Patents by Inventor Zhenyu Zhu

Zhenyu Zhu 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: 20250236860
    Abstract: The invention includes a mutant T7 DNA ligase or a biologically active fragment thereof, which has greater activity than wild type T7 DNA ligase. The mutant T7 DNA ligase, or the biologically active fragment, has one or more substitutions differing from the wild type, as described more fully in the Summary. The preferred mutant T7 DNA ligase has at least one of the following mutations: E63K (SEQ ID NO:4), K73E (SEQ ID NO:6), K137E (SEQ ID NO:7), K174E (SEQ ID NO:9), E182K (SEQ ID NO:11), K210E (SEQ ID NO: 13), E243K (SEQ ID NO:15), D245R (SEQ ID NO: 17), E268K (SEQ ID NO:19), E272K (SEQ ID NO:21), E289K (SEQ ID NO:23), K295E (SEQ ID NO:25) and D336R (SEQ ID NO:27).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2024
    Publication date: July 24, 2025
    Inventors: Dapeng Sun, Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby
  • Patent number: 12359185
    Abstract: A number of T4 DNA ligase mutants exhibiting enhanced ligation activity in the presence of high salt concentrations compared to the wild-type ligase were engineered, characterized, and selected via gel electrophoresis of ligation products from a standard ligation assay. Ligase catalyzes the formation of phosphodiester bonds between the 5? and 3? ends of complementary cohesive ends or blunt ends of duplex DNA, a process that is vital to numerous molecular biology processes including cloning and sequencing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: AbClonal Science, Inc.
    Inventors: Alicia DiCicco, Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby
  • Publication number: 20250122489
    Abstract: The invention relates to covalently bonding a protein/polypeptide with lower thermostability to a target protein with higher thermostability can reduce thermostability (increase thermolability) of the target protein. Thereafter, the target protein function can be deactivated by either heating it, even to a relatively low temperature, or by carrying out a reaction with it in the reaction mixture, at high temperature. Either way, the target protein's function is inactivated, thus reducing some of its long-acting side activity. This method for reducing thermostability of a target protein can inhibit the star activity of any restriction enzyme, including but not limited to BsaI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2024
    Publication date: April 17, 2025
    Inventor: Zhenyu Zhu
  • Patent number: 12258590
    Abstract: The invention includes a mutant Taq polymerase, which can significantly extend and amplify a target sequence where the extension conditions are time limited to as little as one second. The mutant Taq polymerase, or a biologically active fragment thereof, has one or more substitutions differing from the wild type as shown in Table I.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: ABCLONAL SCIENCE, INC.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Dapeng Sun
  • Publication number: 20250075220
    Abstract: An improved method of site directed mutagenesis on plasmids by PCR is described, where at least two mutations are added to the parts of the plasmid DNA by site direct mutagenesis. One mutation is an intended mutation, and the other mutation changes the function of the mutated plasmid from the function of the template plasmid. The functional change is one to allow reduction of the retention of non-integrated template DNA, even in the absence of wild type template digestion with DpnI.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2024
    Publication date: March 6, 2025
    Inventor: Zhenyu Zhu
  • Publication number: 20250051739
    Abstract: The invention includes a mutant Taq polymerase, which can effectively amplify a target sequence under conditions of salt concentration(s) similar to body fluids, including blood, serum or plasma preserved with sodium citrate. The mutant Taq polymerase, or a biologically active fragment thereof, has one or more substitutions differing from the wild type as shown in Table I.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2024
    Publication date: February 13, 2025
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Dapeng Sun, Weiling Peng
  • Patent number: 12217500
    Abstract: Automatic terrain evaluation of landing surfaces, and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. A representative method includes receiving a request to land a movable object and, in response to the request, identifying a target landing area on a landing surface based on at least one image of the landing surface obtained by the movable object. The method can further include directing the movable object to land at the target landing area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: SZ DJI TECHNOLOGY CO, LTD.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Honghui Zhang, You Zhou
  • Publication number: 20240392276
    Abstract: Disclosed is using a TEV protease (wild type or mutant) suited for removal from a reaction mixture, wherein the TEV protease displays a dual affinity tag including a chitin binding domain (CBD) tag and a histidine tag, preferably where the CBD tag precedes the N-terminus of the protease and the CBD tag is preceded by the histidine tag, which is preferably a 6-mer histidine tag; and optionally further including linkers, preferably Gly-Ser linkers, and more preferably a 6-mer Gly-Ser linker, between the tags. A linker, also preferably a Gly-Ser linker, can also follow the CBD tag and precede the protease portion. In certain embodiments, no such linkers are present and in other embodiments, only one such linker is present.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Dapeng Sun, Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby
  • Publication number: 20240392336
    Abstract: Disclosed is a novel T7 DNA ligase mutant with the mutation R129D, that had higher specificity toward cohesive end-ligation even in the presence of polyethylene glycol. Controlling the composition of final ligation products is important and thus, a variant which improves the specificity of T7 DNA ligase to cohesive ends will generate more reliable results.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Dapeng Sun, Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby
  • Publication number: 20240392264
    Abstract: Taq DNA polymerase mutants exhibiting reverse transcriptase activity compared to wild type polymerase were engineered, characterized, and selected via polymerase chain reactions visualized via electrophoresis on agarose gels. Initial screening was followed up with probe-based qualitative, real-time PCR (qPCR) with a typical reverse transcription cycling protocol to detect specified ribonucleic acid (RNA) target sequences. The engineered variants can render robust cDNA from RNA target substrates and amplify that cDNA under standard reaction conditions without the assistance of added reverse transcriptase enzymes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2023
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Dapeng Sun, Aine Quimby, Nicholas J. DeBerardinis, Krista Ferrari
  • Publication number: 20240392267
    Abstract: Disclosed are Taq DNA polymerase mutants which exhibit enhanced efficiency in qPCR compared to the wild type Taq DNA polymerase. Such mutants include: V62S, V64S, A70F, F73A, A77F, P253G, E255K, D257R, A259F, A271F, L288S, E289K, S357I, L361S, L376S, P382G, T385I, G418P, R419D, E421K, L461S, A472F, E497K, L498S, E524K, D551R, R556D, S679I, L789S, E189K/E507K/E742K (See Sequence Listing Guide for the mutants' amino acid and protein sequences).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Dapeng Sun, Aine Quimby
  • Patent number: 12141356
    Abstract: Computing platforms and related methods for providing accessible user interfaces are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a display controller to a display controller to sample a region of a display frame associated with a location of a touch on a display screen of a user device and logic circuitry to, after a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) is operational in the user device and prior to loading of an operating system of the user device, identify content in the display region and cause at least one output device to generate an output representative of the content, the output including at least one of an audible output or a haptic output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Deisher, Darryl Adams, Sylvia Downing, Zhenyu Zhu, Srikanth Potluri
  • Publication number: 20240352437
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for engineering mutant enzymes with reduced star activity where the mutant enzymes have a fidelity index (FI) in a specified buffer that is greater than the FI of the non-mutated enzyme in the same buffer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2024
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: New England Biolabs, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby, Shengxi Guan, Dapeng Sun, Yishu Huang, Xuhui Lai, Siu-hong Chan, Xianghui Li, Shuang-Yong Xu, Chunhua Zhang
  • Publication number: 20240352447
    Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for enzymes with altered properties that involve a systematic approach to mutagenesis and a screening assay that permits selection of the desired proteins. Embodiments of the method are particularly suited for modifying specific properties of restriction endonucleases such as star activity. The compositions includes restriction endonucleases with reduced star activity as defined by an overall fidelity index improvement factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2024
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: New England Biolabs, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby, Shuang-Yong Xu, Shengxi Guan, Hua Wei, Penghua Zhang, Dapeng Sun, Siu-hong Chan
  • Patent number: 12091686
    Abstract: Disclosed are Taq DNA polymerase mutants which exhibit enhanced efficiency in qPCR compared to the wild type Taq DNA polymerase. Such mutants include: V62S, V64S, A70F, F73A, A77F, P253G, E255K, D257R, A259F, A271F, L288S, E289K, S357I, L361S, L376S, P382G, T385I, G418P, R419D, E421K, L461S, A472F, E497K, L498S, E524K, D551R, R556D, S679l, L789S, E189K/E507K/E742K (See Sequence Listing Guide for the mutants' amino acid and protein sequences).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: ABclonal Science Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Dapeng Sun, Aine Quimby
  • Publication number: 20240279626
    Abstract: Either wild type or mutant Serratia marcescens Nuclease (“SMN”) is engineered to display a C-terminal Chitin Binding Domain (CBD-tag), followed, at the C-terminus side of the CBD-tag, by a poly-histidine tag (His-tag), where the His-tag is preferably a 6-mer and preferably is preceded by a Gly-Ser linker, thereby generating a recombinant SMN protein that retains dual affinity tags (a CBD-tag and a His-tag) at the C-terminus, to make it easily removed from a reaction solution following digestion of nucleic acids in the reaction mixture. It can also be used for binding SMN to a solid support for use in nucleic acid digestion in a sample contacted with the solid support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Inventors: Dapeng Sun, Aine Quimby, Zhenyu Zhu
  • Patent number: 12060587
    Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for engineering mutant enzymes with reduced star activity where the mutant enzymes have a fidelity index (FI) In a specified buffer that is greater than the FI of the non-mutated enzyme in the same buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: New England Biolabs, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby, Shengxi Guan, Dapeng Sun, Yishu Huang, Xuhui Lai, Siu-hong Chan, Xianghui Li, Shuang-Yong Xu, Chunhua Zhang
  • Patent number: 12054707
    Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for enzymes with altered properties that involve a systematic approach to mutagenesis and a screening assay that permits selection of the desired proteins. Embodiments of the method are particularly suited for modifying specific properties of restriction endonucleases such as star activity. The compositions includes restriction endonucleases with reduced star activity as defined by an overall fidelity index improvement factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: New England Biolabs, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby, Shuang-Yong Xu, Shengxi Guan, Hua Wei, Penghua Zhang, Dapeng Sun, Siu-hong Chan
  • Publication number: 20240247246
    Abstract: The invention includes a mutant T7 DNA ligase or a biologically active fragment thereof, which has greater activity than wild type T7 DNA ligase, on a blunt-ended dsDNA substrate. The mutant T7 DNA ligase, or the biologically active fragment, has one or more substitutions differing from the wild type, which are E63K (SEQ ID NO:3; SEQ ID NO:4), D132R (SEQ ID NO:5; SEQ ID NO:6), E243K (SEQ ID NO:7; SEQ ID NO: 8), D245R (SEQ ID NO:9; SEQ ID NO: 10), E272K (SEQ ID NO:11; SEQ ID NO: 12), D288R (SEQ ID NO:13; SEQ ID NO:14), E289K (SEQ ID NO:15; SEQ ID NO: 16), and E292K (SEQ ID NO:17; SEQ ID NO:18).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2024
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Inventors: Dapeng Sun, Zhenyu Zhu, Aine Quimby
  • Publication number: 20240240220
    Abstract: The invention relates to a seamless cloning method, comprising a single assembly step of two or more polynucleotides, e.g., a plasmid vector and a gene insert, conducted at 58 to 100° C., the preferred temperature(s) being the same or greater than a particular one of the following temperatures: 58° C., 59° C., 60° C., 61° C., 62° C., 63° C., 64° C., 65° C., 66° C., 67° C., 68° C., 69° C., 70° C., 71° C., 72° C., 73° C., 74° C., 75° C., 76° C., 77° C., 78° C., 79° C., 80° C., 84° C., 88° C., 92° C., 96° C. and 100° C., and a transformation into chemically competent cells for covalent linking, preferably including a static recovery period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2024
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventor: Zhenyu Zhu