UC Berkeley professors’ innovations benefit society, economy

Richard Mathies, dean of the University of California, Berkeley’s College of Chemistry, has founded 15 companies, 5 of which were based on breakthroughs made in his lab. Among his 35 patented inventions are the famed “labs on a chip,” miniature diagnostic probes capable of sequencing DNA. “This work is a way of extending your intellectual and scientific abilities beyond the boundaries of the campus, and is a very important part of our role as professors in this institution,” Mathies said. Over 146 companies have been founded upon intellectual property (IP) rights licensed under UC Berkeley in the past 20 years. The university benefits through licensing fees, royalties and equity. Enterprising faculty members are a great economical asset and generally spearhead countless socially beneficial applications of their research, demonstrating the importance of conducting research while keeping in mind how the technology will fit into the real world.