strain and variants thereof

• US 9,428,745 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Chicago
• Original Assignee: University of Chicago
• Inventors: Mets, Laurens
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barron, Sean C
• Application Number:
  US13/978,077
• Publication Number:
  US 20140011251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 435/167, 435/252.1, 435/289.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C12M 21/04 for producing gas, e.g. biogas digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/205 Bacterial isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 13/00 Treatment of microorganisms or enzymes with electrical or wave energy, e.g. magnetism, sonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/01 Preparation of mutants without inserting foreign genetic material therein; Screening processes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 5/023 Methane
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/01 Bacteria or Actinomycetales ; using bacteria or Actinomycetales
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/403 Cells and electrode assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/30 Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel

Abstract

The invention provides an isolated Methanothermobacter microorganism that is (a) a microorganism of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus strain UC 120910, deposited on Dec. 21, 2010, with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) under ATCC® Patent Deposit Designation No. PTA-11561, (b) a variant thereof, or (c) a progeny thereof, as further described herein.

Claims

1. A microorganism of Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus strain UC 120910, deposited on Dec. 21, 2010, with the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC®

) under ATCC®

Patent Deposit Designation No. PTA-11561.

2. A culture medium comprising the microorganism of claim 1 and a gas mixture comprising hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas.

3. The culture medium of claim 2, wherein the culture medium is in a bioreactor with hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide.

4. A culture comprising the microorganism of claim 1.

5. A method of producing methane from carbon dioxide, comprising supplying a gas mixture comprising hydrogen gas and carbon dioxide gas to the culture of claim 4.