Patents by Inventor J. Gregory Zeikus
J. Gregory Zeikus 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: 10081787Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2016Date of Patent: September 25, 2018Assignee: PBS Biotech, Inc.Inventor: J. Gregory Zeikus
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Publication number: 20170009193Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 26, 2016Publication date: January 12, 2017Inventor: J. Gregory Zeikus
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Patent number: 9453194Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2014Date of Patent: September 27, 2016Assignee: PBS Biotech, Inc.Inventor: J. Gregory Zeikus
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Publication number: 20140335597Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Inventor: J. Gregory Zeikus
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Patent number: 8790913Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2010Date of Patent: July 29, 2014Assignee: PBS Biotech, Inc.Inventor: J. Gregory Zeikus
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Patent number: 7867740Abstract: Nucleic acids encoding Thermotoga maritima mannitol dehydrogenase and the Thermotoga maritima mannitol dehydrogenase polypeptide are disclosed. Further provided are an electrochemical bioreactor system and a bioreactor electrode that can be used to convert glucose or fructose to mannitol.Type: GrantFiled: August 10, 2007Date of Patent: January 11, 2011Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: Claire Vieille, Seung Hoon Song, J. Gregory Zeikus
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Publication number: 20110003366Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2010Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: PBS BIOTECH, INC.Inventor: J. Gregory ZEIKUS
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Patent number: 7819576Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2009Date of Patent: October 26, 2010Assignee: PBS Biotech, Inc.Inventor: J. Gregory Zeikus
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Patent number: 7750135Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods utilizing thermostable and novel alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes for biosynthesizing chiral specific molecules for use as precursor molecules in synthesizing pharmaceutical compounds. Particularly, in preferred embodiments, the invention relates to directed engineering of an enzymatic catalytic site of an alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme gene for enhancing enantioselectivity for (S)-enantiomer substrate catalytic activity for providing aryl (S)-enantiomer products in stereomeric excess.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2007Date of Patent: July 6, 2010Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Karla I. Ziegelmann-Fjeld, Claire Vieille
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Patent number: 7713730Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor having a containment vessel which includes a semi-cylindrical concavity defined by the vessel bottom. A mixing apparatus includes a rotational mixer rotatably mounted within the containment vessel about a horizontal axis. The rotational mixer has buoyancy-driven mixing cavities which are fed by a gas supply beneath the rotational mixer. The mixing apparatus extends into the semi-cylindrical concavity to substantially fill that concavity. The rotational mixer is divided into two wheels with outer paddles extending axially outwardly and inner paddles extending axially inwardly on either side of each wheel. Blades between the outer and inner paddles form impellers in the wheels to induce axial flow through the wheels in opposite directions. Stationary baffles fixed relative to the containment vessel are inclined toward the rotational mixer in the direction of rotation.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2007Date of Patent: May 11, 2010Assignee: PBS Biotech, Inc.Inventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Kyungnam Kim, Thomas A. Post, Keith E. Johnson
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Publication number: 20100041095Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor includes a vessel containing a fluid to be mixed and at least one mixing device driven by gas pressure. A first embodiment includes a floating impeller that rises and falls in the fluid as gas bubbles carry it upward to the surface where the gas is then vented, permitting the impeller to sink in the fluid. The floating impeller may be tethered to a second impeller with a flexible member and pulley. The mixing speed is controlled with electromagnets in the vessel acting upon magnetic material in the impeller or its guides. In another embodiment, floating pistons mix the fluid, pushing it through a mixing plate with one or more apertures. In a third embodiment, the mixing device is a rotating drum with bubble-catching blades and rotating mixing plates with apertures. The top of the vessel for these mixers may include a closed top and sterile filters.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 27, 2009Publication date: February 18, 2010Applicant: PBS BIOTECH, INC.Inventor: J. Gregory ZEIKUS
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Publication number: 20080268530Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor having a containment vessel which includes a semi-cylindrical concavity defined by the vessel bottom. A mixing apparatus includes a rotational mixer rotatably mounted within the containment vessel about a horizontal axis. The rotational mixer has buoyancy-driven mixing cavities which are fed by a gas supply beneath the rotational mixer. The mixing apparatus extends into the semi-cylindrical concavity to substantially fill that concavity. The rotational mixer is divided into two wheels with outer paddles extending axially outwardly and inner paddles extending axially inwardly on either side of each wheel. Blades between the outer and inner paddles form impellers in the wheels to induce axial flow through the wheels in opposite directions. Stationary baffles fixed relative to the containment vessel are inclined toward the rotational mixer in the direction of rotation.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2007Publication date: October 30, 2008Inventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Kyungnam Kim, Thomas A. Post, Keith E. Johnson
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Publication number: 20080261299Abstract: A pneumatic bioreactor having a containment vessel which includes a semi-cylindrical concavity defined by the vessel bottom. A mixing apparatus includes a rotational mixer rotatably mounted within the containment vessel about a horizontal axis. The rotational mixer has buoyancy-driven mixing cavities which are fed by a gas supply beneath the rotational mixer. The mixing apparatus extends into the semi-cylindrical concavity to substantially fill that concavity. The rotational mixer is divided into two wheels with outer paddles extending axially outwardly and inner paddles extending axially inwardly on either side of each ring. Blades between the outer and inner paddles form impellers in the wheels to induce axial flow through the rings in opposite directions. The containment vessel may be of film and supported by a structural housing also having a semi-cylindrical concavity defined by the housing bottom.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2007Publication date: October 23, 2008Inventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Kyungnam Kim, David S. Dickey
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Publication number: 20080220487Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods utilizing thermostable and novel alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes for biosynthesizing chiral specific molecules for use as precursor molecules in synthesizing pharmaceutical compounds. Particularly, in preferred embodiments, the invention relates to directed engineering of an enzymatic catalytic site of an alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme gene for enhancing enantioselectivity for (S)-enantiomer substrate catalytic activity for providing aryl (S)-enantiomer products in stereomeric excess.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 27, 2007Publication date: September 11, 2008Inventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Karla I. Ziegelmann-Fjeld, Claire Vieille
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Publication number: 20080176283Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for providing a recombinant thermostable Thermotoga neapolitana alkaline phosphatase enzyme. More particularly, the invention relates to engineering Escherichia coli with T. neapolitana alkaline phosphatase gene expression vectors for providing an inducible system for thermostable enzyme production, wherein the expressed enzyme is readily soluble with a high degree of activity. These methods provide for commercial quantities of a thermostable alkaline phosphatase enzyme.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 28, 2007Publication date: July 24, 2008Applicant: Michigan State UniversityInventors: Claire Vieille, J. Gregory Zeikus, Maris Laivenieks
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Patent number: 7198933Abstract: The present invention provides novel isolated polynucleotides encoding a novel xylose isomerases capable of catalyzing the conversion of glucose to fructose and nucleic acids encoding for such isomerase. The present invention also provides a method of producing the xylose isomerase enzymes employing DNA encoding for the enzymes, plasmids containing the DNA, and bacteria into which the plasmids have been inserted and which produce the enzymes.Type: GrantFiled: January 21, 2003Date of Patent: April 3, 2007Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Dinlaka Sriprapundh, Claire Vieille
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Patent number: 7195918Abstract: An Actinobacillus succinogenes plasmid vector which provides a means to overexpress proteins in A. succinogenes. The plasmid can be transformed efficiently by electroporation, and replicates in a stable manner in A. succinogenes. The plasmid comprises at least one marker gene, operably linked to a first promoter functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, an origin of replication functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, a second promoter isolated from Actinobacillus succinogenes, and a cloning site downstream from the second promoter. Plasmids pLGZ901, pLGZ920, pLGZ921, and pLGZ922 are disclosed. The pckA gene polypeptide sequence and nucleic acid sequence of Actinobacillus succinogenes, including the promoter and ribosome binding site, is disclosed. Furthermore, a method for producing a recombinant Actinobacillus succinogenes is described, including a method of transformation.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2005Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Maris Laivenieks, Claire Vieille, Pil Kim
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Patent number: 7192761Abstract: An Actinobacillus succinogenes plasmid vector which provides a means to overexpress proteins in A. succinogenes. The plasmid can be transformed efficiently by electroporation, and replicates in a stable manner in A. succinogenes. The plasmid comprises at least one marker gene, operably linked to a first promoter functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, an origin of replication functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, a second promoter isolated from Actinobacillus succinogenes, and a cloning site downstream from the second promoter. Plasmids pLGZ901, pLGZ920, pLGZ921, and pLGZ922 are disclosed. The pckA gene polypeptide sequence and nucleic acid sequence of Actinobacillus succinogenes, including the promoter and ribosome binding site, is disclosed. Furthermore, a method for producing a recombinant Actinobacillus succinogenes is described, including a method of transformation.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2005Date of Patent: March 20, 2007Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Maris Laivenieks, Claire Vieille, Pil Kim
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Patent number: 7163812Abstract: An Actinobacillus succinogenes plasmid vector which provides a means to overexpress proteins in A. succinogenes. The plasmid can be transformed efficiently by electroporation, and replicates in a stable manner in A. succinogenes. The plasmid comprises at least one marker gene, operably linked to a first promoter functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, an origin of replication functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, a second promoter isolated from Actinobacillus succinogenes, and a cloning site downstream from the second promoter. Plasmids pLGZ901, pLGZ920, pLGZ921, and pLGZ922 are disclosed. The pckA gene polypeptide sequence and nucleic acid sequence of Actinobacillus succinogenes, including the promoter and ribosome binding site, is disclosed. Furthermore, a method for producing a recombinant Actinobacillus succinogenes is described, including a method of transformation.Type: GrantFiled: August 5, 2004Date of Patent: January 16, 2007Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Maris Laivenieks, Claire Vieille, Pil Kim
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Patent number: 7105329Abstract: An Actinobacillus succinogenes plasmid vector which provides a means to overexpress proteins in A. succinogenes. The plasmid can be transformed efficiently by electroporation, and replicates in a stable manner in A. succinogenes. The plasmid comprises at least one marker gene, operably linked to a first promoter functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, an origin of replication functional in Actinobacillus succinogenes, a second promoter isolated from Actinobacillus succinogenes, and a cloning site downstream from the second promoter. Plasmids pLGZ901, pLGZ920, pLGZ921, and pLGZ922 are disclosed. The pckA gene polypeptide sequence and nucleic acid sequence of Actinobacillus succinogenes, including the promoter and ribosome binding site, is disclosed. Furthermore, a method for producing a recombinant Actinobacillus succinogenes is described, including a method of transformation.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2005Date of Patent: September 12, 2006Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State UniversityInventors: J. Gregory Zeikus, Maris Laivenieks, Claire Vieille, Pil Kim