CAS CONNECT 2018

Born at OSU A technology startup turns laboratory research into real-world solutions Almost without exception, molecules with carbon-fluorine bonds do not exist in nature and as a result must be synthesized in the laboratory. But building them using traditional chemistry methods is difficult, expensive and sometimes impossible, hurting their commercial value. Facing this problem, Weaver discovered groundbreaking solutions. Weaver developed a suite of new chemical reactions that allow access to key fluorinated molecules cheaply and easily. The pioneering process allows Weaver Labs to produce industry- grade fluorinated compounds in the quantities needed. Weaver’s breakthrough attracted a lot of attention from pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies and laid the foundation for Weaver Labs LLC. “We’re now recognized worldwide as experts in synthesizing fluorinated molecules,” Weaver said. Roark, a 1989 OSU electrical engineering alumnus, brings years of experience to the partnership, including co-founding Nomadics Inc. in Stillwater in 1995. The company developed explosives sensors for the defense industry and grew to employ more than 200 people. Nomadics was such a success that a larger entity snapped it up in 2010. Roark eventually left the company and began looking for new opportunities. That’s when he met Weaver. “My background is in technology-development startups, and I had been on the lookout for potential technologies through my involvement with the OSU Research Foundation,” Roark said. Commercial appeal Roark could see the commercial potential inWeaver’s synthetic chemistry advances. The potential was not lost onWeaver, either. He needed help getting a business off the ground and managing its growth and operations. Roark stepped in with entrepreneurial know-howwhile initial funding came from an investor in the OSU family. O klahoma State University associate chemistry professor JimmieWeaver enthusiastically describes his work building synthetic molecules as “elegant,” “remarkable” and “robust.” His descriptions characterize the properties of molecules he’s made in the laboratory that are building blocks of many of the most successful pharmaceuticals and other chemical products. From that enthusiasm, and an entrepreneurial spirit, a business was born. Weaver and partner Joel Roark have taken that success in the laboratory and gone commercial. The pair have launchedWeaver Labs LLC to produce and sell commercial-grade chemical compounds to pharmaceutical, agribusiness, materials and other companies in need of the expertise. “At the heart of it, what we do is develop innovative solutions, most of which have grown out of chemistry we’ve developed in the laboratory here at OSU, and apply those solutions to real-world needs,” Weaver said. Carbon-fluorine bonds Before joining OSU’s Department of Chemistry in 2012, Weaver earned a doctorate at the University of Kansas and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University. At OSU, his work led to a novel technique to synthesize complex molecules with carbon-fluorine bonds, giving those molecules what he describes as “remarkable” properties. For example, molecules with robust carbon- fluorine bonds improve the therapeutic benefits of many valuable pharmaceuticals. Such molecules reduce the oxidative degradation of a drug, which is a defense mechanism used by the body to remove foreign compounds, even beneficial ones like medicines. The use of fluorinated molecules as pharmaceutical building blocks is responsible for the commercial success of many blockbuster drugs, like the cholesterol treatment Lipitor and type 2 diabetes drug Januvia. STORY JEFF JOI NER | | PHOTO PH I L SHOCKLEY 38 CONNECT 201 8