Patents Examined by Anne Gussow
  • Patent number: 8932814
    Abstract: The invention provides for systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are vectors and vector systems, some of which encode one or more components of a CRISPR complex, as well as methods for the design and use of such vectors. Also provided are methods of directing CRISPR complex formation in eukaryotic cells and methods for selecting specific cells by introducing precise mutations utilizing the CRISPR/Cas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2015
    Assignees: The Broad Institute Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Le Cong, Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 8912313
    Abstract: The invention relates to an isolated polynucleotide having promoter activity, a variant of the promoter of the gap gene coding for glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; and to a microorganism which produces and/or secretes a fine chemical, the microorganism including the isolated polynucleotide having promoter activity, which enables various genes to be overexpressed in comparison with the particular starting strain; and to a process for preparing fine chemicals using the microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Evonik Degussa GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Reth, Brigitte Bathe, Stephan Hans, Wilfried Claes
  • Patent number: 8901040
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method of finding compounds which increase the tolerance of plants to abiotic stress factors acting on this plant, such as, for example, temperature (such as chill, frost or heat), water (such as dryness, drought or anoxia), or the chemical load (such as lack of or excess of mineral salts, heavy metals, gaseous noxious substances) by increasing the expression of plant-endogenous proteins, and to the use of these compounds for increasing the tolerance in plants to abiotic stress factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Bayer Intellectual Property GmbH
    Inventors: Arno Schulz, Klaus Bartsch, Hansjörg Krähmer, Martin Hills, Erwin Hacker, Chris Rosinger
  • Patent number: 8889367
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods and kits for diagnosing osteoarthritis and for determining the progression of osteoarthritis in a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: New York University
    Inventors: Mukundan Attur, Steven B. Abramson
  • Patent number: 8889374
    Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant factor H and variants and conjugates thereof and methods of their production, as well as uses and methods of treatment involving the materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: University Court of the University of Edinburgh
    Inventors: Christoph Schmidt, Paul N. Barlow, Anna Richards
  • Patent number: 8889399
    Abstract: The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO) biosynthetic pathways. The pathways include exogenous nucleic acids encoding a) an ?-ketoglutarate decarboxylase; b) a 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase; c) a 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA:acetyl-CoA transferase or a butyrate kinase and a phosphotransbutyrylase; d) an aldehyde dehydrogenase, and e) an alcohol dehydrogenase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acids are expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO). Also provide is a method for the production of 1,4-BDO. The method includes culturing the non-naturally occurring microbial organism having 4-HB and 1,4-BDO biosynthetic pathways substantially anaerobic conditions for a sufficient period of time to produce 1,4-BDO.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Burk, Stephen J. Van Dien, Anthony P. Burgard, Wei Niu
  • Patent number: 8889356
    Abstract: The invention provides for systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are vectors and vector systems, some of which encode one or more components of a CRISPR complex, as well as methods for the design and use of such vectors. Also provided are methods of directing CRISPR complex formation in eukaryotic cells and methods for selecting specific cells by introducing precise mutations utilizing the CRISPR/Cas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignees: The Broad Institute Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 8889597
    Abstract: The present invention provides nucleic acids and peptides, and methods of using the nucleic acids and peptides to identify subjects at risk for a TDP-43 proteinopathy. The invention also provides for an army comprising the nucleic acids and peptides of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventors: Nigel J. Cairns, Robert H Baloh, Alan Pestronk, Michael A. Gitcho, Alison M. Goate
  • Patent number: 8883993
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel promoter and terminator sequences for use in gene expression in eukaryotic cells, such as algal cells. The invention further provides expression cassettes comprising a promoter, as described herein, operably linked to a gene. The invention further provides expression vectors and host eukaryotic cells, such as algal cells, for expressing a protein encoded by the gene; and methods for stably transforming eukaryotic algae such as Tetraselmis with transgenes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company
    Inventors: Jane C. Schneider, Soyan Lieberman, Bo Liu, Eric R. Moellering, John H. Verruto, Amanda Skaggs
  • Patent number: 8871445
    Abstract: The invention provides for systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are vectors and vector systems, some of which encode one or more components of a CRISPR complex, as well as methods for the design and use of such vectors. Also provided are methods of directing CRISPR complex formation in eukaryotic cells and methods for selecting specific cells by introducing precise mutations utilizing the CRISPR/Cas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignees: The Broad Institute Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College
    Inventors: Le Cong, Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 8865406
    Abstract: The invention provides for engineering and optimization of systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are compositions and methods related to components of a CRISPR complex particularly comprising a Cas ortholog enzyme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignees: The Broad Institute Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Feng Zhang, Fei Ran
  • Patent number: 8859259
    Abstract: The invention provides a surfactant and/or a cleaning composition comprising a microbially produced branched fatty alcohol or a derivative thereof. The invention also provides a household cleaning composition and a personal or pet care cleaning composition comprising a microbially produced branched fatty alcohol or a derivative thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: LS9, Inc.
    Inventor: Mathew Rude
  • Patent number: 8853367
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods for identifying agents capable of modulating RANK-mediated signaling pathways. The present invention also provides compositions and methods of using the same to treat osteoporosis or other RANK-related diseases. The present invention is based on the functional and structural analysis of three TRAF-binding motifs (PTM)—namely, PTM3, PTM5, and PTM6, each of which has been found to play a distinct role in the activation of RANK-mediated intracellular signaling. These PTMs can be used to screen for RANK modulators. These PTMs also represent potential drug targets for diseases that are associated with abnormal RANK expression or activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: The UAB Research Foundation
    Inventors: Xu Feng, Wei Liu, Duorong Xu
  • Patent number: 8852916
    Abstract: Certain embodiments disclosed relate to compositions, including therapeutic compositions, methods, devices, and systems that include modified microorganisms including at least one genetic element encoding at least one therapeutic agent or environmental treatment agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, LLC
    Inventors: Roderick A. Hyde, Edward K. Y. Jung, Royce A. Levien, Robert W. Lord, Mark A. Malamud, John D. Rinaldo, Jr., Lowell L. Wood, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8835358
    Abstract: Compositions, methods and kits are disclosed for high-sensitivity single molecule digital counting by the stochastic labeling of a collection of identical molecules by attachment of a diverse set of labels. Each copy of a molecule randomly chooses from a non-depleting reservoir of diverse labels. Detection may be by a variety of methods including hybridization based or sequencing. Molecules that would otherwise be identical in information content can be labeled to create a separately detectable product that is unique or approximately unique in a collection. This stochastic transformation relaxes the problem of counting molecules from one of locating and identifying identical molecules to a series of binary digital questions detecting whether preprogrammed labels are present. The methods may be used, for example, to estimate the number of separate molecules of a given type or types within a sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Cellular Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen P. A. Fodor, Glenn K. Fu
  • Patent number: 8834367
    Abstract: A blood glucose and lifestyle tracking apparatus is disclosed. The blood glucose and lifestyle tracking apparatus provides a method for recording both blood glucose values for fasting, postprandial, and preprandial time periods and lifestyle factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Remmert Laan, Stefan Weinert, Robin Wagner
  • Patent number: 8821703
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for identifying the source of shed bioparticles and an apparatus that implements the method. The method involves collecting a sample of bioparticles from the environment, selecting from that sample the bioparticles most effective in identifying their source, and gathering data from those bioparticles to form bioparticle signatures. The bioparticle signatures are then processed into a multi-dimensional vector which is then compared to the multi-dimensional vector derived from a standard using a pattern recognition strategy that identifies the source. The apparatus has a particle collection device to collect the sample, a transfer device that selects information-rich bioparticles and a detector that restricts the movement of the information-rich bioparticles. The restricted movement is then translated into a bioparticle signature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Inventors: Mark A. Hayes, Thomas J. Taylor, Karl Booksh, Neal Woodbury, Pierre Herckes
  • Patent number: 8796440
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a bidirectional human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) promoter that can be used to promote transcription on both strands of a double stranded DNA molecule. When used as part of a system that includes tet operator and the gene coding for the tet repressor, the promoter can be used to induce mammalian gene expression in a highly regulated way.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.
    Inventor: Feng Yao
  • Patent number: 8795965
    Abstract: The invention provides for systems, methods, and compositions for manipulation of sequences and/or activities of target sequences. Provided are vectors and vector systems, some of which encode one or more components of a CRISPR complex, as well as methods for the design and use of such vectors. Also provided are methods of directing CRISPR complex formation in eukaryotic cells and methods for selecting specific cells by introducing precise mutations utilizing the CRISPR/Cas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignees: The Broad Institute, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 8796018
    Abstract: The invention relates to the use of nanopatterned surfaces. It also relates to a method for enriching or isolating cellular subpopulations. To create a simple, versatile and specific method for enriching or isolating cellular subpopulations from a complex mixture, the invention proposes the use of nanopatterned surfaces for isolating and enriching cellular subpopulations from a complex mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Leibniz-Institut fuer Neue Materialien Gemeinneutzige Gesellschaft mit beschraenkter Haftung
    Inventors: Michael Veith, Frank Narz