Patents by Inventor Scott Joseph Uknes
Scott Joseph Uknes 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).
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Patent number: 9795146Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. The improved, modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. Modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the associated diseases thereby promoting plant growth. The present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Disclosed compositions include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents.Type: GrantFiled: June 13, 2017Date of Patent: October 24, 2017Assignee: AgBiome, Inc.Inventors: Philip E. Hammer, Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20170273310Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. The improved, modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. Modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the associated diseases thereby promoting plant growth. The present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Disclosed compositions include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2017Publication date: September 28, 2017Applicant: AgBiome, Inc.Inventors: Philip E. Hammer, Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Patent number: 9668485Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. The improved, modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. Modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the associated diseases thereby promoting plant growth. The present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Disclosed compositions include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2016Date of Patent: June 6, 2017Assignee: AgBiome, Inc.Inventors: Philip E. Hammer, Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Patent number: 9635861Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. The improved, modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. Modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the associated diseases thereby promoting plant growth. The present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Disclosed compositions include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2016Date of Patent: May 2, 2017Assignee: AgBiome, Inc.Inventors: Philip E. Hammer, Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20160345586Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. The improved, modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. Modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the associated diseases thereby promoting plant growth. The present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Disclosed compositions include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2016Publication date: December 1, 2016Inventors: Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Amy Elizabeth Shekita, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20160345585Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. The improved, modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. Modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the associated diseases thereby promoting plant growth. The present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Disclosed compositions include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2016Publication date: December 1, 2016Inventors: Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Amy Elizabeth Shekita, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20150327557Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. By improving the population of biological agents, the modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. In particular, modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations of biological agents can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the diseases they cause promoting plant growth. Therefore, the present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2015Publication date: November 19, 2015Applicant: AGBIOME, INC.Inventors: Philip E. Hammer, Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Amy Elizabeth Shekita, Kelly S. Smith, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20150218568Abstract: Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. By improving the population of biological agents, the modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. In particular, modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations of biological agents can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the diseases they cause promoting plant growth. Therefore, the present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Applicant: AgBiome, Inc.Inventors: Janice C. Jones, Michael G. Koziel, Amy Elizabeth Shekita, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20150191720Abstract: Compositions and methods for isolating new variants of known gene sequences are provided. The methods find use in identifying variants, particularly homologs, in complex mixtures. Compositions comprise hybridization baits that hybridize to gene families of interest, particularly agricultural interest, in order to selectively enrich the polynucleotides of interest from complex mixtures. Bait sequences may be specific for a number of genes from distinct gene families of interest and may be designed to cover each gene of interest by at least 2-fold. Thus methods disclosed herein are drawn to an oligonucleotide hybridization gene capture approach for identification of new genes of interest from environmental samples.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2015Publication date: July 9, 2015Applicant: AgBiome, Inc.Inventors: Vadim Beilinson, Janice Jones, Jessica Parks, Rebecca E. Thayer, Daniel J. Tomso, Scott Joseph Uknes, Sandy Volrath, Eric Russell Ward
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Patent number: 7838732Abstract: The instant disclosure describes the application of genetic engineering techniques to produce cellulase in plants. Cellulase coding sequences operably linked to promoters active in plants may be transformed into the nuclear genome and/or the plastid genome of a plant. As cellulases may be toxic to plants, chemically-inducible or wound-inducible promoters may be employed. Additionally, the expressed cellulases may be targeted to vacuoles or other cellular organelles.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2007Date of Patent: November 23, 2010Assignee: Syngenta Participations AGInventors: Edouard Guillaume Lebel, Peter Bernard Heifetz, Eric Russell Ward, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Publication number: 20020152499Abstract: The invention concerns the location and characterization of a gene (designated NIM1) that is a key component of the SAR pathway and that in connection with chemical and biological inducers enables induction of SAR gene expression and broad spectrum disease resistance in plants. The invention further concerns transformation vectors and processes for overexpressing the NIM1 gene in plants. The transgenic plants thus created have broad spectrum disease resistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2002Publication date: October 17, 2002Inventors: John Andrew Ryals, Terrence Patrick Delaney, Leslie Bethards Friedrich, Kristianna Baldwin Weymann, Kay Ann Lawton, Daniel Murray Ellis, Scott Joseph Uknes, Taco Peter Jesse, Pieter Vos
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Publication number: 20020133846Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of protecting plants from pathogen attack through synergistic disease resistance attained by applying a conventional microbicide to immunomodulated plants. Immunomodulated plants are those in which SAR is activated and are therefore referred to as “SAR-on” plants. Immunomodulated plants may be provided in at least three different ways: by applying to plants a chemical inducer of SAR such as BTH, INA, or SA; through a selective breeding program based on constitutive expression of SAR genes and/or a disease-resistant phenotype; or by transforming plants with one or more SAR genes such as a functional form of the NIM1 gene. By concurrently applying a microbicide to an immunomodulated plant, disease resistance is unexpectedly synergistically enhanced; i.e., the level of disease resistance is greater than the expected additive levels of disease resistance.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2001Publication date: September 19, 2002Inventors: John Andrew Ryals, Leslie Bethards Friedrich, Scott Joseph Uknes, Antonio Molina-Fernandez, Kay Ann Lawton
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Patent number: 6232525Abstract: Methods are provided for selecting parental plants exhibiting disease resistance and for using these plants in breeding programs. In one method of the invention, constitutive immunity (cim) mutants are screened for either resistance to a pathogen of interest or for the expression of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) genes. Such mutants having the desired traits or expressing the desired genes are then used in breeding programs. Parent plants can also be selected based on the constitutive expression of SAR genes. These mutants are phenotypically normal yet exhibit a significant level of disease resistance. Also disclosed are lesion-simulating-disease (lsd) mutants having a lesion mimic phenotype that also express SAR genes and exhibit disease resistance. Further disclosed are non-inducible immunity (nim) mutants that do not express SAR genes, even when induced by a pathogen. Methods of use for these mutants are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1998Date of Patent: May 15, 2001Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Scott Joseph Uknes, Eric Russell Ward, Terrence Patrick Delaney
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Patent number: 6107544Abstract: Methods are provided for selecting parental plants exhibiting disease resistance and for using these plants in breeding programs. In one method of the invention, constitutive immunity (cim) mutants are screened for either resistance to a pathogen of interest or for the expression of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) genes. Such mutants having the desired traits or expressing the desired genes are then used in breeding programs. Parent plants can also be selected based on the constitutive expression of SAR genes. These mutants are phenotypically normal yet exhibit a significant level of disease resistance. Also disclosed are lesion-simulating-disease (lsd) mutants having a lesion mimic phenotype that also express SAR genes and exhibit disease resistance. Further disclosed are non-inducible immunity (nim) mutants that do not express SAR genes, even when induced by a pathogen. Methods of use for these mutants are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 1997Date of Patent: August 22, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Scott Joseph Uknes, Eric Russell Ward, Terrence Patrick Delaney, Kay Ann Lawton, Kristianna Baldwin Weymann, Henry-York Steiner, Klaus Maleck
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Patent number: 6091004Abstract: The invention concerns the location and characterization of a gene (designated NIM1) that is a key component of the SAR pathway and that in connection with chemical and biological inducers enables induction of SAR gene expression and broad spectrum disease resistance in plants. The invention further concerns transformation vectors and processes for overexpressing the NIM1 gene in plants. The transgenic plants thus created have broad spectrum disease resistance.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 1997Date of Patent: July 18, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Terrence Patrick Delaney, Leslie Bethards Friedrich, Kristianna Baldwin Weymann, Kay Ann Lawton, Daniel Murray Ellis, Scott Joseph Uknes, Taco Peter Jesse, Pieter Vos
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Patent number: 6057490Abstract: Methods are provided for selecting parental plants exhibiting disease resistance and for using these plants in breeding programs. In one method of the invention, constitutive immunity (cim) mutants are screened for either resistance to a pathogen of interest or for the expression of systemic acquired resistance (SAR) genes. Such mutants having the desired traits or expressing the desired genes are then used in breeding programs. Parent plants can also be selected based on the constitutive expression of SAR genes. These mutants are phenotypically normal yet exhibit a significant level of disease resistance. Also disclosed are lesion-simulating-disease (lsd) mutants having a lesion mimic phenotype that also express SAR genes and exhibit disease resistance. Further disclosed are non-inducible immunity (nim) mutants that do not express SAR genes, even when induced by a pathogen. Methods of use for these mutants are also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 1998Date of Patent: May 2, 2000Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Scott Joseph Uknes, Eric Russell Ward, Klaus Maleck
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Patent number: 6031153Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of protecting plants from pathogen attack through synergistic disease resistance attained by applying a conventional microbicide to immunomodulated plants. Immunomodulated plants are those in which SAR is activated and are therefore referred to as "SAR-on" plants. Immunomodulated plants may be provided in at least three different ways: by applying to plants a chemical inducer of SAR such as BTH, INA, or SA; through a selective breeding program based on constitutive expression of SAR genes and/or a disease-resistant phenotype; or by transforming plants with one or more SAR genes such as a functional form of the NIM1 gene. By concurrently applying a microbicide to an immunomodulated plant, disease resistance is unexpectedly synergistically enhanced; i.e., the level of disease resistance is greater than the expected additive levels of disease resistance.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1997Date of Patent: February 29, 2000Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: John Andrew Ryals, Leslie Bethards Friedrich, Scott Joseph Uknes, Antonio Molina-Fernandez, Wilhelm Ruess, Gertrude Knauf-Beiter, Ruth Beatrice Kung, Helmut Kessmann, Michael Oostendorp
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Patent number: 5986082Abstract: The NIM1 gene product is a structural homologue of the mammalian signal transduction factor I.kappa.B subclass .alpha.. The present invention exploits this discovery to provide altered forms of NIM1 that act as dominant-negative regulators of the systemic acquired resistance (SAR) signal transduction pathway. These altered forms of NIM1 confer the opposite phenotype as the nim1 mutant in plants transformed with the altered forms of NIM1; i.e., the transgenic plants exhibit constitutive SAR gene expression and a constitutive immunity (CIM) phenotype. The present invention further concerns DNA molecules encoding altered forms of the NIM1 gene, expression vectors containing such DNA molecules, and plants and plant cells transformed therewith. The invention also concerns methods of activating SAR in plants and conferring to plants a CIM phenotype and broad spectrum disease resistance by transforming the plants with DNA molecules encoding altered forms of the NIM1 gene product.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 1997Date of Patent: November 16, 1999Assignee: Novartis AGInventors: Scott Joseph Uknes, Michelle Denise Hunt, Henry-York Steiner, John Andrew Ryals
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Patent number: 5698425Abstract: The present invention is directed to the production of an antipathogenic substance (APS) in a host via recombinant expression of the polypeptides needed to biologically synthesize the APS. Genes encoding polypeptides necessary to produce particular antipathogenic substances are provided, along with methods for identifying and isolating genes needed to recombinantly biosynthesize any desired APS. The cloned genes may be transformed and expressed in a desired host organisms to produce the APS according to the invention for a variety of purposes, including protecting the host from a pathogen, developing the host as a biocontrol agent, and producing large, uniform amounts of the APS.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1995Date of Patent: December 16, 1997Assignee: Novartis Finance CorporationInventors: James M. Ligon, Thomas Schupp, James Joseph Beck, Dwight Steven Hill, John Andrew Ryals, Stephen Ting Lam, Philip E. Hammer, Scott Joseph Uknes
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Patent number: 5662898Abstract: The present invention is directed to the production of an antipathogenic substance (APS) in a host via recombinant expression of the polypeptides needed to biologically synthesize the APS. Genes encoding polypeptides necessary to produce particular antipathogenic substances are provided, along with methods for identifying and isolating genes needed to recombinantly biosynthesize any desired APS. The cloned genes may be transformed and expressed in a desired host organisms to produce the APS according to the invention for a variety of purposes, including protecting the host from a pathogen, developing the host as a biocontrol agent, and producing large, uniform amounts of the APS.Type: GrantFiled: June 1, 1995Date of Patent: September 2, 1997Assignee: Ciba-Geigy CorporationInventors: James M. Ligon, Thomas Schupp, James Joseph Beck, Dwight Steven Hill, John Andrew Ryals, Thomas Deane Gaffney, Stephen Ting Lam, Philip E. Hammer, Scott Joseph Uknes