Abstract: A mutant protein having diaphorase activity is provided. A mutant protein includes an amino acid sequence obtained by deletion, replacement, addition, or insertion of at least one amino acid residue of a native-form amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. No. 1, wherein the mutant protein has diaphorase activity with an enzyme activity of 245 or more.

Abstract: A heat-resistant bilirubin oxidase mutant is disclosed. The bilirubin oxidase is obtained by deletion, replacement, addition or insertion of at least one amino acid residue of a wild type amino sequence of SEQ. ID. No. 1 of a bilirubin oxidase derived from an imperfect filamentous fungus, Myrothecium verrucaria.

Abstract: A molecular device including: at least one molecule of zinc cytochrome c; in which an electron or a hole is transferred within the at least one molecule of zinc cytochrome c bar utilizing transition of an electron between molecular orbitals of the at least one molecule of zinc cytochrome c. The molecular orbitals, for example, are a first molecular orbital localized in a first amino acid residue of the at least one molecule of zinc cytochrome c, and a second molecular orbital which is localized in a second amino acid residue of the at least one molecule of zinc cytochrome c and which has a maximum transition probability per unit time with respect to the first molecular orbital. In this case, the electron or the hole is transferred between the first amino acid residue and the second amino acid residue.

Abstract: A power supply device is provided and includes a fuel introduction unit from which a fuel edible, drinkable, and safe to contact for human body is introduced. The power supply device also includes a fuel cell unit including a negative electrode that is exposed to outside through the fuel introduction unit and that can contact with the fuel, the fuel cell unit being configured to generate electrical energy from the fuel; and an electronic controller unit configured to control feeding of the electrical energy to an external device.

Abstract: A method of coating bilirubin oxidase (BOD) is provided and includes introducing a polymerizable functional group onto the surface of a bilirubin oxidase (BOD) molecule, and copolymerizing the polymerizable functional group with a polymerizable monomer. The step of introducing the polymerizable functional group and the step of copolymerizing the polymerizable functional group with the polymerizable monomer are performed at 17° C. or lower.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fuel cell having a structure in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are opposed with a proton conductor therebetween and an enzyme is immobilized on the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode includes the step of immobilizing the enzyme on the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode with a photo-curable resin and/or a thermosetting resin. A photo-curable resin and/or a thermosetting resin may be further laminated on the photo-curable resin and/or the thermosetting resin which have immobilized the enzyme.

Abstract: A biofuel cell has a structure in which a cathode and an anode are opposed to each other with a electrolyte layer provided therebetween, at least one of the cathode and the anode including an electrode on which at least one enzyme and at least one electron mediator are immobilized. The concentration of the electron mediator immobilized on the electrode is at least 10 times a Michaelis constant Km of the electron mediator for the enzyme, which is determined by measurement in a solution.

Abstract: A mutant diaphorase capable of having lower potential energy than that of wild-type diaphorase of sequence ID No. 1 when forming a complex with a coenzyme, flavin mononucleotide.

Abstract: A photoelectric transducer is provided. The photoelectric transducer includes a first electrode, an electron transferring protein, and a second electrode. The first electrode includes an electroconductive material. The electron transferring protein is immobilized on or above the first electrode, has a photoelectric conversion capability, and includes a metal. The second electrode includes an electroconductive material.

Abstract: A fuel cell which can directly extract electric power from a polysaccharide, such as starch. A fuel electrode 1 is formed by immobilizing with an immobilizer, on an electrode 11 comprised of, e.g., carbon, an enzyme responsible for decomposing a polysaccharide into monosaccharides, an enzyme responsible for decomposing the monosaccharide formed, a coenzyme (e.g., NAD+ or NADP+) which forms a reductant due to the oxidation reaction in the monosaccharide decomposition process, a coenzyme oxidase (e.g., diaphorase) for oxidizing the reductant of the coenzyme (e.g., NADH or NADPH), and an electron mediator (e.g., ACNQ or vitamin K3) for receiving electrons generated due to the oxidation of the coenzyme from the coenzyme oxidase and delivering the electrons to the electrode 11. The fuel cell comprises the fuel electrode 1 and the air electrode 5 that sandwich an electrolyte layer 3.

Abstract: A mutant protein having diaphorase activity is provided. A mutant protein includes an amino acid sequence obtained by deletion, replacement, addition, or insertion of at least one amino acid residue of a native-form amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. No. 1, wherein the mutant protein has diaphorase activity with an enzyme activity of 245 or more.

Abstract: A paste in which semiconductor fine grain such as titanium oxide fine grain or the like and a binder made of a polymer compound are mixed is coated onto a transparent conductive substrate and sintered, thereby forming a semiconductor layer made of the semiconductor fine grain, after that, ultraviolet rays are irradiated to the semiconductor layer and, by using a photocatalyst effect of the semiconductor fine grain, an organic substance remaining in the semiconductor layer is removed.

Abstract: In a dye-sensitized photoelectric transfer device having a semiconductor layer and an electrolyte layer between a transparent conductive substrate and a counter conductive substrate, the semiconductor layer is composed of titania nanotubes, and a sensitizing dye is retained by the titania nanotubes. The titania nanotubes preferably have an anatase-type crystalline form. The dye-sensitized photoelectric transfer device is used as a dye-sensitized solar cell.

Abstract: A method for generating hydrogen gas, an apparatus for producing hydrogen gas, and an energy conversion system, which are so designed as to generate hydrogen extremely efficiently without the help of catalyst are provided. The hydrogen gas is generated by decomposing a metal hydride in a mixture composed of said metal hydride, water, and a second solution which has a pH value lower than that of the aqueous solution of said metal hydride wherein the metal hydride is represented by a formula: ?z(1-x)?zx[BHy], where ? and ? are mutually different elements selected from Groups 1A, 2A, and 2B of the periodic table; and x, y, and z are defined respectively by 0?x?1, 3<y<6, and 0<z<3.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dye-sensitized type photoelectric conversion device for generating electric power by using solar light. The dye-sensitized type photoelectric conversion device includes a semiconductor layer on which a sensitizing dye having an acidic group-containing porphyrin polymer expressed by a below-described general formula (1) is carried and an electrolyte layer. (Here, in the above-described general formula (1), R1 to R18 indicate substituents such as hydrogen atoms, halogen atoms and at least one of R1 to R18 is an acidic substituent such as 4-carboxyphenyl group.