Abstract: A 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone composition includes 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone, and 3 to 30 parts by weight of ?-hydromuconic acid with respect to 100 parts by weight of the 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone; and a method produces a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone composition, the method including a step of heating 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone to obtain the 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone composition.

Abstract: Disclosed are a genetically modified microorganism that can produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid and/or ?-hydromuconic acid in high yields, and the genetically modified microorganism. The genetically modified microorganism is a microorganism having an ability to produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid and/or ?-hydromuconic acid, in which the reaction to generate acetyl-CoA from pyruvic acid is enhanced and function of pyruvate kinase and/or phosphotransferase system is reduced.

Abstract: A method relates to producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone, the method including the following steps (A) and (B): (A) a step of adding an acid to a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-containing aqueous solution to obtain a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone-containing aqueous solution; and (B) a step of obtaining a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone extract by bringing the 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone-containing aqueous solution obtained in step (A) into contact with an extraction solvent that is phase-separated from the solution.

Abstract: A method of producing 3-oxoadipic acid from an aliphatic compound easily utilizable by a microorganism, such as a saccharide, by utilization of a metabolic pathway of the microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: A mutant strain of Trichoderma reesei has a mutation that eliminates or reduces a function of a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2. A method produces a protein, the method including a step of cultivating the mutant strain.

Abstract: A genetically modified microorganism that can produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid and/or ?-hydromuconic acid with a high yield; and a method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid and/or ?-hydromuconic acid using the genetically modified microorganism, are disclosed. The genetically modified microorganism has an ability to produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid and/or ?-hydromuconic acid, and has an enhanced enzymatic activity to catalyze a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA, wherein, in the genetically modified microorganism, a dicarboxylic acid excretion carrier function is deleted or decreased.

Abstract: A mutant strain of a filamentous fungus of the genus Trichoderma having a reduced function of a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2; and a method of producing a sugar from a cellulose-containing biomass, the method including: step a of producing a cellulase by cultivating a Trichoderma reesei mutant strain having a reduced function of a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, and step b of saccharifying the biomass by using the cellulase obtained in the step a.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing ?-caprolactam, the method including the following steps (A) and (B): (A) a step of reacting 5-cyanovaleramide with hydrogen in an aqueous solvent in a presence of a hydrogenation catalyst to obtain a 5-cyanovaleramide hydrogenation reaction mixture; (B) a step of heating the 5-cyanovaleramide hydrogenation reaction mixture at a temperature of 180° C. or higher and 300° C. or lower in an aqueous solvent to obtain ?-caprolactam.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing adipic acid, including a step (hydrogenation step) of reacting 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone with hydrogen in an aqueous solvent in a presence of a hydrogenation catalyst. The hydrogenation catalyst preferably includes one kind or two or more kinds of transition metal elements selected from the group consisting of palladium, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium, rhenium, nickel, cobalt, iron, iridium, osmium, copper, and chromium.

Abstract: A Trichoderma reesei mutant strain has a function of a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 is reduced. A method of producing a protein includes a step of cultivating the Tricho-derma reesei mutant strain, and a method of producing a cellulase includes a step of cultivating the Trichoderma reesei mutant strain.

Abstract: A method produces a protein using a filamentous fungus, in which decrease in dissolved oxygen saturation during culture of the filamentous fungus can be suppressed even when the culture is scaled up. The method of producing a protein includes culturing a fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma whose BXL1 gene was disrupted, using a biomass containing cellulose and xylan as an inducer. The use of the BXL1 gene-disrupted fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma enables suppression of the decrease in dissolved oxygen saturation even when xylose and cellulose are used as inducers.

Abstract: A filtration device includes a continuous first unit including a first membrane that separates a liquid into first permeated and non-permeated liquids, a first adjuster that adjusts a flow rate of the first permeated liquid to be substantially constant, and a first liquid scale that detects a liquid amount, a second unit including a second membrane that separates another liquid into second permeated and non-permeated liquids, a second adjuster that adjusts a flow rate of the second permeated liquid to be substantially constant, and a second liquid scale that detects another liquid amount, a first controller that controls the liquid amount in the first storage tank based on measurement values from continuous two first units or from the continuous first and second units, and a second controller that controls the another liquid amount based on a measurement value from the second unit.

Abstract: Disclosed are a genetically modified microorganism with an ability to produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid, ?-hydromuconic acid, and/or adipic acid in high yield, and a method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid, ?-hydromuconic acid, and/or adipic acid by using the genetically modified microorganism. The genetically modified microorganism has an ability to produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid, ?-hydromuconic acid, and/or adipic acid and is deficient in the function of pyruvate kinase, in which the activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and of an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction of reducing 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA are enhanced.

Abstract: Disclosed is a genetically modified microorganism that produces 3-hydroxyadipic acid, ?-hydromuconic acid. or adipic acid in high yield. A nucleic acid encoding any one of the polypeptides described in (a) to (c) below is introduced or the expression of the polypeptide is enhanced and the function of pyruvate kinase is impaired in the genetically modified microorganism: (a) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7; (b) a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence as any one of those amino acid sequences, except that one or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted, andor added, and having an enzymatic activity that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA; (c) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence with a sequence identity of not less than 70% to any one of those amino acid sequences and having an enzymatic activity that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA.

Abstract: A method relates to producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone, the method including the following steps (A) and (B): (A) a step of adding an acid to a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-containing aqueous solution to obtain a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone-containing aqueous solution; and (B) a step of obtaining a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone extract by bringing the 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone-containing aqueous solution obtained in step (A) into contact with an extraction solvent that is phase-separated from the solution.

Abstract: A method of producing an ?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid ester exemplified by an ?-hydromuconic acid ester from a carboxylic acid ester exemplified by a 3-hydroxyadipic acid ester or a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone ester, in which the selectivity for the ?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid ester can be increased by subjecting the carboxylic acid ester to a basic condition of pH 8.5 to less than 13 in an organic solvent or a mixed solvent of an organic solvent and water.

Abstract: Efficient production of a carboxylic acid is provided by a method of producing a carboxylic acid, which includes the following steps (A) and (B): (A) filtering a carboxylic acid-containing fermentation broth by passing said fermentation broth through a nanofiltration membrane, to obtain a carboxylic acid-containing filtrate from the permeate side of the membrane; and (B) extracting the carboxylic acid from the carboxylic acid-containing filtrate obtained in the step (A) using an extraction solvent which undergoes phase separation with the filtrate, and collecting a carboxylic acid extract phase-separated from the aqueous phase.

Abstract: A method produces xylo-oligosaccharides from a biomass containing xylan and cellulose, which method is convenient and has a high yield of xylo-oligosaccharides because of inhibition of degradation of xylo-oligosaccharides into xylose. In the method of producing xylo-oligosaccharides, a biomass containing xylan and cellulose is hydrolyzed with a cellulase composition having at least activities of xylanase, cellobiohydrolase and ?-glucosidase and substantially free of ?-xylosidase activity during hydrolysis.

Abstract: A method of producing cellulase includes steps (1) to (3): (1) subjecting an aqueous solution of cellulase derived from filamentous fungi to filtration through an ultrafiltration membrane with a molecular weight cut off of 100,000 to 200,000 to obtain a filtrate and concurrently obtain a concentrated enzyme liquid as a retentate; (2) further subjecting the filtrate obtained in step (1) to filtration through a second ultrafiltration membrane with a molecular weight cut off of 5,000 to 50,000 to obtain a second concentrated enzyme liquid as a retentate; and (3) mixing the concentrated enzyme liquid obtained in steps (1) and (2) to obtain cellulase derived from filamentous fungi.