Patents by Inventor Dirk Loeffert

Dirk Loeffert 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).

  • Publication number: 20120190027
    Abstract: The present invention is related to normalized quantification of nucleic acids and to the normalization of quantities of nucleic acids in samples, e.g. mixtures of nucleic acids. The present invention relates to method for the normalization of the quantity of a nucleic acid to be quantified in a sample to the total quantity of nucleic acid in the sample; or to the total quantity of a specific class of nucleic acid in the sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Inventors: Dirk Loeffert, Christian Korfhage, Holger Engel
  • Publication number: 20120107813
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the quantification of one or more nucleic acids in a sample. The method comprises the following steps: making a sample available which contains at least one nucleic acid to be quantified, adding an oligonucleotide probe to the sample, the oligonucleotide probe comprising a sequence which can specifically hybridize to the nucleic acid to be quantified or to a common sequence of the nucleic acids to be quantified, incubating the sample under conditions which allow the hybridization of the oligonucleotide probe to the nucleic acid(s) to be quantified, incubating the sample under conditions which allow the extension of hybridized probes, the nucleic acid(s) serving as a template in each case, removing the non-hybridized probes from the sample and quantifying the hybridized oligonucleotide probes to measure the quantity of the nucleic acid(s) to be quantified. The invention also relates to a kit for carrying out said method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2010
    Publication date: May 3, 2012
    Inventors: Nan Fang, Andreas Missel, Dirk Löffert
  • Patent number: 8129150
    Abstract: The invention relates to composition or a kit containing an enzyme that is reversibly inhibited by means of a chemical modification and an enzyme which is reversibly inhibited using non-covalent binding, the use of a mixture of enzymes reversibly inhibited in such a manner for processing or multiplying polynucleotides, and a method for specifically amplifying DNA by simultaneously using both types of reversibly inhibited enzymes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: QIAGEN GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Engel, Dirk Löffert, Andreas Missel, Ralf Peist
  • Patent number: 8124391
    Abstract: The invention relates to a thermostable polymerase based on thermococcus pacificus; DNA molecules which code for one such polymerase; expression vectors; host cells; methods for producing one such polymerase and the use thereof for polymerising nucleic acid, especially in the polymerase chain reaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Qiagen GmbH
    Inventors: Katja Decker, Dirk Löffert, Jie Kang
  • Patent number: 8076069
    Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for the sample preparation for a subsequent preparation, processing or analysis method of a sample containing an at least one species of nucleic acid and/or one species of protein, whereby the method comprises the following steps: A) providing a sample which contains at least one species of a nucleic acid and/or of a protein, B) contacting the sample with a fluid or solid composition to produce a fluid sample preparation, whereby the composition contains at least a nitrogenous compound, which is selected from the group consisting of a) polyamines, b) amino acids, and oligo- and polypeptides, c) nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds, including homo- oder heteropolymers, which comprise these nitrogenous compounds, d) amines of the type R1R2NR3, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are chosen independently from one another from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl groups and aryl groups, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are not H simultaneously, e) carboxylic acid amides, f) inorganic ammonium sal
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2011
    Assignee: Qiagen GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Korfhage, Friederike Wilmer, Dirk Löffert, Ralf Himmelreich, Claudia Fritz, Kathleen Rieske
  • Patent number: 8067206
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of nucleic acid chemistry. More specifically, it relates to a method for enhancing the performance of coamplification reactions, e.g., multiplex PCR reactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Qiagen GmbH
    Inventors: Holger Engel, Dirk Löffert
  • Publication number: 20110124050
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for synthesizing a cDNA in a sample in an enzymatic reaction, characterized in that the method comprises the steps: simultaneously providing of a first enzyme with polyadenylation activity, a second enzyme with reverse transcriptase activity, a buffer, at least one ribonucleotide, at least one deoxyribonucleotide, an anchor oligonucleotide, adding of a sample comprising a ribonucleic acid and incubating the agents from the preceding steps in one or more temperature steps, which are selected so that the first enzyme and the second enzyme display activity, characterized in that additionally an amplification takes place in the same reaction mixture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Inventors: Holger Engel, Subrahmanyam Yerramilli, Martin Kreutz, Dirk Löffert, Christian Korfhage
  • Publication number: 20110071031
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods for isolating, amplifying, and/or analyzing nucleic acids in the presence of an anion exchange material by performing the isolation, amplification and/or analysis step in the presence of at least one anionic compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicants: QIAGEN GAITHERSBURG INC., QIAGEN GMBH
    Inventors: Yuri KHRIPIN, Dirk Loeffert, Roland Fabis, Nadine Krueger
  • Publication number: 20110053143
    Abstract: Methods and kits for determining load of an infectious agent in a sample are described, comprising performing at least one hybridization assay and calculating the load of the infectious agent in the sample from a detected nucleic acid. In particular, the methods and kits disclosed determine the load of human papillomavirus (HPV) in a sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: QIAGEN GAITHERSBURG INC.
    Inventors: Brian Lowe, Dominic O'Neil, Irina Nazarenko, Dirk Loeffert
  • Publication number: 20110045542
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a reaction mixture for the amplification of nucleic acids, the non-methylated cytosine bases of which have been converted to uracil bases by means of a bisulfition reaction. The invention also discloses methods for amplifying bisulfited nucleic acid and for determining the nucleic acid methylation state, and also kits based on the reaction mixture according to the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2009
    Publication date: February 24, 2011
    Inventors: Christian Korfhage, Dirk Loeffert, Ralf Peist, Nicolas Rudinger
  • Publication number: 20100323363
    Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for the sample preparation for a subsequent preparation, processing or analysis method of a sample containing an at least one species of nucleic acid and/or one species of protein, whereby the method comprises the following steps: A) providing a sample which contains at least one species of a nucleic acid and/or of a protein, B) contacting the sample with a fluid or solid composition to produce a fluid sample preparation, whereby the composition contains at least a nitrogenous compound, which is selected from the group consisting of a) polyamines, b) amino acids, and oligo- and polypeptides, c) nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds, including homo- oder heteropolymeres, which comprise these nitrogenous compounds, d) amines of the type R1R2NR3, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are chosen independently from one another from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl groups and aryl groups, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are not H simultaneously, e) carbonxylic acid amides, f) inorganic ammonium s
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: QIAGEN GmbH
    Inventors: Christian KORFHAGE, Friederike Wilmer, Dirk Löffert, Ralf Himmelreich, Claudia Fritz, Kathleen Rieske
  • Patent number: 7838233
    Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for the sample preparation for a subsequent preparation, processing or analysis method of a sample containing an at least one species of nucleic acid and/or one species of protein, whereby the method comprises the following steps: A) providing a sample which contains at least one species of a nucleic acid and/or of a protein, B) contacting the sample with a fluid or solid composition to produce a fluid sample preparation, whereby the composition contains at least a nitrogenous compound, which is selected from the group consisting of a) polyamines, b) amino acids, and oligo- and polypeptides, c) nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds, including homo-older heteropolymeres, which comprise these nitrogenous compounds, d) amines of the type R1R2NR3, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are chosen independently from one another from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl groups and aryl groups, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are not H simultaneously, e) carboxylic acid amides, f) inorganic ammonium sa
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Qiagen GmbH
    Inventors: Christian Korfhage, Friederike Wilmer, Dirk Löffert, Ralf Himmelreich, Claudia Fritz, Kathleen Rieske
  • Publication number: 20100285473
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of amplifying a target nucleic acid in a helicase-dependent reaction. Also disclosed are methods of amplifying and detecting a target nucleic acid in a helicase-dependent reaction as well as modified detection labels to assist in the detection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventors: John Wolff, Victoria Doseeva, Thomas Forbes, Gwynne Roth, Irina Nazarenko, Dirk Loeffert
  • Publication number: 20100209912
    Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for the sample preparation for a subsequent preparation, processing or analysis method of a sample containing an at least one species of nucleic acid and/or one species of protein, whereby the method comprises the following steps: A) providing a sample which contains at least one species of a nucleic acid and/or of a protein, B) contacting the sample with a fluid or solid composition to produce a fluid sample preparation, whereby the composition contains at least a nitrogenous compound, which is selected from the group consisting of a) polyamines, b) amino acids, and oligo- and polypeptides, c) nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds, including homo- oder heteropolymers, which comprise these nitrogenous compounds, d) amines of the type R1R2NR3, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are chosen independently from one another from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl groups and aryl groups, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are not H simultaneously, e) carboxylic acid amides, f) inorganic ammonium sal
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2009
    Publication date: August 19, 2010
    Applicant: QIAGEN GMBH
    Inventors: Christian KORFHAGE, Friederike WILMER, Dirk LÖFFERT, Ralf HIMMELREICH, Claudia FRITZ, Kathleen RIESKE
  • Publication number: 20100099150
    Abstract: The invention relates to a composition comprising (i) an enzyme with nucleic acid polymerase activity, (ii) an inert protein and, (ii) a zwitterionic detergent. The invention also relates to a composition comprising (i) an enzyme with nucleic acid polymerase activity, (ii) an inert protein and, (ii) a zwitterionic detergent. The invention further relates to a method for enzymatic nucleic acid synthesis comprising the steps of, (a) providing in a reaction mixture, a polymerase activity, a nucleic acid template, a zwitterionic detergent, a buffer, a salt, nucleotides and an inert protein and, (b) incubating the reaction mixture at a temperature which enables nucleic acid synthesis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2008
    Publication date: April 22, 2010
    Inventors: Nan Fang, Dirk Löffert, Christoph Erbacher, Lars-Erik Peters
  • Publication number: 20090299047
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for activating a nucleic acid for a polymerase reaction with the steps: (a) Heating a nucleic acid to a temperature of 55° C. to 80° C., (b) cooling the nucleic acid to a temperature at which a polymerase shows no substantial decrease in activity, and (c) starting the polymerase reaction by the addition of a heat-labile polymerase to the nucleic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: QIAGEN GMBH
    Inventors: Christian Korfhage, Dirk Löffert
  • Patent number: 6300069
    Abstract: Novel compositions and methods useful for the generation of nucleic acids from a ribonucleic acid template and further nucleic acid replication are disclosed. It is shown that the generation and amplification of nucleic acids by methods that utilize two or more different polymerases, such as reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), are dramatically more sensitive and efficient in the presence of a homopolymeric nucleic acid. Homopolymeric nucleic acids have been found to reduce or negate the inhibitory effect reverse transcriptases have on DNA polymerase activity. It is demonstrated that this inhibition-relieving effect of homopolymeric nucleic acids is general in nature; independent of the chemical species of homopolymer used, or the chemical composition of the polymerization reaction mixture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2001
    Assignee: Qiagen GmbH
    Inventors: Andreas Missel, Dirk Löffert, Jie Kang, Christian Korfhage
  • Patent number: 6183998
    Abstract: A method for the amplification of a target nucleic acid is disclosed comprising the steps of reacting a nucleic acid with an amplification reaction mixture and a modified thermostable enzyme, wherein said modified thermostable polymerase is prepared by a reaction of a mixture of a thermostable polymerase and a chemical modifying reagent. The chemical modification reagent is an aldehyde, preferably formaldehyde. Essentially complete inactivation of the enzyme at ambient temperatures is achieved, with recovery of enzymatic activity at temperatures above 50° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Qiagen GmbH Max-Volmer-Strasse 4
    Inventors: Igor Ivanov, Dirk Löffert, Jie Kang, Joachim Ribbe, Kerstin Steinert