Abstract: A thermostable ?-glucosidase including a ?-glucosidase catalytic domain, the ?-glucosidase catalytic domain including: (A) a polypeptide including an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2; (B) a polypeptide including an amino acid sequence in which at least one amino acid has been deleted, substituted, or added in the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2, and having hydrolytic activity using p-nitrophenyl-?-D-glucopyranoside as a substrate at least under conditions of a temperature of 100° C. and a pH of 5.5; or (C) a polypeptide including an amino acid sequence having at least 80% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or 2, and having hydrolytic activity using p-nitrophenyl-?-D-glucopyranoside as a substrate at least under conditions of a temperature of 100° C. and a pH of 5.5.

Abstract: A thermophilic microorganism comprising a modification that prevents sporulation, wherein the modification inactivates the native spo0A gene.

Abstract: A heat-resistant flavin-bound glucose dehydrogenase having a high substrate specificity for D-glucose, an method for producing the same, and a transformant used for the same. A flavin-bound glucose dehydrogenase gene encoding a flavin-bound glucose dehydrogenase derived from Mucor is introduced into yeast, Zygosaccharomyces, to obtain a transformant. Subsequently, the yeast transformant is cultured to obtain a flavin-bound glucose dehydrogenase from the culture. The heat-resistant flavin-bound glucose dehydrogenase is less susceptible to the effects of dissolved oxygen and allows accurate measurement of glucose even in the presence of sugar compounds other than glucose in a sample.

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: Isolated polypeptides comprising or consisting essentially of specific structural motifs (e.g., three ?-sheets and two ?-helices) are provided, wherein the polypeptides exhibit at least one cell signaling and/or other non-canonical activity of biological relevance. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides, binding agents that bind such polypeptides, analogs, variants and fragments of such polypeptides, etc., as well as compositions and methods of identifying and using any of the foregoing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a genetically engineered Torulopsis glabrata with enhanced extracellular secretion of pyruvic acid. T. glabrata strain was obtained from China Center for Type Culture Collection with CCTCC No: M202019 and over-expressed the optimized CutA (SEQ ID NO:2) encoding stress protein. Both of the temperature tolerance of T. glabrata and extracellular concentration of pyruvate were improved by overexpressing the optimized CutA. The optimum growth temperature of genetically engineered T. glabrata was increased too. The present invention can be widely used to increase extracellular levels of pyruvate during the fermentation process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of a parent glucoamylase having altered properties (e.g., improved thermostability and/or specific activity). In particular, the present invention provides compositions comprising the variant glucoamylases, including starch hydrolyzing compositions, animal feed compositions and cleaning compositions. The invention also relates to DNA constructs encoding the variants and methods of producing the glucoamylase variants in host cells.

Abstract: Dough with a high sucrose content (such as cake dough) tends to inhibit the activity of an anti-staling amylase such as Novamyl, making it less effective to prevent the staling of dough-based products with high sucrose content such as cakes. A good anti-staling effect in cakes can be achieved by using a carefully selected anti-staling amylase with certain properties. Analysis of a 3D structure of Novamyl shows that sucrose may inhibit by binding in the active site. Sucrose docks into the active site of Novamyl differently from the substrate or inhibitor in published models 1QHO and 1QHP. This finding is used to design sucrose-tolerant variants.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mutant microorganisms having a high ability to produce fermentation products, and methods for producing fermentation products using the same, and more particularly, to mutant microorganisms having a high ability to produce fermentation products such as lactic acid, succinic acid and ethanol, which has a deletion of genes selected from the genome of enteric bacteria and involved in respiration, electron transport, redox reactions and the like, and methods of producing fermentation products in high yield by culturing the mutant microorganisms under anaerobic conditions.

Abstract: Disclosed is the biological production of lactic acid using a microorganism. A transformant capable of producing lactic acid of high optical purity at high yield, a method for the preparation thereof, and a method for producing lactic acid in a convenient and economically beneficial manner using the same are provided. The Zymomonas mobilis transformant can produce lactic acid of high optical purity at high yield without a stringent limitation to production conditions and a regulation of the intracellular metabolism pathway. Because it requires no additional separation and purification steps, the use of the transformant allows the production of lactic acid in a short process, resulting in a significant reduction in production cost, and avoiding the environment problems caused by precipitate wastes, which brings about environmental issues.

Abstract: The invention provides, inter alia, methods for the production of acetone, isopropanol and/or precursors of acetone and/or isopropanol by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO, genetically modified microorganisms of use in such methods, nucleic acids suitable for preparation of genetically modified microorganisms, a novel alcohol dehydrogenase and nucleic acids encoding same.

Abstract: This invention relates generally to enzymes, polynucleotides encoding the enzymes, the use of such polynucleotides and polypeptides and more specifically to enzymes having transferase activity, e.g., transaminase activity, e.g., d-amino-acid transferase activity, and/or oxidoreductase activity, e.g., dehydrogenase activity, e.g., d-amino-acid dehydrogenase activity, and/or catalyze the transfer of a chemical group, catalyze transamination, catalyze the reaction: D-alanine+2-oxoglutarate<=>pyruvate+D-glutamate, and/or catalyze an oxidation-reduction reaction, catalyze the removal of hydrogen atoms, and/or catalyze the reaction: D-amino acid+H2O+acceptor<=>a 2-oxo acid+NH3+reduced acceptor.

Abstract: The present invention provides an array for rapidly identifying a host cell population capable of producing a heterologous protein with improved yield and/or quality. The array comprises one or more host cell populations that have been genetically modified to increase the expression of one or more target genes involved in protein production, decrease the expression of one or more target genes involved in protein degradation, or both. One or more of the strains in the array may express the heterologous protein of interest in a periplasm compartment or may secrete the heterologous protein extracellularly through an outer cell wall. The strain arrays are useful for screening for improved expression of any protein of interest including therapeutic proteins, hormones, growth factors, extracellular receptors or ligands, proteases, kinases, blood proteins, chemokines, cytokines, antibodies and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to host cells that produce compounds that are characterized as benzylisoquinolines, as well as select precursors and intermediates thereof. The host cells comprise one, two or more heterologous coding sequences wherein each of the heterologous coding sequences encodes an enzyme involved in the metabolic pathway of a benzylisoquinoline, or its precursors or intermediates from a starting compound. The invention also relates to methods of producing the benzylisoquinoline, as well as select precursors and intermediates thereof by culturing the host cells under culture conditions that promote expression of the enzymes that produce the benzylisoquinoline or precursors or intermediates thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides, inter alia, methods for the production of acetone, isopropanol and/or precursors of acetone and/or isopropanol by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO, genetically modified microorganisms of use in such methods, nucleic acids suitable for preparation of genetically modified microorganisms, a novel alcohol dehydrogenase and nucleic acids encoding same.

Abstract: Provided herein are isolated laccase enzymes and nucleic acids encoding them. Also provided are mediators for laccase reactions. Also provided herein are methods for using laccases to oxidize lignins and other phenolic and aromatic compounds, such as for bio-bleaching and decolorization of wood pulp under high temperature and pH conditions to facilitate a substantial reduction in use of bleaching chemicals, as well as for treatment of fibers.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant eukaryotic microbial cell comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a heterologous enzyme catalyzing the conversion from phosphoenolpyruvate to oxaloacetate whereby ATP is generated. The invention further relates to a process for the preparation of a dicarboxylic acid such as succinic acid and fumaric acid, comprising fermenting the eukaryotic microbial cell according to the invention in a suitable fermentation medium.

Abstract: Substance productivity is improved by introducing a metabolic pathway for synthesis of acetyl-CoA or acetic acid from glucose-6-phosphate into yeast. Acetic acid productivity, acetyl-CoA productivity, and productivity of a substance made from acetyl-CoA-derived are improved by attenuating genes involved in the glycolytic system of yeast and introducing a phosphoketolase gene into the yeast.

Abstract: Hydrolysis and degradation of cellulose-containing biomass by use of a polypeptide having cellulase activity is provided. Also provided are polypeptides having cellulase activity, such as archaeal cellulases, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, and compositions containing the polypeptides, and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: Nucleic acids encoding cytochrome P450 variants are provided. The cytochrome P450 variants of have a higher alkane-oxidation capability, alkene-oxidation capability, and/or a higher organic-solvent resistance than the corresponding wild-type or parent cytochrome P450 enzyme. A preferred wild-type cytochrome P450 is cytochrome P450 BM-3. Preferred cytochrome P450 variants include those having an improved capability to hydroxylate alkanes and epoxidate alkenes comprising less than 8 carbons, and have amino acid substitutions corresponding to V78A, H236Q, and E252G of cytochrome P450 BM-3. Preferred cytochrome P450 variants also include those having an improved hydroxylation activity in solutions comprising co-solvents such as DMSO and THF, and have amino acid substitutions corresponding to T235A, R471A, E494K, and S1024E of cytochrome P450 BM-3.