Methods of making surfactant and cleaning compositions through microbially produced branched fatty alcohols

Abstract

The invention provides a surfactant and/or a cleaning composition comprising a microbially produced branched fatty alcohol or a derivative thereof. The invention also provides a household cleaning composition and a personal or pet care cleaning composition comprising a microbially produced branched fatty alcohol or a derivative thereof.

1 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 : A method of making a surfactant composition using branched chain fatty alcohols produced in a recombinant host cell, the method comprising,
 (a) providing a recombinant host cell genetically modified to comprise
 (i) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising one or more subunits having branched chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BKD) activity (E.C. 1.2.4.4.) capable of catalyzing a conversion of an alpha-keto acid to a branched acyl-CoA, 
 (ii) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase (FabH) activity capable of catalyzing a condensation of a branched acyl-CoA and a malonyl-ACP to produce a branched acyl-ACP, and 
 (iii) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having fatty aldehyde biosynthesis activity capable of catalyzing a conversion of a branched fatty acyl-ACP into a branched fatty aldehyde; 
   (b) culturing the recombinant host cell in the presence of a carbon source under conditions effective to express the polynucleotides and produce branched chain fatty alcohols that are secreted into the extracellular environment of the host cell;   (c) collecting the branched chain fatty alcohols; and   (d) blending the branched chain fatty alcohols to make a surfactant composition.   
     
     
         33 : The method of  claim 32 , further comprising a polypeptide having fatty alcohol biosynthesis activity, wherein said polypeptide is an alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1). 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 : The method of  claim 32 , wherein said one or more subunits are selected from the group consisting of E1 alpha/beta (decarboxylase), E2 (dihydrolipoyl transacylase), and E3 (dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase) subunits. 
     
     
         35 : The method of  claim 32 , wherein said one or more subunits are selected from the group consisting of E1 alpha/beta (decarboxylase) and E2 (dihydrolipoyl transacylase) subunits. 
     
     
         36 : The method of  claim 32 , wherein said polypeptide having fatty aldehyde biosynthesis activity is an acyl-ACP reductase (AAR). 
     
     
         37 : The method of  claim 36 , wherein said AAR is an enzyme from  Synechococcus elongates.    
     
     
         38 : The method of  claim 32 , wherein said polypeptide having fatty aldehyde biosynthesis activity is carboxylic acid reductase (CAR). 
     
     
         39 : The method of  claim 32 , wherein the recombinant host cell is an  E. coli  host cell. 
     
     
         40 : The method of  claim 32 , wherein the branched chain fatty alcohols include one or more of saturated or unsaturated C 12 , C 14  and C 16  fatty alcohols.