Patents by Inventor Miia Mujunen
Miia Mujunen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9115317Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the recovery of oil from an aqueous solution containing oil and solids, as well as to the use of products obtained by this method. The method of the invention comprises at least the following steps of: Adjusting the oil- and solids-containing aqueous solution to a pH which is acidic, separating an oil- and solids-containing fraction from the acidic aqueous solution with an separation agent which is hydrophilic or assumes a hydrophilic character in response to water, recovering the oil- and solids-containing fraction separated by means of said separation agent, extracting oil away from the solids with a water-insoluble extraction agent, and recovering the oil-containing water-insoluble extraction agent.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2012Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Neste Oil OyjInventors: Miia Mujunen, Ossi Pastinen, Ilkka Lehtomaki, Simo Laakso, Perttu Koskinen
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Patent number: 8900832Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of fat with a principal application as transportation biofuel or a component or raw material therefor. According to the method, cell masses, cell suspensions and/or liquid phases formed in the production of single cell oil, and/or biomass-containing side streams or microorganism cell masses for another purpose and/or originating from other sources, are contacted with a fat-production capable microorganism and the organism is allowed to produce fat. The resulting fat is recovered or the microorganism mass is passed to a single-cell oil production process. By means of the invention, the organic matter present in the cell mass and side streams of single-cell oil can be re-utilized for the production of the single-cell oil, thereby improving a total fat yield, as well as reducing an organic load of the side streams.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2010Date of Patent: December 2, 2014Assignee: Neste Oil OyjInventors: Heidi Kahelin, Simo Laakso, Ossi Pastinen, Miia Mujunen, Tarja Suomalainen
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Patent number: 8870980Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing enzymes and single cell oil. The process comprises that microorganisms capable of producing both single cell oil and enzymes are cultivated under conditions suitable for single cell oil production and enzyme production in a single cell oil production process. A microorganism culture comprising single cell oil and enzymes is obtained and at least part of the microorganism culture, of the supernatant and/or microorganism cells separated from the microorganism culture, of protein fraction enriched from the supernatant, and/or of protein fraction obtained from the cells is used as an enzyme preparation or as a source of enzymes. Single cell oil is recovered from the microorganism cells and used as biofuel, component of biofuel or as a starting material for biofuel production. Enzymes produced according to the process are used in the same or in another industrial process.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2011Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Neste Oil OyjInventors: Annika Malm, Simo Laakso, Ossi Pastinen, Heidi Kahelin, Miia Mujunen
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Publication number: 20120220509Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the recovery of oil from an aqueous solution containing oil and solids, as well as to the use of products obtained by this method. The method of the invention comprises at least the following steps of: Adjusting the oil- and solids-containing aqueous solution to a pH which is acidic, separating an oil- and solids-containing fraction from the acidic aqueous solution with an separation agent which is hydrophilic or assumes a hydrophilic character in response to water, recovering the oil- and solids-containing fraction separated by means of said separation agent, extracting oil away from the solids with a water-insoluble extraction agent, and recovering the oil-containing water-insoluble extraction agent.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2012Publication date: August 30, 2012Applicant: NESTE OIL OYJInventors: Miia Mujunen, Ossi Pastinen, Ilkka Lehtomaki, Simo Laakso, Perttu Koskinen
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Publication number: 20120159838Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing enzymes and single cell oil. The process comprises that microorganisms capable of producing both single cell oil and enzymes are cultivated under conditions suitable for single cell oil production and enzyme production in a single cell oil production process. A microorganism culture comprising single cell oil and enzymes is obtained and at least part of the microorganism culture, of the supernatant and/or microorganism cells separated from the microorganism culture, of protein fraction enriched from the supernatant, and/or of protein fraction obtained from the cells is used as an enzyme preparation or as a source of enzymes. Single cell oil is recovered from the microorganism cells and used as biofuel, component of biofuel or as a starting material for biofuel production. Enzymes produced according to the process are used in the same or in another industrial process.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2011Publication date: June 28, 2012Applicant: NESTE OIL OYJInventors: Annika Malm, Simo Laakso, Ossi Pastinen, Heidi Kahelin, Miia Mujunen
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Publication number: 20110065940Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the production of fat with a principal application as transportation biofuel or a component or raw material therefor. According to the method, cell masses, cell suspensions and/or liquid phases formed in the production of single cell oil, and/or biomass-containing side streams or microorganism cell masses for another purpose and/or originating from other sources, are contacted with a fat-production capable microorganism and the organism is allowed to produce fat. The resulting fat is recovered or the microorganism mass is passed to a single-cell oil production process. By means of the invention, the organic matter present in the cell mass and side streams of single-cell oil can be re-utilized for the production of the single-cell oil, thereby improving a total fat yield, as well as reducing an organic load of the side streams.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 24, 2010Publication date: March 17, 2011Applicant: Neste Oil OYJInventors: Heidi Kahelin, Simo Laakso, Ossi Pastinen, Miia Mujunen, Tarja Suomalainen
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Publication number: 20090217569Abstract: The invention relates to a method for forming a lipid or a lipid mixture from an organic source material comprising cellulose, hemicellulose, starch, non-starch polysaccharide, any mixture thereof or degradation products thereof. According to the method, the source material is treated one or more times with water, an aqueous solution of acid or alkali, and the precipitate and the filtrate are separated. The precipitate obtained from the treatments mentioned above can be subjected to mechanical or thermo-mechanical grinding, or the precipitate can be treated with a strong acid, or the precipitate can be acidified and ground mechanically or thermo-mechanically. After the treatments, the precipitate and the filtrate are separated. A lipid-producing microorganism is contacted with the source material or the obtained filtrate(s) in a culture medium, whereby the microorganism cells begin to produce lipid, and the lipids are recovered.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2008Publication date: September 3, 2009Applicant: Helsinki University of TechnologyInventors: Ossi Pastinen, Simo Laakso, Sanna Hokkanen, Miia Mujunen