AUSTIN – Gov. Rick Perry has announced the state will invest $250,000 through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) in Animal Innovations Inc. of Amarillo for completion and commercialization of its automatic syringe filling and data collection system for animal medication.

“The ETF is super-charging the research environment in our state and propelling us to the forefront of technology innovation by harnessing amazing ideas and encouraging greater efforts to inquire, innovate and invest,” Gov. Perry said. “This investment in Animal Innovations will not only improve existing animal healthcare practices, but it will also have a significant impact on agriculture in our state and around the world.”

Animal Innovations’ technology allows the safe and efficient administration of drugs to animals through its patented, back filling syringe. The system’s accurate measuring system can fill a syringe up to 10 milliliters in 10 seconds, ensuring that animals are not over or under medicated. The system also protects the quality of the medication by shielding it from heat and other external elements.

The company is partnering with Texas A&M University and Ten X Technology to commercialize the product. Projected use of the technology currently focuses on feedlots and preconditioning lots, eventually adding cattle ranches. The technology also has significant implications for defending livestock and other animals against agro-terrorism.

The ETF is a $200 million initiative created by the Texas Legislature in 2005 at the governor’s request, and was reauthorized in 2007 and again this session with $203.5 million for the 2010-2011 biennium. A 17-member advisory committee of high-tech leaders, entrepreneurs and research experts reviews potential projects and recommends funding allocations to the governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House. To date, the ETF has allocated more than $91 million in funds to 73 early stage companies.

For more information on the ETF, please visit http://www.emergingtechfund.com.

Welcome to Twenty Peaceful Minutes (20PM) - a community website for Forney, Texas. In addition to this blog, 20PM is home to the Forney discussion forums, which you may reach by clicking the Forney discussion forum link or going to http://20pm.net/forums; also, considering signing up for email or newsreader (RSS feed) notifications of new posts to the 20PM blog!