Patents Examined by Rebecca E. Prouty
  • Patent number: 10294464
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for engineering mutant enzymes with reduced star activity where the mutant enzymes have a fidelity index (FI) in a specified buffer that is greater than the FI of the non-mutated enzyme in the same buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: New England Biolabs, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby, Shengxi Guan, Dapeng Sun, Yishu Huang, Xuhui Lai, Siu-hong Chan, Xianghui Li, Shuang-Yong Xu, Chunhua Zhang
  • Patent number: 10287521
    Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods related to the production and use of enzymes suitable for reducing the amount of steryl glycosides or saturated monoacyl glycerols in a lipid mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Inventors: Hugo Menzella, Salvador Peiru, Leandro Vetcher
  • Patent number: 10278398
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions to reduce growth of microbial colonies, including infections, and includes therapeutic compositions, methods for treatment of infections, and methods for identifying additional such compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: GangaGen, Inc.
    Inventors: Sriram Padmanabhan, Vivek Daniel Paul, R. Sanjeev Saravanan, Bharathi Sriram
  • Patent number: 10266863
    Abstract: The present invention is in the area of enzymes for (hemi-)cellulose degradation and/or modification, more in particular the degradation and/or modification of xylan. The invention is based on a newly discovered enzymatic activity of a class of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), i.e. oxidative cleavage of xylan in addition to oxidative cleavage of cellulose. The present invention therefore relates to a method for degrading and/or modifying xylan in a xylan-comprising substrate, a method for preparing a product from a xylan-comprising substrate, a kit of parts, a liquid, paste or solid formulation, and a xylan-comprising composition, comprising said LPMO. The invention further relates to a use of said LPMO, said kit of parts, said formulation and/or said composition, in a method of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Genencor International B.V.
    Inventors: Martijn Johannes Koetsier, Jacob Visser, Sandra Wilhelmina Agnes Hinz, Mirjam Anna Kabel, Matthias Frommhagen, Harm Gruppen
  • Patent number: 10265412
    Abstract: The present invention relates in general to the field of enzyme replacement therapy, and specifically to chimeric proteins including protein hormone-therapeutic protein conjugates and fusion proteins, wherein the protein hormone is selected from a protein hormone which is able to cross the blood brain barrier, for the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases, compositions of the same and to methods of use thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignees: Ramot at Tel-Aviv University Ltd., Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. at the Weizmann Institute of Science, The Medical Research, Infrastructure and Health Services Fund of the Tel Aviv Medical Center
    Inventors: Naftali Stern, Ruth Navon, Anthony Futerman, Ari Zimran, Etty Osher
  • Patent number: 10266814
    Abstract: Compositions comprising glycosyl hydrolase enzymes are provided, as are methods for their use to depolymerize hemicellulose, cellulose, lignin and pectin in biomass in order to produce products such as simple sugars. The enzymes, isolated from Aspergillus nidulans and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, were characterized, and synergistic mixtures of the enzymes were produced and used to generate simple sugars from biomass without the need to pretreat the biomass before digestion. The enzyme blends generally comprise two or more enzymes, which may be from the same fungus or from two different fungi, and are used for efficient and cost effective complete degradation of lignocelluloses. Applications of this technology include biofuel production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: The Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University
    Inventors: Andrew Mort, Anamika Ray, Sayali S. Saykhedkar, Rolf A. Prade
  • Patent number: 10252991
    Abstract: According to the present invention, there can be provided A process for producing 7-dehydrocholesterol (hereinafter, “7DHC”), comprising culturing, in a medium, a 7DHC-producing Labyrinthulea microorganism in which the 7DHC reducing activity is reduced or lost as compared to a parent strain through deletion, substitution, or addition of at least one base in a gene which is present in the chromosomal DNA of the parent strain and encodes a protein having 7DHC reducing activity, and the microorganism produces 7DHC, allowing 7DHC to be produced and accumulated in the culture, and collecting the 7DHC from the culture; and a process for producing vitamin D3, comprising irradiating, with ultraviolet light, the 7DHC produced by the production process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: KYOWA HAKKO BIO CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuro Ujihara, Satoshi Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 10190106
    Abstract: The present invention provides a Cas9 platform to facilitate single-site nuclease gene editing precision within a human genome. For example, a Cas9 nuclease/DNA-targeting unit (Cas9-DTU) fusion protein precisely delivers a Cas9/sgRNA complex to a specific target site within the genome for subsequent sgRNA-dependent cleavage of an adjacent target sequence. Alternatively, attenuating Cas9 binding using mutations to the a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) recognition domain makes Cas9 target site recognition dependent on the associated DTU, all while retaining Cas9's sgRNA-mediated DNA cleavage fidelity. Cas9-DTU fusion proteins have improved target site binding precision, greater nuclease activity, and a broader sequence targeting range than standard Cas9 systems. Existing Cas9 or sgRNA variants (e.g., truncated sgRNAs (tru-gRNAs), nickases and FokI fusions) are compatible with these improvements to further reduce off-target cleavage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Univesity of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Scot Andrew Wolfe, Mehmet Fatih Bolukbasi, Ankit Gupta, Erik J Sontheimer, Nadia Amrani
  • Patent number: 10190102
    Abstract: This application relates to laccase variants and uses thereof as eco-friendly biocatalysts in various industrial processes. More in particular, the disclosure relates to a polypeptide with laccase activity comprising an amino acid sequence that is more than 80% identical to the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the polypeptide comprises a non-polar amino acid, preferably an amino acid residue selected from the group consisting of proline, alanine, glycine and valine at a position corresponding to amino acid 113 of SEQ ID NO: 1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: METGEN OY
    Inventor: Klara Birikh
  • Patent number: 10174349
    Abstract: The invention relates to a cell which has been genetically modified so as to be capable of producing more 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid or more polyhydroxyalkanoates containing 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid monomer units than its wild type, characterized in that 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid or polyhydroxyalkanoates containing 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid monomer units are produced via acetoacetyl-coenzyme A as intermediate and 3-hydroxybutyryl-coenzyme A as precursor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: EVONIK ROEHM GmbH
    Inventors: Liv Reinecke, Steffen Schaffer, Achim Marx, Markus Poetter, Thomas Haas
  • Patent number: 10167463
    Abstract: The invention relates to a polypeptide having chymosin activity which: a. is capable of hydrolyzing bovine alpha s1-casein at position F23F24 so as to form ?s1-I CN (f24-199) more rapidly than camel chymosin; and b. has a C/P ratio higher than the C/P ratio of bovine chymosin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Jacobus Theodorus Dekker, Rene Marcel De Jong, Michael Dennis Tabeling, Cornelis Marinus Muijlwijk
  • Patent number: 10167460
    Abstract: Disclosed are glycosyl hydrolase enzyme variants, particularly variants of certain oxidoreductases of glycosyl hydrolase family 61. Nucleic acids encoding the glycosyl hydrolyase variants, compositions including the glycosyl hydrolase variants, methods of producing the variants, and methods of using the variants are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: DANISCO US INC
    Inventors: Maria Foukaraki, Ronaldus Wilhelmus Hommes, Thijs Kaper, Bradley R. Kelemen, Slavko Kralj, Suzanne E. Lantz, Igor Nikolaev, Wilhelmus Van Der Kley, Johan Franciscus Thomas Van Lieshout, Sander Van Stigt Thans
  • Patent number: 10165788
    Abstract: Pre-biotic compositions containing oligosaccharides and probiotic compositions useful for treatment of a subject are provided herein. Also provided are methods for administering probiotic or pre-biotic compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventors: David Mills, Daniel Garrido, Santiago Ruiz-Moyano, Carlito Lebrilla, J. Bruce German
  • Patent number: 10167459
    Abstract: The invention provides variants of the Aspergillus japonicus ?-fructofuranosidase enzyme which have been modified so as to improve synthesis of inulin-type fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from sucrose. One or more substitutions may be made to the parent ?-fructofuranosidase polypeptide at amino acid positions 121, 159, 302 and/or 471 of the mature peptide (SEQ ID NO: 3), corresponding to crystal positions 140, 178, 321 and 490. A method of synthesizing FOS using the variants is also claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: STELLENBOSCH UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Kim Trollope, Heinrich Volschenk, Johann Ferdinand Gorgens, Gerhardt Coetzee
  • Patent number: 10155953
    Abstract: The present invention describes the expression cassette for transforming eukaryotic cell which comprises the peptide encoding non-natural sequence of nucleotides with xylose isomerase feature (SEQ ID NO: 1), optionally also comprising other genes of pentose phosphate route. Additionally, it is described the microorganism filed under the number DSM28739, which, in addition to the above-mentioned modifications, also present genetic modifications from adaptive evolution. The described microorganism shows efficient consumption of xylose and conversion of ethanol when compared to its correspondent without said genetic modifications and mutations from evolution. It is also described the process for producing biofuels e biochemicals, preferably ethanol, mainly from the lignocellulosic portion of the vegetal biomass. Biofuels, preferably ethanol, and biochemicals produced by the process of the invention are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Biocelere Agroindustrial Ltda.
    Inventors: Leandro Vieira dos Santos, Gonçalo Amarante Guimarães Pereira
  • Patent number: 10131897
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates in part to recombinant microorganisms that include non-native genes encoding PUFA-PKS polypeptides, and to methods of making and using such microorganisms for producing at least one PUFA. In particular, the disclosure further relates to methods and related materials useful for the production of at least one PUFA by heterologous expression of the nucleic acid sequences disclosed herein encoding PUFA-PKS polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: Synthetics Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Gerardo V. Toledo, Karen D. Xu, Jun Urano
  • Patent number: 10131883
    Abstract: The application provides a Diketoreductase (DKR) mutant, its nucleotide coding sequence, and an expression cassette, recombinant vector and host cell containing the sequence, as well as a method for application of the mutant to the preparation of 3R,5S-dicarbonyl compound. An ee value of the obtained 3R,5S-dicarbonyl compound is higher than 99%, and a de value is about 90%. The DKR mutant is a key pharmaceutical intermediate, and particularly provides an efficient catalyst for synthesis of a chiral dicarbonyl hexanoic acid chain of a statin drug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignees: Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) Co., Ltd, Asymchem Life Science (Tianjin) Co., Ltd, Tianjin Asymchem Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Asymchem Laboratories (Fuxin) Co., Ltd, Jilin Asymchem Laboratories Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hao Hong, James Gage, Feng Gao, Lihui Liu, Wenyan Yu, Fang Liu, Lina Guo, Na Zhang
  • Patent number: 10125355
    Abstract: By combination of hydrophobic chromatography and strongly basic anion-exchange chromatography, a novel, highly hydrophobic ?-glucosidase was successfully identified from Acremonium cellulolyticus. Further, a gene corresponding to the identified ?-glucosidase was isolated. When multiple modifications were introduced into the base sequence of the gene, the gene was successfully expressed in Trichoderma viride at a high level, and the expression product successfully exhibited a high ?-glucosidase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: MEIJI SEIKA PHARMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Fumikazu Yokoyama, Kengo Yokoyama, Nobuko Mazuka
  • Patent number: 10087431
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of using a Cas1 polypeptide to generate nucleic fragments from a DNA substrate. These methods may be performed in vitro or in vivo. Also provided are methods of screening for modulators of Cas1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Blake Wiedenheft, Kaihong Zhou, Jennifer A. Doudna
  • Patent number: 10081821
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of fungal biotechnology, more particularly to genetic engineering methods for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in fungal hosts selected from Rhodosporidium and Rhodotorula genera. The present invention further relates to a modified fungal host cell having reduced native aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALD 1) enzyme activity, and methods for producing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and triacylglycerides, by growing said fungal host cell under suitable conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: TEMASEK LIFE SCIENCES LABORATORY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yanbin Liu, Chong Mei Koh, Lianghui Ji