Ann O'Connell European Patent Attorney E-mail: ann.oconnell@deltapatents.com Tel: +31 (0)40 7876040

• Genomics (NGS technologies and microarrays), Proteomics, Metabolomics/Metabonomics, Bio-nanotechnology and related technologies
• 3-D molecular modelling structure-based drug discovery (virtual ligand screening)
• Plant biotechnology (in particular plant secondary metabolism and metabolic pathway engineering)
• Fungal biotechnology
• Medical biotechnology
• RNA biology, RNA interference
• Pharmaceutical, chemical and life sciences
• Neurogenomics and Cancer research
• Drug delivery systems
• Drug discovery tools
• Diagnostics/prognostics
• Gene therapy
• Therapeutics
• (Functional) Food Technology
• Nutraceuticals
• Agro Biotech
• Biofuels

• PhD in Genetics and Biotechnology, University College Dublin
• European Patent Attorney

Career

Ann O’Connell graduated in Plant Sciences at University College Dublin (Ireland). After graduating with a First Class Honours degree in Plant Sciences, she obtained a PhD in the area of genetics and biotechnology, in particular she studied phenylpropanoid metabolism in plants.

Ann worked for ZENECA Agrochemicals (now Syngenta AG) in the United Kingdom, as a post-doc on a project concerned with metabolic pathway engineering, more in particular the genetic modification of lignin in wood for the pulp and paper making industry. This project involved collaborations with several international academic and industrial laboratories, industrial partnerships with Shell international chemicals (Forestry Research Unit, Kent) and pulp and paper companies such as Centre Technique du Papier (CTP, France) and Nippon paper industries Co. (Japan). Whist at Zeneca agrochemicals she interacted with ZENECA pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom on their drug discovery biotech virtual ligand screening program (3-D molecular modelling). On arrival in The Netherlands Ann worked for Plant Research International (PRI) as a project manager for a Unilever fungal-based project and was a PhD supervisor for an in-house Strawberry Research program dealing with first generation “omic” platforms (DNA Microarrays). In the past she has worked for a major Dutch IP firm and qualified as a European patent Attorney in 2008.

Ann has experience in research guidance, preparing and implementing of IP strategy. Patent identification (working closely with in-house research programs, brain storming sessions) drafting, filing, prosecution and maintenance. Ann has strong analytical skills and a flair for both legal, scientific & commercial aspects.