NewsBits, March 7, 2011

Hopes had grown we might land TyraTech, a VU portfolio company, but it's going elsewhere.. But, there's more encouraging news out of Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga.. Plus, a new PodCamp and an Oak Ridge NL tech-investment forum debuts.. read about it here.

VU portfolio action: TyraTech

Although its consideration of a possible relocation to Nashville from Melbourne, Fla., has been slowed, but not killed by the economic slowdown, TyraTech, a Vanderbilt University technology transfer portfolio company and the maker of insecticides and other technologies, announced today a renewed and expanded partnership with Arysta LifeScience North America, a sub of a Tokyo-based parent.

TyraTech loves WSJ

In this era of All Things Green, it's easy to understand why an item in today's Wall Street Journal is important to tech-transfer portfolio watchers at Vanderbilt, as well as to firms in Memphis and in Florida. In a report on use of natural ingredients as pesticides, the WSJ made happy campers of the folks at TyraTech, a Florida firm with R&D and tech-commercialization ties to Vanderbilt, at the same time gracing Terminix, the marketer of SafeShield, which contains ingredients engineered by TyraTech. Terminix is a unit of Memphis-based ServiceMaster. Meanwhile, Nashville industry recruiters and your loyal scribe are awaiting words from TyraTech regarding its once-rumored relocation here from Melbourne, Fla. VU is home to key TyraTech scientist Essam Enan (at left).

The best of times, the worst of times

Either way, it's Our Time to ponder: At VU Portfolio company TyraTech, execs take a paycut, putting the company's consideration of relocating to Nashville (or somewhere) into the deepfreeze, for now... CNet says Al Gore will share the spotlight with Google Ocean, next week and, okay, here's that NOAA report... Leadership Music announces Digital Summit agenda for the expanded March event... Knoxville-based Claris Networks, an IT services company, adds a Birmingham office to its growing net... A class-action lawsuit hits EPB, brought by folks who don't want their power easement used for video services... MDN's good piece on prospects for U.S. funding of EMRs... While VUMC investigators get a nice grant for collecting data via the Web... and, the State says it'll begin holding mass meetings for folks to sign-up for unemployment...

TyraTech relocation in limbo

TyraTech, the Florida company that creates biotech products that enhance cowpies and eradicate crawling insects, the company that also plans to create human foods, is still undeclared about leaving Melbourne for Nashville or anywhere else. You might think its strong ties to Vanderbilt would make the decision a slamdunk. But, the company had been, at least figuratively, shopping itself in hope of attracting economic-development agencies' incentives to stay put or relocate. Now, the realities of new high-tech ventures, particularly in the current economic climate, seems to have made TyraTech more cautious. Here's this morning's story.