Patents Examined by Michele K. Joike
  • Patent number: 8357527
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of generating genetically modified microorganisms, e.g., genetically modified yeast strains, which comprise functional disruptions in one or more pheromone response genes and one or more sporulation genes, and genetically modified yeast cells, e.g., genetically modified diploid and haploid yeast cells, that lack sporulation capability and endogenous mating capability, produced thereby.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Amyris, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey A. Ubersax
  • Patent number: 8354386
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of malignant tumors comprising a human p31comet gene encoding protein represented by SEQ ID NO: 3 or 4 as an effective component is provided. The pharmaceutical composition can suppress cancer cell growth, induce apoptosis and kill cells by overexpressing p31comet in the solid malignant tumor cells. Therefore, the pharmaceutical composition can be effectively used for gene therapy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Radiological & Medical Sciences
    Inventors: Kee-Ho Lee, Sang-Hoon Kim, Hyun-Jung Baek, Kyoung-Mi Juhn, Jae-Min Jeong, Yeun-Jin Ju, Bu-Yeo Kim, Eun-Ju Lee, Yong-Ho Ham, Hee-Chung Kwon, Mi-Yong Yun, Gil-Hong Park
  • Patent number: 8338464
    Abstract: Provided are methods of inhibiting BCL6 repression in a mammalian cell. Also provided are methods of treating cancer in a mammal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignees: Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University, University Health Network, University of Maryland, Baltimore
    Inventors: Ari Matthew Melnick, Alexander D. MacKerell, Jr., Gilbert Gerard Privé
  • Patent number: 8334136
    Abstract: An object of the present invention is to promote hair growth or hair regeneration by promoting formation and/or regeneration of hair follicles. A method is provided for promoting formation and/or regeneration of hair follicles, comprising maintaining or increasing expression of one or a plurality of genes involved in cell adhesion in dermal papilla cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Shiseido Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Haruyo Yamanishi, Tsutomu Soma, Yuzo Yoshida, Yumiko Ishimatsu
  • Patent number: 8329465
    Abstract: Disclosed are a stable recombinant cell clones which are stable in serum- and protein-free medium for at least 40 generations, a biomass obtained by multiplying the stable cell clone under serum- and protein-free culturing conditions, and a method of preparing recombinant proteins by means of the biomass. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method of recovering stable recombinant cell clones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Baxter Innovations GmbH
    Inventors: Manfred Reiter, Wolfgang Mundt, Friedrich Dorner
  • Patent number: 8323952
    Abstract: Methods and compositions for the production of ethanol from lignocellulosic starting materials are provided herein. Embodiments provide yeast cells of the genus H. polymorpha with one or more modifications, including, for example, an inactive acid trehalase gene, overexpression of xylulokinase, and/or overexpression of heat-shock protein 104.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Archer Daniels Midland Company
    Inventors: Charles A. Abbas, Andriy A. Sibirny, Andriy Y. Voronovsky, Olena P. Ishchuk
  • Patent number: 8323935
    Abstract: Engineered strains of the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica capable of producing greater than 50 weight percent of eicosapentaenoic acid [“EPA”], an ?-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, in the total oil fraction are described. These strains over-express heterologous ?9 elongases, ?8 desaturases, ?5 desaturases, ?17 desaturases, ?12 desaturases and C16/18 elongases, and optionally over-express diacylglycerol cholinephosphotransferases. Preferred gene knockouts are described, as are methods for producing EPA within the host cells and products comprising EPA from the optimized Yarrowia lipolytica strains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Zhixiong Xue, Narendra S. Yadav, Quinn Qun Zhu
  • Patent number: 8318474
    Abstract: The present application provides engineered yeast cells and uses thereof. In specific embodiments, the yeast cells have a mutation in the GAL2 gene. In specific embodiments, the yeast cells can be used for producing a protein or compound of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Christina D. Smolke, Kristy Hawkins
  • Patent number: 8318481
    Abstract: Provided herein are improved copy number plasmids, particularly those plasmids capable of replication in a bacterial cell. The improved copy number plasmid contain a deletion, insertion, or substitution in the replication control region, particularly a Pseudomonas-specific replication control region, that results in an increase in plasmid copy number in comparison to a control plasmid. Also provided are host cells containing the improved copy number plasmids, as well as methods of using the improved copy number plasmids for the recombinant production of a protein of interest. Further provided are methods for generating plasmids with improved copy number. The methods disclosed herein involve the reiterative selection of improved copy number plasmids by the growth and selection of plasmids capable of growth under increasing selective pressure, wherein the selective pressure is applied utilizing a selection agent to which the control plasmid confers resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Pfenex Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence C. Chew, Stacey L. Lee
  • Patent number: 8314222
    Abstract: The functional analysis of genes frequently requires the manipulation of large genomic regions. A yeast-bacteria shuttle vector is described that can be used to clone large regions of DNA by homologous recombination. Also described is a method for isolating entire genomes, including chloroplast genomes, or large portions thereof, and manipulating the same. Also described are methods for determining minimal genomes, minimal pathway requirements, and minimal organelle genomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Mendez, Bryan O'Neill, Kari Mikkelson
  • Patent number: 8313911
    Abstract: Methods for the production of omega-3 and/or omega-6 fatty acids in oleaginous yeasts grown on a fermentable carbon source selected from the group consisting of invert sucrose, glucose, fructose and combinations of these, provided that glucose is used in combination with invert sucrose and/or fructose. Specifically, methods are provided for production of linoleic acid, eicosadienoic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid, arachidonic acid, n-6 docosapentaenoic acid, ?-linolenic acid, stearidonic acid, eicosatrienoic acid, eicosatetraenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: E I du Pont de Nemours and Company
    Inventors: Ethel Noland Jackson, David Richard Short, Dongming Xie, Zhixiong Xue, Quinn Qun Zhu
  • Patent number: 8313929
    Abstract: The invention relates to industrial microbiology, in particular to fermentation technology and especially to fermentation methods for filamentous microorganisms, in particular, filamentous microorganisms such as actinomycetes. The present invention discloses a method for improving the production of a product of interest in a liquid culture of filamentous microorganisms comprising providing the filamentous microorganisms with an agent for altering the morphology of microstructures of the filamentous microorganisms. The invention also relates to a method for improving the production of a product of interest in a liquid culture of filamentous microorganisms comprising altering in the filamentous microorganisms the expression level or copy number of an endogenous agent for altering the morphology of microstructures of the filamentous microorganisms. The invention further provides multiple methods for obtaining a filamentous microorganism with altered, preferably enhanced, fragmentation characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Universiteit Leiden
    Inventors: Gilles Philippus van Wezel, Erik Vijgenboom
  • Patent number: 8298811
    Abstract: A method for producing human-like glycoproteins by expressing a Class 2 ?-mannosidase having a substrate specificity for Man?1,3 and Man?1,6 glycosidic linkages in a lower eukaryote is disclosed. Hydrolysis of these linkages on oligosaccharides produces substrates for further N-glycan processing in the secretory pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Glycofi, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Hamilton
  • Patent number: 8299228
    Abstract: A method for producing human-like glycoproteins by expressing a Class 2 ?-mannosidase having a substrate specificity for Man?1,3 and Man?1,6 glycosidic linkages in a lower eukaryote is disclosed. Hydrolysis of these linkages on oligosaccharides produces substrates for further N-glycan processing in the secretory pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Glycofi, Inc.
    Inventor: Stephen Hamilton
  • Patent number: 8298789
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for the preparation of rhPTH (1-34) also known as teriparatide by construction of a novel nucleotide, as an NcoI.IXhoI fragment as set forth in SEQ. ID. No.:1 encoding a chimeric fusion protein as set forth in SEQ.ID. No.:2 comprising of a fusion partner consisting of 41 amino acids belonging to Escherichia coli ?-galactosidase (LacZ) gene, an endopeptidase cleavage site, rhPTH (1-34) gene fragment, cloning the said nucleotide in an expression vector under the control of T7 promoter, transforming Escherichia coli with the said vector and expressing the chimeric fusion protein in fed batch fermentation. The present invention further discloses a low feed rate lactose induction for optimized expression of rhPTH (1-34) in Escherichia coli.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: USV Limited
    Inventors: Uma Sankararaman, Dipanwita Maiti, Meera Sankarankutty, Rakesh Shekhawat, Narasimha Kumar Kopparapu, Gulnaz Zaidi, Bipinchandra Rathod, Niren Praful Thakar, Priti Thakur, Anjali Chutke, Shrikant Mishra
  • Patent number: 8288149
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems for producing engineered oleaginous yeast or fungi that express carotenoids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: DSM IP Assets B.V.
    Inventors: Richard B. Bailey, Kevin T. Madden, Joshua Trueheart
  • Patent number: 8288107
    Abstract: The subject invention concerns materials and methods for detecting the interaction of CFTR proteins. In one embodiment, the method can be used to determine whether one CFTR polypeptide interacts with a second CFTR polypeptide. The subject invention also concerns materials and methods for screening for drugs or compositions that can restore or enhance interaction of CFTR proteins containing mutation(s) that reduce or prevent dimerization of the proteins. The assay of the present invention can be used to screen a large number of compounds in a high throughput format. The subject invention also pertains to host cells useful in the methods of the invention. The subject invention also concerns compositions and methods for treating patients afflicted with cystic fibrosis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2012
    Assignee: Florida State University Research Foundation
    Inventor: John L. Teem
  • Patent number: 8278044
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the identification of genotoxic carcinogenic compounds. In particular, a method is disclosed for the identification of genotoxic carcinogenic compounds wherein a eukaryotic cell is exposed to a potentially genotoxic compound in a culture medium where after samples are taken from the cell and/or the culture medium at least one predetermined time point which samples are then analysed for increased or decreased expression levels of at least three DNA repair genes as compared to a control cell that is not exposed to the carcinogenic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignees: Universiteit Maastricht, Academisch Ziekenhuis Maastricht
    Inventors: Joseph Catharine Stephanus Kleinjans, Joseph Henri Marie Delft
  • Patent number: 8278434
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to promoter sequences and promoter control elements, polynucleotide constructs comprising the promoters and control elements, and methods of identifying the promoters, control elements, or fragments thereof. The invention further relates to the use of the present promoters or promoter control elements to modulate transcript levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Ceres, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong Cook, Yiwen Fang, Ken Feldmann, Edward A Kiegle, Shing Kwok, Yu-Ping Lu, Leonard Medrano, Roger Pennell, Richard Schneeberger, Chuan-Yin Wu
  • Patent number: 8268976
    Abstract: The present invention relates to flea GABA receptor subunit nucleic acid molecules; to flea GABA receptor subunit proteins encoded by such nucleic acid molecules; to antibodies raised against such proteins; and to compounds that inhibit the activity of such proteins. The present invention also includes methods to obtain such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies, and inhibitory compounds. The present invention also includes therapeutic compositions comprising such proteins, nucleic acid molecules, antibodies and inhibitory compounds, particularly those that specifically inhibit flea GABA receptor subunit activity, as well as the use of such therapeutic compositions to treat animals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2012
    Assignee: Heska Corporation
    Inventors: Nancy Wisnewski, Kevin S. Brandt