Myriant Corporation

Ptt Global Chemical Public Company Limited

Xiaohui Yu

Theron Hermann

R Rogers Yocum

Wei Gong

Russell Lizardo Udani

Andrew Christopher Collard

James Reinhardt

Lauren Staples

Sudhandshu Dole

Sudhanshu Dole

Russell Udani

This invention relates to the production of succinic acid and other chemicals derived from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) by fermentation with a microorganism in which the fermentation medium contains one or more sugars, and in which one or more of the sugars is imported into the cell by facilitated diffusion. As a specific example, succinic acid is produced from a glucose-containing renewable feedstock through fermentation using a biocatalyst. Examples of such a biocatalyst include microorganisms that have been enhanced in their ability to utilize glucose as a carbon and energy source. The biocatalysts of the present invention are derived from the genetic manipulation of parental strains that were originally constructed with the goal to produce one or more chemicals (for example succinic acid and/or a salt of succinic acid) at a commercial scale using feedstocks that include, for example, glucose, fructose, or sucrose. The genetic manipulations of the present invention involve the introduction of exogenous genes involved in the transport and metabolism of glucose or fructose into the parental strains. The genes involved in the transport and metabolism of glucose or fructose can also be introduced into a microorganism prior to developing the organism to produce a particular chemical. The genes involved in the transport and metabolism of sucrose can also be used to augment or improve the efficiency of sugar transport and metabolism by strains already known to have some ability for glucose utilization in biological fermentations.

Method of producing succinic acid and other chemicals using facilitated diffusion for sugar import

This invention relates to improvements in the fermentation process used in the production of organic acids from biological feedstock using bacterial catalysts. The improvements in the fermentation process involve providing a fermentation medium comprising an appropriate form of inorganic carbon, an appropriate amount of aeration and a biocatalyst with an enhanced ability to uptake and assimilate the inorganic carbon into the organic acids. This invention also provides, as a part of an integrated fermentation facility, a novel process for producing a solid source of inorganic carbon by sequestering carbon released from the fermentation in an alkali solution.

Fermentation process for the production of organic acids

This invention relates to the production of chemicals by fermentation with a microorganism in which the fermentation medium contains the sugar sucrose. As a specific example, succinic acid is produced from a sucrose-containing renewable feedstock through fermentation using a biocatalyst. Examples of such a biocatalyst include microorganisms that have been enhanced in their ability to utilize sucrose as a carbon and energy source. The biocatalysts of the present invention are derived from the genetic manipulation of parental strains that were originally constructed with the goal to produce one or more chemicals (for example succinic acid and/or a salt of succinic acid) at a commercial scale using feedstocks other than sucrose. The genetic manipulations of the present invention involve the introduction of exogenous genes involved in the transport and metabolism of sucrose into the parental strains. The genes involved in the transport and metabolism of sucrose can also be introduced into a microorganism prior to developing the organism to produce a particular chemical. The genes involved in the transport and metabolism of sucrose can also be used to augment or improve the sucrose transport and metabolism by strains already known to have some ability for sucrose utilization in biological fermentation.

Method of producing succinic acid and other chemicals using sucrose-containing feedstock

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Woburn, MA, United States of America

Xiaohui Yu