Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080233629 | ENZYMES FOR BIOPOLYMER PRODUCTION - In order to optimize the flux or flow of carbon intermediates from normal cellular metabolism into PHAs it is desirable to optimize the expression of the enzymes of the PHA biosynthetic pathway. Gene fusions are genetic constructs where two open reading frames have been fused into one and encode hybrid proteins and in some cases bifunctional hybrid enzymes. Linkers may be added to spatially separate the two domains of the hybrid protein. In the case of enzymes which catalyse successive reactions in a pathway, the fusion of two genes results in bringing two enzymatic activities into close proximity to each other. When the product of the first reaction is a substrate for the second one, this new configuration of active sites may result in a faster transfer of the product of the first reaction to the second active site with a potential for increasing the flux through the pathway. | 09-25-2008 |
20080275208 | POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE BIOPOLYMER COMPOSITIONS - Several novel PHA polymer compositions produced using biological systems include monomers such as 3-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxypropionate, 2-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxyvalerate, 4-hydroxybutyrate, 4-hydroxyvalerate and 5-hydroxyvalerate. These PHA compositions can readily be extended to incorporate additional monomers including, for example, 3-hydroxyhexanoate, 4-hydroxyhexanoate, 6-hydroxyhexanoate or other longer chain 3-hydroxyacids containing seven or more carbons. This can be accomplished by taking natural PHA producers and mutating through chemical or transposon mutagenesis to delete or inactivate genes encoding undesirable activities. Alternatively, the strains can be genetically engineered to express only those enzymes required for the production of the desired polymer composition. Methods for genetically engineering PHA producing microbes are widely known in the art (Huisman and Madison, 1998, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 63: 21-53). These polymers have a variety of uses in medical, industrial and other commercial areas. | 11-06-2008 |
20090271889 | PRODUCTION OF POLYHYDROXYBUTYRATE IN SWITCHGRASS - Transgenic plants, plant material, and plant cells for synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates, preferably poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (also referred to a as PHB) are provided. Preferred plants that can be genetically engineered to produce PHB include plants that do not normally produce storage products such as oils and carbohydrates, and plants that have a C | 10-29-2009 |
20100093043 | Biological Systems for Manufacture of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers Containing 4-Hydroxyacids - The gene encoding a 4-hydroxybutyryl-Co A transferase has been isolated from bacteria and integrated into the genome of bacteria also expressing a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, to yield an improved production process for 4HB-containing polyhydroxyalkanoates using transgenic organisms, including both bacteria and plants. The new pathways provide means for producing 4HB containing PHAs from cheap carbon sources such as sugars and fatty acids, in high yields, which are stable. Useful strains are obtaining by screening strains having integrated into their genomes a gene encoding a 4HB-CoA transferase and/or PHA synthase, for polymer production. Processes for polymer production use recombinant systems that can utilize cheap substrates. Systems are provided which can utilize amino acid degradation pathways, α-ketoglutarate, or succinate as substrate. | 04-15-2010 |
20100196974 | Chemically Inducible Expression of Biosynthetic Pathways - Methods and constructs for the introduction of multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway are provided. In one embodiment, the constructs contain two or more enzyme-encoding genes, each under the control of an inducible promoter and each with a polyadenylation signal. The constructs are used to produce transgenic plants, in which the expression of the enzymes are increased when a chemical inducing agent is applied, and a biosynthetic product of the series of enzymes encoded by the transgenes is produced. Constructs may be used which contain two or more enzyme-encoding genes under the control of one or more promoters activated by activator molecules or complexes expressed from a transgene or transgenes, which are themselves under the control of one or more inducible promoters and switched on following the external application of a chemical. The transgene or transgenes expressing the activator molecules or complexes may be included in the same construct containing multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. Alternatively, the transgene or transgenes expressing the activator molecules or complexes may be on a different construct from the construct containing multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. The activator molecule can be expressed using a constitutive promoter in an inactive form which is converted to the active form following application of the chemical inducing agent. | 08-05-2010 |
20100229258 | STABLE, FERTILE, HIGH POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE PRODUCING PLANTS AND METHODS OF PRODUCING THEM - Transgenic plants that produce high levels of polyhydroxybutyrate and methods of producing them are provided. In a preferred embodiment the transgenic plants are produced using plastid transformation technologies and utilize genes which are codon optimized. Stably transformed plants able to produce greater than 10% dwt PHS in tissues are also provided. | 09-09-2010 |
20100267016 | TRANSGENIC MICROBIAL POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE PRODUCERS - Transgenic microbial strains are provided which contain the genes required for PHA formation integrated on the chromosome. The strains are advantageous in PHA production processes, because (1) no plasmids need to be maintained, generally obviating the required use of antibiotics or other stabilizing pressures, and (2) no plasmid loss occurs, thereby stabilizing the number of gene copies per cell throughout the fermentation process, resulting in homogeneous PHA product formation throughout the production process. Genes are integrated using standard techniques, preferably transposon mutagenesis. In a preferred embodiment wherein multiple genes are incorporated, these are incorporated as an operon. Sequences are used to stabilize mRNA, to induce expression as a function of culture conditions (such as phosphate concentration), temperature, and stress, and to aid in selection, through the incorporation of selection markers such as markers conferring antibiotic resistance. | 10-21-2010 |
20100311131 | TRANSGENIC SYSTEMS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF POLY(2-HYDROXY-BUTYRATE-CO-3-HYDROXYHEXANOATE) - Methods for engineering transgenic organisms that synthesize polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) containing 3-hydroxyhexanoate as comonomer have been developed. These processes are based on genetically engineered bacteria such as | 12-09-2010 |
20110008856 | Biological Systems for Manufacture of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Polymers Containing 4-Hydroxyacids - The gene encoding a 4-hydroxybutyryl-Co A transferase has been isolated from bacteria and integrated into the genome of bacteria also expressing a polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, to yield an improved production process for 4HB-containing polyhydroxyalkanoates using transgenic organisms, including both bacteria and plants. The new pathways provide means for producing 4HB containing PHAs from cheap carbon sources such as sugars and fatty acids, in high yields, which are stable. Useful strains are obtaining by screening strains having integrated into their genomes a gene encoding a 4HB-CoA transferase and/or PHA synthase, for polymer production. Processes for polymer production use recombinant systems that can utilize cheap substrates. Systems are provided which can utilize amino acid degradation pathways, α-ketoglutarate, or succinate as substrate. | 01-13-2011 |
20120060413 | INCREASING CARBON FLOW FOR POLYHYDROXYBUTYRATE PRODUCTION IN BIOMASS CROPS - Transgenic plants, transgenic plant material, and transgenic plant cells for the improved synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates, preferably poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (also referred to as PHB), have been developed. In one embodiment, carbon flow is modulated to increase production of PHB. Preferred plants that can be genetically engineered to produce PHB include plants that produce a large amount of lignocellulosic biomass that can be converted into biofuels, such as switchgrass, | 03-15-2012 |
20120129232 | POLYHYDROXYALKANOATE PRODUCTION FROM POLYOLS - Organisms are provided which express enzymes such as glycerol dehydratase, diol dehydratase, acyl-CoA transferase, acyl-CoA synthetase β-ketothiolase, acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, PHA synthase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and glycerol-3-phosphatase, which are useful for the production of PHAs. In some cases one or more of these genes are native to the host organism and the remainder are provided from transgenes. These organisms produce poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate)homopolymers or co-polymers incorporating 3-hydroxypropionate or 3-hydroxyvalerate monomers wherein the 3-hydroxypropionate and 3-hydroxyvalreate units are derived from the enzyme catalysed conversion of diols. Suitable diols that can be used include 1,2-propanediol, 1,3 propanediol and glycerol. Biochemical pathways for obtaining the glycerol from normal cellular metabolites are also described. The PHA polymers are readily recovered and industrially useful as polymers or as starting materials for a range of chemical intermediates including 1,3-propanediol, 3-hydroxypropionaldehyde, acrylics, malonic acid, esters and amines. | 05-24-2012 |
20120174253 | GENERATION OF HIGH POLYHYDROXYBUTRATE PRODUCING OILSEEDS - Transgenic oilseed plants, plant material, plant cells, and genetic constructs for synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (“PHA”) are provided. In a preferred embodiment, the transgenic oilseed plants synthesize (poly)3-hydroxybutyrate (“PHB”) in the seed. Genes utilized include phaA, phaB, phaC, all of which are known in the art. The genes can be introduced in the plant, plant tissue, or plant cell using conventional plant molecular biology techniques. | 07-05-2012 |
20120180162 | GENERATION OF HIGH POLYHYDROXYBUTRATE PRODUCING OILSEEDS - Transgenic plants, plant material, plant cells, and genetic constructs for synthesis of biopolymers, for example polyhydroxyalkanoates (“PHA”) are provided. In one embodiment, the transgenic plants synthesize polyhydroxybutyrate (“PHB”). In one embodiment the transgenic plant encodes siRNA for one or more of the genes encoding enzymes for producing PHA. In a more preferred embodiment, the siRNA expression is under the control of an inducible regulatory element. In another embodiment, the transgenic plant contains transgenes that encode expression enzymes that will degrade the polymer. In a preferred embodiment, the expression of these enzymes is under the control of a germination specific, inducible, or minimal promoter. In another embodiment, the transgenic plant contains transgenes encoding enzymes that increase carbon flow for polymer synthesis. In a preferred embodiment, these transgenes encode enzymes that increase carbon flow in the Calvin Cycle. | 07-12-2012 |
20130042371 | CHEMICALLY INDUCIBLE EXPRESSION OF BIOSYNTHETIC PATHWAYS - Methods and constructs for the introduction of multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway are provided. In one embodiment, the constructs contain two or more enzyme-encoding genes, each under the control of an inducible promoter and each with a polyadenylation signal. The constructs are used to produce transgenic plants, in which the expression of the enzymes are increased when a chemical inducing agent is applied, and a biosynthetic product of the series of enzymes encoded by the transgenes is produced. Constructs may be used which contain two or more enzyme-encoding genes under the control of one or more promoters activated by activator molecules or complexes expressed from a transgene or transgenes, which are themselves under the control of one or more inducible promoters and switched on following the external application of a chemical. The transgene or transgenes expressing the activator molecules or complexes may be included in the same construct containing multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. Alternatively, the transgene or transgenes expressing the activator molecules or complexes may be on a different construct from the construct containing multiple genes encoding enzymes in a multi-enzyme biosynthetic pathway. The activator molecule can be expressed using a constitutive promoter in an inactive form which is converted to the active form following application of the chemical inducing agent. | 02-14-2013 |
20140114082 | Biorefinery Process For THF Production - Processes and methods for making biobased tetrahydrofuran products from renewable carbon resources are described herein. | 04-24-2014 |
20140234944 | Green Process for Producing Polyhydroxyalkanoates and Chemicals Using a Renewable Feedstock - Disclosed are organisms genetically engineered to make useful products when grown on ethanol as a carbon source. The organisms are genetically engineered to produce various useful products such as polyhydroxyalkanoates, diols, diacids, higher alcohols, and other useful chemicals. | 08-21-2014 |