Patents by Inventor Wellington Muchero

Wellington Muchero 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).

  • Publication number: 20240000956
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods for modulating protein function through attaching a PAN domain or a functional fragment thereof to a target protein thereby promoting internalization and degradation of the target protein, wherein the target protein does not comprise a native PAN domain. Another aspect of the current disclosure is directed to a method of inhibiting the internalization of a targeted extracellular protein wherein the targeted extracellular protein comprises a PAN domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Kuntal De, Wellington Muchero, Debjani Pal
  • Publication number: 20230323285
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides agricultural compositions and methods of using these compositions to increase plant growth, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance. The agricultural compositions disclosed herein comprise mixtures of mutualistic beneficial fungi such as Laccaria bicolor and Piriformispora indica, and bacterial strains of Pseudomonas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2023
    Publication date: October 12, 2023
    Applicant: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Jessy L. LABBE, Wellington MUCHERO, Cyd Elizabeth HAMILTON, Dale A. PELLETIER
  • Patent number: 11708557
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides agricultural compositions and methods of using these compositions to increase plant growth, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance. The agricultural compositions disclosed herein comprise mixtures of mutualistic beneficial fungi such as Laccaria bicolor and Piriformispora indica, and bacterial strains of Pseudomonas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Jessy L. Labbe, Wellington Muchero, Cyd Elizabeth Hamilton, Dale A. Pelletier
  • Patent number: 11629356
    Abstract: This disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show modified lignin content and/or sugar release as compared to a wild type control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content and sugar release in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Meng Xie, Wellington Muchero, Jin-Gui Chen, Gerald A. Tuskan
  • Patent number: 11473086
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show reduced lignin content as compared to a control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Meng Xie, Jin-Gui Chen, Lee E. Gunter, Sara S. Jawdy, Wellington Muchero, Gerald Tuskan, Jin Zhang
  • Patent number: 11441152
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods of improving callus formation in plants. This disclosure further provides genetically engineered plants with improved callus formation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Gerald Tuskan, Jin-Gui Chen, Lee E. Gunter
  • Patent number: 11028404
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods of improving mycorrhization in a plant or plant cell. Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to a genetically modified plant or plant cell with improved mycorrhization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignees: UT-Battelle, LLC, University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Jessy L. Labbe, Lee E. Gunter, Jin-Gui Chen, Sara S. Jawdy, Xiaohan Yang, Gerald A. Tuskan, Juan Wang, Olaf Czarnecki, Priya Ranjan
  • Publication number: 20210072228
    Abstract: The present disclosure based on the inventors' recognition that PAN domain containing proteins play important immune regulating functions. Disclosed herein are methods for modulating immune responses in plants and animals, improving in vitro fertilization efficiency, and inhibiting human cell division and cellular migration in cancer cells. Also disclosed herein are genetically modified plants that are resistant to pathogenic infections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Carly M. Shanks, Debjani Pal, Kuntal De
  • Publication number: 20210062213
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for increasing drought resistance, salt resistance, and biomass production of a plant. The methods encompass expression of DiGeorge-Syndrome Critical Region 14 (DGCR14) gene in the plant. In comparison to a plant not manipulated in this manner, the disclosed, genetically-modified, plants display improved drought resistance and salt resistance. Also provided are plants that can be obtained by the method according to the invention, and nucleic acid vectors to be used in the described methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Meng Xie, Jin-Gui Chen, Wellington Muchero, Chongle Pan, Daniel M. Close, Emily B. Gee, Qiuming Yao
  • Patent number: 10900094
    Abstract: Pathogenic fungi from the genus Sphaerulina cause damage to a diverse array of economically important plant species. The present disclosure provides methods of determining whether a plant is susceptible to pathogenic fungi infections. The disclosure further provides methods of engineering pathogenic fungi-resistant plants from susceptible plants using targeted genome editing techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Jay Chen, Gerald A. Tuskan, Jared Leboldus
  • Publication number: 20200399637
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show reduced lignin content as compared to a control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: Meng Xie, Jin-Gui Chen, Lee E. Gunter, Sara S. Jawdy, Wellington Muchero, Gerald Tuskan, Jin Zhang
  • Publication number: 20200377903
    Abstract: This disclosure provides genetically modified plants, plant cells and plant tissues that show modified lignin content and/or sugar release as compared to a wild type control plant which was not genetically modified. In addition, the disclosure provides methods of regulating lignin content and sugar release in a plant. The disclosure also provides methods of producing bioproducts using the genetically modified plants of the instant disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Meng Xie, Wellington Muchero, Jin-Gui Chen, Gerald A. Tuskan, Patricia Larisse Taboada-Serrano
  • Publication number: 20200325505
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of producing fatty acids haying chains longer than 18 carbon atoms by growing a strain of Mortierella elongata on a fermentation medium comprising a carbon source and a nitrogen source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Publication date: October 15, 2020
    Inventors: Jessy L. Labbe, Wellington Muchero, Timothy J. Tschaplinski, Matthew R. Entler
  • Publication number: 20200245629
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides agricultural compositions and methods of using these compositions to increase plant growth, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance. The agricultural compositions disclosed herein comprise mixtures of mutualistic beneficial fungi such as Laccaria bicolor and Piriformispora indica, and bacterial strains of Pseudomonas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Jessy L. LABBE, Wellington MUCHERO, Cyd Elizabeth HAMILTON, Dale A. PELLETIER
  • Patent number: 10660340
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides agricultural compositions and methods of using these compositions to increase plant growth, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance. The agricultural compositions disclosed herein comprise mixtures of mutualistic beneficial fungi such as Laccaria bicolor and Piriformispora indica, and bacterial strains of Pseudomonas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Jessy L. Labbe, Wellington Muchero, Cyd Elizabeth Hamilton, Dale A. Pelletier
  • Publication number: 20200032285
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to methods of improving mycorrhization in a plant or plant cell. Another aspect of this disclosure is directed to a genetically modified plant or plant cell with improved mycorrhization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Jessy L. Labbe, Lee E. Gunter, Jin-Gui Chen, Sara S. Jawdy, Xiaohan Yang, Gerald A. Tuskan, Juan Wang, Olaf Czarnecki, Priya Ranjan
  • Publication number: 20200032282
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods of improving callus formation in plants. This disclosure further provides genetically engineered plants with improved callus formation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Gerald Tuskan, Jin-Gui Chen, Lee E. Gunter
  • Publication number: 20190194763
    Abstract: Pathogenic fungi from the genus Sphaerulina cause damage to a diverse array of economically important plant species. The present disclosure provides methods of determining whether a plant is susceptible to pathogenic fungi infections. The disclosure further provides methods of engineering pathogenic fungi-resistant plants from susceptible plants using targeted genome editing techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2018
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Wellington MUCHERO, Jay CHEN, Gerald A. TUSKAN, Jared LEBOLDUS
  • Publication number: 20190136256
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of producing plants with preferred levels of vegetative growth periods, flowering times, and resistance to stress and pathogens; and uses of such plants. The inventors have identified that the ANGUSTIFOLIA(AtAN)/CtBP gene is a major determinant of the carbon allocation between the Shikimate Pathway and the Salicylic Acid (SA) and Jasmonic Acid(JA)/Ethylene pathway. Plants with modulated growth periods, flowering times, and resistance to stress/pathogen characteristics, based on modulation of the expression or activity of the ANGUSTIFOLIA (ATAN)/CTBP gene, have divergent uses including pulp and paper production, bioproduct production, and as pathogen-resistant crops.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventors: Jay CHEN, Wellington MUCHERO, Gerald A. TUSKAN, Anthony Christian BRYAN
  • Patent number: 10106807
    Abstract: The invention provides plants having desirable levels of sugar release and/or lignin synthesis. The invention further provides methods of selecting plants with such desirable levels of sugar release and/or lignin synthesis; methods of genetically modifying plants to modulate lignin synthesis, sugar release, and modulating phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan and flavonoid production; and uses of such plants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignees: UT-BATTELLE, LLC, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Wellington Muchero, Jay Chen, Lee E. Gunter, Sara Jawdy, Gerald A. Tuskan, Anthony Christian Bryan, Stephen Difazio, Hao-Bo Guo