Chapter 65: Chapter 62: Patent Sharing (5th Update!!!)
In the dean’s office.
Looking at the surprised expression on Tian Liangwei’s face, Xu Yun hesitated for a few seconds and decided to keep a low profile:
"That’s right, initially, I just planned to attempt a breakthrough in the fourth-generation Imidacloprid. But by coincidence, I suddenly thought of a situation where two males would still need a female for a second round of transmission, which might lead to a halved coverage rate.
Moreover, I wasn’t very satisfied with the insecticidal efficiency of the fourth generation, so I thought about attempting to tackle the fifth generation, since the most critical fourth-generation barrier had already been overcome.
Unexpectedly, after two days of divided research, breakthroughs were achieved on both sides. The next step is simply to dock and synthesize the attractants."
Xu Yun attributed the insights for the fifth generation to inspiration during the research process, which is much more acceptable than claiming ’I intended to break through the fifth generation from the start,’ representing a kind of secondary derivative.
After all, as the saying goes, practice brings inspiration.
For instance, some designers experience a burst of inspiration halfway through their drawing, eventually designing a classic building; such examples are plentiful despite being easy to overlook.
While the wings are not yet fully grown, there’s no need to be too flamboyant, as the current achievements of the research team are enough to maintain his persona.
Facing Xu Yun across from him, Tian Liangwei pursed his lips and remained silent, his expression thoughtful.
To be honest.
Just discussing the achievements related to Imidacloprid, he wasn’t too surprised, as ultimately it’s just a form of nicotine insecticide. As an academician of the Academy of Engineering and a member of the Thousand Talents Plan, his perspective is naturally high.
There is certainly joy, but it does not reach the level of shock.
What truly surprised him was not the achievement itself, but rather Xu Yun’s talent and approach exhibited in this research.
Don’t be misled by the fact that there are a total of seven people in the research group; according to the experimental reports, the true core members of the group are only Xu Yun and Qiu Sheng, with contributions being about eight to two.
The involvement of others like Ren Yongcun or Zhou Peiyao wouldn’t significantly delay any results if replaced with other graduate students with similar performance.
Looking at Xu Yun in front of him, Tian Liangwei suddenly thought of Lu Chaoyang from the Physics College.
This youngest full professor of USTC, during his PhD, was the first to observe the real-time quantum leap and non-destructive measurement of single electron spins as the primary author, and published it in the Nature journal. (True story, not fabrication)
Both of them are extraordinarily talented, but if one were to compare...
Tian Liangwei slightly shook his head:
Lu Chaoyang’s discovery at the time solved a fundamental problem for spin-based quantum computing, whereas Xu Yun’s fifth-generation Imidacloprid might still fall short in comparison.
The value of the fifth-generation Imidacloprid primarily lies in its commercial potential, as its academic standing is relatively lower.
Yet even so, it remains a very commendable achievement.
Thinking of this, Tian Liangwei couldn’t help but lift his head to look at Xu Yun:
"Xiaoxu, how far are you now from the fifth-generation finished product? Do you need any additional support? If necessary, I can raise the funding level of your research group to a general project level."
Those who have managed national scientific research projects should know.
Research projects in domestic universities or official institutions usually allocate funds according to levels.
The lowest are the Youth Science Fund and Regional Science Fund projects, with funding roughly around 200,000 to 300,000, to which Xu Yun’s cash flow of 400,000 belongs to this category.
Above these are the general projects, which are the most approved projects each year domestically, with funding around 600,000.
Beyond the general projects, there are many categories, such as key projects, major equipment development projects, innovative research group projects, and major projects, etc.
The funding starts from one million or even ten million, with no upper limit.
Though Xu Yun didn’t quite understand why his teacher suddenly prepared to increase the funding level, he knew very well that Tian Liangwei had taken a considerable risk when establishing the research group, and since the current funding surplus was still substantial, he decided to decline this proposal:
"That’s not necessary, teacher. Our research group still has a cash flow surplus of 170-80 thousand. If you really want to help... just approve longer usage time for the lab so we can conduct a few more comparison experiments."
"How much longer?"
"A week, is that feasible for you?"
"No problem, approved!"
Tian Liangwei dramatically waved his hand, resembling a tycoon covering the bill at a lavish banquet:
"Submit an application to me for review, and I’ll get back to you within two days!"
Afterward, he paused slightly, motioning for Xu Yun to sit down, asking seriously:
"Xiaoxu, since your research group has indeed made a breakthrough, what are your plans moving forward? Like... patent application?"
Upon hearing Tian Liangwei mention tangible topics, Xu Yun also began to get serious.
He first poured a cup of tea for Tian Liangwei before pouring himself a little in a plastic cup, then spoke slowly:
"Teacher, to be honest, I’ve been considering this matter for the past few days, since even if the fifth generation doesn’t succeed, the fourth generation is good enough for commercialization.
Regarding patents, I’m planning to wait a bit longer. If I can break through the fifth-generation barrier, I’ll use the fifth-generation Imidacloprid to apply for an invention patent, as it takes a long time for drug invention patents to be reviewed, and I might need the school’s help at that time."
As is well known.
Currently, there are three main types of invention patents locally: invention patents, utility models, and design patents.
The difficulty, quality requirements, and validity period for these patents decrease in that order.
For instance, the first-generation Imidacloprid patent expired in 2011, which is why there are many off-brand Imidacloprid insecticides on the market now, characterized by low costs, non-standard production processes, and inconsistent efficacy.
These days, the new-generation insecticides from top brands apply for invention patents under this category.
The normal review period for invention patents is 2-3 years, but with the capability of a university like USTC, shortening the period is fairly simple.
Otherwise, with a top institution producing hundreds or even thousands of inventions in a year, if they were to wait according to standard timelines, a story like Conan’s would have concluded by then.
As for why Xu Yun was confident that USTC would assist, the reason is quite simple:
As the provider of experimental equipment, USTC can hold a share of the derivative product’s revenue rights from patents.
Xu Yun was already aware of this and had no objections:
After all, the total value of a laboratory’s equipment is close to 25 million, and the depreciation during use is generally several tens of thousands. This kind of funding cannot be utilized without expecting some return.
Moreover, patents and accomplishments are two different things. The conversion of patent results must have the signature of the primary inventor. Normally, the rights to inventions made using the school’s materials or performing the school’s research tasks belong to the school, and the school has an obligation to reward the inventors.
However, this time Xu Yun was executing an autonomous project under the support category, not a pre-scheduled research task by the school.
Therefore, according to relevant requirements, the maximum share USTC could take is 30%.
Even though this 30% might look substantial, in the research domain—domestic or international—it is considered a very favorable proportion.
If you take the proposal to other organizations or private enterprises, typically, more than 60% might be taken away, and in some cases even 80%.
It’s an inevitable phase in conducting research; even Elder Yang experienced it the same way at the Stony Brook Branch back then.
Besides, the School of Life Sciences would also take a small share of the school’s portion for providing scholarships or grants for the disadvantaged within the department.
Helping some juniors or giving some less successful teachers opportunities to resolve their challenges is something Xu Yun is very willing to do.
"Xiaoxu, rest assured, there won’t be any problem with the patent. The school has channels ready. You can decide between the fourth or fifth generation patent applications, and the exact timeline depends on when you complete the final product; in any case, it won’t take very long."
Tian Liangwei readily promised and then took a light sip from his teacup, asking:
"Apart from the patent, there’s only one more thing..."
"Where do you plan to publish your paper?"