Patents by Inventor Joy WARD

Joy 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).

  • Microbial nanowires with increased conductivity and reduced diameters
    Patent number: 11066449
    Abstract: Improved electrically conductive pili were generated from a natural pilus protein from the microorganism Geobacter sulfurreducens. Substituting a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position F51 and a tryptophan for the tyrosine at position Y57 of the pilus monomer substantially increased the conductivity of the pili and reduced their diameter to 1.5 nm. Substantial improvements in conductivity were also achieved by substituting an additional tyrosine, histidine, and phenylalanine in the pilus monomer to mimic the monomer of Geobacter metallireducens, but the pili retained the typical Geobacter sulfurreducens wild-type diameter of 3 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Derek R. Lovley, Nikhil Malvankar, Ramesh Adhikari, Yang Tan, Joy Ward, Kelly Nevin
  • MICROBIAL NANOWIRES WITH INCREASED CONDUCTIVITY AND REDUCED DIAMETERS
    Publication number: 20180371029
    Abstract: Improved electrically conductive pili were generated from a natural pilus protein from the microorganism Geobacter sulfurreducens. Substituting a tryptophan for the phenylalanine at position F51 and a tryptophan for the tyrosine at position Y57 of the pilus monomer substantially increased the conductivity of the pili and reduced their diameter to 1.5 nm. Substantial improvements in conductivity were also achieved by substituting an additional tyrosine, histidine, and phenylalanine in the pilus monomer to mimic the monomer of Geobacter metallireducens, but the pili retained the typical Geobacter sulfurreducens wild-type diameter of 3 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: University of Massachusetts
    Inventors: Derek R. LOVLEY, Nikhil MALVANKAR, Ramesh ADHIKARI, Yang TAN, Joy WARD, Kelly NEVIN