Abstract: The present invention relates to microorganisms and processes for the efficient preparation of L-amino acids such as L-methionine. In particular, the present invention relates to microorganisms and processes in which the formation and/or accumulation of homolanthionine in the methionine pathway is reduced and/or prevented.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i.e., fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of increasing the expression of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i.e., fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of increasing the expression of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention relates to microorganisms and processes for the efficient preparation of L-methionine. In particular, the present invention relates to processes in which the amount of serine available for the metabolism of the microorganism is increased.

Abstract: The present invention relates to microorganisms and processes for the efficient preparation of L-amino acids such as L-methionine. In particular, the present invention relates to microorganisms and processes in which the formation and/or accumulation of homolanthionine in the methionine pathway is reduced and/or prevented.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for the production of microorganisms with increased efficiency for methionine synthesis, microorganisms with increased efficiency for methionine synthesis, and methods for determining the optimal metabolic flux for organisms with respect to methionine synthesis.

Abstract: A process is described for analyzing enzyme-catalyzed conversions of nonpolymeric substrates to nonpolymeric products with the aid of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, preferably in the presence of an internal standard on a specific carrier material.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i.e., fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of increasing the expression of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i. e., glycerol kinase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of increasing the expression of glycerol kinase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i.e., fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of increasing the expression of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention features methods of increasing the production of a fine chemical, e.g., lysine from a microorganism, e.g., Corynebacterium by way of deregulating an enzyme encoding gene, i.e., lactate dehydrogenase. In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods of increasing the production of lysine in Corynebacterium glutamicum by way of the expression of lactate dehydrogenase activity. The invention also provides a novel process for the production of lysine by way of regulating carbon flux towards oxaloacetate (OAA). In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides methods for the production of lysine by way of utilizing fructose or sucrose as a carbon source.

Abstract: A method for determining genus, species, race and/or geographical origin of biological materials, by directly cleaving with enzymatic methods the fibrillary structures such as feathers, down, hair or horn to form a pool of cleaved peptides, without prior dissolution of structure proteins; and wherein the pool of cleaved peptides obtained from fibillary structure proteins is preferably subjected to MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy without the application of separating and isolating techniques, and wherein the mass spectrograms obtained are adjusted using reference mass spectrograms and the suitable specific mass peaks are used to quantify elements such as feathers, down, scales horn and/or hair which are foreign to the species.

Abstract: A process is described for analyzing enzyme-catalyzed conversions of nonpolymeric substrates to nonpolymeric products with the aid of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, preferably in the presence of an internal standard on a specific carrier material.

Abstract: The use of cyclic carbonic acid esters of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, which may be the same or different, are hydrogen or alkyl with 1 to 6 C-atoms, as a solvent for racemic or optically active poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid).The preferred embodiment uses hot (120 to 150.degree. C) ethylene carbonate or 1,2-propylene carbonate to extract poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid) from moist or dry fermentation masses. These solvents have the advantage that the extracted poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid) is precipitated in good yield from them on cooling. In addition they may be recycled without the need for a solvent regeneration step. These cyclic carbonic acid esters may also be used as the solvent in the processing of poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid) by e.g. wet spinning.

Abstract: The use of cyclic carbonic acid esters of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, which may be the same or different, are hydrogen or alkyl with 1 to 6 C-atoms, as a solvent for racemic or optically active poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid).The preferred embodiment uses hot (120.degree. to 150.degree. C) ethylene carbonate or 1,2-propylene carbonate to extract poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid) from moist or dry fermentation masses. These solvents have the advantage that the extracted poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid) is precipitated in good yield from them on cooling. In addition they may be recycled without the need for a solvent regeneration step. These cyclic carbonic acid esters may also be used as the solvent in the processing of poly-(.beta.-hydroxybutyric acid) by e.g. wet spinning.