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AssigneeMulti-Magnetics Incorporated
InventorsDonna E. Goldhawk, D. James Koropatnick, Rene Figueredo, Frank S. Prato, R. Terry Thompson, Neil Gelman
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The invention provides an improved modified magnetosome that contains more iron therein with the combination of the expressed genes. This is achieved by co-expression of (a) one or more bacterial magnetotactic genes to amplify iron uptake, compartmentalization and biomineralization in cells, with (b) one or more mammalian iron handling proteins that together augment(s) and/or regulate the cells iron pool. As a result, mammalian cells or bacterial cells that are transfected or transformed, respectively, can be more effectively tracked using various imaging technologies.
An expression system for augmenting and/or regulating iron levels in cells, said expression system comprising (a) a complete or partial bacterial MamAB operon comprising magnetotactic genes to amplify iron uptake, compartmentalization and biomineralization in cells, and (b) one or more genes each encoding one or more eukaryotic ferritin subunits, the one or more genes lacking an iron responsive element (IRE), wherein (a) and (b) are under control of one or more promoters and, optionally, one or more selection markers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.