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 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A composition comprising a bacterial cell in a culture medium that is in contact with a feedstock that comprises syngas and/or gaseous CO 2  and/or other C1 compounds and/or inorganic carbon and/or liquid, gaseous, and/or solid products of pyrolytic reactions,
 wherein said bacterial cell chemoautotrophically converts said feedstock into organic compounds comprising one or more lipids or hydrocarbons comprising fatty alcohols, alkenes, unsaturated fatty acids, diacids, or hydroxy acids,   wherein the bacterial cell comprises one or more exogenous nucleic acid sequence encoding an enzyme selected from the group consisting of a fatty acid aldehyde acyl-ACP reductase, a fatty acid aldehyde decarbonylase, a thioesterase, a fatty acyl-CoA/fatty acyl-ACP reductase, a fatty acid hydroxylase, a desaturase, a cytochrome P450 enzyme, or a NADH or NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase,   and wherein the bacterial cell is selected from  Ralstonia  sp.;  Alcaligenes  sp.; and  Cupriavidus  sp.   
     
     
         22 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the bacterial cell is chosen from  Rhodococcus  DSM 43205,  Rhodococcus  DSM 43206,  Rhodococcus  DSM 3346,  Cupriavidus  DSM531, or  Cupriavidus  DSM 541. 
     
     
         23 . The composition of  claim 21 , 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. 
     
     
         24 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the exogenous nucleic acid sequence 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. 
     
     
         25 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the exogenous nucleic acid sequence 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. 
     
     
         26 . The composition of  claim 21 , 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. 
     
     
         27 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise at least one hydroxy acid molecule having a carbon chain length of at least 6 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         28 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more lipids comprise at least one diacid acid molecule having a carbon chain length of at least 6 carbon atoms. 
     
     
         29 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more lipids or hydrocarbons 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. 
     
     
         30 . The composition of  claim 21 , 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. 
     
     
         31 . The composition of  claim 21 , 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. 
     
     
         32 . The composition of  claim 21 , 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. 
     
     
         33 . The composition of  claim 21 , 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 bacterial cell not comprising the at least first exogenous nucleic acid sequence. 
     
     
         34 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein the bacterial cell produces and/or secretes at least 60% of one or more lipids or hydrocarbons by weight. 
     
     
         35 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein less than 10% by weight of the organic compounds produced is organic acid with carbon chain length of four carbons or less. 
     
     
         36 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein said feedstock comprises gaseous H2 that is utilized by the bacterial cell as an energy source for said chemoautotrophic conversion into organic compounds and that is generated or recycled using renewable, alternative, or conventional sources of power selected from at least one of photovoltaics, solar thermal, wind power, hydroelectric, nuclear, geothermal, enhanced geothermal, ocean thermal, ocean wave power, and tidal power. 
     
     
         37 . The composition of  claim 21 , where said feedstock comprises syngas that 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. 
     
     
         38 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein said gaseous feedstock comprises CO 2 , H 2  and/or CO; and O 2 . 
     
     
         39 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein said exogenous nucleic acid sequence consists of an exogenous nucleic acid sequence that encodes a thioesterase. 
     
     
         40 . The composition of  claim 21 , wherein said culture medium does not comprise an organic carbon source as a primary source of carbon for microbial growth or biosynthesis.