[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 166 (Monday, August 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50932-50933]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-14190]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Prospective Grant of Exclusive License: System and Methods for 
Detecting and Characterizing Macromolecular Interactions in Solution

AGENCY: National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This is notice, in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 209(c)(1) and 37 
CFR 404.7(a)(1)(i), that the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 
Department of Health and Human Services, is contemplating the grant of 
an exclusive license to practice the inventions embodied in PCT 
(application number pending) filed July 28, 2006 from U.S. provisional 
application 60/703,814 (E-167-2005/0-US-01), entitled ``System and 
Methods for Detecting and Characterizing Macromolecular Interactions in 
Solution'' (Inventors: Drs. Allen Minton and Arun Attri) to Wyatt 
Technology Corporation (hereafter Wyatt), having a place of business in 
Goleta, California. The patent rights in these inventions have been 
assigned to the United States of America.

DATES: Only written comments and/or application for a license, which 
are received by the NIH Office of Technology Transfer on or before 
October 27, 2006 will be considered.

ADDRESSES: Requests for a copy of the patent application, inquiries, 
comments and other materials relating to the contemplated license 
should be directed to: Chekesha Clingman, Ph.D., Office of Technology 
Transfer, National Institutes of Health, 6011 Executive Boulevard, 
Suite 325, Rockville, MD 20852-3804; e-mail: [email protected]; 
telephone: (301) 435-5018; facsimile: (301) 402-0220.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The present invention relates to systems and 
methods for sensitive detection and characterization of macromolecular 
interactions in homogenous or heterogeneous solutions of 
macromolecules, such as proteins, DNA, RNA, biopolymers, organic and 
inorganic polymers, macromolecular pharmaceutical compounds and others. 
The methods employed by this system do not require the need for 
labeling or chemical modification of any test substance, and it is more 
rapid than any conventional methods. The system includes a dispenser to 
dispense a solution containing the macromolecule, and one or more 
detectors to measure a light scattering and concentration associated 
with the macromolecule in solution. For instance, the first detector 
can be a light scattering detector (such as a static light-scattering 
detector). The second detector (such as a UV-Vis detector) can be added 
in to measure light absorbance and hence concentration. The detectors 
can be arranged in parallel, to receive identical flow of solution from 
the dispenser, so that at any given time point, both detectors collect 
data on flow of identical concentrations.
    The prospective exclusive license will be royalty bearing and will 
comply with the terms and conditions of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7. 
The prospective exclusive license may be granted unless, within 60 days 
from the date of this published Notice, NIH receives written evidence 
and argument that establishes that the grant of the license would not 
be consistent with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 209 and 37 CFR 404.7.
    The field of use may be limited to the development of a system and 
method for detecting and characterizing macromolecular interactions in 
solution.
    Properly filed competing applications for a license filed in 
response to this notice will be treated as objections to the 
contemplated license. Comments

[[Page 50933]]

and objections submitted in response to this notice will not be made 
available for public inspection, and, to the extent permitted by law, 
will not be released under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 
552.

    Dated: August 21, 2006.
Steven M. Ferguson,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E6-14190 Filed 8-25-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P