Abstract: A xylanase variant includes an amino acid sequence derived from an amino acid sequence of a xylanase from a filamentous fungus wherein one or more amino acid residues at the positions selected from the positions corresponding to position 78, position 80, position 117, position 155, position 169, and position 203 in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 are substituted, the xylanase variant having a xylanase activity.

Abstract: A method efficiently produces hydroxycinnamic acids having a high quality, from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes the steps of: obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; obtaining a hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid by allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass; and separating the hydroxycinnamic acid from the hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid from cellulose-containing biomass includes (1) to (3): (1): subjecting a cellulose-containing biomass to hydrothermal treatment and thereafter separating the treated cellulose-containing biomass into a hydrothermally-treated liquid and a cellulose-containing solid content; (2): adding a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase to the cellulose-containing solid content obtained in (1) to hydrolyze the cellulose and thereafter separating the hydrolysate into a saccharification residue and a sugar liquid; and (3): washing the saccharification residue obtained in (2) with the hydrothermally-treated liquid obtained in (1) to elute the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase adsorbed to the saccharification residue into the hydrothermally-treated liquid and thereafter obtaining a solution component comprising the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase by solid-liquid separation.

Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid includes subjecting a lactic acid-containing solution to distillation to collect lactic acid from the vapor side (Step A); subjecting the lactic acid obtained in Step A to crystallization (Step B); subjecting the lactic acid slurry obtained in Step B to solid-liquid separation into lactic acid crystals and a mother liquor (Step C); and circulating the mother liquor obtained in Step C to Step B (Step D).

Abstract: In the present invention, a sugar alcohol can be efficiently produced from a cellulose-containing biomass by carrying out a step (1) of filtering an aqueous sugar solution, which is obtained by hydrolysis of a cellulose-containing biomass, by passing the solution through a separation membrane having a molecular cut-off of 300-800 so as to remove catalyst poisons to the non-permeate side and collecting a sugar solution from the permeate side, and a step (2) of subjecting the sugar solution obtained in step (1) to a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a metal catalyst.

Abstract: An endoxylanase mutant has improved thermal stability. The endoxylanase mutant having endoxylanase activity includes an amino acid sequence at least including substitution of an amino acid residue at one or more positions selected from positions corresponding to position 35, position 44, position 62, position 63, position 101, and position 102 of an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 in an amino acid sequence of endoxylanase derived from a filamentous fungus.

Abstract: A method of producing a chemical product includes cultivating microorganisms or culture cells in a fermentation tank; transferring a culture liquid from the fermentation tank to a membrane separation tank to filter the culture liquid through a separation membrane; and collecting a fermentation product from a filtration liquid as the chemical product while refluxing an unfiltered culture liquid that has not been filtered to be joined to the culture liquid on an upstream side of the membrane separation tank, wherein one portion of the culture liquid to be transferred from the fermentation tank is allowed to bypass the membrane separation tank depending on a pressure at a culture liquid flow-in side of the membrane separation tank.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid, the method including the step of culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Serratia capable of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid.

Abstract: An aquatic organism growth promotor, containing, as an effective ingredient, a low molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 4,000 to 9,500 and/or a high molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 10,000 to 40,000, wherein the molecular weight peak is measured at a wavelength of 254 nm by GPC molecular weight analysis using an UV detector.

Abstract: A device that produces a sugar solution from cellulose-containing biomass includes: a horizontal reaction tank that includes a stirring shaft provided along a horizontal direction in the horizontal reaction tank and a stirring blade provided to the stirring shaft, the horizontal reaction tank being configured to obtain a saccharified slurry by reacting the cellulose-containing biomass with a saccharification enzyme by stirring the cellulose-containing biomass and the saccharification enzyme; a vertical reaction tank configured to obtain a saccharified liquid by saccharifying the saccharified slurry; a saccharified slurry feed line that connects the horizontal reaction tank and the vertical reaction tank; and a warming part provided around the horizontal reaction tank or on a wall surface of the horizontal reaction tank and heats the horizontal reaction tank.

Abstract: A food discoloration inhibitor contains, as an effective ingredient, a low molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 4,000 to 9,500 and/or a high molecular weight lignin having a molecular weight peak in a molecular weight range of 10,000 to 40,000, wherein the molecular weight peak is measured at a wavelength of 254 nm by GPC molecular weight analysis using an UV detector.

Abstract: A method produces a chemical product by continuous fermentation including filtering a culture liquid of a microorganism(s) through a separation membrane, retaining unfiltered liquid in, or refluxing unfiltered liquid to, the culture liquid, adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture liquid, and recovering a product in the filtrate, wherein the microorganism(s) is/are a microorganism(s) that undergo(es) catabolite repression, and the fermentation feedstock comprises hexose and pentose.

Abstract: A method of producing ?-caprolactam from 3-oxoadipic acid includes: step 1 of mixing at least one selected from the group consisting of 3-oxoadipic acid and salts thereof with a catalyst and a solvent in the presence of hydrogen to produce 3-hydroxyadipic acid; and step 2 of reacting the 3-hydroxyadipic acid which is a product of step 1, a salt or carboxylic acid derivative thereof, or a mixture of these with hydrogen and ammonia.

Abstract: In the present invention, a sugar alcohol can be efficiently produced from a cellulose-containing biomass by carrying out a step (1) of filtering an aqueous sugar solution, which is obtained by hydrolysis of a cellulose-containing biomass, by passing the solution through a separation membrane having a molecular cut-off of 300-800 so as to remove catalyst poisons to the non-permeate side and collecting a sugar solution from the permeate side, and a step (2) of subjecting the sugar solution obtained in step (1) to a hydrogenation reaction in the presence of a metal catalyst.

Abstract: An apparatus that produces a sugar liquid by a method including hydrolyzing cellulose includes a hydrolysis tank to which a recovered enzyme feed pipe and a fresh enzyme feed pipe are connected; a device for solid-liquid separation of a hydrolysate; a sugar liquid-retaining tank having a water supply pipe that washes an ultrafiltration membrane and/or removes recovered enzyme retained in a circulation pipe; and an ultrafiltration membrane device that separates enzyme and a sugar liquid.

Abstract: A method efficiently produces a sugar liquid having a high quality from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes: the step of obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; the recirculation filtration step of allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass to produce a cellulose-containing solid component; and the step of hydrolyzing the cellulose-containing solid component to obtain the sugar liquid.

Abstract: A method efficiently produces hydroxycinnamic acids having a high quality, from a cellulose-containing biomass. More specifically, the method includes the steps of: obtaining an alkaline filtrate by allowing an alkaline aqueous medium to pass through a cellulose-containing biomass; obtaining a hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid by allowing the alkaline filtrate to repeatedly pass through the cellulose-containing biomass; and separating the hydroxycinnamic acid from the hydroxycinnamic acid extraction liquid.

Abstract: A method of producing a sugar liquid and a xylooligosaccharide includes Steps (1) to (3): Step (1): hydrolyzing a cellulose-containing biomass with a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase; Step (2): subjecting the hydrolysate of Step (1) to solid-liquid separation, and filtering the solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane to recover cellulase as a non-permeate, and to recover a sugar liquid as a permeate; and Step (3): reacting the recovered cellulase in Step (2) with a xylan-containing material, and recovering a xylooligosaccharide produced, Step (3) being independent from Step (1).

Abstract: A glucose composition contains, as equivalents in an aqueous solution of the composition having a glucose concentration of 100 g/L, 0-25 g/L of xylose, 0.1-10 g/L of acetic acid, 0.15-2.0 g/L of coumaric acid, and 0.007-0.28 g/L of ferulic acid. By using this glucose composition as a raw material in a method for producing a chemical product by microbial fermentation, the yield of the chemical product can be raised.

Abstract: A method of producing a chemical product includes culturing a microorganism with a fermentation feedstock containing cane molasses as a main component; filtering the resulting culture liquid through a separation membrane to recover a filtrate which contains the chemical product and from which the microorganism has been separated; retaining or returning an unfiltered liquid containing the microorganism, in or to the culture liquid; and adding an additional fermentation feedstock to the culture liquid to carry out continuous fermentation; in which the microorganism cultured causes a centrifugal supernatant of the culture liquid to contain particles having an average particle diameter of 100 nm or more.