Patents Assigned to LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
  • Publication number: 20120252083
    Abstract: The invention provides, inter alia, methods for the production of acetone, isopropanol and/or precursors of acetone and/or isopropanol by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO, genetically modified microorganisms of use in such methods, nucleic acids suitable for preparation of genetically modified microorganisms, a novel alcohol dehydrogenase and nucleic acids encoding same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael KOEPKE, Sean SIMPSON, Fungmin LIEW, Wendy CHEN
  • Patent number: 8263372
    Abstract: The present invention relates to improvement in efficiency in gasification for use with syngas fermentation. In particular, the invention relates to increasing the overall carbon capture efficiency of a gasification/fermentation process to produce products such as alcohols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventor: Simon David Oakley
  • Patent number: 8222013
    Abstract: A novel class of bacteria is described which has improved efficiency in the production of thanol by anaerobic fermentation of substrates containing carbon monoxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Phuong Loan Tran, Matthew James Rowe, Ian Linstrand Warner
  • Publication number: 20120156739
    Abstract: This invention relates to the integration of an ammonia production process with a fermentation process to produce products such as alcohols and/or acids in addition to ammonia. In a specific embodiment, a natural gas stream comprising methane is passed to a reforming zone to produce a substrate comprising CO and H2. The substrate is next passed to a bioreactor containing a culture of one or more microorganisms and fermenting the culture to produce one or more fermentation products comprising alcohols and/or acids and an exhaust stream comprising CO2, and H2. The exhaust stream can then be passed to a separation zone to remove at least a portion of the CO2 and produce a purified exhaust stream comprising H2 which is then passed to an ammonia production zone and is used to produce ammonia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: June 21, 2012
    Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventor: Michael A. Schultz
  • Publication number: 20120052541
    Abstract: The present invention relates to improvement in efficiency in gasification for use with syngas fermentation. In particular, the invention relates to increasing the overall carbon capture efficiency of a gasification/fermentation process to produce products such as alcohols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventor: Simon David Oakley
  • Publication number: 20120045807
    Abstract: A process for converting a substrate such as carbon monoxide to useful chemicals has been developed. The process involves providing a substrate comprising CO to a bioreactor which contains a culture of one or more micro-organisms and anaerobically fermenting the substrate to produce 2,3-butanediol (BDO). The BDO is next converted to one or more of butane, butadiene and/or methyl ethyl ketone which in turn can be converted to other compounds. The source of the CO can be an industrial process such as the ferrous metal products manufacturing. The microorganism can be Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljundahlii or Clostridium ragsdalei.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean D. Simpson, Shane E. Fleming, Alice M Havill, Simon RTrevethick
  • Patent number: 8119844
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly microbial fermentation of substrates comprising glycerol and/or acetate, to butanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet
  • Patent number: 8119378
    Abstract: The invention relates to the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly to production of alcohols by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO. It more particularly relates to processes for the production of alcohols from their corresponding acids in the presence of a substrate comprising CO. In particular embodiments, a fermentation reaction producing acid(s) and optionally alcohol(s) is perturbed such that at least a portion one or more of acid(s) is converted to alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Phuong Loan Tran, Bakir Al-Sinawi, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Matthew James Rowe, Gary Chan, Kelly Marie Mahar, Jennifer Mon Yee Fung
  • Publication number: 20110300593
    Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly to production of alcohols by microbial fermentation of a substrate comprising CO. It more particularly relates to the provision of an inorganic organic sulfur source to a fermentation system such that one or more micro-organisms convert a substrate comprising CO to alcohols. In a particular embodiment, a microbial culture is provided with sodium polysulfide, wherein a substrate comprising CO is converted to products including ethanol and 2,3-butanediol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicant: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Jennifer Mon Yee Fung, Bakir Al-Sinawi, Phuong Loan Tran
  • Publication number: 20110281336
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for sustaining a microbial culture during periods of limited substrate supply. In accordance with the methods of the invention a microbial culture comprising carboxydotrophic bacteria can be sustained during periods of limited substrate supply by maintaining the temperature of the microbial culture at a temperature below an optimum operating temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2010
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Bakir Al-Sinawi
  • Publication number: 20110256600
    Abstract: The invention provides a recombinant microorganism capable of producing one or more products by fermentation of a substrate comprising CO, wherein the microorganisms has an increased tolerance to ethanol. The invention also provides, inter alia, methods for the production of ethanol and one or more other products from a substrate comprising CO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Applicant: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Koepke, FungMin Liew
  • Publication number: 20110236941
    Abstract: A novel genetically modified microorganisms capable of using CO to produce 1-butanol and/or a precursor thereof, novel methyltransferases and nucleic acids encoding same, methods for producing genetically modified microorganisms using said novel methyltransferases, and methods of producing 1-butanol and/or a precursor thereof by microbial fermentation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Applicant: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, FungMin Liew
  • Patent number: 7972824
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for increasing the efficiency of anaerobic fermentation processes (1) that produce acetate as a by-product in addition to a desired product, and (2) that can utilize hydrogen and/or carbon dioxide in the fermentation. The method comprises the steps of converting acetate produced by the fermentation process into hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas, and utilizing hydrogen gas and/or carbon dioxide gas obtained from the acetate conversion in the anaerobic fermentation process. In particular aspects, the invention relates to processes of producing alcohols, particularly ethanol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Matthew Rowe
  • Publication number: 20100323417
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods of the invention include converting CO to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO2 to improve overall carbon capture. In certain aspects, the invention relates to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: Lanzatech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Richard Liewellyn Sydney Forster, Michael Charles Milner Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Kopke
  • Publication number: 20100317074
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods of the invention include converting CO to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO2 to improve overall carbon capture. In certain aspects, the invention relates to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2008
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Lanzatech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christopher Collet, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Michael Charles Milner Cockrem, Simon David Oakley
  • Publication number: 20090275787
    Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly microbial fermentation of substrates comprising glycerol and/or acetate, to butanol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2009
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: Lanzatech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Richard Llewellyn Sydeny Forster, Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet