Danisco US Inc.

Genencor International, Inc.

Rasmus B Jensen

Bradley R Kelemen

Donald E Ward, Ii

Richard Ray Bott

Joseph Charles McAuliffe

Gregory Marshall Whited

Wyatt Charles Smith

Alfred E Asato

Joseph C Mcauliffe

Donald E Ward Ii

The present invention provides a solid material comprising an immobilized mixture of two or more proteorhodopsins, two or more bacteriorhodopsins, or one or more bacteriorhodopsin and one or more proteorhodopsins. The proteorhodopsins are selected from the group consisting of all-trans-retinal-containing proteorhodopsins and retinal analog-containing proteorhodopsins; all of which have absorption spectra that do not overlap. The bacteriorhodopsins are selected from the group consisting of all-trans-retinal-containing bacteriorhodopsins and retinal analog-containing bacteriorhodopsins; all of which have absorption spectra that do not overlap. The present invention also provides an optical information carrier, such as an optical data storage material and a fraud-proof optical data carrier, comprising the above-described solid material and a substrate selected from the group consisting of glass, paper, metal, fabric material, and plastic material, wherein said solid material is deposited on said substrate. The present invention further provides security ink comprising one or more hydrophilic polymers and a mixture of various photochromic materials.

Composition comprising various proteorhodopsins and/or bacteriorhodopsins and use thereof

The present invention relates to materials comprising hydrophilic polymers and immobilized proteorhodopsin and the use of such materials as an optical information carrier. The material comprises one or more hydrophilic polymers that are capable to form a homogeneous phase with proteorhodopsin prior to solidification to a solid form. The hydrophilic polymer, for example, is silica sol-gel, gelatin, polyvinylalcohol, agarose, agar, methyl cellulose, polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, polyethylene glycol, or a mixture thereof. The solid material having immobilized proteorhodopsin is deposited on a substrate selected from the group consisting of glass, paper, metal, fabric material, plastic material, and used as an optical data storage material or a fraud-proof carrier. The present invention further provides a security ink comprising proteorhodopsin and one or more hydrophilic polymers.

Method for preparing solid materials comprising immobilized proteorhodopsin

The present invention relates to a photochromic material comprising a proteorhodopsin apoprotein and a retinal analog. In one embodiment, the retinal analog is an azulenic retinoid compound. In another embodiment, the retinal analog is a compound that is structurally similarly to all-trans-retinal. The proteorhodopsin apoprotein and the retinal analog form a photochromic material having different spectral properties from those of a corresponding photochromic material formed by the same proteorhodopsin apoprotein and all-trans-retinal. In one embodiment of the application, the retinal analog-containing proteorhodopsin has an absorbance spectrum that does not overlap significantly with that of all-trans-retinal-containing proteorhodopsin. In another embodiment of the application, the retinal analog-containing proteorhodopsin yields a red-shifted visual chromophore compared with the all-trans-retinal-containing proteorhodopsin chromophore. The photochromic material of the present invention is useful as an optical data storage carrier, a fraud-proof optical data carrier, security ink, and in other optical applications.

Photochromic material comprising a proteorhodopsin apoprotein and a retinal analog

The present invention is directed to a proteorhodopsin mutant having improved optical characteristics. One improved optical characteristic is having a lower pH (pK) at which equal concentrations of the acidic and basic spectral form of the proteorhodopsin molecules are present. Another improved optical characteristic is having a smaller difference in maximum absorption wavelength between the basic and the acidic form. The mutant comprises a mutation in a conserved amino acid residue of a proteorhodopsin variant, which causes spectral shifts. A preferred mutation site is a conserved histidine residue at amino acid positionof Bac31A8, or positionof Hot75m1, or its equivalent position of a proteorhodopsin variant. Another preferred mutation site is a conserved arginine residue at amino acid positionof Bac31A8, or positionof Hot75m1, or its equivalent position of a proteorhodopsin variant.

Proteorhodopsin mutants with improved optical characteristics

Optical information carrier comprising immobilized proteorhodopsin

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Hedehusene, Denmark

Rasmus B Jensen