Abstract: Provided is a method for intracellularly producing a large amount of a Cry protein in a Bacillus bacterium. A method for producing a Cry protein or a culture product comprising the Cry protein, comprising transforming a Bacillus bacterium with an expression plasmid incorporating a gene encoding the Cry protein operably linked to a regulatory region comprising a ?A-dependent promoter or a ?H-dependent promoter, and culturing the transformed cell, wherein the expression plasmid comprises a polynucleotide encoding a replication protein consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9 or a protein having an identity of 80% or more or more with the amino acid sequence of the replication protein and involved in replication initiation.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a heavy chain variable domain of a heavy-chain antibody (VHH) with a high yield. The method for producing a VHH includes culturing a Bacillus bacterium into which a gene that encodes variable domain of heavy chain of heavy-chain antibody is introduced and which is deficient in an extracellular protease.

Abstract: Provided is a method for intracellularly producing a large amount of a Cry protein in a Bacillus bacterium. A method for producing a Cry protein or a culture product comprising the Cry protein, comprising transforming a Bacillus bacterium with an expression plasmid incorporating a gene encoding the Cry protein operably linked to a regulatory region comprising a ?A-dependent promoter or a ?H-dependent promoter, and culturing the transformed cell, wherein the expression plasmid comprises a polynucleotide encoding a replication protein consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9 or a protein having an identity of 80% or more or more with the amino acid sequence of the replication protein and involved in replication initiation.

Abstract: Provided is a microorganism having high sophorolipid production capability. Disclosed is a sophorolipid-producing yeast mutant strain, in which a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity therewith, has been deleted or deactivated.

Abstract: Provided is a microorganism having high sophorolipid production capability. Disclosed is a sophorolipid-producing yeast mutant strain, in which a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2 or an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity therewith, has been deleted or deactivated.

Abstract: A heat-shielding cover operatively adapted for being installed adjacent to an exhaust system part (C) so as to cover the same; the heat-shielding cover including a fabric (10) provided with a prescribed shape and comprising inorganic fibers, and a mixture (11) that impregnates the fabric (10), with the mixture comprising an inorganic binder, inorganic filler particles and water. The mixture is dried so as to be rigid enough to maintain the shape of the fabric (10). The heat-shielding cover covers an exhaust system part, where the heat-shielding cover has a simple structure, is less likely to be, or is not, subject to warping in the place of installation due to thermal expansion and contraction of the heat-shielding cover, and moreover is less, or is not, susceptible to galvanic corrosion, even as a result of direct installation using an installation member.

Abstract: To include a hydrothermal decomposition unit that transports a fed biomass material from one side (a lower side) to the other side (an upper side) by a screw 14 in an apparatus body, feeds pressurized hot water, hydrothermally decomposes the biomass material, transfers hot-water soluble fractions into a hot-water effluent and separates a lignin component and a hemicellulose component from the biomass material, and also to include a biomass discharging unit. Further, a scraping unit is provided at an end of a flight of the screw positioned within an installation area of the solid-liquid separator.

Abstract: A chucking device for use when an outer peripheral end part of a semi-finished product having a pillar-shaped catalyst wrapped in a mat and housed in a cylinder is spin-processed using a plurality of spinning rollers. An outer peripheral surface of the semi-finished product is chucked using a plurality of pressing pieces. Each of the pressing pieces has a contact surface for touching the cylinder of the semi-finished product, and a pair of chamfers extending radially outward from either end of the contact surface.

Abstract: To include a hydrothermal decomposition unit 17 that transports a fed biomass material 11 from one side (a lower side) to the other side (an upper side) by a screw 14 in an apparatus body 13, feeds pressurized hot water 15, which is treat water, from the other side (the upper side) that is different from a feed position of the biomass material 11 into the apparatus body 13, hydrothermally decomposes the biomass material 11 while bringing the biomass material 11 into counter contact with the pressurized hot water 15, transfers hot-water soluble fractions into a hot-water effluent 16, which is pressurized hot water to be discharged, and separates a lignin component and a hemicellulose component from the biomass material 11, and also to include a biomass discharging unit 19 that discharges a biomass solid 18 from the other side (an upper side) of the apparatus body 13 under an increased pressure to put it under a normal pressure and a solid-liquid separator 20 that discharges the effluent 16 from the one side of

Abstract: A chucking device for use when an outer peripheral end part of a semi-finished product having a pillar-shaped catalyst wrapped in a mat and housed in a cylinder is spin-processed using a plurality of spinning rollers. An outer peripheral surface of the semi-finished product is chucked using a plurality of pressing pieces. Each of the pressing pieces has a contact surface for touching the cylinder of the semi-finished product, and a pair of chamfers extending radially outward from either end of the contact surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to alkaline proteases having high specific activity and strong oxidant resistance. The present invention also relates to alkaline proteases having excellent detergency that are to be added to a detergent.

Abstract: An alkaline protease having the following properties; a gene encoding the same; a microorganism producing the same; and washing compositions containing the same; (i) acting over a broad pH value range of 4 to 13 and achieving, at pH 6 to 12, 80% or more the activity at the optimum pH value; (ii) when treated at 40° C. for 30 minutes, being stable over a pH value range of 6 to 11; (iii) having an isoelectric point of about 8.9 to 9.1; and (iv) having casein digesting activity that is not inhibited by oleic acid. The alkaline protease of the present invention is highly stable to various surface active agents and fatty acids, and exhibits high stability to oxidizing agents, and is therefore useful as an enzyme to be used in detergents for automatic dishwashers and laundry detergents, both containing bleaching components.

Abstract: The present invention relates to alkaline proteases having high specific activity and strong oxidant resistance. The present invention also relates to alkaline proteases having excellent detergency that is to be added to a detergent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to alkaline proteases having high specific activity and strong oxidant resistance. The present invention also relates to alkaline proteases having excellent detergency that is to be added to a detergent.

Abstract: An alkaline protease having the following properties; a gene encoding the same; a microorganism producing the same; and washing compositions containing the same; (i) acting over a broad pH value range of 4 to 13 and achieving, at pH 6 to 12, 80% or more the activity at the optimum pH value; (ii) when treated at 40° C. for 30 minutes, being stable over a pH value range of 6 to 11; (iii) having an isoelectric point of about 8.9 to 9.1; and (iv) having casein digesting activity that is not inhibited by oleic acid. The alkaline protease of the present invention is highly stable to various surface active agents and fatty acids, and exhibits high stability to oxidizing agents, and is therefore useful as an enzyme to be used in detergents for automatic dishwashers and laundry detergents, both containing bleaching components.

Abstract: An alkaline protease having the following properties; a gene encoding the same; a microorganism producing the same; and washing compositions containing the same; (i) acting over a broad pH value range of 4 to 13 and achieving, at pH 6 to 12, 80% or more the activity at the optimum pH value; (ii) when treated at 40° C. for 30 minutes, being stable over a pH value range of 6 to 11; (iii) having an isoelectric point of about 8.9 to 9.1; and (iv) having casein digesting activity that is not inhibited by oleic acid. The alkaline protease of the present invention is highly stable to various surface active agents and fatty acids, and exhibits high stability to oxidizing agents, and is therefore useful as an enzyme to be used in detergents for automatic dishwashers and laundry detergents, both containing bleaching components.

Abstract: In an exhaust converter, where a casing is made by fastening and welding a cylindrical metal plate wrapped on an outer periphery of a supporting mat that is wrapped on an outer peripheral surface of a catalyst carrier, recovering means is formed at either or both of the supporting mat and the casing for recovering positional shifts of the supporting mat, thereby preventing positional shifts of the supporting mat in conjunction with fastening work of the metal plate from occurring. Such recovering means can be structured by a recess formed at an end of the casing, plural spaces formed of a crank shaped supporting mat, or a space formed at an overlapped portion at which each end of the casing is overlapped to each other.

Abstract: A carrier supporting mat for exhaust converter for supporting a catalyst carrier is structured in having heat insulating mat members on an inner side as to direct contact with the catalyst carrier, an expansible mat member including a vermiculite on an outer side of the heat insulating mat members, and at least one heat insulating sheet member disposed among the mat members. Heats from exhaust gas is cut off by the heat insulating mat members, and expansion of a metal casing of the exhaust converter due to heats is followed by the expansible mat member. The sheet member creates sliding when the carrier supporting mat is lapped on the catalyst carrier because the mat members and sheet member can move correlatively and smoothly, thereby preventing wrinkles and tears from occurring.

Abstract: The present invention relates to alkaline proteases having high specific activity oxidant resistance, as well as an enzyme having excellent detergency that is to be added to a detergent.

Abstract: A cylindrical body of a catalyst container has that overlapped portion of a rolled sheet of metal which is welded in an axial direction of the cylindrical body. A coned portion is welded, at a large diameter portion thereof, to each axial end of the cylindrical body. The large diameter portion of the coned portion has a flange which extends radially outward, and the axial end of the cylindrical body is brought into abutment with an outward end surface of the flange and is fillet-welded along an outer corner which is formed by the flange and the cylindrical body. A heat shield cover is mounted under the casing by connecting a second flange connected to a front end of a downstream exhaust gas pipe to a first flange connected to a rear end of the casing. The heat shield cover is made up of a mounting flange portion and a cover portion. The mounting flange portion is extended so as to abut with an upstream surface of a lower part of the first flange.