“Cookbook Politics” Continued from page 7
Others in Italy pushed back against the Futurists and later gave rise to “slow food” movement, which is today still tied to Italian culture, economics, and tourism. 5. Cookbooks as a format are democratic. That’s democratic with a small “d,” Ferguson noted. “It doesn’t tell you what you have to do; it is an invitation to follow authority in a way that you desire. You might just cross out a line that you don’t like or write in something that you want to change. ... Usually we don’t even read most of the book. It’s a kind of democratic authority that is invitational instead of demanding.” Researching an enduring genre There’s a substantial body of academic work analyzing cookbooks and food. In addition to exploring scholarly articles, Ferguson researched his book by visiting Harvard’s Schlesinger Library, which boasts an enormous collection of published cookbooks, and Texas Women’s University, which has collected a trove of community cookbooks. While he was researching, Ferguson worried that he was exploring a dying genre. Many people rely on social media or Google to find recipes, and as at-home dining turns digital, cookbooks have the potential to fall by the wayside. But, said Ferguson, “Cookbooks haven’t actually stopped selling, and I think that’s because people look to them inspirationally as well as instructionally. There’s a pleasure to reading a cookbook with beautiful pictures that (give you) an insight into somebody or a region or particular history.” So the next time you reach for a cookbook to brush up on your favorite recipes, remember that you’re not just making food: You’re participating in a political movement right from your kitchen. By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science
Company licenses compounds from UWMRF New Jersey-based RespireRx Pharmaceuticals Inc. has licensed a group of patented drug development compounds from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Foundation. The newly licensed compounds, developed by the laboratory of James Cook, act on a particular neurotransmitter receptor in the brain, which has shown promise for treatment of epilepsy and other convulsant disorders. New drugs are needed to treat epilepsy, according to RespireRx, because currently available anticonvulsants are often not effective or become less effective at some point in the disease’s progression. Cook, an emeritus distinguished professor of chemistry, has developed a vast library of compounds for drug development that can potentially treat illnesses of the central nervous system without the James Cook adverse side effects of existing medications like sedation, loss of muscle control, or addiction. The group of compounds licensed has also shown potential for treating other illnesses, such as depression, anxiety, and pain, without the negative side effects. According to the license agreement, royalties on net sales would be paid to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Research Foundation (UWMRF) upon the approval of new drug applications with the Food and Drug Administration and royalties on net sales of products developed with the licenses. “The recently exercised option, which licenses a portfolio of patent-protected neuromodulator compounds from UWMRF, further strengthens the collaboration and is a key milestone in realizing the progression of drug product candidates that have, from an early stage in development, garnered much promise in the treatment of epilepsy and other disorders, without the debilitating side effects of existing and less effective medicaments,” said RespireRx President and CEO Tim Jones. The UWMRF’s intellectual property portfolio includes 93 issued patents and 47 active license agreements. Cook holds 64 patents or patent applications for compounds his research group created. More than half are filed through the UWMRF.
8 • IN FOCUS • September, 2020
By Laura Otto, University Relations
