Abstract: Yeast cells with a reduced general control response to amino acid starvation were found to have increased tolerance to butanol in the growth medium. The reduced response was engineered by genetic modification of a gene involved in the response, a GCN gene, to eliminate activity of the encoded protein. Yeast strains with an engineered butanol biosynthetic pathway and a genetic modification in a gene involved in the general control response to amino acid starvation, which have increased butanol tolerance, are useful for production of butanol.
Abstract: Using screening of transposon random insertion mutants, genes involved in accumulation of (p)ppGpp were found to be involved in bacterial cell response to butanol. Reduced production of proteins with enzymatic activity for (p)ppGpp biosynthesis confers increased butanol tolerance. Bacterial strains with reduced (p)ppGpp accumulation and having a butanol or 2-butanone biosynthetic pathway are useful for production of butanol or 2-butanone.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 9, 2008
Date of Patent:
February 12, 2013
Assignee:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Robert A. Larossa, Dana R. Smulski, Vasantha Nagarajan
Abstract: A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. The extractant comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of C7 to C22 fatty alcohols, C7 to C22 fatty acids, esters of C7 to C22 fatty acids, C7 to C22 fatty aldehydes, and mixtures thereof.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 18, 2010
Date of Patent:
February 12, 2013
Assignee:
Butamax (TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Michael Charles Grady, William D. Parten, Bruce Vrana, Yihui Tom Xu, Joseph J. Zaher
Abstract: A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. An overhead stream from a first distillation column is condensed to recover a mixed condensate. An entrainer is added to at least one appropriate process stream or vessel such that the mixed condensate comprises sufficient entrainer to provide phase separation of the organic and the aqueous phases to provide for recovery of the butanol.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 18, 2010
Date of Patent:
February 12, 2013
Assignee:
Butamax (TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Michael Charles Grady, William D. Parten, Bruce Vrana, Yihui Tom Xu, Joseph J. Zaher
Abstract: The invention relates generally to the field of industrial microbiology and butanol production from sources of 5-carbon sugars such as lignocellulosic hydrolysates. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of an xylulose or xylulose-5-phosphate-producing enzyme and micro-aerobic or anaerobic conditions to increase butanol production from such sugars and recovery of said butanol through ins situ product recovery methods.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 15, 2012
Publication date:
February 7, 2013
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
Ian David Dobson, Arthur Leo Kruckeberg
Abstract: A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. The extractant comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of C7 to C22 fatty alcohols, C7 to C22 fatty acids, esters of C7 to C22 fatty acids, C7 to C22 fatty aldehydes, and mixtures thereof.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2012
Publication date:
January 3, 2013
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
MICHAEL CHARLES GRADY, William D. Parten, Bruce M. Vrana, Yihui Tom Xu, Joseph J. Zaher
Abstract: A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. An overhead stream from a first distillation column is condensed to recover a mixed condensate. An entrainer is added to at least one appropriate process stream or vessel such that the mixed condensate comprises sufficient entrainer to provide phase separation of the organic and the aqueous phases to provide for recovery of the butanol.
Type:
Application
Filed:
September 12, 2012
Publication date:
January 3, 2013
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
Michael Charles GRADY, William D. PARTEN, Bruce M. VRANA, Yihui Tom XU, Joseph J. ZAHER
Abstract: Diols produced in fermentation are processed in broth by esterification of the product diol with a carboxylic acid (e.g., fatty acid) and a catalyst (e.g., lipase) capable of esterifying the product diol, such as 1,3-propanediol, with the carboxylic acid to form the diol esters. The diol esters can be extracted from the broth, and the product diol recovered from the diol esters. The carboxylic acid can also serve as an extractant for removal of the diol esters from the fermentation medium.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 15, 2011
Publication date:
December 20, 2012
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
Douglas Robert Anton, Michael Dauner, Robert Dicosimo
Abstract: The invention relates generally to the field of industrial microbiology and alcohol production. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of thiamine, biosynthetic precursors of thiamine, nicotinic acid, nicotinamid, nicotinic acid riboside, nicotinamid riboside, or other biosynthetic precursors of nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD) to improve butanol production. Butanol production can be improved by providing sufficient amounts of thiamine, biosynthetic precursors of thiamine, nicotinic acid, nicotinamid, nicotinic acid riboside, nicotinamid riboside, or other biosynthetic precursors of nicotine adenine dinucleotide (NAD) in the production media.
Abstract: The invention relates generally to the field of industrial microbiology and butanol production. More specifically, the invention relates methods of reducing 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl butyrate (DHMB) in butanol production. DHMB can be reduced by inhibiting the reduction of acetolactate to DHMB, for example, by knocking out enzymes that catalyze the reduction or by removing DHMB during or after fermentation. Yeast strains, compositions, and methods for reducing DHMB and increasing butanol yield are provided.
Type:
Application
Filed:
June 6, 2011
Publication date:
October 11, 2012
Applicant:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
KATHARINE J. GIBSON, Arthur Leo Kruckeberg, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Mark J. Nelson, Ranjan Patnaik
Abstract: Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 4, 2010
Date of Patent:
October 9, 2012
Assignee:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Gail K. Donaldson, Andrew C. Eliot, Dennis Flint, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Vasantha Nagarajan
Abstract: Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 13, 2010
Date of Patent:
September 25, 2012
Assignee:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Gail K. Donaldson, Andrew C. Eliot, Dennis Flint, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Vasantha Nagarajan
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:
Application
Filed:
September 7, 2011
Publication date:
September 20, 2012
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
Larry Cameron Anthony, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall
Abstract: From a bacterial strain isolated from an environmental sample, after enrichment in medium containing 1-butanol as the carbon source, a new enzyme with butanol dehydrogenase activity was identified. The enzyme can convert butyraldehyde to 1-butanol, isobutyraldehyde to isobutanol, as well as 2-butanone to 2-butanol and thus is useful for biosynthesis of butanol in recombinant microbial hosts producing these substrates. The encoding gene, named sadB, was isolated from the strain identified as an isolate of Achromobacter xylosoxidans.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 24, 2012
Publication date:
September 13, 2012
Applicant:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
MICHAEL G. BRAMUCCI, Andrew C. Eliot, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Charles E. Nakamura
Abstract: An alcohol fermentation process and composition that includes production of alcohol esters by esterification of product alcohol in a fermentation medium with a carboxylic acid (e.g., fatty acid) and a catalyst (e.g., lipase) capable of esterifying the product alcohol, such as butanol, with the carboxylic acid to form the alcohol esters. The alcohol esters can be extracted from the fermentation medium, and the product alcohol recovered from the alcohol esters. The carboxylic acid can also serve as an extractant for removal of the alcohol esters from the fermentation medium.
Type:
Application
Filed:
July 28, 2011
Publication date:
August 16, 2012
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
Douglas Robert Anton, Stephane Francois Bazzana, Keith H. Burlew, Jelena Cirakovic, Robert Dicosimo, Bruce A. Diner, Michael Charles Grady, Brian Michael Roesch, Francis J. Woerner
Abstract: Yeast strains were engineered that have increased activity of heterologous proteins that require binding of an Fe—S cluster for their activity. The yeast strains have reduced activity of an endogenous Fe—S protein. Activities of heterologous fungal or plant 2Fe-2S dihydroxy-acid dehydratases and Fe—S propanediol dehydratase reactivase were increased for increased production of products made using biosynthetic pathways including these enzymes, such as valine, isoleucine, leucine, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), isobutanol, 2-butanone and 2-butanol.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 15, 2011
Date of Patent:
August 14, 2012
Assignee:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Larry Cameron Anthony, Dennis Flint, Wonchul Suh, Rick W. Ye, Steven Cary Rothman, Jean-Francois Tomb
Abstract: Methods for the fermentive production of four carbon alcohols are provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably 2-butanol is produced by the fermentive growth of a recombinant bacteria expressing a 2-butanol biosynthetic pathway. The recombinant microorganisms and methods of the invention can also be adapted to produce 2-butanone, an intermediate in the 2-butanol biosynthetic pathways disclosed herein.
Type:
Application
Filed:
October 26, 2011
Publication date:
August 2, 2012
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
Gail K. Donaldson, Andrew C. Eliot, Vasantha Nagarajan, Charles E. Nakamura, Lixuan Lisa Huang
Abstract: Methods for the evolution of NADPH binding ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzymes to acquire NADH binding functionality are provided. Specific mutant ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzymes isolated from Pseudomonas that have undergone co-factor switching to bind NADH are described.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 15, 2011
Date of Patent:
July 17, 2012
Assignee:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Yougen Li, Der-Ing Liao, Mark J. Nelson, Daniel P. Okeefe, Jean-Francois Tomb
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:
Application
Filed:
June 17, 2011
Publication date:
June 28, 2012
Applicant:
BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC
Inventors:
BRIAN MICHAEL ROESCH, Keith H. Burlew, John W. Hallam, David J. Lowe, Joseph J. Zaher
Abstract: Methods for the fermentive production of four carbon alcohols are provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably 2-butanol is produced by the fermentive growth of a recombinant bacteria expressing a 2-butanol biosynthetic pathway. The recombinant microorganisms and methods of the invention can also be adapted to produce 2-butanone, an intermediate in the 2-butanol biosynthetic pathways disclosed herein.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 30, 2007
Date of Patent:
June 26, 2012
Assignee:
Butamax(TM) Advanced Biofuels LLC
Inventors:
Andrew C. Eliot, Vasantha Nagarajan, Lixuan Lisa Huang