Abstract: An enzyme exhibiting endo-?-1,4-glucanase activity which belongs to family 9 of glycosyl hydrolases is obtainable from or endogeneous to a strain belonging to the genus Bacillus such as Bacillus licheniformis, ATCC 14580; an isolated polynucleotide (DNA) molecule encoding an enzyme or enzyme core (the catalytically active domain of the enzyme) exhibiting endo-?-1,4-glucanase activity selected from (a) polynucleotide molecules comprising a nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 from nucleotide 76 to nucleotide 1455 or from nucleotide 76 to nucleotide 1941, (b) polynucleotide molecules that encode a polypeptide being at least 75% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2 from amino acid residue 26 to amino acid 485 or from amino acid residue 26 to amino acid residue 646, and (c) degenerate nucleotide sequences of (a) or (b), the expressed endoglucanase enzyme being useful in various industrial applications.

Abstract: A method of extracting a polypeptide of interest from a fermentation broth comprising: i) adjusting the pH close to pI of the polypeptide of interest; ii) adding a non-ionic surfactant with a hydrophile-lipophile balance (HLB) of 12 or lower; iii) cooling the mixture for solubilization and incubating at above cloud point for extraction; iv) phase separating at below cloud point to obtain liquid-liquid-solid fractions; and v) recovering the surfactant-rich top phase containing the polypeptide of interest.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of selecting a protein variant having reduced immunogenicity as compared with the parent protein.

Abstract: A method for providing a hybrid polypeptide having an activity of interest, by i) performing PCR amplification using an uncharacterized DNA sample and oligonucleotide primers with homology to one or more known genes encoding a polypeptide exhibiting said activity of interest, to obtain one or more PCR products, ii) linking the obtained PCR products to a 5′ structural gene sequence and a 3′ structural gene sequence, wherein the 5′ and 3′ structural gene sequences are derived from one or more genes encoding a polypeptide exhibiting said activity of interest, to form hybrid DNA sequences, iii) expressing the resulting hybrid DNA sequences, and iv) screening the hybrid polypeptides to identify a sequence encoding a polypeptide exhibiting said activity of interest or a related activity.

Abstract: This invention relates to an enzyme containing granular composition comprising: a) an enzyme containing core and b) a protective substantially continuous layer or coating encapsulating the core comprising at least 60% of a water soluble compound, having a molecular weight below 500 grams per mole, a pH below 11 and a constant humidity at 20° C. of more than 81%. The invention provides an improved stability of enzymes upon storage.