Patents Examined by Delia Ramirez
  • Patent number: 8617837
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants (mutants) of parent Termamyl-like alpha-amylases, which variant has alpha-amylase activity and exhibits altered properties relative to the parent alpha-amylase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2013
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Allan Svendsen, Carsten Andersen, Thomas Thisted, Claus Von Der Osten
  • Patent number: 8614085
    Abstract: Increasing tolerance to butanol in yeast has been accomplished by decreasing activity of Pdr5p encoded by an endogenous PDR5 gene. A deletion mutation of the PDR5 gene led to improved growth yield in the presence of butanol. Yeast cells with reduced Pdr5p activity, or other multidrug resistance ATP-binding cassette transporter protein activity encoded by CDR1 or BFR1, and a butanol biosynthetic pathway may be used for improved butanol production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2013
    Assignee: Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventor: Tina K. Van Dyk
  • Patent number: 8609386
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having tyrosinase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods for producing, activating and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Kirk Matthew Schnorr, Jeppe Wegener Tams, Christel Thea Joergensen
  • Patent number: 8592177
    Abstract: The invention relates to a recombinant coryneform bacterium which secretes an organic chemical compound and in which the sugR gene which codes for a polypeptide having the activity of an SugR regulator has been attenuated. The invention further relates to a processes for using this bacterium for the fermentative preparation of organic chemical compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignees: Evonik Degussa GmbH, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH
    Inventors: Brigitte Bathe, Georg Thierbach, Volker Wendisch, Verena Engels, Bernhard Eikmanns, Bastian Blombach
  • Patent number: 8580553
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods, compositions and articles of manufacture useful for the treatment of Bacillus anthracis and B. cereus bacteria and spores, and related conditions. The disclosure further relates to methods and compositions for the identification of a phage associated lytic enzyme to rapidly and specifically detect and kill Bacillus anthracis and other bacteria. Related articles of manufacture, methods of degrading spores and methods of treatment of infections or bacteria populations of, or subjects exposed to or at risk for exposure to, Bacillus anthracis are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: The Rockefeller University
    Inventors: Vincent A. Fischetti, Raymond Schuch, Daniel Nelson
  • Patent number: 8580549
    Abstract: The invention relates to agents containing esterases, and to the use thereof for dressing fibres, in particular, artificial fibres, washing and cleaning agents comprising esterases and corresponding washing and cleaning methods, in addition to additional technical areas of application. The invention also relates to the use of esterases for protecting against or reducing and/or preventing pilling, preferably in textiles, particularly plastic fibres, more preferably polyester fibres, in addition to the use of esterases for separating the plastics, in particular, polyester compounds. The invention further relates to novel esterases and to sufficiently related proteins and to derivatives thereof, agents containing them and to the use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Henkel KGaA
    Inventors: Andreas Michels, André Pütz, Karl-Heinz Maurer, Thorsten Eggert, Karl-Erich Jäger
  • Patent number: 8569012
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for conveniently stabilizing an aqueous acrylamide solution using a stabilizer which can be separated and removed easily. In the method for stabilizing an aqueous acrylamide solution according to the present invention, a microbial cell is added to the aqueous acrylamide solution at a dried cell weight concentration of 1 to 14000 mg/L.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahito Oda, Katsuo Ishii
  • Patent number: 8557562
    Abstract: Increasing tolerance to butanol in yeast has been accomplished by increasing activity of the filamentous growth response. Yeast with increased expression of MSS11p, a transcriptional activator of the filamentous growth response pathway had increased tolerance to isobutanol. These yeast may be used for improved butanol production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Michael G. Bramucci, Robert A. Larossa, Manjari Singh
  • Patent number: 8535663
    Abstract: The invention is directed to treatment of delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions associated with changes of qualitative and/or quantitative composition of blood extracellular DNA and treatment of systemic DNA mutation diseases accompanied with development of somatic mosaicism and elevation of blood extracellular DNA. The inventive method comprises introducing a DNASE enzyme into the systemic blood circulation of a patient in doses and regimens which are sufficient to decrease average molecular weight of circulating extracellular blood DNA in the blood of said patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: CLS Therapeutics Limited
    Inventors: Dmitry Dmitrievich Genkin, Georgy Viktorovich Tets, Viktor Veniaminovich Tets
  • Patent number: 8524480
    Abstract: This invention relates to altered forms of members of the RNase A superfamily. An RNase A can be modified to be cytotoxic by altering its amino acid sequence so that it is not bound easily by the ribonuclease inhibitor while still retaining catalytic properties. While earlier work had identified some modifications to RNase A that would result in cytotoxicity, the use of the FADE algorithm for molecular interaction analysis has led to several other locations that were candidates for modification. Some of those modifications did result in RNase A variants with increase cytotoxicity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Ronald T. Raines, Julie C. Mitchell, Thomas J. Rutkoski
  • Patent number: 8512973
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides engineered ketoreductase enzymes having improved properties as compared to a naturally occurring wild-type ketoreductase enzyme. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, host cells capable of expressing the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, and methods of using the engineered ketoreductase enzymes to synthesize a variety of chiral compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignees: Codexis, Inc., Pfizer, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Liang, Stephane J. Jenne, Emily Mundorff, Charlene Ching, John M. Gruber, Anke Krebber, Gjalt W. Huisman
  • Patent number: 8507245
    Abstract: Mono-pegylated arginase conjugate and method producing thereof. The mono-pegylated arginase is homogeneous in molecular weight and shows therapeutic effect for treating cancers and viral infections. The method of producing such arginase conjugate has a main step of genetically modifying the gene encoding an arginase so that the PEG moiety can attach to the enzyme at a predetermined, specific intended site. This is achieved by removing the PEG attaching amino acid residues at undesirable sites while keeping (or adding, if necessary) the one at the desirable site of the enzyme. Two exemplary mono-pegylated arginase conjugates so produced are human arginase I (HAI) where a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety is site-specific covalently bonded to Cys45 of the enzyme and Bacillus caldovelox arginase (BCA) where a polyethylene glycol (PEG) moiety is site-specific covalently bonded to Cys161 of the enzyme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
    Inventors: Yun Chung Leung, Wai-hung Lo
  • Patent number: 8497128
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a genetic modification of moderately thermophilic Bacillus species that are facultative anaerobic and homolactic. The method includes introducing DNA cloned in a thermosensitive plasmid system containing a pSH71 replicon or a homologue thereof into cells of a moderately thermophilic Bacillus species that is facultative anaerobic and homolactic; culturing the cells on a selective medium at a permissive temperature to select transformed cells; culturing the transformed cells on a selective medium at a non-permissive temperature to select transformed cells capable of growing on the selective medium at the non-permissive temperature. The method can modify the Bacilli for R-lactic acid production, production of other organic acids than lactic acid, alcohol, enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins. The Bacillus species may be modified by replacing the S-lactate dehydrogenase gene by a DNA construct including a DNA sequence encoding R-lactate dehydrogenase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: Purac Biochem B.V.
    Inventors: Richard Van Kranenburg, Mariska Van Hartskamp, Eelco Anthonius Johannes Heintz, Esther Johanna Geertruda Van Mullekom, Jurgen Snelders
  • Patent number: 8492131
    Abstract: Novel laccases from Cerrena sp. WR1 and Lentinus sp. and uses thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Academia Sinica
    Inventors: Lie-Fen Shyur, Chih-An Hsu
  • Patent number: 8486645
    Abstract: Novel gene deletions and translocations involving chromosome 2 resulting in fusion proteins combining part of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) kinase with part of a secondary protein have now been identified in human solid tumors, e.g. non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Secondary proteins include Echinoderm Microtubule-Associated Protein-Like 4 (EML-4) and TRK-Fusion Gene (TFG). The EML4-ALK fusion protein, which retains ALK tyrosine kinase activity, was confirmed to drive the proliferation and survival of NSCLC characterized by this mutation. The invention therefore provides, in part, isolated polynucleotides and vectors encoding the disclosed mutant polypeptides, probes for detecting it, isolated mutant polypeptides, and reagents for detecting the fusion and truncated polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Klarisa Rikova, Herbert Haack, Laura Sullivan, Ailan Guo, Anthony Possemato, Joan MacNeill, Ting-Lei Gu, Jian Yu
  • Patent number: 8486681
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants (mutants) of parent Termamyl-like alpha-amylases, which variant has alpha-amylase activity and exhibits altered properties relative to the parent alpha-amylase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Allan Svendsen, Carsten Andersen, Thomas Thisted, Claus Von Der Osten
  • Patent number: 8481279
    Abstract: In accordance with the invention, novel gene deletions and translocations involving chromosome 2 resulting in fusion proteins combining part of Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) kinase with part of a secondary protein have now been identified in human solid tumors, e.g. non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Secondary proteins include Echinoderm Microtubule-Associated Protein-Like 4 (EML-4) and TRK-Fusion Gene (TFG). The EML4-ALK fusion protein, which retains ALK tyrosine kinase activity, was confirmed to drive the proliferation and survival of NSCLC characterized by this mutation. The invention therefore provides, in part, isolated polynucleotides and vectors encoding the disclosed mutant ALK kinase polypeptides, probes for detecting it, isolated mutant polypeptides, recombinant polypeptides, and reagents for detecting the fusion and truncated polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Klarisa Rikova, Herbert Haack, Laura Sullivan, Ailan Guo, Anthony Possemato, Joan MacNeill, Ting-Lei Gu, Jian Yu
  • Patent number: 8476051
    Abstract: An alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from hyperthermophilic archaeon Thermococcus guaymasensis was purified to homogeneity and was found to be a homotetramer with a subunit size of 40±1 kDa. The gene encoding the enzyme was cloned and sequenced, and found to have significant sequence homology to known zinc-containing ADHs and L-threonine dehydrogenases with both binding motifs of catalytic zinc and NADP+. The wild-type enzyme is a primary-secondary ADH that exhibits a substrate preference for secondary alcohols and corresponding ketones, and exhibits unusual stereoselectivity. The wild-type enzyme was found to have outstanding thermostability, demonstrating 60% activity after incubation at 80° C. for 40 hours. Site-directed mutagenesis was used to substitute the cyteine residue at position 56 with a serine, to provide the TgADH(C56S) mutant. In the assays that we carried out, we found virtually no difference in enzyme activity and oxygen-sensitivity between the mutant TgADH (C56S) and wild type TgADH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Inventors: Kesen Ma, Xiangxian Ying
  • Patent number: 8465965
    Abstract: The present invention provides reagents and methods for biomaterial production from cyanobacteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents
    Inventors: Hatem Mohammed, Wim Vermaas
  • Patent number: 8460870
    Abstract: A method of altering the conformation of a polypeptide having a known three-dimensional structure is described. The method comprises attaching a first end of a polymer to a first portion of the polypeptide, attaching a second end of the polymer to a second portion of the polypeptide, and altering the mechanical tension of the polymer, thereby altering the conformation of the polypeptide. The alteration of the conformation of the polypeptide may increase or decrease the binding affinity of the polypeptide for a substrate bound by the polypeptide, or alter the catalytic rate of an enzyme. Typically, the polymer is a polynucleotide or polypeptide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Giovanni Zocchi, Brian Choi