Patents Examined by Michele K. Joike
  • Patent number: 9451770
    Abstract: A method of enhancing plant immunity is provided. The method comprises the step of administering to a plant a small molecule that binds to NPR1, or a functionally equivalent homolog thereof, that disrupts the interaction between N-terminal BTB/POZ domain and the C-terminal transactivation domain of NPR1. A method of screening for small molecule compounds that enhance plant immunity is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Inventor: Charles Despres
  • Patent number: 9447457
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the detection of a target nucleic acid sequence by a cyclic exonucleolytic reaction. The present method enabling to generate signals by probe digestion with no help of primers and to amplify signals with no help of simultaneous target amplification reactions may enable to detect multiple target sequences without any problems accounted in the conventional real-time PCR methods such as false positive signals and difficulties in oligonucleotides (primer and probe) selection and reaction condition optimization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: SEEGENE, INC.
    Inventors: Jong Yoon Chun, In Taek Hwang
  • Patent number: 9447451
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods and devices for single object detection. The methods and devices can be used to identify a plurality epigenetic markers on a genetic material, or a chromatin, encompassing fragments thereof. The invention provides for the characterization of the genetic material flowing through a channel in a continuous body of fluid based on detection of one or more properties of the genetic material. The methods and systems provided herein allow genome-wide, high-throughput epigenetic analysis and overcome a variety of limitations common to bulk analysis techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Cornell University
    Inventors: Harold G. Craighead, Benjamin R. Cipriany, Stephen Levy, Paul Soloway
  • Patent number: 9447422
    Abstract: The present invention provides autonomous replication sequences (ARSs) isolated from Nannochloropsis that support the replication of episomal DNA molecules (EDMs) in eukaryotic cells. The ARSs and EDMs provided herein can be used for expressing genes in organisms including algae and heterokonts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter DeHoff, Leah Soriaga, Srividya Akella
  • Patent number: 9441205
    Abstract: Reverse engineering has offered new ways of studying the pathology of RNA viral infections, new more efficient devices of synthesizing recombinant viruses and developing vaccines and also demonstrated the versatility and efficiency of RNA dependent RNA polymerase RDRP system as an expression system. However, the currently used methods require a repertoire of complex, difficult-to-use tools. Present invention describes, a simpler plasmid based mammalian expression system that uses the RDRP enzyme activity for expression of recombinant proteins or RNA from viral minigenomes and rescue of recombinant viruses from cDNAs encoding entire genome(s) of negative stranded RNA viruses. This system will be useful for expression of recombinant proteins, therapeutic RNA molecules including anti-sense and/or selecting interfering RNA and Ribozymes. This system can also be used for gene therapy and producing recombinant viruses for production of new vaccines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Inventor: Vishwas Joshi
  • Patent number: 9441211
    Abstract: The present invention relates to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences from Akkermansia muciniphila and from Bacteroides fragilis, coding for/representing novel alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferases. The invention also provides uses and methods for using the alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferases to generate fucosylated products, such as oligosaccharides, (glyco)proteins, or (glyco)lipids, in particular of 3-fucosyllactose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: JENNEWEIN BIOTECHNOLOGIE GMBH
    Inventors: Julia Parkot, Eric Hüfner, Stefan Jennewein
  • Patent number: 9435055
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a method and a kit for detecting an interaction between a first membrane bound test protein or fragment thereof and a second test protein or fragment thereof which is either membrane bound or soluble with an in vivo genetic system based in yeast, bacterial or mammalian cells. The system makes use of the reconstitution of the split ubiquitin protein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: Hybrigenics Services S.A.S.
    Inventors: Igor Stagljar, Michael Hottiger, Daniel Auerbach
  • Patent number: 9416413
    Abstract: A method for sequencing a polynucleotide strand by using sequencing-by-synthesis techniques. To address the problem of incomplete extension (IE) and/or carry forward (CF) errors that can occur in sequencing-by-synthesis reactions, an alternative flow ordering of dNTPs is used. In contrast to conventional flow orderings, the dNTPs are flowed in an ordering that is not a continuous repeat of an ordering of the four different dNTPs. This alternate flow ordering may reduce the loss of phasic synchrony in the population of template polynucleotide strands that result from IE and/or CF errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jonathan Schultz, John Davidson
  • Patent number: 9410158
    Abstract: Yeast cells are transformed with an exogenous xylose isomerase gene. Additional genetic modifications enhance the ability of the transformed cells to ferment xylose to ethanol or other desired fermentation products. Those modifications include deletion of non-specific or specific aldose reductase gene(s), deletion of xylitol dehydrogenase gene(s) and/or overexpression of xylulokinase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Cargill Incorporated
    Inventors: Vineet Rajgarhia, Kari Koivuranta, Merja Penttila, Marja Ilmen, Pirkko Suominen, Aristos Aristidou, Christopher Kenneth Miller, Stacey Olson, Laura Ruohonen
  • Patent number: 9409960
    Abstract: The present invention provides a nucleic acid molecule which encodes a polypeptide consisting of two methionine residues as the first and second N-terminal amino acid residues linked via a peptide bond to a mature eukaryotic histone. The present invention furthermore relates to a vector containing said nucleic acid molecule, a host transformed with said vector, polypeptides encoded by the nucleic acid molecule and pharmaceutical and diagnostic compositions. The present invention also relates to the use of the nucleic acid molecule, vectors, hosts and the polypeptide of the invention for the preparation of a composition for the treatment of diseases. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of testing for the presence of the nucleic acid molecule or the polypeptide in a sample and to a kit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Symbiotec Gesellschaft zur Forschung und Entwicklung auf dem Gebiet der Biotechnologie mbH
    Inventors: Peter Gross, Hans Jornvall, Grazyna Formicka-Zeppezauer, Michael Zeppezauer, Michel Thiry
  • Patent number: 9410176
    Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a protein of interest, comprising introducing an expression vector which comprises a gene fragment comprising a DNA encoding the protein of interest and a selectable marker gene and also comprises a pair of transposon sequences at both terminals of the gene fragment, into a suspension mammalian cell; integrating the gene fragment inserted between the pair of transposon sequences into a chromosome of the mammalian cell; obtaining a suspension mammalian cell producing the protein of interest; and suspension-culturing the suspension mammalian cell, and a suspension mammalian cell which expresses the protein of interest by the method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignees: Inter-University Research Institute Corporation Research Organization of Information and Systems, KYOWA HAKKO KIRIN CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Megumi Kurokawa, Yoko Hayashi, Masayoshi Tsukahara
  • Patent number: 9404157
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method to achieve digital quantification of DNA (i.e., counting differences between identical sequences) using direct shotgun sequencing followed by mapping to the chromosome of origin and enumeration of fragments per chromosome. The preferred method uses massively parallel sequencing, which can produce tens of millions of short sequence tags in a single run and enabling a sampling that can be statistically evaluated. By counting the number of sequence tags mapped to a predefined window in each chromosome, the over- or under-representation of any chromosome in maternal plasma DNA contributed by an aneuploid fetus can be detected. This method does not require the differentiation of fetal versus maternal DNA. The median count of autosomal values is used as a normalization constant to account for differences in total number of sequence tags is used for comparison between samples and between chromosomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Hei-Mun Christina Fan, Stephen R. Quake
  • Patent number: 9388405
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to subpopulations of mammalian cells with distinctive ribosome translational profiles, i.e. translational activities. The present invention further relates to methods for identifying and isolating such cells, kits comprising the same, or methods which utilize different translational activities of these subpopulations of mammalian cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Wayne State University
    Inventors: Leon Carlock, Maria Cypher
  • Patent number: 9389223
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for quickly and easily screening mixed cell samples for a pharmacodynamic effect to a drug or test agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary, Department of Health & Human Services
    Inventors: Jane Trepel, Eun Joo Chung
  • Patent number: 9388407
    Abstract: Disclosed are devices and methods to synthesize polynucleotides and libraries of polynucleotides such as libraries of oligonucleotides. In exemplary embodiments, the device includes a support having a plurality of features. Each feature contains a plurality of oligonucleotides. Within each feature, each of the plurality of oligonucleotides includes an identical predetermined subunit sequence of X nucleosides and a degenerate sequence of Y nucleosides. A predetermined combination of a subset of the features can be used to produce a polynucleotide having a predetermined sequence of Z nucleosides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Gen9, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Jacobson
  • Patent number: 9388453
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for packaging reporter nucleic acid molecules into non-replicative transduction particles for use as reporter molecules. The non-replicative transduction particles can be constructed from viruses and use viral transduction and replication systems. The reporter nucleic acid molecules include a reporter gene, such as a reporter molecule or selectable marker, for detecting target genes or cells. Methods and systems are provided for detection of cells and target nucleic acid molecules using the non-replicative transduction particles as reporter molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: GENEWEAVE BIOSCIENCES, INC.
    Inventor: Diego Ariel Rey
  • Patent number: 9382330
    Abstract: Methods of diagnosing cancer that are based in part on the findings that Pdia4 promotes cell growth, cell proliferation, and cell cycle are disclosed herein. Methods of using microvessel density as a surrogate marker and reducing tumor microvessel density in a subject are also enclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: ACADEMIA SINICA
    Inventor: Wen-Ching Yang
  • Patent number: 9371569
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and kits for identifying, diagnosing, prognosing, and monitoring cervical cancer. These methods include determining the methylation status or the expression levels of particular genes, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: MDxHealth S.A.
    Inventors: Wim Van Criekinge, Valerie Deregowski, Luc Dehaspe, G. Bea A. Wisman, Ate G. J. Van der Zee, E. M. D. Schuuring
  • Patent number: 9370551
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods related to the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and its associated premalignant lesions. In particular, the invention features methods which may specifically target HNSCC-associated genes and alter gene expression to treat or alleviate a symptom of HNSCC, or its related premalignant lesions. These methods may involve decreasing the function of an HNSCC-associated gene with aberrant gain-of-function; or increasing the function of an HNSCC-associated gene with aberrant loss-of-function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignees: The Broad Institute, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Inc., University of Pittsburgh-Of The Commonwealth of Higher Education, Instituto Carlos Slim de la Salud, A.C.
    Inventors: Le Cong, Ann Marie Egloff, Levi A. Garraway, Jennifer Rubin Grandis, Eric S. Lander, Nicholas Stransky, Aaron D. Tward, Feng Zhang
  • Patent number: 9365867
    Abstract: Complex viruses are assembled from simple protein subunits by sequential and irreversible assembly. During genome packaging in bacteriophages, a powerful molecular motor assembles at the special portal vertex of an empty prohead to initiate packaging. An aspect of the invention relates to the phage T4 packaging machine being highly promiscuous, translocating DNA into finished phage heads as well as into proheads. Single motors can force exogenous DNA into phage heads at the same rate as into proheads and phage heads undergo repeated initiations, packaging multiple DNA molecules into the same head. This shows that the phage DNA packaging machine has unusual conformational plasticity, powering DNA into an apparently passive capsid receptacle, including the highly stable virus shell, until it is full. These features allow for the design of a novel class of nanocapsid delivery vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: The Catholic University of America
    Inventor: Venigalla B. Rao