Abstract: The present invention provides for a method for producing a 4-vinylphenol (4VP) and/or 4-vinylguaiacol (4VG), the method comprising: (a) providing a host cell capable of expressing a polypeptide having a phenolic acid decarboxylase (PAD) enzymatic activity wherein the polypeptide is capable of converting p-coumaric (CA) and/or ferulic acid (FA) into 4-vinylphenol (4VP) and/or 4-vinylguaiacol (4VG), respectively; and (b) culturing the host cell in a culture medium to express the polypeptide such that the polypeptide converts CA and/or FA into 4VP and/or 4VG, respectively; wherein the culture medium comprises an organic overlay or phase.

Abstract: A method for depolymerizing a mixture of plastics is described. The method comprises (a) providing a composition comprising two of more plastics, (b) introducing a solvent comprising an ionic liquid (IL) or deep eutectic solvents (DES) and optionally water to the composition to form a solvent-plastic composition, such as an aqueous solvent-plastic composition, and (c) incubating the solvent-plastic composition for a period of time to produce a depolymerized composition such that at least portions of the two of more plastics are depolymerized into monomers. The produced monomers can be used as a carbon source for microbes to produce bioproducts.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: (a) introducing a solvent comprising a polyamine, or a mixture of polyamines, to a biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent, wherein the polyamine is a Brønsted or Lewis base, and/or the polyamine is a hydrogen bond donor and/or acceptor; (b) optionally introducing an enzyme and/or a microbe to the solubilized biomass mixture such that the enzyme and/or microbe produces a sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; (c) optionally separating the sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; and (d) optionally separating the lignan from the solubilized biomass mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a genetically modified fungal host cell capable of producing prespatane and/or epi-isozizaene comprising prespatane synthase (PPS) and/or epi-isozizaene synthase (EIZS).

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method to produce a sugar compound from a biomass, the method comprising: (a) providing a first mixture comprising a solubilized biomass and an alkanolamine; (b) recovering at least part of the alkanolamine from the first mixture in order to separate the at least part of the alkanolamine from the first mixture; (c) optionally introducing an enzyme and/or a microbe to the first mixture such that the enzyme and/or microbe produce a sugar from the solubilized biomass; and, (d) optionally the sugar is separated from the first mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method to produce a sugar from a biomass, the method comprising: (a) providing a first mixture comprising a solubilized biomass and a distillable acid-base conjugate salt (DABCS) or deep eutectic solvent (DES), wherein (i) the DABCS is a protic ionic liquid (PIL) or a protic salt comprising a DABCS cation and a DABCS anion, and (ii) the DES is any combination of Lewis or Brønsted acid and base comprising any anionic and/or cationic species that have sufficient vapor pressure so that it can be readily distilled; and (b) distilling at least part of the DABCS from the first mixture in order to separate the at least part of the DABCS from the first mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides for an Aspergillus niger host cell comprising a gene of interest operatively linked to an ecm33 promoter of an ascomycete fungi, wherein the gene of interest is heterologous to the ecm33 promoter and/or to Aspergillus niger. In some embodiments, the gene of interest is a glycoside hydrolase enzyme. In some embodiments, the glycoside hydrolase enzyme is a glucosidase.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: (a) introducing a solvent comprising a polyamine, or a mixture of polyamines, to a biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent, wherein the polyamine is a Bronsted or Lewis base, and/or the polyamine is a hydrogen bond donor and/or acceptor; (b) optionally introducing an enzyme and/or a microbe to the solubilized biomass mixture such that the enzyme and/or microbe produces a sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; (c) optionally separating the sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; and (d) optionally separating the lignan from the solubilized biomass mixture.

Abstract: A method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: introducing a solvent comprising a plurality of salt ionic liquid (PSIL) (such as a double salt ionic liquid (DSIL)) to a biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent; wherein the PSIL (or DSIL) is an organic salt comprising three or more ions, and the PSIL comprises: (i) a hard anion ionic liquid (IL) and a soft anion IL, (ii) at least one IL having a pKa value of equal to or higher than 10, or (iii) at least one IL has a low hydrogen bond donor ability.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides methods for preparing a fermentation product. The methods include pre-treating a mixture of biomass and ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises a choline cation and the biomass comprises polysaccharide and lignin. The methods further include forming hydrolysates from the introduction of glycoside hydrolase to the pre-treated mixture at conditions sufficient to produce a sugar composition mixture for fermentation steps. The present invention provides methods for loading biomass mixtures in a batch-fed process, wherein the biomass slurries can be loaded into water or a concentrated sugar composition for hydrolysate production. The methods can be performed in a one-pot process, wherein the ionic liquids are present in the mixtures throughout each step. Aspects of the invention provide compositions of sugar composition mixtures and fermentation product mixtures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of upgrading biomass to provide useful chemical intermediates, fuels, amino acids, nutrients, etc. In particular examples, the biomass is a by-product of ethanol production and is mainly used as high-protein feed. Described herein are methods for upgrading such biomass, such as by implementing pre-treatment conditions and by employing fermentation conditions including modified organisms.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are lignin-derived ionic liquids and methods for preparing them. The methods include forming a reaction mixture comprising a lignin-derived starting material, a carbonyl compound, and an amine; maintaining the reaction mixture under conditions sufficient to form a lignin-derived aminophenol; and converting the lignin derived aminophenol to the lignin-derived ionic liquid. Monomeric phenols, oligomeric phenols, and polymeric phenols can be used as lignin-derived starting materials.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass comprising: (a) introducing one or more individual components of an ionic liquid (IL) or deep eutectic solvent (DES) to a biomass, wherein the one or more individual components, and optionally any components already present in the biomass, form an IL or DES, or mixture thereof, which solubilizes the biomass to form a solubilized biomass mixture, wherein at least one individual component is introduced to the biomass separately from any other individual component; (b) optionally introducing an enzyme and/or a microbe to the solubilized biomass mixture such that the enzyme and/or microbe produces a sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture; and, (c) optionally separating the sugar from the solubilized biomass mixture.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: (a) ensiling a biomass to produce comprising one or more organic acids, and (b) introducing a solvent to the ensiled biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent, wherein the solvent is an ionic liquid (IL) or deep eutectic solvent (DES), or mixture thereof, to form a solubilized biomass mixture.

Abstract: The present invention also provides for a method to deconstruct a biomass: the method comprising: (a) introducing a solvent to a biomass to dissolve at least part of solid biomass in the solvent, wherein the solvent comprises (i) a metal salt, and (ii) an ionic liquid (IL) or deep eutectic solvent (DES), or mixture thereof, to form a solubilized biomass mixture; (b) optionally introducing an enzyme and/or a microbe to the composition such that the enzyme and/or microbe produce a biofuel and/or chemical compound from the solubilized biomass; and, (c) optionally the biofuel and/or chemical compound is separated from the composition.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel and improved processes for treating a lignocellulosic biomass or technical lignin using ionic liquids to obtain lignin breakdown products and polysaccharide biomass components. Recycling of ionic liquids can be included in the methods of the invention.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing a sugar composition. The method includes: forming a mixture including polysaccharide biomass and an ionic liquid solution, wherein the ionic liquid solution contains water and an ionic liquid, and wherein the ionic liquid contains a dicarboxylic acid anion and a cation. The pH of the mixture is greater than or equal to about 10, and the molar ratio of the dicarboxylic acid anion to the cation is at least about 1:2. The method further includes: maintaining the mixture under conditions sufficient to dissolve at least a portion of the polysaccharide present in the polysaccharide biomass; reducing the pH of the mixture containing the dissolved polysaccharide to at least about 7; adding at least one glycoside hydrolase to the mixture having the reduced pH.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present invention provides methods for preparing a fermentation product. The methods include pre-treating a mixture of biomass and ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises a choline cation and the biomass comprises polysaccharide and lignin. The methods further include forming hydrolysates from the introduction of glycoside hydrolase to the pre-treated mixture at conditions sufficient to produce a sugar composition mixture for fermentation steps. The present invention provides methods for loading biomass mixtures in a batch-fed process, wherein the biomass slurries can be loaded into water or a concentrated sugar composition for hydrolysate production. The methods can be performed in a one-pot process, wherein the ionic liquids are present in the mixtures throughout each step. Aspects of the invention provide compositions of sugar composition mixtures and fermentation product mixtures.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a genetically modified fungal host cell capable of producing prespatane and/or epi-isozizaene comprising prespatane synthase (PPS) and/or epi-isozizaene synthase (EIZS).

Abstract: The present invention provides for a method of fermenting or saccharifying a biomass comprising: (a) (i) contacting a biomass comprising a polysaccharide, and an ionic liquid (IL) to form a first solution, or (ii) providing the first solution comprising the biomass and the IL, (b) contacting the first solution and carbon dioxide such that the first solution results in a lower pH, (c) introducing (i) an enzyme capable of enzymatically to breakdown at least one bond in the polysaccharide or a breakdown product of the polysaccharide, and/or (ii) a microorganism that capable of producing the enzyme and/or fermenting the polysaccharide or a breakdown product of the polysaccharide, such that the polysaccharide is at least partially broken down and the first solution is transformed into a second solution.