Patents by Inventor John D. Helmann

John D. Helmann 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).

  • Compositions and methods for screening antibacterial compounds
    Patent number: 7309484
    Abstract: The present invention pertains to compositions and methods used to ascertain if putative antibiotics trigger a cell envelope stress response in bacterial organisms. In one aspect of the invention, three two-component systems are described: LiaR & LiaS (formerly YvqCE); YvcP & YvcQ; and BceR & BceS (formerly YtsAB). These systems, for example, can be used to analyze antibiotics such as vancomycin, bacitracin, nisin, and ramoplanin, which interfere with the lipid II cycle in the cytoplasmic membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: John D. Helmann, Thorsten Mascher
  • Bacillus subtilis extracytoplasmic function &sgr; factor
    Patent number: 6635475
    Abstract: The sequences for both the sigX-dependent autoregulatory promoter, PX, and the sig W-dependent autoregulatory promoter, PW, are described. The protein products controlled and expressed by the &sgr;X and &sgr;W holoenzymes are identified, indicating that these &sgr; factors affect responses to antimicrobial agents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2003
    Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventor: John D. Helmann