North Texas Daily

UNT professor Dr. Guido Verbeck was recently awarded a $10,000 royalty check from the university for his patented intellectual property that could shape the future of illegal drug detection.

Verbeck, an associate professor of chemistry, has been working at the university for 11 years. He has several degrees including a doctorate from Texas A&M University, and has been developing new technology for many years. Most recently, he developed a technology that can detect clandestine drug labs, hazardous materials and chemical weapons.

Combining his technology with a vehicle, Verbeck created what he calls a “mobile chemical unit.” This mobile unit is a 2015 Ford Fusion Energi hybrid sedan, equipped with an advanced mass spectrometer.

“We started to build the car initially on oil and gas well management, and it worked well,” Verbeck said. “But we were really surprised at how well it worked for clandestine drug labs.”

Verbeck said the technology is able to find the sources of chemicals from far distances, allowing the mobile chemical units to detect these chemicals without having to enter private property.

The royalty check comes as part of an agreement between the university and Verbeck, which states that researchers who develop new intellectual property at the university will split the revenue 50-50 between researcher and university.

Michael Rondelli, associate vice president for innovation and commercialization in the Office of Research and Innovation, said in a press release that this is only the first of many checks for UNT and Verbeck.

“We expect a lot more as this exciting new technology gets to marketplace,” Rondelli said. “It’s not just about making money but about having a positive impact on our communities. Providing a path for research like this to get to the marketplace can impact the Dallas-Fort Worth area in a big way.”

UNT President Neal Smatresk praised the work of Dr. Verbeck, as well as that of Michael Rondelli.

“Dr. Verbeck is a brilliant researcher whose innovations and big ideas make the university and the world a better, safer place,” Smatresk said. “Mike works hard to help faculty get patents, business partnerships and recognition so our faculty don’t have to ever be distracted from their important work. We’ve got a great team, and I’m so proud they both are part of the UNT family.”

Verbeck, who continues to work on new developments, said that UNT is becoming a very technology driven university.

“This is a good time at the University of North Texas,” Verbeck said. “These new ways of doing things at the university are really great. It’s beneficial to all of us.”

Featured Image: Guido Verbeck. UNT