Patents by Inventor Simone Brethauer Studer

Simone Brethauer Studer 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: 20130040350
    Abstract: A dense but oxygen permeable membrane separates the oxygen supply compartment from the fermentation compartment, which contains all microorganisms, a nutrient medium and the pretreated lignocellulose. The oxygen, necessary for the growth and the activity of the aerobic cellulolytic enzymes producing microorganisms is solely transported from the oxygen supply compartment through the membrane, which leads to an oxygen gradient within the biofilm growing on the membrane. The oxygen rich zone of the biofilm lies on the membrane whereas the biofilm further away from the membrane as well as the surrounding nutrient medium are oxygen depleted. In the aerobic biofilm the extra-cellular enzymes are produced in situ and are released into the nutrient medium where they hydrolyse the cellulose and hemicellulose into soluble monosugars, which are then converted to the desired fermentation product by suitable microorganisms in the anaerobic zones of the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: ETH ZURICH
    Inventors: Michael Hans-Peter Studer, Simone Brethauer Studer