Abstract: A novel method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid using a metabolic pathway of a microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of producing 3-oxoadipic acid from an aliphatic compound easily utilizable by a microorganism, such as a saccharide, by utilization of a metabolic pathway of the microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid derived from a cellulose-containing biomass includes (a) saccharifying a pretreated product having alignin content of not more than 8.5% obtained by pretreatment of a cellulose-containing biomass, to obtain a saccharified liquid; (b) filtering the saccharified liquid obtained in Step (a) through a microfiltration membrane to allow formation of a cake on a membrane surface in a feed side while obtaining a sugar liquid from a permeate side; and (c) collecting the cake formed on the membrane surface in Step (b) by peeling from the membrane.

Abstract: A sugar liquid or solid sugar is derived from cellulose-containing biomass or blackstrap molasses, wherein content of one or more free amino acids selected from the group consisting of serine, threonine, asparagine, aspartic acid, glutamine, glutamic acid, proline, phenyl alanine, lysine, and histidine, which are impurities, is below the limit of detection.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes: (A) reacting mannanase with a liquid component obtained by hydrolysis treatment of woody biomass to obtain a saccharified liquid; and (B) filtering the saccharified liquid in Step (A) through a microfiltration membrane and/or ultrafiltration membrane to collect a sugar liquid from a permeate side.

Abstract: A diol composition includes 1) 95% by weight or more of a diol, the diol being selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol and 2,3-butanediol, and 2) impurities derived from biomass in an amount sufficient to cause the diol composition to have an electrical conductivity of 0.6 to 30 mS/m as determined by measuring electrical conductivity as an aqueous diol composition solution at 23° C. with a diol composition concentration of 16.67% and multiplying the measure conductivity by 6.

Abstract: Disclosed is a genetically modified microorganism into which a nucleic acid encoding an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA is introduced. In the genetically modified microorganism, a nucleic acid encoding any one of the polypeptides described in (a) to (c) below is introduced or expression of the polypeptide is enhanced: (a) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 6 and 213, (b) a polypeptide composed of the same amino acid sequence as any one of the amino acid sequences, except that one or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted, and/or added, and having enzymatic activity that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA, and (c) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence with a sequence identity of not less than 70% to any one of the amino acid sequences and having activity to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA.

Abstract: An anti-caking agent for soil includes, as effective ingredients: a lignin having a molecular weight peak, as measured by GPC molecular weight analysis using a UV detector at a wavelength of 254 nm, within the molecular weight range of 10,000 to 40,000; and a diatomaceous earth. A method of improving the growth of a plant uses the above described anti-caking agent for soil. The anti-caking agent for soil has the effect of reducing the caking of soil and improving the poor growth of a plant.

Abstract: A method of producing lignin includes obtaining an alkali-treated product by an alkali treatment in which a lignin-containing biomass is brought into contact with an alkaline aqueous solution; and keeping a temperature of the alkali-treated product at 35° C. or higher, and adjusting a pH of the alkali-treated product to pH 7 or lower to precipitate lignin, and recovering the lignin.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid, the method including the step of culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Serratia capable of producing ?-hydromuconic acid.

Abstract: A method produces xylo-oligosaccharides from a biomass containing xylan and cellulose, which method is convenient and has a high yield of xylo-oligosaccharides because of inhibition of degradation of xylo-oligosaccharides into xylose. In the method of producing xylo-oligosaccharides, a biomass containing xylan and cellulose is hydrolyzed with a cellulase composition having at least activities of xylanase, cellobiohydrolase and ?-glucosidase and substantially free of ?-xylosidase activity during hydrolysis.

Abstract: A diol composition includes a diol as a major component and has an electrical conductivity of 0.6 to 30 mS/m.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: A method produces a protein using a filamentous fungus, in which decrease in dissolved oxygen saturation during culture of the filamentous fungus can be suppressed even when the culture is scaled up. The method of producing a protein includes culturing a fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma whose BXL1 gene was disrupted, using a biomass containing cellulose and xylan as an inducer. The use of the BXL1 gene-disrupted fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma enables suppression of the decrease in dissolved oxygen saturation even when xylose and cellulose are used as inducers.

Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid includes filtering a lactic acid-containing aqueous solution through a nanofiltration membrane to recover an aqueous lactic acid solution from the permeate side (Step A); distilling the aqueous lactic acid solution to recover lactic acid from the vapor side (Step B); and crystallizing the lactic acid obtain in Step B, and performing solid-liquid separation to recover a lactic acid crystal(s) (Step C).

Abstract: A novel fungus belongs to the genus Trichoderma whose cellulase can be used to hydrolyze cellulose-based biomass without degradation of xylan contained in the biomass into xylose, and a method produces glucose and xylo-oligosaccharides from a cellulose containing biomass using it. The fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma includes N- and C-terminal domains of the ?-xylosidase 1 (BXL1) gene, but lacks the Fn3-like domain of the gene due to its disruption. The use of this fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma results in deletion of ?-xylosidase activity and increase in ?-glucosidase activity. Thus, in hydrolysis of cellulose contained in biomass, xylan contained in the biomass is not degraded into xylose, which enables efficient production of glucose and xylo-oligosaccharides.

Abstract: A method of producing 2,3-butanediol includes subjecting a 2,3-butanediol culture liquid produced by microbial fermentation to nanofiltration membrane treatment and ion-exchange treatment (Step A), and then adding an alkaline substance and performing distillation (Step B).

Abstract: The present invention is a method of producing ?-caprolactam through adipamide as an intermediate, and characteristically includes a lactamization step of reacting adipamide, formed from a material compound, with hydrogen and ammonia in the presence of a catalyst containing: a metal oxide mainly containing an oxide(s) of one or more metallic elements selected from the group consisting of metallic elements of group 5 and groups 7 to 14 in the 4th to 6th periods of the periodic table; and a metal and/or a metal compound having a hydrogenation ability. The method can increase the selectivity of ?-caprolactam.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid includes steps (1) providing a pretreatment product of a first cellulose-containing biomass; (2) adding a second cellulose-containing biomass or a pretreatment product thereof in an amount ranging from 1 to 50% based on the solid content weight of the first cellulose-containing biomass pretreatment product of step (1), and carrying out hydrolysis by a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase; and (3) subjecting a hydrolysate of step (2) to solid-liquid separation to obtain a solution component and a hydrolysis residue, and filtering the solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane to recover the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase as a retentate and recover a sugar liquid as a permeate.