Joule Unlimited's US 7,785,861

Joule has obtained US 7,785,861 (issued 8/31/2010 on app. 20090203070, HYPERPHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS ) with
first claim reading:

An engineered cyanobacterial cell for fuel production, wherein said cell comprises a recombinant nucleic acid encoding Vitamin B.sub.12 independent methionine synthase, wherein said Vitamin B.sub.12 independent methionine synthase is at least 95% identical to Escherichia coli K12 MetE of SEQ ID NO: 20, and wherein said cyanobacterial cell lacks an endogenous Vitamin B.sub.12 independent methionine synthase.

and claim 12 reading:

A method to produce a carbon-based product of interest, comprising culturing an engineered cyanobacterial cell in the presence of CO.sub.2 and light under conditions suitable to produce a carbon-based product of interest, wherein said engineered cyanobacterial cell is Vitamin B.sub.12 independent, and wherein said engineered cyanobacterial cell comprises a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a Vitamin B.sub.12 independent methionine synthase, wherein said Vitamin B.sub.12 independent methionine synthase is at least 95% identical to Escherichia coli K12 MetE of SEQ ID NO: 20, and wherein said cyanobacterial cell lacks an endogenous Vitamin B.sub.12 independent methionine synthase.

The first three paragraphs of the summary state:

The present invention provides methods and compositions for engineering pathways that stably utilize photosynthetic organisms by, e.g., genetically improving their light capture and carbon fixation efficiencies and by optimizing their growth properties for propagation in photobioreactors. The present invention also provides the resulting engineered "HyperPhotosynthetic" cells and organisms that enable efficient conversion of carbon dioxide and light into carbon-based products of interest.

Provided herein is an engineered photosynthetic cell comprising: at least one engineered nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of a light capture nucleic acid, a carbon dioxide fixation pathway nucleic acid, an NADH pathway nucleic acid, an NADPH pathway nucleic acid, a thermotolerance nucleic acid, a pH tolerance nucleic acid, a flue gas tolerance nucleic acid, a salt tolerance nucleic acid, a nutrient independence nucleic acid and a near infrared absorbance nucleic acid wherein said engineered cell expresses a heterologous protein encoded by said engineered nucleic acid, overexpresses an endogenous protein as a result of the presence of said engineered nucleic acid, downregulates an endogenous protein as a result of the presence of said engineered nucleic acid, or has a gene knocked-out as a result of the presence of said engineered nucleic acid.

Also provided herein is an engineered cell comprising a plurality of engineered light capture nucleic acids, carbon dioxide fixation pathway nucleic acids, NADH pathway nucleic acids, NADPH pathway nucleic acids, thermotolerance nucleic acids, pH tolerance nucleic acids, flue gas tolerance nucleic acids, salt tolerance nucleic acids, nutrient independence nucleic acids and near infrared absorbance nucleic acids.

First inventor: Eric James Devroe