Production of oil in microorganisms
AssigneeSolazyme, Inc.
InventorsDonald E. Trimbur, Chung-Soon Im, Harrison F. Dillon, Anthony G. Day, Scott Franklin, Anna Coragliotti
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Abstract
The invention provides methods of manufacturing oils and oil-based products such as transportation fuels, industrial chemicals, edible oils, lubricants and plastics using sucrose feedstocks from sugar cane, sugar beets, and molasses for bioproduction processes. The disclosed processes utilize oleaginous microbes as a conversion technology to convert chemical energy produced by sugar cane, molasses and sugar beets into energy-containing oils and oil derivatives. Also provided herein are oleaginous microbes containing one or more exogenous sucrose utilization genes.
Claims9
A microalgae of the genus Prototheca comprising an exogenous gene, wherein the exogenous gene encodes an active sucrose invertase.
A microalgal culture comprising:
- (a) a population of obligate heterotrophic microalgae, wherein the obligate heterotrophic microalgae comprise an exogenous gene encoding an active sucrose invertase;
- and
- (b) a culture medium comprising (i) sucrose, and (ii) active sucrose invertase enzymes secreted into the culture medium by the population of obligate heterotrophic microalgae.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.