Patents Examined by Samuel Liu
  • Patent number: 8715957
    Abstract: The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms having a toluene, benzene, p-toluate, terephthalate, (2-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-oxobutoxy)phosphonate, (2-hydroxy-4-oxobutoxy)phosphonate, benzoate, styrene, 2,4-pentadienoate, 3-butene-1ol or 1,3-butadiene pathway. The invention additionally provides methods of using such organisms to produce toluene, benzene, p-toluate, terephthalate, (2-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-oxobutoxy)phosphonate, (2-hydroxy-4-oxobutoxy)phosphonate, benzoate, styrene, 2,4-pentadienoate, 3-butene-1ol or 1,3-butadiene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Robin E. Osterhout, Anthony P. Burgard, Priti Pharkya, Mark J. Burk
  • Patent number: 8703474
    Abstract: Disclosed are a novel flavor compound-producing yeast strain and methods of using the strain to produce flavor compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: Academia Sinica
    Inventors: Jui-Jen Chang, Cheng-Yu Ho, Chieh-Chen Huang, Ming-Che Shih, Wen-Hsiung Li
  • Patent number: 8586330
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for producing a polypeptide having biological activity, comprising: (a) cultivating a fungal host cell in a medium conducive for the production of the polypeptide, wherein the fungal host cell comprises a first polynucleotide encoding the polypeptide operably linked to a second polynucleotide encoding a variant signal peptide or a variant prepropeptide; and (b) isolating the secreted polypeptide having biological activity from the cultivation medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignees: Novozymes A/S, Novozymes, Inc
    Inventors: Debbie Yaver, Mads Eskelund Bjornvad
  • Patent number: 8586529
    Abstract: A method for improving blood HDL/LDL cholesterol ratio, reducing blood triglyceride level, reducing blood sugar level, and/or reducing body weight, that includes ingesting a composition containing a concentrated soybean germ product. The soybean germ product includes soybean germ protein; 1.0% by weight or less of saponin relative to the total weight of the soybean germ product; and 0.5% by weight or less of isoflavone relative to the total weight of the soybean germ product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: J-Oil Mills, Inc.
    Inventors: Sanshirou Saito, Toshiro Sato, Syuichi Kamo, Yousuke Isobe
  • Patent number: 8569237
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a chimeric hirudin protein comprising a carrier attached to the N-terminus of hirudin, with an intervening plasmin cleavage site. The chimeric hirudin protein contains a relatively inactive form of hirudin. However, when such chimeric hirudin protein being cleaved by plasmin in the vicinity of a clot and, ultimately causing the release of active hirudin and the reduction of the size of the clot. The chimeric hirudin protein exhibited much slower clearance in mice than unfused wild-type hirudin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Canadian Blood Services, Inc.
    Inventor: William P. Sheffield
  • Patent number: 8551525
    Abstract: Compositions, materials, methods and kits for bone grafting are described. In some embodiments, a bone graft composition includes about 15% to about 20% by weight collagen, about 55% to about 70% by weight bioactive glass, and about 15% to about 30% by weight a calcium phosphate. The bioactive glass and the calcium phosphate together are about 80% to about 85% by weight of the bone graft composition. In some embodiments, a bone graft composition includes a collagen matrix and a plurality of bioactive glass particulates dispersed throughout the collagen matrix. The collagen matrix is about 20% to about 60% by weight of the bone graft composition, and the bioactive glass is about 40% to about 80% of the bone graft composition. In some embodiments, a majority of the bioactive glass particulates are about 53 ?m to about 425 ?m in size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Biostructures, LLC
    Inventors: Russell L. Cook, Duraid S. Antone
  • Patent number: 8546332
    Abstract: Factor VIII polypeptides having FVIII:C activity that contain modifications in the A3 and/or C1 and/or C2 domains of the sequence of the light chain of Factor VIII, characterized by the binding affinity to low density lipoprotein receptor protein, and methods for producing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Stichting Sanquin Bloedvoorziening
    Inventors: Petrus Johannes Lenting, Jan Aart Van Mourik, Koenraad Mertens, Hans Pannekoek, Peter Turecek, Hans-Peter Schwarz, Friedrich Scheiflinger
  • Patent number: 8541549
    Abstract: The present invention describes an annexin derivative and a method of using the annexin derivative as a biosensor for real-time visualization of phosphatidylserine exposure, apoptosis, live-cell imaging and monitoring of cell health.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: University of Southern California
    Inventor: Ralf Langen
  • Patent number: 8536314
    Abstract: The present invention provides variants of fluorescent proteins, which are improved with regard to their properties for use as reporter proteins and/or in analytics. In particular, variants of fluorescent proteins are provided, which fluoresce brighter, show improved quantum yield and/or have shifted excitation or emission spectra. The fluorescent proteins according to the invention comprise in their LOV domain besides the substitution of a cysteine with an amino acid that does not covalently bind FMN at least one further point mutation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Evocatal GmbH
    Inventors: Thorsten Eggert, Sascha Hausmann, Michael Puls
  • Patent number: 8518869
    Abstract: A pharmaceutically combined preparation can contain a therapeutic protein having SH-groups which are nitrosated and a compound containing thiol groups and having an average molecular weight of at most 10,000.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Austria Wirtschaftsservice Gesellschaft m.b.H.
    Inventors: Seth Hallström, Harald Gasser
  • Patent number: 8513384
    Abstract: Methods for selective extraction and fractionation of algal proteins from an algal biomass or algal culture are disclosed. A method of selective removal of products from an algal biomass provides for single and multistep extraction processes which allow for efficient separation of algal proteins. These proteins can be used as renewable sources of proteins for animal feedstocks and human food. Further, lipids remaining in the algal biomass after extraction of proteins can be used to generate renewable fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Heliae Development, LLC
    Inventor: Aniket Kale
  • Patent number: 8513383
    Abstract: Methods for selective extraction and fractionation of algal proteins from an algal biomass or algal culture are disclosed. A method of selective removal of products from an algal biomass provides for single and multistep extraction processes which allow for efficient separation of algal proteins. These proteins can be used as renewable sources of proteins for animal feedstocks and human food. Further, lipids remaining in the algal biomass after extraction of proteins can be used to generate renewable fuels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: Heliae Development, LLC
    Inventor: Aniket Kale
  • Patent number: 8507651
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for the treatment of diseases and conditions mediated by increased phosphorylation, such as inflammation and cancer. The invention also provides methods for the inhibition of increased phosphorylation in cells, tissues and organs. The methods utilize a phosphate acceptor compound (PAC). The invention also provides products comprising a PAC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: DMI Acquisition Corp.
    Inventor: David Bar-Or
  • Patent number: 8476232
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a fusion protein comprising IGF-I or an IGF-I variant N-terminally linked to the C-terminus of a propeptide. The invention relates also to a method involving the use of the aforementioned fusion protein in the production of a lysine-PEGylated IGF-I or IGF-I variant. The method comprises the steps of cultivating a prokaryotic host cell comprising an expression vector containing a nucleic acid encoding the fusion protein and causing the cell to express the fusion protein, recovering and PEGylating said fusion protein, cleaving said PEGylated fusion protein with IgA protease, and recovering lysine-PEGylated IGF-I or IGF-I variant. The invention relates also to a lysine-PEGylated IGF-I or IGF-I variant produced using the above method. In addition, the invention relates to a method for treating a neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease using the lysine-PEGylated IGF-I or IGF-I variant and a composition comprising the lysine-PEGylated IGF-I or IGF-I variant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: Hoffman-La Roche Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan Fischer, Friederike Hesse, Hendrik Knoetgen, Kurt Lang, Friedrich Metzger, Joerg Thomas Regula, Christian Schantz, Andreas Schaubmar, Hans-Joachim Schoenfeld
  • Patent number: 8461314
    Abstract: A nucleic acid sequence is provided, encoding at least one of a precursor of a lariat peptide, a processing factor of a lariat peptide, and an export factor of a lariat peptide, wherein the lariat peptide is a non-MccJ25 lariat peptide according to general structural formula (I) Also provided are biosynthesis systems useful for the synthesis of peptides according to formula (I), and methods of detecting and identifying nucleic acid sequences encoding the disclosed proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
    Inventors: Richard H. Ebright, Konstantin Severinov
  • Patent number: 8450280
    Abstract: The invention provides novel peptide prodrugs that contain cleavage sites specifically cleaved by human kallikrein 2 (hK2). These prodrugs are useful for substantially inhibiting the non-specific toxicity of a variety of therapeutic drugs. Upon cleavage of the prodrug by hK2, the therapeutic drugs are activated and exert their toxicity. Methods for treating cell proliferative disorders are also featured in the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: GenbSpera, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel R. Denmeade, John T. Isaacs, Hans Lilja
  • Patent number: 8449773
    Abstract: A process for converting organic waste materials into usable products and products thereof is disclosed. According to the process, organic waste materials are contacted with an oxidant to form a product and then an amount of the oxidant is removed from the product to form a reactor-ready feedstock. The oxidant is removed by various means, including washing, photolysis, catalytic means, oxidation of the oxidant, reduction of the oxidant, and heat. The reactor-ready feedstock may then be introduced into a reactor, such as a digester or incubator, and the reactor-ready feedstock is converted by microorganisms into biofuel or other products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Jaron C. Hansen, Lee D. Hansen
  • Patent number: 8445647
    Abstract: Novel modified exendins and exendin agonists having an exendin or exendin agonist linked to one or more polyethylene glycol polymers, for example, and related formulations and dosages and methods of administration thereof are provided. These modified exendins and exendin agonists, compositions and methods are useful in treating diabetes and conditions that would be benefited by lowering plasma glucose or delaying and/or slowing gastric emptying or inhibiting food intake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2013
    Assignees: Amylin Pharmaceuticals, LLC, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP
    Inventors: Kathryn S. Prickett, Andrew A. Young
  • Patent number: 8440201
    Abstract: An intracellular selection system allows screening for peptide bioactivity and stability. Randomized recombinant peptides are screened for bioactivity in a tightly regulated expression system, preferably derived from the wild-type lac operon. Bioactive peptides thus identified are inherently protease- and peptidase-resistant. Also provided are bioactive peptides stabilized by a stabilizing group at the N-terminus, the C-terminus, or both. The stabilizing group can be a small stable protein, such as the Rop protein, glutathione sulfotransferase, thioredoxin, maltose binding protein, or glutathione reductase, an ?-helical moiety, or one or more proline residues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: Elliot Altman
  • Patent number: RE44812
    Abstract: Process for extracting hydrophobin from a solution wherein carrageenan is added to the solution and the pH of the solution is brought below 3.5, and the ionic strength of the solution is below 0.5.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Conopco, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas David Hedges