# US 2021/0340581 A1 · Polyhydroxyalkanoic acid compositions and methods for generating same

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- Number: US 2021/0340581 A1
- Document ID: US20210340581A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/171,948
- Filed: 2021-02-09
- Published: 2021-11-04
- Earliest claimed: 2007-02-20
- Assignees: Newlight Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Newlight Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Markus Donald Herrema; Kenton Kimmel
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210340581A1

## CPC

- C12P 7/625: Polyesters of hydroxy carboxylic acids
- C08G 63/06: derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids
- C12N 1/30: having five or less carbon atoms
- C12P 7/42: Hydroxy-carboxylic acids
- C12P 7/62: Carboxylic acid esters
- F02D 17/02: Cutting-out (cutting-out engines in multiple engine arrangements F02D25/04)
- F02D 35/025: {by determining temperatures inside the cylinder, e.g. combustion temperatures}
- F02D 41/0087: {Selective cylinder activation, i.e. partial cylinder operation (deceleration cut-off F02D41/123)}
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- F02D: CONTROLLING COMBUSTION ENGINES (vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed B60K31/00; conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function, road vehicle drive control systems for purposes other than the control of a single sub-unit B60W)

## Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to the microbial production of polyhydroxyalkanoic acids, or polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), from substrates which cannot be used as a source of carbon and/or energy for microbial growth or PHA synthesis and which have microbial and environmental toxicity. According to one embodiment of the invention, a process for the production of PHA is provided wherein an enzyme such as methane monooxygenase is used to convert volatile organic compounds into PHA through the use of microorganisms that are unable to use volatile organic compounds as a source of carbon for growth or PHA production.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for the production of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) from one or more metabolically toxic and growth-inhibiting volatile organic compounds (VOCS), comprising:
providing one or more non-methane VOCs;
providing one or more methane-oxidizing microorganisms capable of oxidizing said one or more VOCs to produce an oxidized compound;
wherein said one or more methane-oxidizing microorganisms do not use said one or more VOCs as a source of carbon or energy, and
wherein said one or more VOCs inhibits the growth of said one or more methane-oxidizing microorganisms, and is thereby metabolically toxic;
providing one or more PHA-synthesizing microorganisms capable of incorporating a carbon contained within said oxidized compound into a PHA material;
providing a growth-culture medium that regulates the metabolism of said one or more methane-oxidizing microorganisms and said one or more PHA-synthesizing microorganisms;
mutually-exposing said one or more VOCS, said one or more methane-oxidizing microorganisms, and said growth-culture medium, thereby causing or allowing said one or more methane-oxidizing microorganisms to convert said one or more VOCS into said oxidized compound;
contacting said oxidized compound with said PHA-synthesizing microorganisms; and
manipulating said growth-culture medium to cause or allow said one or more PHA-synthesizing microorganisms to use said carbon contained within said oxidized compound for the production of said PHA material, thereby using a metabolically toxic, growth-inhibiting VOC to produce said PHA material.