Patents Examined by Rebecca E. Prouty
  • Thermal tolerant exoglucanase from
    Patent number: 7393673
    Abstract: The invention provides a thermal tolerant cellulase that is a member of the glycoside hydrolase family. The invention further discloses this cellulase as Gux1. Gux1 has been isolated and characterized from Acidothermus cellulolyticus. The invention further provides recombinant forms of the identified Gux1. Methods of making and using Gux1 polypeptides, including fusions, variants, and derivatives, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2008
    Assignee: Midwest Research Institute
    Inventors: William S. Adney, Shi-You Ding, Todd B. Vinzant, Michael E. Himmel, Stephen R. Decker, Suzanne Lantz McCarter
  • ?-conotoxin MII analogues
    Patent number: 7387997
    Abstract: The invention relates to novel conopeptides and/or novel Luses of conopeptides. The conopeptides of the invention are analogs of ?-Conotoxin MII that are selective for ?6-containing nAChRs as described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2008
    Assignee: University of Utah
    Inventor: J. Michael McIntosh
  • Chitin degradative systems
    Patent number: 7384772
    Abstract: The present invention relates to chitin degradative systems, in particular to systems containing enzymes that bind to and depolymerize chitin. These systems have a number of applications. The present invention also describes enzymes with at least two catalytic domains in which the domains are separated by poly-amino acid linkers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: The University of Maryland
    Inventors: Michael Howard, Steven Wayne Hutcheson, Ronald M. Weiner
  • Highly active xylose reductase from
    Patent number: 7381553
    Abstract: A new xylose reductase encoding gene from Neurspora crassa was heterologously expressed in E. coli as a His-tag fusion protein and subsequently purified in high yield. This xylose reductase was shown to have a high turnover rate and catalytic efficiency, high stability at room temperature, broad pH profile, and a preference of NADPH over NADH. This enzyme is utilized in production of xylitol and other sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and also in the metabolic enhancement of organisms used for fermentation of plant biomass into ethanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Universtiy of Illinois
    Inventors: Huimin Zhao, Ryan Woodyer, Michael Simurdiak, Wilfred A. van der Donk
  • UDP-N-acetylglucosamine: galactose-?1,3-N-acetylgalactosamine-?-R/N-acetylglucosamine-?1,3-N-acetylgalactosamine-?-R (GlcNAc to GalNAc) ?1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase, C2/4GnT
    Patent number: 7381554
    Abstract: A novel gene defining a novel human UDP-GlcNAc: Gal/Gl cNAc? 1-3GalNAc ??1, 6GlcNAc-transferase, termed C2/4GnT, with unique enzymatic properties is disclosed. The enzymatic activity of C2/4GnT is shown to be distinct from that of previously identified enzymes of this gene family. The invention discloses isolated DNA molecules and DNA constructs encoding C2/4GnT and derivatives thereof by way of amino acid deletion, substitution or insertion exhibiting C2/4GnT activity, as well as cloning and expression vectors including such DNA, cells transfected with the vectors, and recombinant methods for providing C2/4GnT. The enzyme C2/4GnT and C2/4GnT-active derivatives thereof are disclosed, in particular soluble derivatives comprising the catalytically active domain of C2/4GnT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Glycozym ApS
    Inventors: Henrik Clausen, Tilo Schwientek
  • N-deoxyribosyl transferases, corresponding nucleotide sequences and their uses
    Patent number: 7381555
    Abstract: The invention concerns novel polypeptides and their fragments, isolated from Lactobacillus, having at least a N-deoxyribosyl transferase activity, the polynucleotides encoding said polypeptides, cloning and/or expression vectors including said polynucleotides, cells transformed by said vectors and specific antibodies directed against said polypeptides. The invention also concerns a method for enzymatic synthesis of deoxyribonucleosides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignees: Institut Pasteur, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
    Inventors: Pierre-Alexandre Kaminski, Patrick Tailliez, Philippe Marliere, Pascal Quenee, Rachel Cotaya
  • Starch debranching enzymes
    Patent number: 7374922
    Abstract: The invention relates to a genetically engineered variant of a parent starch debranching enzyme, i.e. a pullulanase or an isamylase, the enzyme variant having an improved thermostability at a pH in the range of 4-6 compared to the parent enzyme and/or an increased activity towards amylopectin and/or glycogen compared to the parent enzyme, to methods for producing such starch debranching enzyme variants with improved thermostability and/or altered substrate specificity, and to a method for converting starch to one or more sugars using at least one such enzyme variant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Henrik Bisgard-Frantzen, Allan Svendsen
  • Modified sarcosine oxidases, genes and recombinant DNAs thereof, and methods for preparing the same
    Patent number: 7374918
    Abstract: An isolated DNA molecule encoding modified sarcosine oxidases having optimal pH, high activity in the slightly acidic range and improved stability and a method for preparing the modified sarcosine oxidases is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Kikkoman Corporation
    Inventors: Keisuke Furukawa, Naoki Kajiyama
  • Electroprocessed material made by simultaneously electroprocessing a natural protein polymer and two synthetic polymers
    Patent number: 7374774
    Abstract: The invention is directed to novel compositions comprising an electroprocessed material and a substance, their formation and use. The electroprocessed material can, for example, be one or more natural materials, one or more synthetic materials, or a combination thereof. The substance can be one or more therapeutic or cosmetic substances or other compounds, molecules, cells, vesicles. The compositions can be used in substance delivery, including drug delivery within an organism by, for example, releasing substances or containing cells that release substances. The compositions can be used for other purposes, such as prostheses or similar implants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Virginia Commonwealth University Intellectual Property Foundation
    Inventors: Gary L. Bowlin, Gary E. Wnek, David G. Simpson
  • Glucoamylase variants
    Patent number: 7371546
    Abstract: The invention relates to a variant of a parental fungal glucoamylase, which exhibits improved thermal stability and/or increased specific activity using saccharide substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventor: Allan Svendsen
  • Isozymes of lacrimator component synthase and gene encoding the same
    Patent number: 7371554
    Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide isozymes of the lachrymatory factor producing enzyme, the amino acid sequences of these isozymes and a gene that codes for these amino acid sequences, and the present invention relates to three types of isozymes of the lachrymatory factor producing enzyme that contributes to the production of the lachrymatory factor that is present in onions and the like, amino acid sequences indicated by SEQ ID Nos. 1 to 3 which constitute the proteins or polypeptides of these isozymes, DNA indicated by SEQ ID Nos.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: House Foods Corporation
    Inventors: Shinsuke Imai, Nobuaki Tsuge, Muneaki Tomotake
  • Cholesterol oxidase stable in the presence of surfactant
    Patent number: 7371550
    Abstract: A novel cholesterol oxidase having stability in the presence of surfactant and a gene encoding the novel cholesterol oxidase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Kikkoman Corporation
    Inventors: Ryoichi Sakaue, Naoki Kajiyama
  • Aldolase, and method for producing optically active IHOG and monatin
    Patent number: 7371549
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing optically active IHOG, which can in turn be used for the production of monatin. The present invention further relates to a method for producing optically active monatin, and aldolase used for these methods. As such, the present invention enables the synthesis of 4-(Indole-3-ylmethyl)-4-hydroxy-2-oxoglutaric acid with high optical purity, which is useful as an intermediate in the synthesis of optically active monatin, from indole pyruvic acid and pyruvic acid (or oxaloacetic acid).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Masakazu Sugiyama, Kunihiko Watanabe, Kenichi Mori, Hiroyuki Nozaki
  • Process for the biological production of 1,3-propanediol with high yield
    Patent number: 7371558
    Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism useful for biologically producing 1,3-propanediol from a fermentable carbon source at higher yield than was previously known. The complexity of the cofactor requirements necessitates the use of a whole cell catalyst for an industrial process that utilizes this reaction sequence to produce 1,3-propanediol. The invention provides a microorganism with disruptions in specified genes and alterations in the expression levels of specified genes that is useful in a higher yielding process to produce 1,3-propanediol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2008
    Assignees: E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Genencor International
    Inventors: Marguerite A. Cervin, Phillipe Soucaille, Fernando Valle
  • In vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids
    Patent number: 7368275
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and compositions for in vivo incorporation of unnatural amino acids. Also provided are compositions including proteins with unnatural amino acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignees: The Scripps Research Institute, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Peter Schultz, Lei Wang, John Christopher Anderson, Jason W. Chin, David R. Liu, Thomas J. Magliery, Eric Meggers, Ryan Aaron Mehl, Miro Pastrnak, Steven William Santoro, Zhiwen Zhang
  • Conotoxin peptides
    Patent number: 7368432
    Abstract: The invention relates to relatively short conotoxin peptides, about 10-20 residues in length as described herein, which are naturally available in minute amounts in the venom of the cone snails or analogous to the naturally available peptides, and which preferably include two disulfide bonds. These conotoxin peptides have analgesic activity and are thus useful for treating or preventing pain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignees: Xenome, Ltd., Cognetix, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Michael McIntosh, Baldomero M. Olivera, Lourdes J. Cruz, Gloria P. Corpuz, Robert M. Jones, James E. Garrett
  • Cell death-related nucleases and their uses
    Patent number: 7368237
    Abstract: An assay uses apoptotic nucleases to screen for apoptosis modulators, in a method of modulating apoptosis, and in a method of aiding in a diagnosis of a disease, among other methods. materials for use in the assay include isolated or recombinant polypeptides and polynucleotides, compositions comprising those isolated or recombinant polypeptides and polynucleotides, vectors, transgenic organisms, and integrated systems among other aspects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Inventors: Jay Parrish, Ding Xue
  • Polypeptides having alpha-glucosidase activity and polynucleotides encoding same
    Patent number: 7368271
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having alpha-glucosidase 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 and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Novozymes, Inc.
    Inventors: Debbie Yaver, Janine Lin, Alexander Blinkovsky, Kimberly Brown, Michael Rey
  • Expression of recombinant proteinase K from in yeast
    Patent number: 7368274
    Abstract: The invention concerns a method for the expression of a gene coding for a soluble proteinase K in yeast e.g. in Pichia pastoris with subsequent secretion into the culture medium. In addition a method for purifying the heterologously expressed and secreted proteinase K is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Roche Diagnostics Operations, Inc.
    Inventors: Rainer Mueller, Johann-Peter Thalhofer, Frank Geipel, Stephan Glaser, Werner Hoelke, Helmut Schoen, Thomas Kirschbaum
  • PknB kinase and pstP phosphatase and methods of identifying inhibitory substances
    Patent number: 7364856
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pknB kinase and a pstP phosphatase as well as their use for identifying antibacterial substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Institut Pasteur
    Inventors: Pedro Alzari, Brigitte Boitel, Andrea Villarino, Pablo Fernandez, Steward T. Cole