Patents by Inventor Hideki Sawai
Hideki Sawai 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).
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Publication number: 20140004576Abstract: A method of producing cadaverine is more efficient and at a higher yield than production methods by the conventional fermentation methods. The method includes culturing coryneform bacterium/bacteria having a resistance to a pH of 5.5 or less. Preferably, the coryneform bacterium/bacteria has/have lysine decarboxylase activity and, preferably, the coryneform bacterium/bacteria has/have homoserine auxotrophy and/or a resistance to S-(2-aminoethyl)-L-cysteine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2011Publication date: January 2, 2014Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Nanami Sasaki, Takashi Mimitsuka, Hideki Sawai, Kenji Sawai
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Publication number: 20130323800Abstract: A method produces cadaverine more efficiently and at a higher yield than production methods by the conventional fermentation methods. The method includes culturing coryneform bacterium/bacteria having an ability to produce cadaverine and having a resistance to 2,2?-thiobis(ethylamine). Preferably, the coryneform bacterium/bacteria has/have lysine decarboxylase activity and, preferably, the coryneform bacterium/bacteria has/have homoserine auxotrophy and/or a resistance to S-(2-aminoethyl)-L-cysteine.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2011Publication date: December 5, 2013Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Nanami Sasaki, Takashi Mimitsuka, Hideki Sawai, Kenji Sawai
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Patent number: 8558037Abstract: A method of producing butanol, which has a step of removing impurities contained in a butanol-containing solution, is provided. In the method, a butanol-containing solution is filtered through a nanofiltration membrane. Then the butanol-containing solution is collected from the permeate flow of the nanofiltration membrane.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2011Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Izumi Morita, Masateru Ito, Hideki Sawai, Shinichi Minegishi, Katsushige Yamada, Kenji Kawamura
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Patent number: 8551745Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid continuous fermentation including filtering a culture of polyploid yeast having a capacity to produce lactic acid through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m, and recovering the product from the filtrate while the unfiltered liquid is retained in or returned to the culture and a fermentation feedstock is added to the culture.Type: GrantFiled: February 3, 2009Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Nanami Sasaki, Ken Morita, Takashi Mimitsuka, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Publication number: 20130095534Abstract: By a method for producing cadaverine by culturing a microorganism that extracellularly secretes lysine decarboxylase, by-production of lysine is suppressed, the yield of cadaverine relative to glucose consumption is improved compared to conventional production methods, and further, the load on the purification step in purification of cadaverine as a raw material for polyamide can be reduced.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2011Publication date: April 18, 2013Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES INCInventors: Takashi Mimitsuka, Kazumi Suda, Hideki Sawai
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Publication number: 20130071888Abstract: A method of producing 1,5-pentanediamine includes culturing coryneform bacterium having a gene encoding lysine decarboxylase in its chromosome, which coryneform bacterium maintains lysine decarboxylase activity of not less than 50 mU/mg protein during culturing and the gene encoding lysine decarboxylase is linked downstream of a promoter that functions during the logarithmic growth phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2011Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Kenji Sawai, Shiomi Watanabe, Takashi Mimitsuka, Hideki Sawai
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Patent number: 8349597Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by microbial fermentation, comprising: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in step (A) under a pressure of 1 Pa to atmospheric pressure at a temperature of 25 to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.Type: GrantFiled: June 18, 2008Date of Patent: January 8, 2013Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Eri Shimizu, Kenji Sawai, Yohito Ito, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Patent number: 8334411Abstract: A method for producing a diamine includes purifying a diamine from an aqueous solution containing a diamine salt by adding an alkaline substance to the aqueous solution and then filtering the resulting solution by allowing the solution to pass through a nanofiltration membrane to remove the salt, thereby obtaining an aqueous diamine solution.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2009Date of Patent: December 18, 2012Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Izumi Nakagawa, Koya Kato, Takashi Mimitsuka, Kenji Sawai, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Publication number: 20120270286Abstract: A hollow fiber membrane module for use in production of a chemical substance, which is used in continuous fermentation including filtering a fermentation broth of a microorganism or a cultured cell through a hollow fiber membrane, collecting a chemical substance from a filtrate, retaining a concentrated solution in the fermentation broth or refluxing the concentrated solution, and adding a fermentation raw material to the fermentation broth, wherein a large number of hollow fiber membrane bundles are accommodated in a tubular case, at least one end part of each of the bundles is fixed on the tubular case by a hollow fiber membrane bundling member with an end face of each of the hollow fiber membranes open, and the hollow fiber membrane bundling member is made of a synthetic resin having a hardness retention rate after contact with saturated steam at 121° C. for 24 hours of 95% or more.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2010Publication date: October 25, 2012Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Norihiro Takeuchi, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Jihoon Cheon, Makoto Nishida, Takashi Mimitsuka, Hironobu Suzuki, Katsushige Yamada, Hideki Sawai, Ichiro Kumo
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Publication number: 20120253086Abstract: A method of producing butanol, which has a step of removing impurities contained in a butanol-containing solution, is provided. In the method, a butanol-containing solution is filtered through a nanofiltration membrane. Then the butanol-containing solution is collected from the permeate flow of the nanofiltration membrane.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Izumi MORITA, Masateru Ito, Hideki Sawai, Shinichi Minegishi, Katsushige Yamada, Kenji Kawamura
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Publication number: 20120253082Abstract: A method for producing a diol or triol, which has a step of removing impurities contained in a diol- or triol-containing solution, is provided. In the method, a diol- or triol-containing solution is filtered through a nanofiltration membrane having a polyamide-containing functional layer. The diol- or triol-containing solution is then collected from the permeate flow of the nanofiltration membrane.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Izumi MORITA, Masateru Ito, Hideki Sawai, Shinichi Minegishi, Katsushige Yamada, Kenji Kawamura, Shinichi Yamane
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Publication number: 20120070871Abstract: Highly productive D-lactic acid fermentation uses a transformant obtained by introducing into a host cell a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide according to any one of the following (A) to (C) in such a manner that the polypeptide is expressed, which polypeptide has a D-lactate dehydrogenase activity higher than those of conventional polypeptides: (A) a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2; (B) a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2 except that one or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted and/or added, which polypeptide has a D-lactate dehydrogenase activity; and (C) a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence which has a sequence identity of not less than 80% to the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:1 or 2, which polypeptide has a D-lactate dehydrogenase activity.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2010Publication date: March 22, 2012Applicant: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Kenji Sawai, Kazumi Suda, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada, Junya Yamagishi
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Patent number: 8071357Abstract: Yeast includes an introduced gene coding a Homo sapiens- or frog-derived L-lactate dehydrogenase. It is possible to produce lactic acid, which has a variety of applications, efficiently and more cost-effectively by using the yeast and the method of producing lactic acid by using the yeast.Type: GrantFiled: September 4, 2006Date of Patent: December 6, 2011Assignee: Toray Industries, Inc.Inventors: Hideki Sawai, Kenji Sawai, Tomonori Sonoki, Satoko Hatahira
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Publication number: 20110263811Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 25, 2009Publication date: October 27, 2011Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Kenji Sawai, Hideki Sawai, Takashi Mimitsuka, Ito Masateru, Katsushige Yamada, Kenji Kawamura, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Izumi Nakagawa, Tatsuya Nagano
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Publication number: 20110250637Abstract: A sugar liquid containing only very small amounts of fermentation-inhibiting substances is produced by a method for producing a sugar liquid using a cellulose-containing biomass as a raw material, the method including: (1) a step of hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass to produce an aqueous sugar solution; and (2) a step of filtering the obtained aqueous sugar solution through a nanofiltration membrane and/or reverse osmosis membrane to collect a purified sugar liquid from the feed side, while removing fermentation-inhibiting substances from the permeate side.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2009Publication date: October 13, 2011Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Hiroyuki Kurihara, Atsushi Minamino, Masateru Ito, Hideki Sawai, Masayuki Hanakawa, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Katsushige Yamada
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Publication number: 20110177551Abstract: To control flow velocity of a culture liquid inside a membrane separation tank without giving influences to culture conditions in the fermentation tank, and also suppress precipitation of microorganisms or culture cells so that the production efficiency of the chemical product can be improved, in a method for producing a chemical product including the steps of: cultivating microorganisms or culture cells in a fermentation tank; transferring a culture liquid from the fermentation tank to a membrane separation tank so as to filter the culture liquid through a separation membrane; and collecting a fermentation product from a filtration liquid as the chemical product while refluxing an unfiltered culture liquid that has not been filtered so as to be joined to the culture liquid on an upstream side of the membrane separation tank, one portion of the culture liquid to be transferred from the fermentation tank is allowed to bypass the membrane separation tank depending on a pressure at the culture liquid flow-in sidType: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2009Publication date: July 21, 2011Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Takashi Mimitsuka, Kentaro Ishii, Ken Morita, Masashi Higasa, Kenji Sawai, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada, Shinichi Minegishi
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Publication number: 20110053231Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid continuous fermentation including filtering a culture of polyploid yeast having a capacity to produce lactic acid through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m, and recovering the product from the filtrate while the unfiltered liquid is retained in or returned to the culture and a fermentation feedstock is added to the culture.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 3, 2009Publication date: March 3, 2011Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Nanami Sasaki, Ken Morita, Takashi Mimitsuka, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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Publication number: 20110004018Abstract: A method for producing a diamine includes purifying a diamine from an aqueous solution containing a diamine salt by adding an alkaline substance to the aqueous solution and then filtering the resulting solution by allowing the solution to pass through a nanofiltration membrane to remove the salt, thereby obtaining an aqueous diamine solution.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 11, 2009Publication date: January 6, 2011Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Izumi Nakagawa, Koya Kato, Takashi Mimitsuka, Kenji Sawai, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada
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EXPRESSION CASSETTE FOR LACTASE DEHYDROGENASE, TRANSFORMED YEAST AND METHOD OF PRODUCING LACTIC ACID
Publication number: 20100273225Abstract: A gene expressing cassette codes lactate dehydrogenase that is needed for prevention of deterioration in lactic acid yield and lactic acid production rate in continuous culture with simultaneous filtration of a yeast strain having a lactic acid-producing ability, which achieves high optical purity, high lactic acid yield and high lactic acid production rate simultaneously, a yeast strain having the cassette and a method of producing lactic acid by culturing the yeast strain. The lactate dehydrogenase-expressing cassette is a lactate dehydrogenase-expressing cassette, comprising a gene coding lactate dehydrogenase connected to a site downstream of a promoter, the promoter being a promoter of a gene showing a gene expression amount larger by 5 times or more than the average relative expression amount of all genes after 50 hours from start of culture in continuous culture with simultaneous filtration of a yeast strain having a lactic acid-producing ability.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2008Publication date: October 28, 2010Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Kenji Sawai, Hideki Sawai -
Publication number: 20100190222Abstract: Disclosed is a lactic acid production method by separating lactic acid produced in a culture solution by means of the fermentation culture of a microorganism. Specifically disclosed is a lactic acid production method, which comprises: a step (A) of filtering the culture solution through a nano-filtration membrane; and a step (B) of distilling a lactic-acid-containing solution produced in the step (A) under a pressure ranging from 1 Pa to the atmospheric pressure (inclusive) at a temperature ranging from 25 to 200° C. (inclusive) to collect lactic acid. The method can effectively remove an inorganic salt dissolved in a fermentation culture solution or contained in the fermentation culture solution in the form of a poorly soluble solid material by a simple manipulation, enables to prevent the racemization or oligomerization of lactic acid during the process of producing lactic acid, and therefore can produce lactic acid in a high yield.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 18, 2008Publication date: July 29, 2010Applicant: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Masateru Ito, Shin-ichi Minegishi, Eri Shimizu, Kenji Sawai, Yohito Ito, Hideki Sawai, Katsushige Yamada