Arena Pharmaceuticals has been awarded US Patent No. 7,108,991, “Human orphan G protein-coupled receptors.”
Inventors listed on the patent are Ruoping Chen and James Leonard.
According to its abstract, the patent protects transmembrane receptors, more particularly endogenous, human orphan G protein-coupled receptors.
Promega has been awarded US Patent No. 7,108,996, “Method for increasing luminescence assay sensitivity.”
Inventors listed on the patent are Erika Hawkins, John Centanni, Jacqueline Sankbeil, and Keith Wood.
According to its abstract, the patent protects a method for increasing the sensitivity of a bioluminescent assay. The method comprises carrying out the assay in the presence of an organic compound that reduces luminescence not dependent on the presence of an analyte by at least about 10 fold, and that reduces, maintains, or increases the luminescence that is dependent on the presence of an analyte.
Prolone has been awarded US Patent No. 7,109,315, “Renilla reniformis fluorescent proteins, nucleic acids encoding the fluorescent proteins, and the use thereof in diagnostics, high-throughput screening, and novelty items.”
Inventors listed on the patent are Bruce Bryan, Christopher Szent-Gyorgyi, and William Szczepaniak.
According to its abstract, the patent protects isolated and purified nucleic acids encoding green fluorescent proteins from Renilla reniformis, and the green fluorescent protein encoded thereby. The patent also protects mutants of the nucleic acid molecules and the modified encoded proteins. The patent also describes compositions and combinations comprising the green fluorescent proteins and/or luciferase.
Precision Therapeutics has been awarded US Patent No. 7,112,415, “Method of preparing cell cultures from biological specimens for assaying a response to an agent.”
Paul Kornblith is the sole inventor listed on the patent.
According to its abstract, the patent protects an improved system for screening a multiple of candidate therapeutic or chemotherapeutic agents for efficacy as to a specific patient, in which a tissue sample from the patient is harvested, cultured, and separately exposed to a plurality of treatments and/or therapeutic agents for the purpose of objectively identifying efficacious agents. The patent describes a tissue sample preparation technique comprising the initial preparation of cohesive multicellular particulates of the tissue sample. For assays concerning cancer treatment, a two-stage evaluation is contemplated in which both the acute cytotoxic and longer term inhibitory effect of a given anti-cancer agent are investigated. The tissue sample technique is also useful in assaying expression and/or secretion of various markers, factors, or antigens present on or produced by the cultured cells for diagnostic purposes or to monitor the applicability of certain candidate therapeutic or chemotherapeutic agents and the progress of treatment with those agents.
Xenogen (now Caliper Life Sciences) has been awarded US Patent No. 7,113,217, “Multi-view imaging apparatus.”
Inventors listed on the patent are David Nilson, Michael Cable, and Bradley Rice.
According to its abstract, the patent protects systems and methods for taking images of a sample. The sample is placed in an imaging box comprising a moveable stage that allows images of the sample to be taken from various positions and angles within the box. The images are taken by a camera and sent to a processor. Structured light images obtained from one or more views within the imaging box may be used to build a structured light representation of the sample, the abstract states.
Beckman Coulter has been awarded US Patent No. 7,113,285, “Multimode reader.”
Inventors listed on the patent are Michael Katzlinger, Joseph Atzler, and Sami Alaruri.
According to its abstract, the patent protects an apparatus for analyzing a plurality of samples in sample sites on a substrate. The apparatus has an array of spaced-apart light sources coupled to a moveable support so that one or more of the light sources can be selectively used; a frame for supporting the substrate; a detector configured to detect light; an optical relay configured to transmit light from at least one of the light sources to a sample site, and from the sample site to the detector; and a support structure for supporting the frame, the detector, and the optical relay.