Memphis, Tenn.-based Medtronic Sofamor Danek, a subsidiary of Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic Inc., has signed a licensing agreement with Purdue granting them exclusive commercial rights to polymer technology developed at Purdue that can treat paralysis in dogs with recent spinal cord injuries.

The Whitaker Foundation, whose mission is to support research and education in biomedical engineering, recently showcased Professor Tom Webster's research on their web page.

A recent Indianapolis Star survey of the top graduates from 66 area high schools this year shows their hearts -- and checkbooks -- have kept them in the state for college. Seventy-two percent of those who were ranked first or second in their graduating classes will enroll in Indiana colleges and universities. Half of them picked public schools.