Patent ID: 8859259

Claim:
A method of making a surfactant composition using branched chain fatty alcohols produced in a recombinant host cell, the method comprising, (a) obtaining a recombinant host cell genetically modified to comprise (i) a polynucleotide encoding a branched chain alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase (BKD) complex, (ii) a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide having beta-ketoacyl-ACP synthase (FabH) activity that utilizes a branched acyl-CoA molecule as a substrate, and (iii) a polynucleotide encoding a fatty aldehyde biosynthesis polypeptide selected from an acyl-ACP reductase (AAR) that utilizes a branched fatty acyl-ACP as a substrate, and a carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) that utilizes a branched fatty acid as a substrate when a thioesterase is present; (b) culturing the recombinant host cell in the presence of a carbon source under conditions effective to express the polynucleotides and produce branched chain fatty alcohols that are secreted into the extracellular environment of the host cell; (c) collecting the branched chain fatty alcohols; and (d) blending the branched chain fatty alcohols to make a surfactant composition.