Patents by Inventor Mervi Toivari

Mervi Toivari 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: 11124810
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of converting oxalate to oxalyl-coA and/or oxalyl-coA to glyoxylate in a fungus and to a method of producing glycolic acid. Still, the present invention relates to a genetically modified fungus comprising increased enzyme activity associated with oxalyl-CoA. And furthermore, the present invention relates to use of the fungus of the present invention for producing oxalate, oxalyl-coA, glyoxylate and/or glycolic acid from a carbon substrate. Still furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of producing specific products and to a method of preparing the genetically modified fungus of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
    Inventors: Mervi Toivari, Marja Ilmén, Merja Penttilä
  • Publication number: 20200199632
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of converting oxalate to oxalyl-coA and/or oxalyl-coA to glyoxylate in a fungus and to a method of producing glycolic acid. Still, the present invention relates to a genetically modified fungus comprising increased enzyme activity associated with oxalyl-CoA. And furthermore, the present invention relates to use of the fungus of the present invention for producing oxalate, oxalyl-coA, glyoxylate and/or glycolic acid from a carbon substrate. Still furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of producing specific products and to a method of preparing the genetically modified fungus of the present invention.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Mervi Toivari, Marja Ilmén, Merja Penttilä
  • Patent number: 10072279
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for producing terpenes in fungi comprising the steps of (a) providing a modified terpene biosynthetic gene cluster inside a host cell, wherein one or more of the naturally occurring genes or promoters of the cluster have been replaced, truncated or removed, (b) providing a transcription factor inside the host cell, the transcription factor activating the terpene biosynthetic gene cluster; (c) cultivating said host in conditions allowing the expression of the transcription factor activating the cluster; and optionally (d) recovering the thus produced terpene product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
    Inventors: Kirsi Bromann, Mervi Toivari, Tiina Nakari-Setälä, Laura Ruohonen
  • Publication number: 20160194674
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for producing terpenes in fungi comprising the steps of (a) providing a modified terpene biosynthetic gene cluster inside a host cell, wherein one or more of the naturally occurring genes or promoters of the cluster have been replaced, truncated or removed, (b) providing a transcription factor inside the host cell, the transcription factor activating the terpene biosynthetic gene cluster; (c) cultivating said host in conditions allowing the expression of the transcription factor activating the cluster; and optionally (d) recovering the thus produced terpene product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Applicant: Teknologian tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Kirsi Bromann, Mervi Toivari, Tiina Nakari-Setälä, Laura Ruohonen
  • Patent number: 9315834
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing xylonic acid from xylose with a recombinant fungal strain that is genetically modified to express a xylose dehydrogenase gene, which is able to convert xylose to xylonolactone, which is spontaneously or enzymatically hydrolyzed to xylonic acid. The xylonic acid is excreted outside the host cell. Xylonate production may be coupled with xylitol production. Alternatively, if xylitol production is not desired, its production is reduced by removing the aldose reductase (or specific xylose reductase) enzyme, which converts xylose to xylitol. Expression of a heterologous lactonase encoding gene may result in higher acid concentrations. The method is suitable for producing xylonic acid from a hemicellulose hydrolysate such as hydrolyzed lignocellulosic plant biomass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT
    Inventors: Peter Richard, Marilyn Wiebe, Mervi Toivari, Dominik Mojzita, Laura Ruohonen, Merja Penttilä
  • Patent number: 9238826
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing terpenes in fungi, wherein a terpene biosynthetic gene cluster having terpene biosynthetic genes and regulatory regions operably linked to said genes is activated. The invention relates also to a terpene biosynthetic gene duster and regulatory regions of such terpene biosynthetic gene cluster usable is production of terpenes, use of regulator for regulating the terpene production and use of Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 for producing terpenes. The method of invention provides higher yields of enriched terpene product without essential amount of side-products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus VTT Oy
    Inventors: Kirsi Bromann, Tina Nakari-Setala, Laura Ruohonen, Mervi Toivari, Merja Penttila
  • Publication number: 20140045238
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing terpenes in fungi, wherein a terpene biosynthetic gene cluster having terpene biosynthetic genes and regulatory regions operably linked to said genes is activated. The invention relates also to a terpene biosynthetic gene cluster and regulatory regions of such terpene biosynthetic gene cluster usable is production of terpenes, use of regulator for regulating the terpene production and use of Aspergillus nidulans FGSC A4 for producing terpenes. The method of invention provides higher yields of enriched terpene product without essential amount of side-products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2011
    Publication date: February 13, 2014
    Applicant: TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT
    Inventors: Kirsi Bromann, Tiina Nakari-Setala, Laura Ruohonen, Mervi Toivari, Merja Penttila
  • Publication number: 20120005788
    Abstract: Provided is a method for producing xylonic acid from xylose with a recombinant fungal strain that is genetically modified to express a xylose dehydrogenase gene, which is able to convert xylose to xylonolactone, which is spontaneously or enzymatically hydrolysed to xylonic acid. The xylonic acid is excreted outside the host cell. Xylonate production may be coupled with xylitol production. Alternatively, if xylitol production is not desired, its production is reduced by removing the aldose reductase (or specific xylose reductase) enzyme, which converts xylose to xylitol. Expression of a heterologous lactonase encoding gene may result in higher acid concentrations. The method is suitable for producing xylonic acid from a hemicellulose hydrolysate such as hydrolysed lignocellulosic plant biomass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT
    Inventors: Peter Richard, Marilyn Wiebe, Mervi Toivari, Dominik Mojzita, Laura Ruohonen, Merja Penttilä
  • Publication number: 20080038779
    Abstract: The invention relates to the methods of manufacturing five-carbon sugars and sugar alcohols as well as other compounds derived from pentose-phosphate pathway from readily available substrates such a hexoses using metabolically engineered microbial hosts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Andrei Miasnikov, Heikki Ojamo, Mira Povelainen, Hakan Gros, Mervi Toivari, Peter Richard, Laura Ruohonen, Kari Koivuranta, John Londesborough, Aristos Aristidou, Merja Penttila, Claire Plazanet-Menut, Josef Deutscher
  • Patent number: 7226761
    Abstract: The invention relates to the methods of manufacturing five-carbon sugars and sugar alcohols as well as other compounds derived from pentose-phosphate pathway from readily available substrates such a hexoses using metabolically engineered microbial hosts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2007
    Assignee: Danisco Sweeteners Oy
    Inventors: Andrei Miasnikov, Heikki Ojamo, Mira Povelainen, Hakan Gros, Mervi Toivari, Peter Richard, Laura Ruohonen, Kari Koivuranta, John Londesborough, Aristos Aristidou, Merja Penttila, Claire Plazanet-Menut, Josef Deutscher
  • Patent number: 7091014
    Abstract: The present invention relates to genetic engineering of production microorganisms used in biotechnology to improve their properties so that they produce useful products more efficiently. The microorganisms express at least one enzyme that causes the functional coupling of the oxidation and reduction of substrates by two pyridine nucleotide-linked dehydrogenase reactions with different specificities for the NAD/NADH and NADP/NADPH coenzyme couples and so facilitates the transfer of electrons between the two coenzyme couples through the said substrates. In particular the invention relates to increasing the yields of products such as ethanol or amino acids from carbon and nitrogen sources such as biomass comprising hexoes, pentoses or their polymers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus
    Inventors: Aristos Aristidou, John Londesborough, Merja Penttilä, Peter Richard, Laura Ruohonen, Hans Söderlund, Anita Teleman, Mervi Toivari
  • Publication number: 20030068791
    Abstract: The invention relates to the methods of manufacturing five-carbon sugars and sugar alcohols as well as other compounds derived from pentose-phosphate pathway from readily available substrates such a hexoses using metabolically engineered microbial hosts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Publication date: April 10, 2003
    Applicant: Xyrofin Oy
    Inventors: Andrei Miasnikov, Heikki Ojamo, Mira Povelainen, Hakan Gros, Mervi Toivari, Peter Richard, Laura Ruohonen, Kari Koivuranta, John Londesborough, Aristos Aristidou, Merja Penttila, Claire Plazanet-Menut, Josef Deutscher