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: 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: The present invention has an object of providing a reactor including cores with higher heat dissipation and a coil with less eddy-current loss. A reactor according to the present invention includes: a plurality of divided cores having a shape obtained by dividing an annular core in a circumferential direction, the divided cores being made of a soft magnetic material; a core gap part disposed between the divided cores in the annular core formed by combining the plurality of divided cores, the core gap part being made of a non-magnetic material; annular heat-dissipating cases that house the divided cores and the core gap part; and a coil wound around the heat-dissipating cases, wherein the heat-dissipating cases are made of a material whose thermal conductivity is as high as 100 W/(m·K) or more.

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: The present invention is to provide a vehicle-mounted lamp fitting which can efficiently suppress fogging due to condensation of a light transmissive cover. Provided are: a lamp chamber composed of a light transmissive cover exposed to the outside and a case; a dehumidification element mounted on the case; and a humidity detection element mounted on the inside of the light transmissive cover of the lamp chamber. The dehumidification element mounted on the case is controlled by detection of the humidity detection element mounted on the inside of the light transmissive cover of the lamp chamber to efficiently suppress fogging due to condensation of the light transmissive cover.

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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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.