Patents by Inventor Aki Tomiki

Aki Tomiki 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).

  • Publication number: 20230399632
    Abstract: The present invention relates to glucoamylase variants having improved thermostability and compositions comprising such variants. The present invention further relates to polynucleotides encoding such variants, vectors and host cells comprising genes encoding such variants, which may also enable the production of such variants. The present invention also relates to methods of liquefying starch-containing materials using or applying the variants or compositions, as well as the saccharification thus produced by the method. The present invention also relates to methods of saccharifying starch-containing materials using or applying the variants or compositions, as well as the saccharides thus produced by the method. The present invention further relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing or cellulosic-containing material, as well as an enzyme blend or composition, or a recombinant host cell or fermenting organism suitable for use in processes of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 14, 2023
    Applicant: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Yuma Kurakata, Aki Tomiki-Hashizume
  • Patent number: 11447763
    Abstract: The present invention relates to protease variants, having improved properties compared to the parent protease, in particular variants of a serine protease belonging to family 53 derived from a strain of Meripilus giganteus. The variants according to the invention have in particular increased thermo-stability, e.g., increased residual activity after 30 min at a temperature in the range from 55 to 60° C. and/or increased thermal denaturation temperature, compared to the parent Meripilus giganteus protease. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Keiichi Ayabe, Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Yuma Kurakata, Esben P. Friis, Jens E. Nielsen, Roland Alexander Pache
  • Patent number: 11427811
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a variant pullulanase, wherein the pullulanase comprises at least the following combination of substitutions: N368G+N393A+Q431E+L432F+A492A,S+N610R+G624S+T631S+S632C, and optionally further comprises N222P+Q252A+Q256R; wherein the variant has pullulanase activity, and wherein the variants have at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99%, but less than 100% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 3. Further aspect the present invention relates to a process for liquefying starch-containing material at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature using an alpha-amylase and a thermo-stable pullulanase of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Suzanne Clark, Aki Tomiki
  • Publication number: 20220154226
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a variant pullulanase, having increased thermo-stability and/or increased thermo-activity compared to a parent pullulanase, comprising a substitution at least a one position selected from a position corresponding to positions 432, 486, 370, 17, 77, 103, 106, 107, 190, 196, 197, 262, 279, 283, 321, 367, 375, 382, 399, 401, 402, 411, 412, 434, 435, 443, 446, 459, 460, 479, 490, 498, 514, 529, 531, 533, 541, 545, 581, 583, 595, 649, 665, 688, 700, 709, 804, 811 of SEQ ID NO: 1, and optionally a deletion of one or more, e.g., all amino acids at positions 821, 822, 823, 824, 825, 826, 827, and 828, wherein the variant has pullulanase activity, and wherein the variant has at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99%, but less than 100% sequence identity to a parent alpha amylase selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 1, SEQ ID NO: 3, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 5.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Takashi Nakanishi, Aki Tomiki, Yuma Kurakata
  • Publication number: 20220090041
    Abstract: The present invention relates to protease variants, having improved properties compared to the parent protease, in particular variants of a serine protease belonging to family 53 derived from a strain of Meripilus giganteus. The variants according to the invention have in particular increased thermo-stability, e.g., increased residual activity after 30 min at a temperature in the range from 55 to 60° C. and/or increased thermal denaturation temperature, compared to the parent Meripilus giganteus protease. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Applicant: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Keiichi Ayabe, Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki-Hashizume, Yuma Kurakata, Esben Peter Friis, Jens Erik Nielsen, Roland Alexander Pache
  • Publication number: 20210139876
    Abstract: The present invention relates to protease variants, having improved properties compared to the parent protease, in particular variants of a serine protease belonging to family 53 derived from a strain of Meripilus giganteus. The variants according to the invention have in particular increased thermo-stability, e.g., increased residual activity after 30 min at a temperature in the range from 55 to 60° C. and/or increased thermal denaturation temperature, compared to the parent Meripilus giganteus protease. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: May 13, 2021
    Applicant: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Keiichi Ayabe, Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Yuma Kurakata, Esben P. Friis, Jens E. Nielsen, Roland Alexander Pache
  • Patent number: 10927361
    Abstract: The present invention relates to protease variants, having improved properties compared to the parent protease, in particular variants of a serine protease belonging to family 53 derived from a strain of Meripilus giganteus. The variants according to the invention have in particular increased thermo-stability, e.g., increased residual activity after 30 min at a temperature in the range from 55 to 60° C. and/or increased thermal denaturation temperature, compared to the parent Meripilus giganteus protease. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Keiichi Ayabe, Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Yuma Kurakata, Esben P. Friis, Jens E. Nielsen, Roland Alexander Pache
  • Publication number: 20190352629
    Abstract: The present invention relates to protease variants, having improved properties compared to the parent protease, in particular variants of a serine protease belonging to family 53 derived from a strain of Meripilus giganteus. The variants according to the invention have in particular increased thermo-stability, e.g., increased residual activity after 30 min at a temperature in the range from 55 to 60° C. and/or increased thermal denaturation temperature, compared to the parent Meripilus giganteus protease. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Applicant: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Keiichi Ayabe, Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Yuma Kurakata, Esben Peter Friis, Jens Erik Nielsen, Roland Alexander Pache
  • Patent number: 10472617
    Abstract: The present invention relates to asparaginase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants. The invention further relates to a process of producing a fermentation product, comprising: liquefying a starch-containing material to dextrins with an alpha-amylase in the presence of an asparaginase of the invention; saccharifying the dextrins to a sugar with a glucoamylase; and fermenting the sugar using a fermenting organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Allan Svendsen, Hanne Vang Hendriksen, Mary Ann Stringer, Keiichi Ayabe
  • Publication number: 20180208917
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a variant pullulanase, wherein the pullulanase comprises at least the following combination of substitutions: N368G+N393A+Q431E+L432F+A492A,S+N610R+G624S+T631S+S632C, and optionally further comprises N222P+Q252A+Q256R; wherein the variant has pullulanase activity, and wherein the variants have at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99%, but less than 100% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 3. Further aspect the present invention relates to a process for liquefying starch-containing material at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature using an alpha-amylase and a thermo-stable pullulanase of the invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 11, 2016
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Applicant: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Suzanne Clark, Aki Tomiki
  • Publication number: 20180030428
    Abstract: The present invention relates to asparaginase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants. The invention further relates to a process of producing a fermentation product, comprising: liquefying a starch-containing material to dextrins with an alpha-amylase in the presence of an asparaginase of the invention; saccharifying the dextrins to a sugar with a glucoamylase; and fermenting the sugar using a fermenting organism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Applicant: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Allan Svendsen, Hanne Vang Hendriksen, Mary Ann Stringer, Keiichi Ayabe
  • Patent number: 9828595
    Abstract: The present invention relates to asparaginase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants. The invention further relates to a process of producing a fermentation product, comprising: liquefying a starch-containing material to dextrins with an alpha-amylase in the presence of an asparaginase of the invention; saccharifying the dextrins to a sugar with a glucoamylase; and fermenting the sugar using a fermenting organism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Allan Svendsen, Hanne Vang Hendriksen, Mary Ann Stringer, Keiichi Ayabe
  • Patent number: 9765316
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of alpha amylase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Guillermo Coward-Kelly
  • Publication number: 20160130572
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of alpha amylase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2016
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Applicant: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Guillermo Coward-Kelly
  • Patent number: 9267124
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of alpha amylase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Guillermo Coward-Kelly
  • Publication number: 20150210995
    Abstract: The present invention relates to asparaginase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants. The further relates to a process of producing a fermentation product, comprising: liquefying a starch-containing material to dextrins with an alpha-amylase in the presence of an asparaginase of the invention; saccharifying the dextrins to a sugar with a glucoamylase; and fermenting the sugar using a fermenting organism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2013
    Publication date: July 30, 2015
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Allan Svendsen, Hanne Vang Hendriksen, Mary Ann Stringer, Keiichi Ayabe
  • Publication number: 20140147893
    Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of alpha amylase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 29, 2014
    Applicant: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Tomoko Matsui, Aki Tomiki, Guillermo Coward-Kelly