Technology areas: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals • Chemistry & Materials
49 pending office actions • 30 art units • 43 examiners • 0 of 49 (0%) have an AI response strategy ready • 24 patents granted in the last 365 days
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has 47 pending office actions in Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals. The matters span 43 examiners and 30 art units, indicating a broad prosecution footprint across both examiner assignments and technical examination groups.
SHELLHAMMER, JAMES PAUL is the busiest examiner, with 2 pending matters. The modest concentration at that examiner means portfolio strategy should not depend on a single examiner relationship. Counsel can use art units to organize recurring technical issues, but the wide examiner distribution calls for matter-specific review of objections, cited art, and amendment practice. Centralized docket controls will be important for maintaining consistency without treating the applications as a uniform group.
Based on the USPTO statutory response window for each pending office action. 22 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date; the rest are excluded from the tile counts.
Every pending office action with a known statutory deadline, placed on a days-until-due axis. Dots left of Today are overdue; the further right, the more runway. Cases that share a deadline window stack vertically. 22 of the docket's apps have a known mailing date.
Difficulty is derived from the rejection statutes on the most recent pending office action. §101-driven and multi-statute cases are graded Hard; §112-only and obviousness-type double-patenting cases are graded Easy; everything else is Medium. "Unknown" means we have not yet parsed a statute for that office action.
| Bucket | Cases |
|---|---|
| §101 + other | 2 (4%) |
| §103 only | 20 (41%) |
| §102 only | 2 (4%) |
| §112 only | 3 (6%) |
| Double-patenting + other | 3 (6%) |
| Multi-statute (no §101) | 18 (37%) |
| No statute on record | 1 (2%) |
How the docket's pending cases split across USPTO tech-center bands.
Manual office-action response work runs about 10 hours per case. The time-saved bands below show what IP Author's prosecution pipeline typically delivers — a conservative 20% on the low end, 35% in the middle, 50% on the high end.
| Examiner | Apps on this docket | Allow rate | Interview lift |
|---|---|---|---|
| LI, CHANGQING | 4 | 29.2% | +33.1% |
| SHELLHAMMER, JAMES PAUL | 2 | 10.0% | +18.8% |
| MORNHINWEG, JEFFREY P | 2 | 36.7% | +32.2% |
| PRAKASH, SUBBALAKSHMI | 2 | 45.6% | +36.2% |
| PARK, SOO JIN | 1 | 82.0% | +17.2% |
| SILVERMAN, JANICE Y | 1 | 37.6% | +53.0% |
| LEE, JAE W | 1 | 65.6% | +38.5% |
| NORDMEYER, PATRICIA L | 1 | 56.5% | +37.1% |
| DIOU BERDECIA, LUIS EUGENIO | 1 | 50.0% | +21.5% |
| INOUSSA, MOULOUCOULAY | 1 | 85.7% | +8.1% |
Multi-statute / §101-driven matters, or cases in front of an examiner with an allow rate under 30%. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18296029 | METHOD FOR ENHANCING SALTINESS OF FOOD | SHELLHAMMER, JAMES PAUL | 43d overdue |
| 18273856 | METHOD FOR ANALYZING METABOLITE OF MICROORGANISM | GERIDO, DWAN A | 36d overdue |
| 18065167 | METHOD FOR INDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS TOLERANCE IN PLANTS | HIRT, ERIN E | 12d |
| 18597435 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE ANALOG USING ENZYME | MORNHINWEG, JEFFREY P | 21d |
| 17471942 | MOUTH-COATING FEEL ENHANCER | LI, CHANGQING | 21d |
| 18514387 | COMPOSITION FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AGENT FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AND FOOD FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION | HAVLIN, ROBERT H | 60d |
| 18511158 | FOUL-ODOR-SUPPRESSING COMPOSITION | LI, CHANGQING | 83d |
| 18511475 | OFF-TASTE SUPPRESSING COMPOSITION | LI, CHANGQING | 83d |
Cases in front of an examiner whose interview lift is 10 percentage points or more — i.e. interviewed cases historically resolve more favorably than non-interviewed ones. The top 8 ordered by deadline are shown.
| App # | Title | Examiner | Due in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18296029 | METHOD FOR ENHANCING SALTINESS OF FOOD | SHELLHAMMER, JAMES PAUL | 43d overdue |
| 18621551 | PREPARATION FOR PRODUCING PLANT PROTEIN-CONTAINING FOOD | MORNHINWEG, JEFFREY P | 12d |
| 18180374 | PERFUME COMPOSITION | PRAKASH, SUBBALAKSHMI | 14d |
| 18597435 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE ANALOG USING ENZYME | MORNHINWEG, JEFFREY P | 21d |
| 17471942 | MOUTH-COATING FEEL ENHANCER | LI, CHANGQING | 21d |
| 18894796 | RESIN SHEET AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR | NORDMEYER, PATRICIA L | 27d |
| 18511158 | FOUL-ODOR-SUPPRESSING COMPOSITION | LI, CHANGQING | 83d |
| 18511475 | OFF-TASTE SUPPRESSING COMPOSITION | LI, CHANGQING | 83d |
| Art Unit | Apps |
|---|---|
| 1793 | 10 |
| 1792 | 5 |
| 1791 | 5 |
| 1653 | 2 |
| 1616 | 2 |
| 2675 | 1 |
| 1656 | 1 |
| 1788 | 1 |
| 2818 | 1 |
| 1634 | 1 |
| App # | Title | Examiner | Art Unit | Statutes | Status | Due in | AI | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19063840 | COOKING MOTION ESTIMATION DEVICE, COOKING MOTION ESTIMATION METHOD, AND COOKING MOTION ESTIMATION PROGRAM | PARK, SOO JIN | 2675 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 26, 2025 |
| 18928689 | PRODUCTION METHOD FOR PROCESSED PLANT PROTEIN FOOD AND PROCESSED PLANT PROTEIN FOOD | SILVERMAN, JANICE Y | 1792 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 28, 2024 |
| 18914383 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING CULTURED MEAT | LEE, JAE W | 1656 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 14, 2024 |
| 18894796 | RESIN SHEET AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR | NORDMEYER, PATRICIA L | 1788 | §103 | Final Rejection | 27d | Pending | Sep 24, 2024 |
| 18821019 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING FLUID GEL | SHELLHAMMER, JAMES PAUL | 1793 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Aug 30, 2024 |
| 18790516 | METHOD FOR SUPPRESSING P-CRESOL ODOR | DIOU BERDECIA, LUIS EUGENIO | 1792 | §102 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 31, 2024 |
| 18782454 | UNDERFILL MATERIAL | INOUSSA, MOULOUCOULAY | 2818 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 24, 2024 |
| 18750252 | Composition for Culturing Animal Cells | CANDELARIA, JULIANA IRENE | 1634 | §102§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 21, 2024 |
| 18734393 | Method for Producing Protein | MCWILLIAMS, KELSEY LYNN | 1663 | §112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 05, 2024 |
| 18658553 | EMULSION COMPOSITION AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF | SHOMER, ISAAC | 1612 | §103 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | May 08, 2024 |
| 18631361 | BACTERIUM MODIFIED TO EXPRESS HETEROLOGOUS Tat PROTEIN | BARRON, SEAN C | 1653 | §102§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 10, 2024 |
| 18621551 | PREPARATION FOR PRODUCING PLANT PROTEIN-CONTAINING FOOD | MORNHINWEG, JEFFREY P | 1793 | §103 | Final Rejection | 12d | Pending | Mar 29, 2024 |
| 18597435 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING CHEESE ANALOG USING ENZYME | MORNHINWEG, JEFFREY P | 1793 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 21d | Pending | Mar 06, 2024 |
| 18432550 | METHOD FOR MEASURING RESPONSE OF OLFACTORY RECEPTOR TO SUBSTANCE | EVANS, CHRISTOPHER RYAN | 1677 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Feb 05, 2024 |
| 18430864 | METHOD FOR IMPROVING FLAVOR OF FOOD | PRAKASH, SUBBALAKSHMI | 1793 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 84d | Pending | Feb 02, 2024 |
| 18401960 | Method for Secretory Production of Unnatural-Amino-Acid-Containing Protein | MOEHLMAN, ANDREW TERRY | 1655 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 02, 2024 |
| 18518772 | COMPOSITION FOR IMPROVING OR PREVENTING IRON DEFICIENCY ANAEMIA | HUANG, GIGI GEORGIANA | 1613 | §101§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Nov 24, 2023 |
| 18514387 | COMPOSITION FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AGENT FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION, AND FOOD FOR IMPROVING COGNITIVE FUNCTION | HAVLIN, ROBERT H | 1626 | §102§103 | Final Rejection | 60d | Pending | Nov 20, 2023 |
| 18511158 | FOUL-ODOR-SUPPRESSING COMPOSITION | LI, CHANGQING | 1791 | §103 | Final Rejection | 83d | Pending | Nov 16, 2023 |
| 18511475 | OFF-TASTE SUPPRESSING COMPOSITION | LI, CHANGQING | 1791 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | 83d | Pending | Nov 16, 2023 |
| 18463903 | COMPOUND OR SALT THEREOF, AND ANTIBODY OBTAINED BY USING THE SAME | SKOKO III, JOHN JOSEPH | 1643 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Sep 08, 2023 |
| 18273856 | METHOD FOR ANALYZING METABOLITE OF MICROORGANISM | GERIDO, DWAN A | 1797 | §102§103§112 | Final Rejection | 36d overdue | Pending | Jul 24, 2023 |
| 18354140 | COSMETIC COMPOSITION | SAEED, ALI S | 1616 | §103§112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jul 18, 2023 |
| 18354436 | COMPOUND OR SALT THEREOF, AND ANTIBODY OBTAINED BY USING THE SAME | STONEBRAKER, ALYSSA RAE | 1642 | §103§112DP | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 18, 2023 |
| 18354279 | FROZEN SHUMAI | MCNEIL, JENNIFER C | 1793 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 18, 2023 |
| 18354256 | COMPOUND OR SALT THEREOF, AND ANTIBODY OBTAINED BY USING THE SAME | ESSEX, LAURA ANN | 1675 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 18, 2023 |
| 18344159 | SET FOR MICROWAVE HEATING AND PACKAGE | THAKUR, VIREN A | 1792 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jun 29, 2023 |
| 18343239 | POWDER COMPOSITION FOR COSMETICS OR SKIN TOPICAL AGENT, AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR | LIU, TRACY | 1614 | §103DP | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Jun 28, 2023 |
| 18299345 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM | LEE, TSU-CHANG | 2128 | §101§103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Apr 12, 2023 |
| 18296029 | METHOD FOR ENHANCING SALTINESS OF FOOD | SHELLHAMMER, JAMES PAUL | 1793 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 43d overdue | Pending | Apr 05, 2023 |
| 18296080 | ESTER COMPOUND AND RESIN COMPOSITION | BAHTA, MEDHANIT W | 1692 | §102 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Apr 05, 2023 |
| 18185490 | FROZEN GYOZA DUMPLINGS WITH SUPPORT | TRAN, LIEN THUY | 1793 | §103 | Final Rejection | 17d overdue | Pending | Mar 17, 2023 |
| 18181713 | MOUTH-COATING FEEL ENHANCER | LI, CHANGQING | 1791 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 83d | Pending | Mar 10, 2023 |
| 18180374 | PERFUME COMPOSITION | PRAKASH, SUBBALAKSHMI | 1793 | §112 | Non-Final OA | 14d | Pending | Mar 08, 2023 |
| 18065167 | METHOD FOR INDUCING ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS TOLERANCE IN PLANTS | HIRT, ERIN E | 1616 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | 12d | Pending | Dec 13, 2022 |
| 18048519 | Method For Producing Soy Sauce-Like Seasoning | MCCLAIN, TYNESHA L. | 1793 | §102§103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Oct 21, 2022 |
| 17860332 | AGENT FOR FORMING CRISPY WINGS ON GYOZA DUMPLINGS | ZILBERING, ASSAF | 1792 | §103 | Final Rejection | 28d | Pending | Jul 08, 2022 |
| 17713804 | Surfactant and Composition | ISNOR, ALEXANDRA NICOLE | 1611 | Other | Non-Final OA | 17d overdue | Pending | Apr 05, 2022 |
| 17706007 | METHOD FOR PROTECTING PROTEIN FROM HEAT DAMAGE AND REDUCING RUMEN DEGRADABILITY OF METHIONINE | LEFF, STEVEN N | 1792 | §103 | Final Rejection | 9d overdue | Pending | Mar 28, 2022 |
| 17703624 | ADDITIVE COMPOSITION FOR RUMINANT FEEDS | TURNER, FELICIA C | 1793 | §103 | Final Rejection | 11d overdue | Pending | Mar 24, 2022 |
| 17653312 | POWDER SURFACE TREATMENT METHOD, SURFACE TREATING AGENT COMPOSITION USED THEREFOR, AND SURFACE-TREATED POWDER | MCCARTY, PATRICK M | 1774 | §103 | Final Rejection | 20d | Pending | Mar 03, 2022 |
| 17588800 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING GLYCOMACROPEPTIDE | ZINGARELLI, SANDRA | 1653 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 31, 2022 |
| 17645836 | CYCLIC PEPTIDE PRODUCTION METHOD | KATAKAM, SUDHAKAR | 1658 | §103 | Final Rejection | 22d overdue | Pending | Dec 23, 2021 |
| 17471942 | MOUTH-COATING FEEL ENHANCER | LI, CHANGQING | 1791 | §103 | Final Rejection | 21d | Pending | Sep 10, 2021 |
| 17403317 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING MODIFIED OLIGONUCLEOTIDE COMPRISING COMPLEMENTARY PORTION | RYAN, DOUGLAS CHARLES | 1635 | §103§112DP | Final Rejection | 31d overdue | Pending | Aug 16, 2021 |
| 17369193 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING STARCH-CONTAINING FOOD | STULII, VERA | 1791 | §103 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jul 07, 2021 |
| 17349207 | AGENT FOR IMPROVING MUSCLE QUALITY | WILSON, JERICA KATLYNN | 1621 | §103 | Non-Final OA | 56d overdue | Pending | Jun 16, 2021 |
| 17159573 | SUSPENSION CULTURING ADDITIVE, SUSPENSION CULTURING MEDIUM AND SUSPENSION CULTURING METHOD FOR ANIMAL CELLS | TRAN, KHOA NHAT | 1632 | §103§112 | Non-Final OA | — | Pending | Jan 27, 2021 |
| 17119495 | COMPOUND HAVING AFFINITY SUBSTANCE TO ANTIBODY AND BIOORTHOGONAL FUNCTIONAL GROUP, OR SALT THEREOF | AUDET, MAURY A | 1654 | §112 | Final Rejection | — | Pending | Dec 11, 2020 |
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Start Free TrialAjinomoto Co., Inc. has 49 pending office actions as of October 2026, spread across 30 art units and 43 examiners.
Changqing Li has the most, with 4 of Ajinomoto Co., Inc.'s pending office actions.
Mostly Chemistry & Materials (USPTO Tech Center 1700), based on where its pending office actions are examined.
