Patents Examined by Yong Pak
  • Stable fungal Cel6 enzyme variants
    Patent number: 9322007
    Abstract: The disclosure provides variant Cel6a enzymes having increased thermostability, methods of making and using such polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: The California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Frances H. Arnold, Indira Wu
  • Compositions and methods for producing benzylisoquinoline alkaloids
    Patent number: 9322039
    Abstract: The present invention relates to host cells that produce compounds that are characterized as benzylisoquinolines, as well as select precursors and intermediates thereof. The host cells comprise one, two or more heterologous coding sequences wherein each of the heterologous coding sequences encodes an enzyme involved in the metabolic pathway of a benzylisoquinoline, or its precursors or intermediates from a starting compound. The invention also relates to methods of producing the benzylisoquinoline, as well as select precursors and intermediates thereof by culturing the host cells under culture conditions that promote expression of the enzymes that produce the benzylisoquinoline or precursors or intermediates thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Christina D. Smolke, Kristy M. Hawkins
  • Nitrilases, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them
    Patent number: 9315792
    Abstract: The invention relates to nitrilases and to nucleic acids encoding the nitrilases. In addition methods of designing new nitrilases and method of use thereof are also provided. The nitrilases have increased activity and stability at increased pH and temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: BASF Enzymes LLC
    Inventors: Kelvin Wong, Jay M. Short, Mark J. Burk, Grace DeSantis, Robert Farwell, Kelly Chatman
  • Fermentive production of four carbon alcohols
    Patent number: 9297028
    Abstract: Methods for the fermentive production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably 1-butanol is produced by the fermentive growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing a 1-butanol biosynthetic pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Gail K. Donaldson, Lixuan Lisa Huang, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Vasantha Nagarajan, Charles E. Nakamura, Wonchul Suh
  • Methods and compositions for treating neuropathies
    Patent number: 9295688
    Abstract: Methods of treating or preventing axonal degradation in neuropathic diseases in mammals are disclosed. The methods can comprise administering to the mammal an effective amount of an agent that acts by increasing sirtuin activity in diseased and/or injured neurons. The methods can also comprise administering to the mammal an effective amount of an agent that acts by increasing NAD activity in diseased and/or injured neurons. Also disclosed are methods of screening agents for treating a neuropathies and recombinant vectors for treating or preventing neuropathies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: Washington University
    Inventors: Jeffrey Milbrandt, Toshiyuki Araki, Yo Sasaki
  • Aldolases, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them
    Patent number: 9290755
    Abstract: This invention relates to polypeptides having aldolase activity, including pyruvate activity such as, without limitation, HMG and/or KHG aldolase activity, polynucleotides encoding these polypeptides, and methods of making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. In some embodiments, the invention is directed to polypeptides having aldolase activity, including pyruvate activity such as, without limitation, HMG and/or KHG aldolase activity, including thermostable and thermotolerant activity, and polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, and making and using these polynucleotides and polypeptides. The polypeptides in accordance with the invention can be used in a variety of pharmaceutical, agricultural and industrial contexts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: BASF Enzymes LLC
    Inventors: David P. Weiner, Lishan Zhao, Peter Luginbuhl, Ellen Burke, Toby H. Richardson, Paula M. Hicks
  • Microbial production of natural sweeteners, diterpenoid steviol glycosides
    Patent number: 9284570
    Abstract: The invention relates to recombinant expression of a steviol or steviol glycosides biosynthetic pathway enzymes in cells and the production of steviol or steviol glycosides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Gregory Stephanopoulos, Parayil K. Ajikumar
  • Methods for transforming eukaryotic algae
    Patent number: 9284568
    Abstract: Compositions and methods for genetically modifying algae or other photosynthetic eukaryotes to express an alcohol producing enzyme, such as pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) or any other enzymes that also synthesizes methanol, ethanol or butanol are provided. These enzymes are engineered to contain chloroplast targeting sequences which efficiently target xenotypic proteins to the chloroplast. Algae can be stably transformed with the compositions comprising chloroplast targeting constructs containing alcohol producing enzymes whereby the alcohol is produced in the chloroplast of the organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: Tabletop Energy
    Inventor: Andrew C. S. Saphire
  • Methods and compositions for protein labeling using lipoic acid ligases
    Patent number: 9284541
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides compositions and methods of use thereof for labeling peptide and proteins in vitro or in vivo. The methods described herein employ lipoic acid ligase or mutants thereof, and lipoic acid analogs (e.g., lipoic acid analogs comprising a resorufin moiety) recognized by lipoic acid ligase and lipoic acid ligase mutants. Also provided herein is a method of imaging protein-protein interaction via a reaction mediated by lipoic acid ligase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Washington through its Center for Commercialization
    Inventors: Alice Y. Ting, David Baker, Florian Richter, Lucas Nivon, Daniel Shao-Chen Liu
  • Isoprene synthase variants for improved production of isoprene
    Patent number: 9273298
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions comprising at least one isoprene synthase enzyme with improved specific productivity. In particular, the present invention provides variant plant isoprene synthases for increased isoprene production in host cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignees: DANISCO US INC., THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY
    Inventors: Zachary Q. Beck, David A. Estell, Jeffrey V. Miller, Christopher L. Rife, Derek H. Wells
  • Yeast production host cells
    Patent number: 9260708
    Abstract: Crabtree positive yeast cells that have endogenous expressed pyruvate decarboxylase genes inactivated and an engineered biosynthetic pathway utilizing pyruvate were found to have improved growth and product yield when glucose repression was reduced. These cells were able to grow in media containing a high glucose concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Larry Cameron Anthony, Mark J. Nelson
  • Butanol fermentation using acid pretreated biomass
    Patent number: 9260731
    Abstract: The production of butanol by the mutant Clostridium acetobutylicum MTCC 5587 using an acid pretreated biomass such as jatropha seed cake, pongamia seed cake and banana stems as renewable feedstock. Chemical mutagenesis was carried out for improvement of the strain for better butanol tolerance and production. This leads to a high yield of butanol obtained in single batch fermentation using acid pretreated jatropha seed cake.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: RELIANCE INDUSTRIES LIMITED
    Inventors: Vidhya Rangaswamy, Jasmine Isar, Harshvardhan Joshi
  • Hydrogenase polypeptide and methods of use
    Patent number: 9249440
    Abstract: Provided herein are polypeptides having hydrogenase activity. The polypeptide may be multimeric, and may have hydrogenase activity of at least 0.05 micromoles H2 produced min?1 mg protein?1. Also provided herein are polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, genetically modified microbes that include polynucleotides encoding one or more subunits of the multimeric polypeptide, and methods for making and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael W. W. Adams, Robert C. Hopkins, Francis E. Jenney, Jr., Junsong Sun
  • Biofuel production
    Patent number: 9243256
    Abstract: The invention relates to the combination of the TLG1 glucoamylase from Thermomyces lanuginoses with: (i) the SFA1 alpha-amylase from Saccharomycopsis fibuligera; and/or (ii) the LKA alpha-amylase. The enzyme combinations may be expressed in a host cell (e.g. in Saccharomyces cerevisiae) or provided as an enzyme composition. Methods for making the enzyme combinations of the invention are provided. The invention also relates to a yeast strain which exhibits amylolytic activity and promising fermentative abilities. Processes for producing a fermentation product (in particular alcohol) from starch-containing material are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignees: Stellenbosch University, Universita Degli Studi Di Padova
    Inventors: Willem Heber Van Zyl, Tania Jooste, Johann Ferdinand Gorgens, Maryna Saayman, Lorenzo Favaro, Marina Basaglia, Sergio Casella
  • Filamentous fungal mutants with improved homologous recombination efficiency
    Patent number: 9243043
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for increasing the efficiency of targeted integration of a polynucleotide to a pre-determined site into the genome of a filamentous fungal cell with a preference for NHR, wherein said polynucleotide has a region of homology with said pre-determined site, comprising steering an integration pathway towards HR. The present invention also relates to a mutant filamentous fungus originating from a parent cell, said mutant having an HR pathway with elevated efficiency and/or an NHR pathway with a lowered efficiency and/or a NHR/HR ratio with decreased efficiency as compared to said HR and/or NHR efficiency and/or NHR/HR ratio of said parent cell under the same conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Petrus Jacobus Theodorus Dekker, Marco Alexander van den Berg
  • Glycosidase enzymes
    Patent number: 9243236
    Abstract: A thermostable glycosidase enzymes derived from various Thermococcus, Staphylothermus and Pyrococcus organizms is disclosed. The enzymes are produced from native or recombinant host cells and can be utilized in the food processing industry, pharmaceutical industry and in the textile industry, detergent industry and in the baking industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: BP Corporation North America Inc.
    Inventors: Edward J. Bylina, Ronald V. Swanson, Eric J. Mathur, David E. Lam
  • Ketol-acid reductoisomerase using NADH
    Patent number: 9238801
    Abstract: Methods for the evolution of NADPH specific ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzymes to acquire NADH specificity are provided. Specific mutant ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzymes isolated from Pseudomonas that have undergone co-factor switching to utilize NADH are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Yougen Li, Der-Ing Liao, Mark J. Nelson, Daniel P. Okeefe
  • Method for producing isobutanol and recombinant microorganism capable of producing isobutanol
    Patent number: 9234217
    Abstract: This invention is intended to produce isobutanol with excellent productivity via a fermentation process. A reaction in which NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase generates NADPH from NADP is used as a source of NADPH for the reaction of converting 2-acetolactate into 2,3-dihydroxy-isovalerate in the isobutanol biosynthesis pathway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Onishi
  • Enzymatical modification of cell glycosylation using serum albumin and divalent cations
    Patent number: 9234169
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a method and kit to control and modify the status of cells, such as human stem cells, by changing their glycosylation, in particular sialylation and fucosylation, levels in a reaction condition where culture medium reagents, such as divalent cations, are present and cells are kept non-adherent. The invention is further directed to novel stem cells, the glycosylation of which has been specifically altered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: Glykos Finland
    Inventors: Johanna Nystedt, Heidi Anderson, Leena Valmu, Jari Natunen, Tero Satomaa
  • Method of preparing a dough-based product
    Patent number: 9226510
    Abstract: Dough with a high sucrose content (such as cake dough) tends to inhibit the activity of an anti-staling amylase such as Novamyl, making it less effective to prevent the staling of dough-based products with high sucrose content such as cakes. A good anti-staling effect in cakes can be achieved by using a carefully selected anti-staling amylase with certain properties. Analysis of a 3D structure of Novamyl shows that sucrose may inhibit by binding in the active site. Sucrose docks into the active site of Novamyl differently from the substrate or inhibitor in published models 1QHO and 1QHP. This finding is used to design sucrose-tolerant variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Lars Beier, Esben Peter Friis, Henrik Lundquist