Patents by Inventor Carl R. Merril

Carl R. Merril has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Silver stain for rapid, quantitative detection of polypeptides and nucleic acids
    Patent number: 4703016
    Abstract: A simple, positive image forming silver stain which takes less than 15 minutes to perform is disclosed for the detection of nanogram quantities of proteins and DNA on membranes and thin layer plates. This stain demonstrates a reproducible curvilinear relationship between silver density and the amount of protein or DNA, over an averaged concentration range from 1 nanogram to 300 nanograms for proteins and 10 nanograms to 700 nanograms for DNA. The ease of staining proteins and DNA on membranes, combined with the stain's sensitivity and reproducibility, permits quantitative determination and assay of proteins and DNA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1986
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventor: Carl R. Merril
  • Rapid visualization system for gel electrophoresis
    Patent number: 4555490
    Abstract: A method using light ("photodevelopment") to develop a metallic silver image of biopolymers, particularly nucleic acids and proteins separated on polyacrylamide gels, whereby it is possible to visualize protein and nucleic acid patterns within 10 minutes after electrophoretic separation. This "photodevelopment" method requires only two solutions: a solution to "fix" the proteins and a solution containing silver ions, which produces an image when exposed to light. This type of protein stain has achieved a sensitivity of about 0.5 ng of protein. DNA separated on polyacrylamide may also be visualized with this stain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1984
    Date of Patent: November 26, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventor: Carl R. Merril
  • Method for simultaneously monitoring turnover rate in multiple proteins
    Patent number: 4508820
    Abstract: The invention provides an assay method for cellular and extracellular protein biodynamics comprising the use of radiochemical techniques in combination with high resolution protein separation procedures and recently developed silver stain techniques, to assess turnover of polypeptides over time. Quenching of polypeptide radiolables in silver stained gels is obviated by the use of .sup.14 C-labelled amino acids as precursors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventors: Carl R. Merril, David Goldman
  • Silver stains for protein in gels
    Patent number: 4405720
    Abstract: A silver stain method for polypeptides in gels comprising the sequential steps of photo-reversing the polypeptide-gel by treatment with an oxidizing agent, forming a latent stain image by treating the polypeptide-gel with a photosensitive salt, and developing the stain image by treating the polypeptide-gel with a reducing agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1982
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services
    Inventor: Carl R. Merril