Koen Dekker

Title: Koen Dekker: Inventor of a Thermus aquaticus Xylose Isomerase

Introduction

Koen Dekker is an inventor associated with Nagoya, Japan, and is listed on one patent. His work concerns a heat-stable xylose isomerase and its potential use in producing fructose from glucose.

Latest Patents

Dekker’s patent, “Xylose isomerase gene of Thermus aquaticus,” describes a xylose isomerase gene from Thermus bacteria, including Thermus aquaticus, and related genes with at least 60% nucleotide-sequence homology. The patent characterizes the enzyme as having an optimal pH of about 7, a stable pH range of approximately 6 to 8.5, an optimal temperature of about 95°C, and a molecular weight of about 44,000. It also notes that manganese or magnesium stabilizes the enzyme.

The patent describes producing the enzyme by transforming a microorganism with a plasmid containing the gene and a promoter, culturing the transformed microorganism, and harvesting the enzyme. It also outlines using the enzyme to convert glucose into fructose. Dekker is associated with 1 patent.

Career Highlights

Dekker’s listed company affiliation includes Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd. The available information does not specify his role or dates of employment.

Collaborations

His listed coworkers include Kenji Sakaguchi and Shigezo Udaka. The available information does not detail the nature of their collaboration.

Conclusion

Koen Dekker’s documented patent work focuses on a heat-stable xylose isomerase from Thermus bacteria and methods for producing the enzyme and using it in glucose-to-fructose conversion.