Patents by Inventor Harish Nagarajan

Harish Nagarajan 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: 11898172
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides thiolases and polypeptide variants of 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding the same, vectors comprising the nucleic acids, and cells comprising the polypeptide variants and/or thiolase, the nucleic acids, and/or the vectors. The present disclosure also provides methods of making and using the same, including methods for culturing cells, and for the production of various products, including 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (3-HB-CoA), 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde (3-HBal), 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), 1,3-butanediol (1,3-BDO), and esters and amides thereof, and products made from any of these.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin Hoff, Cara Ann Tracewell, Kui Chan, Michael Kuchinskas, Harish Nagarajan
  • Publication number: 20230374473
    Abstract: Described herein are prenyltransferases including non-natural variants thereof having at least one amino acid substitution as compared to its corresponding natural or unmodified prenyltransferases and that are capable of at least two-fold greater rate of formation of cannabinoids such as cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerovarinic acid, cannabigerorcinic acid, and cannabigerol, as compared to a wild type control. Prenyltransferase variants also demonstrated regioselectivity to desired cannabinoid isomers such as CDBA (3-GOLA), 3-GDVA, 3-GOSA, and CBG (2-GOL). The prenyltransferase variants can be used to form prenylated aromatic compounds, and can be expressed in an engineered microbe having a pathway to such compounds, which include 3-GOLA, 3-GDVA, 3-GOSA, and CBG. 3-GOLA can be used for the preparation of cannabigerol (CBG), which can be used in therapeutic compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Michael A. Noble, Kevin G. Hoff, Anna Lechner, Harish Nagarajan
  • Publication number: 20230348865
    Abstract: The invention provides an engineered carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) enzyme, a nucleic acid encoding the CAR enzyme, and a non-naturally occurring microbial organism comprising an exogenous nucleic acid encoding the CAR, an engineered transaminase (TA) enzyme, and/or a hexamethylenediamine (HMD) transaminase (TA2) enzyme. The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism that has a 1,6-hexanediol (HDO) pathway with a HDO pathway enzyme expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 6 aminocaproate semi aldehyde, HDO, or both. The invention further provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism that has an HMD pathway with a HMD pathway enzyme expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 6-aminocaproate semialdehyde, HMD, or both. The invention additionally provides bioderived HMD, 6-aminocaproate semialdehyde, and/or HDO and methods for producing bioderived HMD, 6-aminocaproate semialdehyde, and/or HDO.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Amit Mahendra SHAH, Deqiang ZHANG, Joseph Roy WARNER, Benjamin Matthew GRIFFIN, Russell Scott KOMOR, Harish NAGARAJAN, Sankha GHATAK, Toby Howard RICHARDSON
  • Publication number: 20230287435
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides microbial organisms having decreased production of unwanted by-products (e.g, pyruvate-, CO2—, TCA-derived by-products; acetate; ethanol; and/or, alanine) to enhance carbon flux through acetyl-CoA, which can increase production of acetyl-CoA derived compounds (e.g, 1,3-BDO, MMA, and (3R)-hydroxybutyl (3R)-hydroxybutyrate, or any other acetyl-CoA derived compounds), and products made from any of these compounds. Also provided are one or more exogenous nucleic acids encoding enzymes that can decrease production of unwanted by-products (e.g, aldehyde dehydrogenase, acetyl-CoA synthase, amino acid dehydrogenase, alanine racemase, and/or citrate synthase), and/or one or more gene attenuations occurring in genes (e.g., acetolactate synthase) that result in decreased production of unwanted by-products. Various combinations of the exogenous nucleic acids and gene deletions are also provided in the present disclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: September 14, 2023
    Inventors: Harish Nagarajan, Gionata Scalcinati, Tae Hoon Yang
  • Patent number: 11685908
    Abstract: Described herein are prenyltransferases including non-natural variants thereof having at least one amino acid substitution as compared to its corresponding natural or unmodified prenyltransferases and that are capable of at least two-fold greater rate of formation of cannabinoids such as cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerovarinic acid, cannabigerorcinic acid, and cannabigerol, as compared to a wild type control. Prenyltransferase variants also demonstrated regioselectivity to desired cannabinoid isomers such as CDBA (3-GOLA), 3-GDVA, 3-GOSA, and CBG (2-GOL). The prenyltransferase variants can be used to form prenylated aromatic compounds, and can be expressed in an engineered microbe having a pathway to such compounds, which include 3-GOLA, 3-GDVA, 3-GOSA, and CBG. 3-GOLA can be used for the preparation of cannabigerol (CBG), which can be used in therapeutic compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Noble, Kevin G. Hoff, Anna Lechner, Harish Nagarajan
  • Publication number: 20230159902
    Abstract: Described herein are non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) capable of at least two fold greater conversion of methanol or ethanol to formaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively, as compared to its unmodified counterpart. Nucleic acids encoding the non-natural alcohol dehydrogenases, as well as expression constructs including the nucleic acids, and engineered cells comprising the nucleic acids or expression constructs are described. Also described are engineered cells expressing a non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, optionally include one or more additional metabolic pathway transgene(s), methanol metabolic pathway genes, target product pathway genes, cell culture compositions including the cells, methods for promoting production of the target product or intermediate thereof from the cells, compositions including the target product or intermediate, and products made from the target product or intermediate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Stefan ANDRAE, Michael Patrick KUCHINSKAS, Jingyi LI, Harish NAGARAJAN, Priti PHARKYA
  • Publication number: 20230139515
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides thiolases and polypeptide variants of 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding the same, vectors comprising the nucleic acids, and cells comprising the polypeptide variants and/or thiolase, the nucleic acids, and/or the vectors. The present disclosure also provides methods of making and using the same, including methods for culturing cells, and for the production of various products, including 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (3-HB-CoA), 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde (3-HBal), 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), 1,3-butanediol (1,3-BDO), and esters and amides thereof, and products made from any of these.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin Hoff, Cara Ann Tracewell, Kui Chan, Michael Kuchinskas, Harish Nagarajan
  • Publication number: 20220403420
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides microbial organisms having increased availability of co-factors, such as NADPH, for increasing production of various products, including 1,3-BDO, MMA, (3R)-hydroxybutyl (3R)-hydroxybutyrate, amino acids, 3HB-CoA, adipate, caprolactam, 6-ACA, HMD A, or MAA, and products made from any of these. Also provided are one or more exogenous nucleic acids encoding an enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to increase availability of NADPH, where the exogenous nucleic acid includes one or more of ATP-NADH kinase, pntAB, nadK, and gapN. Also provided are one or more gene attenuations occurring in genes, such as NDH-2, that result in an increased ratio of NADPH to NADH. Various combinations of the exogenous nucleic acids and gene deletions are also provided in the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides methods of making and using the same, including methods for culturing cells, and for the production of the various products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Harish Nagarajan, Gionata Scalcinati, Tae Hoon Yang
  • Publication number: 20220348890
    Abstract: Disclosed are transaminase (TA) enzymes and nucleic acids encoding them. In some cases, the transaminase enzymes are non-natural, engineered transaminases. Also disclosed are biosynthetic methods and engineered microorganisms that enhance or improve the biosynthesis of 6-aminocaproate, hexamethylenediamine, caproic acid, caprolactone, or caprolactam. The engineered microorganisms include exogenous TA and in some cases engineered TA.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Publication date: November 3, 2022
    Inventors: Amit M. Shah, Harish Nagarajan, Joseph Roy Warner, Russell Scott Komor
  • Publication number: 20220333142
    Abstract: Disclosed are trans-enoyl CoA reductase (TER) enzymes and nucleic acids encoding them. In some cases, the TER enzymes are non-natural, engineered trans-enoyl CoA reductase. TER enzymes were shown to catalyse the conversion of 5-carboxy-2-pentenoyl-CoA into adipyl-CoA for improved adipate production and the conversion of crotonyl-CoA into 6-aminocaproate. The enzymes can be used in biosynthetic methods and engineered microorganisms that enhance or improve the biosynthesis of 6-aminocaproate, hexamethylenediamine, caproic acid, caprolactone, or caprolactam. The engineered microorganisms include exogenous TER and in some cases engineered TER.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Amit M. Shah, Harish Nagarajan, Michael Angus Noble
  • Publication number: 20220235385
    Abstract: Disclosed are biosynthetic methods and engineered microorganism that enhance or improve the biosynthesis of hexamethylenediamine, caproic acid or caprolactam. The engineered microorganisms include selected aldehyde dehydrogenase activity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Amit M. Shah, Harish Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 11384340
    Abstract: Described herein are non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) capable of at least two fold greater conversion of methanol or ethanol to formaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively, as compared to its unmodified counterpart. Nucleic acids encoding the non-natural alcohol dehydrogenases, as well as expression constructs including the nucleic acids, and engineered cells comprising the nucleic acids or expression constructs are described. Also described are engineered cells expressing a non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, optionally include one or more additional metabolic pathway transgene(s), methanol metabolic pathway genes, target product pathway genes, cell culture compositions including the cells, methods for promoting production of the target product or intermediate thereof from the cells, compositions including the target product or intermediate, and products made from the target product or intermediate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Andrae, Michael Patrick Kuchinskas, Jingyi Li, Harish Nagarajan, Priti Pharkya
  • Publication number: 20220177895
    Abstract: Described herein are engineered cells including ones having synthetic methylotrophy which include an NADH-dependent enzyme capable of converting G3P to 3PG (e.g., B. methanolicus gapN) and/or fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, along with hexulose-6-phosphate synthase, 6-phospho-3-hexuloisomerase, a phosphoketolase, or a combination thereof. Engineered cells of the disclosure beneficially maintain adequate pool sizes of phosphorylated C3 and/or C4 compounds, and/or provide increased levels of NADPH. As such, the modifications allow for the generation of C6 compounds from C1 (e.g., a methanol feedstod) and C5 compounds, the regeneration of C5 compounds from C6 compounds by carbon rearrangement, and an improved balance between regeneration of C5 compounds and lower glycolysis. In turn, this allows the engineered microorganism to generate sufficient quantities of metabolic precursors (e.g.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Harish Nagarajan, Tae Hoon Yang, Ali Khodayari
  • Publication number: 20210254030
    Abstract: Described herein are prenyltransferases including non-natural variants thereof having at least one amino acid substitution as compared to its corresponding natural or unmodified prenyltransferases and that are capable of at least two-fold greater rate of formation of cannabinoids such as cannabigerolic acid, cannabigerovarinic acid, cannabigerorcinic acid, and cannabigerol, as compared to a wild type control. Prenyltransferase variants also demonstrated regioselectivity to desired cannabinoid isomers such as CDBA (3-GOLA), 3-GDVA, 3-GOSA, and CBG (2-GOL). The prenyltransferase variants can be used to form prenylated aromatic compounds, and can be expressed in an engineered microbe having a pathway to such compounds, which include 3-GOLA, 3-GDVA, 3-GOSA, and CBG. 3-GOLA can be used for the preparation of cannabigerol (CBG), which can be used in therapeutic compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Michael A. Noble, Kevin G. Hoff, Anna Lechner, Harish Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 10941454
    Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are non-natural or genetically engineered vinylisomerase-dehydratase enzymes, including alkenol dehydratases, linalool dehydratases and crotyl alcohol dehydratases. In alternative embodiments, provided are non-natural or genetically engineered polypeptides having an activity comprising, for example, a vinylisomerase-dehydratase, an alkenol dehydratase, a linalool dehydratase and/or a crotyl alcohol dehydratase activity, or a combination thereof. In alternative embodiments, also provided are non-natural or genetically engineered nucleic acids (polynucleotides) encoding polypeptides described herein, expression or cloning vehicles comprising or having contained therein nucleic acids as described herein, and non-natural or genetically engineered cells comprising or having contained therein nucleic acids as described herein. In alternative embodiments, also provided are methods for making various organic compounds, including methyl vinyl carbinol and butadiene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignees: GENOMATICA, INC., BRASKEM S.A.
    Inventors: Stephanie J. Culler, Robert J. Haselbeck, Harish Nagarajan, Iuri Estrada Gouvea, Daniel Johannes Koch, Mateus Schreiner Garcez Lopes, Lucas Pedersen Parizzi
  • Publication number: 20200354692
    Abstract: Described herein are non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) capable of at least two fold greater conversion of methanol or ethanol to formaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively, as compared to its unmodified counterpart. Nucleic acids encoding the non-natural alcohol dehydrogenases, as well as expression constructs including the nucleic acids, and engineered cells comprising the nucleic acids or expression constructs are described. Also described are engineered cells expressing a non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, optionally include one or more additional metabolic pathway transgene(s), methanol metabolic pathway genes, target product pathway genes, cell culture compositions including the cells, methods for promoting production of the target product or intermediate thereof from the cells, compositions including the target product or intermediate, and products made from the target product or intermediate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2020
    Publication date: November 12, 2020
    Inventors: Stefan Andrae, Michael Patrick Kuchinskas, Jingyi Li, Harish Nagarajan, Priti Pharkya
  • Publication number: 20200087634
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides thiolases and polypeptide variants of 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, nucleic acids encoding the same, vectors comprising the nucleic acids, and cells comprising the polypeptide variants and/or thiolase, the nucleic acids, and/or the vectors. The present disclosure also provides methods of making and using the same, including methods for culturing cells, and for the production of various products, including 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA (3-HB-CoA), 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde (3-HBal), 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-HB), 1,3-butanediol (1,3-BDO), and esters and amides thereof, and products made from any of these.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Kevin Hoff, Cara Ann Tracewell, Kui Chan, Michael Kuchinkas, Harish Nagarajan
  • Patent number: 10563180
    Abstract: Described herein are non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) capable of at least two fold greater conversion of methanol or ethanol to formaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively, as compared to its unmodified counterpart. Nucleic acids encoding the non-natural alcohol dehydrogenases, as well as expression constructs including the nucleic acids, and engineered cells comprising the nucleic acids or expression constructs are described. Also described are engineered cells expressing a non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, optionally include one or more additional metabolic pathway transgene(s), methanol metabolic pathway genes, target product pathway genes, cell culture compositions including the cells, methods for promoting production of the target product or intermediate thereof from the cells, compositions including the target product or intermediate, and products made from the target product or intermediate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Genomatica, Inc.
    Inventors: Stefan Andrae, Michael Patrick Kuchinskas, Jingyi Li, Harish Nagarajan, Priti Pharkya
  • Publication number: 20190010479
    Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are non-natural or genetically engineered vinylisomerase-dehydratase enzymes, including alkenol dehydratases, linalool dehydratases and crotyl alcohol dehydratases. In alternative embodiments, provided are non-natural or genetically engineered polypeptides having an activity comprising, for example, a vinylisomerase-dehydratase, an alkenol dehydratase, a linalool dehydratase and/or a crotyl alcohol dehydratase activity, or a combination thereof. In alternative embodiments, also provided are non-natural or genetically engineered nucleic acids (polynucleotides) encoding polypeptides described herein, expression or cloning vehicles comprising or having contained therein nucleic acids as described herein, and non-natural or genetically engineered cells comprising or having contained therein nucleic acids as described herein. In alternative embodiments, also provided are methods for making various organic compounds, including methyl vinyl carbinol and butadiene.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Inventors: Stephanie J. CULLER, Robert J. HASELBECK, Harish NAGARAJAN, Iuri Estrada GOUVEA, Daniel Johannes KOCH, Mateus Schreiner Garcez LOPES, Lucas Pedersen PARIZZI
  • Publication number: 20160237410
    Abstract: Described herein are non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) capable of at least two fold greater conversion of methanol or ethanol to formaldehyde or acetaldehyde, respectively, as compared to its unmodified counterpart. Nucleic acids encoding the non-natural alcohol dehydrogenases, as well as expression constructs including the nucleic acids, and engineered cells comprising the nucleic acids or expression constructs are described. Also described are engineered cells expressing a non-natural NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase, optionally include one or more additional metabolic pathway transgene(s), methanol metabolic pathway genes, target product pathway genes, cell culture compositions including the cells, methods for promoting production of the target product or intermediate thereof from the cells, compositions including the target product or intermediate, and products made from the target product or intermediate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Stefan Andrae, Michael Patrick Kuchinskas, Jingyi Li, Harish Nagarajan, Priti Pharkya