U.S. Patent Gives Chromatin Inc. Exclusive Mini-Chromosome Rights in Plants.CHICAGO -- Chromatin chromatin: see chromosome. , Inc., a leader in the design, delivery and use of mini-chromosomes, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO or USPTO) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides patent protection to inventors and businesses for their inventions, and trademark registration for product and intellectual property has issued U.S. Patent No. 7,119,250 entitled Plant centromere centromere Structure in a chromosome that holds together the two chromatids. It is the point of attachment to the structure that pulls the chromatids to opposite ends of the cell during cell division (see mitosis). compositions. This landmark patent permits construction of mini-chromosomes as vectors for plant and animal cells and includes techniques for creating transgenic trans·ge·nic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or being an organism whose genome has been altered by the transfer of a gene or genes from another species or breed: transgenic mice. 2. plants using engineered mini-chromosomes. Importantly, this patent is not specific to a particular plant species, but instead provides Chromatin with exclusive rights to use mini-chromosome technology in all plants. The issued patent covers technology developed by Drs. Daphne Preuss, Gregory Copenhaver and Kevin Keith at The University of Chicago. The patent has been exclusively licensed to Chromatin and allows the Company to sublicense sub·li·cense n. A license giving rights of production or marketing of products or services to a person or company that is not the primary holder of such rights. tr.v. the technology for commercial development. It further strengthens Chromatin's intellectual property position, adding to the Company's portfolio of over 40 patents, applications and inventions that cover the design, delivery and use of mini-chromosomes. Alan Thomas Alan Thomas is a British-based guitarist who performs on both classical and electric guitar. He was born in Atlanta and completed his studies with Ernesto Bitetti at Indiana University, as well as at the University of California at San Diego, where his teachers included , director of U Chicago Tech, the technology-transfer office at the University of Chicago, said "This is an important patent for the University and Chromatin, and reflective of the breadth and impact of this technology." Progress at Chromatin is also featured as an example of an unusually promising and successful tech-transfer project in the February 1, 2007 issue of the University of Chicago Chronicle. In addition to awarding Chromatin exclusive rights to mini-chromosomes in plants, this patent also describes technology that makes it possible to add several genes ("gene stacks Eugene Stack (1920 - 1942) was a pitcher in minor league baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox organization. He became the first player from a major league roster to be drafted during World War II and also the first to die in service. ") simultaneously to a plant, reducing the time and expense to commercialize new products. In addition, the identification of nucleic acid nucleic acid, any of a group of organic substances found in the chromosomes of living cells and viruses that play a central role in the storage and replication of hereditary information and in the expression of this information through protein synthesis. sequences that function as plant centromeres has allowed Chromatin to generate stably inherited DNA constructs and mini-chromosomes in several plant species. About Chromatin: Chromatin, Inc. develops and markets novel proprietary technology that enables entire chromosomes to be designed and incorporated into plant cells. These engineered chromosomes make it possible for the first time to simultaneously introduce multiple genes into a plant cell while maintaining precise control of gene expression. Chromatin is employing these new genetic tools to design and market products that confer commercially valuable traits in plants, including improved nutritional and health characteristics, and can be used for industrial, agricultural and pharmaceutical product development. For additional information visit www.chromatininc.com |
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