Patents by Inventor Christopher John Roberts

Christopher John Roberts 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).

  • Patent number: 8575423
    Abstract: A method of modifying morphology in a plant by introducing into a plant at least one chimaeric gene having a promoter sequence operably associated with a nucleic acid sequence, the promoter sequence being operable to direct expression in specific cells of the plant and the nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one gene product capable of altering the metabolism of or causing death of the specific cells and/or nearby cells. In particular, the promoter sequence is operable to direct expression in lateral bud or lateral shoot and the nucleic acid encoding at least one gene product capable of disrupting the metabolism of or causing the death of the lateral bud or lateral shoot or nearby cells. Preferably the promoter sequence has the sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 or SEQ ID No. 4, or a part thereof capable of regulating expression of a gene, or a sequence having at least 60%, preferably at least 75%, homology to SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 and being capable of regulating expression of a gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Limited
    Inventors: Christopher John Robert Thomas, Martin Richard Ward
  • Publication number: 20120011616
    Abstract: A method of modifying morphology in a plant by introducing into a plant at least one chimaeric gene having a promoter sequence operably associated with a nucleic acid sequence, the promoter sequence being operable to direct expression in specific cells of the plant and the nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one gene product capable of altering the metabolism of or causing death of the specific cells and/or nearby cells. In particular, the promoter sequence is operable to direct expression in lateral bud or lateral shoot and the nucleic acid encoding at least one gene product capable of disrupting the metabolism of or causing the death of the lateral bud or lateral shoot or nearby cells. Preferably the promoter sequence has the sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 or SEQ ID No. 4, or a part thereof capable of regulating expression of a gene, or a sequence having at least 60%, preferably at least 75%, homology to SEQ ID No. I or SEQ ID No. 7 and being capable of regulating expression of a gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: Christopher John Robert Thomas, Martin Richard Ward
  • Patent number: 8093459
    Abstract: A method of modifying morphology in a plant by introducing into a plant at least one chimaeric gene having a promoter sequence operably associated with a nucleic acid sequence, the promoter sequence being operable to direct expression in specific cells of the plant and the nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one gene product capable of altering the metabolism of or causing death of the specific cells and/or nearby cells. In particular, the promoter sequence is operable to direct expression in lateral bud or lateral shoot and the nucleic acid encoding at least one gene product capable of disrupting the metabolism of or causing the death of the lateral bud or lateral shoot or nearby cells. Preferably the promoter sequence has the sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 or SEQ ID No. 4, or a part thereof capable of regulating expression of a gene, or a sequence having at least 60%, preferably at least 75%, homology to SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 and being capable of regulating expression of a gene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Limited
    Inventors: Christopher John Robert Thomas, Martin Richard Ward
  • Publication number: 20090249518
    Abstract: A method of modifying morphology in a plant by introducing into a plant at least one chimaeric gene having a promoter sequence operably associated with a nucleic acid sequence, the promoter sequence being operable to direct expression in specific cells of the plant and the nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one gene product capable of altering the metabolism of or causing death of the specific cells and/or nearby cells. In particular, the promoter sequence is operable to direct expression in lateral bud or lateral shoot and the nucleic acid encoding at least one gene product capable of disrupting the metabolism of or causing the death of the lateral bud or lateral shoot or nearby cells. Preferably the promoter sequence has the sequence shown as SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 or SEQ ID No. 4, or a part thereof capable of regulating expression of a gene, or a sequence having at least 60%, preferably at least 75%, homology to SEQ ID No. 1 or SEQ ID No. 7 and being capable of regulating expression of a gene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2007
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Christopher John Robert Thomas, Martin Richard Ward
  • Publication number: 20090217918
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to methods and devices for projecting articles. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for projecting balls and like articles for interaction with a player where a player may, for example, be considered a human training for or playing a ball sport or, an animal such as a dog exercising by retrieving the projected article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2007
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Applicant: JUST INNOVATIONS PTY LTD
    Inventors: Justin Dean McKenzie, Winifred Mary Smith, Christopher John Roberts
  • Publication number: 20090029899
    Abstract: A fabric softening composition having a pH of from 2 to 3 and comprising a) from 1.5 to 50% by weight of a cationic fabric softening compound having two or more alkyl or alkenyl chains each having an average chain length equal to, or greater than C8 each connected to a nitrogen atom via at least one ester linkage, the iodine value of the parent fatty acyl compound or acid from which the alkyl or alkenyl chains are derived being from 0 to 20, preferably 0 to 5, more preferably 0 to 2, most preferably 0, the softening compound being free from acid amide links, b) at least 0.15% by weight of perfume, and c) a plasticizer which is liquid at ambient temperature, in an effective amount such that the fabric conditioning composition has a major phase transition peak of not more than 52° C. measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2008
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Inventors: David Stephen Grainger, Christopher John Roberts, David William Thornthwaite, Shaun Charles Walsh
  • Publication number: 20080221010
    Abstract: An aqueous fabric softening composition comprising: (i) at least one cationic fabric softening compound and (ii) at least one oily sugar derivative which comprises at least 5% by weight of impurities selected from free fatty acid, fatty acid methyl ester, soap, inorganic salts and mixtures thereof. The composition comprising less than 0.5% by weight of fatty complexing agent. The compositions allow impure OSD's to be successfully employed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2005
    Publication date: September 11, 2008
    Inventors: Hannah Faye Earp, Mansur Suitan Mohammadi, Christopher John Roberts
  • Patent number: 7282624
    Abstract: This invention seeks to provide means by which transgenic plants harbour within their genome a chimaeric gene which when expressed produces a protein having a cytotoxic effect. Cytotoxicity is achieved by way of a protein or part thereof capable of blocking cellular protein synthesis, such as a maize ribosome inactivating protein or part thereof. The chimaeric gene may comprise a promoter operably linked to a sequence encoding a protein capable of blocking cellular protein synthesis such that the promoter is inducible at and/or adjacent to a target site.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Limited
    Inventors: Christopher John Robert Thomas, Michael John McPherson, Howard John Atkinson, Anil Neelam
  • Patent number: 6294713
    Abstract: A sequence from the gene encoding for reduced sugar production is used, in sense or antisense orientation to transform potato such that less sugar is stored in the tubers of the transformed plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 1992
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2001
    Assignee: Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Limited
    Inventors: Keith Stuart Blundy, Michael Meyrick Burrell, George Stephen Morris, Christopher John Robert Thomas
  • Patent number: 6140554
    Abstract: This invention seeks to improve the specificity of gene expression by targeting a specific expression site of a target gene. There is thus provided a chimaeric gene which comprises a promoter which expresses in more than one region of the organism to be affected. The promoter is linked to an agent which affects the functioning of an endogenous gene in the plant which is also expressed in more than one region of the plant. The promoter and agent are selected so that there is an overlap in their expression sites at one or more desired locations. This overlap site(s) gives increased specificity and targeting of gene expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2000
    Assignee: Advanced Technologies (Cambridge) Limited
    Inventors: David O'Reilly, Christopher John Robert Thomas