Patents by Inventor Michael Koepke

Michael Koepke 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: 11459589
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing a terpene or a precursor thereof by microbial fermentation. Typically, the method involves culturing a recombinant bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate whereby the bacterium produces a terpene or a precursor thereof, such as mevalonic acid, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, isoprene, geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, and/or farnesene. The bacterium may comprise one or more exogenous enzymes, such as enzymes in mevalonate, DXS, or terpene biosynthesis pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: LanzaTech NZ, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Koepke
  • Patent number: 11441149
    Abstract: The invention provides methods of genetically engineering a C1-fixing bacterium using a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) (CRISPR/Cas) system. Preferably, the Cas protein is under the control of an inducible promoter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: LanzaTech NZ, Inc.
    Inventors: Shilpa Nagaraju, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20220282289
    Abstract: Microorganisms are genetically engineered to produce various chemicals for industrial use. The microorganisms are carboxydotrophic acetogens. The microorganisms produce acetyl-CoA using the Wood-Ljungdahl Pathway for fixing CO/CO2. A reverse beta-oxidation pathway cycle from a microorganism that contains such a group of enzymes is introduced. Additionally, primers and extenders, and/or genes encoding for enzymes that generate primers and extenders may also be introduced. Product synthesis can be effected by improved promoters or enzyme designs that are catalytically more efficient. Similarly, product synthesis may also be improved by deleting competing reactions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Shivani Garg, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20220251573
    Abstract: Microorganisms are genetically engineered to produce 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP). The microorganisms are carboxydotrophic acetogens. The microorganisms produce acetyl-coA using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for fixing CO/CO2. A ?-alanine pyruvate aminotransferase from a microorganism that contains such an enzyme is introduced. Additionally, an acetyl-coA carboxylase may also be introduced. The production of 3-HP can be improved. This can be effected by improved promoters or higher copy number or enzymes that are catalytically more efficient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Fungmin Liew, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20220213517
    Abstract: The invention provides microorganisms and methods for the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from gaseous substrates. In particular, the invention provides a non-naturally occurring Wood-Ljungdahl microorganism comprising (a) an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, (b) an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and (c) an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to polyhydroxybutyrate, and methods related thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Ryan Christopher Tappel, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Michael Koepke, Esteban Marcellin, Renato de Souza Pinto Lemgruber, Kaspar Valgepea, Lars Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11306333
    Abstract: The invention provides microorganisms and methods for the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from gaseous substrates. In particular, the invention provides a non-naturally occurring Wood-Ljungdahl microorganism comprising (a) an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, (b) an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and (c) an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to polyhydroxybutyrate, and methods related thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: LanzaTech, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Christopher Tappel, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Michael Koepke, Esteban Marcellin, Renato de Souza Pinto Lemgruber, Kaspar Valgepea, Lars Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210340579
    Abstract: Provided herein are microorganisms and methods for fermentative production of ß-ketoadipate from gaseous substrates such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and/or hydrogen (H2). Additionally, the processes provided herein are methods for producing polymers containing ß-ketoadipate, that can potentially enable a circular economy by diverting waste, e.g., plastic waste.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: James Daniell, Michael Koepke, Rasmus Overgaard Jensen
  • Publication number: 20210292732
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for production of 2-phenylethanol by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide and further disclosed are genetically modified microorganisms for use in such methods. Additionally, the processes disclosed herein are improved methods of 2-PE production that alleviate dependence on natural and petrochemical processes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Fungmin Liew, Michael Koepke, Shilpa Nagaraju, Audrey Harris
  • Publication number: 20210230648
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for improving efficiency of fermentation by arginine supplementation, and genetically modified bacterium for use therefor. More particularly the invention provides methods for (i) increasing the production ATP intensive products with arginine supplementation, (ii) increasing utilization of arginine by a C1-fixing bacterium; and (iii) providing C1-fixing bacterium with optimized arginine de-aminase pathways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Kaspar Valgepea, Michael Koepke, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Esteban Marcellin, Lars K. Nielsen, Renato de S.P. Lemgruber
  • Patent number: 10995347
    Abstract: The invention provides methods for improving efficiency of fermentation by arginine supplementation, and genetically modified bacterium for use therefor. More particularly the invention provides methods for (i) increasing the production ATP intensive products with arginine supplementation, (ii) increasing utilization of arginine by a C1-fixing bacterium; and (iii) providing C1-fixing bacterium with optimized arginine de-aminase pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Kaspar Valgepea, Esteban Marcellin, Lars K. Nielsen, Renato de S.P. Lemgruber
  • Publication number: 20210071223
    Abstract: The invention provides genetically engineered microorganisms and methods for the production of a product by a two-step fermentation process. In particular, the present invention relates to production of an intermediate by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate followed by conversion of the intermediate to a final product through microbial fermentation of a carbohydrate substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Rasmus Jensen, Michael Koepke, Sean Simpson
  • Publication number: 20210062229
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing a terpene or a precursor thereof by microbial fermentation. Typically, the method involves culturing a recombinant bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate whereby the bacterium produces a terpene or a precursor thereof, such as mevalonic acid, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, isoprene, geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, and/or farnesene. The bacterium may comprise one or more exogenous enzymes, such as enzymes in mevalonate, DXS, or terpene biosynthesis pathways.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2020
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventor: Michael Koepke
  • Patent number: 10913958
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for producing a terpene or a precursor thereof by microbial fermentation. Typically, the method involves culturing a recombinant bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate whereby the bacterium produces a terpene or a precursor thereof, such as mevalonic acid, isopentenyl pyrophosphate, dimethylallyl pyrophosphate, isoprene, geranyl pyrophosphate, farnesyl pyrophosphate, and/or farnesene. The bacterium may comprise one or more exogenous enzymes, such as enzymes in mevalonate, DXS, or terpene biosynthesis pathways.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2021
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventor: Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20210024961
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to the combination of a primary fermentation that converts gas to acetate with a secondary fermentation that converts acetate to a target product. Preferably, the gas contains carbon dioxide, such that the disclosure enables the fixation of carbon dioxide into useful products. The fermentations may be any combination of aerobic and anaerobic, batch and continuous. The fermenting microorganisms may typically be bacterial or fungal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Allan Haiming Gao, Robert John Conrado, James Daniel Winkler, Alexander Paul Mueller, Steven Brown, Loan Phuong Tran, Michael Koepke, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea
  • Publication number: 20200270665
    Abstract: Disclosed are compositions, methods, and kits for performing cell-free RNA transcription and/or cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS). The disclosed compositions, methods, and kits include or utilize components prepared from a species of Clostridia such as cellular extracts from Clostridium autoethanogenum.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Applicants: Northwestern University, LanzaTech, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Christopher Jewett, Antje Kruger-Gericke, Alexander Paul Mueller, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20200248152
    Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a product by culturing a carboxydotrophic acetogenic bacterium with a disrupting mutation in a lactate dehydrogenase enzyme in the presence of a substrate comprising CO, CO2, and/or H2. Preferably, the disrupting mutation reduces or eliminates the expression or activity of the enzyme such that the bacterium produces a reduced amount of lactate or no lactate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventors: Shilpa Nagaraju, Bakir Al-Sinawi, Sashini De Tissera, Michael Koepke
  • Patent number: 10590406
    Abstract: The invention provides a recombinant, carboxydotrophic Clostridium bacterium that expresses one or more of pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (EC 1.2.7.1), acetolactate synthase (EC 2.2.1.6), and acetolactate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.5). The invention further provides a method of producing a fermentation product by fermenting the recombinant bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate comprising CO to produce one or more of ethanol, butanol, isopropanol, isobutanol, higher alcohols, butanediol, 2,3-butanediol, succinate, isoprenoids, fatty acids, biopolymers, and mixtures thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Alexander Paul Mueller, Loan Phuong Tran
  • Publication number: 20200002734
    Abstract: The invention relates to a steel mill adapted to provide gas stream(s) comprising CO to a microbial fermentation, the steel mill comprising a steel mill structure containing apparatus for a steel manufacturing process wherein said apparatus produces waste gases during various stages of the steel making process, said waste gases being directed into the atmosphere by a waste stack, wherein the waste stack is connected to a fermentation system by a transfer means connected to the waste stack to divert at least a portion of the waste gases to the microbial fermentation system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke
  • Patent number: 10494600
    Abstract: The invention provides a novel bacterium with improved properties, including improved ethanol production, ethanol productivity, CO uptake, specific growth rate, ethanol to acetate ratio, and alcohol tolerance. The bacterium may be derived from Clostridium autoethanogenum and/or may comprise at least one DNA or amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. In one embodiment, the bacterium is Clostridium autoethanogenum deposited under DSMZ accession number DSM23693 or a bacterium derived therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Evgenia Kern, Michael Koepke, Simon Segovia, Fungmin Liew
  • Patent number: 10435722
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing products by microbial fermentation. The method comprises first converting a feed stream containing methane to a gaseous substrate comprising CO, of the invention include converting CO H2, and CO2 using a steam reforming zone and a water gas shift zone. The gaseous substrate is then converted to products such as alcohols and/or acids by to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids by fermentation using a carboxydotrophic microorganism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke