Patents Assigned to Sapphire Energy, Inc.
  • Patent number: 9695372
    Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for producing products by photosynthetic organisms. The photosynthetic organisms can be genetically modified to effect production, expression, or both, of products. The methods and compositions are particularly useful in the petrochemical industry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Pyle, Alex Aravanis
  • Publication number: 20170009250
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods of expressing therapeutic proteins in photosynthetic organisms and the therapeutic proteins produced by the methods. The therapeutic proteins include high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, fibronectin domain (10) (10FN3), fibronectin domain (14) (14FN3), interferon beta (IFN?), proinsulin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The photosynthetic organisms include prokaryotes such as cyanobacteria and eukaryotes such as alga and plants. Transformation of eukaryotes is preferably the plastid genome, more preferably the chloroplast genome.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Applicants: Sapphire Energy, Inc., The Scripps Research Institute
    Inventors: Beth A. Rasala, Rosa M. F. Cardoso, Machiko Muto, Stephen P. Mayfield, Philip A. Lee, Craig A. Behnke, Michael Mendez
  • Patent number: 9428779
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides novel proteins that when over expressed in algae result in an increase or change in fatty acid and/or glycerol lipid production and/or accumulation, without a substantial decrease in the growth rate of the alga or the break down of algal components, such as chlorophyll. The present disclosure also describes methods of using the novel proteins to increase or change the production and/or accumulation of fatty acids and/or glycerol lipids in algae. In addition, these proteins are useful tools in obtaining information about the fatty acid and triacyglyceride (TAG) synthetic pathways in algae.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Yohn, April Brand, Michael Mendez, Craig A. Behnke
  • Patent number: 9315771
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are transformed non-vascular photosynthetic organisms that are salt tolerant, nucleotides and vectors useful in conducting such transformations, and transformed strains produced by such transformations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Shane Edward Hopkins, Tanya Joy Shin, Melisa C. Low, Yan Poon, Alvin Aram Cho
  • Patent number: 9200208
    Abstract: Crude algae oils produced by practical extraction techniques comprise a wide range of molecular species that can be characterized by advanced analytical techniques. The algae oils comprise a complex mixture of a large number of molecules having varying sizes and therefore varying boiling points, and comprise high nitrogen, oxygen, and fatty acid content, but low sulfur, saturated hydrocarbons, and triglyceride content. Hydrogen/carbon molar ratios are typically greater than 1.6. The wide range of molecular species in the crude algae oils, while unusual compared to conventional refinery feed stocks and vegetable oils, may be upgraded into fuels by conventional refining approaches such as hydrotreating and thermal treatment. Unusual behavior of the algae oils in thermal processing and/or hydrotreatment may provide a high quality product slate, with the flexibility to adjust the product slate due to enhanced cracking behavior exhibited by these algae oils.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Stilianos G. Roussis, Richard J. Cranford
  • Publication number: 20150284673
    Abstract: The present application includes methods to harvest a non-vascular photosynthetic organism (NVPO) such as microalgae from an aqueous culture comprising brackish, non-brackish, marine, sea or saline water using polymer flocculants. The methods are suitable for harvesting NVPO from aqueous culture with total dissovled solids (TDS) of at least 1500 mg/L. Methods are also provided to harvest a NVPO using flocculation with or without a Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) process. Methods are further provided to flocculate and harvest a NVPO directly in a pond. The present application further provides NVPO-containing intermediates, compositions, or products produced by the methods provided herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 8, 2015
    Applicant: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Timothy J. Langer, Shinsyu Matsumoto, Alex M. Aravanis
  • Patent number: 9145528
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and systems for upgrading (for example, removing heteroatoms, metals, or metalloids) an oil composition derived or extracted from a biomass. The upgraded oil composition can be used to make a desired product, for example, a fuel product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Brian L. Goodall, Alex M. Aravanis, Craig A. Behnke, Richard J. Cranford, Daniel J. Sajkowski
  • Patent number: 9133489
    Abstract: Provided herein are novel ACCases and nucleotides encoding the same, that when introduced into a cell or organism results in an increase and/or accumulation of fatty acids, glycerol lipids, and/or oils in the cell or organism, and/or a change in the types of fatty acids, glycerol lipids, and/or oils that are normally present in the cell or organism. Also provided herein are organisms transformed with the novel ACCases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Craig A. Behnke, David Molina, Soyan Lieberman, Jamie Bacher, Shuiqin Wu
  • Publication number: 20150240197
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a pond for cultivating a non-vascular photosynthetic organism in a liquid medium, comprising a sump comprising an inflow slope with an angle of about 20 to about 70 degrees, and optionally an outflow slope of with an angle of about 5 to about 40 degrees. The novel sump design results in good overall carbonation efficiency and does not result in a large loss of biomass of a cultivated organism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: August 27, 2015
    Applicant: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Mehran Parsheh, Jue Zhao, Timothy J. Langer
  • Publication number: 20150132829
    Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for producing flocculation moieties in photosynthetic organisms. The photosynthetic organisms are genetically modified to effect production, secretion, or both, of the flocculation moieties. Also provided are methods of flocculating organisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael MENDEZ, Craig BEHNKE, Yan POON, Philip LEE
  • Patent number: 9028696
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and processes for the recovery of oleaginous compounds from biomass and in particular biomass comprises photosynthetic microorganisms. Also disclosure are oleaginous compounds obtained using the disclosed methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Cranford, Alex M. Aravanis, Stilianos G. Roussis
  • Publication number: 20150089690
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides novel genes, identified from a Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cDNA library that when over expressed in algae confer sodium hypochlorite resistance to the organism. The present disclosure also provides methods of using the novel genes, and organism transformed by the novel genes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Applicant: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC
    Inventors: Christopher Yohn, Eric N. Hampton
  • Patent number: 8987433
    Abstract: This disclosure provides methods of designing and generating polypeptide variants that have altered properties compared to a parent polypeptide. The present disclosure provides methods of generating polypeptide variants, for example, variant isoprenoid synthases and/or variant prenyl transferases that have at least one desired property not present in the parent polypeptide. The present disclosure further provides polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding variant polypeptides, as well as vectors and host cells comprising the polynucleotides that encode the variant polypeptides. In other embodiments, the present disclosure provides methods of using the variant polypeptides to generate useful products, such as isoprenoid compounds and/or isoprenoid products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Mendez, Craig A. Behnke, Nicole A. Heaps
  • Patent number: 8969066
    Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for producing flocculation moieties in photosynthetic organisms. The photosynthetic organisms are genetically modified to effect production, secretion, or both, of the flocculation moieties. Also provided are methods of flocculating organisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2015
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Mendez, Craig Behnke, Yan Poon, Philip Lee
  • Publication number: 20150059023
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides several novel genes that have been shown to increase the biomass yield or biomass of a photosynthetic organism. The disclosure also provides methods of using the novel genes and organisms transformed with the novel genes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Yohn, Philip A. Lee
  • Publication number: 20150056707
    Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for engineering salt tolerance and producing products by photosynthetic organisms. The photosynthetic organisms can be genetically modified to be salt tolerant as compared to an unmodified organism and to produce useful products. The methods and compositions of the disclosure are useful in many therapeutic and industrial applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Applicant: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: MICHAEL MENDEZ, SU-CHIUNG FANG, STEPHANE RICHARD
  • Publication number: 20150010978
    Abstract: Terpene synthases are enzymes that directly convert IPP & DMAPP to terpenes, such as fusicoccadiene. Described herein are methods and compositions for the production of terpenes and terpenoids for use as fuel molecules or other useful components. Genetically engineered enzymes capable of producing terpenes and terpenoids are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Publication date: January 8, 2015
    Applicant: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: NICOLE A HEAPS, Craig A Behnke, David Molina
  • Patent number: 8906236
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and processes for the recovery of nutrients from non-organic phases produced during recovery of oleaginous compounds from biomass. The nutrients recovered can then be utilized to grow additional biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Cranford, Alex M. Aravanis, Stilianos G. Roussis
  • Publication number: 20140335562
    Abstract: Algae transformed with one or more polynucleotides encoding proteins that confer herbicide resistance are provided. The algae can be grown in small or large scale cultures that include one or more herbicides for the production and isolation of various products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Applicant: SAPPHIRE ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Su-Chiung FANG, Yan POON, Michael MENDEZ
  • Patent number: 8882861
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and processes for the recovery of oleaginous compounds from biomass and in particular biomass comprises photosynthetic microorganisms. Also disclosure are oleaginous compounds obtained using the disclosed methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: Sapphire Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard J. Cranford, Alex M. Aravanis, Stilianos G. Roussis