Patents by Inventor Eric R. Ward
Eric R. Ward 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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Publication number: 20200054022Abstract: Compositions and methods for treating or preventing a fungal plant disease are provided. Such compositions and methods comprise a combination of one or more chemical fungicides and one or more fungicidal bacterial or fungal strains, or an active variant thereof, that controls one or more fungal pathogens that cause fungal plant disease. Methods for growing a plant susceptible to a fungal plant disease and methods for controlling a fungal plant pathogen are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2019Publication date: February 20, 2020Applicant: AgBiome, Inc.Inventor: Eric R. Ward
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Patent number: 8481810Abstract: The instant disclosure describes the application of genetic engineering techniques to produce cellulase in plants. Cellulase coding sequences operably linked to promoters active in plants may be transformed into the nuclear genome and/or the plastid genome of a plant. As cellulases may be toxic to plants, chemically-inducible or wound-inducible promoters may be employed. Additionally, the expressed cellulases may be targeted to vacuoles or other cellular organelles.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2007Date of Patent: July 9, 2013Assignee: Syngenta Participations AGInventors: Edouard G. Lebel, Peter B. Heifetz, Eric R. Ward, Scott J. Uknes
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Patent number: 7361806Abstract: The instant disclosure describes the application of genetic engineering techniques to produce cellulase in plants. Cellulase coding sequences operably linked to promoters active in plants may be transformed into the nuclear genome and/or the plastid genome of a plant. As cellulases may be toxic to plants, chemically-inducible or wound-inducible promoters may be employed. Additionally, the expressed cellulases may be targeted to vacuoles or other cellular organelles.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2001Date of Patent: April 22, 2008Assignee: Syngenta Participations AGInventors: Edouard G Lebel, Peter B Heifetz, Eric R Ward, Scott J Uknes
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Patent number: 6808904Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences coding for protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) enzymes from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, oilseed rape, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant. Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an herbicide tolerant form of a plant protox enzyme. The present invention further provides shuffled DNA molecules encoding protox enzymes having enhanced tolerance to a herbicide that inhibits the protox activity encoded by a template DNA molecule from which the shuffled DNA molecule is derived.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2000Date of Patent: October 26, 2004Assignee: Syngenta Participations AGInventors: Eric R. Ward, Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Sharon L. Potter
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Publication number: 20020073443Abstract: Disclosed are novel DNA sequences isolated from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, rape, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane encode enzymes having protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) activity. In addition, modified, herbicide-tolerant forms of protox enzymes are disclosed. Plants expressing herbicide-tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an inhibitor-resistant from of a plant protox enzyme. Further disclosed is a method of achieving herbicide tolerance through plastid transformation, which involves transforming plastids with a chimeric gene that comprises a plastid-active promoter operatively linked to a DNA molecule that encodes a plastid-targeted enzyme whose native plastid transit peptide is either mutated so as to be nonfunctional or is absent altogether.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2000Publication date: June 13, 2002Inventors: Peter B. Heifetz, Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Eric R. Ward
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Publication number: 20020062502Abstract: The invention provides novel methods of controlling gene expression in plastids, using an inducible, transactivator-mcdiated system, and plants comprising the novel expression systems. The present invention further describes the production of cellulose-degrading enzymes in plants via the application of genetic engineering techniques. Cellulase coding sequences are fused to promoters active in plants and transformed into the nuclear genome and the chloroplast genome. As cellulases may be toxic to plants, preferred promoters are those that are chemically-inducible. In this manner, expression of the cellulase genes transformed into plants may be chemically induced at an appropriate time. In addition, the expressed cellulases may be targeted to vacuoles or other organelles to alleviate toxicity problems. The present invention finds utility in any industrial process requiring a plentiful supply of cellulases, but particularly finds utility in the conversion of cellulosic biomass to ethanol.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 9, 2001Publication date: May 23, 2002Inventors: Edouard G. Lebel, Peter B. Heifetz, Eric R. Ward, Scott J. Uknes
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Patent number: 6308458Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for controlling the growth of undesired vegetation comprising applying an effective amount of a protox-inhibiting herbicide to a population of transgenic plants or plant seed transformed with a DNA sequence coding for a modified protox enzyme that is tolerant to a protox-inhibiting herbicide or to the locus where a population of the transgenic plants or plant seeds is cultivated.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2000Date of Patent: October 30, 2001Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Eric R. Ward, Peter B. Heifetz
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Patent number: 6307129Abstract: The present invention provides novel eukaryotic DNA sequences coding for native protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) or modified forms of the enzyme which are herbicide tolerant. Plants having altered protox activity which confers tolerance to herbicides are also provided. These plants are engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they are transformed with modified eukaryotic or prokaryotic protox coding sequences or wild type prokaryotic protox sequences which are herbicide tolerant. Plant genes encoding wild-type and altered protox, purified plant protox, methods of isolating protox from plants, and methods of using protox-encoding genes are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: November 12, 1998Date of Patent: October 23, 2001Assignee: Syngenta Investment CorporationInventors: Eric R. Ward, Sandra Volrath
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Patent number: 6288306Abstract: The present invention provides novel eukaryotic DNA sequences coding for native protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) or modified forms of the enzyme which are herbicide tolerant. Plants having altered protox activity which confers tolerance to herbicides and a method of selecting transformed plants are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 1998Date of Patent: September 11, 2001Assignee: Syngenta Investment CorporationInventors: Eric R. Ward, Sandra Volrath
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Patent number: 6282837Abstract: The present invention provides novel eukaryotic DNA sequences coding for native protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) or modified forms of the enzyme which are herbicide tolerant. A method for controlling weeds using plants having altered protox activity which confers tolerance to herbicides is described.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 1998Date of Patent: September 4, 2001Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Eric R. Ward, Sandra Volrath
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Publication number: 20010016956Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences coding for protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) enzymes from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, oilseed rape, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant . Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an herbicide tolerant form of a plant protox enzyme. The present invention further provides shuffled DNA molecules encoding protox enzymes having enhanced tolerance to a herbicide that inhibits the protox activity encoded by a template DNA molecule from which the shuffled DNA molecule is derived.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2000Publication date: August 23, 2001Inventors: Eric R. Ward, Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Sharon L. Potter
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Patent number: 6177245Abstract: The present invention provides novel eukaryotic DNA sequences coding for native protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) or modified forms of the enzyme which are herbicide tolerant. Plants having altered protox activity which confers tolerance to herbicides are also provided. These plants may be bred or engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or through increased levels of expression of the native protox gene, or they may be transformed with modified eukaryotic or prokaryotic protox coding sequences or wild type prokaryotic protox sequences which are herbicide tolerant. Diagnostic and other uses for the novel eukaryotic protox sequence are also described. Plant genes encoding wild-type and altered protox, purified plant protox, methods of isolating protox from plants, and methods of using protox-encoding genes are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 1, 1998Date of Patent: January 23, 2001Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Eric R. Ward, Sandra Volrath
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Patent number: 6084155Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences coding for protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) enzymes from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, oilseed rape, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant. Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an herbicide tolerant form of a plant protox enzyme.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 1998Date of Patent: July 4, 2000Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Eric R. Ward, Peter B. Heifetz
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Patent number: 6023012Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences isolated from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, rape, rice, sorghum, and sugar cane that coding for enzymes having protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) activity. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant. Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an inhibitor-resistant from of a plant protox enzyme.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 1998Date of Patent: February 8, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Sharon L. Potter, Eric R. Ward, Peter B. Heifetz
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Patent number: 6018105Abstract: Promoters naturally associated with plant protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) coding sequences, and derivatives thereof, are provided. These promoters can be used to control the expression of an operably linked heterologous coding sequence in a plant cell. These promoters are particularly useful for expressing modified forms of herbicide target enzymes, particularly modified forms of protox, to achieve tolerance to herbicides that inhibit the corresponding unmodified enzymes. Recombinant DNA molecules and chimeric genes comprising these promoters are provided, as well as plant tissue and plants containing such chimeric genes.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: January 25, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Marie A. Johnson, Sandra L. Volrath, Eric R. Ward
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Patent number: 5942662Abstract: The present invention provides chemically regulatable DNA sequences capable of regulating transcription of an associated DNA sequence in plants or plant tissues, chimeric constructions containing such sequences, vectors containing such sequences and chimeric constructions, and transgenic plants and plant tissues containing these chimeric constructions. In one aspect, the chemically regulatable DNA sequences of the invention are derived from the 5' region of genes encoding pathogenisis-related (PR) proteins. The present invention also provides anti-pathogenic sequences derived from novel cDNAs coding for PR proteins which can be genetically engineered and transformed into plants to confer enhanced resistance to disease.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 1997Date of Patent: August 24, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John A. Ryals, Christian T. Harms, Leslie B. Friedrich, James J. Beck, Scott J. Uknes, Eric R. Ward
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Patent number: 5939602Abstract: The present invention provides novel DNA sequences coding for plant protoporphyrinogen oxidase (protox) enzymes from soybean, wheat, cotton, sugar beet, rape, rice and sorghum. In addition, the present invention teaches modified forms of protox enzymes that are herbicide tolerant. Plants expressing herbicide tolerant protox enzymes taught herein are also provided. These plants may be engineered for resistance to protox inhibitors via mutation of the native protox gene to a resistant form or they may be transformed with a gene encoding an inhibitor-resistant from of a plant protox enzyme.Type: GrantFiled: February 28, 1997Date of Patent: August 17, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: Sandra L. Volrath, Marie A. Johnson, Eric R. Ward, Peter B. Heifetz
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Patent number: 5882869Abstract: The present invention provides novel plant DNA sequences coding for native adenylosuccinate synthetase (ADSS). Methods for using the complete or partial ADSS coding sequence as a probe for diagnostic, mapping and other purposes are taught. Generation of transformed host cells capable of expressing ADSS is also taught. Methods of using the transformed host cells are taught, including methods for recombinant production of ADSS enzymes. A method for using the plant ADSS enzyme to screen for inhibitors of ADSS activity is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 1997Date of Patent: March 16, 1999Inventors: Sharon Lee Potter, Eric R. Ward
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Patent number: 5880328Abstract: The present invention provides chemically regulatable DNA sequences capable of regulating transcription of an associated DNA sequence in plants or plant tissues, chimeric constructions containing such sequences, vectors containing such sequences and chimeric constructions, and transgenic plants and plant tissues containing these chimeric constructions. In one aspect, the chemically regulatable DNA sequences of the invention are derived from the 5' region of genes encoding pathogenisis-related (PR) proteins. The present invention also provides anti-pathogenic sequences derived from novel cDNAs coding for PR proteins which can be genetically engineered and transformed into plants to confer enhanced resistance to disease.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1995Date of Patent: March 9, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John A. Ryals, Eric R. Ward, George B. Payne, Mary B. Moyer, Frederich Meins, Jr.
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Patent number: 5856154Abstract: The present invention provides chemically regulatable DNA sequences capable of regulating transcription of an associated DNA sequence in plants or plant tissues, chimeric constructions containing such sequences, vectors containing such sequences and chimeric constructions, and transgenic plants and plant tissues containing these chimeric constructions. In one aspect, the chemically regulatable DNA sequences of the invention are derived from the 5' region of genes encoding pathogenisis-related (PR) proteins. The present invention also provides anti-pathogenic sequences derived from novel cDNAs coding for PR proteins which can be genetically engineered and transformed into plants to confer enhanced resistance to disease.Type: GrantFiled: May 31, 1995Date of Patent: January 5, 1999Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John A. Ryals, Danny C. Alexander, Robert M. Goodman, Eric R. Ward