As a biological and mechanical engineering researcher at Utah State University, he found the answer caked on the bottom of farmers' boots - cow manure.

Hansen developed an improved system for turning the smelly brown stuff into electricity. His work led to a Logan startup company called Andigen, which is marketing the technology to the agriculture industry.

His is the kind of story USU officials hope is repeated if the Legislature approves a bill that would spend millions to convert laboratory findings into products for the marketplace, said Brent Miller, the university's vice president for research.

Money for the Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (USTAR) would construct buildings and provide equipment for prospective research teams. Some of the money would go to USU and the University of Utah to persuade research teams with a track record of commercializing technology to relocate to Utah.

The Senate unanimously approved SB75 - the USTAR bill - and the legislation is headed for a House committee, perhaps as early as today. Legislators must decide whether to fund the program's second year at a cost of $65 million, plus $110 million in bonds.

Under the program, the universities would share profits with the inventor as well as the state, Sen. Al Mansell, a Sandy Republican and the bill's sponsor, said during a recent Senate debate.

"With luck, if we are successful with this over a number of years, it is very possible this can be a self-sustaining operation," he said.

Rep. Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake City, supports the bill because Utah needs new ways to attract high-tech industry. Quality research and development is the start of the process.

"It is probably a key to the state's economic future," he said of the high-tech sector.

Years before USTAR began in 2005, Hansen was already tinkering with the science that drives Andigen.

The USU researcher received funds through the state's Centers of Excellence program, which helps get technology to a point where it can be commercialized.

Chris Roybal, of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, said USTAR will work with the Centers of Excellence program as well as technology transfer offices at the U. and USU.

USTAR's emphasis is on drawing promising researchers to the state with the hope they will create technology that can be marketed. Centers of Excellence and the technology transfer offices help move appealing research and technology closer to market.

Hansen spent about 30 years working on the problem of improving life on the farm. A few years ago, he launched the Center for Profitable Uses of Agricultural By-Products. Andigen is among the companies spun off from the center.

Hansen teamed with Ed Watts, who was involved in another of the center's spin-off companies called UniFoods, to start Andigen. Others also helped Hansen see the business opportunity in manure.

"They were the catalyst to help show we [scientists] can do more than write a thesis and put it up on a shelf," he said.

Watts said the company, which employs the equivalent of six full-time workers, has not needed outside funding.

Andigen's systems can be installed on dairy or hog farms to reduce the smell of the manure as well as to turn the waste into electricity. A farm can install pipes to funnel the manure into what is known as a bioreactor, or digester.

The bioreactor, a three-story, 32,000-gallon tank, stores the manure along with a mix of bacteria for up to six days, said Watts, Andigen's chief executive officer.

"The bacteria breaks down the organic compounds, digests them, and produces a by-product of methane," Watts said.

The methane gas can run a generator that produces the electricity or it can be compressed to run farm vehicles.

Installing the system can run about $500,000 for a dairy of 1,000 cows. The company has several orders across the country, Watts said.

USU hopes another Andigen can come along soon with USTAR.

"The USTAR program wouldn't begin something we hadn't been doing before," said Brent Miller, USU's vice president for research. "But it would greatly accelerate the process."

glavine@sltrib.com

USTAR basics

* The Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative (SB 75) received $7.5 million in startup funds in 2005.

* The Legislature this year has been asked to provide $64 million in funding and authorize up to $110 million in bonds.

* The program helps the University of Utah and Utah State University lure research teams with a track record of producing work that can be commercialized.

* Each school would initially construct one building each to house research labs.

* State-appointed governing authority would oversee how money is distributed.