Patents by Inventor Nancy P. Keller

Nancy P. Keller 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: 11649430
    Abstract: A method of promoting fungal spore germination. The method includes the step of contacting a fungal spore with a germination-promoting concentration of an exogenous imizoquin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventor: Nancy P. Keller
  • Publication number: 20200063092
    Abstract: A method of promoting fungal spore germination. The method includes the step of contacting a fungal spore with a germination-promoting concentration of an exogenous imizoquin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventor: Nancy P. Keller
  • Publication number: 20180185408
    Abstract: A method and corresponding pharmaceutical composition for inhibiting the growth of fungi. The method uses an antifungal composition containing as the active ingredient one or more nylon-3 copolymers having a formula: or a salt thereof, wherein: each R is independently hydrogen or C1-C6-alkyl; each R1, R3, R4, R5, and R6 are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen or substituted or unsubstituted C1-C6-alkyl; each R2 is C1-C6-alkylene; “A” is hydrogen or an amino-protecting group; “B” is hydroxyl or a carboxy-protecting group; and “X,” “Y,” and “Z” are positive numbers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Publication date: July 5, 2018
    Inventors: Runhui Liu, Bernard Weisblum, Samuel Gellman, Fang Yun Lim, Leslie Anne Rank, Nancy P. Keller, Jin Woo Bok, Christina M. Hull, Naomi Marie Walsh, Mingwei Huang
  • Patent number: 9428770
    Abstract: The invention provides a general and facile method to obtain secondary metabolites from fungal sources. The invention is based on the discovery that the fungal gene veA and protein encoded thereby regulates the activity of multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters in fungi. Over expression of the gene veA provides increased production of secondary metabolites in engineered cells. In particular, such a method of increasing secondary metabolite production allows the production of improved yields of valuable secondary metabolite products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nancy P. Keller, Saori Amaike Campen
  • Publication number: 20150037862
    Abstract: The invention provides a general and facile method to obtain secondary metabolites from fungal sources. The invention is based on the discovery that the fungal gene veA and protein encoded thereby regulates the activity of multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters in fungi. Over expression of the gene veA provides increased production of secondary metabolites in engineered cells. In particular, such a method of increasing secondary metabolite production allows the production of improved yields of valuable secondary metabolite products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: NANCY P. KELLER, SAORI AMAIKE
  • Patent number: 8871494
    Abstract: The invention provides a general and facile method to obtain secondary metabolites from fungal sources. The invention is based on the discovery that the fungal gene veA and protein encoded thereby regulates the activity of multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters in fungi. Over expression of the gene veA provides increased production of secondary metabolites in engineered cells. In particular, such a method of increasing secondary metabolite production allows the production of improved yields of valuable secondary metabolite products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nancy P. Keller, Saori Amaike
  • Publication number: 20110076682
    Abstract: The invention provides a general and facile method to obtain secondary metabolites from fungal sources. The invention is based on the discovery that the fungal gene veA and protein encoded thereby regulates the activity of multiple secondary metabolite gene clusters in fungi. Over expression of the gene veA provides increased production of secondary metabolites in engineered cells. In particular, such a method of increasing secondary metabolite production allows the production of improved yields of valuable secondary metabolite products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nancy P. Keller, Saori Amaike
  • Publication number: 20090011476
    Abstract: The present invention provides a novel gene cluster containing five genes (tdiA-E) involved in indole alkaloid synthesis. Disruption of tdiB, encoding an enzyme with prenyltransferase activity, transferring dimethylallylpyrophosphate to C-2 of an indole structure, eliminated the production of the antitumor compound terrequinone A, a metabolite not known from A. nidulans. The invention further provides a method for expressing terrequinone A in a host cell and isolating purified terrequinone A therefrom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2006
    Publication date: January 8, 2009
    Inventors: Dirk HOFFMEISTER, Nancy P. KELLER
  • Patent number: 7427484
    Abstract: The invention provides polypeptides and nucleic acids which identify and encode LaeA, a regulator of fungal secondary metabolite production which exhibits global control over secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. The invention further provides expression vectors, host cells, methods of increasing the production of secondary metabolites in an organism naturally producing a secondary metabolite or engineered to produce a secondary metabolite, and methods of identifying novel secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2008
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nancy P. Keller, Jin Woo Bok
  • Patent number: 7053204
    Abstract: The invention provides polypeptides and nucleic acids which identify and encode LaeA, a regulator of fungal secondary metabolite production which exhibits global control over secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. The invention further provides expression vectors, host cells, methods of increasing the production of secondary metabolites in an organism naturally producing a secondary metabolite or engineered to produce a secondary metabolite, and methods of identifying novel secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2006
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nancy P. Keller, Jin Woo Bok
  • Publication number: 20040058872
    Abstract: The invention provides polypeptides and nucleic acids which identify and encode LaeA, a regulator of fungal secondary metabolite production which exhibits global control over secondary metabolite biosynthetic gene clusters. The invention further provides expression vectors, host cells, methods of increasing the production of secondary metabolites in an organism naturally producing a secondary metabolite or engineered to produce a secondary metabolite, and methods of identifying novel secondary metabolite biosynthesis gene clusters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Applicant: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Nancy P. Keller, Jin Woo Bok
  • Patent number: 6627797
    Abstract: The invention provides isolated maize lipoxygenase nucleic acids and their encoded proteins. The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to altering lipoxygenase concentration and/or composition of plants. The invention further provides recombinant expression cassettes, host cells, and transgenic plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignees: The Texas A&M University System, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.
    Inventors: Jon Duvick, Joyce R. Maddox, Nancy P. Keller
  • Patent number: 5942661
    Abstract: A method of inhibiting the production of mycotoxins of fungus, such as aflatoxin-producing and sterigmatocystin-producing fungi, in plants susceptible to contamination by such mycotoxins consists of introducing into the susceptible plant a gene encoding for lipoxygenase pathway enzyme of the mycotoxin. Exemplary of the lipoxygenase pathway enzymes are soybean lipoxygenase, allene oxidase, hydroperoxide lyase and hydroperoxide dehydratase. The resulting transgenic plant demonstrates substantial resistance to mycotoxin contamination of such fungus. Plants which are substantially resistant to mycotoxin contamination of Aspergillus spp. are further obtained by incorporating into mycotoxin susceptible plant antisense genes for the 9-hydroperoxide fatty acid producing lipoxygenases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: The Texas A&M University System
    Inventor: Nancy P. Keller
  • Patent number: 5844121
    Abstract: A method of inhibiting the production of mycotoxins of fungus, such as aflatoxin-producing and sterigmatocystin-producing fungi, in plants susceptible to contamination by such mycotoxins consists of introducing into the susceptible plant a gene encoding for lipoxygenase pathway enzyme of the mycotoxin. Exemplary of the lipoxygenase pathway enzymes are soybean lipoxygenase, allene oxidase, hydroperoxide lyase and hydroperoxide dehydratase. The resulting transgenic plant demonstrates substantial resistance to mycotoxin contamination of such fungus. Plants which are substantially resistant to mycotoxin contamination of Aspergillus spp. are further obtained by incorporating into mycotoxin susceptible plant antisense genes for the 9-hydroperoxide fatty acid producing lipoxygenases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1998
    Assignee: The Texas A & M University System
    Inventor: Nancy P. Keller