Methods for producing end-products from carbon substrates

• US 20040157301A1
• Filed: 01/26/2004
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gopal K. Chotani, Jayarama K. Shetty, Jeff P. Pucci, Karl J. Sanford, Manoj Kumar
• Original Assignee: Gopal K. Chotani, Jayarama K. Shetty, Jeff P. Pucci, Karl J. Sanford, Manoj Kumar
• Inventors: Chotani, Gopal K., Sanford, Karl J., Kumar, Manoj, Shetty, Jayarama K., Pucci, Jeff P.
• Application Number:
  US10/765,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20040157301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 435/105
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 19/02 Monosaccharides 2-ketogulonic acid C12P7/60
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 2201/00 Pretreatment of cellulosic or lignocellulosic material for subsequent enzymatic treatment or hydrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/06 Ethanol, i.e. non-beverage
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/18 polyhydric
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/20 Glycerol
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/42 Hydroxy-carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/44 Polycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/46 Dicarboxylic acids having four or less carbon atoms, e.g. fumaric acid, maleic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/56 Lactic acid
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/58 Aldonic, ketoaldonic or saccharic acids uronic acids C12P19/00
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/60 2-Ketogulonic acid
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

The present invention provides means for the production of desired end-products of in vitro and/or in vivo bioconversion of biomass-based feed stock substrates, including but not limited to such materials as starch and cellulose. In particularly preferred embodiments, the methods of the present invention do not require gelatinization and/or liquefaction of the substrate.

Claims

1. A method for producing an end-product comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a carbon substrate and at least one substrate-converting enzyme to produce an intermediate; and

b) contacting said intermediate with at least one intermediate-converting enzyme, wherein said intermediate is substantially all converted by said intermediate enzyme to said end-product.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme is a microbial enzyme.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said intermediate-converting microbial enzyme is secreted by a microorganism in contact with said intermediate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate-converting enzyme is a microbial enzyme.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said substrate-converting microbial enzyme is secreted by a microorganism in contact with said substrate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme and said substrate-converting enzyme are produced by microorganisms of the same species.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme and said substrate-converting enzyme are produced by microorganisms of the different species.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein concentration level of said intermediate is maintained at a level below that which triggers catabolite repression effects upon the conversion of said intermediate to said end-product.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein concentration level of said intermediate is maintained at a level below that which triggers enzymatic inhibition effects upon the conversion of said intermediate to said end-product.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate is converted to said end-product at a rate sufficient to maintain the concentration of said at less than 0.25%.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said substrate is selected from the group consisting of biomass and starch.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said intermediate is selected from the group consisting of hexoses and pentoses.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said hexose is glucose.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said end-product is selected from the group consisting of 1,3-propanediol, gluconic acid, glycerol, succinic acid, lactic acid, 2,5-diketo-D-gluconic acid, gluconate, glucose, alcohol, and ascorbic acid intermediates.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said contacting said substrate and substrate-converting enzyme further comprises bioconverting said substrate to produce said intermediate.

16. A method for producing an end-product comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a carbon substrate and at least one substrate-converting enzyme to produce an intermediate; and

b) contacting said intermediate with at least one intermediate-converting enzyme, wherein said intermediate is substantially all converted by said intermediate enzyme to said end-product, and wherein the presence of said end-product does not inhibit the further production of said end-product.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme is a microbial enzyme.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said intermediate-converting microbial enzyme is secreted by a microorganism in contact with said intermediate.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said substrate-converting enzyme is a microbial enzyme.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said substrate-converting microbial enzyme is secreted by a microorganism in contact with said substrate.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme and said substrate-converting enzyme are produced by microorganisms of the same species.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme and said substrate-converting enzyme are produced by microorganisms of the different species.

23. A method for producing an end-product comprising the steps of:

a) contacting a carbon substrate and at least one substrate-converting enzyme to produce an intermediate; and

b) contacting said intermediate with at least one intermediate-converting enzyme, wherein said intermediate is substantially all converted by said intermediate enzyme to said end-product, and wherein the presence of said substrate does not inhibit the further production of said end-product.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme is a microbial enzyme.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said intermediate-converting microbial enzyme is secreted by a microorganism in contact with said intermediate.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein said substrate-converting enzyme is a microbial enzyme.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein said substrate-converting microbial enzyme is produced is secreted by a microorganism in contact with said substrate.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme and said substrate-converting enzyme are produced by microorganisms of the same species.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein said intermediate-converting enzyme and said substrate-converting enzyme are produced by microorganisms of the different species.