Patents Examined by Rebecca E. Prouty
  • 4-amino cinnamic acid production method using enzyme
    Patent number: 10053716
    Abstract: This 4-amino cinnamic acid production method using the enzyme ammonia lyase can efficiently convert 4-amino phenylalanine into 4-amino cinnamic acid. This 4-amino cinnamic acid production method is characterized by converting 4-amino phenylalanine into 4-amino cinnamic acid by using phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, which comprises the amino acid sequence represented in sequence number 2 derived from the Rhodotorula glutinis yeast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY
    Inventors: Kazunobu Konishi, Naoki Takaya, Shunsuke Masuo, Shengmin Zhou
  • Enzymes having alpha amylase activity and methods of making and using them
    Patent number: 10047350
    Abstract: The invention relates to alpha amylases and to polynucleotides encoding the alpha amylases. In addition methods of designing new alpha amylases and methods of use thereof are also provided. The alpha amylases have increased activity and stability at acidic, neutral and alkaline pH and increased temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: BASF Enzymes LLC
    Inventors: Walter Callen, Toby Richardson, Gerhard Frey, Jay M. Short, Eric J. Mathur, Kevin A. Gray, Janne S. Kerovuo, Malgorzata Slupska
  • Variants of a family 44 xyloglucanase
    Patent number: 10035998
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of a parent xyloglucanase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variant xyloglucanases and to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Werner Besenmatter, Esben Peter Friis, Keith Gibson, Frank Winther Rasmussen, Michael Skjoet
  • Polypeptides having xylanase activity and polynucleotides thereof
    Patent number: 10006016
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having xylanase 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: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Novozymes, Inc.
    Inventors: Debbie Yaver, Paul Harris, Suzanne Otani, Janine Lin, Hanshu Ding
  • Biosynthesis of human milk oligosaccharides in engineered bacteria
    Patent number: 9970018
    Abstract: The invention provides compositions and methods for engineering bacteria to produce fucosylated oligosaccharides, and the use thereof in the prevention or treatment of infection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Glycosyn LLC
    Inventors: Massimo Merighi, John M. McCoy, Matthew Ian Heidtman
  • Mutants of hydantoinase
    Patent number: 9957536
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydantoinase having an amino acid sequence selected from (i) or (ii), with (i) amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119 (ii) amino acid sequence wherein in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6-20 and SEQ ID NO: 73-119, 1 to 75 amino acid residues have been substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added, and wherein further the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase is higher by a factor of at least 1.2 than the catalytic activity of the hydantoinase having amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, The present invention further relates to a process for preparing amino acids, wherein said hydantoinase is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: Evonik Technochemie GmbH
    Inventors: Steffen Osswald, Heiko Schuster, Jurgen Roos, Andreas Karau, Ulrich Schwaneberg, Ronny Martinez, Hemanshu Mundhada, Ursula Holter
  • Process for the preparation of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid
    Patent number: 9938547
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the preparation of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) by fermentation comprising fermenting a suitable starting compound to produce an aqueous solution of a salt of FDCA having a pH of at least 7, optionally removing solids from said solution, e.g. by filtration, subsequently freeze crystallizing the said salt of FDCA from said solution at said pH, isolating the said FDCA salt in the form of solid crystals, preparing an aqueous solution of said salt and crystallizing FDCA as the free acid from said solution at an acidic pH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
    Inventors: Jacob van Spronsen, Geert-Jan Witkamp, Bart de Graaff
  • Glycan-specific analytical tools
    Patent number: 9926612
    Abstract: Provided are lectenz molecules, which are mutated carbohydrate processing enzymes that are catalytically inactive and that have had their substrate affinity increased by at least 1.2 fold. Further provided are methods for making and methods of using such lectenz. Additional mutated proteins following the lectenz approach are further provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignees: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., Glycosensors and Diagnostics, LLC
    Inventors: Robert J. Woods, Loretta Yang
  • Method for producing a minor ginsenoside using a ginsenoside glycosidase
    Patent number: 9926585
    Abstract: Provided are a method of producing minor ginsenosides using a ginsenoside glycosidase protein derived from a Microbacterium sp. (Microbacterium testaceum) microorganism, and a composition including the protein for conversion into minor ginsenosides. The ginsenoside glycosidase exhibits very excellent activity of specifically hydrolyzing a sugar at the C-6 position of ginsenoside to convert the ginsenoside into in-vivo absorbable minor ginsenoside, thereby being very usefully applied to mass-production of ginsenoside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: INTELLIGENT SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY CENTER
    Inventors: Sun Chang Kim, Wan Taek Im, Chang Hao Cui
  • Acyl-ACP thioesterase genes and uses therefor
    Patent number: 9920340
    Abstract: The present invention provides novel genes encoding Class II acyl-ACP thioesterases and variants thereof that are active on C8, C10, C12, C14, C16, and C18 acyl-ACP substrates. The thioesterases can be introduced into transgenic organisms, including microorganisms and photosynthetic organisms, for producing fatty acids and fatty acid products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Gordon Roessler, Gena Roy
  • Aldolase, aldolase mutant, and method and composition for producing tagatose by using same
    Patent number: 9914919
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to aldolase, an aldolase mutant, and a method and a composition for producing tagatose by using the same. The feature of the disclosure is environment-friendly due to the use of an enzyme acquired from microorganisms, requires only a simple process of enzyme immobilization, uses a low-cost substrate in a substrate compared with a conventional method for producing tagatose and has a remarkably high yield, thereby greatly reducing production costs and maximizing production effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: SAMYANG CORPORATION
    Inventors: Deok-Kun Oh, Seung-Hye Hong, Seon-Hwa Lee
  • ABHD5 and partial HDAC4 fragments and variants as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases
    Patent number: 9914912
    Abstract: The present invention relates to Abhydrolase containing domain 5 (ABHD5) and N-terminal fragments of HDAC4 (HDAC4-NT) and variants of the aforementioned peptides for the treatment and prevention of heart failure. The present invention further provides vectors for the cardiomyocyte-specific expression of said peptides and a test system comprising ABHD5 for the identification of novel compounds which are useful for the treatment of heart failure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg
    Inventors: Johannes Backs, Zegeye Jebessa, Lorenz Lehmann, Hugo Katus, Oliver Müller
  • Engineered enzymes with methionine-gamma-lyase enzymes and pharmacological preparations thereof
    Patent number: 9909163
    Abstract: Methods and composition related to the engineering of a novel protein with methionine-?-lyase enzyme activity are described. For example, in certain aspects there may be disclosed a modified cystathionine-?-lyase (CGL) comprising one or more amino acid substitutions and capable of degrading methionine. Furthermore, certain aspects of the invention provide compositions and methods for the treatment of cancer with methionine depletion using the disclosed proteins or nucleic acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: AEMase, Inc.
    Inventors: George Georgiou, Everett Stone
  • Methods for producing dicarboxylic acids
    Patent number: 9909154
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods of producing dicarboxylic acids. The methods involve incubating a fatty acid or hydrocarbon substrate with an enzyme to produce a dicarboxylic acid product. The enzyme acts on the substrate to produce a product that has been both over-oxidized and has undergone cleavage of a C—C bond. In some embodiments the enzymes having these useful characteristics are mutants of a cytochrome P450 enzyme, for example an enzyme of the class CYP102 or a mutant thereof. The invention provides enzymes where these desirable characteristics can be found in a single enzyme, and thus in some embodiments the methods can be performed through the action of a single enzyme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin M. Griffin, Spiros Kambourakis
  • Carbohydrate binding modules with reduced binding to lignin
    Patent number: 9885028
    Abstract: Provided is a modified Family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM) comprising amino acid substitutions at one or more of positions 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 24, 29, 31, 33, and 37, said position determined from alignment of a Family 1 CBM amino acid sequence with SEQ ID NO: 30, and exhibiting from about 50% to about 99.9% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 30. Also provided are modified glycosidase enzymes comprising the modified Family 1 CBM, genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for expressing the modified Family 1 CBM or modified glycosidase enzyme. The modified Family 1 CBM confers reduced lignin binding and/or increased hydrolyzing activity in the presence of lignin to the modified glycosidase enzyme, which may be used in a process for hydrolyzing cellulose or hemicellulose in the presence of lignin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Tomashek, Brian R. Scott, Daniel Kolczynski
  • Luciferase biosensors for cAMP
    Patent number: 9879306
    Abstract: A modified luciferase protein which is a sensor for molecules including cAMP is provided. The modified luciferase protein includes one or more heterologous amino acid sequences, at least one of which directly or indirectly interacts with cAMP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: PROMEGA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brock Binkowski, Lance P. Encell, Monika G. Wood, Keith V. Wood, Kris Zimmerman, Paul Otto, Gediminas Vidugiris, Pete Stecha
  • High fidelity restriction endonucleases
    Patent number: 9856464
    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: April 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby, Shengxi Guan, Dapeng Sun, Yishu Huang, Xuhui Lai, Siu-hong Chan, Xianghui Li, Shuang-Yong Xu, Chunhua Zhang
  • Modified polymerases for replication of threose nucleic acids
    Patent number: 9834762
    Abstract: Methods and compositions for replication of threose nucleic acids (TNAs) are described. The described methods include a method for transcribing a DNA template into a TNA, and a method for reverse transcribing a threose nucleic acid into a cDNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: John Chaput, Matthew Dunn
  • Engineered imine reductases and methods for the reductive amination of ketone and amine compounds
    Patent number: 9822346
    Abstract: The present application provides engineered polypeptides having imine reductase activity, polynucleotides encoding the engineered imine reductases, host cells capable of expressing the engineered imine reductases, and methods of using these engineered polypeptides with a range of ketone and amine substrate compounds to prepare secondary and tertiary amine product compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Codexis, Inc.
    Inventors: Nicholas J. Agard, Oscar Alvizo, Melissa Ann Mayo, Stefanie Ng Minor, James Nicholas Riggins, Jeffrey C. Moore
  • Engineered nucleic acid-targeting nucleic acids
    Patent number: 9816093
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides engineered Class 2 CRISPR-Cas-associated discontinuous first-stem nucleic-acid targeting nucleic acids, nucleoprotein complexes comprising these nucleic acids, and compositions thereof. Nucleic acid sequences encoding the Class 2 CRISPR-Cas-associated discontinuous first-stem nucleic-acid targeting nucleic acids, as well as expression cassettes, vectors and cells comprising such nucleic acid sequences, are described. Also, methods are disclosed for making and using the Class 2 CRISPR-Cas-associated discontinuous first-stem nucleic-acid targeting nucleic acids, nucleoprotein complexes comprising such nucleic acids, and compositions thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2017
    Assignee: Caribou Biosciences, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Daniel Donohoue, Andrew Paul May