Algal medium chain length fatty acids and hydrocarbons

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and compositions for production of algal-based medium chain fatty acids and hydrocarbons. More specifically, the invention relates to a Nannochloropsis algal strain and mutants that produces high amounts of C16 fatty acids and hydrocarbons. The present invention provides methods and compositions for production of algal-based medium chain fatty acids and hydrocarbons. More specifically, the invention relates to a Nannochloropsis algal strain and mutants that produces high amounts of C16 fatty acids and hydrocarbons.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 369,533, filed Jul. 30, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.BACKGROUND [0002]JP-8 is a kerosene-type military jet fuel derived from petroleum and is being used as the primary fuel for land-based air and ground forces (e.g., aircraft, ground vehicles, and equipment). The US Department of Defense (DOD) is the single largest oil consuming government body in the US, consuming over 90 million barrels of JP-8 in fiscal 2006, which represents about 15% of kerosene-based jet fuel produced by the U.S.[0003]Commercial jet fuel similar to JP-8 in chemical composition is largely consumed by the U.S. commercial (corporate / private) aviation industry with passenger and cargo carriers burning nearly 500 million barrels of jet fuel in 2005. As having already consumed over 80% of its proven oil reserves, the U.S. now imports more than 60% ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]The present invention relates to methods and compositions for the use of Nannochloropsis algal strains for the production of large amounts of medium chain length fatty acids. In particular, it has been discovered that in excess of 50% of the fatty acids produced by Nannochloropsis strain LARB-AZ 0202.0 and mutants thereof are C16 fatty acids. C16 fatty acids are valuable because they are easily converted to biofuels and other useful and important hydrocarbon based products. This heretofore unknown strain of Nannochloropsis and its mutants can thus be used in the production of fatty acids for use in biofuel production.

Problems solved by technology

Much of this imported oil is supplied from nations in politically-volatile regions of the world where political instability, human rights abuses, and terrorism are the constant threat to a stable oil supply for the U.S.

Over $250 billion is spent on foreign oil annually, representing a third of the growing US trade deficit and an increasing burden on the US economy.

Demand for oil by emerging and rapidly growing economies such as in China, India, and South America, is also increasing competition and price volatility for limited global supplies.

However, biodiesel produced from current available oil crop-based feedstocks and commercial processes is not suitable as a JP-8 surrogate fuel for military and commercial aviation applications due to its lower energy density and unacceptable cold-flow features.

However, the subsequent secondary processing is neither cost-effective nor energy-efficient and consumes large quantities of fossil fuels with an energy conversion efficiency of 8% to 15%.

This results in alternative jet fuel being prohibitively expensive and having unacceptably low energy efficiency.

Although coconut and palm kernel oils are being exploited for production of biodiesel and are considered to be kerosene-based jet fuel substitute, they are unlikely to be used as a major feedstock for jet fuel production due to limited supplies (Shay 1993; Srivastava & Prasad 2000).

However, the efforts made thus far with oil-crops have resulted in little commercial significance.

This is due mainly to the lack of clear understanding of cellular / subcellular regulatory networks that may provide ‘global’ control over complex biochemical pathways, which may lead to partitioning of photosynthetically-fixed carbon specifically into the formation and accumulation of lipids / oil rather than biosynthesis of protein or carbohydrate.

Lack of effective molecular genetic tools and methodologies is another major reason for unsuccessful strain improvement.

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