Patents Examined by Iqbal H Chowdhury
  • Materials and methods for using an acyl-acyl carrier protein thioesterase and mutants and chimeras thereof in fatty acid synthesis
    Patent number: 10392606
    Abstract: A method of increasing production of fatty acids comprising introducing into a host and expressing therein an acyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) thioesterase (TE) from Bryantella formatexigens or a mutant thereof; a method of making a mutant B. formatexigens acyl-ACP TE; a method of making a chimeric Cuphea viscosissima acyl-ACP TE; a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a mutant acyl-ACP TE or a chimeric Cuphea viscosissima acyl-ACP TE; a host comprising the nucleic acid molecule; a mutant acyl-ACP TE or chimeric Cuphea viscosissima acyl-ACP TE; a method of altering the specificity of a plant acyl-ACP TE for at least one of its substrates comprising introducing into the plant acyl-ACP TE a substrate specificity-altering mutation; and a method of altering the level of activity of a plant acyl-ACP TE.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Basil J. Nikolau, Marna Yandeau-Nelson, Fuyuan Jing
  • Drimenol synthases II
    Patent number: 10385363
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing drimenol and/or drimenol derivatives by contacting at least one polypeptide with farnesyl diphosphate. The method may be performed in vitro or in vivo. The present invention also provides amino acid sequences of polypeptides useful in the method of the invention and nucleic acid encoding the polypeptides of the invention. The method further provides host cells or organisms genetically modified to express the polypeptides of the invention and useful to produce drimenol and/or drimenol derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Firmenich SA
    Inventors: Yu-Hua Zhang, Michel Schalk, Olivier Haefliger, Xiu-Feng He, Fabienne Deguerry
  • Dewatering methods in fermentation processes
    Patent number: 10385365
    Abstract: The present technology provide a method of dewatering whole stillage. The addition of a xylanase in combination with a pectinase results in a wet cake with a higher dry mass. The advantage here is less energy consumption while drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignees: DIREVO Industrial Biotechnology GmbH, BASF Enzymes, LLC
    Inventors: Marco Kraemer, Vitaly Svetlichny
  • Method for pretreating lignocellulose by using acid-base mixture catalyst
    Patent number: 10364328
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for pretreating lignocellulose by using an acid-base mixture catalyst. The method pretreats lignocellulose, by using a mixture catalyst of an acid and a base, so as not to pass through additional neutralization steps, and carries out pretreatment and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation through an identical single reactor process, thereby having an effect of producing ethanol in an excellent production yield from lignocellulosic biomass while simplifying the total process and reducing equipment costs and total processing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: Korea University Research and Business Foundation
    Inventors: Kyoung Heon Kim, Young Hoon Jung
  • Polypeptides having glucoamylase activity and polynucleotides encoding same
    Patent number: 10316307
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having glucoamylase 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: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignees: NOVOZYMES A/S, NOVOZYMES NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Marc D. Morant, Mikako Sasa, Keiichi Ayabe, Guillermo Coward-Kelly
  • Isoprene synthase and method of preparing isoprene using thereof
    Patent number: 10287565
    Abstract: Provided are a novel isoprene synthase derived from sweet potato and a method of preparing isoprene using the same, and more specifically, a novel isoprene synthase derived from sweet potato, a gene encoding the isoprene synthase, a host cell transformed with the gene, and a method of preparing isoprene using the same. The isoprene synthase of the present invention may have higher isoprene productivity as compared to isoprene synthases known in the related art to thereby be effectively used in isoprene biosynthesis and preparation of an isoprene polymer using the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: SK Innovation Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Merja Oja, Anne Huuskonen, Marja Iimen, Laura Ruohonen, Outi Koivistoinen, Simon Moon Geun Jung, Jae Hoon Jo, Sang Min Lee
  • Microorganisms and methods for producing vanillin
    Patent number: 10280407
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a recombinant strain belonging to the order of Actinomycetales, wherein at least one gene encoding an enzyme having vanillin reductase activity is non-functional. The present invention is also related to a process for producing vanillin or a precursor thereof, comprising the culture of a recombinant strain in an appropriate medium comprising a substrate, and recovery of the produced vanillin or precursor thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Rhodia Operations
    Inventors: Mirjana Gelo-Pujic, Antoine Amory
  • Method of producing lipid using acyl-ACP thioesterase
    Patent number: 10280440
    Abstract: [Problems] To provide a method of producing a lipid, containing enhancing productivity of medium chain fatty acids or the lipid containing these medium chain fatty acids as components. [Means to solve] A method of producing a lipid, containing the steps of: culturing a transformant in which a gene encoding any one of the following proteins (A) to (C) is introduced into a host, and collecting a lipid from the cultured product: (A) a protein consisting of the amino acid sequence of the 91st to 348th positions set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; (B) a protein consisting of an amino acid sequence having 80% or more identity with the amino acid sequence of the 91st to 348th positions set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1, and having acyl-ACP thioesterase activity; and (C) a protein containing the amino acid sequence of the protein (A) or (B), and having acyl-ACP thioesterase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Kao Corporation
    Inventor: Tatsuro Ozaki
  • Method for the preparation of lactic acid
    Patent number: 10266856
    Abstract: A method for preparing a fermentation product including lactic acid, the method including: a) treating lignocellulosic material with caustic magnesium salt in the presence of water to provide treated aqueous lignocellulosic material; b) saccharifying the treated aqueous lignocellulosic material in the presence of a hydrolytic enzyme to provide a saccharified aqueous lignocellulosic material comprising fermentable carbohydrate and a solid lignocellulosic fraction; c) simultaneously with step b), fermenting the saccharified aqueous lignocellulosic material in the presence of both a lactic acid forming microorganism and caustic magnesium salt to provide an aqueous fermentation broth comprising magnesium lactate and a solid lignocellulosic fraction; d) recovering magnesium lactate from the broth, wherein the saccharification and the fermentation are carried out simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: PURAC BIOCHEM BV
    Inventors: Peter Johannes Marie Baets, David Sanchez Garcia, Willem Jacob Groot, André Banier De Haan
  • Nitrilase from arabis alpina, its encoding gene, vector, recombinant bacterial strain and uses thereof
    Patent number: 10260059
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a nitrilase from Arabis alpina, which belongs to genus Arabis, family brassicaceae. The disclosure further provides the encoding gene, vector, recombinant bacterial strain, and the application in the manufacturing of (S)-3-cyano-5-methylhexanoic acid. The wet resting cells containing nitrilase Aa-Nit can kinetically resolve racemic IBSN at 1.2 M with a 42% conversion rate in 15 hr and >99% ee value. The disclosure provides a regio- and stereoselective method for the preparation of (S)-3-cyano-5-methylhexanoic acid. This method provides an atom economical, mild, environmental friendly industrial method to manufacture (S)-3-cyano-5-methylhexanoic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignees: Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang Chiral Medicine Chemicals Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Renchao Zheng, Yuguo Zheng, Qin Zhang, Youming Huang, Jianfeng Weng, Tianchun Liu, Weirong Fan
  • Method of producing sugar solution and xylooligosaccharide
    Patent number: 10253343
    Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid and a xylooligosaccharide includes Steps (1) to (3): Step (1): hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass with a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase; Step (2): subjecting the hydrolysate of Step (1) to solid-liquid separation, and filtering the solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane to recover cellulase as a non-permeate, and to recover a sugar liquid as a permeate; and Step (3): reacting the recovered cellulase in Step (2) with a xylan-containing material, and recovering a xylooligosaccharide produced, Step (3) being independent from Step (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Chiaki Yamada, Hiroyuki Kurihara, Katsushige Yamada
  • Method for simultaneously reducing urethane and its precursors levels during Chinese liquor production process
    Patent number: 10253285
    Abstract: The present invention a method for simultaneously reducing urethane and its precursors levels during Chinese liquor production process, which relates to the field of fermented food production. The present invention is carried out through inoculating Bacillus amyloliquefaciens JP21 or combines with urease into the grains for fermentation. The content of EC and urea in the fermented grains after 5-day fermentation could reduce 30.16% and 50.05% respectively, With an addition of the B. amyloliquefaciens during grains fermentation, EC and urea levels are successfully controlled, and at the same time aroma and tastes of Chinese liquor hasn't been affected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Fang Fang, Xia Ding, Qiaoyu Li, Fan Liu, Xinhu Zhou, Xiang Chen, Jian Chen, Guocheng Du
  • Mutant sugar isomerase with improved activity, derived from , and production of L-gulose using the same
    Patent number: 10253341
    Abstract: The present invention relates to improving the enzymatic activity of Escherichia coli O157:H7-derived sugar isomerase by molecular mechanics and site-directed mutagenesis. More particularly, the present invention relates to a sugar isomerase having an enzymatic activity improved by mutation, a nucleic acid molecule encoding the same, a vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule, a transformant comprising the vector, a mutant of the sugar isomerase, and a method for producing L-gulose using the improved sugar isomerase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: KONKUK UNIVERSITY INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION CORP.
    Inventors: Jung-Kul Lee, Chandra Sujan Sigdel, Jinglin Li, Tae-Su Kim
  • Methyl butenol synthase
    Patent number: 10246695
    Abstract: The present invention provides novels genes encoding methyl butenol (MBO) synthase, methyl butenol synthases and their use in methyl butenol production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Trustees of Michigan State University
    Inventors: Dennis Gray, Thomas D Sharkey
  • Materials and methods for characterizing and using a 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) synthase III (KASIII) for production of bi-functional fatty acids
    Patent number: 10233432
    Abstract: A mutant Bacillus subtilis, which does not express a functional KASIIIA and/or KASIIIB, and method of making; a mutant Rhodospirillum rubrum, which does not express a functional PhaC1, PhaC2, and/or PhaC3, and method of making; method of characterizing substrate specificity of KASIII; method of making mutant KASIII with altered substrate specificity and/or altered level of activity and nucleic acid, vector, host cell/organism, and mutant KASIII; an in vitro, high-throughput spectrophotometric method of assaying KASIII activity; and materials and methods for using KASIII for production of bi-functional fatty acids and the materials so produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Shivani Garg, Huanan Jin, Marna Yandeau-Nelson, Basil J. Nikolau
  • Method for selection of high M6P recombinant proteins
    Patent number: 10227577
    Abstract: Methods for the production, capturing and purification of recombinant human lysosomal proteins are described. Such recombinant human lysosomal proteins can have high content of mannose-6-phosphate residues. Also described are pharmaceutical compositions comprising such recombinant human lysosomal proteins, as well as methods of treatment and uses of such recombinant human lysosomal proteins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.
    Inventors: Hung V. Do, Russell Gotschall
  • Glycosyl hydrolase enzymes in high temperature industrial processes
    Patent number: 10227523
    Abstract: Novel hyperthermophilic Dictyoglomus beta-mannanases are provided for use in high temperature industrial applications requiring enzymatic hydrolysis of 1,4-?-D-mannosidic linkages in mannans, galactomannans, and glucomannans. Also provided are methods and compositions for fracturing a subterranean formation in which a gellable fracturing fluid is first formed by blending together a hydratable polymer and a Dictyoglomus beta-mannanase as an enzyme breaker. An optimized and stabilized recombinant Dictyoglomus beta-mannanase is provided that shows superior performance/effectiveness and properties in degrading guar and derivatized guars at pH ranges from 3.0 to 12 and temperatures ranging from 130° F. to in excess of 270° F.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Advanced Enzyme Systems, LLC
    Inventors: Robert Muko Tjon-Joe-Pin, Moreland David Gibbs, Valentino Setoa Junior Te'o
  • Probiotic compositions and methods for inducing and supporting weight loss
    Patent number: 10226490
    Abstract: A probiotic composition for inducing or supporting weight loss in a subject, the probiotic composition including an effective amount of a bacteria selected from the genus Bacteroides and a carrier for delivering the bacteria to the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Inventor: Brenda E. Moore
  • Multi-domain enzymes having cutinase activity, compositions comprising same and uses thereof
    Patent number: 10227575
    Abstract: An isolated chimeric recombinant protein has cutinase activity. The protein includes a cutinase catalytic domain and a polymer binding domain operably linked by a proline/threonine-rich linker domain. The proline/threonine-rich linker domain includes at least 50% proline or threonine residues over a stretch of 15 to 55 consecutive amino acids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignees: Ozymes, National Research Council of Canada
    Inventors: Kofi Abokitse, Peter C. K. Lau, Stephan Grosse
  • Sequestration of carbon dioxide with hydrogen to useful products
    Patent number: 10227617
    Abstract: Provided herein are genetically engineered microbes that include at least a portion of a carbon fixation pathway, and in one embodiment, use molecular hydrogen to drive carbon dioxide fixation. In one embodiment, the genetically engineered microbe is modified to convert acetyl CoA, molecular hydrogen, and carbon dioxide to 3-hydroxypropionate, 4-hydroxybutyrate, acetyl CoA, or the combination thereof at levels greater than a control microbe. Other products may also be produced. Also provided herein are cell free compositions that convert acetyl CoA, molecular hydrogen, and carbon dioxide to 3-hydroxypropionate, 4-hydroxybutyrate, acetyl CoA, or the combination thereof. Also provided herein are methods of using the genetically engineered microbes and the cell free compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC., NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Michael W. W. Adams, Robert M. Kelly, Aaron B. Hawkins, Angeli Lal Menon, Gina Lynette Pries Lipscomb, Gerrit Jan Schut