Patents by Inventor Thomas L. Ruegg

Thomas L. Ruegg 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).

  • Host cells and methods using a repressor polypeptide and an inducible promoter for gene expression
    Patent number: 11299519
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system comprising (a) a first nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a nucleotide sequence of interest operatively linked to a promoter comprising a repressor polypeptide binding site, and (b) a second nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a repressor polypeptide having at least 70% amino acid identity with EilR, SmvR, KmrR, RcdA, or QacR; wherein expression of the nucleotide sequence of interest from the promoter is induced by the presence of a hydrophobic inducer, such as a hydrophobic cation inducer, such as a triarylmethane, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, or xanthene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Thomas L. Ruegg
  • Host cells and methods using a repressor polypeptide and an inducible promoter for gene expression
    Publication number: 20200262875
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system comprising (a) a first nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a nucleotide sequence of interest operatively linked to a promoter comprising a repressor polypeptide binding site, and (b) a second nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a repressor polypeptide having at least 70% amino acid identity with EilR, SmvR, KmrR, RcdA, or QacR; wherein expression of the nucleotide sequence of interest from the promoter is induced by the presence of a hydrophobic inducer, such as a hydrophobic cation inducer, such as a triarylmethane, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, or xanthene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Thomas L. Ruegg
  • Host cells and methods using a repressor polypeptide and an inducible promoter for gene expression
    Patent number: 10640537
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system comprising (a) a first nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a nucleotide sequence of interest operatively linked to a promoter comprising a repressor polypeptide binding site, and (b) a second nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a repressor polypeptide having at least 70% amino acid identity with EilR, SmvR, KmrR, RcdA, or QacR; wherein expression of the nucleotide sequence of interest from the promoter is induced by the presence of a hydrophobic inducer, such as a hydrophobic cation inducer, such as a triarylmethane, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, or xanthene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventor: Thomas L. Ruegg
  • Engineered microorganisms having resistance to ionic liquids
    Patent number: 10370418
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of genetically modifying microorganisms to enhance resistance to ionic liquids using a yeast Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS), or a Salmonella MFS SmvA Pump or SmvR Regulator, a Small Multidrug Resistance Family (SMR), or Saccharomyces cerevisiae YDR090C, polypeptide, host cells genetically modified in accordance with the methods, and methods of using the host cells in a reaction comprising biomass that has been pretreated with ionic liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Michael P. Thelen, Douglas A. Higgins, Thomas L. Ruegg
  • Host cells and methods using a repressor polypeptide and an inducible promoter for gene expression
    Publication number: 20170002363
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a system comprising (a) a first nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a nucleotide sequence of interest operatively linked to a promoter comprising a repressor polypeptide binding site, and (b) a second nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a repressor polypeptide having at least 70% amino acid identity with EilR, SmvR, KmrR, RcdA, or QacR; wherein expression of the nucleotide sequence of interest from the promoter is induced by the presence of a hydrophobic inducer, such as a hydrophobic cation inducer, such as a triarylmethane, acridine, phenazine, phenothiazine, or xanthene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventor: Thomas L. Ruegg
  • Engineered Microorganisms Having Resistance to Ionic Liquids
    Publication number: 20160090405
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of genetically modifying microorganisms to enhance resistance to ionic liquids using a yeast Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS), or a Salmonella MFS SmvA Pump or SmvR Regulator, a Small Multidrug Resistance Family (SMR), or Saccharomyces cerevisiae YDR090C, polypeptide, host cells genetically modified in accordance with the methods, and methods of using the host cells in a reaction comprising biomass that has been pretreated with ionic liquids.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Applicant: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Michael P. Thelen, Douglas A. Higgins, Thomas L. Ruegg