Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing at least one alkane, the method comprising, —producing at least one carboxylic acid from a carbon source using a genetically modified microorganism, and —performing Kolbe electrolysis on the carboxylic acid to produce the alkane, wherein the alkane comprises at least 6 carbon atoms and the carboxylic acid comprises at least 4 carbon atoms and wherein the carbon source is selected from the group consisting of ethanol, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate, valerate, hexanoate and combinations thereof and the microorganism is capable of producing the carboxylic acid using ethanol-carboxylate fermentation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing propanol and/or propionic acid from a carbon source in aerobic conditions, the method comprising: (a) step of producing ethanol and/or acetate from the carbon source in aerobic conditions, comprising (i) contacting a reaction mixture comprising a first acetogenic microorganism in an exponential growth phase; free oxygen; and a second acetogenic microorganism in a stationary phase wherein the first and second acetogenic microorganism is capable of converting the carbon source to the acetate and/or ethanol; and (b) step of contacting the acetate and/or ethanol from step (a) with a third microorganism capable of converting the acetate and/or ethanol to propanol and/or propionic acid.

Abstract: There is provided amicrobial cell which is capable of producing acetoacetate, 3-hydroxybutyrate and/or 3-hydroxybutyrate variants, wherein the cell is genetically modified to comprise an increased expression relative to its wild type cell of: an enzyme E1 capable of catalysing the conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA; an enzyme E2 capable of catalysing the conversion of acetoacetyl-CoA to acetoacetate; and an enzyme E3 capable of catalysing the conversion of acetoacetate to 3-hydroxybutyrate and/or variants thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to O/W wax dispersions based on water, an emulsifier and a wax phase containing predominantly aliphatic hydrocarbons and polar compounds having chain lengths of at least 18 carbon atoms, and also plaster compositions comprising the O/W wax dispersion, and the use of the O/W wax dispersion.

Abstract: There is provided a microbial cell which is capable of producing at least one higher alcohol, wherein the microbial cell is genetically modified to include an increased expression relative to its wild type cell of at least one acyl-CoA reductase (E11). In particular, there is provided a microbial cell capable of producing at least one higher alcohol, wherein the microbial cell is genetically modified to include an increased expression relative to its wild type cell of at least one acyl-CoA reductase (E11) and wherein the cell is capable of producing a carboxylic acid and/or ester thereof using ethanol-carboxylate fermentation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing at least one amino acid from a carbon source in aerobic conditions, the method comprising: (a)step of producing ethanol and/or acetate from the carbon source in aerobic conditions, comprising (i)contacting a reaction mixture comprising—a first acetogenic microorganism in an exponential growth phase; —free oxygen; and —a second acetogenic microorganism in a stationary phase wherein the first and second acetogenic microorganism is capable of converting the carbon source to the acetate and/or ethanol; and (b)step of contacting the acetate and/or ethanol from step (a) with a third microorganism capable of converting the acetate and/or ethanol to at least one amino acid.

Abstract: A reaction mixture for producing ethanol and/or acetate from a carbon source in aerobic conditions, wherein the mixture comprises a first acetogenic microorganism in an exponential growth phase; free oxygen; and a second acetogenic microorganism in a stationary phase wherein the first and second acetogenic microorganism is capable of converting the carbon source to the acetate and/or ethanol.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for removing an organic compound from an aqueous solution, comprising the steps of providing the aqueous solution which contains the organic compound, and a hydrophobic organic solution, where the latter comprises a liquid hydrophobic cation exchanger, contacting the aqueous solution and the hydrophobic organic solution, and separating off the hydrophobic organic solution from the aqueous solution, wherein the liquid hydrophobic cation exchanger is a saturated alkanoic acid having at least one alkyl substituent, where the organic compound is an organic compound having at least one positive charge and a neutral or positive total charge.

Abstract: There is provided a method of producing at least one rhamnolipid comprising: (a) contacting a recombinant cell with a medium containing a carbon source; wherein the recombinant cell has been genetically modified such that, compared to the wild-type of the cell, the cell has an increased activity of at least one of the enzymes E1, E2 and E3, wherein the enzyme E1 is an ?/? hydrolase (RHIA), the enzyme E2 is a rhamnosyltransferase I (RHIB) and the enzyme E3 is a rhamnosyltransferase II (RHIC), and wherein the carbon source is an alkane and/or alkanoic acid comprising 6 to 10 carbon atoms.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microbial cell capable of producing at least one terminal alkene from at least one short chain fatty acid, wherein the cell is genetically modified to comprise at least a first genetic mutation that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of an enzyme (E1) selected from the CYP152 peroxygenase family, and at least a second genetic mutation that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of at least one NAD(P)+ oxidoreductase (E2) and the corresponding mediator protein, wherein the short chain fatty acid is a C4-C10 fatty acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to water based wax dispersion comprising a hydrocarbon wax and a dialkylether for the coating of paper products, the use thereof, the method of coating paper products therewith and the coated printed paper product.

Abstract: A radially expansible annular stent is disclosed. The stent comprises a plurality of stenting turns around a lumen centred on a longitudinal axis. Adjacent turns of the stent are joined by connector struts. The stent annulus has a wall thickness related to the material from which it is formed. The radial thickness of the connector struts is smaller than that of the stent annulus. A method of making such a stent is also disclosed. The method includes cutting the connector struts from a tubular workpiece with a laser beam. The laser beam is aimed so as to be offset from a longitudinal axis of the workpiece to provide the reduced radial thickness of the connector struts.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for manufacturing a gypsum slurry by bringing together and mixing gypsum, water, wax powder and optionally other components, applying the gypsum slurry in a process for manufacturing a gypsum product and a gypsum product such as a plasterboard or wallboard obtained by the process and the use of the wax powder for the manufacturing of a moisture resistant gypsum product.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining a wheel load (WL) acting on a tire (1) of a vehicle, comprising: a) determining a footprint (L) of the tire (1), b) receiving a tire information (ti) that identifies a type of the tire (1) and/or characterizes physical properties of the tire (1) as such, c) receiving tire operation conditions (toe) based on a measurement, d) selecting one of a plurality of predetermined calculation models (mod(ti)) based on the received tire information (ti), wherein each of the predetermined calculation models (mod(ti)) defines the wheel load (WL) as a function of the footprint (L) and the tire operation conditions (toe) for a respective tire type and/or respective physical properties of the tire (1) as such, e) calculating the wheel load (WL) based on the determined footprint (L) and the received tire operation conditions (toe), using the selected calculation model (mod(ti)). Further, a corresponding system (10) for determining a wheel load (WL) is proposed.

Abstract: A process for producing alanine, including culturing a cell under aerobic conditions in an aqueous phase in the presence of an inorganic nitrogen source, and then contacting the aqueous phase and the cell cultured in the aqueous phase with a hydrophobic organic phase. The cell is a prokaryotic or a lower eukaryotic cell and expresses a recombinant alanine dehydrogenase.

Abstract: There is provided a mixed culture of a first and second microorganism in an aqueous medium, wherein the first microorganism is an acetogenic microorganism capable of converting a carbon source comprising CO and/or CO2 to acetate and/or ethanol, the second microorganism is a non-acetogenic microorganism capable of metabolising acetate and/or ethanol and the first and second microorganisms are in a homogenous mixture and wherein the aqueous medium comprises oxygen. There is also provided a method of producing substituted and/or unsubstituted organic compounds using the mixed culture.

Abstract: There is provided a method of producing aminohexanoic acid and/or aminohexanoic acid ester from synthesis gas, the method comprising: A. contacting the synthesis gas with at least one bacteria capable of carrying out the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and the ethanol-carboxylate fermentation to produce hexanoic acid; and B. contacting the hexanoic acid with a genetically modified cell to produce aminohexanoic acid and/or aminohexanoic acid ester, wherein the genetically modified cell has an increased activity, in comparison with its wild type, of alkane monooxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and ?-transaminase.

Abstract: The invention provides a whole cell catalyst which expresses a recombinant ?-dioxygenase or the combination of a recombinant fatty acid reductase and a phosphopantetheinyl transferase phosphopantetheinylating the fatty acid reductase, and which in addition to the ?-dioxygenase and/or the combination of fatty acid reductase and phosphopantetheinyl transferase expresses a transaminase, characterized in that the phosphopantetheinyl transferase and/or transaminase is preferably recombinant; and a method for the conversion of a fatty acid, ?-hydroxy fatty acid, ?-oxo fatty acid or a monoester thereof to an amine, comprising oxidation of the fatty acid, ?-hydroxy fatty acid, ?-oxo fatty acid or the monoester thereof to an oxidation product by contacting with an alkane hydroxylase and/or alcohol dehydrogenase, contacting the oxidation product with a phosphopantetheinylated fatty acid reductase or a ?-dioxygenase to give an aldehyde, and contacting the aldehyde with a transaminase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing valeric acid, heptanoic acid, esters and/or salts thereof from a carbon source, the method comprising a step of contacting at least one microorganism with the carbon source in an aqueous medium, wherein the carbon source is ethanol and propionic acid and the concentration of propionic acid is about ?10 g/L.

Abstract: The invention relates to curable compositions comprising at least one epoxy resin and at least one hardener wherein the hardener is a compound of formula (I) or (II) where R1 and R2 are each independently selected from the group of substituents having the formula —(CH2)x—NH2 and x is in each case independently 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, to surfaces comprising such compositions, to methods comprising applying a coating material comprising such compositions and to the use of such compositions as surface protection.