Patents by Inventor Kristina Fontanez

Kristina Fontanez 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).

  • Publication number: 20240043940
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems of analyzing single cells by simultaneously separating cells into monodisperse droplets and tagging each nucleic acid molecule from the cells with barcodes unique to each droplet. The methods and systems combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets encapsulating a single one of the template particles and a single one of the single cells, release nucleic acid molecules from the single cells and provide each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the respective droplet. The nucleic acid molecules can then be analyzed by any known method, for example by sequencing the nucleic acid molecules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2023
    Publication date: February 8, 2024
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20230420078
    Abstract: The invention provides a system for evaluating gene expression levels from scRNA-Seq experiments. The system uses in silico cell calling tools for distinguishing between partitions that contain cells and background partitions that did not fully capture a cell. The system also provides barcode processing tools that tests barcodes from at least cellular and UMI tiers against a whitelist and optionally converts those to a compact index format. Further, the system can implement multimapping tools to preserve information for reads that map to multiple locations in a reference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventor: Kristina Fontanez
  • Patent number: 11827936
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods and systems for single-cell analysis, including single-cell transcriptome analysis, of target cells without microfluidic devices. The disclosed methods involve the use of template particles to template the formation of monodisperse droplets to generally capture a single target cell from a population of cells in an encapsulation, derive a plurality of distinct mRNA molecules from the single target cell, and quantify the distinct mRNA molecules to generate an expression profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Fluent Biosciences Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Christopher D'amato, Sepehr Kiani
  • Patent number: 11773452
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems of analyzing single cells by simultaneously separating cells into monodisperse droplets and tagging each nucleic acid molecule from the cells with barcodes unique to each droplet. The methods and systems combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets encapsulating a single one of the template particles and a single one of the single cells, release nucleic acid molecules from the single cells and provide each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the respective droplet. The nucleic acid molecules can then be analyzed by any known method, for example by sequencing the nucleic acid molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Fluent Biosciences Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20230141825
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for drug screening by segregating single cells into droplets simultaneously and providing candidate compound to the single cells to measure cellular response. Methods of the present invention combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets simultaneously that encapsulate a single one of the template particles and single one of the single cells, provide to the single cells one or more candidate compounds, and measure a cellular response to the one or more candidate compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20230019117
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a decentralized workflow for analyzing single cell gene expression. The workflow makes use of pre-templated instant partitions to segregate cells into separate compartments to individually capture and barcode RNA from single cells in a massively parallel single tube format. The workflow includes steps for processing the RNA from the single cells for sequencing. Separate portions of the decentralized workflow are performed by a research lab and a core facility, allowing increased flexibility in time and location of protocol steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Inventors: Sepehr Kiani, Ram Santhanam, Robert Meltzer, Kristina Fontanez
  • Publication number: 20220403472
    Abstract: This invention provides methods for near-instantaneously separating cells that have undergone RNA guided genome modifications into pre-templated instant partitions (PIPs) and using the PIPs to associate the guide RNAs with the gene expression level changes that resulted from the genome modification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Iain Clark, Christopher D'Amato, Catherine Kugler, Robert Meltzer
  • Patent number: 11512337
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for drug screening by segregating single cells into droplets simultaneously and providing candidate compound to the single cells to measure cellular response. Methods of the present invention combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets simultaneously that encapsulate a single one of the template particles and single one of the single cells, provide to the single cells one or more candidate compounds, and measure a cellular response to the one or more candidate compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: FLUENT BIOSCIENCES INC.
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20220372470
    Abstract: The invention provides high-throughput systems and methods for screening CRISPR-edited cells in bulk with single cell resolution. Methods of the invention use cells expressing polyadenylated guide RNAs that are detectable by RNA sequencing. Methods of the invention provide for the detection of each cell's guide RNA along with its single cell transcriptome to provide useful gene expression data for assessing CRISPR activity from cells in bulk. In addition, methods of the invention offer a high throughput single cell analytical framework for generating single cell transcriptome data from which CRISPR activity may be evaluated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Christopher D'amato, Iain Clark
  • Publication number: 20220372567
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods and systems for single-extracellular (EV), multi-omic analysis of target EVs without microfluidic devices. The disclosed methods involve the use of template particles to template the formation of monodisperse droplets to generally capture a single target EV from a population of EVs in an encapsulation, derive a plurality of distinct mRNA molecules from the single target EV, and quantify the distinct mRNA molecules to generate an expression profile. Nucleic-acid-tagged antibody conjugates are used for simultaneous proteomic analysis along with the gene expression profiling, which enables classification of an EV in a sample.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 24, 2022
    Inventors: Robert Meltzer, Catherine Kugler, Yi Xue, Kristina Fontanez, Sepehr Kiani, Mehrtash Babadi
  • Publication number: 20220267761
    Abstract: Methods to emulsify cells and/or mRNA with reverse transcriptase at a temperature such that the reverse transcriptase begins making cDNA during the emulsification
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Christopher D'amato, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20220235416
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods and systems for single-cell analysis, including single-cell transcriptome analysis, of target cells without microfluidic devices. The disclosed methods involve the use of template particles to template the formation of monodisperse droplets to generally capture a single target cell from a population of cells in an encapsulation, derive a plurality of distinct mRNA molecules from the single target cell, and quantify the distinct mRNA molecules to generate an expression profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Christopher D'amato, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20220017892
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods for creating long oligonucleotide reagents that include barcodes and other element for sequencing library preparation, where the oligonucleotides are created by multiple tiers of ligation of shorter oligos. The disclosed methods work to extend short oligos that are attached to particles, thereby allowing one to create particles that carry large number of long sample preparation oligonucleotides without being required to synthesize those full-length molecules with a polymerase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 20, 2022
    Inventors: Robert Meltzer, Kristina Fontanez, Yi Xue
  • Publication number: 20210381064
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems of analyzing single cells by simultaneously separating cells into monodisperse droplets and tagging each nucleic acid molecule from the cells with barcodes unique to each droplet. The methods and systems combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets encapsulating a single one of the template particles and a single one of the single cells, release nucleic acid molecules from the single cells and provide each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the respective droplet. The nucleic acid molecules can then be analyzed by any known method, for example by sequencing the nucleic acid molecules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20210340596
    Abstract: The methods and systems described herein provide capture template particles and an improved emulsion droplet-based target capture and barcoding method thereof. The capture template particles and methods disclosed herein allow capturing targets of interest from biological samples, and barcoding of specific nucleic acids contained in the captured targets. The nucleic acids can be contained within living or nonliving structures, including particles, viruses, and cells. The nucleic acids can include, e.g., DNA or RNA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Robert Meltzer, Kristina Fontanez, Desiree Schenk, Yi Xue
  • Patent number: 11104961
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems of analyzing single cells by simultaneously separating cells into monodisperse droplets and tagging each nucleic acid molecule from the cells with barcodes unique to each droplet. The methods and systems combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets encapsulating a single one of the template particles and a single one of the single cells, release nucleic acid molecules from the single cells and provide each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the respective droplet. The nucleic acid molecules can then be analyzed by any known method, for example by sequencing the nucleic acid molecules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Fluent Biosciences Inc.
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20210214802
    Abstract: The disclosure provides methods and systems of analyzing single cells by simultaneously separating cells into monodisperse droplets and tagging each nucleic acid molecule from the cells with barcodes unique to each droplet. The methods and systems combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets encapsulating a single one of the template particles and a single one of the single cells, release nucleic acid molecules from the single cells and provide each nucleic acid molecule with a barcode unique to the respective droplet. The nucleic acid molecules can then be analyzed by any known method, for example by sequencing the nucleic acid molecules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20210215591
    Abstract: The invention provides devices that generate monodisperse droplets from a bulk liquid. The devices include a shearing mechanism, a holder for a vessel containing a liquid, and an optical system that transmit light to, and detects light from, liquid in the vessel. The invention also provides methods of using such devices to produce monodisperse droplets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20210214769
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods and systems for amplifying small amounts of nucleic acids. Methods include performing amplification reactions in an emulsion format to isolate and clonally amplify discrete populations of nucleic acid molecules inside droplets. In particular, methods and systems of the invention generate an emulsion with particles that template the formation of droplets inside a tube and segregate nucleic acid molecules therein such that each droplet contains an individual nucleic acid molecule. The nucleic acid molecules are amplified inside the droplets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani
  • Publication number: 20210214763
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and systems for drug screening by segregating single cells into droplets simultaneously and providing candidate compound to the single cells to measure cellular response. Methods of the present invention combine template particles with a plurality of single cells in a tube, generate in the tube monodispersed droplets simultaneously that encapsulate a single one of the template particles and single one of the single cells, provide to the single cells one or more candidate compounds, and measure a cellular response to the one or more candidate compounds.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Kristina Fontanez, Robert Meltzer, Yi Xue, Sepehr Kiani