Patents Examined by David Steadman
  • Patent number: 11306331
    Abstract: The present invention generally relates to the field of biotechnology as it applies to the production of hydroxycinnamic acids using polypeptides having tyrosine ammonia lyase activity. More particularly, the present invention pertains to polypeptides having tyrosine ammonia lyase activity and high substrate specificity towards tyrosine, which makes them particularly suitable in the production of p-coumaric acid and other hydroxycinnamic acids. The present invention thus provides processes for the production of p-coumaric acid and other hydroxycinnamic acids employing these polypeptides as well as recombinant host cells expressing same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: CYSBIO APS
    Inventors: Christian Bille Jendresen, Solvej Siedler, Steen Gustav Stahlhut, Alex Toftgaard Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11306343
    Abstract: The invention provides novel 3?-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mutants, sequences that code for these enzyme mutants, methods for producing the enzyme mutants, and the use thereof in enzymatic reactions of cholic acid compounds, and in particular in the production of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). The invention further provides processes for the synthesis of UDCA using the enzyme mutants and the production of UDCA using recombinant microorganisms that have been subjected to multiple modifications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Inventors: Werner Hummel, Daniel Bakonyi
  • Patent number: 11299522
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a recombinant polypeptide a filamentous fungus which is genetically modified to decrease or eliminate the activity of cellulase regulator 2 (CLR2) and to express said recombinant polypeptide. The method further relates to a filamentous fungus Myceliophthora thermophila, which is genetically modified to decrease or eliminate the activity of CLR2 and the use of this filamentous fungus in the production of a recombinant polypeptide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Stefan Haefner, Andreas Thywissen, Holger Hartmann, Nico Boehmer
  • Patent number: 11286472
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the expression and optimization of enzymes involved in the breakdown of lignocellulosic biomass. Disclosed are variants of the exoglucanase 1 of Trichoderma reesei, as well as the use of said variants with improved efficiency in methods for breaking down cellulose and for producing biofuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignees: IFP Energies nouvelles, Proteus
    Inventors: Cecile Persillon, Christophe Ullmann, Celine Ayrinhac, Olivier Bonzom, Sebastien Fort, Sylvie Armand, Stephanie Pradeau, Antoine Margeot, Lionel Rousseau, Françoise Le Roux
  • Patent number: 11286511
    Abstract: A method for preparing troxerutin ester using whole-cell catalysis belongs to the fields of biological catalysis and pharmaceutical chemistry. The method specifically includes the following steps: evenly mixing troxerutin and a mixed organic solvent containing pyridine, then adding an acyl donor and a whole-cell catalyst, and performing a reaction under oscillation at a reaction temperature of 25° C. to 55° C.; and after the reaction is finished, separating and purifying a product by column chromatography or thin-layer chromatography, so as to obtain the troxerutin ester. The invention has the advantages of mild reaction conditions, environmental friendliness, simple process, fewer side reactions and high selectivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: SOUTH CHINA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Xiaofeng Li, Xuan Xin, Guanglei Zhao
  • Patent number: 11279917
    Abstract: The present invention provides improved P450-BM3 variants with improved activity. In some embodiments, the P450-BM3 variants exhibit improved activity over a wide range of substrates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Codexis, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Osborne, Vesna Mitchell, Khin Yu Naing Htwe, Xiyun Zhang, Erika M. Milczek, Jeffrey C. Moore
  • Patent number: 11268083
    Abstract: The invention is in the field of enzymology. More in particular, it provides a method for the isomerization of glucose into fructose wherein the glucose is derived from lignocellulosic material. More in particular, the invention provides polypeptides encoding mutant glucose isomerase enzymes with improved glucose isomerase activity as compared to the corresponding wild type enzyme. The disclosed polypeptides are particularly suited for converting glucose to fructose in the presence of xylose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: METGEN OY
    Inventors: Klara Birikh, Anu Minna Maaret Suonpää
  • Patent number: 11261219
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides modified proteins that are capable of being cleaved by the protease OmpT1. The proteins can be modified in an exposed surface motif to incorporate OmpT1 cleavage sites. Also provided are nucleic acids encoding the modified proteins, bacterial cells that express the modified proteins, and cell free synthesis systems containing modified RF1. The disclosure further provides methods for reducing the deleterious activity of a modified protein in a cell free synthesis system by contacting the modified protein with OmpT1. Also provided are methods for reducing RF1 competition at an amber codon in the cell free synthesis system, and methods for expressing a protein in the cell free synthesis system. The modified proteins of the invention can be used to increase the yield of proteins having non-natural amino acids incorporated at an amber codon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Sutro Biopharma, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher D. Thanos, Christopher J. Murray, Junhao Yang, Heather Stephenson
  • Patent number: 11248193
    Abstract: The present invention relates to alpha-amylase variants having an improved stability as compared to the parent alpha-amylase. The invention further relates to use of the variants, compositions comprising the variants, and methods of producing the variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Carsten Andersen, Anna-Kathrine Fevre
  • Patent number: 11242514
    Abstract: The invention relates to an endocellulase catalytic domain comprising the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a functionally equivalent variant of said catalytic domain that substantially maintains or improves its catalytic activity. The invention also relates to a polypeptide, a nucleic acid, an expression cassette, a vector or a host cell. Additionally, the invention relates to the use of an endocellulase catalytic domain or the polypeptide of the invention for hydrolysing cellulose, producing bioethanol or as a detergent. The invention also relates to a method for hydrolysing cellulose and for producing bioethanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Asociación Centro de Investigación Cooperativa en Nanociencias “CIC nanoGUNE”
    Inventor: Raúl Pérez-Jiménez
  • Patent number: 11236317
    Abstract: Disclosed are isolated polypeptides having protease activity, and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. Nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Ye Liu, Xianzhi Jiang, Lan Tang, Astrid Benie, Henrik Frisner, Bucong Han
  • Patent number: 11236318
    Abstract: A horseshoe crab Factor C protein having activity of Factor C, wherein the horseshoe crab is selected from Tachypleus tridentatus, Limulus polyphemus, and Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, and wherein the horseshoe crab Factor C protein is produced through being recombinantly expressed from a Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) DG44 cell or HEK cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: SEIKAGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hikaru Mizumura, Toshio Oda, Shun-ichiro Kawabata
  • Patent number: 11225647
    Abstract: The present invention relates a variant polypeptide having geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase activity, which variant polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence which, when aligned with a geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase comprising the sequence set out in SEQ ID NO: 1, comprises at least one substitution of an amino acid residue corresponding to any of amino acids at positions 92, 100 or 235 said positions being defined with reference to SEQ ID NO: 1 and wherein the variant has one or more modified properties as compared with a reference polypeptide having geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase activity. A variant polypeptide of the invention may be used in a recombinant host for the production of steviol or a steviol glycoside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: DSM IP ASSETS B.V.
    Inventors: Viktor Marius Boer, Priscilla Zwartjens, Johannes Gustaaf Ernst Van Leeuwen
  • Patent number: 11208641
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellobiohydrolase activity and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Novozymes, Inc.
    Inventor: Nikolaj Spodsberg
  • Patent number: 11203746
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellobiohydrolase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Novozymes, Inc.
    Inventors: Marc D. Morant, Paul Harris
  • Patent number: 11193113
    Abstract: The present disclosure is intended to reduce the amount of glycerin produced as a by-product in ethanol fermentation to a significant extent using a transgenic yeast comprising a gene having the pentose assimilating ability and encoding glycerin dehydrogenase having a mitochondrial transport signal introduced thereinto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Toru Onishi
  • Patent number: 11193152
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism having an enhanced ability to produce heme, coproporphyrin III (Copro III), and uroporphyrin III (Uro III), and a method for producing heme, coproporphyrin III, and uroporphyrin III using same. When using a recombinant microorganism incorporating a gene that codes glutamyl-tRNA reductase (HemA), glutamate-1-semialdehyde aminotransferase (HemL), and diphtheria toxin repressor (DtxR), which is a transcription factor capable of inducing the expression of genes related to heme metabolic pathways, porphyrin-based structures can be produced at high yield, and thus the method is economic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Sung Ok Han, Young-jin Ko
  • Patent number: 11186807
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of fermentation, more particularly to ethanol production. Even more particularly the present invention relates to reduced aroma production during fermentation processes. The present invention provides mutant alleles and chimeric genes useful to develop yeast strains to limit acetate ester levels during fermentation. In addition, the invention also relates to the use of such yeast strains as well as of compounds for the production of fermented foods and liquids with reduced acetate ester levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignees: VIB VZW, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, K.U. Leuven R&D
    Inventors: Kevin Verstrepen, Jan Steensels
  • Patent number: 11180789
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for bioconversion of mogroside extracts into siamenoside I, comprising: using (1) DbExg1 protein or (2) a microorganism expressing the DbExg1 protein to contact or to cultivate with the mogroside extracts. The present invention can convert the mogroside extracts into siamenoside I, which has a higher sweetening power and better taste than other mogrosides. The method of the present invention uses a microorganism expressing the responsible enzyme, DbExg1, which was identified as a mediator of mogroside V conversion into siamenoside I in the present invention, so that siamenoside I was preferentially produced. Thus, the use of the method of the present invention provides a feasible approach to produce large quantities of the natural sweetener, siamenoside I, which can then be applied in several industries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Yi-Chen Lo, Ting-Jang Lu, Reuben Wang
  • Patent number: 11162124
    Abstract: Disclosed is an alcohol dehydrogenase mutant and application thereof in cofactor regeneration, and belongs to the technical fields of enzyme engineering and bioengineering. The alcohol dehydrogenase mutant is obtained by mutating valine at position 84 and/or tyrosine at position 127 in alcohol dehydrogenase having an original amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID No. 1. The alcohol dehydrogenase mutant has high activity for a variety of alcohol co-substrates, and can catalyze these enzyme co-substrates for the regeneration of cofactor NADPH. Compared with the wild-type alcohol dehydrogenase KpADH, the alcohol dehydrogenase mutant has higher activity and catalytic efficiency, and for co-substrate 1,4-butanediol, its kcat value can be up to 75.9 min?1, its kcat/Km value can be up to 2009 min?1·M?1, and its Km value can be as low as 11.3 mM. Therefore, the alcohol dehydrogenase mutant has a higher value in industrial application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ye Ni, Cheng Zhu, Guochao Xu, Jieyu Zhou