Patents by Inventor Cheryl A. Kerfeld

Cheryl A. Kerfeld has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11673923
    Abstract: A fusion chimeric protein is described herein that can assemble a functional carboxysome core, which is able to fix carbon by taking atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it into useful carbon-containing compounds such as 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Cesar R. Gonzalez
  • Publication number: 20220162268
    Abstract: Described herein are constructs, compositions and methods for precise in vivo imaging of the structures and dynamics of protein-based scaffolds with and without their designated cargos.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Applicant: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Eric Jeffrey Young, Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Daniel Christopher Ducat
  • Publication number: 20210395314
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a fusion protein comprising (1) a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) shell protein comprising one or more subunit, and (2) a first component of a specific-binding pair, operably linked to the BMC shell protein such that the first component faces (i) a lumen (inside) side, or (ii) outside of a BMC shell formed incorporating the fusion protein and the fusion protein does not disrupt or prevent the folding of the BMC shell protein or the ability of the BMC shell protein to integrate with other BMC shell proteins into a BMC shell; wherein the first component is capable of forming a stable or irreversible interaction with a second component of the specific-binding pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Andrew R. Hagen, Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Nancy B. Sloan, Markus Sutter, Bryan H. Ferlez
  • Patent number: 11198880
    Abstract: To produce a bacterial microcompartment shell, or a designed shell based on naturally occurring bacterial microcompartment shells in a new host organism, a synthetic operon is constructed that contains the desired shell protein genes and translation efficiency is controlled by host specific ribosomal binding sites. Proteins or other molecules can be encapsulated in the microcompartment shells by various methods described herein. The constructs can also be used to express self-assembling sheets comprised of shell proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Jonathan K. Lassila, James N. Kinney, Markus Sutter, Steven C. Wilson
  • Patent number: 11130788
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a fusion protein comprising (1) a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) shell protein comprising one or more subunit, and (2) a first component of a specific-binding pair, operably linked to the BMC shell protein such that the first component faces (i) a lumen (inside) side, or (ii) outside of a BMC shell formed incorporating the fusion protein and the fusion protein does not disrupt or prevent the folding of the BMC shell protein or the ability of the BMC shell protein to integrate with other BMC shell proteins into a BMC shell; wherein the first component is capable of forming a stable or irreversible interaction with a second component of the specific-binding pair.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignees: The Regents of the University of California, Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Andrew R. Hagen, Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Nancy B. Sloan, Markus Sutter, Bryan H. Ferlez
  • Publication number: 20210206816
    Abstract: A fusion chimeric protein is described herein that can assemble a functional carboxysome core, which is able to fix carbon by taking atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it into useful carbon-containing compounds such as 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Cesar R. Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 11034965
    Abstract: Described herein are bacterial microcompartments shell proteins modified to stably incorporate iron-sulfur clusters. Such bacterial microcompartments shell proteins exhibit redox cycling and confer electron transfer functionality to bacterial microcompartment shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Clement Aussignargues
  • Patent number: 10913777
    Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a BMC fusion protein that is capable of in vitro assembly, comprising a constituent BMC shell protein subunit and a sterically hindering protein domain that is cleavable. The BMC fusion protein is capable of in vitro assembly triggered by removal of the fused sterically hindering domain. The present disclosure is also related to a means to produce BMC shells in vitro, triggered by removal of a fused sterically hindering domain from one or more constituent BMC shell protein subunits. The BMC fusion protein enables encapsulation of broad classes of materials and biophysical studies of shell assembly, encapsulation, and permeability that would otherwise be unavailable from BMCs assembled in vivo.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Andrew Ronald Hagen, Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Markus Sutter
  • Publication number: 20200102355
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a fusion protein comprising (1) a bacterial microcompartment (BMC) shell protein comprising one or more subunit, and (2) a first component of a specific-binding pair, operably linked to the BMC shell protein such that the first component faces (i) a lumen (inside) side, or (ii) outside of a BMC shell formed incorporating the fusion protein and the fusion protein does not disrupt or prevent the folding of the BMC shell protein or the ability of the BMC shell protein to integrate with other BMC shell proteins into a BMC shell; wherein the first component is capable of forming a stable or irreversible interaction with a second component of the specific-binding pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Applicants: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Andrew R. Hagen, Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Nancy B. Sloan, Markus Sutter, Bryan H. Ferlez
  • Publication number: 20200102566
    Abstract: Described herein are bacterial microcompartments shell proteins modified to stably incorporate iron-sulfur clusters. Such bacterial microcompartments shell proteins exhibit redox cycling and confer electron transfer functionality to bacterial microcompartment shells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: CHERYL A. KERFELD, CLEMENT AUSSIGNARGUES
  • Patent number: 10501508
    Abstract: A fusion chimeric protein is described herein that can assemble a functional carboxysome core, which is able to fix carbon by taking atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it into useful carbon-containing compounds such as 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Cesar R. Gonzalez
  • Patent number: 10480003
    Abstract: Methods and compositions to introduce a synthetic pathway based on the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle into an organism such as the model cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus sp. PCC 7942. The heterologously expressed pathway acts as a photorespiratory bypass as well as an additional carbon fixation cycle orthogonal to the endogenous Calvin-Benson cycle. We demonstrate the function of all six introduced enzymes, which not only has implications on increasing net-photosynthetic productivity, but also key enzymes in the pathway are involved in high-value products that are of biotechnological interest, such as 3-hydroxypropionate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Patrick Shih, Jan Zarzycki, Krishna K. Niyogi
  • Patent number: 10479999
    Abstract: Described herein are bacterial microcompartments shell proteins modified to stably incorporate iron-sulfur clusters. Such bacterial microcompartments shell proteins exhibit redox cycling and confer electron transfer functionality to bacterial microcompartment shells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Clement Aussignargues
  • Publication number: 20180334482
    Abstract: The present disclosure is related to a BMC fusion protein that is capable of in vitro assembly, comprising a constituent BMC shell protein subunit and a sterically hindering protein domain that is cleavable. The BMC fusion protein is capable of in vitro assembly triggered by removal of the fused sterically hindering domain. The present disclosure is also related to a means to produce BMC shells in vitro, triggered by removal of a fused sterically hindering domain from one or more constituent BMC shell protein subunits. The BMC fusion protein enables encapsulation of broad classes of materials and biophysical studies of shell assembly, encapsulation, and permeability that would otherwise be unavailable from BMCs assembled in vivo.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Publication date: November 22, 2018
    Inventors: Andrew Ronald Hagen, Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Markus Sutter
  • Publication number: 20180216117
    Abstract: Described herein are bacterial microcompartments shell proteins modified to stably incorporate iron-sulfur clusters. Such bacterial microcompartments shell proteins exhibit redox cycling and confer electron transfer functionality to bacterial microcompartment shells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Publication date: August 2, 2018
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Clement Aussignargues
  • Publication number: 20180057546
    Abstract: A fusion chimeric protein is described herein that can assemble a functional carboxysome core, which is able to fix carbon by taking atmospheric carbon dioxide and converting it into useful caron-containing compounds such as 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Cesar R. Gonzalez
  • Publication number: 20170107523
    Abstract: To produce a bacterial microcompartment shell, or a designed shell based on naturally occurring bacterial microcompartment shells in a new host organism, a synthetic operon is constructed that contains the desired shell protein genes and translation efficiency is controlled by host specific ribosomal binding sites. Proteins or other molecules can be encapsulated in the microcompartment shells by various methods described herein. The constructs can also be used to express self-assembling sheets comprised of shell proteins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Jonathan K. Lassila, James N. Kinney, Markus Sutter, Steven C. Wilson
  • Publication number: 20170088850
    Abstract: Methods and compositions to introduce a synthetic pathway based on the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle into an organism such as the model cyanobacterium, Synechococcus elongatus sp. PCC 7942. The heterologously expressed pathway acts as a photorespiratory bypass as well as an additional carbon fixation cycle orthogonal to the endogenous Calvin-Benson cycle. We demonstrate the function of all six introduced enzymes, which not only has implications on increasing net-photosynthetic productivity, but also key enzymes in the pathway are involved in high-value products that are of biotechnological interest, such as 3-hydroxypropionate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Patrick Shih, Jan Zarzycki, Krishna K. Niyogi
  • Publication number: 20160222068
    Abstract: A conserved region of sequence in bacterial microcompartment (BMC) enzymes and proteins was identified. Peptide sequences derived from this conserved region of native BMC proteins and enzymes appear to target the hexameric facets of BMC shell proteins. These peptides were predicted to share general properties of a predicted alpha helical conformation, flanked by poorly conserved segment(s) of primary structure); for each type of encapsulated protein, and for each functionally distinct BMC. These peptides can be used as targeting signals for integrating biomolecules and molecules into bacterial microcompartments or for attaching molecules or biomolecules to native or non-native bacterial microcompartment shell proteins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, James N. Kinney
  • Publication number: 20150026840
    Abstract: To produce a bacterial microcompartment shell, or a designed shell based on naturally occurring bacterial microcompartment shells in a new host organism, a synthetic operon is constructed that contains the desired shell protein genes and translation efficiency is controlled by host specific ribosomal binding sites. Proteins or other molecules can be encapsulated in the microcompartment shells by various methods described herein. The constructs can also be used to express self-assembling sheets comprised of shell proteins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: January 22, 2015
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Cheryl A. Kerfeld, Jonathan K. Lassila, James N. Kinney