Abstract: A method for removing liquid from a slurry includes: (i) feeding the slurry into the inlet of a press; (ii) removing liquid from the slurry as the slurry advances through a deliquifying section of the press, thereby producing a pressate stream; (iii) forming a plug of material as the slurry is advanced through a plug formation section of the press; (iv) advancing the plug of material to a discharge section of the press; and (v) removing additional liquid from the plug of material by operating the press so that the pressure in the discharge section of the press is greater than the pressure of the pressate stream by at least 2 psi. The present invention also relates to a method for controlling discharge consistency from a press, without provision of discharge restrictors, by varying the pressure differential between a discharge section of the press and a pressate stream.

Abstract: Discharging pretreated biomass from a pretreatment reactor and mixing the discharged pretreated biomass with a cooling liquid in a vessel provides a cooled slurry having a consistency that is less than about 12 wt %. Since the consistency is relatively low, the cooled slurry may be pumped to a higher elevation using standard pumping equipment. At the higher elevation, the cooled slurry may be separated into a first stream comprising a liquid component of the slurry and a second other stream comprising a solid component of the slurry (e.g., having a consistency between about 15 wt % and 40 about wt %). The solid component may be fed to an inlet of a hydrolysis reactor, while the liquid component may be fed to a cooling system that provides a cooled stream. The cooled stream may then be cycled back to the vessel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and (b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.

Abstract: Provided is a system for hydrolyzing a cellulosic feedstock slurry. The system comprises one or more unmixed reactors for receiving and partially hydrolyzing the cellulosic feedstock slurry so as to produce a mixture of partially hydrolyzed slurry. The unmixed reactors may be plug flow reactors. One or more mixed reactors are downstream of the unmixed reactors for continuing the hydrolysis of the mixture of the partially hydrolyzed slurry. The one or more unmixed and mixed reactors may be connected in series, parallel or a combination thereof.

Abstract: The method includes the following steps: (i) feeding a slurry into the inlet of a press; (ii) removing liquid from the slurry as the slurry advances through a deliquefying section of the press, thereby producing a pressate stream; (iii) forming a plug of material as the slurry is advanced through a plug formation section of the press; (iv) advancing the plug of material to a discharge section of the press; and (v) removing additional liquid from the plug of material by operating the press so that the pressure in the discharge section of the press is greater than the pressure of the pressate stream by at least 2 psi. There is also described a method for controlling discharge consistency from a press, without provision of discharge restrictors, by varying a pressure differential between a discharge section of the press and a pressate stream.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for recycling water in a cellulosic conversion process that comprises selecting process stream(s) that may contain reduced levels of inhibitors and subsequently subjecting the stream(s) to a treatment process to produce treated water. The treated water is thereafter recycled to the cellulosic conversion process, associated utilities or the seal water system. The process streams selected for treatment may comprise less than 5 wt % organic content and/or less than 5 wt % inorganic content. The process of the invention comprises at segregating process streams based on their treatment requirements. The segregated process streams may be sent to respective separate treatments selected from anaerobic digestion, aerobic digestion, physical separation and chemical treatment.

Abstract: Provided herein is a process for hydrolyzing a cellulosic feedstock to produce sugar. The process comprises introducing a pretreated cellulosic slurry to an inlet region of a plug flow hydrolysis reactor using a slurry introduction device that reduces the axial momentum of the slurry at the surface of the reactor contents. The cellulosic feedstock slurry is hydrolyzed in the plug flow hydrolysis reactor by contacting the cellulosic feedstock with at least cellulase enzymes to produce glucose. Also provided herein is a vertically-oriented, unmixed downflow hydrolysis reactor for hydrolyzing a pretreated cellulosic feedstock slurry which comprises such a slurry introduction device disposed in a top region thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated fungal cell that is capable of producing one or more biomass-degrading enzymes and that exhibits increased or decreased expression or copy number of a polynucleotide encoding a PtaB-like protein. Also provided is a fermentation processes for producing one or more biomass-degrading enzymes comprising a fungal cells exhibiting increased or decreased expression or copy number of a polynucleotide encoding a PtaB-like protein. The biomass-degrading enzymes produced by the isolate fungal cell and fermentation processes of the present invention may be used in a process to produce soluble sugars from biomass.

Abstract: Provided are modified cellulase enzymes exhibiting increase cellulose-hydrolyzing activity in the presence of lignin and/or reduced binding to lignin comprising modified linker peptides comprising one or more amino acid substitutions, insertions, or deletions that result in (a) a decrease in the calculated isoelectric point of the linker peptide and/or (b) an increase in the ratio of threonine:serine in the linker peptide relative to a parental linker peptide from which said modified linker peptide is derived. Also provided are genetic constructs comprising nucleic acid sequences encoding for modified cellulase enzymes, methods for the production of the modified cellulase enzymes from host strains and a process for hydrolysing cellulose with the modified cellulases in the presence of lignin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and (b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.

Abstract: Provided herein is a process for producing an alcohol from a sugar cane derived cellulosic feedstock comprising: subjecting the sugar cane derived cellulosic feedstock comprising bagasse, leaves, tops, or any combination thereof, to silica removal selected from processes comprising sieving, screening, washing, cyclone separation or any combination thereof. The bagasse, leaves or tops, or any combination thereof, from which at least a portion of the silica has been removed is treated in one or more processing stages to produce sugar, wherein the undissolved solids content of a slurry during said processing stages reaches a weight percent of at least 15%. Thereafter the sugar is fermented with yeast or bacteria to produce the alcohol and the alcohol is concentrated and recovered.

Abstract: Provided is a modified Family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM) comprising amino acid substitutions at one or more of positions 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 24, 29, 31, 33, and 37, said position determined from alignment of a Family 1 CBM amino acid sequence with SEQ ID NO: 30, and exhibiting from about 50% to about 99.9% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 30. Also provided are modified glycosidase enzymes comprising the modified Family 1 CBM, genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for expressing the modified Family 1 CBM or modified glycosidase enzyme. The modified Family 1 CBM confers reduced lignin binding and/or increased hydrolyzing activity in the presence of lignin to the modified glycosidase enzyme, which may be used in a process for hydrolyzing cellulose or hemicellulose in the presence of lignin.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated fungal cell that is capable of producing one or more biomass-degrading enzymes and that exhibits increased or decreased expression or copy number of a polynucleotide encoding a PtaB-like protein. Also provided is a fermentation processes for producing one or more biomass-degrading enzymes comprising a fungal cells exhibiting increased or decreased expression or copy number of a polynucleotide encoding a PtaB-like protein. The biomass-degrading enzymes produced by the isolate fungal cell and fermentation processes of the present invention may be used in a process to produce soluble sugars from biomass.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing a composition for use in land application. The method comprises: (a) obtaining a fermentation product by a production process comprising the steps of: (i) treating lignocellulosic feedstock to produce sugar; (ii) fermenting the sugar to produce a fermented mixture comprising the fermentation product; and (iii) recovering the fermentation product from the fermented mixture in one or more stages to produce a concentrated fermentation product and still bottoms; and (b) recovering the still bottoms, the still bottoms comprising organic and inorganic components; and (c) providing the still bottoms for use in a land application. Also provided is a soil conditioning composition for use in land application. The soil conditioning composition contains still bottoms and optionally other components.

Abstract: Provided are modified cellulase enzymes exhibiting increase cellulose-hydrolyzing activity in the presence of lignin and/or reduced binding to lignin comprising modified linker peptides comprising one or more amino acid substitutions, insertions, or deletions that result in (a) a decrease in the calculated isoelectric point of the linker peptide and/or (b) an increase in the ratio of threonine:serine in the linker peptide relative to a parental linker peptide from which said modified linker peptide is derived. Also provided are genetic constructs comprising nucleic acid sequences encoding for modified cellulase enzymes, methods for the production of the modified cellulase enzymes from host strains and a process for hydrolyzing cellulose with the modified cellulases in the presence of lignin.

Abstract: Provided are isolated cellobiohydrolases comprising a modified Glycoside Hydrolase (GH) Family 7 catalytic domain, a GH Family 7 catalytic domain and a modified Family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM), or both a modified Family 7 catalytic domain and a modified Family 1 CBM. Such isolated cellobiohydrolases exhibit from 45% to about 99.9% amino acid sequence identity to amino acids 1-436 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or to amino acids 1-438 of SEQ ID NO: 2 and improved activity on process substrates. Also provided are genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for expressing the isolated cellobiohydrolases, a process for producing the isolated cellobiohydrolases, cellulase enzyme mixtures comprising the isolated cellobiohydrolase and a process for hydrolyzing a cellulosic substrate with such cellulase enzyme mixtures.

Abstract: Provided is a modified Family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM) comprising amino acid substitutions at one or more of positions 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 21, 24, 29, 31, 33, and 37, said position determined from alignment of a Family 1 CBM amino acid sequence with SEQ ID NO: 30, and exhibiting from about 50% to about 99.9% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 30. Also provided are modified glycosidase enzymes comprising the modified Family 1 CBM, genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for expressing the modified Family 1 CBM or modified glycosidase enzyme. The modified Family 1 CBM confers reduced lignin binding and/or increased hydrolyzing activity in the presence of lignin to the modified glycosidase enzyme, which may be used in a process for hydrolyzing cellulose or hemicellulose in the presence of lignin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for generating steam and recovering salts during a lignocellulosic conversion process. The process comprises de-salting a still bottoms stream; incinerating a stream comprising lignin and the de-salted still bottoms stream in an incinerator; and utilizing the heat generated from said incinerating to produce steam. Further provided is a process that comprises feeding a concentrated still bottoms stream to a crystallizer and forming insoluble solids therein comprising salts. Furthermore, the invention relates to a process for recovering salts from a lignocellulosic conversion process, which process comprises the addition of solvent to a still bottoms stream to precipitate salts therefrom. Also provided is a still bottoms composition, a fertilizer product and a composition for incineration.

Abstract: A process for recovering a volatile carboxylic acid from an aqueous stream containing same comprising the steps of: (a) evaporating the aqueous stream to produce a vapour stream comprising the volatile carboxylic acid that has been vapourized and water vapour, which aqueous stream is produced by a conversion process using a lignocellulosic feedstock as a substrate; (b) contacting the vapour stream with an organic solvent so as to extract the volatile carboxylic acid present in the vapour stream, thereby producing a liquid stream comprising the organic solvent and the volatile carboxylic acid, and a water vapour stream, wherein the organic solvent has an atmospheric boiling point of at least about 150° C. and is insoluble in water; and (c) separating the volatile carboxylic acid from the organic solvent.

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.