Industrial Fatty Acid Engineering General System for Modifying Fatty Acids

Abstract

Compositions and methods for a hybrid biological and chemical process utilizing chemotrophic microorganisms that converts syngas and/or gaseous CO2 and/or a mixture of CO2 gas and H2 gas into one or more desaturated hydrocarbons, unsaturated fatty acids, hydroxy acids, or diacids.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising a bacterial cell that converts syngas and/or gaseous CO2 and/or a mixture of CO2 gas and H2 gas into one or more lipids or hydrocarbons, wherein the bacterial cell comprises at least a first exogenous nucleic acid sequence. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is chosen from the genera  Rhodococcus  or  Gordonia  or  Ralstonia.    
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterial cell comprises at least a first and a second exogenous nucleic acid sequence but no more than five exogenous nucleic acid sequences. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterial cell consists of a first, second, and a third exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the first exogenous nucleic acid sequence encodes fatty acid aldehyde acyl-ACP reductase, the second exogenous nucleic acid sequence encodes a fatty acid aldehyde decarbonylase, and the third exogenous nucleic acid sequence encodes a thioesterase. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterial cell consists of a first and a second exogenous nucleic acid sequence, wherein the first exogenous nucleic acid sequence encodes fatty acid aldehyde acyl-ACP reductase and the second exogenous nucleic acid sequence encodes a fatty acid aldehyde decarbonylase. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is  Rhodococcus opacus.    
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids or hydrocarbons comprise at least one organic molecule having a carbon chain length of at least 8 carbon atoms and at least one carbon-carbon double bond. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise at least one hydroxy acid molecule having a carbon chain length of at least 6 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise at least one diacid acid molecule having a carbon chain length of at least 6 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the bacterial cell is an oxyhydrogen microorganisms including oxyhydrogen microorganisms selected from one or more of the following genera:  Rhodopseudomonas  sp.;  Rhodospirillum  sp.;  Rhodococcus  sp.;  Nocardia  sp.;  Mycobacterium  sp.;  Gordonia  sp.;  Tsukamurella  sp.;  Rhodobacter  sp.;  Rhizobium  sp.;  Thiocapsa  sp.;  Pseudomonas  sp.;  Hydrogenomonas  sp.;  Hydrogenobacter  sp.;  Hydrogenovibrio  sp.;  Helicobacter  sp.;  Oleomonas  sp.;  Xanthobacter  sp.;  Hydrogenophaga  sp.;  Bradyrhizobium  sp.;  Ralstonia  sp.;  Alcaligenes  sp.;  Variovorax  sp.;  Acidovorax  sp.;  Anabaena  sp.;  Scenedesmus  sp.;  Chlamydomonas  sp.,  Ankistrodesmus  sp.,  Cupriavidus  sp., and  Rhaphidium  sp. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise a mixture of lipids having at least one unsaturated fatty acid molecule having a carbon chain length from 8 carbon atoms to 30 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more hydrocarbons comprise a mixture of hydrocarbons having at least one desaturated hydrocarbon molecule having a carbon chain length from 8 carbon atoms to 30 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise a mixture of lipids having at least one hydroxy acid molecule having a carbon chain length from 8 carbon atoms to 24 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise a mixture of lipids having at least one dicarboxylic acid molecule having a carbon chain length from 6 carbon atoms to 18 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more lipids or hydrocarbons comprise a quantity of at least one alkene, alkyne, hydroxy acid, dicarboxylic acid, and/or unsaturated fatty acid at a level higher than the quantity of the alkene, alkyne, hydroxy acid, dicarboxylic acid, and/or unsaturated fatty acid in the same microorganism not comprising the exogenous nucleic acid sequences. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the microorganism produces and/or secretes at least 60% of one or more lipids or hydrocarbons by weight. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein less than 10% by weight of the organic compounds produced is organic acid. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein said H 2  is generated or recycled using renewable, alternative, or conventional sources of power that are low in greenhouse gas emissions, and wherein said sources of power are selected from at least one of photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind power, hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, ocean wave power, and tidal power. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 1 , where said syngas is generated from lignocellulosic energy crops, crop residue, bagasse, saw dust, forestry residue, food waste, municipal solid waste, biogas, landfill gas, or stranded natural gas. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 11 , wherein said bacterial cell is drawn from suborder corynebacterineae or the and family burkholderiaceae.