Yale University

The Scripps Research Institute

Other

University of Colorado

Ronald R Breaker

Gerald F Joyce

Narasimhan Sudarsan

John K Wickiser

Ali Nahvi

Margaret S Ebert

Wade Winkler

Jeffrey E Barrick

Leonid Beigelman

James L Nelson

Sanshu Li

Izabela J Puskarz

Kenneth F Blount

Tyler Ames

Adam Roth

Zasha Weinberg

Jenny Baker

Jinsoo Lim

Izabela Puskarz

Disclosed are compositions and methods for antimicrobial use. The compositions contain a small antimicrobial agent and a permeabilizing agent. The antimicrobial compositions can be antifungal or antibacterial compositions.

Antimicrobial compositions and methods

Disclosed are compounds, compositions, and methods relating to fluoride aptamers, fluoride-responsive riboswitches, fluoride-regulated expression constructs, fluoride transporters, nucleic acids encoding fluoride transporters, expression constructs encoding fluoride transporters, and cells containing or including any combination of these.

Fluoride-responsive riboswitches, fluoride transporters, and methods of use

It has been discovered that certain natural mRNAs serve as metabolite-sensitive genetic switches wherein the RNA directly binds a small organic molecule. This binding process changes the conformation of the mRNA, which causes a change in gene expression by a variety of different mechanisms. Modified versions of these natural 'riboswitches' (created by using various nucleic acid engineering strategies) can be employed as designer genetic switches that are controlled by specific effector compounds. Such effector compounds that activate a riboswitch are referred to herein as trigger molecules. The natural switches are targets for antibiotics and other small molecule therapies. In addition, the architecture of riboswitches allows actual pieces of the natural switches to be used to construct new non-immunogenic genetic control elements, for example the aptamer (molecular recognition) domain can be swapped with other non-natural aptamers (or otherwise modified) such that the new recognition domain causes genetic modulation with user-defined effector compounds. The changed switches become part of a therapy regimen&#x2014;turning on, or off, or regulating protein synthesis. Newly constructed genetic regulation networks can be applied in such areas as living biosensors, metabolic engineering of organisms, and in advanced forms of gene therapy treatments.

Riboswitches, methods for their use, and compositions for use with riboswitches

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions related to the detection of conformational changes and interactions with trigger molecules in riboswitches.

Methods and compositions related to the modulation of riboswitches

The present invention discloses nucleic acid enzymes and deoxyribonucleic acid enzymes capable of cleaving nucleic acid sequences or molecules, particularly RNA, in a site-specific manner, as well as compositions including same. Methods of making and using the disclosed enzymes and compositions are also disclosed.

Enzymatic nucleic acid molecules

The present invention discloses deoxyribonucleic acid enzymes&#x2014;catalytic or enzymatic DNA molecules&#x2014;capable of cleaving nucleic acid sequences or molecules, particularly RNA, in a site-specific manner, as well as compositions including same. Methods of making and using the disclosed enzymes and compositions are also disclosed.

Enzymatic DNA molecules

The present invention relates to novel Nucleic acid catalysts, methods of synthesis, and uses thereof.

Nucleic acid catalysts with endonuclease activity

Polynucleotides having allosteric properties that modify a function or configuration of the polynucleotide with a chemical effector and/or physical signal are employed primarily as biosensors and/or enzymes for diagostic and catalytic purposes. In some preferred embodiments, the polynucleotides are DNA enzymes that are used in solution/suspension or attached to a solid support as biosensors to detect the presence or absence of a compound, its concentration, or physical change in a sample by observation of self-catalysis. Chemical effectors include organic compounds such as amino acids, amino acid derivatives, peptides, nucleosides, nucleotides, steroids, and mixtures of these with each other and with metal ions, cellular metabolites or blood components obtained from biological samples, steroids, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, food toxins, and the like. Physical signals include radiation, temperature changes, and combinations thereof.

Bioreactive allosteric polynucleotides

The present invention discloses deoxyribonucleic acid enzymes&mdash;catalytic or enzymatic DNA molecules&mdash;capable of cleaving nucleic acid sequences or molecules, particularly RNA, in a site-specific manner, as well as compositions including same. Methods of making and using the disclosed enzymes and compositions are also disclosed.

The present invention discloses deoxyribonucleic acid enzymes--catalytic or enzymatic DNA molecules--capable of cleaving nucleic acid sequences or molecules, particularly RNA, in a site-specific manner, as well as compositions including same. Methods of making and using the disclosed enzymes and compositions are also disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Guilford, CT, United States of America

Ronald R Breaker