Patents Examined by Robert Mondesi
  • Patent number: 9458440
    Abstract: The present invention discloses novel polypeptides and enzyme preparations containing them, which enhance the efficiency of the cellulosic degradation even at elevated temperatures. The polypeptides are produced by recombinant technology, and means for their production are described. The novel polypeptides are useful in processing biomass, and in biofuel, starch, textile, detergent, pulp and paper, food, feed or beverage industries. They may also be used e.g. in cleaning the interior of a dishwashing machine or for biofinishing or biostoning. The novel polypeptides are also useful in animal feed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Roal Oy
    Inventors: Susanna Makinen, Kari Juntunen, Alexandra Komander, Kim Langfelder, Jari Vehmaanpera, Terhi Puranen
  • Patent number: 9453244
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a monoalkene comprising the step of enzymatically converting an alkyl monoester. The conversion preferably makes use of an enzyme which belongs to the group of terpene synthases or to the family of prenyltransferases. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of a terpene synthase or of a prenyltransferase for enzymatically converting an alkyl monoester into a monoalkene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignees: Global Bioenergies, Scientist of Fortune S.A.
    Inventors: Philippe Marlière, Maria Anissimova, Mathieu Allard
  • Patent number: 9447388
    Abstract: Provided are various novel DNA polymerases. Provided is a DNA polymerase comprising an amino acid sequence modified from the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 by inserting nine amino acids “-A737-A738-A739-A740-A741-A742-A743-A744-A745-” between the amino acid residue at position 736 and the amino acid residue at position 737, wherein: A737 is an amino acid residue having a non-polar aliphatic side chain; A738 is an amino acid residue having a non-polar aliphatic side chain; A739 is an amino acid residue having a positively charged side chain; A740 is an amino acid residue having a positively charged side chain; A741 is an amino acid residue having a non-polar aliphatic side chain; A742 is an amino acid residue having a non-polar aliphatic side chain; A743 is any given amino acid residue; A744 is an amino acid residue having a positively charged side chain; and A745 is an amino acid residue having a non-polar aliphatic side chain).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: KYUSHU UNIVERSITY, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION, TAKARA BIO INC.
    Inventors: Yoshizumi Ishino, Takeshi Yamagami, Hiroaki Matsukawa, Takashi Uemori, Takehiro Sagara
  • Patent number: 9428774
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a mutant microorganism, which is selected from the group consisting of genus Mannheimia, genus Actinobacillus and genus Anaerobiospirillum, producing homo-succinic acid and a method for producing homo-succinic acid using the same, and more particularly to a mutant microorganism producing succinic acid at a high concentration while producing little or no other organic acids in anaerobic conditions, which is obtained by disrupting a gene encoding lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA), a gene encoding phosphotransacetylase (pta), and a gene encoding acetate kinase (ackA), without disrupting a gene encoding pyruvate formate lyase (pfl), as well as a method for producing succinic acid using the same. The inventive mutant microorganism has the property of having a high growth rate and succinic acid productivity while producing little or no organic acids, as compared to the prior strains producing succinic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Sang Yup Lee, Sung Won Lim, Hyohak Song
  • Patent number: 9410165
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Novozymes, Inc.
    Inventors: Kimberly Brown, Paul Harris, Elizabeth Zaretsky, Edward Re, Elena Vlasenko, Keith McFarland, Alfredo Lopez de Leon
  • Patent number: 9410133
    Abstract: Glucan phosphatase nucleotide or polypeptide variants of the presently-disclosed subject matter can alter the biophysical properties of starch in vitro or in planta, as well as the total starch biomass production in planta as compared to plants expressing wild-type glucan phosphatases. Plants producing the polypeptide variants of the presently-disclosed subject matter can have increased starch accumulation, increased starched biomass, and/or starch having desired biophysical properties. A method of the presently-disclosed subject matter for producing altered starch includes providing a plant that produces a glucan phosphatase polypeptide variant that comprises an amino acid mutation and collecting starch from the plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: University of Kentucky Research Foundation
    Inventors: Matthew Gentry, Craig Vander Kooi
  • Patent number: 9404093
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having peroxygenaseactivity, and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Sara Landvik, Lars Henrik Oestergaard, Lisbeth Kalum
  • Patent number: 9402884
    Abstract: Methods of treating pulmonary sarcoidosis are described herein. Patients in need of treatment for pulmonary sarcoidosis are administered a therapeutically effective amount of a mucolytic agent such as DNase I. In some embodiments, the DNase I is a recombinant human DNase I such as dornase alfa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Inventor: Barry Burns
  • Patent number: 9404136
    Abstract: The invention relates to increasing the availability of fermentable sugars from plant biomass, such as glucose and xylose. As described herein, ?-xylosidases can be employed with cellulases to enhance biomass conversion into free, fermentable sugar residues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jonathan D. Walton, John S. Scott-Craig, Melissa Borrusch
  • Patent number: 9404094
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having peroxygenase activity, and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides. A polynucleotide encoding a peroxygenase was isolated from Myceliophtora hinnulea.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Sara Landvik, Lars Henrik Oestergaard, Lisbeth Kalum
  • Patent number: 9404070
    Abstract: Methods and compositions for treating textiles and hard surfaces with compositions having specific lipases are described. The compositions have increased stability to oxidative degradation in particular due to bleach catalysts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
    Inventors: Neil Joseph Lant, Luise Erlandsen, Carsten Hoerslev Hansen, Jesper Vind, Allan Svendsen, Carsten Peter Sonksen
  • Patent number: 9404144
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel glucose dehydrogenase, a method for producing the glucose dehydrogenase, and applications of the glucose dehydrogenase. The flavin-binding glucose dehydrogenase of the invention has the following characteristics (1) and (4): (1) Molecular weight: the molecular weight of a polypeptide moiety in the enzyme is about 68 kDa as measured by SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis; (2) Km value: the Km value for D-glucose is about 15 mM or less; (3) Temperature stability: stable at a temperature of 55° C. or less; and (4) pH stability: stable at a pH range of 3.0 to 8.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOBO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yosuke Sumida, Rie Hirao, Yuu Utashima, Hiroshi Kawaminami, Hiroshi Aiba, Takahide Kishimoto, Shusaku Yanagidani
  • Patent number: 9399764
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to recombinant proteins having N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase activity. The present disclosure further relates to methods for producing complex N-glycans including the steps of providing host cells containing such recombinant proteins and culturing the host cells such that the recombinant proteins are expressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2016
    Assignees: Novartis International Pharmaceutical, Ltd., Glykos Finland Oy
    Inventors: Jari Natunen, Anne Kanerva, Jukka Hiltunen, Markku Saloheimo, Heli Viskari, Anne Huuskonen
  • Patent number: 9365874
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing acrylic acid. The method includes contacting fumaric acid with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylic acid per mole of fumaric acid. Also provided is an acrylate ester. The method includes contacting fumarate diester with a sufficient amount of ethylene in the presence of a cross-metathesis transformation catalyst to produce about two moles of acrylate ester per mole of fumarate diester. An integrated process for process for producing acrylic acid or acrylate ester is provided which couples bioproduction of fumaric acid with metathesis transformation. An acrylic acid and an acrylate ester production also is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Burk, Priti Pharkya, Stephen J. Van Dien, Anthony P. Burgard, Christophe H. Schilling
  • Patent number: 9365875
    Abstract: Provided herein are recombinant yeast cells having an active 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid (3-HP) pathway and further comprising a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a non-phosphorylating NADP-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPN). Also described are methods of using the recombinant yeast cells to produce 3-HP and acrylic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES, INC.
    Inventor: Mariah Bindel
  • Patent number: 9365857
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a newly discovered problem and solution for engineering S. cerevisiae to ferment xylose to make ethanol utilizing xylose isomerase to convert xylose to xylulose for entry, via xylulokinase, into the pentose phosphate pathway. The problem is that when grown on a media containing xylose xylitol tends to accumulate in the cell despite the absence of xylose reductase activity in S. cerevisiae. Xylitol inhibits the activity of xylose isomerases. One solution described is to simultaneously express an exogenous xylitol dehydrogenase along with the exogenous xylose isomerase while optionally also overexpressing xylulokinase in the absence of expression of a xylose reductase. Another solution is a xylose isomerase from Bacteroides fragilis which is less inhibited by xylitol than other xylose isomerases, exemplified by E. coli xylose isomerase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: Archer Daniels Midland Company
    Inventors: Sean Jordan, Beth Fatland-Bloom, Lhing-Yew Li
  • Patent number: 9359634
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for determining an analyte as well as a diagnostic element suitable therefore. In one particular form, a method for determining an analyte includes contacting a sample containing the analyte with a diagnostic element comprising a dry reagent layer. The dry reagent layer contains a mutated dehydrogenase which is specific for the analyte and an artificial coenzyme. The method also includes determining at least one of analyte presence and an amount of the analyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: Roche Diabetes Care, Inc.
    Inventors: Carina Horn, Claudia Gaessler-Dietsche, Dieter Heindl, Joachim Hoenes, Thomas Meier, Rainer Schmuck
  • Patent number: 9359622
    Abstract: A method for production of a dihydrochalcone, especially of phloretin, using a transgenic microorganism, containing a nucleic acid section (a), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a bacterial chalcone isomerase, and/or a nucleic acid section (a?), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a plant chalcone isomerase, and a nucleic acid section (b), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a bacterial enoate reductase, corresponding transgenic microorganisms, containing a nucleic acid section (a), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a bacterial chalcone isomerase, and/or a nucleic acid section (a?), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a plant chalcone isomerase, and/or a nucleic acid section (b), comprising or consisting of a gene coding for a bacterial enoate reductase, and host cells, containing one or more identical or different such vectors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: SYMRISE AG
    Inventors: Jens Michael Hilmer, Egon Gross, Gerhard Krammer, Jakob Peter Ley, Mechthild Gall, Uwe Bornscheuer, Maren Thomsen, Christin Peters, Patrick Jonczyk, Sascha Beutel, Thomas Scheper
  • Patent number: 9353401
    Abstract: The present invention encompasses modified luciferases, methods for making modified luciferases, and assays utilizing modified luciferases. Modified luciferases of the invention show increased activity over wildtype luciferases and also show increased stability of signal. The present invention also encompasses multiplex assays utilizing multiple luciferases reporters with different emission spectra and different substrates for simultaneous luciferase measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: Targeting Systems
    Inventor: Rampyari Walia
  • Patent number: 9347048
    Abstract: The invention relates to an isolated nucleotide sequence encoding an amino acid sequence that is at least ?90%, ?92%, ?94%, ?96%, ?97%, ?98%, ?99% or 100%, preferably ?97%, particularly preferably ?98%, very particularly preferably ?99%, and extremely preferably 0%, identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, wherein SEQ ID NO:2, at position 553, or at a corresponding position of the amino acid sequence, has a proteinogenic amino acid other than L-tyrosine, to a microorganism comprising the nucleotide sequence and also to a process for producing fine chemicals using this microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Evonik Technochemie GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Gerstmeir, Iris Wiegrabe