Patents Assigned to Microscience Limited
  • Publication number: 20080175866
    Abstract: A method for identifying a microorganism having a reduced adaptation to a particular environment comprising the steps of: (1) providing a plurality of microorganisms each of which is independently mutated by the insertional inactivation of a gene with a nucleic acid comprising a unique marker sequence so that each mutant contains a different marker sequence, or clones of the said microorganism; (2) providing individually a stored sample of each mutant produced by step (1) and providing individually stored nucleic acid comprising the unique marker sequence from each individual mutant; (3) introducing a plurality of mutants produced by step (1) into the said particular environment and allowing those microorganisms which are able to do so to grow in the said environment; (4) retrieving microorganisms from the said environment or a selected part thereof and isolating the nucleic acid from the retrieved microorganisms; (5) comparing any marker sequences in the nucleic acid isolated in step (4) to the unique mar
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2007
    Publication date: July 24, 2008
    Applicants: Imperial College Innovations Limited, Microscience Limited
    Inventor: David William Holden
  • Patent number: 6984490
    Abstract: A method for identifying a microorganism having a reduced adaptation to a particular environment comprising the steps of: (1) providing a plurality of microorganisms each of which is independently mutated by the insertional inactivation of a gene with a nucleic acid comprising a unique marker sequence so that each mutant contains a different marker sequence, or clones of the said microorganism; (2) providing individually a stored sample of each mutant produced by step (1) and providing individually stored nucleic acid comprising the unique marker sequence from each individual mutant; (3) introducing a plurality of mutants produced by step (1) into the said particular environment and allowing those microorganisms which are able to do so to grow in the said environment; (4) retrieving microorganisms from the said environment or a selected part thereof and isolating the nucleic acid from the retrieved microorganisms; (5) comparing any marker sequences in the nucleic acid isolated in step (4) to the unique mar
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2006
    Assignees: Imperial College Innovations Limited, Microscience Limited
    Inventor: David William Holden
  • Patent number: 6936425
    Abstract: The present invention relates to vaccines, in particular, to an attenuated gram-negative cell comprising the SP12 gene locus, wherein at least one gene of the SP12 locus is inactivated, wherein the inactivation results in an attenuation/reduction of virulence compared to the wild type of said cell, and to a carrier for the presentation of an antigen to a host, which carrier is the attenuated gram-negative cell, wherein the cell comprises at least one heterologous nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for the antigen, wherein the cell is capable of expressing the nucleic acid molecule or capable of causing the expression of the nucleic acid molecule in a target cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignees: Microscience Limited, Imperial College Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Michael Hensel, David William Holden, Jacqueline Elizabeth Shea
  • Patent number: 6812021
    Abstract: According to the present invention, a series of genes are identified in Group B Streptococcus, the products of which may be associated with the outer surface of the organism. The genes, or functional fragments thereof, may be useful in the preparation of therapeutics, e.g. vacaccines to immunize a patient against microbial infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2004
    Assignee: Microscience Limited
    Inventors: Martin John Glenton Hughes, Joseph David Santangelo, Jonathan Douglas Lane, Robert Feldman, Joanne Christine Moore, Richard James Dobson, Paul Everest, Gordon Dougan, Rebecca Kerry Wilson
  • Publication number: 20040203039
    Abstract: The present invention relates to vaccines, in particular, to an attenuated gram-negative cell comprising the SPI2 gene locus, wherein at least one gene of the SPI2 locus is inactivated, wherein said inactivation results in an attenuation/reduction of virulence compared to the wild type of said cell, and to a carrier for the presentation of an antigen to a host, which carrier is said attenuated gram-negative cell, wherein said cell comprises at least one heterologous nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleic acid sequence coding for said antigen, wherein said cell is capable of expressing said nucleic acid molecule or capable of causing the expression of said nucleic acid molecule in a target cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: October 14, 2004
    Applicants: Microscience Limited, Imperial College Innovations Limited
    Inventors: Michael Hensel, David William Holden, Jacqueline Elizabeth Shea
  • Patent number: 6342215
    Abstract: A method for identifying a microorganism having a reduced adaptation to a particular environment comprising the steps of: (1) providing a plurality of microorganisms each of which is independently mutated by the insertional inactivation of a gene with a nucleic acid comprising a unique marker sequence so that each mutant contains a different marker sequence, or clones of the said microorganism; (2) providing individually a stored sample of each mutant produced by step (1) and providing individually stored nucleic acid comprising the unique marker sequence from each individual mutant; (3) introducing a plurality of mutants produced by step (1) into the said particular environment and allowing those microorganisms which are able to do so to grow in the said environment; (4) retrieving microorganisms from the said environment or a selected part thereof and isolating the nucleic acid from the retrieved microorganisms; (5) comparing any marker sequences in the nucleic acid isolated in step (4) to the unique m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2002
    Assignees: Imperial College Innovations Limited, Microscience Limited
    Inventors: David William Holden, Jacqueline Elizabeth Shea, Michael Hensel
  • Patent number: 5797114
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for resistivity mapping of semiconductor materials by causing currents to flow in a semiconductor body and measuring resultant potentials created between pairs of surface probes. A resistivity map is produced using the information gathered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1998
    Assignees: The University of Sheffield, Bio-Rad Microscience Limited
    Inventors: John Roberts, Ian Leslie Freeston, Richard Charles Tozer, Anthony Charles Gorvin, Ian Christopher Mayes, Francois Jean Djamdjl, Stephen Richard Blight