University of Notre Dame Du Lac

Other

Malcolm James Fraser, Jr

Xu Li

Teresa A Elick

Paul D Shirk

Omaththage P Perera

James Carter

Yun-Gen Miao

Joseph Hull

Don Jarvis

Florence Teule

Bonghee Sohn

Youngsoo Kim

Kimberly Thompson

The present invention relates to DNAzymes (also known as deoxyribozymes, DNA enzymes, catalytic DNA, or DZ), which are conjugated to nanoparticles (NP) to facilitate the detection of nucleic acids. One aspect of the invention relates to compounds comprising DNAzymes conjugated to nanoparticles (DZ-NP), such as metallic or gold nanoparticles, and methods for their synthesis. Another aspect of the invention relates to methods of using the conjugated compounds to detect nucleic acids, such as genomic material or transcripts of infectious agents, such as viruses, exemplified by applications demonstrating visual detection of Flavivirus RNA molecules, such as dengue virus, or Alphavirus RNA molecules, such as chikungunya virus, in short time periods, using compositions comprising stable components.

DNAzyme-nanoparticle conjugates and methods of use thereof

Described is a unique class of antiviral molecule that can be applied to control and eliminate HIV infection in patients using myeloablation therapies and replenishment with transformed bone marrow stem cells programmed to express the antiviral molecule. These anti-viral molecules target the HIV genome in a highly conserved domain, and when expressed in cells prior to infection will cause the cell to die upon infection with HIV. Cell death insures no proliferation of new virus. Reconstituting the immune system with cells expressing these antivirals prevents re-establishment of HIV infection from reservoirs in the re-established lymphocyte and macrophage populations. Over time, reservoirs will be depleted entirely, effectively eliminating the virus. In effect, this new type of antiviral can be used to cure HIV infections.

Anti-HIV group I introns and uses thereof in treating HIV infections

The present invention provides efficient transfer of genes into host cells or embryos to transform the cells or embryos by transposition vectors using the minimal amount of nucleotide sequences in the transposon piggyBac required for gene transfer. The transformed cells or embryos may also be developed into transgenic organisms.

Methods and compositions for transposition using minimal segments of the eukaryotic transformation vector Piggybac

The present invention is directed to nucleic acid and amino acid sequences for transformation constructs containing piggyBac or tagalong transposable elements. These constructs allow for the precise excision and insertion of heterologous DNA into a host cell.

Piggybac transposon-based genetic transformation system for insects

Growing community of inventors

Granger, IN, United States of America

Malcolm James Fraser, Jr