Patents by Inventor Geoffrey D. Bothun

Geoffrey D. Bothun 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: 20180208950
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to a method of facilitating the bioconversion of glycerol by microorganisms. In one embodiment, biodiesel derived crude glycerol is purified by removing fatty acids through acid precipitation. The fatty acid-free crude glycerol is then utilized as a carbon source for the culture of microorganisms and the production of value added substances. Additionally, the unsaturated fatty acids within the biodiesel-derived crude glycerol are converted to saturated fatty acids, allowing for fermentation behavior similar to that of pure glycerol. Both the cultured microorganisms and the culture media containing the purified crude glycerol may be analyzed for crude glycerol bioconversion products. The disclosure also relates to a method of increasing product yield through the addition of a second carbon source to the microorganism culture media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: July 26, 2018
    Inventors: Carmen Scholz, Keerthi Prasad Venkataramanan, Geoffrey D. Bothun
  • Publication number: 20150037832
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally pertains to a method of facilitating the bioconversion of glycerol by microorganisms. In one embodiment, biodiesel derived crude glycerol is purified by removing fatty acids through acid precipitation. The fatty acid-free crude glycerol is then utilized as a carbon source for the culture of microorganisms and the production of value added substances. Additionally, the unsaturated fatty acids within the biodiesel-derived crude glycerol are converted to saturated fatty acids, allowing for fermentation behavior similar to that of pure glycerol. Both the cultured microorganisms and the culture media containing the purified crude glycerol may be analyzed for crude glycerol bioconversion products. The disclosure also relates to a method of increasing product yield through the addition of a second carbon source to the microorganism culture media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2012
    Publication date: February 5, 2015
    Inventors: Carmen Scholz, Keerthi Prasad Venkataramanan, Geoffrey D. Bothun