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: 9957531
    Abstract: The invention relates to a genetically engineered bacterium having an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyrate. The bacterium may also have enzymes to produce other downstream products, such as 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde, and 1,3-butanediol. Typically, the bacterium is capable of producing these products from a gaseous substrate, such as syngas or an industrial waste gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Rasmus Overgaard Jensen, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Ryan Edward Hill, Darmawi Juminaga, Alexander Paul Mueller
  • Publication number: 20180105847
    Abstract: The invention relates to a genetically engineered bacterium having an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyrate. The bacterium may also have enzymes to produce other downstream products, such as 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde, and 1,3-butanediol. Typically, the bacterium is capable of producing these products from a gaseous substrate, such as syngas or an industrial waste gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Rasmus Overgaard Jensen, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Ryan Edward Hill, Darmawi Juminaga, Alexander Paul Mueller
  • Patent number: 9890384
    Abstract: Carboxydotrophic acetogenic microorganisms do not produce MEK and/or 2-butanol. They lack the biosynthesis pathways to make these products. In addition, they produce the intermediate (R,R)-2,3-butanediol whereas the production of MEK and 2-butanol requires production of the intermediate (R,S)-2,3-butanediol. Nonetheless, the production of MEK and/or 2-butanol can be accomplished using recombinant microorganisms adapted to express or overexpress key enzymes in the MEK and/or 2-butanol biosynthesis pathways. Such microorganisms, such as the carboxydotrophic acetogen Clostridium autoethanogenum, can ferment substrates comprising CO. The overall scheme involves the production of 2-butanol from (R,S)-2,3-butanediol and the conversion of (R)-acetoin to (S)-2,3-butanediol. These steps are involved in the production of both MEK and 2-butanol. Such fermentation methods offer a means of using carbon monoxide from industrial processes which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere and pollute the environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Alexander Paul Mueller, Michael Koepke, Shilpa Nagaraju
  • Patent number: 9890399
    Abstract: Methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods include converting CO to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO2 to improve overall carbon capture. In certain aspects, also disclosed are to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke
  • Patent number: 9834795
    Abstract: The invention provides recombinant microorganisms and methods for the production of acetone from gaseous substrates. For example, the recombinant microorganism may be modified to express an exogenous thiolase, an exogenous CoA transferase, and an exogenous decarboxylase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Sean Simpson, Fungmin Liew, Wendy Yiting Chen
  • Patent number: 9834792
    Abstract: Multi-stage, biological processes and systems for converting a C1 carbon source to desired end products are described. The processes comprise dividing a gaseous C1-containing substrate, in parallel, among multiple bioreactor stages. Liquid products are successively fed, in series, from a first bioreactor stage to downstream bioreactor stages. Operation can be simplified by avoiding the requirement for microorganism separation and recycle at each stage. In addition, overall vapor-liquid mass transfer for the combined stages is very favorable, leading to high end product productivity with comparably low byproduct metabolite productivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Simon Richard Trevethick, Jason Carl Bromley, Guy William Waters, Michael Koepke, Loan Phuong Tran, Rasmus Jensen Overgaard
  • Publication number: 20170342446
    Abstract: A method is provided for controlling a metabolic profile of an anaerobic microbial fermentation culture. In particular, a metabolic profile of a fermentation process is controlled by controlling the amount of dissolved CO2 provided to a culture. Further provided is a method of producing one or more products by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate through feeding tail gas CO2 from a reactor to a second reactor, or by recycling tail gas CO2 to the same reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2017
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Michael Koepke, Kathleen Frances Smart, Loan Phuong Tran, Paul Sechrist
  • Publication number: 20170327849
    Abstract: The invention provides a non-naturally occurring bacterium having decreased or eliminated activity of an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction defined by EC 1.2.7.5, such as aldehyde:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (AOR). Optionally, the bacterium also has decreased or eliminated activity of an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction defined by EC 1.2.1.10 and/or EC 1.1.1.1, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, or bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase. The invention further provides methods of producing products by culturing the bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate containing one or more of CO, CO2, and H2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2017
    Publication date: November 16, 2017
    Inventors: Fungmin Liew, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20170321232
    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 byto one or more products including alcohols and/or acids by fermentation using a carboxydotrophic microorganism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170247710
    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: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2017
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Inventors: Shilpa Nagaraju, Michael Koepke
  • Patent number: 9745566
    Abstract: The present provides selection markers, methods, nucleic acids, and vectors of use in the preparation of recombinant Clostridium spp.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: David Jeffrey Fraser Walker, Shilpa Nagaraju, Michael Koepke, Alexander Paul Mueller
  • Patent number: 9738875
    Abstract: The invention relates to a genetically engineered bacterium comprising an energy-generating fermentation pathway and methods related thereto. In particular, the invention provides a bacterium comprising a phosphate butyryltransferase (Ptb) and a butyrate kinase (Buk) (Ptb-Buk) that act on non-native substrates to produce a wide variety of products and intermediates. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to the introduction of Ptb-Buk into a C1-fixing microoorgansim capable of producing products from a gaseous substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Rasmus Overgaard Jensen, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Ryan Edward Hill
  • Publication number: 20170183690
    Abstract: The invention provides genetically engineered microorganisms with modified hydrogenase activity and methods related thereto. Typically, the microorganisms are C1-fixing microorganisms with one or more disruptive mutations in a hydrogenase enzyme or a hydrogenase accessory enzyme. The microorganisms may have improved tolerance to toxins, such as acetylene, isocyanide, ammonium, or nitric oxide, improved production of products, such as ethanol, 2,3-butanediol, and isopropanol, and/or improved fixation of carbon, such as carbon derived from CO or CO2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: June 29, 2017
    Inventors: Shilpa Nagaraju, Michael Koepke
  • Publication number: 20170159083
    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: December 2, 2016
    Publication date: June 8, 2017
    Inventors: Kaspar Valgepea, Michael Koepke, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Esteban Marcellin, Lars K. Nielsen, Renato de S.P. Lemgruber
  • Publication number: 20170101631
    Abstract: The invention relates to a genetically engineered bacterium comprising an energy-generating fermentation pathway and methods related thereto. In particular, the invention provides a bacterium comprising a phosphate butyryltransferase (Ptb) and a butyrate kinase (Buk) (Ptb-Buk) that act on non-native substrates to produce a wide variety of products and intermediates. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to the introduction of Ptb-Buk into a C1-fixing microoorgansim capable of producing products from a gaseous substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Rasmus Overgaard Jensen, James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Ryan Edward Hill
  • Patent number: 9550979
    Abstract: The present invention relates to mutant alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes, microorganisms comprising the mutant alcohol dehydrogenase enzymes, and methods for the production of products by microbial fermentation using the microorganisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Lanza Tech New Zealand Limited
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Wayne Michael Patrick, Danielle Joan Maddock, Monica Gerth
  • Publication number: 20170016007
    Abstract: One or more genes in a biosynthesis pathway for a vitamin or other essential nutrient which is needed for the survival of a microorganism can be used as an effective selective marker to identify cells transformed with an exogenous nucleic acid. The microorganism does not naturally contain or express the one or more gene. This permits genetic manipulations to be performed. It permits lower cost fermentations to be performed. It permits production of the essential nutrient for subsequent commodity use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Bakir Al-Sinawi
  • Publication number: 20160376615
    Abstract: The invention provides recombinant microorganisms and methods for the production of acetone from gaseous substrates. For example, the recombinant microorganism may be modified to express an exogenous thiolase, an exogenous CoA transferase, and an exogenous decarboxylase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Sean Simpson, Fungmin Liew, Wendy Yiting Chen
  • Publication number: 20160348087
    Abstract: The invention provides genetically engineered microorganisms and methods for producing chorismate-derived products, such as para-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylate, 2-aminobenzoate, 2,3-dihydroxybenzoate, and 4-hydroxycyclohexane carboxylic acid. Typically, the microorganism comprises at least one of (a) an exogenous chorismate pyruvate lyase, (b) an exogenous isochorismate synthase, (c) an exogenous isochorismate pyruvate lyase, and (d) a prephenate synthase comprising a disruptive mutation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Inventors: James Bruce Yarnton Haycock Behrendorff, Michael Koepke, Loan Phuong Tran, Wyatt Eric Allen
  • Publication number: 20160244785
    Abstract: The invention provides a recombinant, acetogenic bacterium that consumes a substrate comprising CH4 and converts at least a portion of the CH4 to a product. In particular, the bacterium of may comprise one or more of exogenous methane monooxygenase (MMO), exogenous nitrite reductase (NIR), and exogenous nitric oxide dismutase (NOD). The invention further provides a method for producing a product comprising providing a substrate comprising CH4 to a culture comprising a recombinant, acetogenic bacterium, whereby the bacterium converts at least a portion of the CH4 to a product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: August 25, 2016
    Inventors: Michael Koepke, Peter Dürre