Patents by Inventor Robert George Birch

Robert George Birch 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: 8124373
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Patent number: 8022269
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Publication number: 20110207181
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 8, 2011
    Publication date: August 25, 2011
    Applicant: The University of Queensland, St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George BIRCH, Luguang WU
  • Patent number: 7977082
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Patent number: 7655836
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2010
    Assignee: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Patent number: 7524654
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Publication number: 20080229455
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Publication date: September 18, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Publication number: 20080160582
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2006
    Publication date: July 3, 2008
    Applicant: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Patent number: 7250282
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2007
    Assignee: The University of Queensland of St. Lucia
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu
  • Publication number: 20040005589
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2003
    Publication date: January 8, 2004
    Inventors: Robert George Birch, Luguang Wu