E6-12132. Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing

AGENCY:

National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, HHS.

ACTION:

Notice.

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: [phone]; fax: [phone]. A signed Confidential Disclosure Agreement will be required to receive copies of the patent applications.

On-Demand Protein Microarrays: In Vitro Assembly of Protein Microarrays

Description of Technology: Protein microarrays are becoming an indispensable biomedical tool to facilitate rapid high-throughput detection of protein-protein, protein-drug and protein-DNA interactions for large groups of proteins. The novel Protein Microarray of this invention is essentially a DNA microarray that becomes a protein microarray on demand and provides an efficient systematic approach to the study of protein interactions and drug target identification and validation, thereby speeding up the discovery process. The technology allows a large number of proteins to be synthesized and immobilized at their individual site of expression on an ordered array without the need for protein purification. As a result, proteins are ready for subsequent use in binding studies and other analysis.

The Protein Microarray is based on high affinity and high specificity of the protein-nucleic acid interaction of the Tus protein and the Ter site of E. coli. The DNA templates are arrayed on the microarray to perform dual function: (1) synthesizing the protein in situ (cell-free protein synthesis) in the array and (2) at the same time capturing the protein it synthesizes by DNA-protein interaction. This method utilizes an expression vector containing a DNA sequence which serves a dual purpose: (a) encoding proteins of interest fused to the Tus protein for in vitro synthesis of the protein and (b) encoding the Ter sequence, which captures the fusion protein through the high affinity interaction with the Tus protein.

Applications: (1) Simultaneous analysis of interactions of many proteins with other proteins, antibodies, nucleic acids, lipids, drugs, etc, in a single experiment; (2) Efficient discovery of novel drugs and drug targets.

Development Status: The technology is in early stages of development.

Inventors: Deb K. Chatterjee, Kalavathy Sitaraman, James L. Hartley, David J. Munroe, Cassio Baptista (NCI).

Patent Status: U.S. Patent Application No. 11/252,735 filed 19 Oct 2005 (HHS Reference No. E-244-2005/0-US-01).

Licensing Status: Available for non-exclusive and exclusive licensing.

Licensing Contact: Cristina Thalhammer-Reyero, Ph.D., M.B.A.; 301-435-4507; [e-mail].

Collaborative Research Opportunity: The National Cancer Institute Protein Expression Laboratory is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize in vitro assembly of protein microarrays. Please contact Betty Tong at 301-594-4263 or [e-mail] for more information.

Dated: July 24, 2006.

Steven M. Ferguson,

Director, Division of Technology Development and Transfer, Office of Technology Transfer, National Institutes of Health.