Federal Tech Transfer Opportunities
During the past week, the following agencies have published notice of government-owned inventions available for licensing.
NATIONAL
INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
SUMMARY: The inventions listed below
are owned by agencies of the U.S. Government and are available for licensing
in the U.S. in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207 to achieve expeditious commercialization
of results of federally-funded research and development. Foreign patent applications
are filed on selected inventions to extend market coverage for companies and
may also be available for licensing.
ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent applications
listed below may be obtained by writing to the indicated licensing contact at
the Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive
Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7057;
fax: 301/402-0220. A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required
to receive copies of the patent applications.
Enhanced Homologous Recombination Mediated by Lambda Recombination Proteins
Donald L. Court, Daiguan Yu, E-Chaing Lee, Hilary Ellis, Nancy A. Jenkins, Neal
G. Copeland (NCI), DHHS Reference No. E-177-00/0 filed 14 Aug 2000, Licensing
Contact: Dennis Penn; 301/496-7056 ext. 211; e-mail: pennd@od.nih.gov.
The present invention concerns methods to enhance homologous recombination in bacteria and eukaryotic cells using recombination proteins derived from bacteriophage lambda. It also concerns methods for promoting homologous recombination using other recombination proteins.
Concerted use of restriction endonucleases and DNA ligases allows in vitro recombination of DNA sequences. The recombinant DNA generated by restriction and ligation may be amplified in an appropriate microorganism such as E. coli, and used for diverse purposes including gene therapy. However, the restriction-ligation approach has two practical limitations: first, DNA molecules can be precisely combined only if convenient restriction sites are available; second, because useful restriction sites often repeat in a long stretch of DNA, the size of DNA fragments that can be manipulated are limited, usually to less than about 20 kilobases.
Homologous recombination, generally defined as an exchange of homologous segments anywhere along a length of two DNA molecules, provides an alternative method for engineering DNA. In generating recombinant DNA with homologous recombination, a microorganism such as E. coli, or a eukaryotic cell such as a yeast or vertebrate cell, is transformed with an exogenous strand of DNA. The center of the exogenous DNA contains the desired transgene, whereas each flank contains a segment of homology with the cell's DNA. The exogenous DNA is introduced into the cell with standard techniques such as electroporation or calcium phosphate-mediated transfection, and recombines into the cell's DNA, for example with the assistance of recombination-promoting proteins in the cell.
In generating recombinant DNA by homologous recombination,
it is often advantageous to work with short linear segments of DNA. For example,
a mutation may be introduced into a linear segment of DNA using polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) techniques. Under proper circumstances, the mutation may then
be introduced into cellular DNA by homologous recombination. Such short linear
DNA segments can transform yeast, but subsequent manipulation of recombinant
DNA in yeast is laborious. It is generally easier to work in bacteria, but linear
DNA fragments do not readily transform bacteria (due in part to degradation
by bacterial exonucleases). Accordingly, recombinants are rare, require special
poorly-growing strains (such as RecBCD-strains) and generally require thousands
of base pairs of homology. This invention teaches an improved method of promoting
homologous recombination in bacteria. In eukaryotic cells, targeted homologous
recombination provides a basis for targeting and altering essentially any desired
sequence in a duplex DNA molecule, such as targeting a DNA sequence in a chromosome
for replacement by another sequence. This invention teaches methods useful for
treating human genetic diseases, the creation of transgenic animals, or modifying
the germline of other organisms.
Amelogenin Knockout Mice and Use as Models for Tooth Disease
Dr. Ashok Kulkarni et al. (NIDCR), DHHS Reference No. E-167-00/0, Licensing
Contact: John Rambosek; 301/496-7056 ext. 270; e-mail: rambosej@od.nih.gov.
This technology relates to transgenic knockout
mice that may serve as an animal model for dental disease. Using gene-targeting
techniques, mice have been created which are disrupted for the amelogenin gene.
These mice lack the amelogenin protein, which is normally expressed only in
the teeth. Since these mice lack this protein, they are expected to mimic an
inherited tooth disorder called ``amelogenesis imperfecta (AI)''. AI is an inherited
condition that is transmitted as a dominant trait and causes the enamel of the
tooth to be soft and thin resulting in discoloration, disintegration and disfigurement
of the teeth. The damaged teeth are also susceptible to decay. The amelogenin
knockout mice display an interesting tooth phenotype. Their maxillary incisors
are chalky white in color and opaque in appearance. These changes are associated
with mild attrition of incisor tips and molar cusps. Detailed analysis of this
phenotype is in progress. The amelogenin knockout mice may be used as an animal
model to develop therapeutic approaches to AI.
Transgenic Mouse Model for Tooth Disorders Such as Dentin Dysplasia and Dentinogenesis
Imperfecta
Drs. Thyagarajan, Sreenath, and Kulkarni (NIDCR), DHHS Reference No. E-150-00/0,
Licensing Contact: John Rambosek, Ph.D.; 301/496-7056; e-mail: rambosej@od.nih.gov.
This technology describes transgenic mice that
selectively overexpress transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta1) in odontoblast
and ameloblast cells of teeth. Ameloblasts mainly make enamel, whereas odontoblasts
make dentin. These transgenic mice mimic dental symptoms similar to those seen
in common tooth disorders such as dentin dysplasia and dentinogenesis imperfecta.
Both of these human dentin defects are inherited in an autosomal dominant manner
and appear to be caused by abnormal dentin production by odontoblasts and associated
poor mineralization of the dentin matrix. In both diseases, teeth are discolored
and fractured, causing difficulties in eating food. Experimentally, these mice
display discolored and fractured teeth with defective dentin. This transgenic
mice model will be valuable to advance our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis
underlying dentin dysplasia and dentinogenesis imperfecta and also for developing
therapeutic strategies. This material is available for licensing through a PHS
Biological Materials License.
ADDRESSES: Licensing information and copies of the U.S. patent applications
listed below may be obtained by contacting Dale Berkley, Ph.D., J.D., at the
Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive
Boulevard, Suite 325, Rockville, Maryland 20852-3804; telephone: 301/496-7735
ext. 223; fax: 301/402-0220; e-mail: berkleyd@od.nih.gov. A signed Confidential
Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive copies of the patent applications.
Automated Core Biopsy Instrument
Erik Kass, Carter Vanwaes (NIDCD), DHHS Reference No. E-269-00/0 filed 20 Sep
2000.
The invention is an automated core biopsy instrument
that may be operated with one hand. The instrument has a single activation element
that causes a stylet to advance into the tissue of interest as a cutting cannula
disposed around the stylet is fired to shear off the tissue into specimen notches
disposed in the stylet. The invention is constructed so that the stylet and
cutting cannula may be separately driven and biased. The cocking mechanism of
the automated core biopsy instrument is used to cock both the stylet assembly
and cutting cannula assemblies against separate biasing springs. Manipulation
of the cocking mechanism permits the exposure of tissue in the specimen notches
when desired. The instrument has a locking mechanism that is used to prevent
inadvertent firing of the automated core biopsy instrument.
EZ Navigator and EZ Forms Software
Andrew Schwartz, William K. Jones, Michelle R. Ugas, Ta-Jen Hu (CIT), DHHS Reference
No. E-236-00/0.
The EZStart invention is a method of accessing
a database management system that can be used to convert non-relational data
to relational data and create and manage relational data over a network such
as the Internet. The invention provides user-friendly access to data stored
in a database management system, allowing users with little or no knowledge
of database management systems to access, store and manage data using only a
web browser. EZStart provides a generic platform from which any user can select,
insert, update and delete data without creating a custom software application
for each user. The invention automatically generates navigation and data forms,
allowing access to a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) while masking
the complexity of the RDBMS. Using a function of EZStart coined EZNavigator,
users can easily maneuver through the RDBMS, view lists of objects, drill-down
into column, view and index definitions, and manage object privileges. A separate
function of EZStart, known as EZForms, allows a user to select, insert, update
and delete rows in tables. No Structured Query Language (SQL) knowledge is required
to perform these functions, but advanced users can use EZForms to generate SQL
into a text area for modification and execution of the SQL. The SQL can be saved
into and retrieved from a repository.
Integrated Low Field MRI/RF EPRI for Co-Registering Imaging of In Vivo Physiology
and Anatomy in Living Objects
Murali K. Cherukuri et al. (NCI), DHHS Reference No. E-120-99/0
filed 01 Nov 1999.
Obtaining physiological information in a non-invasive manner from living tissue will provide valuable information, rather than invasive methods that are sometimes not available and also may damage living tissue. EPRI (Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Imaging) is the technique to investigate physiological information such as oxygen imaging and pharmacokinetic imaging in a non-invasive manner after non-toxic infusion of the spin probe.
However, the disadvantage of EPRI is the lack of proper orientation of the physiological image with respect to anatomy. On the contrary, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) methods are excellent for providing images with fine anatomical detail, but are often not possible methods that provide physiological information co-registered with anatomy with clinically relevant resolution.
The current invention complements a MRI with EPRI methods to solve each method's problem described above. A low-field MRI(5-30 mT) module is integrated into an EPRI(5--20 mT) system to provide an MRI scout image to properly orient the EPRI physiological information with respect to anatomy (A common magnet/gradient coil assembly is used for both MRI and EPRI scans).
Therefore, the EPR images contain spectral information regarding the local physiological conditions such as oxygen status. This data, when overlaid with anatomical images of MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), co-register anatomical MR images and EPR physiological images.
State
Science & Technology Institute
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Fax: (614) 901-1696
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