Patents by Inventor Ronald E. Hector

Ronald E. Hector 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).

  • Synthetic promoter for xylose-regulated gene expression
    Patent number: 9506097
    Abstract: Disclosed are isolated nucleic acid molecules that have promoter activity specific to xylose. The synthetic promoters, SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 3, and SEQ ID NO: 4, promote the expression of a coding region of interest in transformed yeast cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventor: Ronald E. Hector
  • xylose isomerase and co-expression with xylulokinase in yeast for xylose fermentation
    Patent number: 8748152
    Abstract: A xylose isomerase (XI) enzyme which exhibits increased activity and affinity for xylose is produced by strain TC2-24 of the rumen bacterium, Prevotella ruminicola. The gene encoding this enzyme may be used to produce improved recombinant yeast capable of utilizing xylose. The recombinant yeast are preferably transformed with heterologous polynucleotide sequences coding both the P. ruminicola XI, and the xylulokinase (XKS) of a Prevotella species. Yeast transformed with the polynucleotide sequences coding both of these XI and XKS exhibit significantly increased xylose utilization and cell growth on a culture medium containing xylose as the sole carbon source, in comparison to yeast transformed with XKS and XI from other sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture
    Inventors: Ronald E. Hector, Bruce S. Dien, Michael A. Cotta