Intrinsic Lifesciences LLC

Aquabounty Technologies, Inc.

Xavier Lauth

Mark Westerman

Vaughn Ostland

Michael William Pennington

John T Buchanan

Jason A Stannard

The present invention provides Maternal Sterility Constructs (MSC) and methods of producing sterile progeny lacking germ cells. Female fish carrying the MSC transgene will give rise to a sterile generation, as the MSC specifically eliminates Progenitor Germ Cells (PGCs) of her progeny. These females are called lineage ending females. Male fish carrying the MSC transgene, however, give rise to fertile progeny (assuming the male is not derived from an MSC-transgenic female). Thus, MSC transgenic males can be used to propagate the transgenic line. The invention can be advantageously applied to provide effective population control and improve culture performance of farmed species, such as fish.

Maternally induced sterility in animals

The present invention provides Maternal Sterility Constructs (MSC) and methods of producing sterile progeny lacking germ cells. Female animals carrying the MSC transgene will give rise to a sterile generation, as the MSC specifically eliminates Progenitor Germ Cells (PGCs) of her progeny. These females are called lineage ending females. Male animals carrying the MSC transgene, however, give rise to fertile progeny (assuming the male is not derived from an MSC-transgenic female). Thus, MSC transgenic males can be used to propagate the transgenic line. The invention can be advantageously applied to eliminate pest or invasive species, or to provide effective population control and improve culture performance of farmed species, such as fish and shellfish.

The invention provides compositions and methods for measuring human serum hepcidin levels. The invention provides methods for the oxidative refolding of a hepcidin polypeptide to a form that is mature, bioactive and folded as in the native configuration and molecular mass; a method for measuring the level of native, bioactive hepcidin in a vertebrate animal.

Compositions and methods for measuring levels of bioactive human hepcidin

The present invention concerns a method for the oxidative refolding of a hepcidin polypeptide to a form that is mature, bioactive and folded as in the native configuration and molecular mass; a method for measuring the level of native, bioactive hepcidin in a vertebrate animal; a method for measuring the level of hepcidin gene expression in a vertebrate animal; and a method for regulating the production of native, bioactive hepcidin in a vertebrate animal in vivo. The present invention also concerns an antibody or fragment thereof that specifically binds to a continuous, discontinuous, and/or conformational epitope of a mature and bioactive hepcidin folded as in the native configuration; and a pharmaceutical composition that includes the antibody or a hepcidin polypeptide and that provides antimicrobial, agonistic, or antagonistic activities in vivo in a vertebrate animal.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Xavier Lauth