| BUTAMAX(TM) ADVANCED BIOFUELS LLC Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120064585 | Increased Heterologous Fe-S Enzyme Activity in Yeast - Yeast strains were engineered that have increased activity of heterologous proteins that require binding of an Fe—S cluster for their activity. The yeast strains have reduced activity of an endogenous Fe—S protein. Activities of heterologous fungal or plant 2Fe-2S dihydroxy-acid dehydratases and Fe—S propanediol dehydratase reactivase were increased for increased production of products made using biosynthetic pathways including these enzymes, such as valine, isoleucine, leucine, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), isobutanol, 2-butanone and 2-butanol. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120064561 | ACTIVITY OF FE-S CLUSTER REQUIRING PROTEINS - The present invention is related to a recombinant host cell, in particular a yeast cell, comprising a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide. The invention is also related to a recombinant host cell having increased specific activity of the dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide as a result of increased expression of the polypeptide, modulation of the Fe—S cluster biosynthesis of the cell, or a combination thereof. The present invention also includes methods of using the host cells, as well as, methods for identifying polypeptides that increase the flux in an Fe—S cluster biosynthesis pathway in a host cell. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120058541 | ENGINEERING RESISTANCE TO ALIPHATIC ALCOHOLS - The present disclosure provides improved systems for the biological production of certain aliphatic alcohol compounds. In particular, the present disclosure provides biological systems that show improved resistance to aliphatic alcohol toxicity; in sonic embodiments, such improved resistance allows for increased levels of aliphatic alcohol production. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides, inter alia, engineered microorganisms that both produce an aliphatic alcohol compound and show resistance to that compound as measured by an ability to grow to predetermined levels in the presence of a given concentration of the compound. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120035398 | PROCESS TO REMOVE PRODUCT ALCOHOL FROM A FERMENTATION BY VAPORIZATION UNDER VACUUM - A fermentation liquid feed including water and a product alcohol and optionally CO | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120015416 | EXPRESSION OF HEXOSE KINASE IN RECOMBINANT HOST CELLS - The invention relates to a recombinant host cell having (a) a modification in an endogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having dual-role hexokinase activity; (b) a heterologous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having hexose kinase activity; and optionally (c) a modification in an endogenous polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having pyruvate decarboxylase activity. Additionally, the invention relates to methods of making and using such recombinant host cells including, for example, methods of increasing glucose consumption, methods of improving redox balance, and/or methods of increasing the production of a product of a pyruvate-utilizing pathway. | 01-19-2012 |
| 20110315541 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ALCOHOL RECOVERY AND CONCENTRATION OF STILLAGE BY-PRODUCTS - Systems and methods for separating an alcohol, and in particular butanol, from a fermented feed and concentrating thin stillage into syrup includes operation of one or more alcohol recovery distillation columns using the heat supplied by steam generated from concentration of the thin stillage in a multi-train, multi-effect evaporation system. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110313206 | FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF FOUR CARBON ALCOHOLS - Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110312053 | SUPPLEMENTATION OF FATTY ACIDS FOR IMPROVING ALCOHOL PRODUCTIVITY - Fatty acids derived from biomass at a step in a fermentation process can be added to a fermentation medium comprising a recombinant microorganism that produces a product alcohol. At least one of growth rate and fermentable carbon consumption of the microorganism is greater in the presence of the fatty acids than the growth rate and the fermentable carbon consumption of the microorganism in the absence of the fatty acids. The addition of the fatty acids can increase glucose consumption, and can improve microorganism biomass production (cell growth/density) and growth rate, thereby reducing production time and increasing productivity of the fermentation process. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110312044 | EXTRACTION SOLVENTS DERIVED FROM OIL FOR ALCOHOL REMOVAL IN EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION - In an alcohol fermentation process, oil derived from biomass is chemically converted into an extractant available for in situ removal of a product alcohol such as butanol from a fermentation broth. The glycerides in the oil can be chemically converted into a reaction product, such as fatty acids, fatty alcohols, fatty amides, fatty acid methyl esters, fatty acid glycol esters, and hydroxylated triglycerides, and mixtures thereof, which forms a fermentation product extractant having a partition coefficient for a product alcohol greater than a partition coefficient of the oil of the biomass for the product alcohol. Oil derived from a feedstock of an alcohol fermentation process can be chemically converting into the fermentation product extractant. The oil can be separated from the feedstock prior to the feedstock being fed to a fermentation vessel, and the separated oil can be chemically converted to a fermentation product extractant, which can then contacted with a fermentation product comprising a product alcohol, whereby the product alcohol is separated from the fermentation product. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110312043 | EXTRACTION SOLVENTS DERIVED FROM OIL FOR ALCOHOL REMOVAL IN EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION - In an alcohol fermentation process, oil derived from biomass is hydrolyzed into an extractant available for in situ removal of a product alcohol such as butanol from a fermentation broth. The glycerides in the oil can be catalytically (e.g., enzymatically) hydrolyzed into free fatty acids, which form a fermentation product extractant having a partition coefficient for a product alcohol greater than a partition coefficient of the oil of the biomass for the product alcohol. Oil derived from a feedstock of an alcohol fermentation process can be hydrolyzed by contacting the feedstock including the oil with one or more enzymes whereby at least a portion of the oil is hydrolyzed into free fatty acids forming a fermentation product extractant, or the oil can be separated from the feedstock prior to the feedstock being fed to a fermentation vessel, and the separated oil can be contacted with the enzymes to form the fermentation product extractant. The fermentation product extractant can be contacted with a fermentation broth for in situ removal of a product alcohol. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110301388 | FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF FOUR CARBON ALCOHOLS - Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110294179 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING BUTANOL USING TWO-PHASE EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION - A method of making butanol from at least one fermentable carbon source that overcomes the issues of toxicity resulting in an increase in the effective titer, the effective rate, and the effective yield of butanol production by fermentation utilizing a recombinant microbial host wherein the butanol is extracted into specific organic extractants during fermentation | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110288345 | RECOVERY OF BUTANOL FROM A MIXTURE OF BUTANOL, WATER, AND AN ORGANIC EXTRACTANT - A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. The extractant comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of C | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110288344 | RECOVERY OF BUTANOL FROM A MIXTURE OF BUTANOL, WATER, AND AN ORGANIC EXTRACTANT - A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, 2-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. An overhead stream from a first distillation column is condensed to recover a mixed condensate. An entrainer is added to at least one appropriate process stream or vessel such that the mixed condensate comprises sufficient entrainer to provide phase separation of the organic and the aqueous phases to provide for recovery of the butanol. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110283604 | BIODEGRADATION OF RENEWABLE HYDROCARBON FUEL BLENDS - Biologically-produced isobutanol as a component in fuel compositions provides a valuable mechanism for introducing renewable components to fuel compositions and, at the same time, provides for reduced environmental impact of the fuel composition if it were to contaminate a given environmental area. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110269199 | ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASES (ADH) USEFUL FOR FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF LOWER ALKYL ALCOHOLS - The invention relates to suitable candidate ADH enzymes for production of lower alkyl alcohols including isobutanol. The invention also relates to recombinant host cells that comprise such ADH enzymes and methods for producing lower alkyl alcohols in the same. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110250610 | FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF ISOBUTANOL USING HIGHLY ACTIVE KETOL-ACID REDUCTOISOMERASE ENZYMES - Methods for the fermentative production of isobutanol is provided by the fermentative growth of a recombinant microorganism expressing a highly active ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzyme in addition to other enzymes required for conversion of glucose to isobutanol. | 10-13-2011 |
| 20110244536 | FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF ISOBUTANOL USING HIGHLY EFFECTIVE KETOL-ACID REDUCTOISOMERASE ENZYMES - Ketol-acid reductoisomerase enzymes have been identified that provide high effectiveness in vivo as a step in an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway in bacteria and in yeast. These KARIs are members of a clade identified through molecular phylogenetic analysis called the SLSL Clade. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110195505 | BACTERIAL STRAINS FOR BUTANOL PRODUCTION - Bacteria that are not natural butanol producers were found to have increased tolerance to butanol when the saturated fatty acids content in bacterial cell membrane was increased. Methods for increasing the concentration of saturated fatty acids in the membranes of bacteria that are not natural butanol produces are described whereby tolerance of the bacterial cell to butanol is increased. Saturated fatty acids concentration in the bacterial cell membrane increased upon exogenously feeding saturated fatty acids to cells. Bacterial strains useful for production of butanol are described herein having modified unsaturated fatty acid biosynthetic pathway. | 08-11-2011 |
| 20110162954 | RECOVERY OF BUTANOL FROM A MIXTURE OF BUTANOL, WATER, AND AN ORGANIC EXTRACTANT - A process for recovering butanol from a mixture comprising a water-immiscible organic extractant, water, butanol, and optionally a non-condensable gas, is provided. The butanol is selected from 1-butanol, isobutanol, and mixtures thereof. An overhead stream from a first distillation column is decanted into two liquid phases. The wet butanol phase is refined in a second distillation column; the aqueous phase is returned to the first distillation column. A portion of the wet butanol phase from the decanter is also returned to the first distillation column. The extractant comprises at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of C | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110159558 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING BUTANOL USING EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION WITH ELECTROLYTE ADDITION - A method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible organic extractant in the presence of at least one electrolyte at a concentration at least sufficient to increase the butanol partition coefficient relative to that in the presence of the salt concentration of the basal fermentation medium, is provided. The electrolyte may comprise a salt which dissociates in the fermentation medium, or in the aqueous phase of a biphasic fermentation medium, to form free ions. Also provided is a method and composition for recovering butanol from a fermentation medium. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110136193 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING BUTANOL USING EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION WITH OSMOLYTE ADDITION - A method is provided for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed during the fermentation by extraction into a water-immiscible organic extractant in the presence of at least one osmolyte at a concentration at least sufficient to increase the butanol partition coefficient relative to that in the presence of the osmolyte concentration of the basal fermentation medium and of an optional fermentable carbon source. The osmolyte may comprise a monosaccharide, a disaccharide, glycerol, sugarcane juice, molasses, polyethylene glycol, dextran, high fructose corn syrup, corn mash, starch, cellulose, and combinations thereof. Also provided is a method and composition for recovering butanol from a fermentation medium. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110136192 | FLUX TO ACETOLACTATE-DERIVED PRODUCTS IN LACTIC ACID BACTERIA - An engineering method was developed to allow genetic modification and isolation of lactic acid bacteria cells that lack lactate dehydrogenase and acetolactate decarboxylase activities. In cells with these modifications and an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway, improved production of isobutanol was observed. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110124060 | YEAST PRODUCTION HOST CELLS - Crabtree positive yeast cells that have endogenous expressed pyruvate decarboxylase genes inactivated and an engineered biosynthetic pathway utilizing pyruvate were found to have improved growth and product yield when glucose repression was reduced. These cells were able to grow in media containing a high glucose concentration. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110112334 | FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF FOUR CARBON ALCOHOLS - Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110111472 | FERMENTIVE PRODUCTION OF FOUR CARBON ALCOHOLS - Methods for the fermentative production of four carbon alcohols is provided. Specifically, butanol, preferably isobutanol is produced by the fermentative growth of a recombinant bacterium expressing an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110097773 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING BUTANOL USING EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION - A method for producing butanol through microbial fermentation, in which the butanol product is removed by extraction into a water-immiscible extractant composition comprising a first solvent and a second solvent, is provided. The first solvent is selected from the group consisting of C | 04-28-2011 |
| 20100221802 | METHOD FOR PRODUCING BUTANOL USING TWO-PHASE EXTRACTIVE FERMENTATION - A method of making butanol from at least one fermentable carbon source that overcomes the issues of toxicity resulting in an increase in the effective titer, the effective rate, and the effective yield of butanol production by fermentation utilizing a recombinant microbial host wherein the butanol is extracted into specific organic extractants during fermentation | 09-02-2010 |
| 20100136641 | STRAIN FOR BUTANOL PRODUCTION WITH INCREASED MEMBRANE UNSATURATED TRANS FATTY ACIDS - Bacteria that are not natural butanol producers were found to have increased tolerance to butanol when the membrane content of unsaturated trans fatty acids was increased. Feeding cells with unsaturated trans fatty acids increased their concentration in the membrane, which may also be accomplished by expressing a fatty acid cistrans isomerase. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100112655 | ENHANCED PYRUVATE TO 2,3-BUTANEDIOL CONVERSION IN LACTIC ACID BACTERIA - A high flux of metabolites from pyruvate to 2,3-butanediol in | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100093020 | SOLVENT TOLERANT MICROORGANISMS AND METHODS OF ISOLATION - bacteria having enhanced tolerance to butanols have been isolated. The bacteria are useful for the fermentive production of butanol. New methods for the isolation of butanol tolerant | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100081183 | ENHANCED DIHYDROXY-ACID DEHYDRATASE ACTIVITY IN LACTIC ACID BACTERIA - Lactic acid bacterial (LAB) cells were modified such that they have a specific activity of dihydroxy-acid dehydratase enzyme activity that is increased to about 0.1 μmol min | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100081182 | ENHANCED IRON-SULFUR CLUSTER FORMATION FOR INCREASED DIHYDROXY-ACID DEHYDRATASE ACTIVITY IN LACTIC ACID BACTERIA - Lactic acid bacteria expressing dihydroxyacid dehydratase polypeptides with increased specific activity are disclosed. The lactic acid bacteria comprise recombinant genes encoding iron-sulfur cluster forming proteins. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100081179 | INCREASED HETEROLOGOUS Fe-S ENZYME ACTIVITY IN YEAST - Yeast strains were engineered that have increased activity of heterologous proteins that require binding of an Fe—S cluster for their activity. The yeast strains have reduced activity of an endogenous Fe—S protein. Activities of heterologous fungal or plant 2Fe-2S dihydroxy-acid dehydratases and Fe—S propanediol dehydratase reactivase were increased for increased production of products made using biosynthetic pathways including these enzymes, such as valine, isoleucine, leucine, pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), isobutanol, 2-butanone and 2-butanol. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100081154 | IDENTIFICATION AND USE OF BACTERIAL [2Fe-2S] DIHYDROXY-ACID DEHYDRATASES - A group of bacterial dihydroxy-acid dehydratases having a [2Fe-2S] cluster was discovered. Bacterial [2Fe-2S] DHADs were expressed as heterologous proteins in bacteria and yeast cells, providing DHAD activity for conversion of 2,3-dihydroxyisovalerate to α-ketoisovalerate or 2,3-dihydroxymethylvalerate to α-ketomethylvalerate. Isobutanol and other compounds may be synthesized in pathways that include bacterial [2Fe-2S] DHAD activity. | 04-01-2010 |
