Cell surface receptors for the detection and identification of compounds
US6475733B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 4, 2000 |
| Grant date | Nov 5, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 4, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2500/10
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
The invention exploits the evolutionary principles responsible for the development of the broad spectrum general odorant detector system, to create a cell-surface receptor based system capable of detecting and discriminating between thousands of chemicals. This is accomplished by subjecting a defined set of cell-surface receptors such as G-protein coupled receptors, tyrosine kinase receptors, and/or ion channels, to the types of evolutionary forces that have created the array of approximately 1,000 natural receptors used in general olfaction by higher animals. This goal is further accomplished by a ‘directed evolution-in-a-test-tube’ method, imposing very high rates of mutation and extremely strict selection criteria to create a sensor. The novel sensor of the present invention is selected using a sensitive melanophore-based functional bioassay.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.