Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100175141 | TUNABLE GENETIC SWITCH FOR REGULATING GENE EXPRESSION - The present invention relates generally the field of genetics, in particular methods, compositions and systems for controlling the inducible expression of transgenes, while eliminating background expression of transgene expression. The present invention relates to methods of use of the compositions and systems as disclosed herein for controlling the inducible expression of transgenes while eliminating background expression of transgene expression, such as use in, for example, the in generation of transgenic animals, use in therapeutic application and use in assays. In some embodiments, the present invention relates to a system of controlled expression of RNAi molecules which target binding sites in the untranslated regions of transgene, thereby the expression of the transgene is modulated and leakiness is reduced. The compositions and methods of the present invention can be used to for therapy, prophylaxis, research and diagnostics in diseases and disorders which afflict mammalian species, generation of transgenic animals, in the study of biological processes as well as for enhance performance of agricultural crops. | 07-08-2010 |
20100322903 | ENGINEERED BACTERIOPHAGES AS ADJUVANTS FOR ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF - The present invention relates to the treatment and prevention of bacteria and bacterial infections. In particular, the present invention relates to engineered bacteriophages used in combination with antimicrobial agents to potentiate the antimicrobial effect and bacterial killing by the antimicrobial agent. The present invention generally relates to methods and compositions comprising engineered bacteriophages and antimicrobial agents for the treatment of bacteria, and more particularly to bacteriophages comprising agents that inhibit antibiotic resistance genes and/or cell survival genes, and/or bacteriophages comprising repressors of SOS response genes or inhibitors of antimicrobial defense genes and/or expressing an agent which increases the sensitivity of bacteria to an antimicrobial agent in combination with at least one antimicrobial agent, and their use thereof. | 12-23-2010 |
20110097721 | IN VIVO GENE SENSORS - Described are methods and compositions for the detection of target genes. The inventors have developed a synthetic nucleic acid sensor-effector gene circuit. In cells without a target gene, the circuit suppresses e.g., effector production, but in the presence of the target gene the suppression is subject to competition, such that the synthetic sensor is de-repressed and permits expression of the effector gene. The methods and compositions described further permit the selective expression of an effector gene in those cells expressing the target gene. In this manner, cells expressing a target gene can be selectively targeted for treatment or elimination. In certain aspects, the methods and compositions described permit the selective expression of an agent such as a therapeutic gene product, in a specifically targeted population of cells in an organism. | 04-28-2011 |
20110119259 | NETWORK BIOLOGY APPROACH FOR IDENTIFYING TARGETS FOR COMBINATION THERAPIES - Described herein is a network biology approach useful for the identification of multiple therapeutic targets, which can be targeted simultaneously using an agent (or a plurality of agents) to modulate cellular phenotypes, or in combination with pharmaceutical compounds to improve drug sensitivity and/or reduce drug doses to maintain efficacy while minimizing side effects. The preferred approach disclosed herein relies on first identifying the mediators of a condition of interest, and second, selecting gene combinations that are in competing/parallel pathways as targets for combination therapy. | 05-19-2011 |
20120003630 | MODULAR NUCLEIC ACID-BASED CIRCUITS FOR COUNTERS, BINARY OPERATIONS, MEMORY, AND LOGIC - We have created novel engineered genetic counter designs and methods of use thereof that utilize DNA recombinases to provide modular systems, termed single invertase memory modules (SIMMs), for encoding memory in cells and cellular systems. Our designs are easily extended to compute to high numbers, by utilizing the >100 known recombinases to create subsequent modules. Flexibility in our engineered genetic counter designs is provided by daisy-chaining individual modular components, i.e., SIMMs together. These modular components of the engineered genetic counters can be combined in other network topologies to create circuits that perform, amongst other things, logic and memory. Our novel engineered genetic counter designs allow for the maintenance of memory and provide the ability to count between discrete states by expressing the recombinases between their cognate recognition sites. | 01-05-2012 |
20120244126 | ENGINEERED ENZYMATICALLY ACTIVE BACTERIOPHAGE AND METHODS FOR DISPERSING BIOFILMS - The present invention is directed to engineered enzymatically active bacteriophages that are both capable of killing the bacteria by lysis and dispersing the bacterial biofilm because they have been also engineered to express biofilm-degrading enzymes, particularly dispersin B (DspB), an enzyme that hydrolyzes β-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, a crucial adhesion molecule needed for biofilm formation and integrity in | 09-27-2012 |
20130009799 | BIOLOGICAL ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL AND DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTERS - Described herein are novel biological converter switches that utilize modular components, such as genetic toggle switches and single invertase memory modules (SIMMs), for converting analog inputs to digital outputs, and digital inputs to analog outputs, in cells and cellular systems. Flexibility in these biological converter switches is provided by combining individual modular components, i.e., SIMMs and genetic toggle switches, together. These biological converter switches can be combined in a variety of network topologies to create circuits that act, for example, as switchboards, and regulate the production of an output product(s) based on the combination and nature of input signals received. | 01-10-2013 |
20130034907 | BIOLOGICAL CIRCUIT CHEMOTACTIC CONVERTERS - Described herein are novel biological circuit chemotactic converter that utilize modular components, such as genetic toggle switches and single invertase memory modules (SIMMs), for detecting and converting external inputs, such as chemoattractants, into outputs that allow for autonomous chemotaxis in cellular systems. Flexibility in these biological circuit chemotactic converter is provided by combining individual modular components, i.e., SIMMs and genetic toggle switches, together. These biological converter switches can be combined in a variety of network topologies to create network systems that regulate chemotactic responses based on the combination and nature of input signals received. | 02-07-2013 |
20130053432 | IN VIVO GENE SENSORS - Described are methods and compositions for the detection of target genes. The inventors have developed a synthetic nucleic acid sensor-effector gene circuit. In cells without a target gene, the circuit suppresses e.g., effector production, but in the presence of the target gene the suppression is subject to competition, such that the synthetic sensor is de-repressed and permits expression of the effector gene. The methods and compositions described further permit the selective expression of an effector gene in those cells expressing the target gene. In this manner, cells expressing a target gene can be selectively targeted for treatment or elimination. In certain aspects, the methods and compositions described permit the selective expression of an agent such as a therapeutic gene product, in a specifically targeted population of cells in an organism. | 02-28-2013 |
20130311159 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR REVERSE ENGINEERING MODELS OF BIOLOGICAL NETWORKS - The present invention provides methods and accompanying computer-based systems and computer-executable code stored on a computer-readable medium for constructing a model of a biological network. The invention further provides methods for performing sensitivity analysis on a biological network and for identifying major regulators of species in the network and of the network as a whole. In addition, the invention provides methods for identifying targets of a perturbation such as that resulting from exposure to a compound or an environmental change. The invention further provides methods for identifying phenotypic mediators that contribute to differences in phenotypes of biological systems. | 11-21-2013 |
20140161772 | ENGINEERED ENZYMATICALLY ACTIVE BACTERIOPHAGE AND METHODS FOR DISPERSING BIOFILMS - The present invention is directed to engineered enzymatically active bacteriophages that are both capable of killing the bacteria by lysis and dispersing the bacterial biofilm because they have been also engineered to express biofilm-degrading enzymes, particularly dispersin B (DspB), an enzyme that hydrolyzes β-1,6-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, a crucial adhesion molecule needed for biofilm formation and integrity in | 06-12-2014 |
20140178864 | MODULAR NUCLEIC ACID-BASED CIRCUITS FOR COUNTERS, BINARY OPERATIONS, MEMORY, AND LOGIC - We have created novel engineered genetic counter designs and methods of use thereof that utilize DNA recombinases to provide modular systems, termed single invertase memory modules (SIMMs), for encoding memory in cells and cellular systems. Our designs are easily extended to compute to high numbers, by utilizing the >100 known recombinases to create subsequent modules. Flexibility in our engineered genetic counter designs is provided by daisy-chaining individual modular components, i.e., SIMMs together. These modular components of the engineered genetic counters can be combined in other network topologies to create circuits that perform, amongst other things, logic and memory. Our novel engineered genetic counter designs allow for the maintenance of memory and provide the ability to count between discrete states by expressing the recombinases between their cognate recognition sites. | 06-26-2014 |
20140308367 | METHODS OF TREATING GRAM-NEGATIVE MICROBIAL INFECTIONS - Provided herein are methods and compositions for treatment of a microbial infection or a microbial biofilm in a subject or on a surface by administering to the subject or surface determined to have or suspected of having a microbial infection/film an antimicrobial agent in combination with a silver-containing compound (e.g., a silver salt). In some embodiments, a silver-containing compound can increase activity of the antimicrobial agent. In other embodiments, addition of a silver-containing compound to an antimicrobial agent can expand the antimicrobial spectrum of the antimicrobial agent such that the antimicrobial agent originally indicated for treatment of one microbial strain (e.g., Gram-positive microbes) becomes effective for treating additional microbial strains (e.g., Gram-negative microbes). Other aspects relating to methods and compositions for delivering an agent to a microbe by increasing the membrane permeability of the microbe are also provided herein. | 10-16-2014 |
20150050717 | BACTERIOPHAGES EXPRESSING ANTIMICROBIAL PEPTIDES AND USES THEREOF - The present invention is generally related to engineered bacteriophages expressing antimicrobial peptides or lytic enzymes or fragments thereof for targeting a broad spectrum of bacterial hosts, and for the long-term suppression of bacterial phage resistance for reducing bacterial infections. In some embodiments, bacteriophages express antimicrobial peptides or antimicrobial polypeptides (e.g. phage lytic enzymes) which are secreted from the host bacteria, or alternatively released upon lysis of the bacterial host cell. Aspects of the present invention also relate to the use of the engineered bacteriophages for the reduction of bacterial infections, both in a subject or for bioremediation purposes, in clinical settings and wound healing. | 02-19-2015 |
20150071904 | COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS TO BOOST ENDOGENOUS ROS PRODUCTION FROM BACTERIA - Provided herein are compositions and methods comprising ROS target modulators that increase ROS flux and endogenus ROS production, thereby potentiating oxidative attack by antibiotics and biocides. | 03-12-2015 |