Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the production of an aqueous mixture comprising isopropanol, n-butanol and ethanol, comprising a step in which an aqueous solution containing C5 and/or C6 sugars and acetate is fermented under strict anaerobic conditions in the presence of a fermenting microorganism of the genus Clostridium and in which said aqueous solution has an acetate concentration in the range 0.5 to 10 g/L and a ratio by weight of (acetate)/(sum of C5 and/or C6 sugars) in the range 0.005 to 0.35 g/g.

Abstract: The process for the production of cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes by a cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic microorganism according to the present invention comprises at least one phase for growth in the presence of a source of carbon and at least one phase for production in the presence of an inducing substrate, in which said inducing substrate is a mixture comprising 40% to 65% by weight of glucose or cellulosic hydrolysates, 21% to 25% by weight of lactose and 10% to 39% by weight of xylose or a solution of a lignocellulosic hemicellulosic hydrolysate, the sum of these three constituents being equal to 100%.

Abstract: The process for the production of cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes by a cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic microorganism according to the present invention comprises at least one phase for growth in the presence of a source of carbon and at least one phase for production in the presence of an inducing substrate, in which said inducing substrate is a mixture comprising 40% to 65% by weight of glucose or cellulosic hydrolysates, 21% to 25% by weight of lactose and 10% to 39% by weight of xylose or a solution of a lignocellulosic hemicellulosic hydrolysate, the sum of these three constituents being equal to 100%.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a process for the production of an aqueous mixture comprising isopropanol, n-butanol and ethanol, comprising a step in which an aqueous solution containing C5 and/or C6 sugars and acetate is fermented under strict anaerobic conditions in the presence of a fermenting microorganism of the genus Clostridium and in which said aqueous solution has an acetate concentration in the range 0.5 to 10 g/L and a ratio by weight of (acetate)/(sum of C5 and/or C6 sugars) in the range 0.005 to 0.35 g/g.

Abstract: The process for the production of cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes by a cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic microorganism according to the present invention comprises at least one phase for growth in the presence of a source of carbon and at least one phase for production in the presence of an inducing substrate, in which said inducing substrate is a mixture comprising 40% to 65% by weight of glucose or cellulosic hydrolysates, 21% to 25% by weight of lactose and 10% to 39% by weight of xylose or a solution of a lignocellulosic hemicellulosic hydrolysate, the sum of these three constituents being equal to 100%.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method of producing alcohol from pretreated lignocellulosic biomass wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis stage is carried out with cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes produced using at least one effluent from another ethanol production process using a sugar plant as the feedstock. This method can be integrated in a method of producing alcohol from cellulosic or lignocellulosic materials, referred to as second-generation method, comprising the following stages: 1) chemical and/or physical pretreatment of a cellulosic or lignocellulosic substrate, 2) enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated substrate using cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes, 3) alcoholic fermentation by a suitable alcohol-producing microorganism of the hydrolysate from stage (2) until a fermentation must is obtained, and separation of the alcohol-producing microorganism used in stage (3), separation/purification of the alcohol.

Abstract: The invention relates to fusion proteins including at least a swollenin and at least a plant cell-wall degrading enzyme, the swollenin, and plant cell-wall degrading enzyme, being recombinant proteins corresponding to native proteins in fungi, or mutated forms thereof. The invention also relates to the use of fusion proteins as defined above, for carrying out processes of plant cell-wall degradation in the frame of the preparation, from plants or vegetal by-products, of compounds of interest located in plant cell-wall, or in the frame of the bleaching of pulp and paper, or for biofuel production, or food industries.

Abstract: The invention concerns an isolated or purified polypeptide having an activity in the MTBE degradation path, and/or at least one of the catabolic intermediates of MTBE, preferably selected from the group consisting of tert-butyl alcohol (TBA), 2-methyl 1,2-propanediol (2-M1, 2-PD), hydroxyisobutyraldehyde, hydroxyiso-butyric acid (HIBA), said polypeptide being selected from the group consisting of: a) a polypeptide comprising a sequence of amino acids selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:4, SEQ ID NO:6, SEQ ID NO:8 or SEQ ID NO:10; b) a polypeptide comprising a sequence of amino acids having at least 70% identity, preferably 75%, 80%, 90%, 95%, 98% or 99% with the sequence of amino acids of a polypeptide as defined in a); a polypeptide as defined in a) or b) whereof the sequence of amino acids comprises a substitution, deletion, insertion, addition or mutation of one or several amino acids over its entire length.

Abstract: To reduce the concentration of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) in an aquifer polluted by these ethers, a new mineral support for fixing bacteria, and in particular Mycobacterium austroafricanum I-2562, said mineral support comprising perlite, is used in a biobarrier- or biofilter-type process.

Abstract: A process for the treatment of aqueous effluents containing at least one of the following ethers is described: ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE) and/or methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and/or tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) in order to reduce the concentration of these ethers. A bacterium Gordonia terrae CIP I-2194 is innoculated under aerobic conditions. In particular, a bacterium Burkholderia cepacia CIP I-2052 or a bacterium Alcaligenes sp. CIP I-2561 or a bacterium Mycobacterium sp. CIP I-2562 is added in the presence of a growth substrate and, optionally, of a cobalt salt, and the ether contained in the effluents is degraded by the bacteria thus innoculated until its mineralization. The process is useable in the ether-contaminated water treatment industry.

Abstract: A process for producing cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes uses the residue from the ethanolic fermentation of enzymatic hydrolyzates of cellulosic or ligno-cellulosic materials. This process may be integrated into a process for the production of ethanol from cellulosic or ligno-cellulosic materials which comprises the following steps: 1) chemical and/or physical pre-treatment of a cellulosic or ligno-cellulosic substrate; 2) enzymatic hydrolysis of the pre-treated substrate using cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes; 3) ethanolic fermentation, by a suitable alcohologenic microorganism, of the hydrolyzate from step (2) and production of a fermentation must; and 4) separation of the alcohologenic microorganism used in step (3), separation/purification of the ethanol and production of an aqueous phase constituting a residue; and in which said residue serves for the production of the cellulolytic and/or hemicellulolytic enzymes used in step 2).

Abstract: To reduce the concentration of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) in an aquifer polluted by these ethers, a new mineral support for fixing bacteria, and in particular Mycobacterium austroafricanum I-2562, said mineral support comprising perlite, is used in a biobarrier- or biofilter-type process.

Abstract: A process for treatment of aqueous effluents that contain at least methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) or methyl-tert-amyl ether (TAME) so as to reduce the concentration of said ether is described, characterized in that a Mycobacterium austroafricanum I-2562 bacterium is grown under aerobic conditions in the presence of a growth substrate that contains said ether, and said ether is degraded by said bacterium down to the final degradation products, carbon dioxide and water. The results are improved in the presence of yeast extract.

Abstract: Process for treating a xanthan gum in order to improve the filterability of its aqueous solutions, comprising an enzymatic treatment of an aqueous solution of xanthan gum containing, as dissolved salts, a proportion of alkali and/or alkaline-earth metals of at least 10.sup.-2 equivalent/liter, said treatment being performed by means of two enzyme extracts of different types, a so-called PG enzyme having as main activity a polygalacturonase activity and a so-called P enzyme extract whose main activity is a protease activity, in conditions compatible with the activity of said enzyme extracts. The obtained xanthan gum powder or solution can be used as enhanced oil recovery agent.