Patents by Inventor David Weitz
David Weitz 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).
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Patent number: 12060412Abstract: Transcriptomes of individual neurons provide rich information about cell types and dynamic states. However, it is difficult to capture rare dynamic processes, such as adult neurogenesis, because isolation from dense adult tissue is challenging, and markers for each phase are limited. Here, Applicants developed Nuc-seq, Div-Seq, and Dronc-Seq. Div-seq combines Nuc-Seq, a scalable single nucleus RNA-Seq method, with EdU-mediated labeling of proliferating cells. Nuc-Seq can sensitively identify closely related cell types within the adult hippocampus. Div-Seq can track transcriptional dynamics of newborn neurons in an adult neurogenic region in the hippocampus. Dronc-Seq uses a microfluidic device to co-encapsulate individual nuclei in reverse emulsion aqueous droplets in an oil medium together with one uniquely barcoded mRNA-capture bead. Finally, Applicants found rare adult newborn GABAergic neurons in the spinal cord, a non-canonical neurogenic region.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2016Date of Patent: August 13, 2024Assignees: The Broad Institute, Inc., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard College, MAInventors: Aviv Regev, Feng Zhang, Naomi Habib, Yinqing Li, Matthias Heidenreich, Lukasz Swiech, Anindita Basu, David Weitz, Inbal Avraham Davidi
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Publication number: 20240262714Abstract: A user-replaceable filter unit may include a combination of an activated carbon fiber filter and an electrically charged fiber filter. The replaceable filter unit may be secured in a housing and positioned within a larger filtering system, for example a bottle, container, pitcher, etc.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2023Publication date: August 8, 2024Inventors: Ryan David Weitz, Peter Cicchetto
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Patent number: 11952622Abstract: Methods for analyzing DNA-containing samples are provided. The methods can comprise isolating a single genomic equivalent of DNA from the DNA-containing sample to provide a single isolated DNA molecule. The single isolated DNA molecule can be subjected to amplification conditions in the presence of one or more sets of unique molecularly tagged primers to provide one or more amplicons. Any spurious allelic sequences generated during the amplification process are tagged with an identical molecular tag. The methods can also include a step of determining the sequence of the one or more amplicons, in which the majority sequence for each code is selected as the sequence of the single original encapsulated target. The DNA-containing sample can be a forensic sample (e.g., mixed contributor sample), a fetal genetic screening sample, or a biological cell.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2014Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: The Johns Hopkins UniversityInventors: Andrew B. Feldman, Jeffrey S. Lin, David Weitz, Assaf Rotem
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Patent number: 11878080Abstract: The present invention provides capsules having a shell of material that comprises an assembly of a protein, and the capsule is optionally provided with a network of material within the shell that is an assembly of the protein. The assembly of the protein is obtained or obtainable by the aggregation of the protein, optionally together with another protein. The assembly is a non-covalent assembly of a protein.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2015Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignees: CAMBRIDGE ENTERPRISE LIMITED, PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGEInventors: Tuomas Knowles, Ulyana Shimanovich, Christopher Dobson, David Weitz
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Publication number: 20220354796Abstract: The subject invention pertains to methods to produce amorphous materials at nanometer scale, by solidifying or hardening the materials inside nanometer-sized pores of porous media (i.e., porous templates). The porous templates can be made by packing nanometer-sized particles or other means. The subject invention further pertains to methods to produce the porous templates used to produce amorphous material at nanometer scale.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2021Publication date: November 10, 2022Inventors: Lei XU, David WEITZ, Zhuo XU, Changliang ZHU
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Publication number: 20220065849Abstract: A method for identifying cognate pairs of a ligand species and a receptor species includes co-compartmentalizing ligand species and receptor species, forming a set of microreactors, each microreactor including a ligand species and preferably a receptor species; assaying the recognition between ligands and receptors in each microreactor and based on this assay, classifying each microreactor as positive when a ligand species and receptor species in the microreactor recognize one with the other or negative when no ligand species and no receptor species recognize in the microreactor; identifying ligand species and receptor species contained in each positive microreactor; establishing a subset of positive microreactors containing the same receptor species; determining the probability that the ligand species recognizing the receptor species corresponds to the most frequent co-compartmentalized ligand species.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 19, 2019Publication date: March 3, 2022Inventors: Andrew GRIFFITHS, Sebastien AMIGORENA, Olivier LANTZ, David WEITZ, Philippe NGHE, Annabelle GERARD
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Publication number: 20210355535Abstract: The present invention generally relates to microfluidics and/or epigenetic sequencing. In one set of embodiments, cells contained within a plurality of microfluidic droplets are lysed and the DNA (e.g., from nucleosomes) within the droplets are labeled, e.g., with adapters containing an identification sequence. The adapters may also contain other sequences, e.g., restriction sites, primer sites, etc., to assist with later analysis. After labeling with adapters, the DNA from the different cells may be combined and analyzed, e.g., to determine epigenetic information about the cells. For example, the DNA may be separated on the basis of certain modifications (e.g., methylation), and the DNA from the separated nucleosomes may be sequenced using techniques such as chromatin immunoprecipitation (“CUP”). In some cases, the DNA sequences may also be aligned with genomes, e.g., to determine which portions of the genome were epigenetically modified, e.g., via methylation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2021Publication date: November 18, 2021Applicants: President and Fellows of Harvard College, The General Hospital CorporationInventors: David Weitz, Assaf Rotem, Oren Ram, Bradley E. Bernstein
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Publication number: 20200207921Abstract: It is provided a diblock copolymer consisting of a first block, a second block, and a linker, wherein the second block is covalently bound to the first block by the linker. Thereby, the first block is a glycerol block comprising 1 to 10 glycerol subunits that are optionally substituted, and the second block is a superhydrophobic block comprising a perfluoroether residue having at least 20 carbon atoms.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2018Publication date: July 2, 2020Applicants: FREIE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN, PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGEInventors: Rainer HAAG, Mohammad Suman CHOWDHURY, David WEITZ
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Patent number: 10524493Abstract: Food products and/or pharmaceutical preparations including (i) viral neutralizing antibodies or antibody fragments anchored to a probiotic microorganism and (ii) a carrier medium for delivering the viral neutralizing antibodies or antibody fragments anchored to probiotic microorganisms to the gut of a mammal. Also provided are methods of making food products and/or pharmaceutical preparations, which can be used to treat existing viral infections or prevent the spread or transmission of viral infection.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2014Date of Patent: January 7, 2020Assignee: The Johns Hopkins UniversityInventors: Andrew B. Feldman, Jeffrey S. Lin, Kellogg Schwab, Timothy Julian, Christiane Wobus, David Weitz, John Heyman
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Publication number: 20190218276Abstract: Transcriptomes of individual neurons provide rich information about cell types and dynamic states. However, it is difficult to capture rare dynamic processes, such as adult neurogenesis, because isolation from dense adult tissue is challenging, and markers for each phase are limited. Here, Applicants developed Nuc-seq, Div-Seq, and Dronc-Seq. Div-seq combines Nuc-Seq, a scalable single nucleus RNA-Seq method, with EdU-mediated labeling of proliferating cells. Nuc-Seq can sensitively identify closely related cell types within the adult hippocampus. Div-Seq can track transcriptional dynamics of newborn neurons in an adult neurogenic region in the hippocampus. Dronc-Seq uses a microfluidic device to co-encapsulate individual nuclei in reverse emulsion aqueous droplets in an oil medium together with one uniquely barcoded mRNA-capture bead. Finally, Applicants found rare adult newborn GABAergic neurons in the spinal cord, a non-canonical neurogenic region.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2016Publication date: July 18, 2019Applicants: THE BROAD INSTITUTE, INC., MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGEInventors: Aviv Regev, Feng Zhang, Naomi Habib, Yinqing Li, Matthias Heidenreich, Lukasz Swiech, Anindita Basu, David Weitz, Inbal Avraham Davidi
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Patent number: 9961162Abstract: Described herein are technologies pertaining to disambiguating identities/accounts over a plurality of online services. Public data streams pertaining to accounts of different online services are analyzed, and a determination is made that the accounts are owned by a same user. A searchable profile is generated for the user that comprises data that indicates that the user represented by the profile owns the accounts. The profile is claimable by the user such that the user is enabled to customize contents of the profile.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2013Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLCInventors: Patrick Kinsel, Matthew Graham Dyor, Stefan David Weitz
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Patent number: 9925504Abstract: The invention describes a method for the synthesis of compounds comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalizing two or more sets of primary compounds into microcapsules; such that a proportion of the microcapsules contains two or more compounds; and (b) forming secondary compounds in the microcapsules by chemical reactions between primary compounds from different sets; wherein one or both of steps (a) and (b) is performed under microfluidic control; preferably electronic microfluidic control The invention further allows for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, and which is co-compartmentalized into the microcapsules.Type: GrantFiled: December 20, 2006Date of Patent: March 27, 2018Assignees: President and Fellows of Harvard College, Medical Research CouncilInventors: Andrew Griffiths, David Weitz, Keunho Ahn, Darren Link, Jerome Bibette
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Patent number: 9920128Abstract: A method for synthesizing an antiserum for rapid-turnaround therapies includes collecting antibody-secreting cells from a test subject, wherein the test subject has been exposed to a target biological agent and has produced an antibody response; selecting a subset of the antibody-secreting cells, the subset of the antibody-secreting cells producing antibodies that neutralize the target biological agent; generating variable-region-coding DNA sequences from the antibodies that neutralize the target biological agent; tagging amplicons of the variable-region-coding DNA sequences with unique nucleic acid identifiers to associate the variable-region-coding DNA sequences derived from individual ones of the subset of the antibody-secreting cells; analyzing antibody-type distribution in a natural immune response; synthesizing antibodies from the variable-region-coding DNA sequences to form synthetic antibodies; and mixing the synthetic antibodies in a proportion equal to the antibody-type distribution in the natural iType: GrantFiled: January 20, 2016Date of Patent: March 20, 2018Assignee: The Johns Hopkins UniversityInventors: Jeffrey S. Lin, Andrew B. Feldman, Jared D. Evans, Joshua T. Wolfe, David Weitz, John Heyman, Andrew S. Pekosz
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Patent number: 9839890Abstract: The invention describes a method for the synthesis of compounds comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising two or more sets of primary compounds into microcapsules; such that a proportion of the microcapsules contains two or more compounds; and (b) forming secondary compounds in the microcapsules by chemical reactions between primary compounds from different sets; wherein one or both of steps (a) and (b) is performed under microfluidic control; preferably electronic microfluidic control, The invention further allows for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, and which is co-compartmentalised into the microcapsules.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2005Date of Patent: December 12, 2017Assignees: National Science Foundation, Medical Research Council, President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeInventors: Andrew Griffiths, David Weitz, Darren Link, Keunho Ahn, Jerome Bibette
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Publication number: 20170202779Abstract: The present invention provides capsules having a shell of material that comprises an assembly of a protein, and the capsule is optionally provided with a network of material within the shell that is an assembly of the protein. The assembly of the protein is obtained or obtainable by the aggregation of the protein, optionally together with another protein. The assembly is a non-covalent assembly of a protein.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 4, 2015Publication date: July 20, 2017Applicants: Cambridge Enterprise Limited, President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeInventors: Tuomas KNOWLES, Ulyana SHIMANOVICH, Christopher DOBSON, David WEITZ
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Patent number: 9498759Abstract: The invention describes a method for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, comprising the steps of: a) compartmentalizing the compounds into microcapsules together with the target, such that only a subset of the repertoire is represented in multiple copies in any one microcapsule; and b) identifying the compound which binds to or modulates the activity of the target; wherein at least one step is performed under microfluidic control. The invention enables the screening of large repertoires of molecules which can serve as leads for drug development.Type: GrantFiled: October 12, 2005Date of Patent: November 22, 2016Assignees: President and Fellows of Harvard College, Medical Research CouncilInventors: Andrew Griffiths, David Weitz, Keunho Ahn, Darren R. Link, Jerome Bibette
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Publication number: 20160215282Abstract: A method for synthesizing an antiserum for rapid-turnaround therapies includes collecting antibody-secreting cells from a test subject, wherein the test subject has been exposed to a target biological agent and has produced an antibody response; selecting a subset of the antibody-secreting cells, the subset of the antibody-secreting cells producing antibodies that neutralize the target biological agent; generating variable-region-coding DNA sequences from the antibodies that neutralize the target biological agent; tagging amplicons of the variable-region-coding DNA sequences with unique nucleic acid identifiers to associate the variable-region-coding DNA sequences derived from individual ones of the subset of the antibody-secreting cells; analyzing antibody-type distribution in a natural immune response; synthesizing antibodies from the variable-region-coding DNA sequences to form synthetic antibodies; and mixing the synthetic antibodies in a proportion equal to the antibody-type distribution in the natural iType: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2016Publication date: July 28, 2016Inventors: Jeffrey S. Lin, Andrew B. Feldman, Jared D. Evans, Joshua T. Wolfe, David Weitz, John Heyman, Andrew S. Pekosz
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Patent number: 9029083Abstract: The invention describes a method for isolating one or more genetic elements encoding a gene product having a desired activity, comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalising genetic elements into microcapsules; and (b) sorting the genetic elements which express the gene product having the desired activity; wherein at least one step is under microfluidic control. The invention enables the in vitro evolution of nucleic acids and proteins by repeated mutagenesis and iterative applications of the method of the invention.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2005Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignees: Medical Research Council, President and Fellows of Harvard CollegeInventors: Andrew David Griffiths, David Weitz, Darren Link, Keunho Ahn, Jerome Bibette
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Patent number: 8986999Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for encapsulating inorganic micro- or nanostructures within polymeric microgels are described. In various embodiments, viruses are encapsulated with microgels during microgel formation. The viruses can provide a template for in situ synthesis of the inorganic structures within the microgel. The inorganic structures can be distributed substantially homogeneously throughout the microgel, or can be distributed non-uniformly within the microgel. The inventive microgel compositions can be used for a variety of applications including electronic devices, biotechnological devices, fuel cells, display devices and optical devices.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2014Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, President and Fellows of Harvard UniversityInventors: Yoon Sung Nam, Angela Belcher, Andrew Parsons Magyar, Daeyeon Lee, Jin-Woong Kim, David Weitz
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Patent number: D1071085Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2023Date of Patent: April 15, 2025Assignee: Epic Life Inc.Inventors: Ryan David Weitz, Peter Cicchetto