Verdezyne Secures Patent on Engineered Microorganisms
18-Jan-2012
|
Source :
|
Visits : 9176
CARLSBAD, Calif. - Verdezyne Inc. announced in a press release that it has been granted a United States Patent on engineered microorganisms.
Verdezyne was awarded US Patent No. 8,093,037, titled “Engineered Microorganisms With Enhanced Fermentation Activity” for the company’s innovative engineering of a yeast which incorporates xylose isomerase, a key enzyme in the fermentation of certain pentose (“C-5”) sugars to ethanol and other products.
“Verdezyne has identified, engineered and now patented a unique class of xylose isomerases that enable yeast to ferment xylose, the primary pentose sugar in cellulosic feedstocks, to ethanol at high yields under completely anaerobic conditions,” said Dr. Stephen Picataggio, chief scientific officer of Verdezyne.
“Although the technology for ethanol production from starch and sugarcane is mature, the US Renewable Fuels Standard requirements mandate an increase in the amount of cellulosic-derived ethanol to be produced,” said Dr. E. William Radany, CEO of Verdezyne. “This will require efficient fermentation of C-5 sugars to be economical.”
Verdezyne is an industrial biotechnology company using proven and proprietary metabolic pathway engineering tools to develop unique yeast strains for cost-effective production of bio-based chemicals and fuels.