Qiagen has been awarded US Patent No. 7,863,050, "Methods and compositions for purification of nucleic acid from a host cell."
Michael Domanico, Matt Myers, Kristian Keane, Lisa Braun, and Thomas Kolzau are named as inventors on the patent.
Provides methods and compositions for gently lysing and solubilizing cells. Further provides methods and compositions for quickly purifying high-quality, low-molecular-weight nucleic acid from host cells. Target cells are treated with a pre-chilled lysis solution having a zwitterionic detergent, for example n-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate, and a brief room-temperature incubation. Where nucleic acid purification is required, the lysis solution-treated cells are contacted with a nucleic acid capture matrix having an average pore size of at least about 1 µm.
Philips Electronics has been awarded US Patent No. 7,863,022, "Amplification of nucleic acids with magnetic detection."
Menno Willem Jose Prins, Aart Van Amerongen, and Maatje Koets are named as inventors on the patent.
Provides a method of amplifying nucleic acids and determining the amount of amplified nucleic acids using magnetic detection. The detection can be performed during the amplification process of the nucleic acid. During the detection, the amplified nucleic acid is bound to a sensor via a biological molecule.
Affymetrix has been awarded US Patent No. 7,862,999, "Multiplex targeted amplification using flap nuclease."
Jianbiao Zheng, Weng Li, and Malek Faham are named as inventors on the patent.
Discloses methods for multiplex amplification of a plurality of targets of distinct sequence from a complex mixture. In one aspect, targets are circularized using a single circularization probe that is complementary to two regions in the target that flank a region to be amplified. The targets may hybridize to the circularization probe so that 5' or 3' flaps are generated. The patent also discloses methods for removing flaps and circularizing the resulting product. In another aspect, targets are hybridized to dU probes so that 5' and 3' flaps are generated. The flaps are cleaved using 5' or 3' flap endonucleases or 3'-to-5' exonucleases. The target sequences are then ligated to common primers, the dU probes digested, and the ligated targets amplified.
Sysmex has been awarded US Patent No. 7,862,997, "Primer and primer set for amplification of CEA nucleic acid, and method for assisting cancer diagnosis."
Motonari Daitho is the sole inventor named on the patent.
Provides a nucleic acid amplification primer that can detect carcinoembryonic antigen mRNA. Also provides nucleic acid amplification primer sets; methods to amplify nucleic acid for detecting mRNA of the gene that encodes CEA; and a method for assisting cancer diagnosis.
The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army has been awarded US Patent No. 7,862,773, "Purification apparatus."
Sofi Ibrahim is the sole inventor named on the patent.
Provides a purification apparatus, kit, and method for purifying DNA, RNA, proteins, antigens, antibodies, and cells. The apparatus has a wand and a reservoir tube. The wand is made of a cap, a sample collection assembly, and an elongated shaft connecting the cap to the sample collection assembly. The sample collection assembly has a series of microstructures on its surface, or microparticles enclosed within it, for increasing the surface area of the sample collection assembly. The increased surface area permits maximum exposure to and binding of target molecules thereto. The reservoir tube associated with the wand has one end defining an opening and a second end that is closed and preferably cone or cylindrical shaped. The cap of the wand securely and sealingly fastens to the open end of the reservoir tube with the shaft and the sample collection assembly fitting easily inside the reservoir tube. The apparatus, kit, and methods can be used for protein and nucleic acid detection by colorimetric, luminescent, fluorescent, or electrochemical means through attachments for detecting such signals; in conjunction with an attachment for thermal regulation to perform nucleic acid amplification; or configured for integrated, high-throughput purification and detection of proteins and nucleic acids.
Gen-Probe has been awarded US Patent No. 7,858,347, "Compositions and methods for determining the presence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in a test sample."
Melissa Cunningham is the sole inventor named on the patent.
Describes oligonucleotides for use in determining the presence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae in a test sample. The oligonucleotides are incorporated into detection probes, capture probes, and amplification oligonucleotides, and can be used in various combinations thereof, the patent's abstract states.
Yokogawa Electric has been awarded US Patent No. 7,858,045, "Chemical reaction cartridge and method of using same."
Takeo Tanaami, Saya Satou, and Hisao Katakura are named as inventors on the patent.
The patent describes a cartridge adaptable to various measurement forms. The patent also describes a method of using the cartridge in which a sample is injected into a well via an injection path. When a roller pressed into contact with the cartridge is rotated rightward, the sample held in one well and liquid solvent held in another well are caused to reach a different well via flow paths, thereby mixing the sample with the liquid solvent, according to the patent's abstract. The mixed liquid is then branched into flow paths to reach additional wells, and reagents pre-held in wells are caused to flow into the former wells. Next, temperatures in the wells are controlled, thereby executing DNA amplification; and PCR byproducts are transferred to a position in the vicinity of an electrode via flow paths. Subsequently, a voltage is applied across the electrode … to thereby cause the PCR byproducts to undergo electrophoresis, the abstract states.
Gamida for Life has been awarded US Patent No. 7,857,957, "Integrated portable biological detection system."
Jing Cheng, Lei Wu, Michael Heller, Edward Sheldon, Jonathan Diver, James O'Connell, Dan Smolko, Shila Jalali, and David Willoughby are named as inventors on the patent.
The patent describes a process by which bacterial and cancer cells from peripheral human blood are separated in microfabricated electronic chips by dielectrophoresis. The isolated cells are examined by staining the nuclei with fluorescent dye followed by laser-induced fluorescence imaging. DNA and RNA are then released from the isolated cells electronically; and specific marker sequences are detected by DNA amplification followed by electronic hybridization to immobilized capture probes. The patent also describes efforts towards the construction of a "laboratory-on-a-chip" system, which involves the selection of DNA probes, dyes, reagents, and prototyping of the fully integrated portable instrument.