Yeast Chassis Cofactor Engineering Patents: Leaders & Trends 2026
- 34.7% concentration. The top 5 of 100 ranked assignees hold 102 of 294 records in scope — a third of the field sits with a handful of filers, the rest is a long tail.
- Filing cooled from a 2018 peak. Records peaked at 44 in 2018 and growth from 2021 to 2024 fell 40%, though publication lag understates the last one to two years.
- Fermentation claims dominate. 70.4% of records carry a C12P fermentation/enzymatic-synthesis class alongside the core C12N microorganism-engineering class present in 98.0% of records.
Filing growth compares 2021 (15 records) with 2024 (9) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 294 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What this landscape covers
Cofactor engineering in yeast chassis strains addresses a specific bottleneck: pathways that need NADH, NADPH or a particular redox ratio to run efficiently, and the genetic tools used to rebalance that supply inside a host cell. This landscape draws on 294 published records filed against yeast host cells, engineered or recombinant yeast, and explicit redox or cofactor-recycling language, filtered to the core genetic-engineering and microbiology IPC classes. It sits at the intersection of industrial biotechnology and synthetic biology, where a claim on cofactor recycling can determine whether a fermentation route is commercially freed or blocked.
The scope spans 2015 through the current data cut-off, capturing both the founding wave of NADH/NADPH balance patents and the more recent filings on electron-transfer and energy-charge control. Because publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, the most recent one to two years in any trend understate real filing activity.
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Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 294 records: how filing activity has moved year over year, and which technology classes carry the claims.
Filing trend: a 2018 peak, then a cooling
Annual records rose to a peak of 44 in 2018, then eased. Comparing 2021 (15 records) to 2024 (9 records) shows a 40% decline over that three-year span — the most recent complete-year comparison available; 2025 and 2026 figures are still filling in under normal publication lag and should not be read as a continued fall.
Technology composition: fermentation sits alongside core engineering
Nearly all records (98.0%) carry the core C12N microorganism/genetic-engineering class, but 70.4% also carry C12P fermentation and enzymatic-synthesis claims, showing that most cofactor-engineering filings are tied to a production process rather than filed as standalone genetic tools. Smaller but notable shares extend into peptide/protein claims (C07K, 29.3%), enzyme/DNA measurement (C12Q, 24.1%) and medicinal preparations (A61K, 14.3%), with food applications (A23L) at 6.5%.
Shares are the percentage of the 294 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Yeast Chassis Cofactor Engineering with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about yeast chassis cofactor engineering and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaMost-cited records and a representative filing
US9297016B2 — Activity of Fe-S cluster requiring proteins
The patent covers a recombinant host cell, in particular a yeast cell, comprising a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide, together with a recombinant host cell having increased specific activity of that polypeptide through increased expression, modulation of Fe-S cluster biosynthesis, or both. It also covers methods of using the host cells and methods for identifying polypeptides that increase flux in an Fe-S cluster biosynthesis pathway.Filed by GEVO, INC., granted 2016-03-29.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WO2000055173A1 | Human breast and ovarian cancer associated gene sequences and polypeptides | 142 |
| 2 | WO2000055174A1 | Human prostate cancer associated gene sequences and polypeptides | 132 |
| 3 | WO2009013159A2 | Acetyl-COA producing enzymes in yeast | 95 |
| 4 | WO2006110182A2 | Orthogonal translation components for the in VIVO incorporation of unnatural amino acids | 93 |
| 5 | WO1999060096A2 | Oxygenase enzymes and screening method | 63 |
| 6 | US20100248233A1 | Acetyl-coa producing enzymes in yeast | 52 |
| 7 | US20030134294A1 | Method for immobilizing a biologic in a polyurethane-hydrogel composition, a composition prepared from the me… | 46 |
| 8 | US20020072596A1 | Transferrin polynucleotides, polypeptides, and antibodies | 35 |
| 9 | US20160153017A1 | Diterpene production | 31 |
| 10 | US20140038268A1 | Activity of Fe-S Cluster Requiring Proteins | 31 |
Citation counts favour older records simply because they have had longer to accumulate them; read them as a signal of influence within this corpus, not as a ranking of current commercial relevance.
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Browse MCP servers →What the data actually shows
Three figures that change how you read this field, each pulled directly from the dataset rather than a general impression of the space.
A third of the field sits with a handful of filers
The leader holds 30 records, fifth place holds 13, and the top 5 combined account for 102 of 294 records in scope. That is real concentration, but it still leaves close to two-thirds of the field to a long tail of single- and few-filing entrants — worth checking before assuming a route is closed.
Growth has cooled from a 2018 high
Filing peaked at 44 records in 2018. The most recent complete-year comparison, 2021 (15) to 2024 (9), shows a 40% decline — a real signal, though the 2025-2026 window is still filling in under normal publication lag and should not be read as continued decline.
Cofactor claims travel with production processes
Only 98.0% of records sit in the core C12N genetic-engineering class alone; the vast majority pair that with C12P fermentation and enzymatic-synthesis claims, meaning most filers are protecting a production route, not a standalone genetic tool.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to yeast chassis cofactor engineering, with the prior art for and against each one.
Leading assignees and where the gate sits
The ranking covers 100 companies across all 294 records in scope. Filing is concentrated at the top but the tail is long, and recent-year momentum has slowed across several of the historically strongest filers.
A clear single leader, then a steep drop
The top-ranked assignee holds 30 records against a fifth-place figure of 13 and a tenth-place figure of 9 — the gap between first and fifth is sharper than the gap from fifth to tenth, suggesting one dominant filer rather than a tight leading cluster.
Half the field concentrated in ten names
The top 10 assignees combined account for 151 of 294 records, just over half the field. That leaves the other 90 ranked companies splitting the remaining share, many with only one or two filings each.
Momentum has stalled even among top filers
Several of the assignees with the deepest historical portfolios show zero filings in the latest year of the dataset. That is consistent with the broader 2021-2024 slowdown rather than a sign any single company has exited the space.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| DSM IP Assets B.V. | 0 | — |
| Human Genome Sciences, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Adisseo France SAS | 0 | — |
| Cognis Corp | 0 | — |
| Radici Chimica S.p.A. | 0 | — |
| Melt&Marble AB | 0 | — |
| Lygos, Inc. | 0 | — |
| Technical University of Denmark | 0 | — |
Where to take this next
The figures above describe the field as a whole. Turning them into a filing or freedom-to-operate decision means going record by record.
Check freedom-to-operate against the top 10
With 51.4% of records held by ten assignees, a new filing in this space should be checked against those portfolios specifically, not the field average.
Run an FTO screen in Patsnap EurekaTrack momentum, not just historical volume
Several of the largest historical filers show zero filings in the latest year. Confirm whether that reflects a strategy shift or a publication-lag artefact before drawing conclusions.
Set up assignee monitoring in Patsnap EurekaTest the white-space branches directly
Electron-transfer rewiring and energy-charge control show thinner claim density than the core fermentation classes. Before filing there, confirm what is actually pending versus published.
Search white space in Patsnap EurekaCommon questions on this landscape
The ranking covers 100 assignees across all 294 records in scope, and it is concentrated: the leading assignee holds 30 records, with the top 5 together accounting for 34.7% of all records. That still leaves close to two-thirds of the field spread across a long tail of companies and universities, many with only a handful of filings each. Anyone assessing this space should look at both the concentrated top and the long tail, since freedom-to-operate risk and white space typically sit in different places.
Filing peaked at 44 records in 2018 and has cooled since; comparing 2021 (15 records) to 2024 (9 records) shows a 40% decline over that span, the most recent period that can be treated as complete. Filings from 2025 onward are still understated because publication typically lags the actual filing date by roughly 18 months. Treat any apparent recent drop with caution until later data cuts fill in.
US9297016B2, assigned to GEVO, INC. and granted in 2016, covers a recombinant yeast host cell containing a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase polypeptide, plus host cells with increased activity of that polypeptide achieved through higher expression or modulation of Fe-S cluster biosynthesis. It also covers methods of using those host cells and methods for identifying polypeptides that increase flux through an Fe-S cluster biosynthesis pathway. Anyone engineering Fe-S cluster-dependent enzymes in a yeast chassis for a similar purpose should read the full claim set before designing a workaround.
Relative to the dominant C12N genetic-engineering and C12P fermentation classes, branches such as electron-transfer chain rewiring, energy-charge (ATP/ADP) control circuits, and cofactor recycling in non-Saccharomyces host organisms show thinner claim density. That does not mean the science is unexplored, but it does mean fewer granted claims currently sit in the way of a well-drafted filing there. Confirming pending applications before committing to a specific claim scope is still essential, since published density understates recent activity.
With the top 5 assignees holding 34.7% of all 294 records and the top 10 holding 51.4%, this field shows moderate concentration: enough to indicate a small set of serious commercial and institutional filers, but not so tight that new entrants have no room. The gap between the leader (30 records) and fifth place (13 records) is notably steeper than the gap from fifth to tenth place (9 records), suggesting one clear leader rather than an even top tier.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from Patsnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. Patsnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.