Patents by Inventor Adam M. Guss

Adam M. Guss 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: 12325859
    Abstract: This disclosure describes recombinant Megasphaera microbes designed to include increased consumption of acetate, increased carbon flux to butyryl-CoA and/or hexanoyl-CoA, increased production of butyrate and/or hexanoate, or a combination thereof, than a comparable control. This disclosure also describes methods that generally include growing such recombinant microbes under conditions effective for the recombinant microbes to consume greater amounts of acetate, produce increased amounts of butyryl-CoA and/or hexanoyl-CoA, produce increased amounts of butyrate and/or hexanoate, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2025
    Assignees: UT-Battelle, LLC, University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc, University of Tennessee Research Foundation
    Inventors: Janet Westpheling, Adam M. Guss, Lauren A. Riley
  • Publication number: 20250154514
    Abstract: The current disclosure relates to a genetically engineered thermophile bacterial cell comprising at least one att site, a system for stable insertion of a heterologous DNA into a thermophile bacterial cell, a method for the thermostable insertion of a heterologous DNA into a chromosome of an organism, and a thermophile bacterial cell made through the methods disclosed. The disclosure is also directed to a thermophile bacterial cell, comprising a cargo plasmid comprising a heterologous DNA inserted in the chromosome of the bacterial cell, wherein the cargo plasmid is flanked by an attL site and an attR site. The disclosure is directed to a thermophile bacterial cell, comprising in its chromosome, a DNA flanked by a pair of attB and attP recombination sites. Lastly, the disclosure relates to a system for excising DNA from the chromosome of an organism and a method for excising DNA from the chromosome of an organism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2024
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Adam M. Guss, Nandhini Ashok, Heidi S. Schindel
  • Publication number: 20250154452
    Abstract: The present disclosure uses a combination of transcriptomics and genetics to demonstrate that P. putida PhaG is likely a 3-hydroxyacyl-ACP thiolase rather than a 3-hydroxyacyl-ACP:CoA transacylase. Deletion of two 3-hydroxyacyl CoA synthases results in the abolishment of PHAs as a product and leads to the accumulation of free medium chain length 3-hydroxyacyl acids as products into the culture supernatant under nitrogen starvation conditions. The present disclosure demonstrates a biological route to the production of 3-hydroxyacyl acids for use as industrial chemicals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2024
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Inventors: Adam M. Guss, Walter Woodside, Jay D. Huenemann, Darren Parker
  • Publication number: 20230056452
    Abstract: This disclosure describes recombinant Megasphaera microbes designed to include increased consumption of acetate, increased carbon flux to butyryl-CoA and/or hexanoyl-CoA, increased production of butyrate and/or hexanoate, or a combination thereof, than a comparable control. This disclosure also describes methods that generally include growing such recombinant microbes under conditions effective for the recombinant microbes to consume greater amounts of acetate, produce increased amounts of butyryl-CoA and/or hexanoyl-CoA, produce increased amounts of butyrate and/or hexanoate, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Janet Westpheling, Adam M. Guss, Lauren A. Riley
  • Patent number: 11466296
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Megasphaera that comprises an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase that produces butanol as the final product. The disclosure further provides methods for producing butanol using such genetically-modified bacterium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Adam M. Guss, Lauren A. Riley
  • Patent number: 11326151
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas that comprises an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an enoyl-CoA reductase and an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an acyl-CoA reductase that produces medium chain length alcohols. The disclosure further provides methods for producing medium chain alcohols using such genetically-modified bacterium. This disclosure provides a renewable, bio-based production platform for valuable mcl-alcohols that have a wide range of industrial applications. Current production of mcl-alcohols typically occurs through the hydrogenation of plant oils and waxes. This process leads to issues of deforestation and is largely unsustainable. Utilizing waste lignin streams as the carbon source provides a more sustainable feedstock that can be generated from plant waste like corn stover. Along with this, the use of lignin avoids competition with food resources as traditional starch and sugar feedstocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Adam M. Guss, Joshua R. Elmore, Jay D. Huenemann
  • Publication number: 20210024965
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Megasphaera that comprises an exogenous nucleic acid encoding a bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase that produces butanol as the final product. The disclosure further provides methods for producing butanol using such genetically-modified bacterium.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Adam M. Guss, Lauren A. Riley
  • Publication number: 20210024960
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Pseudomonasthat comprises an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an enoyl-CoA reductase and an exogenous nucleic acid encoding an acyl-CoA reductase that produces medium chain length alcohols. The disclosure further provides methods for producing medium chain alcohols using such genetically-modified bacterium. This disclosure provides a renewable, bio-based production platform for valuable mcl-alcohols that have a wide range of industrial applications. Current production of mcl-alcohols typically occurs through the hydrogenation of plant oils and waxes. This process leads to issues of deforestation and is largely unsustainable. Utilizing waste lignin streams as the carbon source provides a more sustainable feedstock that can be generated from plant waste like corn stover. Along with this, the use of lignin avoids competition with food resources as traditional starch and sugar feedstocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Adam M. Guss, Joshua R. Elmore, Jay D. Huenemann
  • Patent number: 10767196
    Abstract: The present invention provides for the manipulation of cofactor usage in a recombinant host cell to increase the formation of desirable products. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a mutation in one or more native enzymes such that their cofactor specificity is altered in such a way that overall cofactor usage in the cell is balanced for a specified pathway and there is an increase in a specific product formation within the cell. In some embodiments, endogenous enzymes are replaced by enzymes with an alternate cofactor specificity from a different species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignees: Enchi Corporation, Dartmouth College, UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Lo, Adam M. Guss, Johannes P. Van Dijken, Arthur J. Shaw, IV, Daniel G. Olson, Christopher D. Herring, D. Aaron Argyros, Nicky Caiazza
  • Patent number: 10738333
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas that produces itaconate or trans-aconitate. The disclosure further provides methods for producing itaconate or trans-aconitate using a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignees: UT-BATTELLE, LLC, ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
    Inventors: Joshua R. Elmore, Jay Huenemann, Davinia Salvachua, Gregg T. Beckham, Adam M. Guss
  • Publication number: 20190330665
    Abstract: This disclosure provides a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas that produces itaconate or trans-aconitate. The disclosure further provides methods for producing itaconate or trans-aconitate using a genetically-modified bacterium from the genus Pseudomonas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Inventors: Joshua R. Elmore, Jay Huenemann, Davinia Salvachua, Gregg T. Beckham, Adam M. Guss
  • Patent number: 10179907
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to genetically engineered bacteria strains with enhanced biofuel-producing capabilities from cellulosic substrates. The bacteria strains of the present disclosure comprise an inactivated Type I glutamine synthetase gene. The present disclosure is also directed to methods of producing biofuels from cellulosic biomass using the genetically engineered bacteria strains.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2019
    Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLC
    Inventors: Thomas Rydzak, Adam M. Guss
  • Publication number: 20180057807
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to genetically engineered bacteria strains with enhanced biofuel-producing capabilities from cellulosic substrates. The bacteria strains of the present disclosure comprise an inactivated Type I glutamine synthetase gene. The present disclosure is also directed to methods of producing biofuels from cellulosic biomass using the genetically engineered bacteria strains.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2017
    Publication date: March 1, 2018
    Inventors: Thomas RYDZAK, Adam M. GUSS
  • Publication number: 20140322783
    Abstract: The present invention provides for the manipulation of cofactor usage in a recombinant host cell to increase the formation of desirable products. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a mutation in one or more native enzymes such that their cofactor specificity is altered in such a way that overall cofactor usage in the cell is balanced for a specified pathway and there is an increase in a specific product formation within the cell. In some embodiments, endogenous enzymes are replaced by enzymes with an alternate cofactor specificity from a different species.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: Jonathan Lo, Adam M. Guss, Johannes P. Van Dijken, Arthur J. Shaw, IV, Daniel G. Olson, Christopher D. Herring