Abstract: Endoglucanase characterized by a decreased degree of activity inhibition by a lignin-derived aromatic compound, and prepared by substituting tryptophan at position 273 in the amino acid sequence of wild-type thermophilic bacterium-derived endoglucanase with an amino acid other than aromatic amino acids.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a novel xylanase having various excellent enzymological properties, and that is suitable for industrial applications. The polypeptide is selected from the group consisting of (a), (b), and (c) below: (a) a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7; (b) a polypeptide having xylanase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7, the amino acid sequence having substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of one or several amino acid residues; and (c) a polypeptide having xylanase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 80% identity with an amino acid sequence selected from SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 7.

Abstract: A ?-glucosidase exhibits high activity in the presence of biomass and has high thermal stability compared to conventional enzymes. The ?-glucosidase includes substitutions and/or deletions of amino acids, at least three amino acids selected from the group consisting of Glu39, Asp169, Arg170, Arg220, Tyr227, and Glu330, of the parent ?-glucosidase with other amino acids and exhibits a decomposition activity.

Abstract: A method for producing a mutant glucosidase includes introducing DNA encoding a secretion signal sequence and DNA encoding Asn-X-Ser or Asn-X-Thr into DNA encoding a glucosidase derived from a thermophile, and introducing the resulting DNA into a eukaryotic microorganism and expressing it as a secretory protein. An enzyme composition contains the mutant glucosidase.

Abstract: Endoglucanase characterized by a decreased degree of activity inhibition by a lignin-derived aromatic compound, and prepared by substituting tryptophan at position 273 in the amino acid sequence of wild-type thermophilic bacterium-derived endoglucanase with an amino acid other than aromatic amino acids.

Abstract: A ?-glucosidase exhibits high activity in the presence of biomass and has high thermal stability compared to conventional enzymes. The ?-glucosidase includes substitutions and/or deletions of amino acids, at least three amino acids selected from the group consisting of Glu39, Asp169, Arg170, Arg220, Tyr227, and Glu330, of the parent ?-glucosidase with other amino acids and exhibits a decomposition activity.

Abstract: An optical element used in a bidirectional optical communication module used for bidirectional optical fiber communication by a wavelength multiplex system, comprising a diffraction grating of binary structure prepared by molding, wherein a taper is formed at a portion of the diffraction grating where light entering the diffraction grating is intercepted by a convex part of the binary structure of the diffraction grating.

Abstract: A support system for installing a photovoltaic power generator includes: display means for displaying an installation surface image including an installation surface on which photovoltaic modules are to be installed and a gauge disposed on the installation surface and whose actual dimensions are known, the installation surface being a region of a finite area; installation surface input means for receiving inputs for specifying the installation surface on the installation surface image displayed on the display means; installation surface shape specification means for specifying an installation surface shape on the basis of the dimensions of the gauge in the installation surface image; and module determination means for determining a type and layout of the photovoltaic modules suitable for the installation surface shape.

Abstract: An optical element used in a bidirectional optical communication module used for bidirectional optical fiber communication by a wavelength multiplex system, comprising a diffraction grating of binary structure prepared by molding, wherein a taper is formed at a portion of the diffraction grating where light entering the diffraction grating is intercepted by a convex part of the binary structure of the diffraction grating.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thermophilic enzyme having ?-glycosidase activity which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 in which one or a plurality of amino acid residues may be deleted, replaced or added.

Abstract: A microwave oven, a relay box communicating with the microwave oven and a personal computer communicating with the relay box are provided in private. The personal computer is connected to a host computer storing home page information, through the public Internet. A home page storing unit of the host computer stores, corresponding to each of a plurality of cooking recipes, recipe data directly recognized by microwave oven including heating control data for heating and cooking the cooking recipe by the microwave oven, a button to be operated for transferring the recipe data through the Internet to personal computer and image display data for displaying information related to the cooking recipe as a home page image display. Therefore, in accordance with the heating control data downloaded and supplied to personal computer, microwave oven is controlled to heat and cook the desired cooking recipe.

Abstract: On a home page of a home page storing unit (421) of a host computer (4), information related to a plurality of recipes and recipe data (MI) corresponding to each of the plurality of recipes are included. The recipe data includes a heating control code (DS141) common among different types of microwave ovens (1) for heating and cooking the corresponding recipe. The microwave oven has a memory (11A) that stores a plurality of different pieces of procedure information (heating sequence FLi, heating mode data MDi, heater down time data HDT) indicating procedure matching the type, for executing a heating operation. The microwave oven performs the heating operation in accordance with one or more pieces of procedure information read from the memory (11A) based on the heating control code.

Abstract: The inventors isolated from hyperthermophilic archaebacteria Aeropyrum pernix a heat resistant thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin peroxidase having at least 50% residual activity after heat treatment at 100° C. for 0.5 hour, and sequenced the amino acid and base sequences. The inventors also isolated from hyperthermophilic archaebacteria Pyrococcus horikoshii a heat resistant thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin peroxidase showing substantially no decline in activity when heat treated at 100° C. for 0.5 hour, and sequenced the amino acid and base sequences.

Abstract: A heat-resistant ligase isolated from Aeropyrum pernix, and homologues thereof, the activity of which is not substantially decreased by heat treatment at 100° C., is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention is directed to novel thermostable aminotransferases useful in synthesizing an amino acid derivative with high optical purity, and nucleic acids encoding the enzyme. The invention also includes antibodies that specifically bind to the aminotransferases of the invention.

Abstract: Cooking information (CI) concerning different dishes is preliminarily registered as a standard in a mask ROM (11A) or the like of a microwave oven (1), to enable automatic cooking of a variety of dishes for every user. In practice, however, the dishes which each user cooks by a microwave oven is limited to a few of them. Then, the user selects and registers a standard recipe name (HN) of only his/her favorite dish in the mask ROM into a favorite menu in a non-volatile memory (11B). In order to execute cooking of a desired dish registered in the favorite menu, the standard recipe name of the desired dish is read not from the mask ROM but from the non-volatile memory and displayed on an LCD panel (13), so that the user needs only perform an operation to instruct start of heating through an input unit (15).

Abstract: The inventor isolated heat-resistant cysteine synthase having substantially no decline in activity after heat treatment at 80° C. for 6 hours from the hyperthermophilic archaea Aeropyrum pernix, and determined the amino acid sequence and base sequence. The DNA encoding this enzyme is DNA consisting of the base sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1. The enzyme has the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2. The enzyme can be used to carry out an efficient enzyme reaction on highly concentrated substrates prepared at elevated temperatures.

Abstract: The inventors isolated from hyperthermophilic archaebacteria Aeropyrum pernix a heat resistant thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase and thioredoxin peroxidase having at least 50% residual activity after heat treatment at 100° C. for 0.5 hour, and sequenced the amino acid and base sequences. The inventors also isolated from hyperthermophilic archaebacteria Pyrococcus horikoshii a heat resistant thioredoxin, thioredoxin reductase, and thioredoxin peroxidase showing substantially no decline in activity when heat treated at 100° C. for 0.5 hour, and sequenced the amino acid and base sequences.

Abstract: On a home page of a home page storing unit (421) of a host computer (4), information related to a plurality of recipes and recipe data (MI) corresponding to each of the plurality of recipes are included. The recipe data includes a heating control code (DS141) common among different types of microwave ovens (1) for heating and cooking the corresponding recipe. The microwave oven has a memory (11A) that stores a plurality of different pieces of procedure information (heating sequence FLi, heating mode data MDi, heater down time data HDT) indicating procedure matching the type, for executing a heating operation. The microwave oven performs the heating operation in accordance with one or more pieces of procedure information read from the memory (11A) based on the heating control code.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polypeptide that has a thermophilic endoglucanase activity, a DNA that comprises a nucleotide sequence encoding the polypeptide, a recombinant DNA and an expression vector that comprise the DNA, a transformant that is transformed by the expression vector, and a method of producing the polypeptide using the transformant. The endoglucanase of the present invention shows a maximum activity at a high temperature range around 97° C., so that it is industrially useful.