[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 219 (Wednesday, November 12, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66913-66915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26794]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned by an agency 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.

[[Page 66914]]

Microarray for Detection and Subtyping of Human Influenza Viruses

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial 
development are a novel influenza virus microarray and methods for 
using the microarray for the identification of existing and new types 
and subtypes of human influenza viruses. There are three types of 
influenza viruses, type A, B and C. Influenza types A or B viruses 
cause epidemics of disease almost every winter, with type A causing a 
major pandemic periodically. Influenza type A viruses are further 
divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the 
virus. These proteins are called hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase 
(N). There are 16 known HA subtypes and 9 known NA subtypes of 
influenza A viruses. Each subtype may have different combinations of H 
and N proteins. Although there are only three known A subtypes of 
influenza viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2) currently circulating among 
humans, many other different strains are circulating among birds and 
other animals and these viruses do spread to humans occasionally. There 
is a requirement for sensitive and rapid diagnostic techniques in order 
to improve both the diagnosis of infections and the quality of 
surveillance systems. This microarray platform tiles the genomes of all 
types/subtypes of influenza viruses, and is capable of correctly 
identifying all 3 types/subtypes of influenza viruses from an influenza 
vaccine sample.
    More specifically, the invention consists of: (1) Microarrays 
comprising a solid support with a plurality of n-mer influenza viral 
nucleotide segments of influenza Types A, B and C, including each 
respective subtype, and (2) methods of detecting and identifying known 
and unknown influenza viral types and subtypes by: (a) Using 
hybridization microarrays to known influenza viral nucleotide 
sequences, (b) sequencing the nucleotides which hybridize to the 
microarrays and (c) analyzing the hybridized sequences using existing 
databases, thus identifying existing or new subtypes of influenza 
viruses.
    Applications: Detection and identification of human influenza 
viruses; Efficient discovery of new subtypes of influenza viruses; 
Diagnosis of influenza outbreaks.
    Development Status: This microarray platform was capable of 
correctly identifying all 3 types/subtypes of influenza viruses from an 
influenza vaccine sample.
    Inventors: Xiaolin Wu, Cassio S. Baptista, Elizabeth Shannon, and 
David J. Munroe (NCI).
    Patent Status:
     U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/857,695 filed 07 Nov 
2006 (HHS Reference No. E-208-2006/0-US-01);
     U.S. Patent Application No. 11/936,530 filed 07 Nov 2007 
(HHS Reference No. E-208-2006/0-US-02);
     PCT Application No. PCT/US2007/023448 filed 07 Nov 2007 
(HHS Reference No. E-208-2006/0-PCT-03).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Jeffrey A. James, PhD; 301-435-5474; 
[email protected].

Novel Infrared (IR)-Transparent Hydrophilic Membrane That Can be Used 
for Filtration, Printing or Microarrays, and Cultivation of Bacteria 
and Other Microorganisms for Reagent-Free IR Spectroscopic 
Identification

    Description of Technology: Available for licensing and commercial 
development is a novel, disposable infrared (IR)-transparent, 
microporous, plasma treated polyethylene hydrophilic membrane, as well 
as methods for making and using this membrane to identify bacterial and 
other micoorganism impurities in food using IR spectroscopy. Further 
applications include: Filtering dilute aqueous bacterial suspensions, 
and growing bacterial colonies when the PE membrane is placed over an 
agar medium and incubated. The patent also describes a novel high-
throughout technique, as an alternative to manual filtration, where the 
PE membrane is used for microarray printing of intact microorganisms in 
pre-enriched medium on the treated PE substrate. Furthermore, the 
invention relates to a method of detecting mixtures of food-borne 
pathogens E. sakazakii and K. pneumonia, by using the treated PE 
membranes. Because this unique membrane is transparent to infrared 
light, isolated microcolonies of bacterial cells grown on this PE 
substrate can be fingerprinted directly by IR microspectroscopy, 
followed by multivariate analysis for the identification of the 
pathogens. The method can be applied to other cell types as well.
    This novel membrane and its applications offer an advantage over 
existing tests in that it can be used to rapidly identify presumptive 
pathogen colonies, and can be used in screening tests for a large 
number of pathogens, as well as various microorganisms and cell types. 
It can also be used to isolate microorganisms from aqueous suspensions 
as well as spores, including airborne ones.
    Inventors: Magdi M. Mossoba and Sufian Al-Khaldi (FDA).
    Patent Status:
     U.S. Patent Application No. 11/343,561 filed 30 Jan 2006 
(HHS Reference No. E-174-2005/0-US-01);
     U.S. Patent Application No. 12/150,048 filed 23 Apr 2008 
(HHS Reference No. E-174-2005/0-US-02).
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Jeffrey A. James, PhD; 301-435-5474; 
[email protected].

Molecular Motors Powered by Proteins

    Description of Technology: The technology available for licensing 
and commercial development relates to molecular motors powered by 
proteins. Some implementations describe a molecular motor in which 
multiple concentric cylinders or nested cones rotate around a common 
longitudinal axis. Opposing complementary surfaces of the cylinders or 
cones are coated with complementary motor protein pairs, such as actin 
and myosin. The actin and myosin interact with one another in the 
presence of ATP to rotate the cylinders or cones relative to one 
another, and this rotational energy is harnessed to produce work. Speed 
of movement is controlled by the concentration of ATP and the number of 
nested cylinders or cones. The length of the cylinders or cones can 
also be used to control the power generated by the motor.
    Another configuration forms the motor out of a set of stacked 
disks, much like CDs on a spindle. The advantage of this form is 
extreme simplicity of construction compared to the nested cylinders or 
cones. In yet another configuration, which has aspects of both of the 
previous forms, the surfaces are broken into annular rings in order to 
overcome that the inner surfaces rotate at a different rate than the 
outer surfaces. This belt form may ultimately be used in molecular 
manufacturing.
    Applications:
     Supplying power to prosthetic implants and other medical 
devices without external power sources.
     Many other applications that could use a motor in other 
biotechnological areas, in addition to the medical applications.
     The inventions can be implemented on either a microscopic 
or macroscopic scale.
    Development Status: Very early stage of development.

[[Page 66915]]

    Inventors: Thomas D. Schneider and Ilya G. Lyakhov (NCI).
    Relevant Publications: ``Molecular motor'', Patent Publication Nos. 
WO 2001/009181 A1, published 02/08/2001; CA 2380611A1, published 02/08/
2001; AU 6616600A, published 02/19/2001; EP 1204680A1, published 05/15/
2002; and U.S. 20020083710, published 07/04/2002.
    Patent Status:
     HHS Reference No. E-018-1999/0--International Application 
Number PCT/US 2000/20925 filed 31 Jul 2000; granted Application AU 
2002/18688 B2, and the corresponding European and Canadian applications 
being prosecuted, all entitled ``Molecular Motor''
     HHS Reference No. E-018-1999/1--U.S. Patent No. 7,349,834 
issued 25 Mar 2008, and U.S. Patent Application No. 12/011,239 filed 24 
Jan 2008, both entitled ``Molecular Motor''
    Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive or exclusive 
licensing.
    Licensing Contact: Jeffrey A. James, PhD; 301-435-5474; 
[email protected].
    Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute, 
Center for Cancer Research Nanobiology Program is seeking statements of 
capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative 
research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize the Molecular 
Rotation Engine. Please contact John D. Hewes, PhD at 301-435-3121 or 
[email protected] for more information.

    Dated: November 3, 2008.
Richard U. Rodriguez,
Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of 
Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.
 [FR Doc. E8-26794 Filed 11-10-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4140-01-P