Technology Available for Licensing

Case 13148

Economical microbial production of higher chain length hydroxyvalerates from levulinate

Keywords:

Hydroxyacids, energy storage, levulinic acid, hydroxyvalerate, biosynthesis, Ecoli, 4-hydroxyvalerate, 3-hydroxyvalerate, chiral synthesis

Applications:

Biodegradable polyester (PHA) polymerization for energy storage, biosynthesis of antibiotics, pharmaceuticals and other chemicals

Problem:

Yield efficiency on the production of long chain hydroxyacids monomers

Technology:

This invention is an economical method for producing 4-hydroxyvalerate (4HV) and 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) from the inexpensive and renewable carbon source levulinic acid. These hydroxyvalerates were produced by periodically feeding levulinate to Psuedomonas putida KT2440 expressing the thioesterase II (tesB) gene from Escherichia coli K12. Once a suitable strain and enzyme system was found, the production process was optimized at the shake flask in minimal and rich media for the high-titer production of both 4HV and 3HV.

Advantages:

• Higher chain length hydroxyacids produced from feasible feedstock
• Economical
• High titer method

Inventors:

• Professor Kristala L. Jones Prather (Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT)
• Dr. Wonjae Choi (Department of Mechanical Engineering, MICollin H. Martin (Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT)T)

Intellectual Property:

PCT filed April 3, 2009

Publications:

Martin, C.H. and Prather, K.L.J. High-titer production of monomeric hydroxyvalerates from levulinic acid in Pseudomonas putida. J. Biotechnol. 139(1): 61-67 (2009) DOI:10.1016/j/jbiotec.2008.09.002

Please contact: Christopher R. Noble MIT Technology Licensing Officer 1 Cambridge Center, Kendall Square, NE18-501 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142-1601

Email: crn@mit.edu Tel: 617-253-6966 Fax: 617–258-6790 Website: http://tlo.mit.edu