Patents by Inventor Joseph C. Weissman

Joseph C. Weissman 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: 20210220770
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to processes for desulfurizing hydrocarbon feedstocks. The processes may include introducing a feedstock comprising hydrogen sulfide to an absorber comprising a metal chelate to form a reduced metal chelate. The processes may further include introducing the reduced metal chelate to a photobioreactor comprising a phototrophic bacterium. The present disclosure also relates to apparatuses for desulfurizing hydrocarbon feedstock. An apparatus may include and absorber and a photobioreactor fluidly connected to the absorber. The photobioreactor may be an anaerobic vessel with a light source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Inventors: Mark L Heinnickel, Steven W Levine, Robert D Nielsen, Yuchen Liu, Joseph C Weissman
  • Publication number: 20170267984
    Abstract: Recombinant microorganisms and methods for using the same are disclosed herein for producing biomass or at least one biomolecule. These methods comprise culturing a photosynthetic microorganism that can overexpress a chlorophyllase, and optionally isolating biomass and/or at least one biomolecule from the culture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Kelsey M. McNeely, Joseph C. Weissman
  • Publication number: 20170267993
    Abstract: Methods are provided to select strains of photosynthetic microorganisms for enhanced photosynthetic efficiency or biomass accumulation. Strains are mutagenized, and then grown under high light in a turbidostat. Microorganisms created by this process are also described, as well as methods of using such isolated microorganisms for biomass production.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: September 21, 2017
    Inventors: Joseph C. Weissman, Kelsey M. McNeely
  • Publication number: 20140220638
    Abstract: Mutant photosynthetic microorganisms having reduced chlorophyll and increased photosynthetic efficiency are provided. The mutants have a locked in high light-acclimated phenotype, in which many of the photosynthetic parameters characteristic of high light acclimated wild type cells are found in the LIHLA mutants when acclimated to low light, such as reduced chlorophyll, reduced NPQ, higher qP, higher Ek, higher Pmax per unit chlorophyll with little to no reduction in Pmax per cell, and higher rates of electron transport through photosystem II over a wide range of light intensities. Provided herein are constructs for attenuating or disrupting genes are provided for generating mutants having the LIHLA phenotype. Also provided are methods of culturing LIHLA mutants for the production of biomass or other products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: August 7, 2014
    Applicant: Synthetic Genomics, Inc.
    Inventors: Shaun Bailey, Jay McCarren, Soyan Leung Lieberman, Jonathan E. Meuser, Anna E. Romano, Daniel Yee, Leah Soriaga, Robert C. Brown, Joseph C. Weissman, Roger C. Prince, Robert D. Nielsen, Ariel S. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 5011604
    Abstract: A method and system for removing pollutants dissolved in the aqueous discharge of a plant, such as a power plant, from a body of water having known hydraulogy and physicochemical characteristics, the method comprising (a) modifying the hydraulic system of the body of water including use of physical barriers to define a zone in a portion of the body of water which zone includes the discharge point and where the water has a range of physicochemical characteristics; (b) selecting a large and preferably filamentous, planktonically growing strain of algae adapted to absorb the particular pollutants and genetically dominating algae at the physicochemical characteristics of the zone; (c) establishing a colony of the selected algal strain in the zone; (d) harvesting a portion of the colony; and (e) reinnoculating the zone near the discharge point with a fraction of the harvested portion. The fraction used for reinnoculation can be adjusted to balance the rate of pollutant removal to the rate of pollutant discharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 30, 1991
    Inventors: Edward W. Wilde, John R. Benemann, Joseph C. Weissman, David M. Tillett