Patents Examined by Jim Ketter
  • Patent number: 8703127
    Abstract: Methods for diagnosing the presence of prostate cancer in a subject are provided, such methods including detecting the levels of expression of multiple polypeptide biomarkers in a biological sample obtained from the subject and comparing the levels of expression with predetermined threshold levels. Levels of expression of at least two of the polypeptide markers that are above the predetermined threshold levels are indicative of the presence of prostate cancer in the subject. Determination of the expression levels of specific combinations of biomarkers can also be used to determine the type and/or stage of prostate cancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Caldera Health Limited
    Inventors: James Douglas Watson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Damian Jay White
  • Patent number: 8697440
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and tools for producing large quantities of gamma-carboxylated protein comprising: (i) culturing a cell adapted to express a protein which requires gamma-carboxylation and ?-glutamyl carboxylase in a ratio of at least 10:1, under conditions suitable for expression of both proteins, and (ii) isolating gamma-carboxylated protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Medimmune Limited
    Inventors: Christel Fenge, Ann Lövgren, Anders Thelin
  • Patent number: 8697364
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for the transfection of filamentous fungal cells, comprising providing a multitude of containers, filling into each container an amount of polymer needed for the transfection, filling the cells to be transfected as well as an aqueous solution of transfection reagent into each of the containers, incubating the resulting mixture, removing the transfection reagent from the incubated mixture; and selecting the cells which have been transformed, characterized in that the total volume of the incubating mixture is less than 1 ml per container. Furthermore, the present invention provides the use of transformed filamentous fungal cells for the production of proteins or metabolites.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventors: Marco Alexander Van Den Berg, Bianca Elisabeth Maria Gielesen, Adriana Marina Riemens
  • Patent number: 8690786
    Abstract: A non-invasive blood pressure system is disclosed herein. The non-invasive blood pressure system includes a pressure transducer configured to obtain pressure data comprising a transient baseline effects component. The non-invasive blood pressure system also includes a processor adapted to receive the pressure data from the pressure transducer. The processor is configured to generate a transient baseline effects model, and to implement the transient baseline effects model to at least partially remove the transient baseline effects component of the pressure data. The removal of the transient baseline effects component from the pressure data eliminates a potential source of error and thereby enables a more accurate blood pressure estimate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Lawrence Hersh, Richard Medero, Sai Kolluri, William Roberts
  • Patent number: 8685645
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a method of screening an enhancer and/or a promoter, includes culturing a host cell into which an amplifiable vector is introduced, extracting the vector from the host cell and obtaining the DNA fragment from the extracted vector, wherein the vector includes a DNA fragment to be determined, a gene that is functionally linked downstream of the DNA fragment and encodes a protein to initiate self-replication, and a gene that encodes a replication origin sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Eiichi Akahoshi, Mitsuko Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8685731
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the coloring of cells, preferably E1-immortalized HER cells, more preferably PER.C6 cells in a reactor in suspension in a cell culture medium, wherein the cells produce a biological substance, preferably an antibody, wherein at least one cell culture medium component is fed to the cell culture and wherein the cell culture comprising the cells, the biological substance and cell culture medium is circulated over a separation system and wherein the separation system separates the biological substance from substances having a lower molecular weight than the biological substance and wherein the biological substance is retained in or fed back into the reactor. Preferably part of the substances of lower molecular weight is continuously removed from the cell culture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventors: Gerben Meile Zijlstra, Robert Patrick Hoff, Jacob Schilder
  • Patent number: 8686218
    Abstract: Disclosed is a new technology that enables the transgenic modification of a mushroom-forming fungus to confer a transgenic genotype and/or phenotype. According to the invention herein, one can manipulate the fruiting body of a fungus conferring an altered phenotype, but a wild-type genotype. The fruiting body itself is devoid of any cognate transgene, and Applicants have discovered a new mechanism of protein synthesis and accumulation in fungi and a technique to independently control the genotype and phenotype of the fruiting body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: The Penn State Research Foundation
    Inventors: C. Peter Romaine, Carl David Schlagnhaufer, Benjamin Michael Woolston
  • Patent number: 8679753
    Abstract: The invention provides molecular switches which couple external signals to functionality, and combinatorial methods of making and using the same involving circular permutation of nucleic acid and amino acid sequences. The switches according to the invention can be used, for example, to regulate gene transcription, target drug delivery to specific cells, transport drugs intracellularly, control drug release, provide conditionally active proteins, perform metabolic engineering, and modulate cell signaling pathways. Libraries comprising the switches, expression vectors and host cells for expressing the switches are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventor: Marc Alan Ostermeier
  • Patent number: 8679843
    Abstract: A microfluidic cell culture apparatus includes a cell retention chamber and a perfusion channel. The cell retention chamber has a structured surface. The structured surface includes a major surface from which a plurality of projections extends into the chamber. The plurality of projections are arranged to suspend cells cultured in the chamber above the major surface. The first perfusion channel is configured to provide laminar flow of a fluid through the channel and forms a plurality of openings in communication with the cell retention chamber. The openings are configured to prevent cells from the retention chamber from entering the perfusion channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Corning Incorporated
    Inventors: Ronald Allen Faris, Vasiliy Nikolaevich Goral, Miya Yi-Cheng Hsieh, Odessa Natalie Petzold, Po Ki Yuen
  • Patent number: 8673618
    Abstract: This invention provides novel enzyme compositions using newly identified and isolated C. lucknowense enzymes, including CBH Ib CBH IIb, EG II, EG VI, ?-glucosidase, and xylanase II in conjunction with previously identified enzymes CBH Ia, CBH IIa (previously described as Endo 43), and EG V. These enzyme compositions demonstrate an extremely high ability to convert lignocellulosic biomass (e.g., Avicel, cotton, Douglas fir wood pretreated by organosolv) to glucose. CBH Ia and IIb, which both have a cellulose-binding module (CBM) displayed a pronounced synergism with three major endoglucanases (EG II, EG V, EG VI) from the same fungus in hydrolysis of cotton as well as a strong synergy with each other. The enzyme compositions are effective in hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Dyadic International (USA), Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander V. Gusakov, Tatyana N. Salanovich, Alexey I. Antonov, Boris B. Ustinov, Oleg N. Okunev, Richard P. Burlingame, Mark A. Emalfarb, Marco A. Baez, Arkady P. Sinitsyn
  • Patent number: 8673558
    Abstract: A modified beetle luciferase protein which is an environmentally sensitive reporter protein is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Promega Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Fan, Martin Ken Lewis, John W. Shultz, Keith V. Wood, Braeden Butler
  • Patent number: 8669072
    Abstract: The present invention relates to non-steroidal ligands for use in nuclear receptor-based inducible gene expression system, and a method to modulate exogenous gene expression in which an ecdysone receptor complex comprising: a DNA binding domain; a ligand binding domain; a transactivation domain; and a ligand is contacted with a DNA construct comprising: the exogenous gene and a response element; wherein the exogenous gene is under the control of the response element and binding of the DNA binding domain to the response element in the presence of the ligand results in activation or suppression of the gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2014
    Assignee: Intrexon Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Eugene Hormann, Orestes Chortyk, Dat Phat Le
  • Patent number: 8663913
    Abstract: Bacteriophages in general and lambda phage in particular are powerful, flexible reagents who have yet to be exploited to their full potential. As discussed herein, the lambda phage head and/or genome comprises an easy to use and highly efficient delivery vehicle for delivering the expression products of a gene of interest systemically or to a particular tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Inventor: Sidney Hayes
  • Patent number: 8658166
    Abstract: Methods for diagnosing the presence of prostate cancer in a subject are provided, such methods including detecting the levels of expression of multiple polypeptide biomarkers in a biological sample obtained from the subject and comparing the levels of expression with predetermined threshold levels. Levels of expression of at least two of the polypeptide markers that are above the predetermined threshold levels are indicative of the presence of prostate cancer in the subject. Determination of the expression levels of specific combinations of biomarkers can also be used to determine the type and/or stage of prostate cancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Caldera Health Limited
    Inventors: James Douglas Watson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Damian Jay White
  • Patent number: 8658164
    Abstract: Methods for diagnosing the presence of prostate cancer in a subject are provided, such methods including detecting the levels of expression of multiple polypeptide biomarkers in a biological sample obtained from the subject and comparing the levels of expression with predetermined threshold levels. Levels of expression of at least two of the polypeptide markers that are above the predetermined threshold levels are indicative of the presence of prostate cancer in the subject. Determination of the expression levels of specific combinations of biomarkers can also be used to determine the type and/or stage of prostate cancer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Caldera Health Limited
    Inventors: James Douglas Watson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Damian Jay White
  • Patent number: 8658363
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a cell for measuring a level of Ah receptor transcriptional activation is provided. The cell is derived from a neural cell. The cell contains a chromosome into which a reporter construct and an Ah receptor gene are introduced. The reporter construct has a sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 and a reporter gene operably linked to the downstream of the nucleotide sequence. The sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 has a recognizing sequence of an Ah receptor and a nucleotide sequence which is operably linked to the downstream of the recognizing sequence and required to initiate transcription.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2014
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Seiko Yoshimura, Saeko Uruno, Eiichi Akahoshi, Mitsuko Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8652817
    Abstract: Disclosed are recombinant host cells suitable for degrading an oligosaccharide that have been optimized for growth and production of high yields of ethanol, and methods of making and using these cells. The invention further provides minimal media comprising urea-like compounds for economical production of ethanol by recombinant microorganisms. Recombinant host cells in accordance with the invention are modified by gene mutation to eliminate genes responsible for the production of unwanted products other than ethanol, thereby increasing the yield of ethanol produced from the oligosaccharides, relative to unmutated parent strains. The new and improved strains of recombinant bacteria are capable of superior ethanol productivity and yield when grown under conditions suitable for fermentation in minimal growth media containing inexpensive reagents. Systems optimized for ethanol production combine a selected optimized minimal medium with a recombinant host cell optimized for use in the selected medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Univeristy of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Brent E. Wood, Lonnie O. Ingram, Lorraine P. Yomano, Sean W. York
  • Patent number: 8637240
    Abstract: Signatures indicative of cancer grades are based on over- and under-expression of 214 genes that characterize expression patterns in CD133+ cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Assignee: Institute for Systems Biology
    Inventors: Qiang Tian, Greg D. Foltz, Leroy Hood, Xiaowei Yan
  • Patent number: 8637652
    Abstract: The present invention provides screening kits, compositions, and diagnostic methods for determining whether a subject has a predisposition to, or likelihood of having, a substance use disorder by determining a nucleic acid methylation profile from a biological sample from the subject, wherein a given profile indicates that the subject has a predisposition to a substance use disorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2014
    Inventors: Robert Philibert, Anup Madan
  • Patent number: 8632971
    Abstract: Methods for monitoring, and determining the efficacy of, a treatment for prostate cancer in a subject are provided, such methods including detecting the levels of expression of multiple polypeptide biomarkers in biological samples obtained from the subject prior to, and during, a course of treatment. Specific patterns of changes in the expression of the polypeptide biomarkers are indicative of the effectiveness of the treatment in the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2014
    Assignee: Caldera Health Limited
    Inventors: James Douglas Watson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Damian Jay White