Patents Assigned to Minos Biosystems
  • Patent number: 7709696
    Abstract: A method of inducing transposition in a transgenic embryo, sperm and egg is described, comprising the steps of (a) generating a first adult transgenic organism comprising within its genome one or more copies of a transposon; (b) generating a second adult transgenic organism comprising within its genome one or more copies of a gene encoding a transposase cognate for the transposon and/or a sequence capable of regulating expression of the gene encoding the transposase; (c) crossing the first adult transgenic organism with the second transgenic adult organism to provide a progeny which comprises, in the genome of one or more of its cells, both (i) one or more copies of the transposon and (ii) a gene encoding a transposase cognate for the transposon, wherein the gene encoding the transposase is under the control of one or more inducible regulatory sequences which permit expression of the transposase, and (d) expressing the gene encoding the transposase in the embryo, sperm or egg to cause mobilization of the tran
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignees: Erasmus University Medical Center, Minos Biosystems Limited
    Inventors: Roger Craig, Charalambos Savakis, Frank Grosveld
  • Publication number: 20080255002
    Abstract: A method of inducing transposition in a transgenic embryo, sperm and egg is described, comprising the steps of (a) generating a first adult transgenic organism comprising within its genome one or more copies of a transposon; (b) generating a second adult transgenic organism comprising within its genome one or more copies of a gene encoding a transposase cognate for the transposon and/or a sequence capable of regulating expression of the gene encoding the transposase; (c) crossing the first adult transgenic organism with the second transgenic adult organism to provide a progeny which comprises, in the genome of one or more of its cells, both (i) one or more copies of the transposon and (ii) a gene encoding a transposase cognate for the transposon, wherein the gene encoding the transposase is under the control of one or more inducible regulatory sequences which permit expression of the transposase, and (d) expressing the gene encoding the transposase in the embryo, sperm or egg to cause mobilisation of the tran
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2007
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Applicants: Minos BioSystems
    Inventors: Charalambos Savakis, Roger K. Craig, Frank Grosveld
  • Patent number: 7132586
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a protein of interest comprising transforming a target insect with a non-viral expression system that expresses the protein in the insect larvae, breeding the insect to produce larvae, culturing the larvae and isolating the protein from the larvae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2006
    Assignee: Minos Biosystems Limited
    Inventors: Roger Craig, Charalambos Savakis
  • Publication number: 20040092018
    Abstract: The inventon provides a method for producing a library of genetic mutations in a cell population by insertional mutagenesis, wherein a viral vector comprising a transposon is used to deliver said transposon to said cell population, which cell population stably expresses the cognate transposase for said transposon, and the transposon is mobilised to give a rise to the genetic mutations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2003
    Publication date: May 13, 2004
    Applicant: Minos Biosystems Limited
    Inventors: Charalambos Savakis, Frank Grosveld
  • Publication number: 20040003429
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for controlling a population of target pests, comprising: a) providing gene comprising a coding sequence encoding one constituent of an enzyme/pro-pesticide system and a promoter capable of driving the coding sequence in the target plants or vertebrate host; b) transforming the target plant or vertebrate with the gene; and c) administering to the transformed population of target plant or vertebrates the remaining constituents of the enzyme/pro-pesticide system such that inactive pro-pesticide is converted to active pesticide on or within the transformed plant or vertebrate host leading to the death of any invading population of target pests.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: Minos Biosystems Limited
    Inventors: Roger Craig, Charalambos Savakis
  • Publication number: 20030037346
    Abstract: The intention relates to a method for producing a protein of interest, comprising transforming an insect with a non-viral expression system capable of expressing the protein of interest in the larvae of the insect; breeding the insect to produce larvae; culturing the larvae; and isolating the protein of interest from the larvae. The transformation is advantageously performed by means of a transposon vector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Publication date: February 20, 2003
    Applicant: Minos Biosystems
    Inventors: Roger Craig, Charalambos Savakis
  • Publication number: 20020194634
    Abstract: A method for controlling a population of target insects comprising providing a gene comprising a coding sequence encoding one constituent of an enzyme/pro-pesticide system and a regulatory region operatively linked to said coding sequence. The regulatory region of the present invention regulates expression of said coding sequence in a target insect of said population of target insects in a sex specific manner. The method of the present invention further comprises transforming a plurality of said target insects with said gene, and allowing said gene to spread within the target insect population. The method further comprises administering to said population of target insects the remaining constituent(s) of said enzyme/pro-pesticide system wherein said enzyme catalyzes the conversion of the pro-pesticide to a pesticide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2002
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Applicant: Minos Biosystems
    Inventors: Roger Craig, Charalambos Savakis
  • Patent number: 6469228
    Abstract: Disclosed are isolated transposable elements, or isolated DNA sequences which encode a transposase protein (or a portion of a transposase protein), The isolated transposable elements or the isolated DNA sequences being characterized by the ability to hybridize to the DNA sequence of Minos 1 under stringent hybridization conditions. The invention also relates to a purified transposase protein, or peptide fragments thereof, encoded by such DNA sequences. Such transposable are useful in methods for the stable introduction of a DNA sequence of interest into a eukaryotic cell. The sequence information disclosed herein is useful in the design of oligonucleotide primers which are useful for the isolation of related members of the Tc-1 family of transposable elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: Minos Biosystems
    Inventors: Charalambos Savakis, Gerald H. Franz, Athanasios Loukeris