Patents by Inventor Winnie Liang

Winnie Liang 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: 10866172
    Abstract: A system for producing cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) grids. A grid holding element holds a cryo-EM grid in place while a sample deposit element deposits liquid sample from a sample supply onto the grid. A sample shaping element shapes the liquid sample and then a cryogenic sample vitrifying element vitrifies the liquid sample. The shaping element may direct a gas jet towards the grid to reduce the thickness of the liquid sample. The gas jet may mix first and second liquid samples together in midair or on the grid. A storage element stores vitrified cryo-EM grids and includes an electromagnetic field (EMF) source that creates an EMF within the storage element such that the vitrified sample is exposed to the EMF. As a result of being exposed to the EMF, a protein provided with the sample is re-oriented from a first orientation to a second orientation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Neptune Fluid Flow Systems LLC
    Inventors: Trevor Allen McQueen, Winnie Liang
  • Publication number: 20200363301
    Abstract: A system for producing cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) grids. A grid holding element holds a cryo-EM grid in place while a sample deposit element deposits liquid sample from a sample supply onto the grid. A sample shaping element shapes the liquid sample and then a cryogenic sample vitrifying element vitrifies the liquid sample. The shaping element may direct a gas jet towards the grid to reduce the thickness of the liquid sample. The gas jet may mix first and second liquid samples together in midair or on the grid. A storage element stores vitrified cryo-EM grids and includes an electromagnetic field (EMF) source that creates an EMF within the storage element such that the vitrified sample is exposed to the EMF. As a result of being exposed to the EMF, a protein provided with the sample is re-oriented from a first orientation to a second orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Applicant: Neptune Fluid Flow Systems LLC
    Inventors: Trevor Allen McQueen, Winnie Liang
  • Publication number: 20200303162
    Abstract: An electron microscope (EM) preparation and imaging system including an EM device and a sample preparation device for forming a vitreous ice layer containing a liquid sample through vitrification, which are located within a sealable environment. The sample preparation apparatus includes a cryogenically-cooled stage that receives a sample deposit surface, such as a cryo-EM grid, which is cryogenically cooled through direct contact with the stage. A sample dispenser is movable with respect to the stage and is configured to deposit a liquid sample onto the sample deposit surface at a selected rate of deposition. Once the liquid sample is deposited onto the sample deposit surface by the sample dispenser, it is vitrified automatically in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Applicant: Neptune Fluid Flow Systems LLC
    Inventors: Trevor Allen McQueen, Winnie Liang
  • Patent number: 10770265
    Abstract: An electron microscope (EM) preparation and imaging system including an EM device and a sample preparation device for forming a vitreous ice layer containing a liquid sample through vitrification, which are located within a sealable environment. The sample preparation apparatus includes a cryogenically-cooled stage that receives a sample deposit surface, such as a cryo-EM grid, which is cryogenically cooled through direct contact with the stage. A sample dispenser is movable with respect to the stage and is configured to deposit a liquid sample onto the sample deposit surface at a selected rate of deposition. Once the liquid sample is deposited onto the sample deposit surface by the sample dispenser, it is vitrified automatically in place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Neptune Fluid Flow Systems LLC
    Inventors: Trevor Allen McQueen, Winnie Liang
  • Publication number: 20200239939
    Abstract: The present invention relates to bioinformatics methods of in silico validation of circRNA junctions and selection of circRNA junctions for further validation, more particularly detecting sequence reads supporting circRNA junction in a highly computationally efficient manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Shobana Sekar, Winnie Liang, Jonathan Keats
  • Patent number: 10415083
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of detecting a genomic rearrangement in a nucleic acid sample with Long Insert Whole Genome Sequencing (LI-WGS). The method may include obtaining a nucleic acid sample and then fragmenting the nucleic acid sample (e.g., via sonication). In particular, the fragmenting may result in the production of a plurality of inserts. Thereafter, the method comprises purifying the plurality of inserts using magnetic beads and then amplifying the purified plurality of inserts. In addition, the method further comprises sequencing the purified and amplified plurality of inserts. In some aspects, the plurality of inserts have a length of between about 800 and about 1,100 base pairs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: The Translational Genomics Research Institute
    Inventors: Winnie Liang, John Carpten, David Craig
  • Publication number: 20150126379
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of detecting a genomic rearrangement in a nucleic acid sample with Long Insert Whole Genome Sequencing (LI-WGS). The method may include obtaining a nucleic acid sample and then fragmenting the nucleic acid sample (e.g., via sonication). In particular, the fragmenting may result in the production of a plurality of inserts. Thereafter, the method comprises purifying the plurality of inserts using magnetic beads and then amplifying the purified plurality of inserts. In addition, the method further comprises sequencing the purified and amplified plurality of inserts. In some aspects, the plurality of inserts have a length of between about 800 and about 1,100 base pairs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Winnie Liang, John Carpten, David Craig