Patents by Inventor George N. Bennett

George N. Bennett 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: 11407792
    Abstract: Engineered protein electron carriers, microorganisms expressing the same, and methods detecting regulated electron flow are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Jonathan Silberg, Joshua T. Atkinson, Ian J. Campbell, George N. Bennett
  • Patent number: 10752925
    Abstract: Microbes and methods used to convert renewable carbon sources such as glucose, sucrose, biomass hydrolysate, methanol or formate, to succinate-derived products, such as fumarate or malate, which are desirable products having many uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Irene Martinez
  • Publication number: 20190135878
    Abstract: Engineered protein electron carriers, microorganisms expressing the same, and methods detecting regulated electron flow are described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jonathan Silberg, Joshua T. Atkinson, Ian J. Campbell, George N. Bennett
  • Publication number: 20180371508
    Abstract: Microbes and methods used to convert renewable carbon sources such as glucose, sucrose, biomass hydrolysate, methanol or formate, to succinate-derived products, such as fumarate or malate, which are desirable products having many uses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, George N. Bennett, Irene Martinez
  • Patent number: 10011839
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a metabolic transistor in microbes such as bacteria and yeast where a competitive pathway is introduced to compete with a product pathway for available carbon so as to control the carbon flux in the microbe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Hui Wu
  • Patent number: 9856499
    Abstract: Method of cell culture, comprising adding a redox active compound with a redox potential of between ?0.116 to ?0.253 to a culture capable of forming hydrogen via a hydrogenase so that the redox potential is diverted from hydrogen to form a longer chain acids, e.g., butryic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: George N. Bennett, Xianpeng Cai
  • Publication number: 20170009241
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a metabolic transistor in microbes such as bacteria and yeast where a competitive pathway is introduced to compete with a product pathway for available carbon so as to control the carbon flux in the microbe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, George N. BENNETT, Hui WU
  • Patent number: 9441253
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a metabolic transistor in bacteria where a competitive pathway is introduced to compete with a product pathway for available carbon so as to control the carbon flux in the bacteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Hui Wu
  • Patent number: 8962272
    Abstract: Bacteria optimized to produce succinate and other feedstocks by growing on low cost carbon sources, such as sucrose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Jian Wang
  • Publication number: 20150044743
    Abstract: Method of cell culture, comprising adding a redox active compound with a redox potential of between ?0.116 to ?0.253 to a culture capable of forming hydrogen via a hydrogenase so that the redox potential is diverted from hydrogen to form a longer chain acids, e.g., butryic acid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: George N. Bennett, Xianpeng Cai
  • Publication number: 20140227745
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a metabolic transistor in bacteria where a competitive pathway is introduced to compete with a product pathway for available carbon so as to control the carbon flux in the bacteria.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, George N. BENNETT, Hui WU
  • Patent number: 8709753
    Abstract: This invention is metabolically engineer bacterial strains that provide increased intracellular NADPH availability for the purpose of increasing the yield and productivity of NADPH-dependent compounds. In the invention, native NAD-dependent GAPDH is replaced with NADP-dependent GAPDH plus overexpressed NADK. Uses for the bacteria are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Yipeng Wang
  • Publication number: 20130203137
    Abstract: Improved bacteria for making succinate and other 4 carbon dicarboxylates from the Krebs cycle have modifications to reduce acetate, lactate, EtOH and formate, as well as turn on the glyoxylate shunt, produce more NADH and overexpress In one embodiment, the bacteria are ?adhE?ldhA?iclR?ack-pta plus PYC+ and NAD+-dependant FDH+.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2011
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Grant J. Balzer, Jiangfeng Zhu, Chandresh Thakker, Ailen M. Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20130052705
    Abstract: Bacteria optimized to produce succinate and other feedstocks by growing on low cost carbon sources, such as sucrose.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Jian Wang
  • Patent number: 8236525
    Abstract: A method of producing biological products using bacteria with an inactivated ptsHI and wild type err and no added glucose transport activity and which consumes nearly all glucose in the media is described. The ?ptsHI bacteria produce large quantities of recombinant protein without producing significant amounts of acetate. The bacteria grow well on standard LB broth without additional supplementation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Thomas Bryce Causey, Matthew Sing Wong, Steven Wu
  • Patent number: 8084243
    Abstract: We have shown that the control of solventogenesis and sporulation can be genetically uncoupled in C. acetobutylicum. In strain 824(pASspo), the absence of SpoIIE causes sporulation to be blocked at stage II. The cell remains in a vegetative state, and this allows solvent production to proceed for longer and for solvents to accumulate more rapidly and to a higher concentration. The characteristic drop in OD600 observed in wild type and control strains of C. acetobutylicum after 48-72 hours as the cells transition from the solventogenic phase to sporulation is notably absent in the fermentations of 824(pASspo). Mutant S (wild type background, spoIIE disrupted), Mutant BS (Mutant B background, spoIIE disrupted), Mutant HS (Mutant H background, spoIIE disrupted) and Mutant bukS (buk- background, spoIIE disrupted) were generated to create stable solvent producing bacteria with complete inactivation of the SpoIIE protein. Similarity between the SpoIIE protein of C. acetobutylicum, B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: George N. Bennett, Miles C. Scotcher
  • Patent number: 7935511
    Abstract: Methods of increasing yields of succinate using aerobic culture methods and a multi-mutant E. coli strain are provided. Also provided is a mutant strain of E. coli that produces high amounts of succinic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Henry Lin
  • Patent number: 7927859
    Abstract: The invention relates to increasing the yield of succinate in bacteria by increasing the intracellular availability of cofactors such as NADH.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Ailen Sánchez
  • Patent number: 7790416
    Abstract: The invention relates to a mutant strain of bacteria, which either lacks or contains mutant genes for several key metabolic enzymes, and which produces high amounts of succinic acid under anaerobic conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Ailen Sanchez
  • Publication number: 20100196958
    Abstract: A method of producing biological products using bacteria with an inactivated ptsHI and wild type err and no added glucose transport activity and which consumes nearly all glucose in the media is described. The ?ptsHI bacteria produce large quantities of recombinant protein without producing significant amounts of acetate. The bacteria grow well on standard LB broth without additional supplementation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Publication date: August 5, 2010
    Applicant: Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George N. Bennett, Thomas Bryce Causey, Matthew Sing Wong, Steven Wu