Abstract: The use of pectins and/or polymers to prevent nicotine oxidation in tobacco containing products is disclosed. These polymers may be naturally occurring anionic polymers or synthetic polymers. These pectins and/or polymers prevent nicotine from oxidizing into cotinine, nicotine-cis-N-oxide, nicotine-trans-N-oxide, and/or nicotine-1,1-di-N-oxide. Molluscicides, algaecides, pesticides, and stabilized nicotine compositions comprising nicotine and pectin, anionic polymers, or combinations thereof are disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for treating plant based raw material with an enzymatic hydrolysis, in which the plant based raw material (1) is treated to form lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) and the lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) or its fraction (10) is conducted into the enzymatic hydrolysis (4), wherein the method comprises at least one treatment stage (2a,2b,2c) in which the plant based raw material (1) is treated so that the lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) contains over 80% fine solid particles which are fiber-like or indefinable particles smaller than 0.2 mm, defined by an optical measurement device, the lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) or at least one fraction (10) of the lignocellulosic material is supplied into the enzymatic hydrolysis (4) for forming a lignin based material (5), and at least one solid-liquid separation stage (6) after the enzymatic hydrolysis (4) in which a lignin fraction (7) and a soluble carbohydrate containing fraction (8) are separated.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing lignin particles, comprising the steps of: a) extracting lignin from a lignincontaining starter material, using a mixture that comprises at least one organic solvent and water, and b) precipitating the lignin in the solution from step a).

Abstract: A method of generating a refined a sugar stream that comprises xylose from a biomass hydrolysis solution, including contacting a biomass hydrolysis solution that includes a population of mixed sugars comprising xylose, an acid, and impurities, with a thermally-phase separable solvent such as a glycol solvent to form an extraction mixture; and separating from said extraction mixture a first stream including the thermally-phase separable solvent, acid, and impurities and a second, refined sugar stream that comprises xylose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing, from wood-based biomass, a high concentration of fermentable sugar which can be effectively used in culturing various industrial fermented bacteria. According to the method of the present invention, biomass can be extracted by hot water prior to a pre-treatment so as to remove extractible substances such as mineral salts to thus minimize the content of impurities in raw materials for an enzymatic saccharification. The biomass from which substances extractible by hot water are removed is pre-treated in the condition where xylan yield rate is maximized, thus achieving maximum inhibition of the generation of over-decomposed products of sugar.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the use of nucleic acid molecules coding for a bacterial xylose isomerase (XI), preferably coming from Clostridium phytofermentans, for reaction/metabolization, particularly fermentation, of recombinant microorganisms of biomaterial containing xylose, and particularly for the production of bioalcohols, particularly bioethanol, by means of xylose fermenting yeasts. The present invention further relates to cells, particularly eukaryotic cells, which are transformed utilizing a nucleic acid expression construct which codes for a xylose isomerase, wherein the expression of the nucleic acid expression construct imparts to the cells the capability to directly isomerize xylose into xylulose. Said cells are preferably utilized for reaction/metabolization, particularly fermentation, of biomaterial containing xylose, and particularly for the production of bioalcohols, particularly bioethanol.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the production of an enzymatic cocktail by submerged culture with a cellulolytic microorganism, comprising two phases: a phase a) for growth of said microorganism in the presence of at least one carbonaceous growth substrate in a closed reactor, said growth phase being carried out with a concentration of carbonaceous growth substrate in the range 10 to 90 g/L; a phase b) for the production of the enzymatic cocktail, in which at least one carbonaceous inducer substrate is supplied, said carbonaceous inducer substrate being at least one solid residue obtained from the step for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic materials which have undergone a pre-treatment step, said production phase being carried out with a concentration of carbonaceous production substrate in the range 150 to 400 g/L.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing bioproducts, including the steps of: culturing a first microorganism to produce bioalcohol; hydrolyzing the first microorganism; separating the bioalcohol; obtaining wastes from the hydrolyzed bioalcohol fermentation; and inoculating a second microorganism into the wastes from the hydrolyzed bioalcohol fermentation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for obtaining ethanol from a carbohydrate-containing raw substrate wherein the ethanol that is produced is separated during fermentation using a carrier gas. The invention further relates to the adsorption of the ethanol from the gas phase to an adsorber, the desorption of the ethanol during a subsequent process step, and to the further concentration of the ethanol.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions suitable for use in the isomerization of xylose to xylulose, as well as methods and compositions suitable for use in the conversion of xylose to xylitol and xylulose, including nucleic acid constructs, recombinant fungal host cells, and related materials.

Abstract: A fractionation process for producing value-added products from a lignocellulosic biomass, comprises: a) mechanically refining the lignocellulosic biomass under mild refining conditions to form a refined biomass pulp with enhanced susceptibility to separation of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin, and enhanced digestibility of carbohydrates in hydrolysis b) separating hemicellulose and sulfur-free high-quality lignin from cellulose in the refined biomass, and, optionally c) producing various bioproducts from the above said process.

Abstract: Provided are microorganisms, e.g., the Saccharomyces yeast, that have been made able to co-ferment xylose sugar-obtained from hydrolyzing plant cellulosic biomass form trees, grasses, straws, etc., with glucose that can be obtained from hydrolyzing either edible feedstocks such as starch, cane sugar, etc. or from hydrolyzing cellulose from various types of non-edible cellulosic biomass. The microorganisms are also capable of expressing an amylase, e.g., glucoamylase, having nonnegligible enzymatic activity, capable of producing glucose from oligo- or polysaccharides obtained by treating soluble starch with ?-amylase. In some embodiments, nucleotidic material is provided comprising genes actively expressing xylose reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase as well as an active gene expressing glucoamylase. Vectors and other compositions of matter are provided as.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are materials and methods for creating and/or isolating variants of yeasts especially variants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae that can grow on sugars other than D-glucose in the presence of amounts of 2-deoxy-glucose and or D-glucose that inhibit most strains of yeast from growing on sugars other than D-glucose. Selection media that can be used to isolate such variants include pentose sugars such as D-xylose, L-glutamine and 2-deoxy-glucose. Mutations in the Grr1 and Red genes in some strains also produce variants that can grow on sugars including the pentose D-xylose in the presence of 2-deoxy-glucose.

Abstract: Several mutated strains of Scheffersomyces stipitis are generated by repetitive culturing of the parent strain on two types of concentrated hydrolyzates and with ethanol-challenged xylose-fed continuous culture. Isolates collected from various enriched populations are screened and ranked based on relative xylose uptake rate and ethanol yield. Ranking on hydrolyzates with and without nutritional supplementation is used to identify those isolates with best performance across diverse conditions.

Abstract: A method for producing a microbial growth stimulant (MGS) from a plant biomass is described. In one embodiment, an ammonium hydroxide solution is used to extract a solution of proteins and ammonia from the biomass. Some of the proteins and ammonia are separated from the extracted solution to provide the MGS solution. The removed ammonia can be recycled and the proteins are useful as animal feeds. In one embodiment, the method comprises extracting solubles from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass with a cellulase enzyme-producing growth medium (such T. reesei) in the presence of water and an aqueous extract.

Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant bacteria and the uses thereof, particularly for the production of ethanol. The invention also relates to methods for the production of such bacteria, as well as to nucleic acid constructs suitable for such production. The invention specifically relates to bacteria lacking a functional LDH gene and/or containing a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a PDC and ADH. The bacteria of this invention may be produced from any stress-resistant bacteria.

Abstract: The invention provides variants of the Clostridium thermocellum endoglucanase (CelG) that have improved endoglucanase activity compared to the wild type enzyme. Also provided are related polynucleotides, compositions, vectors, host cells, and methods of use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having glucoamylase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: A process for the production of glucose from a pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises enzymatically hydrolyzing the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock with cellulase enzymes to produce a hydrolyzate slurry comprising glucose and unhydrolyzed cellulose and fermenting the hydrolyzate slurry in a fermentation reaction to produce a fermentation broth comprising alcohol. A process stream is obtained comprising unhydrolyzed cellulose, which is then subjected to a denaturing step, preferably comprising exposing the unhydrolyzed cellulose to elevated temperatures, thereby producing a heat-treated stream comprising the unhydrolyzed cellulose. The heat-treated stream comprising unhydrolyzed cellulose is then further hydrolyzed with cellulase enzymes to hydrolyze the cellulose to glucose.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of biomass comprising subjecting biomass to microbial digestion to produce volatile fatty acids and/or solvents followed by wet oxidation to reduce biosolid volume while retaining or increasing the concentration of the volatile fatty acids and/or solvents.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of making an oil product from plant material that is used to make alcohol (e.g., ethanol) via fermentation. The methods extract oil from the plant material (e.g., corn oil from corn) before exposing to the fermented plant material to distillation temperatures so as to reduce the levels of free fatty acids and/or alcohol esters that can be generated by exposing the oil to distillation temperatures. The present invention also related to oil products made by such methods.

Abstract: Methods are provided for changing a molecular structure of a biomass feedstock. The methods include a screw extrusion process.

Abstract: Integrated processes are disclosed for the conversion of coal containing mercury compounds, hydrocarbon-containing compounds, sulfur-containing compounds and nitrogen-containing compounds to chemicals in which coal is heated to remove mercury components, pyrolyzed to remove sulfur-containing and nitrogen-containing compounds and then gasified to provide syngas, and syngas is bioconverted to liquid product.

Abstract: Methods for production of multiple biofuels through thermal fractionation of biomass feedstocks are described.

Abstract: A process for improving the yield and efficiency of an ethanol fermentation plant that receives organic fermentable feedstock material, prepares the feedstock for fermentation, ferments the feedstock with yeast to produce ethanol, and produces stillage as a byproduct of ethanol fermentation. The process steps which can be operated independently or in combination, may include, but are not limited to, degrading fatty acids in the fermentable feedstock material prior to fermentation; degrading cellulose and hemicellulose present in the feedstock prior to fermentation; adding a surfactant to the fermentable feedstock; separating a liquid fraction from the stillage; recycling the liquid fraction to be combined with the fermentable feedstock; recovering a solid fraction from the stillage; and introducing at least a portion of the solid fraction to an anaerobic digester to produce methane.

Abstract: A method for recovering inorganic salt during processing of a lignocellulosic feedstock is provided. The method comprises pretreating the lignocellulosic feedstock by adding an acid to the feedstock to produce a pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock. A soluble base is then added to the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock to adjust the pH and produce a neutralized feedstock. The neutralized feedstock is then enzymatically hydrolyzed to produce an enzyme hydrolyzed feedstock and a sugar stream. Inorganic salt is recovered from either a stream obtained from the lignocellulosic feedstock prior to the step of pretreating, a stream obtained from the pretreated lignocellulosic feedstock, a stream obtained from the neutralized feedstock, a stream obtained from the sugar stream, or a combination of these streams. The inorganic salt may be concentrated, clarified, recovered and purified by crystallization, electrodialysis drying, or agglomeration and granulation, and then used as desired, for example as a fertilizer.

Abstract: Corn or soy plant biomass is electron beam irradiation processed and saccharified to produce sugars. The sugars are then converted to products such as alcohols, organic acids, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, oils, lipids, amino acids, vitamins, and mixtures thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides isolated or genetically modified strains of microorganisms that display enhanced resistance to acetate as a result of increased expression of a sodium proton antiporter. The present invention also provides methods for producing such microbial strains, as well as related promoter sequences and expression vectors. Further, the present invention provides methods of producing alcohol from biomass materials by using microorganisms with enhanced resistance to acetate.

Abstract: A biologically pure isolate of a selected bacterium derived from Clostridium autoethanogenum is described which has improved efficiency in the production of ethanol by anaerobic fermentation of substrates comprising carbon monoxide. The bacterium can produce ethanol and acetate at an ethanol to acetate ratio of at least 1.0 and has a productivity of at least 1.2 g of ethanol/l of fermentation broth per day. The bacterium is also characterized in that it has substantially no ability to sporulate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polypeptides comprising a carbohydrate-binding module amino acid sequence and an alpha-amylase amino acid sequence as well as to the application of such polypeptides.

Abstract: High conversion efficiency processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol by microorganisms having metabolic processes that utilize sulfur in limited amounts. The processes remove hydrogen sulfide from the gas leaving the bioreactor assembly by forming sulfur compounds that are beneficial to the microorganisms. The sulfur compounds can be returned to the bioreactor assembly to meet a portion of microorganism sulfur demand.

Abstract: Ethanol losses due to bacterial contamination in fermentation cultures weakens the economics of biofuel production. Lactobacillus species are the predominant contaminant. Bacteriophage lytic enzymes are peptidoglycan hydrolases which degrade Gram positive cell walls when exposed externally and are a novel source of antimicrobials. The streptococcal phage ?SA2 endolysin construct demonstrated strong lytic activity towards 17 of 22 strains of lactobacilli, staphylococci or streptococci maintaining optimal specific activity under fermentation conditions toward L. fermentum substrates. Lactobacillus bacteriophage endolysin constructs LysA, LysA2 and LysgaY showed exolytic activity towards ˜60% of the lactobacilli tested including four L. fermentum isolates from fuel ethanol fermentations. Presence of ethanol (?5%) did not affect lytic activity. Lysins were able to reduce both L. fermentum and L. reuteri contaminants in mock fermentations of corn fiber hydrolysates.

Abstract: A method of modeling a fermentation process comprises providing a first principles model of a fermentation process; determining the concentration of at least one substrate in a fermentation composition at a first time; and predicting the concentration of at least one component of the fermentation composition at a second time using the first principles model, wherein the second time is after the first time.

Abstract: Methods and systems for the production of hydrocarbon products, including providing a substrate comprising CO to a bioreactor containing a culture of one or more micro-organisms; and fermenting the culture in the bioreactor to produce one or more hydrocarbon products. The substrate comprising CO is derived from an industrial process selected from the group comprising steam reforming processes, refinery processes, steam cracking processes, and reverse water gas shift processes.

Abstract: Integrated processes are disclosed for the anaerobic bioconversion of syngas to alcohol wherein a gas substrate of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon dioxide is in contact with an aqueous menstruum that continuously contacts the gas substrate with said aqueous menstruum to produce alcohol and a depleted gas phase that is continuously withdrawn from the aqueous menstruum; continuously or intermittently and the gas substrate is made up of at least two gases having different compositions to provide an overall gas substrate having a ratio of electrons to carbon atoms in the range of about 5.2:1 to 6.8:1.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for the use of oil-containing materials as feedstocks for the production the bioproducts by biofermentation. In one preferred embodiment, surfactants are not used in compositions and the methods of the invention. In one preferred embodiment the oil-containing feedstocks are the by-products of other industrial processes including microbial, plant and animal oil processing.

Abstract: A method is presented for the production of cellulosic ethanol, acetic acid and derivatives from the extract containing fibers and hemicelluloses after steam cooking of biomass in a host plant. The process is integrated with the host plant process to minimize the effect of loss of heat value from the extracted hemicelluloses and eliminate the need for the waste water treatment plant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a modular ethanol production plant constructed of a number of identically sized modules each having a supporting structure main framework to which the components contained in the modules are attached. The plurality of modules includes a fermentation module, a distillation module, a ground grain module, or a sugar source feedstock module, and an optional heating module. Each of the modules are sized to occupy the same approximate space as a standard sized ocean going shipping container. Also, each of the modules has a central walkway including piping and electrical control boxes that are aligned for each connection to the next adjacent module.

Abstract: There is disclosed a process for the hydrolysis of cellulose comprising the sequential steps (a) mixing cellulose with a viscosity below 900 ml/g with an aqueous solution to obtain a liquid, wherein particles comprising cellulose in said liquid have a diameter of maximum 200 nm, wherein the temperature of the aqueous solution is below 35° C., and wherein the pH of the aqueous solution is above 12, (b) subjecting the liquid to at least one of the steps: (i) decreasing the pH of the liquid with at least 1 pH unit and (ii) increasing the temperature by at least 20° C., and (c) hydrolyzing the cellulose. Moreover there is disclose glucose manufactured according to the method and ethanol manufactured from the glucose. Advantages include that the cellulose is hydrolyzed faster and to a greater extent after the treatment. The yield is increased.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing alcohol or hydrogen gas comprising culturing alcohol-producing microorganisms in a waste fermented solution generated from the bioethanol production process. Glycerol included in the waste fermented solution generated from the bioethanol production process is converted by the microorganisms to butanol under an anaerobic condition. Since the waste fermented solution generated from the bioethanol production process can be utilized as a source of a biofuel, environmental and energy problems can be solved at once.

Abstract: Described are variants of alpha (?)-amylases having altered starch hydrolysis profiles. The variants have improved thermostability and increased specific activity, resulting in reduced peak viscosity and altered final viscosity during starch liquefaction. The amylase variants are useful, e.g., in liquefaction and other starch degradation processes.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing alcohol from a cellulosic material, said process comprising the steps of: (i) hydrolyzing said cellulosic material with an aqueous acid to produce a hydrolysate; (ii) extracting acid and water from said hydrolysate with a water-miscible organic extraction solvent to yield (a) a first aqueous acidic solution containing said extraction solvent and (b) a residue containing sugars, —(iii) subjecting said residue to an oligosaccharide cleavage reaction to yield an aqueous solution of fermentable sugars; (iv) fermenting said fermentable sugars and distilling alcohol from the resulting fermented mixture; (v) evaporating said extraction solvent from said first solution to yield (a) a second aqueous acid solution containing no more than 10% wt., preferably no more than 5% wt.

Abstract: The present invention relates to processes and systems for the production of fermentation products such as alcohols. The present invention also provides methods for separating feed stream components for improved biomass processing and productivity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the production of ethanol comprising both gasification and fermentation of feedstocks, and, in particular to a process for the production of ethanol comprising: a) passing a biomass feedstock to a first fermentation step wherein it is subjected to anaerobic fermentation at a pH below 6.0 and at a temperature in the range 20 to 700C to convert the biomass to a solution comprising acetic acid as the predominant product, b) passing a gasifiable feedstock to a gasification step wherein it is subjected to gasification to produce a gaseous mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and c) passing the solution comprising acetic acid from step (a) and the gaseous mixture from step (b) to one or more further fermentation steps wherein they are subject to fermentation to produce ethanol.

Abstract: Sugars comprising the monosaccharides glucose and fructose, and the disaccharides sucrose and mannose are catalytically converted to ethanol in a sulfate fortified acid medium in the presence of transition metal compounds possessing a degree of symmetry. This is not a fermentation process but is a catalytic chemical process where conversion efficiency is improved by saturating the acidic reaction mixture with inorganic sulfate salts to reduce competitive reactions. Ethanol formed during the reaction is removed by distillation facilitating a continuous process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a preparation method for bio-fuel materials and bio-chemicals comprising the following steps: preparing a medium comprising fermentation waste generated in an alcohol production process; inoculating a first microorganism into the medium; and culturing the medium wherein the first microorganism was inoculated. More specifically, the preparation method for bio-fuel materials and bio-chemicals comprises the following steps: fermenting hexoses from a mixture of pentoses and hexoses to produce an ethanol fermentation broth; separating and purifying the ethanol fermentation broth; preparing a medium comprising the fermentation waste produced in the separation and purification step; inoculating a first microorganism into the medium; and culturing the medium wherein the first microorganism was inoculated.

Abstract: A process is provided that is effective for reducing CO2 emissions, enhancing STY and/or increasing cell density. The process allows for utilization of syngas from different sources by controlling concentration levels of CO, CO2 and H2 in syngas provided to the fermentation and by controlling relative concentrations of CO, CO2 and H2 in the syngas provided to the fermentation. The process includes providing syngas to a first fermentation zone and fermenting the syngas. If the first fermentation zone off-gas includes about 4 mole % or more CO, then at least a portion of the first fermentor off-gas is provided to one or more subsequent fermentation zones.

Abstract: A system for destruction and recycling of containers (such as bottles, cans and the like), as well as associated liquids, food products or other residue, greatly reduces waste discharge and/or disposal requirements. Packaging and other solids are shredded, ground or otherwise processed, while associated liquids are collected. Evaporation removes water for reuse, thus concentrating sugars and other food materials for utilization as agricultural amendments or stock for bio-product production. Bio-fuels/solvents are generated, typically using an Immobilized Microbe Bioreactor system modified for fuels/solvents production.

Abstract: This invention relates to the integration of an ammonia production process with a fermentation process to produce products such as alcohols and/or acids in addition to ammonia. In a specific embodiment, a natural gas stream comprising methane is passed to a reforming zone to produce a substrate comprising CO and H2. The substrate is next passed to a bioreactor containing a culture of one or more microorganisms and fermenting the culture to produce one or more fermentation products comprising alcohols and/or acids and an exhaust stream comprising CO2, and H2. The exhaust stream can then be passed to a separation zone to remove at least a portion of the CO2 and produce a purified exhaust stream comprising H2 which is then passed to an ammonia production zone and is used to produce ammonia.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the production of biofuels by utilizing efficient biomass digestion and fermentation by a new thermophilic microorganism generated after fusion of two different bacteria Clostridium thermocellum and C. acetobutylicum and properly mutating the fused bacteria to produce biofuels and other economically important chemicals in a single vessel from lignocellulosic derived renewable biomass. All the necessary biochemical digestions and fermentation are carried out by this single thermophilic microorganism in one single vessel eliminating the need for multiple step digestion and fermentation processes, requiring multiple chambers. It also significantly reduces the rate limiting steps where increasing accumulation of alcohol, butanol and other substances become toxic to the very bacteria that produce these biofuels. The single vessel is incubated at high temperatures (45° C. or above) to eliminate the need for periodic stoppage and restarting of the process.