Abstract: A novel dry stick device construction for the determination of an analyte in a sample is provided. The device comprises: (i) optionally a solid support, (ii) at least one reagent pad comprising a reagent or a combination of reagents capable of reacting with the analyte, a derivative of said analyte or an indicator compound for said analyte to provide a detectable signal when in a moistened state, the at least one reagent pad providing a first environment for said reagent(s), said first environment permitting an improved storage stability of the reagent(s) and dry stick device when in a non-moistened state, and (iii) a regulating pad being in contact with the at least one reagent pad, the regulating pad creating a second environment for said reagent(s), when in a moistened state, said second environment permitting an increased rate of reaction between the analyte and the reagent.

Abstract: The present invention provides a lactic acid bacterium which can produce ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) even under a coexisting condition of lactic acid and common salt in a medium at time of commencement of culturing, and a method for producing a culture mixture comprising GABA. Specifically, a culture mixture comprising GABA can be obtained by isolating from unrefined soy a lactic acid bacterium, Lactobacillus rennini which can produce GABA even under a coexisting condition of lactic acid and common salt in a medium at time of commencement of culturing, and culturing the lactic acid bacterium after inoculating it into a medium containing L-glutamic acid and/or salts thereof.

Abstract: The accuracy and/or precision of measurements of extracellular acidification rate or CO2 evolution in cell culture medium may be improved by using materials with low CO2 permeability for medium-containing vessels.

Abstract: A process for producing triglycerides which comprises: (a) subjecting a first triglyceride comprising at least 40% by moles of oleic acid residues, based on total acyl groups in the triglyceride, to an alcoholysis reaction with an alcohol having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms to obtain a composition comprising 2-oleoyl monoglyceride and at least one acyl ester of said alcohol; (b) reacting the 2-oleoyl monoglyceride with an acylating agent comprising at least one C12 to C24 saturated fatty acid, at least one ester of said fatty acid or a mixture thereof, to obtain a 1,3-saturated fatty acid acyl 2-oleoyl glyceride; and (c) separating at least a part of the at least one acyl ester after or during step (a) or step (b); (d) reacting the acyl ester with a second glyceride to form 1,3-dioleoyl 2-palmitoyl glyceride.

Abstract: A method for producing a basic substance by fermentation comprising culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce the basic substance in a liquid medium contained in a fermentation tank to produce and accumulate the basic substance in the medium, wherein amount of sulfate and/or chloride ions used as counter ions of the basic substance is reduced by adjusting total ammonia concentration in the medium to be within a specific concentration range during at least a part of the total period of culture process.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for preparing siloxanes modified with organic esters, by hydrosilylating siloxanes with terminally unsaturated esters, which comprises preparing the terminally unsaturated esters used using at least one enzyme as catalyst.

Abstract: A method for obtaining a fermentation product from a sugar hydrolysate obtained from a feedstock containing hemicellulose, by (i) removing suspended fiber solids from said sugar hydrolysate to obtain a clarified sugar solution; (ii) fermenting xylose in the clarified sugar solution in a fermentation reaction with yeast to produce a fermentation broth comprising the fermentation product; (iii) separating the yeast from the fermentation broth to produce a yeast slurry; (vi) treating the yeast slurry thus obtained with an oxidant to kill microbial contaminants, thereby an oxidant-treated yeast slurry; (v) re-introducing at least a portion of the oxidant-treated yeast back to step (ii) to increase the concentration of yeast in said fermentation reaction; and (vi) recovering the fermentation product.

Abstract: Provided are methods for preparing large-scale preparations of soluble hyaluronidases. The methods employ cells that contain a plurality of active copies of nucleic acid encoding the soluble hyaluronidase and a plurality of feedings and temperature changes, whereby the encoded soluble hyaluronidase is secreted into the cell culture medium.

Abstract: A semi-closed loop diesel photobioreactor system and method are provided for producing diesel fuel from wild algae or from specialized algae that has been biologically modified for high efficiency oil production using waste water as a primary food source. The diesel photobioreactor provides a semi-closed loop system with an opening to acquire waste water below the surface to obtain waste water nutrients and to protect the algae species from contamination. The semi-closed loop diesel photobioreactor includes a container that can be designed in a variety of shapes with a tube design preferred, and containing a liquid culture medium for cultivating photosynthetic organisms. The system can utilize natural light and can also deploy an innovative lighting system integrated into the photobioreactor container. The diesel photobioreactor system also has one or more cleaning devices mounted within the container for cleaning the surface of the photobioreactor container.

Abstract: A process for producing triglycerides comprises: (a) subjecting a first triglyceride comprising at least 40% by moles of oleic acid residues, based on total acyl groups in the triglyceride, to a reaction with stearic acid, at least one ester of stearic acid or a mixture thereof, to obtain a composition comprising 1,3-distearoyl 2-oleoyl glyceride and trioleoyl glyceride; (b) treating the composition to form a first fraction having an increased amount by weight of oleoyl groups compared to said composition and a second fraction having an increased amount by weight of stearoyl groups compared to said composition; (c) hydrolysing the first fraction to form oleic acid; and (d) reacting said oleic acid or an ester thereof with a triglyceride comprising at least 50% by moles of palmitic acid residues, based on total acyl groups, to form a composition comprising 1,3-dioleoyl 2-palmitoyl glyceride.

Abstract: A method is described for producing an L-amino acid or a nucleic acid by culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce the L-amino acid or nucleic acid in a liquid medium in a fermentation tank containing a stirring impeller, and optionally adding seed crystals to the medium as required to produce and accumulate crystals of the L-amino acid or nucleic acid in the medium, and collecting crystals of the L-amino acid or nucleic acid from the culture. The power density of the stirring impeller is controlled to be 2.4 kW/m3 or lower after either precipitation of the crystals or addition of the seed crystals.

Abstract: The present invention features a method for facilitating the fermentation of a high solids composition. The method involves subjecting the high solids composition to granular starch hydrolyzing enzyme during the fermentation process to provide a steady source of glucose. Moreover, the instant method is carried out under reduced pressure to selectively remove volatile components such as ethanol and water from the fermentation vessel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a dry analytical element for measurement of pancreatic lipase contained in a body fluid which contains triglyceride of long chain alkyl fatty acid having 12 to 22 carbon atoms, monoglyceride lipase, and a glycerine measurement reagent, and comprises a water-impermeable support and at least one spreading or reagent layer, said method comprising the step of coating an emulsion/dispersion solution of triglyceride with an average particle size of 1 ?m or less.

Abstract: A process is provided to produce a concentrated aqueous peracid solution in situ using at least one enzyme having perhydrolase activity in the presence of hydrogen peroxide (at a concentration of at least 500 mM) under neutral to acidic reaction conditions from suitable carboxylic acid esters (including glycerides) and/or amides substrates. The concentrated peracid solution produced is sufficient for use in a variety of disinfection and/or bleaching applications.

Abstract: Conversion in vitro of X-Gly to X-alpha-hydroxy-Gly or X-NH2 (X being a peptide or any other compound having a carbonyl group capable of forming a covalent bond with glycine) is accomplished enzymatically in the presence of keto acids, or salts or esters thereof, to provide a good yield without the necessity of catalase or similar enzymatic reaction enhancers. Peptidylglycine ?-amidating monooxygenase (PAM) is a preferred enzyme for catalyzing the conversion. Alternatively, peptidylglycine ?-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is utilized to convert X-Gly to X-alpha-hydroxy-Gly which may be recovered, or optionally may be simultaneously or sequentially converted to an amide by either a Lewis base or action of the enzyme peptidyl ?-hydroxyglycine ?-amidating lyase (PAL). Both PHM and PAL are functional domains of PAM.

Abstract: An organic material production system using biomass material includes: a hydrothermal decomposition apparatus (13) that causes the biomass material (11) and hot compressed water (12) to countercurrently contact with each other and undergo hydrothermal decomposition, and that transfers a lignin component and a hemicellulose component into the hot compressed water, so as to separate the lignin component and the hemicellulose component from a biomass solid residue; a cellulose enzymatic saccharification device (17) that treats, with an enzyme, cellulose in the biomass solid residue, so as to enzymatically saccharify the cellulose to a first sugar solution containing hexose; an alcohol fermenter (18) that produces alcohols by fermentation using the obtained first sugar solution; a sulfuric acid decomposition device (33) that decomposes, with sulfuric acid, the hemicellulose component in hot water (30) discharged from the hydrothermal decomposition apparatus, which contains the eluted lignin component and the elut

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel process for ethanol fermentation which uses a high concentration of fresh yeast to co produce ethanol and good quality yeast.

Abstract: A process for the production of a composition comprising 1,3-dioleyl-2-palmitoyl glyceride (OPO) comprises subjecting a palm oil stearin, with an iodine value (IV) between about 2 and about 12 to enzymic transesterification, with oleic acid or a non-glyceride ester thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods that can advantageously utilize the natural consumptive and conversion processes of an aquatic organism culture system to concentrate and separate microbial plant-generated lipids. For instance, an aquatic organism culture can be maintained and/or grown upon an algal biomass. The natural conversion processes of the animals allows for uptake and processing of the components of the algal biomass into animal lipid. The aquatic animal culture can then be easily harvested such that a high percentage of the converted algal-generated lipid can be extracted using a low cost, simple and quick process. The disclosed processes provide an efficient oil production, conversion and recovery system that can be economically scaled up for use in, for example, integrated bioenergy and biodiesel production.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and compositions for high throughput screening of genetically modified photosynthetic organisms for plasmic state. The present invention provides methods of producing one or more proteins, including biomass degrading enzymes in a plant. Also provided are the methods of producing biomass degradation pathways in alga cells, particularly in the chloroplast. Single enzymes or multiple enzymes may be produced by the methods disclosed. The methods disclosed herein allow for the production of biofuel, including ethanol.