Abstract: The present invention provides a transformed microorganism capable of displaying ?-galactosidase on its surface layer. Also provided is a method for producing an alcohol, which includes the step of culturing the transformed microorganism in a culture medium containing a material that contains an oligosaccharide ?-1,6 linked ?-galactose. Also provided is a method for producing lactic acid using such a transformed microorganism together with a material that contains an oligosaccharide ?-1,6 linked ?-galactose. According to the present invention, a microorganism can be provided, which can degrade an oligosaccharide containing ?-1,6 linked ?-galactose, which may occur in soybean molasses.

Abstract: A method for producing a fatty acid ester according to the present invention includes mixing a raw fat or oil, a liquid enzyme, and an alcohol having 1 to 8 carbon atoms in the presence of water and an electrolyte. According to the present invention, a fatty acid ester can be efficiently produced via a transesterification reaction without using any expensive buffer solution or amphipathic substance. Furthermore, in the reaction, it is not necessarily required to agitate reactants at a high speed, which makes the present invention adaptive to various production facilities and conditions.

Abstract: An evaporator of the present invention includes an agitation vessel having a volatile component outlet and a concentrate outlet and configured to receive a raw material liquid, a heat source provided inside the agitation vessel, a liquid distributing portion provided within the agitation vessel and configured to cause the raw material liquid to flow down the heat source, and a first condenser provided on an outer circumference of the agitation vessel and configured to cool an inner wall of the agitation vessel. The evaporator of the present invention is useful in, for example, the concentration of various liquid chemicals and chemical products and the removal of volatile impurities from these chemicals and chemical products.

Abstract: An evaporation device including an agitation vessel to which raw material liquid is supplied. The agitation vessel has a volatile component outlet and a concentrate outlet, a jacket provided on an outer circumference and configured to heat an inner wall, and a liquid-distributing portion configured to cause the raw material liquid to flow down the inner wall. The agitation vessel includes storage portion surrounded by a bottom, the inner wall, and a partition wall portion configured to temporarily store the raw material liquid that flows down, the liquid-distributing portion is constituted by a rotating shaft and at least one channel part having a flow passage which, as the rotating shaft rotates, the raw material liquid temporarily stored in the storage portion flows upward from a lower side of the agitation vessel. The channel part is mounted to the rotating shaft, and the concentrate outlet is provided in the bottom.

Abstract: A method for continuously producing a fatty acid ester of the present invention comprises (a) mixing and agitating an oil and fat starting material and a lower alcohol, and supplying a mixture to one of the catalyst reaction tubes filled with a lipase; (b) producing a fatty acid ester and glycerin in the catalyst reaction tube; (c) introducing an outflowing liquid from the catalyst reaction tube into a glycerin separation tank, thereby collecting the glycerin; (d) adding a lower alcohol to a separated liquid obtained by separating the glycerin from the outflowing liquid, mixing and agitating an obtained material, and supplying a mixture to a following catalyst reaction tube; (e) repeating the steps (b) to (d) until supply to a last catalyst reaction tube is performed; and (f) collecting a fatty acid ester from the separated liquid obtained from the last catalyst reaction tube.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing ethanol, including: culturing yeast transformed so as to display an enzyme on the cell surface in a medium containing particles of lignocellulosic biomass, thereby producing ethanol, wherein the enzyme is an enzyme involved in hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass. The present invention makes it possible to provide a method for producing ethanol by which a high ethanol yield can be achieved from lignocellulosic biomass with lower initial cell concentration and added enzyme amount.

Abstract: A method for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass using yeast at low cost is provided. The method of the present invention for producing ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass includes steps of (1) pretreating lignocellulosic biomass, (2) treating a cellulose fraction obtained in Step (1) with a cellulose hydrolase, (3) mixing saccharified biomass obtained in Step (2) with yeasts to perform ethanol fermentation, and (4) subjecting a fermentation product obtained in Step (3) to a solid-liquid separation, wherein a cycle consisting of Steps (1), (2), (3) and (4) is repeated twice or more, and yeasts obtained in Step (4) are used as all or a portion of yeasts in Step (3) of the subsequent cycle.

Abstract: A lactic acid component (e.g., lactic acid or oligo (lactic acid)) can be obtained by extraction from a lactic acid fermentation liquor with a pH of 4.8 or less, using at least one solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, xylene, mesitylene, ethylbenzene, methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, and mineral spirit. Furthermore, oligo (lactic acid) can be obtained, by heating a lactic acid fermentation liquor with a pH of 4.8 or less under reduced pressure, and washing, with water, the fermentation liquor containing a produced oligo (lactic acid). Hence, a method is provided for separating a lactic acid component from a lactic acid fermentation liquor, which is free from incorporation of impurities and which includes simple steps.

Abstract: Provided is a lactic acid bacterium capable of homolactic fermentation using a pentose as a substrate, the lactic acid bacterium utilizing a pentose, and in which a phosphoketolase pathway is blocked and a pentose phosphate pathway is activated. Also provided is a method for producing lactic acid from a pentose using the lactic acid bacterium and a method for preparing the lactic acid bacterium.

Abstract: A concentrated acid treatment unit is composed of a reaction section and an agitation extraction section. A phenol sorped raw material obtained by defatting botanical resource-derived raw material by solvent to subject sorption phenols to sorption is introduced, thus obtaining mixed solution of phenol solution including a lignophenol derivative and concentrated acid solution including a cellulose hydrolysate. The reaction section agitates and mixes the phenol sorped raw material and concentrated acid to cause cellulose to be swollen to thereby convert lignin to lignophenol. A part of the cellulose is subjected to hydrolysis. The agitation extraction section receives the treated liquid sent from the reaction section and adds phenols for extraction thereto to cause lignophenol dispersed in the concentrated acid solution to be dissolved and extracted in phenols for extraction.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an yeast having an increased cellulose hydrolysis ability. The method includes the step of introducing increased integration copy numbers of both a gene for an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing crystalline cellulose and a gene for an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing noncrystalline cellulose into a noncellulolytic yeast to give a transformed yeast. The yeast having an increased cellulose hydrolysis ability can be suitably used for ethanol production from cellulose-based materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a cellulose degradable yeast, comprising the step of co-introducing genes coding for at least two cellulose-degrading enzymes into a yeast host via integration with a yeast ? sequence. According to the invention, a yeast having an improved cellulose degradation ability are provided.

Abstract: A solution component recovery method, a solution component recovery apparatus, and an impregnation process/impregnation component recovery system for separating a first component from a second component. The separation between the first and second components is accomplished by reducing the pressure on a solution that contains the first component, which results in the solidification of the first component in the solution at a temperature that is equal to or higher than a predetermined solidification temperature. The second component, in which the first component is dissolved, is evaporated at a temperature range that is less than the predetermined solidification temperature. The evaporated second component is then recovered by a cooling step.

Abstract: Provided is a microorganism that can display, on the cell surface, any molecules other than a molecule comprising amino acids, more specifically, a microorganism that displays biotin on a cell surface. The microorganism is capable of co-expressing a biotinylating enzyme and an acceptor peptide having a sequence recognized by the biotinylating enzyme, wherein the acceptor peptide is expressed on the cell surface, so that lysine of the acceptor peptide is biotinylated to display biotin on the cell surface. Also provided is a method for displaying an intended molecule, including not only a molecule comprising amino acids but also any molecules, on a cell surface of a microorganism.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a cellulose degradable yeast, comprising the step of co-introducing genes coding for at least two cellulose-degrading enzymes into a yeast host via integration with a yeast ? sequence. According to the invention, a yeast having an improved cellulose degradation ability are provided.

Abstract: Provided is a lactic acid bacterium capable of homolactic fermentation using a pentose as a substrate, the lactic acid bacterium utilizing a pentose, and in which a phosphoketolase pathway is blocked and a pentose phosphate pathway is activated. Also provided is a method for producing lactic acid from a pentose using the lactic acid bacterium and a method for preparing the lactic acid bacterium.

Abstract: A star-branched polyester polyol is obtained by polymerizing lactide or lactic acid, using, as an initiator, a fat and oil composed mainly of a triacylglycerol that has at least three hydroxyl groups or epoxy groups in its molecule. This polyester polyol has low crystallinity and a low melting point, and thus shows good working properties when used in various applications. Furthermore, this polyester polyol is derived from renewable resources, and, thus, it is highly desirable in view of its effectiveness in protecting the global environment and preventing fossil resources from being depleted.

Abstract: Provided is a Phase-Separation system plant for botanical resource, a conversion method, a concentrated acid treatment unit, and a concentrated acid treatment method by which lignin derivatives and hydrolyzed carbohydrate are manufactured out of a botanical resource efficiently and continuously. A concentrated acid treatment unit (3) is composed of a reaction section (20) and an agitation extraction section (25). A phenol sorped raw material (16) obtained by defatting botanical resource-derived raw material (15) by solvent (14) to subject sorption phenols (13) to sorption is introduced, thus obtaining mixed solution of phenol solution including a lignophenol derivative and concentrated acid solution including a cellulose hydrolysate. The reaction section (20) agitates and mixes the phenol sorped raw material (16) and concentrated acid (21A) to cause cellulose to be swollen to thereby convert lignin to lignophenol. A part of the cellulose is subjected to hydrolysis.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing an yeast having an increased cellulose hydrolysis ability. The method includes the step of introducing increased integration copy numbers of both a gene for an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing crystalline cellulose and a gene for an enzyme capable of hydrolyzing noncrystalline cellulose into a noncellulolytic yeast to give a transformed yeast. The yeast having an increased cellulose hydrolysis ability can be suitably used for ethanol production from cellulose-based materials.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is a method for introducing a foreign gene into a yeast cell that does not have an auxotrophic marker. The present invention provides a method for providing a target auxotrophy to a yeast cell and introducing a gene to be expressed into the yeast cell. The method includes the step of transforming a yeast cell with a fragment containing an expression cassette for the gene to be expressed, a cassette for a yeast selectable marker, and two homologous recombination fragments each homologous to a region on either side of a target auxotrophy controlling gene. According to the method, a target auxotrophy controlling gene is deleted from a yeast cell and a gene to be expressed is introduced into the yeast cell, and further the yeast selectable marker is eliminated from the transformed yeast cell.