"I had to make a choice between receiving support for the project and not having the stock options, or have the stock option in the company but not receiving any support," Olsen says. "Obviously, I have chosen support, but I will not benefit personally from the success of the company."

John F. Codington, an associate professor of biological chemistry and molecular, pharmacology and a senior scientist at the Harvard affiliated Boston Biomedical Research Institute, says Boston Biomed has granted the biotechnology company Epigen the commercial right to use the antigens and antibodies that he developed and the right to prepare a diagnostic test he developed for commercialization.

Codington says he advises Epigen as to the conditions under which these materials can be used most effectively.

"Epigen has sponsored my research in the past, and at present, they give a minimal amount of financial aid to my research," Codington says.

But he says relationships does not represent a conflict of interest because "this does not influence my basic interest in studying the role of tumor antigens and the development of methods for diagnosing and preventing cancer, which are my primary interests."

Codington says he has given a statement to his department regarding his connections with Epigen and doesn't see any problem with the relationship.

Profits

CREATIVE BIOMOLECULES

Some professors say that conflicts of interest can arise in cases in which the professor profits from the research.

"I think that the big trend of capitalizing fiscally on the research that we do is something that I don't approve of," says Dr. Alexander Leaf, Jackson professor of clinical medicine emeritus at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Leaf says that since much of the research conducted by physicians is funded by government money, the fruits of that research should be enjoyed by society rather than used by individuals for profit.

"This can be a distraction and distortion of the academic mission," Leaf says.

But other professors say patents don't tend to be profitable.

"I have a number of patents which have been licensed to companies, but I have never profited from any one of those," says Michael Klagsbrun, a professor of surgery who sits on the scientific advisory board of Creative Biomolecules.

Lee, who owns stock in a company licensing some of his patents, says his story does not represent a conflict of interest.