANY (HQ) / LEADERSHIP
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INVESTOR (HQ)
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ANNOUNCED
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$18M (college prep grant)
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Oregon University System
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U.S. Department of Education
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8/12
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$14.7M (sales order)
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FLIR (Portland)
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Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (IN)
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8/18
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$3.2M (sales order)
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LaCrosse Footwear (Portland)
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U.S. Department of Defense
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8/26
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$3.2M (grant)
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Portland Community College (Portland)
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Worksystems (Portland)
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8/8
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$2.4M (two grants)
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Oregon State University (Corvallis)
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U.S. Dept. of Energy and U.S. Dept of Agriculture
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8/1
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$1.4M (grant for scholarships)
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Oregon State University (Corvallis)
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Jim and Judith Atwood Youde
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8/7
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$2.7M (food crisis response grant)
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Mercy Corps (Portland)
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Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (WA)
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8/14
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$241,500 (park-and-ride grant)
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Rogue Valley Transit District
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Federal Transit Administration
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8/22
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List researched by Jon
Bell
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