Ethanol Patents (Class 435/161)
  • Patent number: 10815502
    Abstract: The invention provides processes and methods for utilization of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the fermentation of a gaseous substrate comprising hydrogen (H2) and CO2. In particular, the invention allows for the conversion of at least a portion of the CO2 in the gaseous substrate to one or more products, such as ethanol, acetate, and/or 2,3-butanediol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Joseph Henry Tizard, Paul Alvin Sechrist
  • Patent number: 10738273
    Abstract: Provided is a system for hydrolyzing a cellulosic feedstock slurry. The system comprises one or more unmixed reactors for receiving and partially hydrolyzing the cellulosic feedstock slurry so as to produce a mixture of partially hydrolyzed slurry. The unmixed reactors may be plug flow reactors. One or more mixed reactors are downstream of the unmixed reactors for continuing the hydrolysis of the mixture of the partially hydrolyzed slurry. The one or more unmixed and mixed reactors may be connected in series, parallel or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Iogen Energy Corporation
    Inventors: Peter J. E. Harlick, Wei Zheng
  • Patent number: 10724054
    Abstract: S53 proteases and the use of S53 protease in processes for converting starch to ethanol are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Nathaniel Edward Kreel, Joseph Jump, Melissa Carrie Hooss, Madison Roberts, Bernardo Vidal, Jr., Kenneth Jensen, Xinyan Guo, Henrik Frisner, Tine Hoff, Ye Liu, Lan Tang
  • Patent number: 10696606
    Abstract: A method for converting an alcohol to a hydrocarbon fraction reduced in gaseous hydrocarbon content, the method comprising: (i) contacting said alcohol with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst under conditions suitable for converting said alcohol to a first hydrocarbon fraction containing liquid hydrocarbons having at least five carbon atoms along with gaseous hydrocarbons having less than five carbon atoms, wherein said metal-loaded zeolite catalyst is catalytically active for converting said alcohol to said first hydrocarbon fraction; and (ii) selectively removing said gaseous hydrocarbons from the first hydrocarbon fraction and contacting said gaseous hydrocarbons with a metal-loaded zeolite catalyst under conditions suitable for converting said gaseous hydrocarbons into liquid hydrocarbons having at least five carbon atoms to produce a second hydrocarbon fraction reduced in gaseous hydrocarbon content, wherein the metal-loaded zeolite catalyst in steps (i) and (ii) are the same or different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Chaitanya K. Narula, Brian H. Davison, Zhenglong Li
  • Patent number: 10696953
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides engineered ketoreductase enzymes having improved properties as compared to a naturally occurring wild-type ketoreductase enzyme. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, host cells capable of expressing the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, and methods of using the engineered ketoreductase enzymes to synthesize a variety of chiral compounds.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Codexis, Inc.
    Inventors: Oscar Alvizo, Nicholas J. Agard, Xinkai Xie, David Entwistle, Birgit Kosjek
  • Patent number: 10683211
    Abstract: Molasses based alcohol distilleries generate highly contaminated, dark coloured and foul smelling effluent (bio-methanated spent wash, BMSW, also known as post methanated effluent). While the prevailing practices for treatment of alcohol distillery effluents operate on the premises of “liability management”, high potassium content of spent wash (ca. 2% w/v in BMSW) offers an opportunity for its utilisation in production of potash fertilizers—a major agricultural input. The present invention provides process for potash recovery from BMSW with concomitant environmental remediation of effluent. The process involves pre-treatment of BMSW followed by potash recovery through selective precipitation technique to produce potash fertilizers and activated carbon while generating a relatively benign effluent (>80% remediation). It may further be possible for the alcohol distilleries to achieve ZLD status by incorporating commercially practiced water recovery techniques (viz.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH
    Inventors: Pratyush Maiti, Subarna Maiti, Soumya Haldar, Krishna Kanta Ghara, Prasanta Das, Samir Kumar Kanjibhai Charola, Neha Pratap Patel
  • Patent number: 10677769
    Abstract: This productivity evaluation method is for evaluating productivity of a chemical substance in a process comprising a first step of obtaining gas from a waste material and a second step of synthesizing a chemical substance from the gas obtained in the first step in the presence of a catalyst, said method including: a first carbon mass calculation stage of calculating mass of carbon contained in the waste material, a second carbon mass calculation stage of calculating mass of carbon contained in the chemical substance produced in said process, and a productivity evaluation stage of evaluating the productivity of the chemical substance based on values of the mass of carbon which are calculated in the first carbon mass calculation stage and the second carbon mass calculation stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoji Fujimori, Akio Shokaku
  • Patent number: 10640402
    Abstract: The disclosure provides treatment strategies that prevent or control the growth of organisms that degrade oxidant stabilizers in oxidant-stabilized biocides. This allows stabilized halogen programs to perform at their intended level and prevents the need for increased halogen usage in an attempt to maintain control of these microbial populations and reduce the halogen-demand created by their enzyme byproducts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: ECOLAB USA INC.
    Inventors: Laura E. Rice, Elisa M. Luth
  • Patent number: 10626363
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant cyanobacterium with enhanced halotolerance and compositions thereof, methods of producing the recombinant cyanobacterium, and methods of using the same for biofuel production. The invention also relates to transformed F. diplosiphon strains with enhanced salt tolerance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Morgan State University
    Inventors: Viji Sitther, Behnam Tabatabai
  • Patent number: 10526620
    Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing material, wherein an alpha-amylase and optionally a thermostable protease, pullulanase and/or glucoamylase are present and/or added during liquefaction, wherein a cellulolytic composition is present and/or added during fermentation or simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. The invention also relates to a composition suitable for use in a process of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Randall Deinhammer, Joyce Craig, Suzanne Clark, John Matthews, Anne Glud Hjulmand, Chee-Leong Soong, Zhengfang Kang
  • Patent number: 10513714
    Abstract: Provided herein is a process for producing one or more products from a lignocellulosic feedstock. The process comprises treating the lignocellulosic feedstock by contacting the feedstock at least sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid, or a combination thereof to produce a pretreated feedstock comprising one or more sulfonic acids. A process stream comprising one or more sulfonic acids is subsequently treated in a wet oxidation step to produce a stream comprising at least soluble oxidized phenolic compounds. The soluble oxidized phenolic compounds are then fed to an anaerobic digestion to produce methane. Optionally, hydrogen sulfide is produced during the anaerobic digestion. The hydrogen sulfide may then be converted to an acid selected from sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid or a combination thereof in one or more steps. The acid may then be re-used in treatment as desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: IOGEN CORPORATION
    Inventors: Brian Foody, Jeffrey S. Tolan
  • Patent number: 10435526
    Abstract: A transparent polyester film has low visible light transmittance of 5-50% by JIS K7705 testing standard and a high infrared-blocking rate of at least 90% by JIS R3106 testing standard, which is extruded from a kind of polyester resins obtained from 5-40 wt % of nanoparticle-based thermal insulation slurry and/or 0.005-0.1 wt % of nanoparticle-based black pigment slurry by weight of and to react with the polymerization materials to completely perform an esterification and a polycondensation, wherein the thermal insulation nanoparticle has a chemical formula of CsXNYWO3-ZClC with an average particle size of 10-90 nm and the nanoparticle-based black contains carbon black particles having a particle size of 20-80 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: NAN YA PLASTICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Te-Chao Liao, Chun-Che Tsao, Chia-Ho Cheng, Tzai-Shing Chen
  • Patent number: 10392623
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a new L-arabinose assimilation pathway and uses thereof. In particular, the present invention relates to polypeptides exhibiting L-arabinose isomerase, L-ribulokinase or L-ribulose-5-phosphate-4-epimerase activity, and recombinant host cells expressing said polypeptides. The present invention also relates to a method of producing a fermentation product, preferably ethanol, from an arabinose containing substrate, using a polypeptide or a host cell of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: DEINOVE
    Inventors: Remi Bernard, Assia Zigha, Pascale Joseph, Jean-Paul Leonetti
  • Patent number: 10392624
    Abstract: A gene engineering yeast having a saccharification function, a method of preparing same, and an application of same, a nucleotide sequence for encoding glucose amylase, where: (a) the nucleotide sequence is an amino acid sequence shown by the code SEQ ID NO:16; or (b) the sequence of the encoding region of the glucose amylase of the nucleotide sequence and the nucleotide sequence shown by SEQ ID NO:15 have a similarity ?80%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: ANGEL YEAST CO., LTD
    Inventor: Sheng Yang
  • Patent number: 10370685
    Abstract: Processes are disclosed for economically and effectively removing co-produced oxygenated organic compound from an anaerobic, aqueous fermentation broth used for the bioconversion of syngas to product oxygenated organic compound. The processes involve subjecting a portion of the aqueous fermentation broth after recovery of the product oxygenated organic compound to anaerobic organic bioconversion, and recycling the broth for use in the bioconversion of syngas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Synata Bio, Inc.
    Inventors: Chad Hatten, Robert Hickey
  • Patent number: 10370418
    Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of genetically modifying microorganisms to enhance resistance to ionic liquids using a yeast Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS), or a Salmonella MFS SmvA Pump or SmvR Regulator, a Small Multidrug Resistance Family (SMR), or Saccharomyces cerevisiae YDR090C, polypeptide, host cells genetically modified in accordance with the methods, and methods of using the host cells in a reaction comprising biomass that has been pretreated with ionic liquids.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Michael P. Thelen, Douglas A. Higgins, Thomas L. Ruegg
  • Patent number: 10370729
    Abstract: A method for detecting fungi includes amplifying DNA fragments containing target regions in fungal DNA to confirm the presence or absence of an amplified product. As the target regions, both of the ITS region and the ?-tubulin gene are used, and by using a primer set for amplifying the ?-tubulin gene and a primer set for amplifying the ITS region in a reaction solution for PCR for amplifying the target regions, both of the target regions are simultaneously amplified according to one or two or more types of fungi.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: TOYO SEIKAN GROUP HOLDINGS, LTD.
    Inventors: Atsunori Isshiki, Suguru Tanabe, Hitoshi Takeharu, Mami Kokaji
  • Patent number: 10364417
    Abstract: The pntAB locus may provide for increased alcohol tolerance in a microorganism, through expression of one or both of the pntA and pntB genes. A microorganism may have increased alcohol tolerance due to a transformation of the microorganism or an ancestor of the microorganism utilizing one or both of the pntA and pntB genes. The microorganism may be, for example, of a bacterial or fungal species. According to some exemplary embodiments, the microorganism may be a lactic acid bacterium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignees: The United States of America, as Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Siqing Liu, Christopher D. Skory, David A. Mills
  • Patent number: 10358669
    Abstract: Provided are an apparatus and method for reducing the phenol concentration in a commercial enzyme solution and/or feedstock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: IMMORTAZYME CO.
    Inventors: Andrew Desbarats, Vincent Yacyshyn
  • Patent number: 10329229
    Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a method for producing a high-concentration alcohol from a water-alcohol mixture, in which the overall process is efficient and the present invention relates to a production method of a high-concentration alcohol, including a water adsorption step of adsorbing water of a water-alcohol mixture on an adsorption column to obtain a first concentrated alcohol, a water desorption step of introducing an alcohol to obtain a hydrous alcohol, and a membrane separation step of introducing the hydrous alcohol into a membrane separation unit provided with a membrane composite containing zeolite having an SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of 5 to 15 to obtain a second concentrated alcohol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignees: MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL CORPORATION, Mitsubishi Chemical Engineering Corporation
    Inventors: Kazuhide Maeda, Koichi Yamazaki, Hiroyuki Kakiuchi, Takeshi Tahara, Takahiko Takewaki
  • Patent number: 10316336
    Abstract: This invention provides optimized fermentation of cellulosic and hemicellulosic sugars. Biomass-derived hemicellulosic and cellulosic sugars are independently conditioned and separately fermented, utilizing reuse and recycle of microorganisms, metabolic intermediates, and nutrients. Conditioned sugars can be fermented in separate vessels, where excess cells from glucose fermentation are conveyed to hemicellulose sugar fermentation along with raffinate from solvent recovery, to enhance productivity and product yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: API Intellectual Property Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Shrikant Survase, Ryan Zebroski, Georgios Adamos, Vesa Pylkkanen
  • Patent number: 10280439
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for a dicarboxylic acid, which method comprises fermenting fungal cells in a vessel comprising a suitable fermentation medium, wherein a least a portion of the fungal cells are reused in the presence of a vitamin and/or a trace element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignees: DSM IP ASSESTS B.V., ROQUETTE FRERES SA
    Inventors: Mickel Leonardus August Jansen, René Verwaal, Laurent Segueilha, Mélanie Louchart, Tania Veiga Dos Inocentes
  • Patent number: 10284961
    Abstract: Techniques described herein generally include methods and systems related to a MEMS-based audio speaker system that includes a first movable element, formed from a first layer of a semiconductor substrate, and a second movable element, formed from a second layer of the semiconductor substrate that is a different layer than the first layer of the semiconductor substrate. The first movable element may be configured to oscillate along a first directional path substantially orthogonal to the first plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: Mordehai Margalit
  • Patent number: 10273447
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a strain capable of efficiently propagating in a low nutritive potential medium, capable of metabolizing pentoses and of resisting fermentation inhibitors, comprising the following steps; a) growth of a strain of recombinant yeast with a strain of wild yeast lacking any impairments, the recombinant yeast strain comprising at least one copy of an exogenous gene of xylose isomerase and at least one additional copy of a gene of D-xylulokinase included in the genome and linked to a single sexual characteristic of the strain, b) at least two cycles of genome shuffling by sporulation and or random hybridization, c) selection of the population obtained in step b) according to a suitability criterion of the strains to metabolize xylose, d) selection of the population obtained in step c) according to a suitability criterion of the strains to grow in a Pref type medium, a medium with low nutritive value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: LESAFFRE et COMPAGNIE
    Inventors: Thomas Desfougeres, Georges Pignede, Jennifer Techel
  • Patent number: 10273465
    Abstract: The present disclosure is generally directed to glycosyl hydrolase enzymes, compositions comprising such enzymes, and methods of using the enzymes and compositions, for example for the saccharification of cellulosic and hemicellulosic materials into sugars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: DANISCO US INC.
    Inventors: Benjamin Bower, Megan Yee Hsi, Thijs Kaper, Bradley R. Kelemen, Suzanne E. Lantz, Edmund A. Larenas, Colin Mitchinson, Steven Kim, William D. Hitz, Mark Emptage, Keith Dumont Wing
  • Patent number: 10253337
    Abstract: A recombinant yeast that expresses both an ?-amylase (SEQ ID NO: 1) and a glucoamylase (SEQ ID NO: 2) from Talaromyces emersonii (recently re-named as Rasamsonia emersonii) is provided. The use of the recombinant yeast in a process for producing an alcohol, in particular a biofuel, from starch or sugars is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Stellenbosch University
    Inventors: Rosemary Anne Cripwell, Willem Heber Van Zyl, Shaunita Hellouise Rose
  • Patent number: 10240168
    Abstract: A recombinant yeast cell, fermentation compositions, and methods of use thereof are provided. The recombinant yeast cell includes at least one heterologous nucleic acid encoding one or more polypeptide having phosphoketolase activity; phosphotransacetylase activity; and/or acetylating acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity, wherein the cell does not include a heterologous modified xylose reductase gene, and wherein the cell is capable of increased biochemical end product production in a fermentation process when compared to a parent yeast cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: DANISCO US INC
    Inventors: Miasnikov Andrei, Jeffrey W. Munos
  • Patent number: 10233467
    Abstract: Methods and systems for the production of alcohols are described. A two stage process is utilized, where fermentation in a first stage produces an intermediate product, such as an amino acid or organic acid, from a carbon containing feedstock. A second stage produces alcohol by fermentation of this intermediate product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Easel Biotechnologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi-Xin Huo, Kwang Myung Cho
  • Patent number: 10233434
    Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having alpha-L-arabinofuranosidase activity and isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the nucleic acid sequences as well as methods for producing and using the polypeptides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Novozymes A/S
    Inventors: Hanne Risbjerg Soerensen, Christel Thea Joergensen, Lars Hylling Christensen, Christian Isak Joergensen, Carsten Hoerslev Hansen, Lene Venke Kofod
  • Patent number: 10212912
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides novel endophyte strains or cultures thereof that have a symbiotic relationship with plants. The present disclosure further provides methods of improving seed vitality, biotic and abiotic stress resistance, plant health and yield under both stressed and unstressed environmental conditions, comprising inoculating a seed with the novel endophyte strains and cultivating a plant therefrom.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: University of Saskatchewan
    Inventors: Vladimir Vujanovic, James J. Germida
  • Patent number: 10190108
    Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions that can be used in hydrolyzing biomass such as compositions comprising a polypeptide having glycosyl hydrolase family 61/endoglucanase activity, methods for hydrolyzing biomass material, and methods for reducing viscosity of biomass mixture using a composition comprising a polypeptide having glycosyl hydrolase family 61/endoglucanase activity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: DANISCO US INC.
    Inventors: Colin Mitchinson, Mian Li, Bradley R. Kelemen, Suzanne E. Lantz, Keith D. Wing, William D. Hitz
  • Patent number: 10190138
    Abstract: A process for the use of peracid compositions to replace antibiotic compounds and still eliminate and/or control the growth of undesirable bacteria, including contaminating bacteria, in the fermentation production of alcohol is disclosed. Beneficially, the peracid compositions and methods of use of the same can replace or act as a substitute for antibiotics, but do not interfere or inhibit the growth or replication of yeast and have low or no adverse environmental impact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: ECOLAB USA INC.
    Inventors: Peter J. Fernholz, Jay Kummet
  • Patent number: 10174347
    Abstract: Aspects of the invention relate to methods for producing lactic acid from organic waste, comprising contacting organic waste with a microbial community to form a fermentation mixture, and fermenting the fermentation mixture under controlled pH and temperature conditions for a time sufficient to produce lactic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Gregory Stephanopoulos, Devin Hedley Currie, Kristen Jean Fortnam
  • Patent number: 10174329
    Abstract: Methods for increasing the genetic stability of genetically enhanced microbial host cells capable of producing a compound of interest are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Algenol Biotech LLC
    Inventors: Ming-De Deng, Ulf Dühring, Frank Uliczka, Kimberly Lynn Anderson
  • Patent number: 10143202
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method of controlling bacterial contamination using synergistic interactions of antimicrobials. The invention consists of combinations of chlorine dioxide and organic acid whose combined antimicrobial effect is greater than the sum of their individual activities, i.e., synergistic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: SOLENIS TECHNOLOGIES, L.P.
    Inventors: John S Chapman, Corinne E. Consalo
  • Patent number: 10131872
    Abstract: A process is provided for fermenting CO-containing gaseous substrates. Bacteria are sporulated and then germinated in the presence of a CO-containing gaseous substrate to provide an inoculum. The resulting inoculum is effective for providing a fermentation with an ethanol productivity having a specific STY of 1 or greater.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Inventor: Ryan Senaratne
  • Patent number: 10113160
    Abstract: Genetically engineered cells and methods are presented that allow for the production of various value products from CO2. Contemplated cells have a CBB cycle that is genetically modified such that two molecules of CO2 fixed in the CBB cycle can be withdrawn from the modified CBB cycle as a single C2 compound. In contemplated aspects a CBB cycle includes an enzymatic activity that generates the single C2 compound from a compound of the CBB cycle, while further modifications to the CBB cycle will not introduce additional recombinant enzymatic activity/activities outside the already existing catalytic activities in the CBB cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: Easel Biotechnologies, LLC
    Inventors: Yi-Xin Huo, Benjamin Schilling, Shahrooz Rabizadeh
  • Patent number: 10113194
    Abstract: Apparatuses and associated methods are described for the efficient evaluation of C1-containing substrates, and especially for such evaluation conducted locally, or on-site, at a prospective facility for implementation of a biological conversion process for desired end product using a C1 carbon source. The exact composition of a given, industrial C1-containing substrate, as well as the range in composition fluctuations, are generally difficult to reproduce at a remote facility (e.g., a laboratory or a pilot-scale or demonstration-scale process), as required for the accurate prediction/modeling of commercial performance to justify large capital expenditures for commercial scale-up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
    Inventors: Bjorn Daniel Heijstra, Sean Dennis Simpson, Nicholas Bourdakos, Jason Carl Bromley, Kai-Ming Yap
  • Patent number: 10077454
    Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and system configured to convert algal biomass into biofuels, alcohols, nutrients, biochar, chemical building block compounds, and/or other useful by-products. Exemplary methods include an integrated biochemical and thermochemical process that provides high purity biofuels and mixed alcohols, while minimizing waste and/or maximizing efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2018
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Ryan W. Davis, Anthe George, Todd W. Lane, Ronald C. Pate, Benjamin C. Wu
  • Patent number: 10066243
    Abstract: A surfactant-improved ethanol fermentation method comprises adding a nonionic surfactant as a protection agent of yeast cell into a fermentation culture medium, therefore greatly improving survival rate of yeast cells in very high gravity ethanol fermentation liquid and endpoint ethanol concentration. The present invention not only improves the cyclic utilization efficiency of the yeast cells, but also achieves the synchronous recycling of the surfactant and a pH adjusting agent. The process of adding the surfactant during VHG fermentation is simple, which can reduce the consumption of water and energy, effectively reduce the fuel ethanol production cost, and improve the fermentation efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: DALIAN INSTITUTE OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventors: Zongchao Zhang, Xiumei Liu
  • Patent number: 10059966
    Abstract: Processes and systems for recovering products from a fermentation mash. In some examples, a process for recovering products from a fermentation mash can include processing a ground corn product to produce a fermentation mash that can include ethanol. At least a portion of the ethanol can be separated from the fermentation mash to produce a whole stillage. The whole stillage can be separated to produce a fiber rich product and a filtrate. The fiber rich product can be hydrolyzed to produce a saccharification mash. The saccharification mash can be processed to produce additional ethanol and a stillage protein product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Flint Hills Resources, LP
    Inventor: Jason Bootsma
  • Patent number: 10041054
    Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing material, wherein a bacterial alpha-amylase, a raw starch hydrolyzing alpha-amylase and a carbohydrate-source generating enzyme are present and/or added during liquefaction. The invention also relates to compositions suitable for use in processes of the invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: NOVOZYMES A/S
    Inventors: Randall Deinhammer, Anne Glud Hjulmand, Joyce Craig, Guillermo Coward-Kelly, Tomoko Matsui, Shinobu Takagi, Suzanne Clark, John Matthews
  • Patent number: 10036005
    Abstract: A eukaryotic cell having xylose utilization ability. Provided is a protein that has xylose isomerase activity and has an amino acid sequence including, when aligned with an amino acid sequence expressed by SEQ ID NO:1, the 1st to 6th motifs expressed respectively by SEQ ID NOs:2 to 7 from the N-terminus side in the order described, and having, in place of asparagine (N) in an amino acid sequence of the 6th motif, another amino acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO, TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Satoshi Katahira, Risa Nagura, Kenro Tokuhiro, Nobuhiro Ishida, Chie Imamura, Toru Onishi, Noriko Yasutani, Nobuki Tada
  • Patent number: 10036043
    Abstract: The present invention relates to processes for producing ethanol from starch-containing material by liquefying the starch-containing material at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature using an alpha-amylase; saccharifying using a glucoamylase and fermenting using a Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain deposited under Accession No. V14/004037 at National Measurement Institute, Victoria, Australia) or a fermenting organism strain having properties that are about the same as that of the deposited Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain or a derivative of Saccharomyces strain V14/004037 having the defining characteristics of strain V14/004037. The invention also relates to a Saccharomyces yeast strain deposited under the Budapest Treaty and having NMI accession no. V14/004037 or a derivative of strain V14/004037 which exhibits one or more defining characteristics of strain V14/004037.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignees: Novozymes A/S, Microbiogen Pty. Ltd.
    Inventors: Katie Shihadeh, Jeremy Saunders, Joyce Craig, Mark Stevens, Jennifer Headman, Bernardo Vidal, Jr., John Matthews, Suzanne Clark, Paul Victor Attfield, Phillip John Livingstone Bell, Michael Akerman
  • Patent number: 10023837
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are materials and methods for creating and/or isolating variants of yeasts especially variants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that can grow on sugars other than D-glucose in the presence of amounts of 2-deoxy-glucose and or D-glucose that inhibit most strains of yeast from growing on sugars other than D-glucose. Selection media that can be used to isolate such variants include pentose sugars such as D-xylose, L-glutamine and 2-deoxy-glucose. Mutations in the Grr1 and Red genes in some strains also produce variants that can grow on sugars including the pentose D-xylose in the presence of 2-deoxy-glucose.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Goebl, Cary Woods, Ross Cocklin, Josh Heyen
  • Patent number: 10023881
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process of detoxifying pre-treated lignocellulose-containing material comprising subjecting the pre-treated lignocellulose-containing material to one or more phenolic compound oxidizing enzymes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignees: NOVOZYMES A/S, NOVOZYMES NORTH AMERICA, INC., NOVOZYMES INC.
    Inventors: Qiming Jin, Jiyin Liu, Bjorn Lennart Pierre Alexander Cassland, Donald L. Higgins
  • Patent number: 10006057
    Abstract: The present invention relates to materials and methods for the production of ethanol. More particularly, the present invention provides genetically modified strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae having enhanced tolerance for gamma valerolactone (GVL) toxicity. Also provided are methods of using such genetically engineered yeast strains for improved GVL-mediated hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass for industrial-scale ethanol production.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2018
    Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
    Inventors: Jeff S. Piotrowski, Trey K. Sato, Chad L. Myers
  • Patent number: 10000777
    Abstract: Ear corn is picked from corn fields by ear corn harvesters and transported to a central shelling station associated with an ethanol manufacturing facility. Shelled corn from the central shelling station is processed into ethanol at the ethanol manufacturing facility, and corn cobs from the central shelling station are burned to provide process heat for the ethanol manufacturing process. Energy is conserved and costs are reduced during the picking and shelling of the ear corn and by the burning of cobs for process heat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Inventor: Alvin D. Shulman
  • Patent number: 9994623
    Abstract: The invention relates to novel entomotoxic polypeptides of the family of albumins 1b in legumes. Said polypeptides can be especially used as insecticides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignees: INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE, INSTITUT NATIONAL DES SCIENCES APPLIQUEES DE LYON
    Inventors: Corinne Royer, Pedro Da Silva, Frédéric Gressent, Lamis Karaki, Yvan Rahbe
  • Patent number: 9994874
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of alcohols from biomass that comprises a stage in which at least one aqueous internal flow that comprises at least one alcohol that has n carbon atoms, with n between 2 and 5, is recycled, provided that when the alcohol comprises 2 carbon atoms, it is mixed with at least one other alcohol in such a way as to recover a vapor phase effluent that contains alcohols exiting from said pretreatment reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: IFP Energies nouvelles
    Inventors: Caroline Aymard, Marcel Ropars