Patents by Inventor George J. Vella

George J. Vella 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: 7364911
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for labeling a molecule by contacting a sample molecule with a solid support coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, one or more functional groups, and a reactive group for the sample molecule, under conditions allowing the sample molecule to covalently bind to the reactive group; and cleaving the cleavable functional group, thereby releasing the sample molecule comprising the one or more functional groups, which can be a tag. The invention also provides a solid support covalently coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, a mass spectrometry tag and a reactive group for covalently attaching a sample molecule, wherein the cleavable functional group, the tag and the reactive group are positioned relative to each other to allow transfer of the tag to the sample molecule upon cleavage of the cleavable functional group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Inventors: Rudolf H. Aebersold, Huilin Zhou, Beate Rist, George J. Vella, Subhasish Purkayastha, Sasi Pillai
  • Patent number: 7183116
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for labeling a molecule by contacting a sample molecule with a solid support coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, one or more functional groups, and a reactive group for the sample molecule, under conditions allowing the sample molecule to covalently bind to the reactive group; and cleaving the cleavable functional group, thereby releasing the sample molecule comprising the one or more functional groups, which can be a tag. The invention also provides a solid support covalently coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, a mass spectrometry tag and a reactive group for covalently attaching a sample molecule, wherein the cleavable functional group, the tag and the reactive group are positioned relative to each other to allow transfer of the tag to the sample molecule upon cleavage of the cleavable functional group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2007
    Assignees: The Institute For Systems Biology, University of Washington, Applera Corporation
    Inventors: Rudolf H. Aebersold, Huilin Zhou, Beate Rist, George J. Vella, Subhasish Purkayastha, Sasi Pillai
  • Patent number: 7166441
    Abstract: Polypeptides are electroblotted through a digestion membrane to a composite capture membrane that can be directly analyzed using mass spectrometry. The molecular weights of the fragments generated by the digestion membrane are then used to identify the polypeptide from which they originated. The digestion membrane contains an immobilized protease such as trypsin, which cleaves the electroblotted polypeptides into fragments during electroblotting with such high enzyme cleavage capacity and efficiency that one pass of the polypeptide through the membrane is sufficient. The peptide fragments are collected onto a composite capture membrane that is chemically treated, for example by adding a mixture of nitrocellulose and MALDI matrix, so as to absorb peptides near the surface to facilitate desportion, thereby increasing the sensitivity of subsequent analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. A wide variety of application are disclosed including identifying proteins separated on a gel or within a tissue sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2007
    Assignee: PerSeptive Biosystems Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy K. Nadler, Kenneth G. Parker, George J. Vella, Barrie G. Wagenfeld, Yulin Huang, Robert J. Lotti
  • Patent number: 7045296
    Abstract: Methods using gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry for the rapid, quantitative analysis of proteins or protein function in mixtures of proteins derived from two or more samples in one unit operation are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2006
    Assignees: Applera Corporation, Institute for Systems Biology
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Parker, Timothy K. Nadler, George J. Vella, Yulin Huang, Rudolf H. Aebersold, Marcus B. Smolka
  • Publication number: 20040265810
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for labeling a molecule by contacting a sample molecule with a solid support coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, one or more functional groups, and a reactive group for the sample molecule, under conditions allowing the sample molecule to covalently bind to the reactive group; and cleaving the cleavable functional group, thereby releasing the sample molecule comprising the one or more functional groups, which can be a tag. The invention also provides a solid support covalently coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, a mass spectrometry tag and a reactive group for covalently attaching a sample molecule, wherein the cleavable functional group, the tag and the reactive group are positioned relative to each other to allow transfer of the tag to the sample molecule upon cleavage of the cleavable functional group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2004
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Inventors: Rudolf H Aebersold, Huilin Zhou, Beate Rist, George J Vella, Subhasish Purkayastha, Sasi Pillai
  • Publication number: 20040110186
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for labeling a molecule by contacting a sample molecule with a solid support coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, one or more functional groups, and a reactive group for the sample molecule, under conditions allowing the sample molecule to covalently bind to the reactive group; and cleaving the cleavable functional group, thereby releasing the sample molecule comprising the one or more functional groups, which can be a tag. The invention also provides a solid support covalently coupled to a chemical group comprising a cleavable functional group, a mass spectrometry tag and a reactive group for covalently attaching a sample molecule, wherein the cleavable functional group, the tag and the reactive group are positioned relative to each other to allow transfer of the tag to the sample molecule upon cleavage of the cleavable functional group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Publication date: June 10, 2004
    Applicants: The Institute for Systems Biology, Applera Corporation, University of Washington
    Inventors: Rudolf H. Aebersold, Huilin Zhou, Beate Rist, George J. Vella, Subhasish Purkayastha, Sasi Pillai
  • Publication number: 20030175844
    Abstract: Polypeptides, for example those separated on a gel, are electroblotted through a digestion membrane to a composite capture membrane that can be directly analyzed using mass spectrometry. The molecular weights of the fragments generated by the digestion membrane are then used to identify the polypeptide from which they originated. The digestion membrane contains an immobilized protease such as trypsin, which cleaves the electroblotted proteins into fragments during electroblotting with such high enzyme cleavage capacity and efficiency that one pass of the polypeptide through the membrane is sufficient. The peptide fragments are collected onto a composite capture membrane that is chemically treated, for example, by adding a mixture of nitrocellulose and MALDI matrix, so as to absorb peptides near the surface to facilitate desportion, thereby increasing the sensitivity of subsequent analysis by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Timothy K. Nadler, Kenneth G. Parker, George J. Vella, Barrie G. Wagenfeld, Yulin Huang, Robert J. Lotti
  • Publication number: 20020192720
    Abstract: Methods using gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry for the rapid, quantitative analysis of proteins or protein function in mixtures of proteins derived from two or more samples in one unit operation are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2001
    Publication date: December 19, 2002
    Inventors: Kenneth C. Parker, Timothy K. Nadler, George J. Vella, Yulin Huang, Rudolf H. Aebersold, Marcus B. Smolka