Patents by Inventor Sean Dennis Simpson
Sean Dennis Simpson 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).
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Patent number: 8658415Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for sustaining a microbial culture during periods of limited substrate supply. In accordance with the methods of the invention, a microbial culture comprising carboxydotrophic bacteria can be sustained during periods of limited substrate supply by maintaining the temperature of the microbial culture at a temperature below an optimum operating temperature. Examples of periods of limited substrate supply include when the microbial culture is transported to a remote location or during time when it is stored.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2012Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Lanza Tech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Bakir Al-Sinawi
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Patent number: 8658408Abstract: The invention provides method for producing butanediol and specifically 2,3-butanediol by anaerobic fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO by a culture of at least one micro-organism. In accordance with particular methods of the invention, 2,3-butanediol is produced by anaerobic fermentation of substrates including carbohydrates and carbon monoxide. The invention further provides for the up-regulation of a native 2,3-butanediol dehydrogenase gene in the at least one micro-organism. The 2,3-butanediol can be further converted to compounds such as butene(s), butadiene and methyl ethyl ketone. These compounds can be further converted to chemical products such as 2-butanol.Type: GrantFiled: February 26, 2013Date of Patent: February 25, 2014Assignee: Lanza Tech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Loan Phuong Tran, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Jennifer Mon Yee Fung, FungMin Liew, Shane Fleming
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Publication number: 20130316424Abstract: The invention relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods of the invention 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, the invention relates to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2013Publication date: November 28, 2013Applicant: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Michael Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Koepke
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Publication number: 20130260429Abstract: This invention relates generally to methods for increasing the efficiency of microbial growth and production of products, such as alcohols and acids by microbial fermentation of substrates containing carbon monoxide. More particularly the invention relates to the provision of an alternative sulphur source to a liquid nutrient medium, such that sulphur is available to one or more microorganisms of the fermentation.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 27, 2013Publication date: October 3, 2013Applicant: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Prana Haryanto, Sean Dennis Simpson
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Publication number: 20130210096Abstract: Methods and systems for the production of hydrocarbon products, including providing a substrate comprising CO to a bioreactor containing a culture of one or more micro-organisms; and fermenting the culture in the bioreactor to produce one or more hydrocarbon products. The substrate comprising CO is derived from an industrial process selected from the group comprising steam reforming processes, refinery processes, steam cracking processes, and reverse water gas shift processes.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 21, 2011Publication date: August 15, 2013Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Michael Anthony Schultz, James Obern, Sean Dennis Simpson
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Patent number: 8507228Abstract: The invention relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods of the invention 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, the invention relates to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.Type: GrantFiled: June 23, 2010Date of Patent: August 13, 2013Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Michael Charles Milner Cockrem, Simon David Oakley, Michael Kopke
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Publication number: 20130157322Abstract: A process for converting a substrate such as carbon monoxide to useful chemicals has been developed. The process involves providing a substrate comprising CO to a bioreactor which contains a culture of one or more micro-organisms and anaerobically fermenting the substrate to produce ethanol. The ethanol is next converted to one or more chemical products via the compound ethylene. The source of the CO can be an industrial process such as the ferrous metal products manufacturing. The microorganism can be Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium ljundahlii or Clostridium ragsdalei.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2011Publication date: June 20, 2013Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea
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Publication number: 20130065282Abstract: Methods and systems for the production of one or more lipid products from a gaseous substrate using a two stage fermentation process are provided. The method comprises providing a gaseous substrate comprising CO2 and H2 to a primary bioreactor containing a culture or one or more microorganisms, and fermenting the substrate to produce an acid such as acetate. The acid, e.g. acetate from the primary bioreactor is then provided to a secondary bioreactor, where it is used as a substrate for fermentation to lipids by one or more yeasts.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 7, 2012Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Loan Phuong Tran, Sean Dennis Simpson
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Patent number: 8383376Abstract: The invention relates to processes for converting CO by microbial fermentation to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO2 to improve overall carbon capture. More particularly the invention relates to a method for producing one or more products from a CO comprising substrate, the method comprising a natural gas reforming step for producing a syngas stream, and converting at least a portion of CO from the syngas stream to one or more products including ethanol.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2012Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Simon David Oakley, Michael Charles Milner Cockrem, Michael Koepke
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Publication number: 20130045517Abstract: The invention relates to the microbial fermentation of gaseous substrates to produce one or more products. The invention relates to the microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate derived from the conversion of a biogas stream. The invention relates to the conversion of a biogas stream comprising methane to a gaseous substrate comprising CO and/or H2, and the production of one or more products from the microbial fermentation of said gaseous substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 4, 2011Publication date: February 21, 2013Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Simon David Oakley, Joss Anton Coombes, Sean Dennis Simpson, Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Michael Anthony Schultz, Sean Molloy
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Patent number: 8376736Abstract: The invention relates to methods of capturing carbon by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising CO. The methods of the invention 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, the invention relates to processes for producing alcohols, particularly ethanol, from industrial waste streams, particularly steel mill off-gas.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2008Date of Patent: February 19, 2013Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Michael Charles Milner Cockrem, Simon David Oakley
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Patent number: 8354269Abstract: The invention relates to improvements in the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly to production of alcohols by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO. It more particularly relates to the provision of an improved fermentation media, comprising nickel, to a fermentation system such that one or more micro-organisms convert a substrate comprising CO to one or more alcohols, such as ethanol. In particular embodiments, a microbial culture is provided with at least 10 ?M nickel, such that CO uptake by the microbial culture increases and ethanol productivity improves.Type: GrantFiled: November 30, 2009Date of Patent: January 15, 2013Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Ian Lindstrand Warner, Jennifer Mon Yee Eung, Michael Kopke
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Publication number: 20120309066Abstract: The invention relates to processes for converting CO by microbial fermentation to one or more products including alcohols and/or acids and optionally capturing CO2 to improve overall carbon capture. More particularly the invention relates to a method for producing one or more products from a CO comprising substrate, the method comprising a natural gas reforming step for producing a syngas stream, and converting at least a portion of CO from the syngas stream to one or more products including ethanol.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 16, 2012Publication date: December 6, 2012Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Sean Dennis SIMPSON, Richard Llewellyn Sydney FORSTER, Simon David OAKLEY, Michael Charles Milner COCKREM, Michael KOEPKE
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Publication number: 20120309075Abstract: A biologically pure isolate of a selected bacterium derived from Clostridium autoethanogenum is described which has improved efficiency in the production of ethanol by anaerobic fermentation of substrates comprising carbon monoxide. The bacterium can produce ethanol and acetate at an ethanol to acetate ratio of at least 1.0 and has a productivity of at least 1.2 g of ethanol/l of fermentation broth per day. The bacterium is also characterized in that it has substantially no ability to sporulate.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2012Publication date: December 6, 2012Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Phuong Loan Tran, Matthew James Rowe, Ian Linstrand Warner
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Patent number: 8293509Abstract: The invention relates to biological processes for producing one or more desired products, including alcohols such as ethanol and butanol. The processes comprise carrying out first and second fermentations of substrates in first and second bioreactors, wherein each fermentation produces one or more desired products and/or one or more by-products that can be utilized in the other fermentation. A product and/or by-product of the first fermentation is introduced to the second bioreactor during the fermentation, and a product and/or by-product of the second fermentation is introduced to the first bioreactor during the fermentation.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2008Date of Patent: October 23, 2012Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Matthew James Rowe, Phuong Loan Tran, Christophe Collet
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Publication number: 20120252082Abstract: Methods for improving the efficiency of 2,3-butanediol fermentations are disclosed. More specifically methods of increasing the butanediol productivity from the anaerobic fermentation of a substrate comprising carbon monoxide or carbon monoxide and hydrogen by one or more caboxydotrophic acetogenic bacteria are disclosed. The method includes supplying a hydrogen depleted substrate to increase butanediol productivity. The method includes producing butanediol at a volumetric productivity rate of at least 15 g/L/day.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITEDInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Christophe Daniel Mihalcea, Joshua Jeremy Conolly, Guy William Waters
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Patent number: 8222013Abstract: A novel class of bacteria is described which has improved efficiency in the production of thanol by anaerobic fermentation of substrates containing carbon monoxide.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2008Date of Patent: July 17, 2012Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Phuong Loan Tran, Matthew James Rowe, Ian Linstrand Warner
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Patent number: 8178330Abstract: The invention relates to the microbial fermentation of gaseous substrates, particularly to gas/liquid contact modules and bioreactors configured to improve the efficiency of fermentations, particularly microbial fermentations of substrates comprising CO. In a particular embodiment, a gas/liquid contact module with multiple channels is configured to produce products in a liquid fermentation broth. In a further particular embodiment, there is provided a method of fermentation of a gaseous substrate to produce a product in a liquid fermentation broth.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2010Date of Patent: May 15, 2012Assignee: Lanza Tech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Simon Richard Trevethick, Jason Carl Bromley, Sean Dennis Simpson, Vinod Khosla
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Patent number: 8119844Abstract: The invention relates to methods for the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly microbial fermentation of substrates comprising glycerol and/or acetate, to butanol.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2009Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet
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Patent number: 8119378Abstract: The invention relates to the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly to production of alcohols by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO. It more particularly relates to processes for the production of alcohols from their corresponding acids in the presence of a substrate comprising CO. In particular embodiments, a fermentation reaction producing acid(s) and optionally alcohol(s) is perturbed such that at least a portion one or more of acid(s) is converted to alcohol.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2009Date of Patent: February 21, 2012Assignee: LanzaTech New Zealand LimitedInventors: Sean Dennis Simpson, Christophe Collet, Phuong Loan Tran, Bakir Al-Sinawi, Richard Llewellyn Sydney Forster, Matthew James Rowe, Gary Chan, Kelly Marie Mahar, Jennifer Mon Yee Fung