Patents Assigned to McMaster University
  • Patent number: 10426751
    Abstract: A method of restoring activity in phenylalanine hydroxylase is provided. The method comprises exposing the phenylalanine hydroxylase to shikimic acid, a functionally equivalent analog thereof, a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of shikimic acid or analog thereof, or combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventor: Philip Britz-McKibbin
  • Patent number: 10407527
    Abstract: A novel charge-shifting copolymer is provided comprising a first charge-shifting monomer that is cationic under physiological conditions and which possesses cationic groups that may be converted into anionic groups under physiological conditions, a second monomer comprising at least one primary amine that is not convertible to an anionic group under physiological conditions, and optionally, one or more monomers which are polar uncharged monomers. A hydrogel system incorporating this copolymer, as well as a capsule system, are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Nicholas Burke, Samantha Ros, Harald Stover
  • Patent number: 10369227
    Abstract: A polymer matrix is provided comprising an amine-containing polyampholyte covalently crosslinked with an electrophilic polymer to yield an immunocompatible polymer matrix. A hydrogel system incorporating the polymer matrix is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Harald Stover, Nicholas Burke
  • Patent number: 10363340
    Abstract: The present application relates to hydrogel compositions comprising first and second precursor polymers, wherein the precursor polymers are modified poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) copolymers that are crosslinked through electrophile-nucleophile reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Todd Hoare, Emilia Bakaic, Niels M. B. Smeets, Xudong Deng
  • Publication number: 20190228838
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for tuning associations between genetic variants of sequence elements of a subject genome and a target biological characteristic to a target population is described. The method notionally partitions the subject genome into discrete contiguous genome segments and derives a tuning function for each genome segment. The tuning function tunes the associations to the target population, and derivation of the tuning function for each genome segment excludes sequence elements in that same genome segment to avoid overfitting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Guillaume PARE, Shihong MAO, Wei Qxi DENG
  • Patent number: 10333376
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein for a double-rotor switched reluctance machine. In one example embodiment, the double-rotor switched reluctance machine comprises an interior rotor, an exterior rotor spaced from the interior rotor and coaxially and concentrically disposed outside the interior rotor, and at least one stator disposed concentrically with the interior rotor and the exterior rotor. The interior rotor, the exterior rotor and the at least one stator are disposed within one machine set to provide an interior switched reluctance machine and an exterior switched reluctance machine. The interior switched reluctance machine and the exterior switched reluctance machine can operate as two motors, two generators, or a motor and a generator simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Yinye Yang, Ali Emadi
  • Publication number: 20190178880
    Abstract: The present application is directed to methods of performing chemical reactions, including multi-step chemical reactions in which two or more of the reagents in the chemical reaction are incorporated or entrapped in a solid polymeric structure comprising pullulan. In certain embodiments, the chemical reaction or multi-step reaction serves as a sensor. Accordingly the present application is also directed to sensors for performing the methods of the application. In certain embodiments, at least one of the reagents is a biomolecule and the sensor is a biosensor. In certain other embodiments, the solid polymeric structure comprising pullulan and the reagents for performing a chemical reaction form a convenient device for performing a chemical reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: June 13, 2019
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Carlos Filipe, John D. Brennan, Robert Pelton, Sana Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, Yingfu Li
  • Patent number: 10312780
    Abstract: Various embodiments are described herein for a double-rotor switched reluctance machine with segmented rotors. In one example embodiment, the double-rotor switched reluctance machine comprises an interior rotor, an exterior rotor spaced from the interior rotor and concentrically disposed outside the interior rotor, and at least one stator disposed concentrically with the interior rotor and the exterior rotor. The interior rotor, the exterior rotor and the at least one stator are disposed within one machine set to provide an interior switched reluctance machine and an exterior switched reluctance machine. In the various embodiments described herein, at least one of the interior rotor and the exterior rotor comprises an array of magnetically isolated segments and filler segments. The interior switched reluctance machine and the exterior switched reluctance machine can operate as two motors, two generators, or a motor and a generator simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Teng Guo, Nigel Schofield, Ali Emadi
  • Patent number: 10293702
    Abstract: The embodiments described herein relate to a reconfigurable energy storage system. In one embodiment, the reconfigurable energy storage system comprises a first energy storage system, a second energy storage system and a power converter. The power converter determines a first power level, a second power level and a load coupled to the power converter and manipulates the power transfer between the energy storage systems based on the first power level, the second power level and the load. In another embodiment, the reconfigurable energy storage system also comprises a third energy storage system. In this embodiment, the power converter determines a third power level corresponding to the third energy storage system and manipulates the power transfer between the energy storage systems based also on the third power level. The third power level may correspond to a state of charge of the third energy storage element or amount of power generated by the third energy storage system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Chia-Hao Tu, Ali Emadi
  • Publication number: 20190137095
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to the field of energy recovery systems, and more particularly to exhaust heat recovery devices and exhaust flow control devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: James Cotton, Rafat Hirmiz, Jeffrey Girad, Hossam Sadek, Yakoob Hana, Edward Corbin Bruce, Michael Cino
  • Publication number: 20190111006
    Abstract: A method of preserving the one or more chemical and/or biological species in a polymer matrix comprising pullulan and trehalose is described. The method includes combining the one or more chemical and/or biological species, an aqueous pullulan and a trehalose solution and drying the resultant mixture to provide a solid polymeric matrix. A polymeric matrix comprising one or more chemical and/or biological species and its use, for example, on surfaces for food preparation, for food preservation and in biological preparations is also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2018
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Vincent Ho Yin Leung, Sana Jahanshahi- Anbuhi, Carlos Filipe, M. Monsur Ali
  • Patent number: 10241109
    Abstract: The present application is directed to methods of performing chemical reactions, including multi-step chemical reactions in which two or more of the reagents in the chemical reaction are incorporated or entrapped in a solid polymeric structure comprising pullulan. In certain embodiments, the chemical reaction or multi-step reaction serves as a sensor. Accordingly the present application is also directed to sensors for performing the methods of the application. In certain embodiments, at least one of the reagents is a biomolecule and the sensor is a biosensor. In certain other embodiments, the solid polymeric structure comprising pullulan and the reagents for performing a chemical reaction form a convenient device for performing a chemical reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Carlos Filipe, John D. Brennan, Robert Pelton, Sana Jahanshahi-Anbuhi, Yingfu Li
  • Patent number: 10234421
    Abstract: The present application is directed to the use of electrophoresis with UV detection in the determination of iodine nutritional status in human biological specimens, specifically for monitoring iodine deficiency/inadequacy in large-scale epidemiological studies. In particular, the present application is directed to a method for determining iodide and iodide uptake inhibitors in a human biological sample when using sample self-stacking with capillary electrophoresis and UV detection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventor: Philip Britz-McKibbin
  • Patent number: 10190154
    Abstract: The present application discloses a biosensor that comprises a nucleic acid probe absorbed on reduced graphene oxide, the nucleic acid probe comprising an RCA primer sequence linked to a recognition moiety for an analyte to be detected by the biosensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Yingfu Li, John D. Brennan, Meng Liu
  • Publication number: 20190024148
    Abstract: The present application describes a biosensor for detecting target nucleic acid. The biosensor's mode of operation is based on binding of the target nucleic acid to another nucleic acid sequence and a circular template which triggers rolling circle amplification and detection of the amplified product as the indicator of the presence of the target nucleic acid. The biosensor is immobilized on a solid support, such as paper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Yingfu Li, John Brennan, Meng Liu
  • Patent number: 10174401
    Abstract: The present application discloses metallophores that complex soluble gold and generate solid gold forms, including gold nanoparticles. In an embodiment, the metallophores are microbial metabolites isolated from organisms that are resistant to gold, or are analogs thereof. Methods of using the metallophores to extract and detect gold, along with detectors comprising the metallophores are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Aubrey Morgan Bailey Wyatt, Chad Johnston, Nathan Magarvey
  • Publication number: 20180373833
    Abstract: A method for linking a natural product and gene cluster is disclosed. In some embodiments, monomers of natural products are predicted from a gene sequence. In other emboidments, monomers of natural products are predicted from a chemical structure of a natural product. In another embodiment, monomers predicted from gene sequences are aligned with monomers predicted from chemical structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Nishanth MERWIN, Chris DEJONG, Chad JOHNSTON, Gregory CHEN, Haoxin LI, Michael SKINNIDER, McLean EDWARDS, Nathan MAGARVEY, Phil REES
  • Publication number: 20180363022
    Abstract: The present application is directed to biosensors and methods for detecting a microorganism target in a sample using a mechanically interlocked nucleic acid catanane, wherein an enzyme from the microorganism target or that is activated by a molecule from the microorganism target cleaves a linkage in a first single-stranded nucleic acid ring of the catanane structure, allowing rolling-circle amplification to occur and the presence of rolling-circle amplification products indicates the presence of the microorganism in the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Yingfu LI, John BRENNAN, Meng LIU
  • Publication number: 20180340222
    Abstract: The present application relates to a new class of macroporous bio/inorganic hybrids, engineered through a high-throughput materials screening approach that entrap micron-sized concatemeric DNA aptamers. The entrapment of these long-chain DNA aptamers allows their retention within the macropores of the silica material, so that aptamers can interact with high molecular weight targets such as proteins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 29, 2018
    Applicant: McMaster University
    Inventors: Carmen Carrasquilla, Yingfu Li, John D. Brennan
  • Patent number: 10131932
    Abstract: A method of determining generation of an activated protease in a biological sample is provided. The method comprises the steps of exposing a biological sample to a substrate for the activated protease, wherein the substrate comprises a detectable label linked to a cleavage sequence for the activated protease by C-terminal and N-terminal spacers that form a beta-sheet, and wherein the detectable label emits a first signal associated with the substrate and second signal associated with a cleaved product; and determining the generation of the activated protease by measuring the change in the first or second signal over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: McMaster University
    Inventors: Shengjun Qiao, Peter Gross