study the effects of alkaline environment. Possibly, phages could also serve as gene
vectors for alkaliphiles.
10 Patent Landscape of Alkaliphilic Microbes
Patent searches were done from various databases with a goal to understand patent
activities in the area of alkaliphilic microorganisms. The search was focused to
alkaliphiles in biodegradation, environmental remediation, and in production of
useful compounds for industrial and pharmaceutical uses. Unfortunately, only seldom in the patent literature a microbe is characterized as being “an alkaliphile” or
being “alkaliphilic.” Therefore, such terms are not effective. One should search
databases microbe by microbe, area of use, or their combination.
Illustratively, with the terms “alkaliphilic,” “alkalophilic,” “alkalophile,” or
“alkaliphile,” altogether 241 patent publications were found since 1966 from the
database of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (http://www.
patentscope.int/). Almost the same number (247) of hits is received by starting
with broad search with the term “extremophile” and then limiting the search with
negative limitations “not algae,” “not plant,” “not thermophile,” and “not acidophile.” A large number (135) of these publications, claimed novel alkaline-active
enzymes and their production for industrial use. Major part of the publications
related to industrial enzymes is published before 2012. Among the applicants,
Novo Nordisk AS and Genencor Int. are prevailing. The enzymes from alkaliphiles
are discussed in more details elsewhere in this book.
Of the 241 patent publications, 50 disclose the use of alkaliphilic microbes in
wastewater treatment. All these patents have been filed since 2008. Twenty-one
of the 241 disclosed methods and compositions for agriculture, including the use
of microbe compositions as fertilizers or insecticides, as well as accelerators of
composting. Fourteen deals about treatment of polluted soil. Figure 4 illustrates
patent publications on alkaliphilic microbes according to the filing country.
Searching the patent databases (WIPO database at www.patentscope.wipo.int,
US Patent Office’s database at www.USPTO.gov; European Patent Office’s database at www.espacenet.com; and Google patents) with terms such as “bioplastics,”
“biodegradable,” and “bioremediation” was also done. The search terms combined
with names of microbes give accurate results. However, it was still difficult to have
information related to alkaliphilic microbes in general. Based on the patent literature
retrieved, there is industrial interest in alkaliphilic microbes beyond the enzyme
industries (Fig. 5). One branch of inventions originates from the genomic studies and
another the use of alkaliphilic microbes in environmental applications.
Due to the fact that alkaliphilic bacteria have to keep the inside of the cell pH
lower than the outside pH, the ion channels of alkaliphiles possess not only academic
but also industrial interest. Examples of patents on this field are US patent 7,790,845
for calcium-selective ion channel cloned and characterized from Bacillus
halodurans, US patent 5,346,815 for a sodium-binding protein of Bacillus
184
E. Khalikova et al.
vectors for alkaliphiles.
10 Patent Landscape of Alkaliphilic Microbes
Patent searches were done from various databases with a goal to understand patent
activities in the area of alkaliphilic microorganisms. The search was focused to
alkaliphiles in biodegradation, environmental remediation, and in production of
useful compounds for industrial and pharmaceutical uses. Unfortunately, only seldom in the patent literature a microbe is characterized as being “an alkaliphile” or
being “alkaliphilic.” Therefore, such terms are not effective. One should search
databases microbe by microbe, area of use, or their combination.
Illustratively, with the terms “alkaliphilic,” “alkalophilic,” “alkalophile,” or
“alkaliphile,” altogether 241 patent publications were found since 1966 from the
database of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) (http://www.
patentscope.int/). Almost the same number (247) of hits is received by starting
with broad search with the term “extremophile” and then limiting the search with
negative limitations “not algae,” “not plant,” “not thermophile,” and “not acidophile.” A large number (135) of these publications, claimed novel alkaline-active
enzymes and their production for industrial use. Major part of the publications
related to industrial enzymes is published before 2012. Among the applicants,
Novo Nordisk AS and Genencor Int. are prevailing. The enzymes from alkaliphiles
are discussed in more details elsewhere in this book.
Of the 241 patent publications, 50 disclose the use of alkaliphilic microbes in
wastewater treatment. All these patents have been filed since 2008. Twenty-one
of the 241 disclosed methods and compositions for agriculture, including the use
of microbe compositions as fertilizers or insecticides, as well as accelerators of
composting. Fourteen deals about treatment of polluted soil. Figure 4 illustrates
patent publications on alkaliphilic microbes according to the filing country.
Searching the patent databases (WIPO database at www.patentscope.wipo.int,
US Patent Office’s database at www.USPTO.gov; European Patent Office’s database at www.espacenet.com; and Google patents) with terms such as “bioplastics,”
“biodegradable,” and “bioremediation” was also done. The search terms combined
with names of microbes give accurate results. However, it was still difficult to have
information related to alkaliphilic microbes in general. Based on the patent literature
retrieved, there is industrial interest in alkaliphilic microbes beyond the enzyme
industries (Fig. 5). One branch of inventions originates from the genomic studies and
another the use of alkaliphilic microbes in environmental applications.
Due to the fact that alkaliphilic bacteria have to keep the inside of the cell pH
lower than the outside pH, the ion channels of alkaliphiles possess not only academic
but also industrial interest. Examples of patents on this field are US patent 7,790,845
for calcium-selective ion channel cloned and characterized from Bacillus
halodurans, US patent 5,346,815 for a sodium-binding protein of Bacillus
184
E. Khalikova et al.