[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