IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,351,853
Granted Patent B2
US 12,351,853 · App. 17/692,254 · Granted Jul 8, 2025

Urethanases for the enzymatic degradation of polyurethanes

Inventors: Natalie Bittner (Frechen, DE); Hartmut Nefzger (Pulheim, DE); Gesa Behnken (Cologne, DE); Gernot Jäger (Cologne, DE); Swantje Behnken (Sacramento, CA); Lukas Reisky (Cologne, DE)
Assignee: Covestro Deutschland AG
C12P7/44C12N9/80C12P7/18C12Y305/01075
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,351,853
App. No.
17/692,254
Granted
Jul 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to new urethanases for the enzymatic breakdown of polyurethanes and to an enzymatic process for the complete breakdown of polyurethanes into defined monomers.

Claims (12)

1. A method comprising utilizing a polypeptide for cleaving a urethane group, the polypeptide having an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 2, SEQ ID No. 4, SEQ ID No. 5, SEQ ID No. 6, SEQ ID No. 8, SEQ ID No. 10, SEQ ID No. 7, and variants of said polypeptides, characterized in that the polypeptide has urethanase activity in the enzymatic cleavage of urethane linkages, wherein variants is defined as an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity with a polypeptide to which it refers.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the urethane group is aromatically attached, wherein aromatically attached is defined as a nitrogen atom of the urethane group being directly attached to an aromatic ring.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 2, SEQ ID No. 4, SEQ ID No. 5, SEQ ID No. 6, SEQ ID No. 8, SEQ ID No. 10, SEQ ID No. 7, and variants of said polypeptides, wherein variants is defined as an amino acid sequence having at least 95% sequence identity with a polypeptide to which it refers.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 2, SEQ ID No. 4, SEQ ID No. 5, SEQ ID No. 6, SEQ ID No. 8, SEQ ID No. 10, and SEQ ID No. 7.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID No. 3, SEQ ID No. 2, SEQ ID No. 4, SEQ ID No. 5, SEQ ID No. 6, SEQ ID No. 8, SEQ ID No. 10.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 7 or a variant thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 2 or a variant thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 3 or a variant thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 4 or a variant thereof.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 5 or a variant thereof.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 6 or a variant thereof.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide has an amino acid sequence in accordance with SEQ ID No. 8 or a variant thereof.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Oct 29, 2024
From: COVESTRO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GMBH & CO. KG
To: COVESTRO DEUTSCHLAND AG
Reel/Frame 069272/0414 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: BITTNER, NATALIE; NEFZGER, HARTMUT; BEHNKEN, GESA; JAEGER, GERNOT; BEHNKEN, SWANTJE; REISKY, LUKAS
To: COVESTRO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 059233/0648 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 18179032 · Jun 21, 2018 · regional
Continuity (2)
Division 17254701
Related Publication 20220282287A1 · Sep 8, 2022
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