Patents by Inventor Roberto E. Armenta

Roberto E. Armenta 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: 20170321148
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of recovering oil from microorganisms. The methods are useful, for example, in obtaining nutritional oils and/or lipid biofuels. The methods of recovering oil described herein include contacting a population of microorganisms with one or more enzymes under conditions that cause disruption of the microorganisms, concentrating the disrupted microorganisms, and extracting lipids from the disrupted microorganisms at high temperature in the presence of a salt and in the absence of solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2017
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Dorothy A. Dennis, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Patent number: 9758787
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides, inter alia, Thraustochytrium and relevant methods and reagents, including engineered regulatory sequences from and/or operative in Thraustochytrid or Thraustochytrium, selectable markers useful for engineering microorganisms such as Thraustochytrids, means for mutagenizing microorganisms, novel strains produced by mutagenesis, and methods and compositions related to production of particular compounds in microorganisms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: DSM NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS AG
    Inventors: ShuoCheng Zhang, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Patent number: 9745538
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of recovering oil from microorganisms. The methods are useful, for example, in obtaining nutritional oils and/or lipid biofuels. The methods of recovering oil described herein include contacting a population of microorganisms with one or more enzymes under conditions that cause disruption of the microorganisms, concentrating the disrupted microorganisms, and extracting lipids from the disrupted microorganisms at high temperature in the presence of a salt and in the absence of solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: MARA RENEWABLES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dorothy A. Dennis, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Patent number: 9745539
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of recovering oil from microorganisms. The methods are useful, for example, in obtaining nutritional oils and/or lipid biofuels. The methods of recovering oil described herein include contacting a population of microorganisms with one or more enzymes under conditions that cause disruption of the microorganisms, concentrating the disrupted microorganisms, and extracting lipids from the disrupted microorganisms at high temperature in the presence of a salt and in the absence of solvent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Inventors: Dorothy A. Dennis, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20170015988
    Abstract: Provided herein are recombinant microorganisms having two or more copies of a nucleic acid sequence encoding xylose isomerase, wherein the nucleic acid encoding the xylose isomerase is an exogenous nucleic acid. Optionally, the recombinant microorganisms include at least one nucleic acid sequence encoding a xylulose kinase and/or at least one nucleic acid sequence encoding a xylose transporter. The provided recombinant microorganisms are capable of growing on xylose as a carbon source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2016
    Publication date: January 19, 2017
    Applicant: MARA Renewables Corporation
    Inventors: Alexandra Merkx-Jacques, David Woodhall, Mark Scaife, Roberto E. Armenta, Denise Muise, Holly Rasmussen, Jeremy Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20160312147
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of recovering oil from microorganisms. The methods are useful, for example, in obtaining nutritional oils and/or lipid biofuels. The methods of recovering oil described herein include contacting a population of microorganisms with one or more enzymes under conditions that cause disruption of the microorganisms and extracting lipids from the population of microorganisms in the presence of reduced amounts of organic solvent or in the absence of organic solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: DSM NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS AG
    Inventors: Dorothy A. Dennis, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20160281054
    Abstract: Provided is a method of culturing one or more microorganisms. The method includes culturing one or more microorganisms in a medium comprising crude glycerol at a first concentration level, feeding to the media an additional amount of crude glycerol, once the first concentration of glycerol is reduced to a first threshold level, at a concentration sufficient to achieve the first concentration level, monitoring the crude glycerol concentration until the first concentration level of the crude glycerol is reduced to the first threshold level. The steps may be repeated until a desired microorganism cell density is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Applicant: MARA RENEWABLES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Laura Purdue, Michael Milway, Kevin Berryman, Mercia Valentine, Zhiyong Sun, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20160108452
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of culturing a microorganism. The methods include providing a container comprising one or more microorganisms in a medium, which has a first carbon to nitrogen ratio; culturing the microorganisms until the culture reaches a threshold indicator; harvesting a portion of the culture while maintaining the majority of the culture in the container; and adding fresh medium comprising a second carbon to nitrogen ratio to the container with the majority of the culture comprising the microorganisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Applicant: MARA RENEWABLES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Zhiyong Sun, Michael Milway, Kevin Berryman, Mercia Valentine, Roberto E. Armenta, Laura Purdue
  • Publication number: 20160108453
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of culturing a microorganism. The method includes providing a container comprising one or more microorganisms and medium, wherein the microorganisms and medium form a start volume. The microorganisms and medium are cultured until the culture reaches a threshold indicator, wherein culturing comprises feeding one or more carbon sources to the culture and wherein the culture is at a threshold volume when the threshold indicator is reached. The method also includes harvesting a portion of the threshold volume to leave a residual volume that is 40% or less of the start volume and adding fresh medium to the container in an amount to return the volume of the culture to the start volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2015
    Publication date: April 21, 2016
    Applicant: MARA RENEWABLES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin Berryman, Zhiyong Sun, Michael Milway, Mercia Valentine, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20160040175
    Abstract: Provided are Thraustochytrid and Thraustochytrium and relevant methods and reagents, including engineered regulatory sequences and genes from and/or operative in Thraustochytrid or Thraustochytrium, selectable markers useful for engineering microorganisms such as Thraustochytrids, means for mutagenizing microorganisms, strains produced by mutagenesis, and methods and compositions related to production of particular compounds in microorganisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Mark A. Scaife, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20160010026
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of recovering oil from microorganisms. The methods are useful, for example, in obtaining nutritional oils and/or lipid biofuels. The methods of recovering oil described herein include contacting a population of microorganisms with one or more enzymes under conditions that cause disruption of the microorganisms, concentrating the disrupted microorganisms, and extracting lipids from the disrupted microorganisms at high temperature in the presence of a salt and in the absence of solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Applicant: MARA RENEWABLES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dorothy A. Dennis, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20160010095
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides, inter alia, Thraustochytrium and relevant methods and reagents, including engineered regulatory sequences from and/or operative in Thraustochytrid or Thraustochytrium, selectable markers useful for engineering microorganisms such as Thraustochytrids, means for mutagenizing microorganisms, novel strains produced by mutagenesis, and methods and compositions related to production of particular compounds in microorganisms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 4, 2015
    Publication date: January 14, 2016
    Inventors: ShuoCheng Zhang, Roberto E. Armenta
  • Publication number: 20150337345
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods for producing one or more polyunsaturated fatty acids. The methods include the steps of providing a microorganism capable of producing polyunsaturated fatty acids, providing a medium comprising a high concentration of one or more carbon sources, low pH, or both, and culturing the microorganism in the medium under sufficient conditions to produce the one or more polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also provided are methods of culturing one or more microorganisms. The methods include culturing the microorganisms in a medium comprising a first amount of one or more carbon sources at a first concentration level, monitoring a carbon source concentration until the carbon source concentration is reduced below the first concentration level, and adding to the medium a second amount of one or more carbon sources to increase the carbon source concentration to a second concentration level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Zhiyong Sun, Roberto E. Armenta, Mercia Valentine
  • Publication number: 20150176042
    Abstract: Provided herein are methods of recovering oil from microorganisms. The methods are useful, for example, in obtaining nutritional oils and/or lipid biofuels. The methods of recovering oil described herein include contacting a population of microorganisms with one or more enzymes under conditions that cause disruption of the microorganisms, concentrating the disrupted microorganisms, and extracting lipids from the disrupted microorganisms at high temperature in the presence of a salt and in the absence of solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 25, 2015
    Inventors: Dorothy A. Dennis, Roberto E. Armenta