Patents Assigned to Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
  • Production of renewable hydrocarbon compositions
    Patent number: 9840724
    Abstract: Provided herein are processes and microorganisms which utilize both protein hydrolysates and carbohydrates from biomass feedstocks to produce renewable hydrocarbon compositions. Advantages of the disclosed methods may be recognized in fuel blends comprising such hydrocarbon compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Larry Cameron Anthony, Tyler T. Ames, Keith H. Burlew
  • Butanol purification
    Patent number: 9809520
    Abstract: Provided are methods for removing one or more components from a butanol based composition. The methods comprise providing a butanol based composition comprising one or more components, targeting at least one component or a combination thereof for reduction, and processing said butanol based composition such that the at least one targeted component is substantially removed. The butanol based composition can, for example, be bio-produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Cecilia Cheng, Ian David Dobson, Andrew John Hogben, Andrew Richard Lucy, John Glenn Sunley, Leslie William Bolton
  • Host cells and methods for production of isobutanol
    Patent number: 9790521
    Abstract: Provided herein are recombinant yeast host cells and methods for their use for production of isobutanol. Yeast host cells provided comprise an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway and at least one of reduced or eliminated aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, reduced or eliminated acetolactate reductase activity; or a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having ketol-acid reductoisomerase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Larry Cameron Anthony, Hongxian He, Lixuan Lisa Huang, Daniel P. Okeefe, Arthur Leo Kruckeberg, Yougen Li, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Jessica McElvain, Mark J. Nelson, Ranjan Patnaik, Steven Cary Rothman
  • Competitive growth and/or production advantage for butanologen microorganism
    Patent number: 9771602
    Abstract: Provided herein are recombinant yeast host cells and methods for their use for production of fermentation products. Host cells provided herein comprise a pyruvate-utilizing pathway and a competitive growth advantage over other microorganisms in solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Larry Cameron Anthony, Michael Dauner
  • Integration of a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide that catalyzes pyruvate to acetolactate conversion
    Patent number: 9765365
    Abstract: The invention relates to recombinant host cells having at least one integrated polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide that catalyzes a step in a pyruvate-utilizing biosynthetic pathway, e.g., pyruvate to acetolactate conversion. The invention also relates to methods of increasing the biosynthetic production of isobutanol, 2,3-butanediol, 2-butanol or 2-butanone using such host cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Larry Cameron Anthony, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall
  • Processes and systems for alcohol production and recovery
    Patent number: 9732362
    Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for recovering butanol produced in a fermentative process using, for example, an ethanol production plant which has been reversibly-retrofitted for butanol production, that is, the ethanol production plant may be converted for butanol production, but can also revert to an ethanol production. The present invention also relates to processes for recovering butanol produced in a fermentative process in a butanol production plant that may be converted to ethanol production plant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Steven Christopher Barr, Robert W. Sylvester, Joseph J. Zaher
  • Acetate supplemention of medium for butanologens
    Patent number: 9689004
    Abstract: The invention relates to the fields of industrial microbiology and alcohol production. More specifically, the invention relates to improved production of butanol isomers by recombinant microorganisms containing an engineered butanol pathway and disrupted activity of the genes in pathways for the production of by-products during the fermentation when the microorganisms are grown in a fermentation medium containing acetate. In embodiments, recombinant microorganisms have an increased growth rate in a fermentation medium containing acetate as a C2 supplement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventor: Lori Ann Maggio-Hall
  • Method for producing butanol using extractive fermentation
    Patent number: 9682908
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods for recovering butanol from a fermentation medium. The methods comprise providing a fermentation medium comprising butanol, water, and a recombinant microorganism comprising a butanol biosynthetic pathway, wherein the recombinant microorganism produces butanol; contacting the fermentation medium with a water immiscible organic extractant composition comprising a dry solvent to form a butanol-containing organic phase and an aqueous phase; and recovering the butanol from the butanol-containing organic phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventor: Joseph J Zaher
  • Methods and systems for removing undissolved solids prior to extractive fermentation in the production of butanol
    Patent number: 9670511
    Abstract: A method and system for efficiently producing a fermentative product alcohol such as butanol utilizing in situ product extraction are provided. The efficiency is obtained through separating undissolved solids after liquefying a given feedstock to create a feedstock and prior to fermentation, for example, through centrifugation. Removal of the undissolved solids avoids problems associated with having the undissolved solids present during in situ production extraction, and thereby increases the efficiency of the alcohol production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Brian Michael Roesch, Keith H. Burlew, John W. Hallam, David J. Lowe, Joseph J. Zaher
  • Partial adaptation for butanol production
    Patent number: 9663759
    Abstract: Provided herein are processes for producing an improved culture of cells comprising an engineered butanol biosynthetic pathway. The processes comprise (a) providing a cell culture of recombinant microorganisms comprising an engineered butanol biosynthetic pathway, wherein the engineered butanol biosynthetic pathway is minimal or not activated; and (b) growing the culture of recombinant microorganisms under adaptive conditions whereby pathway activation is increased to produce an improved cell culture and whereby the improved cell culture is capable of continuing to grow in fermentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Ritu Bhalla, Steven D. Doig, Kakasaheb Suresh Konde, Ranjan Patnaik
  • Oxygenated gasoline composition having good driveability performance
    Patent number: 9657244
    Abstract: A method for producing a gasoline blend having a high concentration of a butanol isomer and having good cold start and warm-up driveability performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventor: James J Baustian
  • DHAD variants for butanol production
    Patent number: 9650624
    Abstract: Dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (DHAD) variants that display increased DHAD activity are disclosed. Such enzymes can result in increased production of compounds from DHAD requiring biosynthetic pathways. Also disclosed are isolated nucleic acids encoding the DHAD variants, recombinant host cells comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecules, and methods of producing butanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Brian James Paul, Steven Cary Rothman, Rick W. Ye
  • Activity of Fe-S cluster requiring proteins
    Patent number: 9611482
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a recombinant host cell, in particular a yeast cell, comprising a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide. The invention is also related to a recombinant host cell having increased specific activity of the dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide as a result of increased expression of the polypeptide, modulation of the Fe—S cluster biosynthesis of the cell, or a combination thereof. The present invention also includes methods of using the host cells, as well as, methods for identifying polypeptides that increase the flux in an Fe—S cluster biosynthesis pathway in a host cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Flint, Brian James Paul, Rick W. Ye
  • Processes and systems for the fermentative production of alcohols
    Patent number: 9605281
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the fermentative production of alcohols including ethanol and butanol, and processes for improving alcohol fermentation employing in situ product removal methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Stephane Francois Bazzana, James Timothy Cronin, Michael Charles Grady, David J. Lowe, Brian Michael Roesch, Joseph J. Zaher, Raymond Richard Zolandz
  • Fermentative production of alcohols
    Patent number: 9593349
    Abstract: The invention relates to the development of microorganisms capable of producing fermentation products via an engineered pathway in the microorganisms. The invention also relates to microorganisms with improved cell viability and methods to improve cell viability and cell productivity of a microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Bhaskar Bhadra, Lixuan Huang
  • DHAD variants and methods of screening
    Patent number: 9580705
    Abstract: Methods of screening for dihydroxy-acid dehydratase (DHAD) variants that display increased DHAD activity are disclosed, along with DHAD variants identified by these methods. Such enzymes can result in increased production of compounds from DHAD requiring biosynthetic pathways. Also disclosed are isolated nucleic acids encoding the DHAD variants, recombinant host cells comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecules, and methods of producing butanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Kristen J. Kelly, Rick W. Ye
  • Recombinant host cells comprising phosphoketolases
    Patent number: 9550999
    Abstract: The present invention is related to recombinant host cells comprising: (i) at least one deletion, mutation, and/or substitution in an endogenous gene encoding a polypeptide that converts pyruvate to acetaldehyde, acetyl-phosphate, or acetyl-CoA; and (ii) a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having phosphoketolase activity. The present invention is also related to recombinant host cells further comprising (iii) a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having phosphotransacetylase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Michael Dauner, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Jean-Francois Tomb
  • Processes and systems for the production of alcohols
    Patent number: 9523104
    Abstract: The present invention relates to processes and systems for the production of fermentative products such as ethanol and butanol. The present invention also provides methods for separating feed stream components for improved biomass processing productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin Fuchs, Brian Michael Roesch, Mathias E. Stolarski, James Gregory Wood
  • Method for producing butanol using extractive fermentation
    Patent number: 9517985
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed by extraction into a water immiscible organic extractant during the fermentation. The invention also relates to a method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible extractant composition. The invention further relates to compositions comprising a solution of butanol in a water immiscible organic extractant composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Basham, Leslie William Bolton, Ian David Dobson, Sarah Richardson Hanson, Aidan Hurley, Karen Kustedjo, Andrew Richard Lucy, Liang Song
  • Activity of Fe—S cluster requiring proteins
    Patent number: 9512435
    Abstract: The present invention is related to a recombinant host cell, in particular a yeast cell, comprising a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide. The invention is also related to a recombinant host cell having increased specific activity of the dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide as a result of increased expression of the polypeptide, modulation of the Fe—S cluster biosynthesis of the cell, or a combination thereof. The present invention also includes methods of using the host cells, as well as, methods for identifying polypeptides that increase the flux in an Fe—S cluster biosynthesis pathway in a host cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2016
    Assignee: Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC
    Inventors: Dennis Flint, Brian James Paul, Rick W. Ye