Intellectual Support Services

Algal Biofuels A Patent landscape report

This patent landscape report attempts to provide an insight

into patent filing trends, key patent owners, key inventors,

and technology trends in the algal biofuel space

www.fourbridgetech.com

2/11/2010

PATENT SEARCH |PATENT ALERTS | PATENT FILING |PATENT ANALYSIS

Sample Patent Landscape report-Algal Biofuels

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................................................................... 2

Summary................................................................................................................ 3

Patent distribution- worldwide* ............................................................................ 4

Patent filings –Worldwide ...................................................................................... 5

Patent filings – US applications .............................................................................. 6

Patent filings – PCT applications ............................................................................ 7

Patents publication – US grants ............................................................................. 8

Top assignees – US AND PCT .................................................................................. 9

Top inventors – US AND PCT ................................................................................ 10

Key technologies- PROMINENT IPC (US and PCT) ................................................. 12

Top Assignees-Patent distribution ....................................................................... 13

Top assignees – Number of patents/applications (US and PCT) vs. Primary IPC ... 14


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INTRODUCTION

“Bio-fuels” are liquid or gas fuels that are not derived from petroleum based fossils fuels or which

contain a proportion of non fossil fuels. Bio fuels can be broadly classified as 1st generation, 2nd

generation, and 3rd generation biofuels.

First generation biofuels

First generation bio-fuels are the more common fuels that are produced from food crops and animal

fats. Some examples include bio-diesel, vegetable oil, and bio-gas.

Second generation biofuels

Second generation bio-fuels are made from waste biomass, making them a more sustainable solution as

compared to their 1st generation counterparts. They include various alcohols (such as ethanol) and

diesel derived from wood.

Third generation biofuels

Third generation bio-fuels are generally made from algae that are farmed on a massive scale. By way of

photosynthesis and the breaking down of carbon dioxide, the carbohydrates extracted from these

micro-organisms are used to make various fuels.

ALGAE BIOFUELS

Algae biofuels are alternatives to fossil fuels. These carbon neutral fuels are cheap and easy to use. In a

world of rising oil prices and increasing concern over environmental pollution, algae biofuels are gaining

a lot of momentum.

As part of the photosynthetic process, the absorbed carbon dioxide and sunlight are used to produce

sugars and lipids. Excess of these lipids are stored as fat inside the algae cells. This fat can be used to

produce vegetable oil, which is further distilled to produce many other forms of fuel. Different species of

algae can be used to produce different varieties of oils. Algae can generate 15 times more oil per acre

than other plants used for biofuels, such as corn and switch grass.

The greatest benefit of algae biofuels over other alternative fuels comes from the fact that they can be

used in cars and airplanes without any modifications to the currents design of the machines.


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SUMMARY

This Patent landscape report primarily focuses on the patent landscape of algae biofuels providing

various insights on the following;

• Global filing trends of patents related to algae biofuels

• Filing trends of PCT

• Filing trends of US applications

• Top assignees in Algae biofuels space

• Top inventors in Algae biofuels space

• Key collaborators and their patents

• Technology trends

The following patent analysis was done from a patent data set of 618 documents, retrieved from

worldwide patent databases using relevant keywords and phrases related to algal biofuels.


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PATENT DISTRIBUTION- WORLDWIDE*

*Numbers in the figure indicate the number of patents/applications

US Grants and

applications

European

Grants and

applications

Others include GB

and DE

applications


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PATENT FILINGS –WORLDWIDE


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PATENT FILINGS – US APPLICATIONS


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PATENT FILINGS – PCT APPLICATIONS


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PATENTS PUBLICATION – US GRANTS


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TOP ASSIGNEES – US AND PCT


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TOP INVENTORS – US AND PCT

S. No Inventor name No of Patents

1 SHORT; JAY 16

2 ROBERTSON, DAN 14

3 PETERS, MATTHEW 12

4 WEINER, DAVID 12

5 MEINHOLD, PETER 11

6 CARIN, CHRISTIANNE 10

7 MATHUR; ERIC 10

8 MAYFIELD STEPHEN 10

9 MENDEZ MICHAEL 10

10 O'NEILL BRYAN 10

11 POON YAN 10

12 ARISTIDOU, ARISTOS 8

13 BERZIN, ISAAC 8

14 BUELTER, THOMAS 8

15 DUNLOP, ERIC, H. 8

16 GRUBER; PATRICK R. 8

17 HAWKINS, ANDREW 8

18 HAZELBECK; DAVID A. 8

19 OYLER, JAMES, R. 8


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S. No Inventor name No of Patents

20 RICHARDSON, TOBY 8

21 RIDLEY, CHRISTIAN 8

22 BURKE, ELLEN 7

23 FEDKENHEUER, ALVIN, W. 7

24 FRANKLIN, SCOTT 7

25 GORBELL, BRIAN, N. 7

26 JONASSON, JOHN, S. 7

27 LUGINBUHL, PETER 7

28 O'CONNOR, PAUL 7

29 STAROSUD, ALEXANDER 7

30 BARTON, NELSON, R. 6


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KEY TECHNOLOGIES- PROMINENT IPC (US AND PCT)

IPC Definition

C12P

FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL

COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC

MIXTURE

C12N MICRO-ORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF

C10L FUELS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NATURAL GAS; SYNTHETIC NATURAL GAS

C12M APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY

C07C ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS

C10G CRACKING HYDROCARBON OILS; PRODUCTION OF LIQUID HYDROCARBON MIXTURES, e.g.

BY DESTRUCTIVE HYDROGENATION, OLIGOMERISATION, POLYMERISATION

C07H SUGARS; DERIVATIVES THEREOF; NUCLEOSIDES; NUCLEOTIDES; NUCLEIC ACIDS

C02F REATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE

A61K PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES

C11C ANIMAL OR VEGETABLE OILS, FATS, FATTY SUBSTANCES OR WAXES; FATTY ACIDS

THEREFROM; DETERGENTS; CANDLES

A01G HORTICULTURE; CULTIVATION OF VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, RICE, FRUIT, VINES, HOPS, OR

SEAWEED; FORESTRY; WATERING


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TOP ASSIGNEES-PATENT DISTRIBUTION

S. No Assignee US appln US Grants PCT appln Others

1 Verenium Corporation 15 16 13 3

2 GEVO 7 0 8 0

3 Sapphire Energy 3 0 12 1

4 Greenfuel Technologies Corp. 6 0 7 0

5 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. 6 0 5 0

6 Clemson University 4 2 3 0

7 The Scripps Research Institute 2 0 8 0

8 LS9, INC. 0 0 9 0

9 GENIFUEL CORPORATION 5 0 3 0

10 Earthrenew Organics Ltd. 4 2 1 0

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TOP ASSIGNEES – NUMBER OF PATENTS/APPLICATIONS (US AND PCT) VS.

PRIMARY IPC

# Assignee C12N C10L C12M C12P C07C A01G A01H C02F B01D C10G

1 Verenium Corporation 11 3 3 15

2 GEVO 4 2 1 3 2 1

3 Sapphire Energy 7 3 3

4 Greenfuel Technologies Corp. 5 1 2 1 3

5 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. 1 1 1 2 2

6 Clemson University 2 1 1

7 Scripps Research Institute 6 3

8 LS9, INC. 3 3 1 1

9 GENIFUEL CORPORATION 2 3 1 1

01 Earthrenew Organics Ltd.