By Ann Comer-Woods, USF Research & Innovation
For the 12th consecutive year, the University of South Florida is one of the nation’s top 20 public research universities for producing new U.S. utility patents, according to a new ranking released today by the National Academy of Inventors. Based on the 82 new patents secured in 2024, USF is 16th among U.S. public research universities, 26th among all U.S. public or private universities and 38th among universities worldwide.
“Research and innovation at the University of South Florida leads to finding breakthrough treatments for debilitating diseases, discovering cures to deadly illnesses and developing impactful new technologies and products,” USF President Rhea Law said. “Patent production is an important part of creating solutions that improve our society. We’re proud to support our world-class faculty who have helped us earn this recognition that further establishes USF as one of the nation’s leading research universities.”
“USF’s patent ranking is a testament to our unwavering commitment to research, innovation and real-world impact,” USF Research & Innovation Vice President Sylvia Wilson Thomas said. “It reflects the dedication of our faculty, students and staff in transforming ideas into solutions that drive economic growth and improve lives globally.”
The Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2024 report from the National Academy of Inventors uses data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in the previous calendar year and highlights the vital role patents play in not only university research and innovation, but in the global knowledge economy.
A visual representation of the bio-enriched soil technology (BEST) developed by Associate Professor Norma Alcantar
The three universities in the Florida High Tech Corridor-USF, University of Florida and University of Central Florida-collectively secured 270 patents, placing the corridor ahead of nationally recognized centers of innovation, including North Carolina’s Research Triangle and the University of Texas System.
Below are some of USF’s 2024 patent highlights:
- Norma Alcantar, an associate professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, has developed bio-enriched soil technologies (BEST) that add cactus mucilage to the soil system to increase the soil’s ability to hold water for an extended period of time. The technologies increase the plant growth of crops planted in areas with unpredictable water supply.
- Bill Baker, a professor in the Department of Chemistry, has discovered that specific fungi harvested from mangroves can more effectively combat tuberculosis than the long-term antibiotics currently prescribed to fight the bacterial infection that causes the disease.
- Subhra Mohapatra, a professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, has invented “tumor on a disc” technology that enables scientists to grow tumors in the lab to help treat and understand cancer.
Associate Professor Fadi Matar has created a 3-D printed heart that replicates the functioning of a human heart.
- Fadi Matar, an associate professor in the Cardiovascular Sciences Department at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, has created a 3-D printed heart that realistically depicts the ventricular contractions and blood flow in a patient’s heart. This invention allows cardiologists to safely and effectively test medical procedures before performing them on a human heart.
- Ismail Uysal, an associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering, has developed an artificial-intelligence-driven approach to monitor the quality and safety of produce that requires refrigeration while being transported. This system integrates critical metrics, such as temperature and humidity in the transport container, into a simple, actionable quality code that measures the real-time status of fruits, vegetables and other perishable foods while in transit.
