Patents by Inventor Shintaro Iwatani

Shintaro Iwatani 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).

  • Patent number: 9644009
    Abstract: An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a microorganism of the family Enterobacteriaceae which has the ability to produce an L-amino acid and which has been modified so as to increase the expression of the evgA gene, the gadE gene, and/or the ydeO gene. These genes encode a transcription factor involved in the EvgAS two-component system regulon. The culture takes place in a medium, and the L-amino acid is collected from the medium or cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
    Inventors: Shintaro Iwatani, Akira Imaizumi, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Patent number: 8859243
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an L-amino acid by fermentation by culturing a microorganism having an L-amino acid-producing ability in a liquid medium to precipitate the L-amino acid, wherein a polymer such as a water-soluble cellulose derivative, a water-soluble polyvinyl compound, a polar organic solvent-soluble polyvinyl compound, a water-soluble starch derivative, an alginic acid salt, and a polyacrylic acid salt is added to the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Satoshi Okutani, Shinya Fujiki, Shintaro Iwatani
  • Patent number: 8510054
    Abstract: A method for intracellular metabolic flux analysis comprising (a) culturing cells in a medium not containing any isotope-labeled substrate to a target phase of the metabolic flux analysis, (b) adding an isotope-labeled substrate to the medium, and continuing culture and collecting samples from the medium in time course, (c) measuring isotope distribution in an intracellular metabolite contained in the samples collected in time course, (d) performing a regression analysis for measured data and calculating an isotope distribution ratio in a steady state, and (e) analyzing a metabolic flux of the cultured cells by using the calculated isotope distribution ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Patent number: 8367371
    Abstract: A bacterium which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and has an ability to produce an L-amino acid such as L-lysine, L-threonine and L-tryptophan and is modified to enhance glutamic acid decarboxylase activity is cultured in a medium to produce and accumulate the L-amino acid in the medium or cells of the bacterium. Then, the L-amino acid is collected from the medium or the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Yoshinori Tajima, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Patent number: 8313933
    Abstract: An L-amino acid can be produced by culturing an L-amino acid-producing bacterium which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and which has been modified so that the expression of a yggG gene is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Masahito Taya, Motomu Nishioka, Yoshihiro Ojima, Mizuho Komaki, Shintaro Iwatani
  • Patent number: 8178322
    Abstract: A method is described for producing an L-amino acid or a nucleic acid by culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce the L-amino acid or nucleic acid in a liquid medium in a fermentation tank containing a stirring impeller, and optionally adding seed crystals to the medium as required to produce and accumulate crystals of the L-amino acid or nucleic acid in the medium, and collecting crystals of the L-amino acid or nucleic acid from the culture. The power density of the stirring impeller is controlled to be 2.4 kW/m3 or lower after either precipitation of the crystals or addition of the seed crystals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Masayuki Araki, Yusuke Takahashi, Akihiro Watanabe, Fumito Ohnishi, Takahiro Asano, Kazuya Kondo, Wataru Hibino, Shintaro Iwatani, Satoshi Okutani
  • Patent number: 8030036
    Abstract: A bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in a cell, and a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing the bacterium in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Van Dien, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui, Yuta Nakai, Tomoko Suzuki, Mika Moriya, Yuichiro Tsuji, Takuji Ueda
  • Patent number: 7809511
    Abstract: A metabolic flux affecting substance production using cells is determined by 1) creating a stoichiometric matrix based on formulas of biochemical reactions from a substrate through a desired produced substance, 2) selecting the same number of independent metabolic fluxes from all metabolic fluxes as the degree of freedom of the stoichiometric matrix as free fluxes, 3) creating a sufficient number of random combinations of the free fluxes for a statistical analysis and calculating a metabolic flux distribution from each created combination based on the stoichiometric matrix, 4) obtaining a regression equation including a minimum number of free fluxes that shows a correlation with substance production from the calculated metabolic flux distributions by a multivariate statistical analysis, and 5) determining at least one metabolic flux affecting substance production based on a coefficient in the obtained regression equation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Van Dien, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui, Takuji Ueda, Yuichiro Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20100062493
    Abstract: A method is described for producing an L-amino acid or a nucleic acid by culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce the L-amino acid or nucleic acid in a liquid medium in a fermentation tank containing a stirring impeller, and optionally adding seed crystals to the medium as required to produce and accumulate crystals of the L-amino acid or nucleic acid in the medium, and collecting crystals of the L-amino acid or nucleic acid from the culture. The power density of the stirring impeller is controlled to be 2.4 kW/m3 or lower after either precipitation of the crystals or addition of the seed crystals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2009
    Publication date: March 11, 2010
    Inventors: Masayuki Araki, Yusuke Takahashi, Akihiro Watanabe, Fumito Ohnishi, Takahiro Asano, Kazuya Kondo, Wataru Hibino, Shintaro Iwatani, Satoshi Okutani
  • Publication number: 20100055748
    Abstract: An L-amino acid can be produced by culturing an L-amino acid-producing bacterium which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and which has been modified so that the expression of a yggG gene is enhanced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Inventors: Masahito Taya, Motomu Nishioka, Yoshihiro Ojima, Mizuho Komaki, Shintaro Iwatani
  • Publication number: 20090246835
    Abstract: An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a microorganism of the family Enterobacteriaceae which has the ability to produce an L-amino acid and which has been modified so as to increase the expression of the evgA gene, the gadE gene, and/or the ydeO gene. These genes encode a transcription factor involved in the EvgAS two-component system regulon. The culture takes place in a medium, and the L-amino acid is collected from the medium or cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Publication date: October 1, 2009
    Inventors: Shintaro Iwatani, Akira Imaizumi, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Publication number: 20090239268
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an L-amino acid by fermentation by culturing a microorganism having an L-amino acid-producing ability in a liquid medium to precipitate the L-amino acid, wherein a polymer such as a water-soluble cellulose derivative, a water-soluble polyvinyl compound, a polar organic solvent-soluble polyvinyl compound, a water-soluble starch derivative, an alginic acid salt, and a polyacrylic acid salt is added to the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Satoshi Okutani, Shinya Fujiki, Shintaro Iwatani
  • Publication number: 20090239269
    Abstract: A bacterium which belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family and has an ability to produce an L-amino acid such as L-lysine, L-threonine and L-tryptophan and is modified to enhance glutamic acid decarboxylase activity is cultured in a medium to produce and accumulate the L-amino acid in the medium or cells of the bacterium. Then, the L-amino acid is collected from the medium or the cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Yoshinori Tajima, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Patent number: 7555392
    Abstract: A method for determining metabolic flux distribution of a cell, which comprises the steps of: 1) creating a stoichiometric matrix based on formulas of biochemical reactions from a substrate to a product, 2) computing a set of vectors of solutions existing in a solution space which the stoichiometric matrix may have, 3) selecting, from the computed set of vectors of solutions, maximum vectors whose vector elements corresponding to respective substances for which input values can be obtained are maximum, and 4) performing linear combination for the selected vectors in accordance with the following equations to obtain a vector representing metabolic flux distribution: S flux = ? i = 1 n ? a i · p i · S ? ( i ) + ? i = 1 n ? b i · q i · A ? ( i ) ( I ) ? i = 1 n ? a i + ? i = 1 n ? b i = 1 ( II ) Sflux: Vector representing metabolic flux distribution to be determined, S(i): Vector selected for substance for which inputted value c
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Shintaro Iwatani, Stephen Van Dien, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Publication number: 20090148915
    Abstract: A bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in a cell, and a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing the bacterium in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2007
    Publication date: June 11, 2009
    Inventors: Stephen Van Dien, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui, Yuta Nakai, Tomoko Suzuki, Mika Moriya, Yuichiro Tsuji, Takuji Ueda
  • Patent number: 7306933
    Abstract: A bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in a cell, and a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing the bacterium in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen Van Dien, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui, Yuta Nakai, Tomoko Suzuki, Mika Moriya, Yuichiro Tsuji, Takuji Ueda
  • Publication number: 20070038419
    Abstract: A method for simulating a substance production process using cells based on a set of differential equations that represent intracellular metabolites and gene expression comprising including a specific growth rate of cells, expressed as a differential equation, in the set of differential equations; assigning values for parameters in the set of differential equations, wherein at least one of said parameters is represented as a growth rate factor; incorporating in the set of differential equations a formation rate for formation of a cell component, wherein said formation rate is represented as a growth rate factor; incorporating in the set of differential equations an inflow rate of a metabolite taken from outside of the cells and/or an outflow rate of a metabolite excreted out of the cells, wherein said inflow/outflow rates are represented as a growth rate factor; solving the set of differential equations; and generating data representative of the substance-production process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2006
    Publication date: February 15, 2007
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Usuda, Shintaro Iwatani, Kazuhiko Matsui
  • Publication number: 20060154344
    Abstract: A bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in a cell, and a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing the bacterium in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2006
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Stephen Van Dien, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui, Yuta Nakai, Tomoko Suzuki, Mika Moriya, Yuichiro Tsuji, Takuji Ueda
  • Publication number: 20060154289
    Abstract: A metabolic flux affecting substance production using cells is determined by 1) creating a stoichiometric matrix based on formulas of biochemical reactions from a substrate through a desired produced substance, 2) selecting the same number of independent metabolic fluxes from all metabolic fluxes as the degree of freedom of the stoichiometric matrix as free fluxes, 3) creating a sufficient number of random combinations of the free fluxes for a statistical analysis and calculating a metabolic flux distribution from each created combination based on the stoichiometric matrix, 4) obtaining a regression equation including a minimum number of free fluxes that shows a correlation with substance production from the calculated metabolic flux distributions by a multivariate statistical analysis, and 5) determining at least one metabolic flux affecting substance production based on a coefficient in the obtained regression equation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2006
    Publication date: July 13, 2006
    Inventors: Stephen Dien, Shintaro Iwatani, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui, Takuji Ueda, Yuichiro Tsuji
  • Publication number: 20060105322
    Abstract: A method for analyzing an intracellular metabolic flux comprising determining the intracellular metabolic flux from analytical values of cells cultured in a medium containing an isotope-labeled substrate as a carbon source on the basis of an intracellular metabolic flux model constructed for the intracellular metabolic flux to be analyzed, wherein (a) influence of an exchange reaction between an intracellular metabolite and a cell component produced by integration of the intracellular metabolite is considered, (b) uptake of a compound in a medium into cells, which compound is identical to an intracellular metabolite and unlabeled with an isotope, is considered, or (c) carbon dioxide used in a fixation reaction is assumed as carbon dioxide produced in a production reaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventors: Shintaro Iwatani, Stephen Van Dien, Yoshihiro Usuda, Kazuhiko Matsui