Patents by Inventor Thomas J. Pollock

Thomas J. Pollock 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: 7390644
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Sphingomonas bacteria and a method of producing exopolysaccharides by culturing a Shpingomonas bacteria in a fermentation broth for a time and temperature effective for providing a sphingan exopolysaccharide in a slime form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio., Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohide Yamazaki, Marcia Mikolajczak, Thomas J. Pollock, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Publication number: 20040077056
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Sphingomonas bacteria and a method of producing exopolysaccharides by culturing a Shingomonas bacteria in a fermentation broth for a time and temperature effective for providing a sphingan exopolysaccharide in a slime form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2003
    Publication date: April 22, 2004
    Applicants: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohide Yamazaki, Marcia Mikolajczak, Thomas J. Pollock, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 6709845
    Abstract: A modified S7 polysaccharide is disclosed. The polysaccharide contains 20% less glucose that S7. An S7c6 gene cluster is disclosed. A mutated Sphingomonas is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2004
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd
    Inventor: Thomas J. Pollock
  • Patent number: 6605461
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Sphingomonas bacteria and a method of producing exopolysaccharides by culturing a Shingomonas bacteria in a fermentation broth for a time and temperature effective for providing a sphingan exopolysaccharide in a slime form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2003
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio., Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohide Yamazaki, Marcia Mikolajczak, Thomas J. Pollock, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 6602997
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method for obtaining a polysaccharide substantially free from whole bacterial cells and bacterial cell debris including: (a) fermenting a Sphingomonas bacterium, which produces the polysaccharide, to produce an aqueous fermentation broth having the polysaccharide dissolved therein; (b) diluting the fermentation broth with an equal volume of deionized water; (c) partially hydrolyzing the polysaccharide by exposing the fermentation broth resulting from step (b) to a temperature in excess of 100° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2003
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Marcia Mikolajczak, Motohide Yamazaki, Thomas J. Pollock
  • Publication number: 20030140818
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a polysaccharide produced by subjecting a Sphingomonas bacterium modified with a S7c6 gene cluster or segment thereof to aerobic fermentation in a nutrient aqueous broth for a time sufficient to produce the polysaccharide dissolved therein, including L-Rhap, D-Glcp and 2-deoxy-&bgr;-D-arabino-HexpA in a molar ratio of 1:3:1, wherein the polysaccharide has at least 20% less glucose per repeat unit compared to a heteropolysaccharide S-7 produced by an unmodified Sphingomonas strain S7, and the segment includes at least the spsB and rhsACBD genes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2001
    Publication date: July 31, 2003
    Applicants: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Thomas J. Pollock
  • Publication number: 20030083464
    Abstract: Novel polypeptides comprising repetitive units of amino acids, as well as synthetic genes encoding the subject polypeptides are provided. The subject polypeptides are characterized by comprising repetitive units of amino acids, where the repetitive units are present in naturally occurring proteins, particularly naturally occurring structural proteins. The subject polypeptides find use in a variety of applications, such as structural components of prosthetic devices, synthetic fibers, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Franco A. Ferrari, Charles Richardson, James Chambers, Stuart Causey, Thomas J. Pollock, Joseph Cappello, John W. Crissman
  • Patent number: 6387666
    Abstract: A method for obtaining a substantially biologically pure culture strain of Aureobasidium pullulans from a wild type strain by enriching the collected strain for organisms which grow as fungal yeastlike cells, growing colonies from isolated yeastlike cells and selecting those yeastlike cells which exhibit reduced pigmentation. Biologically pure culture strains obtained by the invention as well as methods for producing pullulan having decreased pigmentation and/or increased molecular weight are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Linda P. Thorne, Thomas J. Pollock, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Publication number: 20020035249
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a Sphingomonas bacteria and a method of producing exopolysaccharides by culturing a Shingomonas bacteria in a fermentation broth for a time and temperature effective for providing a sphingan exopolysaccharide in a slime form.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2001
    Publication date: March 21, 2002
    Applicant: Shin-Etsu Chemical Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Motohide Yamazaki, Marcia Mikolajczak, Thomas J. Pollock, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Publication number: 20020031808
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method for obtaining a polysaccharide substantially free from whole bacterial cells and bacterial cell debris including:
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2001
    Publication date: March 14, 2002
    Inventors: Marcia Mikolajczak, Motohide Yamazaki, Thomas J. Pollock
  • Patent number: 6355776
    Abstract: Novel polypeptides comprising repetitive units of amino acids, as well as synthetic genes encoding the subject polypeptides are provided. The subject polypeptides are characterized by comprising repetitive units of amino acids, where the repetitive units are present in naturally occurring proteins, particularly naturally occurring structural proteins. The subject polypeptides find use in a variety of applications, such as structural components of prosthetic devices, synthetic fibers, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2002
    Assignee: Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Franco A. Ferrari, Charles Richardson, James Chambers, Stuart Causey, Thomas J. Pollock, Joseph Cappello, John W. Crissman
  • Patent number: 6284516
    Abstract: The present invention relates to DNA segments isolated from Sphingomonas sp. and involved in the biosynthetic production of sphingan polysaccharides to increase the production of the polysaccharide in engineered microorganisms. The present invention also relates to methods of engineering strains of Sphingomonas to produce bacteria which are hyperproducers of sphingan, methods of identifying and utilizing DNA fragments useful to enhance production of sphingan in bacteria and the hyperproducer bacteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2001
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical. Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollock, Motohide Yamazaki, Linda Thorne, Marcia Mikolajczak, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 6030817
    Abstract: A new recombinant bacteria for the production of exopolysaccharides is disclosed as well as a method for making the recombinant bacteria and making an exopolysaccharide from the bacteria by submerged aerobic fermentation of the bacteria utilizing a sugar substrate. The exopolysaccharides obtained from the inventive bacteria exhibit improved, more desirable or different properties from the exopolysaccharide produced by the non-recombinant bacteria from which the recombinant bacteria was derived. In addition, the present invention provides a method of producing bacterial exopolysaccharides by fermentation from sugar substrates that the bacteria which the exopolysaccharides are native to cannot utilize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 29, 2000
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollock, Marcia Mikolajczak, Motohide Yamazaki, Linda Thorne, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 6027925
    Abstract: A recombinant bacteria for the production of exopolysaccharides is disclosed as well as a method for making the recombinant bacteria and making an exopolysaccharide from the bacteria by submerged aerobic fermentation of the bacteria utilizing a sugar substrate. In addition, the present invention provides a method of producing bacterial exopolysaccharides by fermentation from sugar substrates that the wild-type bacteria for producing the exopolysaccharide cannot utilize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2000
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollock, Marcia Mikolajczak, Motohide Yamazaki, Linda Thorne, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 6018030
    Abstract: Polypeptides comprising repetitive units of amino acids, as well as synthetic genes encoding the subject polypeptides are provided. The subject polypeptides are characterized by comprising repetitive units of amino acids, where the repetitive units are present in naturally occurring proteins, particularly naturally occurring structural proteins. The subject polypeptides find use in a variety of applications, such as structural components of prosthetic devices, synthetic fibers, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2000
    Assignee: Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Franco A. Ferrari, Charles Richardson, James Chambers, Stuart Causey, Thomas J. Pollock, Joseph Cappello, John W. Crissman
  • Patent number: 6010899
    Abstract: A method for obtaining a substantially biologically pure culture strain of Aureobasidium pullulans from a wild type strain by enriching the collected strain for organisms which grow as fungal yeastlike cells, growing colonies from isolated yeastlike cells and selecting those yeastlike cells which exhibit reduced pigmentation. Biologically pure culture strains obtained by the invention as well as methods for producing pullulan having decreased pigmentation and/or increased molecular weight are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2000
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Linda P. Thorne, Thomas J. Pollock, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 5985623
    Abstract: The present invention relates to DNA segments isolated from Sphingomonas sp. and involved in the biosynthetic production of sphingan polysaccharides to increase the production of the polysaccharide in engineered microorganisms. The present invention also relates to methods of engineering strains of Sphingomonas to produce bacteria which are hyperproducers of sphingan, methods of identifying and utilizing DNA fragments useful to enhance production of sphingan in bacteria and the hyperproducer bacteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollock, Motohide Yamazaki, Linda Thorne, Marcia Mikolajczak, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 5912151
    Abstract: A method of increasing xanthan gum production, comprising culturing a Xanthomonas campestris strain having a xanthan-increasing modification in a culture medium, wherein the modification is selected from the group consisting of (1) a mutation causing rifampicin-resistance; (2) a mutation causing bacitracin-resistance; or (3) exogenous genetic information controlling the synthesis of xanthan; and separating xanthan from the culture medium, is provided along with specific DNA sequences and Xanthomonas campestris strains showing increased xanthan gum production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1992
    Date of Patent: June 15, 1999
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Shin-Etsu Bio, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollock, Linda Thorne
  • Patent number: 5854034
    Abstract: The present invention relates to DNA segments isolated from Sphingomonas sp. and involved in the biosynthetic production of sphingan polysaccharides to increase the production of the polysaccharide in engineered microorganisms. The present invention also relates to methods of engineering strains of Sphingomonas to produce bacteria which are hyperproducers of sphingan, methods of identifying and utilizing DNA fragments useful to enhance production of sphingan in bacteria and the hyperproducer bacteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 29, 1998
    Assignees: Shin-Etsu Cio, Inc., Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Thomas J. Pollock, Motohide Yamazaki, Linda Thorne, Marcia Mikolajczak, Richard W. Armentrout
  • Patent number: 5770697
    Abstract: Novel polypeptides comprising repetitive units of amino acids, as well as synthetic genes encoding the subject polypeptides are provided. The subject polypeptides are characterized by comprising repetitive units of amino acids, where the repetitive units are present in naturally occurring proteins, particularly naturally occurring structural proteins. The subject polypeptides find use in a variety of applications, such as structural components of prosthetic devices, synthetic fibers, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 1995
    Date of Patent: June 23, 1998
    Assignee: Protein Polymer Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Franco A. Ferrari, Charles Richardson, James Chambers, Stuart Causey, Thomas J. Pollock, Joseph Cappello, John W. Crissman