PATENT ASSIGNMENT QUARTERLY FOR THE PERIOD FEBRUARY 1, 2007 THROUGH MARCH 19, 2007
Patents
The following assignments on behalf of the Board of Trustees of the University of Kentucky Research Foundation have been executed:
1.         U.S. Patent Application Serial Number: (to be assigned) Filed: February 28, 2007
Title: "Novel Delivery System for Providing Protein and Protein Products to Plant Surfaces"
Inventors: Drs. George Wagner and Ryan Shepard (Plant and Soil Sciences) Technical Description: The present invention relates to a system for the secretion of proteins and protein byproducts to a plant's aerial surfaces. For example, this system can be used to secrete proteins, such as an antifungal protein, phylloplanin, to a plant's aerial surfaces. Further, using the system, one can create transgenic plants that secrete desired proteins which can be collected from the plant's aerial surface.
Summary: The inventors previously discovered that plants produce an antifungal protein, phylloplanin, on their leafy surfaces. In the present invention, the inventors reveal the genetic mechanism that causes phylloplanins to be deposited on leafy surfaces. The genetic mechanism can be used to confer fungal resistance to plants not naturally having phylloplanins. In an alternative use, the genetic mechanism can be used to cause plants to deposit other useful proteins on plant surfaces.
2.         U.S. Patent Application Serial Number: (to be assigned)
Filed: February 23, 2007
Title: "Precatalysts Useful in Polyolefin Polymerization Reactions"
Inventors: Drs. Folami Ladipo, Richard Eaves, Alexey Zazybin, and Sean Parkin
(Chemistry)
Technical Description: The present invention relates to the polymerization
catalyst field and, more particularly, to precatalysts useful in polyolefin
polymerization reactions and ligand intermediates useful in the production of
these catalysts.
Summary: Many heavily used materials, such as ethylene and propylene, are
polymers of polyolefins. Because of their industrial importance, ways of
lowering the cost of production are sought. The inventors have developed
catalysts that reduce the cost of producing these important polymers.
3.         U.S. Patent Application Serial Number: (to be assigned) Filed: January 11, 2007
Title: "Composition and Method for Identifying Inducers and Repressors of the hNIS Promoter"