Patents by Inventor Nancy Stearns

Nancy Stearns 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).

  • Methods and compositions for the identification of insect repellent compounds
    Patent number: 8017316
    Abstract: Methods for identifying a candidate compound with an ability to modulate cation transport through a transient receptor potential (TRP) channel in a cell are disclosed. The methods can include (a) providing a cell expressing a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding an transient receptor potential (TRP) channel gene product or a functional fragment or derivative thereof; (b) contacting the cell with the candidate compound; (c) comparing cation transport in the cell in the absence of the candidate compound with cation transport in the cell in the presence of the candidate compound; and (d) identifying a candidate compound through the comparing step that modulates cation transport in the cell through the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel. Also disclosed are nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for insect TRP channel gene products, antibodies that bind to the disclosed TRP channels, and recombinant host cells the include the disclosed biosequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2011
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: William D. Tracey, Jr., Nancy Stearns, Lixian Zhong, Yifan Xu, Jason Caldwell, Allison Weaver, Angela Hofhine
  • Methods and compositions for the identification of insect repellent compounds
    Publication number: 20090176229
    Abstract: Methods for identifying a candidate compound with an ability to modulate cation transport through a transient receptor potential (TRP) channel in a cell are disclosed. The methods can include (a) providing a cell expressing a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding an transient receptor potential (TRP) channel gene product or a functional fragment or derivative thereof; (b) contacting the cell with the candidate compound; (c) comparing cation transport in the cell in the absence of the candidate compound with cation transport in the cell in the presence of the candidate compound; and (d) identifying a candidate compound through the comparing step that modulates cation transport in the cell through the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel. Also disclosed are nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for insect TRP channel gene products, antibodies that bind to the disclosed TRP channels, and recombinant host cells the include the disclosed biosequences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Publication date: July 9, 2009
    Applicant: Duke University
    Inventors: William D. Tracey, JR., Nancy Stearns, Lixian Zhong, Yifan Xu, Jason Caldwell, Allison Weaver, Angela Hofhine