Water-Soluble Cannabinoid Additives via Yeast Fermentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for cannabinoid production and extraction face challenges such as reliance on naturally grown plant matter exposed to toxins, inconsistent concentrations, contamination issues, and inability to maintain Cannabis strain integrity, along with cytotoxicity and scalability limitations in in vivo production systems.
Innovation Solution
The development of a system for chemical modification and isolation of cannabinoids in yeast suspension cultures, allowing for the production of chemically modified, water-soluble, and non-toxic cannabinoid compounds through transient modification and enzymatic conversion, enabling high-level accumulation and secretion without cytotoxic effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional extraction methods are used, then cannabinoids can be obtained from plant matter, but the process is inconsistent and produces variable concentrations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter of cannabinoid production from plant-based extraction to microbial fermentation. By using engineered yeast strains with controlled genetic pathways, the system achieves consistent cannabinoid concentrations through standardized fermentation parameters (temperature, pH, nutrient composition) rather than relying on variable plant growth conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates synthetic biological systems that copy the cannabinoid production pathways found in cannabis plants but implements them in controlled microbial cultures. The engineered yeast strains replicate the essential biochemical functions of cannabis plant cells while eliminating the harmful variability of natural plant cultivation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If naturally grown plant matter is used, then cannabinoids can be produced, but the plants are exposed to toxins and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system - engineered yeast strains - that produce cannabinoids without direct exposure to environmental toxins. The yeast serve as a protective intermediary between the desired cannabinoid output and harmful environmental factors, growing in controlled fermentation vessels isolated from pesticides, heavy metals, and soil contaminants that would affect plant-grown cannabinoids.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the biological system of cannabis plants with a controlled microbial fermentation system. This substitution eliminates the mechanical and biological vulnerabilities of plants (pest resistance, soil contamination, weather effects) while maintaining cannabinoid production through enzymatic pathways in the yeast.
3Productivity
If in vivo production systems are used, then cannabinoids can be produced, but cytotoxicity and scalability limitations occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the biological parameter of cell type from plant cells to microbial yeast cells. This parameter change enables scalable industrial fermentation while avoiding the cytotoxicity issues of plant-based systems. The yeast can be grown in large-volume bioreactors with controlled conditions, achieving both high productivity and reduced harmful effects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses disposable or easily replaceable yeast strains that can be rapidly cultured and discarded. Unlike plant-based systems requiring complex agricultural infrastructure, the microbial system allows for quick scaling up and down, with yeast cultures that can be continuously harvested and replaced without the need for long-term plant cultivation infrastructure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables the scalable and efficient production of chemically modified, water-soluble cannabinoids with enhanced kinetics, allowing for consistent and dosable pharmaceutical and recreational applications while minimizing cytotoxicity and maintaining strain integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The development of a system for chemical modification and isolation of cannabinoids in yeast suspension cultures, allowing for the production of chemically modified, water-soluble, and non-toxic cannabinoid compounds through transient modification and enzymatic conversion
Implementation Method 2
enabling high-level accumulation and secretion without cytotoxic effects
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention includes systems, methods and compositions related to the production and use of chemically modified cannabinoid food and beverage additives having enhanced water solubility and stability.