Abstract: This invention relates to ethanol production as a product of bacterial fermentation.

Abstract: Fermentation processes for production of ethanol include supplying a thermophilic microorganism lacking lactate dehydrogenase activity with sugars under conditions in which they metabolise them predominantly by the pyruvate-formate lyase pathway. Importantly, the processes also include supplying sufficient glycerol to convert all of the sugars to ethanol. A further embodiment of the invention includes supplying additional glycerol sufficient to convert the exogenous acetate present in biomass hydrolysates into ethanol. Any type of fermentation system can be used for these processes, but a preferred embodiment includes continuous cultures at high temperatures in which ethanol is removed continuously by vacuum evaporation.

Abstract: This invention relates to ethanol production as a product of bacterial fermentation.

Abstract: Production of ethanol in a thermophilic bacterium can be achieved by transformation of the bacterium with a heterologous gene encoding pyruvate decarboxylase. The bacterium comprises native alcohol dehydrogenase function and does not comprise a gene encoding a functional lactate dehydrogenase. The bacterium may be grown at elevated temperatures to allow the ethanol to be conveniently removed in a vaporized form from the fermentation medium. Traditional mesophilic microorganisms are incapable of growth at the envisioned elevated temperatures.

Abstract: A thermophilic microorganism lacks lactate dehydrogenase activity and preferably contains an active pyruvate formate lyase pathway. The thermophilic microorganism contains a gene encoding an NAD-linked formate dehydrogenase. The gene encoding an NAD-linked formate dehydrogenase is preferably a codon optimised version of the gene encoding a thermostable NAD-linked formate dehydrogenase. DNA constructs allow stable expression of the gene encoding an NAD-linked formate dehydrogenase in the thermophilic microorganism. The DNA constructs are based upon use of an insertion sequence to achieve stable expression or recombination to insert the gene encoding an NAD-linked formate dehydrogenase into the lactate dehydrogenase gene, thus achieving gene knockout and new functionality in a single step. The microorganisms are useful in fermentation of sugars to produce ethanol.

Abstract: Production of ethanol in a thermophilic bacterium can be achieved by transformation of the bacterium with a heterologous gene encoding pyruvate decarboxylase. The bacterium comprises native alcohol dehydrogenase function and does not comprise a gene encoding a functional lactate dehydrogenase. The bacterium may be grown at elevated temperatures to allow the ethanol to be conveniently removed in a vaporized form from the fermentation medium. Traditional mesophilic microorganisms are incapable of growth at the envisioned elevated temperatures.

Abstract: This invention relates to ethanol production as a product of bacterial fermentation.

Abstract: Sporulation-deficient variants of thermophilic, facultatively anaerobic, Gram-positive bacteria can be generated using a plasmid transformation system based on a novel method of in vivo methylation. Such bacteria exhibit improved ethanol production-related characteristics.

Abstract: This invention relates to a novel method of in vivo methylation.

Abstract: This invention relates to ethanol production as a product of bacterial fermentation.