Patents Examined by Maryam Monshipouri
  • Patent number: 11198853
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are glucosyltransferases with modified amino acid sequences. Such engineered enzymes synthesize insoluble alpha-glucan products having decreased molecular weight. Further disclosed are reactions and methods in which engineered glucosyltransferases are used to produce insoluble alpha-glucan.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: NUTRITION & BIOSCIENCES USA 4, INC.
    Inventors: Yougen Li, Ellen D. Semke
  • Patent number: 11198877
    Abstract: Genetically modified microorganisms that have the ability to convert carbon substrates into chemical products such as 2,3-BDO; 1,4-BDO; isobutyraldehyde; isobutanol; 1-butanol; n-butanol; ethanol; fatty alcohols; and fatty acid methyl ester are disclosed. For example, genetically modified methanotrophs that are capable of generating 2,3-BDO; 1,4-BDO; isobutyraldehyde; isobutanol; 1-butanol; n-butanol; ethanol; fatty alcohols; and fatty acid methyl ester at high titers from a methane source are disclosed. Methods of making these genetically modified microorganisms and methods of using them are also disclosed. These microorganisms and methods make use of molecular switches to regulate gene expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: PRECIGEN, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Anton Held, Xinhua Zhao, Lily Yuin Chao, Na Trinh, James Kealey, Kevin Lee Dietzel
  • Patent number: 11180745
    Abstract: The present invention relates to alpha-amylase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Carsten Andersen, Signe E. Larsen, Esben Peter Friis, Pernille Ollendorff Micheelsen, Anders Viksoee-Nielsen, Randy Deinhammer, Xinyu Shen
  • Patent number: 11174501
    Abstract: A method of enzyme-based processing of plant-based materials includes steps of providing a bulk amount of a plant-based material having a substantial amount of the cell walls in a physically-intact condition; providing an enzyme broth having an enzyme capable of breaking down the cell walls in the physically-intact condition; combining the bulk amount of the plant-based material with the enzyme broth; allowing the enzyme capable of breaking down the cell walls in the physically-intact condition to break down at least a portion of the cell walls in the physically-intact condition to thereby produce intact oil bodies, hydrolyzed carbohydrates, and intact protein bodies; collecting a first product including the intact oil bodies; collecting a second product including the hydrolyzed carbohydrates; and collecting a third product including the intact protein bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: The University of Akron
    Inventor: Lu-Kwang Ju
  • Patent number: 11162116
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to single and/or multi-stage, biological processes and systems for converting C5, C6, and/or disaccharide carbon sources to desirable products including monoethylene glycol (MEG) and one or more three-carbon compounds such as acetone, isopropanol or propene. The MEG and one or more three-carbon compounds described herein are useful as starting material for production of other compounds or as end products for industrial and household use. The disclosure further relates to the processes carrying out fermentations of substrates in a single phase bioreactor or in a multiphase bioreactor comprising growth and production phases. Additionally, the processes and systems described herein result in high productivity and yield of the desired products due to intermittent or continuous removal of products to avoid inhibitory effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: BRASKEM S.A.
    Inventors: Jose Geraldo Da Cruz Pradella, Ane Fernanda Beraldi Zeidler, Ana Karina Brambilla Costa
  • Patent number: 11162088
    Abstract: Herein is reported a method for the enzymatic production of a thioester comprising incubating i) a first polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence LPXTG (SEQ ID NO: 01, wherein X can be any amino acid residue), ii) a second polypeptide that has at its N-terminus a cysteine amino acid residue or is a cysteinyl compound, and iii) a third polypeptide with sortase A activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Hoffmann-La Roche Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Schatte, Mara Boenitz-Dulat, Frank Bergmann
  • Patent number: 11155798
    Abstract: The invention relates to enzyme compositions comprising a glucoamylase, an alpha-amylase, and optionally a cellulolytic composition and/or a protease. The invention also relates to the use thereof in processes of producing sugars and/or fermentation products from starch-containing material by saccharifying and/or fermenting starch-containing material at a temperature below the initial gelatinization temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Joseph Jump, Nathaniel Kreel, Jeremy Saunders, Michael John Akerman
  • Patent number: 11149291
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the production of cannabinoids in yeast. In as aspect there is provided a genetically modified yeast comprising: one or more GPP producing genes and optionally, one or more GPP pathway genes; two or more olivetolic acid producing genes; one or more cannabinoid precursor or cannabinoid producing genes; one or more Hexanoyl-CoA producing genes, and at least 5% dry weight of fatty acids or fats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: BioMediCan, Inc.
    Inventors: Maxim Mikheev, Difeng Gao
  • Patent number: 11142751
    Abstract: A system for modifying the genome of Clostridium strains is provided based on a modified endogenous CRISPR array. The application also describes Clostridium strains modified for enhanced butanol production wherein the modified strains are produced using the novel CRISPR-Cas system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: AUBURN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yi Wang, Jie Zhang
  • Patent number: 11136373
    Abstract: The present invention provides a fermentation process for improving the production level of a recombinant human collagen. The process comprises inoculating a sterilized fermentation medium with a Pichia yeast solution, then performing fermentation culturing for 14-18 hrs, adding methanol to induce the expression, upon which sodium pyruvate is added to the fermentation medium, wherein the amount of the sodium pyruvate added is 0.01-10 g/L. In the fermentation process of the present invention, the sodium pyruvate is added in the methanol-induced expression stage, so that the biosynthesis rate of the recombinant human collagen is improved; and a continuous feed-batch mode is adopted, so that the biosynthesis rate of the recombinant human collagen is further improved, and the fermentation time is shortened. Meanwhile, the expression level of the recombinant human collagen is increased, the fermentation level is increased by more than 20%, and the production cost is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: JIANGSU JLAND BIOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shulin Yang, Erfeng Du, Jianmin Huang, Lihu Gao, Jianfeng Zhao, Hai Tao, Liping Feng, Aimei Zhou
  • Patent number: 11124806
    Abstract: Described are methods for the production of isobutene comprising the enzymatic conversion of 3-methylcrotonic acid into isobutene wherein said 3-methylcrotonic acid is obtained by the enzymatic conversion of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA into 3-methylcrotonic acid or wherein said 3-methylcrotonic acid is obtained by the enzymatic conversion of 3-hydroxyisovalerate (HIV) into 3-methylcrotonic acid. It is described that the enzymatic conversion of 3-methylcrotonic acid into isobutene can, e.g., be achieved by making use of a 3-methylcrotonic acid decarboxylase, preferably an FMN-dependent decarboxylase associated with an FMN prenyl transferase, an aconitate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.6), a methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.4), or a geranoyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignees: Global Bioenergies, Scientist of Fortune, SA
    Inventors: Mathieu Allard, Maria Anissimova, Philippe Marlière
  • Patent number: 11118194
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides modified site-directed modifying polypeptides, and ribonucleoproteins comprising the modified polypeptides. The modified site-directed modifying polypeptides are modified for passive entry into target cells. The modified site-directed modifying polypeptides are useful in a variety of methods for target nucleic acid modification, which methods are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Jennifer A. Doudna, Brett T. Staahl, Anirvan Ghosh
  • Patent number: 11104907
    Abstract: The invention relates to engineering of acetyl-CoA metabolism in yeast and in particular to production of acetyl-CoA in a non-ethanol producing yeast lacking endogenous gene(s) encoding pyruvate decarboxylase and comprising a heterologous pathway for synthesis of cytosolic acetyl-CoA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: BIOPETROLIA AB
    Inventors: Jens Nielsen, Verena Siewers, Anastasia Krivoruchko, Yiming Zhang, Zongjie Dai
  • Patent number: 11098336
    Abstract: Recombinant enzymes BesA, BesB, BesC, BesD and/or BesE are used generate non-canonical amino acids comprising a useful functional group, such as an alkynlyl, alkenyl or halogen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Michelle C. Y. Chang, Jorge A. Marchand Benmaman, Monica E. Neugebauer
  • Patent number: 11091751
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the recombinant production of a serine protease comprising (a) culturing a host cell comprising one or more vectors, wherein the one or more vectors encode in expressible form the serine protease and a proteinaceous inhibitor of the serine protease, wherein the proteinaceous inhibitor of the serine protease is heterologous with respect to the serine protease, under conditions wherein the serine protease and the proteinaceous inhibitor of the serine protease are expressed; or (a?) culturing a host cell the genome of which encodes in expressible form the serine protease and a proteinaceous inhibitor of the serine protease, wherein the proteinaceous inhibitor of the serine protease is heterologous with respect to the serine protease, and wherein the coding sequences of the serine protease and/or the proteinaceous inhibitor have been introduced into the host cell genome by applying a CRISPR technology, under conditions wherein the serine protease and the proteinaceous
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: BRAIN Biotech AG
    Inventors: Alexander Pelzer, Bela Kelety
  • Patent number: 11091746
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions, methods, kits, systems and apparatus that are useful for nucleic acid polymerization. In particular, modified polymerases and biologically active fragments thereof are provided that allow for nucleic acid amplification. In some aspects, the disclosure provides modified polymerases having lower systematic error as compared to a reference polymerase. In one aspect, the disclosure relates to modified polymerases useful for nucleic acid sequencing, genotyping, copy number variation analysis, paired-end sequencing and other forms of genetic analysis. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to modified polymerases useful for the generation of nucleic acid libraries or nucleic acid templates. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to the identification of homologous amino acid mutations that can be transferred across classes or families of polymerases to provide novel polymerases with altered properties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Life Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Peter Vander Horn, Daniel Mazur, Theo Nikiforov, Mindy Landes, Eileen Tozer
  • Patent number: 11072643
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fusion protein selectively binding collagen and having ectonucleotidase activity. The fusion protein comprises an amino acid sequence of the extracellular domain of glycoprotein VI fused via a first linker sequence to the N-terminus of an amino acid sequence of an Fc region, whereby the C-terminus of the Fc region is linked via a second linker sequence to an amino acid sequence of the extracellular domain of a CD39 protein. The fusion protein is useful in the treatment or prevention of cardiovascular disease or diabetes, such as in the treatment of acute atherothrombotic events with a favorable risk-benefit ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Assignee: ADVANCECOR GMBH
    Inventors: Heidrun Degen, Silvia Goebel, Kristin Adler, Martin Ungerer
  • Patent number: 11066686
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides, in some aspects, variant RNA polymerases, the use of which increases transcription efficiency while reducing the number of double-stranded RNA contaminates and run-on transcripts produced during an in vitro transcription reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: ModernaTX, Inc.
    Inventors: Amy E. Rabideau, Athanasios Dousis, Kanchana Ravichandran, Elissa Hobert
  • Patent number: 11060121
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing glycine or a salt thereof by fermentation of a bacterium which has been modified to overexpress a gene encoding a protein having L-threonine 3-dehydrogenase activity and a gene encoding a protein having 2-amino-3-oxobutanoate coenzyme A ligase activity. The bacterium can be, for example, a coryneform bacterium or a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
    Inventors: Sergey Vasilievich Smirnov, Veronika Aleksandrovna Kotliarova
  • Patent number: 11059857
    Abstract: A chromatographic method for collecting blood coagulation factor VII (Factor VII) and/or activated blood coagulation factor VII (activated Factor VII) from plasma-derived fractions with high yield is provided. In accordance with the method of the present invention, Factor VII and/or activated Factor VII of interest can be collected with a recovery rate of as high as 90% or more by letting Factor VII and/or activated Factor VII which fails to be adsorbed to a first anion exchange resin and remains in a non-adsorption fraction be adsorbed in a second anion exchange resin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: KM BIOLOGICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Ebisu, Takashi Kai, Nozomi Matsuo