100th us patent granted to isis innovation ltd

Isis Innovation Ltd, the leading technology transfer company, has been granted its 100th Patent from the US Patent Office. 

This granted patent is one of the world-class technologies that Isis will commercialise through licensing to industry, both new start-up companies and established companies on an international basis.

In this invention, Oxford University researchers have devised a new method of selectively oxidising terpenes to produce compounds of particular interest to the perfumery, flavour and pharmaceutical industries.  Terpenes and their derivatives are commonly used in industry to modify flavours and fragrances.  They are industrially important as well as being used in the manufacture of perfumes.

Isis is owned by the University of Oxford and commercialises intellectual property arising from the University’s world-class research base.

The details of the 100th US Patent grated to Isis are:

http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html
United States Patent 7,211,420
Wong, et al.  May 1, 2007 

Process for oxidizing terpenes

Abstract

A process for oxidizing a substrate which is an acyclic or cyclic terpene, or a cycloalkene; or a substituted derivative thereof, which process comprises oxidizing said compound with a mutant haem-containing enzyme, the mutant comprising the substitution of an amino acid in the active site by an amino acid with a less polar side-chain. The enzyme is typically P450.sub.cam or P450.sub.BM-3. Cells and libraries of cells in which the process can be carried out or which can be used to select advantageous mutant enzymes are also provided.

Inventors:  Wong; Luet Lok (Oxford, GB), Bell; Stephen Graham (Oxford, GB), Carmichael; Angus Bishop (Oxford, GB)

Assignee: ISIS Innovation Limited (GB)
Appl. No.:  09/856,339
Filed:  November 19, 1999
PCT Filed:  November 19, 1999
PCT No.:  PCT/GB99/03873
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date:  August 15, 2001 PCT Pub. No.:  WO00/31273 PCT Pub. Date:  June 02, 2000.