IP Library › Granted Patent US 12709731
Granted Patent B2
US 12709731 · App. 18/563,922 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Method of producing biological material

Inventors: Sosuke Imamura (Musashino, JP); Kazuhiro Takaya (Musashino, JP)
Assignee: NTT, Inc.
C12N1/12C12P7/64C12P19/04C12N2500/30C12N2529/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12709731
App. No.
18/563,922
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A technique capable of achieving production of a biological material using photosynthetic microorganisms at low cost is provided. A method of producing a biological material includes culturing photosynthetic microorganisms in a culture medium containing dimethyl 2-oxoglutarate while the photosynthetic microorganisms are irradiated with light to cause the photosynthetic microorganisms to proliferate, and then collecting a substance produced by or accumulated in the photosynthetic microorganisms.

Claims (16)

1 . A method of producing a biological material, comprising:

culturing a photosynthetic microorganism in a culture medium containing dimethyl 2-oxoglutarate while the photosynthetic microorganism is irradiated with light to cause the photosynthetic microorganism to proliferate; and

then collecting a substance produced by or accumulated in the photosynthetic microorganism.

2 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 1 , wherein the photosynthetic microorganism is of a wild type.

3 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 1 , wherein the photosynthetic microorganism is cultured in an open culture tank.

4 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 1 , wherein a dimethyl 2-oxoglutarate concentration near a surface of a microorganism-containing liquid containing the culture medium and the photosynthetic microorganism is set to be higher than in a deep region of the microorganism-containing liquid.

5 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 1 , wherein collecting the substance includes extracting one of a hydrophobic substance and a hydrophilic substance from the photosynthetic microorganism to obtain an extract and a residue.

6 . A method of producing a biological material, comprising:

culturing a photosynthetic microorganism while the photosynthetic microorganism is irradiated with light in a culture medium to cause the photosynthetic microorganism to proliferate;

then adding dimethyl 2-oxoglutarate to the culture medium;

further culturing the photosynthetic microorganism in the culture medium containing dimethyl 2-oxoglutarate while the photosynthetic microorganism is irradiated with light to cause the photosynthetic microorganism to further proliferate; and

then collecting a substance produced by or accumulated in the photosynthetic microorganism.

7 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 6 , wherein the photosynthetic microorganism is of a wild type.

8 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 6 , wherein the photosynthetic microorganism is cultured in an open culture tank.

9 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 6 , wherein a dimethyl 2-oxoglutarate concentration near a surface of a microorganism-containing liquid containing the culture medium and the photosynthetic microorganism is set to be higher than in a deep region of the microorganism-containing liquid.

10 . The method of producing a biological material according to claim 6 , wherein collecting the substance includes extracting one of a hydrophobic substance and a hydrophilic substance from the photosynthetic microorganism to obtain an extract and a residue.