Abstract: A binding agent is capable of binding to rare earth materials such as rare earths and inorganic compounds thereof. A rare earth material-binding agent includes a peptide capable of binding to a rare earth material including a rare earth and a rare earth inorganic compound.

Abstract: A magnetic substrate has such a shape that ridges extending between principal surfaces are cut away by cutout portions. A multilayer body has corners arranged so as to overlap the cutout portions. A coil includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. A coil is combined with the coil to constitute a common mode choke coil and includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. Connecting portions connect external electrodes to the lead portions and are provided at the cutout portion.

Abstract: A method for identifying and separating a rare earth ion. The method includes bringing one or more rare earth ions into contact with a mineralization agent capable of mineralizing the rare earth ions, wherein the one or more rare earth ions are separated as rare earth minerals, based on a mineralization tendency of the mineralization agent with respect to a rare earth ion series.

Abstract: A magnetic substrate has such a shape that ridges extending between principal surfaces are cut away by cutout portions. A multilayer body has corners arranged so as to overlap the cutout portions. A coil includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. A coil is combined with the coil to constitute a common mode choke coil and includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. Connecting portions connect external electrodes to the lead portions and are provided at the cutout portion.

Abstract: The invention is intended to improve xylose assimilation ability and ethanol fermentation ability in a xylose-assimilating yeast into which a xylose isomerase gene has been introduced. The amount of NADH produced by the recombinant yeast into which the xylose isomerase gene had been introduced as a result of the enzymatic reaction of acetohydroxy acid reductoisomerase is lowered.

Abstract: A eukaryotic cell having xylose utilization ability. Provided is a protein that has xylose isomerase activity and has an amino acid sequence including, when aligned with an amino acid sequence expressed by SEQ ID NO:1, the 1st to 6th motifs expressed respectively by SEQ ID NOs:2 to 7 from the N-terminus side in the order described, and having, in place of asparagine (N) in an amino acid sequence of the 6th motif, another amino acid.

Abstract: The invention is intended to metabolize acetic acid and to lower acetic acid concentration in a medium at the time of xylose assimilation and ethanol fermentation by a yeast strain having xylose-metabolizing ability. The method for producing ethanol comprises a step of culturing recombinant yeast strains resulting from introduction of a xylose isomerase gene and an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase gene into a medium containing xylose, so as to perform ethanol fermentation.

Abstract: The saccharification efficiency of cellulase is enhanced within reaction temperature regions of general fermenting microorganisms other than heat-resistant yeast. Cellulosic biomass is saccharified with cellulase in the presence of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4 and having a function of enhancing the saccharifying activity of cellulase.

Abstract: The present invention provides, inter alia, an improvement in the production of a desired product from yeast, wherein the growth rate and fermentation rate of the yeast are maintained at excellent levels. The present invention also provides, inter alia, for the introduction of a foreign gene into a yeast host cell, wherein the foreign gene encodes an enzyme involved in the production of a desired product. The yeast may also constitutively express a HAP4 gene, or a homologous gene thereof, to significantly improve the ability of the yeast to produce the desired product while maintaining its growth rate and fermentation rate. In some embodiments, a yeast mutant is used which is a mutant strain having lowered alcohol productivity vis-à-vis a wild-type strain.

Abstract: A magnetic substrate has such a shape that ridges extending between principal surfaces are cut away by cutout portions. A multilayer body has corners arranged so as to overlap the cutout portions. A coil includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. A coil is combined with the coil to constitute a common mode choke coil and includes lead portions which are connected with both ends of a coil portion and which are drawn out to the corners. Connecting portions connect external electrodes to the lead portions and are provided at the cutout portion.

Abstract: This invention is intended to improve saccharification efficiency by allowing cellulose and/or hemicellulose to relax sufficiently with an ionic liquid. Cellulose and/or hemicellulose is allowed to relax sufficiently with an ionic liquid through a step of soaking cellulosic biomass in a solution containing an ionic liquid and an alkali.

Abstract: The saccharification efficiency of cellulase is enhanced within reaction temperature regions of general fermenting microorganisms other than heat-resistant yeast. Cellulosic biomass is saccharified with cellulase in the presence of a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4 and having a function of enhancing the saccharifying activity of cellulase.

Abstract: Plant biomass is immersed in a solution that contains a polar solvent and an imidazolium salt that has a melting point of at least 100° C. As a result, the cellulose and hemicellulose present in the plant biomass are relaxed (decrystallized and depolymerized) and brought into an easy-to-degrade state. Reacting the immersed plant biomass with a cellulase produces saccharide at a high conversion efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transformant into which has been incorporated DNA for coding a foreign protein having lactate dehydrogenase activity and provided with pyruvic acid substrate affinity that equals or exceeds the pyruvic acid substrate affinity of the pyruvate decarboxylase inherent in the host organism. Said transformant can stably mass-produce lactic acid inside a host organism having the pyruvate decarboxylase gene.

Abstract: This invention is intended to improve the efficiency of organic acid fermentation in a simple manner without mutant breeding, DNA recombination breeding, or other means, when producing an organic acid via fermentation with the use of yeast that produces the organic acid of interest. The efficiency of the yeast's ability to produce organic acid is significantly improved by treating yeast that produces an organic acid in an organic-acid-containing medium having a low pH value.

Abstract: This invention provides a polynucleotide that encodes a protein having lactate dehydrogenase activity and such protein that can be used for producing D-lactic acid. This polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 (a), and it hybridizes under stringent conditions with a probe comprising all or part of the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complementary strand thereof and encodes a protein having D-lactate dehydrogenase activity (b).

Abstract: According to the present invention, the ability to produce a desired product is significantly improved and the growth rate and the fermentation rate are maintained at excellent levels for yeast upon production of a desired product with the use of yeast A yeast used as a host is introduced with a foreign gene that encodes an enzyme involved in the production of a desired product and the HAP4 gene that can be constitutively expressed or a homologous gene thereof. Preferably a yeast mutant is a mutant strain having lowered alcohol productivity than that of a wild-type strain.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a useful substance efficiently from cellulose without using any cellulase preparation. According to the disclosures of the present specification, in the production of a useful substance from a cellulose-containing material, the cellulose-containing material is brought into contact with an ionic liquid to cause the ionic liquid to permeate the cellulose-containing material, and a carbon source comprising the cellulose in the cellulose-containing material is simultaneously saccharified and fermented by a cellulase-producing microorganism in the presence of the ionic liquid.

Abstract: The invention provides a promoter that can be used in the presence of an organic acid. The promoter includes DNA with promoter activity of high osmolarity response 7 gene (HOR7 gene), glycelaldehyde 3 phosphate dehydrogenase 2 gene (TDH2 gene), heat shock protein 30 gene (HSP30), hexose transport protein 7 gene (HXT7 gene), thioredoxin peroxidase 1 gene (AHP1 gene), or membrane protein 1 associated gene gene) of yeasts.

Abstract: This invention provides a polynucleotide that encodes a protein having lactate dehydrogenase activity and such protein that can be used for producing D-lactic acid. This polynucleotide has the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 (a), and it hybridizes under stringent conditions with a probe comprising all or part of the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 or a complementary strand thereof and encodes a protein having D-lactate dehydrogenase activity (b).