Patents by Inventor Ka-Yiu San

Ka-Yiu San 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: 11174468
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a genetically engineered bacteria that relieves the catabolite repression problem exerted by the Spot 42 small regulatory RNA by adding a galactokinase that does not contain the Spot 42 binding region. As such, galK and galM and the like can be expressed allow better galactose utilization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Ping Liu, Sha Li
  • Publication number: 20210087571
    Abstract: A method to improve the production of acetyl-CoA-derived biochemicals by overexpression of an acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase or acetate-CoA ligase from naturally acetate-utilizing organisms with or without an added acetate transporter. The production of free fatty acid and its derivatives from renewable carbon source was used as a non-limiting example. Using this approach, the production of free fatty acids with yield close to the maximum theoretical yield at high titer can be achieved. As such, this invention will provide the necessary framework to produce many other products sharing or branching out from the fatty acid synthesis pathway economically. These products include hydrocarbons, fatty alcohols, hydroxy fatty acids, dicarboxylic acids, fatty acid esters, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, Zhilin LI
  • Patent number: 10920251
    Abstract: This invention describes a method of using microbial to produce fats, such as fatty acids and their derivatives, or products derived from the fatty acid synthesis cycle, such as hydroxyfatty acids, methyl ketones, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Zhilin Li, Xian Zhang
  • Patent number: 10851393
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a genetically engineered a KASIII-independent fatty acid biosynthetic pathway that makes use of the promiscuous nature of the rest of the FAS enzymes (3-ketoacyl-ACP synthetase, 3-ketoacyl-ACP reductase, 3-hydroxyacyl ACP dehydrase, enoyl-ACP reductase) to bypass the KASIII step by providing a Co-A precursor of two or higher than two carbons (such as the four carbon butyryl-CoA) as the starting molecule. Since many CoA-based starter molecules can be supplied for the fatty acid synthesis, much more diversified products can be obtained with various carbon-chain lengths. As such, this disclosure will serve as a powerful and efficient platform to produce low to medium chain length products carrying many different functional groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Xian Zhang, Hui Wu, Dan Wang
  • Patent number: 10774349
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes an engineered microorganism for producing alpha omega bifunctional C6-16 fatty acids from renewable carbon sources.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Dan Wang
  • 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
  • Patent number: 10465212
    Abstract: There is provided a recombinant bacterium comprising at least one overexpressed acyl-ACP thioesterase gene, and wherein at least one gene from the tricarboxylic acid cycle or glycolysis or both is inactivated. There is also provided a method for producing fatty acids, said method comprising culturing bacteria comprising at least one overexpressed acyl-ACP thioesterase gene in a growth medium in a container having walls; allowing said bacteria to secrete fatty acids; and collecting said fatty acids. Acid supplementation is also shown to increase productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Mai Li, Xiujun Zhang
  • Publication number: 20190144898
    Abstract: This invention describes a method of using microbial to produce fats, such as fatty acids and their derivatives, or products derived from the fatty acid synthesis cycle, such as hydroxyfatty acids, methyl ketones, and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, Zhilin LI, Xian ZHANG
  • Publication number: 20190119686
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a genetically engineered bacteria that relieves the catabolite repression problem exerted by the Spot 42 small regulatory RNA by adding a galactokinase that does not contain the Spot 42 binding region. As such, galK and galM and the like can be expressed allow better galactose utilization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: WILLIAM MARSH RICE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, Ping LIU, Sha LI
  • 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: 10011854
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an engineered microbe capable of improved productivity of fatty acid or fatty acid derivative. An NAD+-dependent 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase or NAD+-dependent 3-oxoacyl-CoA reductase replaces or supplements the native NADP+-dependent 3-oxoacyl-ACP reductase so as to utilize the higher availability of NAD+ rather than NADP+ in the cell. Higher production, yield and titer of fatty acids are therefore obtained. Such microbes can be combined with other mutations to further improve yield of fatty acids or fatty acid derivatives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2018
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Wei Li
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20180148746
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a genetically engineered a KASIII-independent fatty acid biosynthetic pathway that makes use of the promiscuous nature of the rest of the FAS enzymes (3-ketoacyl-ACP synthetase, 3-ketoacyl-ACP reductase, 3-hydroxyacyl ACP dehydrase, enoyl-ACP reductase) to bypass the KASIII step by providing a Co-A precursor of two or higher than two carbons (such as the four carbon butyryl-CoA) as the starting molecule. Since many CoA-based starter molecules can be supplied for the fatty acid synthesis, much more diversified products can be obtained with various carbon-chain lengths. As such, this disclosure will serve as a powerful and efficient platform to produce low to medium chain length products carrying many different functional groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Publication date: May 31, 2018
    Inventors: KA-Yiu SAN, Xian ZHANG, Hui WU, Dan WANG
  • Publication number: 20180119183
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes an engineered microorganism for producing alpha omega bifunctional C6-16 fatty acids from renewable carbon sources.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2016
    Publication date: May 3, 2018
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu SAN, Dan WANG
  • Patent number: 9598696
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for increasing the production of free fatty acids at high yield (close to maximum theoretical yield), with various fatty acid compositions and various percentage of fatty acids accumulated intracellularly. This invention will enable the efficient production of other products derived from free fatty acids and/or products that can be branched out from the fatty acid synthesis pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Mai Li
  • Patent number: 9562224
    Abstract: Production of products by engineered bacteria is increased by regulating cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is controlled by reducing electron transfer enzyme activity. Some examples of electron transfer enzymes include NADH dehydrogenases, Succinate dehydrogenases, ubiquinone synthesis, cytochrome O, and cytochrome D. In one example, deletion of UbiCA prevents respiration. Respiration can the be controlled by addition of ubiquinone or expression of ubiCA.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, George Bennett
  • 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: 9487804
    Abstract: Systems, methods and microbes that allow the biological production of hydroxy fatty acids and dicarboxylic fatty acids are provided. Specifically, hydroxy fatty acids and dicarboxylic fatty acids are produced by microbes that have been engineered to overexpress acyl ACP thioesterase plus an alkane degration pathway, such as AlkBGT or AlkJH These can be in separate microbes or the same microbe, and separate microbes can be co-cultured or sequentially cultured. Continuously fed systems transferring secreted fats from one microbial culture to another can also be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Xixian Xie, Leepika Tuli, 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: 9388434
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an engineered bacteria for producing short chain fatty acid with the overexpression of a long chain (>C12) acyl-ACP thioesterases (long-TE) and a short chain (?C12) acyl-ACP thioesterases (short-TE).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: William Marsh Rice University
    Inventors: Ka-Yiu San, Songi Han