Abstract: Hydroxycarboxylic acids may be biosynthesized from a carbonaceous feedstock and then isolated through forming and subsequently hydrolyzing an intermediate sophorolipid. After biosynthesizing a hydroxycarboxylic acid in a cell culture medium or otherwise providing a hydroxycarboxylic acid in a first aqueous medium, the hydroxycarboxylic acid and glucose may be converted into at least one sophorolipid by a suitable microorganism or an enzyme cocktail. The at least one sophorolipid may be then be separated from the cell culture medium or first aqueous medium and then hydrolyzed in a second aqueous medium to form the hydroxycarboxylic acid and glucose as free components separate from the cell culture medium or first aqueous medium. The hydroxycarboxylic acid is present as a phase separate from the second aqueous medium and the glucose remains in the second aqueous medium.

Abstract: A variety of methods are disclosed, including, in one embodiment, a method including: providing a biomass source; processing the biomass source to remove water from the biomass source; compacting the biomass source to increase density of the biomass source to produce biomass briquettes; wrapping the biomass briquettes with a plastic membrane; and placing the biomass briquettes in an engineered landfill.

Abstract: A method for identifying in situ presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir or of a pipeline leakage is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep or near an offshore pipeline; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid, protein or metabolite signatures that are indicative of cold-shock response; identifying the relative abundance of the cold-shock signatures present in the sample in comparison to the surrounding environment.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for integration of electrolysis with biomass gasification to generate synthesis gas that can be used for production of renewable fuels and/or other hydrocarbonaceous compounds. The hydrocarbonaceous compounds can include compounds formed by chemical synthesis, such as alkanes formed by a Fischer-Tropsch process or methanol formed by a methanol synthesis process; or the hydrocarbonaceous compounds can include compounds formed by fermentation, such as alcohols formed by micro-organisms that use the synthesis gas as an input feed.

Abstract: Hydroxycarboxylic acids may be biosynthesized from a carbonaceous feedstock and then isolated through forming and subsequently hydrolyzing an intermediate sophorolipid. After biosynthesizing a hydroxycarboxylic acid in a cell culture medium or otherwise providing a hydroxycarboxylic acid in a first aqueous medium, the hydroxycarboxylic acid and glucose may be converted into at least one sophorolipid by a suitable microorganism or an enzyme cocktail. The at least one sophorolipid may be then be separated from the cell culture medium or first aqueous medium and then hydrolyzed in a second aqueous medium to form the hydroxycarboxylic acid and glucose as free components separate from the cell culture medium or first aqueous medium. The hydroxycarboxylic acid is present as a phase separate from the second aqueous medium and the glucose remains in the second aqueous medium.

Abstract: A method of identifying hydrocarbon seeps that are connected to hydrocarbon reservoirs and for identifying in situ conditions of hydrocarbon reservoirs is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect microbial signatures that are specific to families associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs; and using the signature to determine whether the hydrocarbon seep is connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir and to identify properties of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

Abstract: Oxygenases and methods of biologically upgrading hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil, using oxygenases are provided herein. The oxygenases can be used to remove impurities such as metals, heteroatoms, or asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon stream. In some cases, the oxygenases can be chemically or genetically modified and can be used in different locations such as petroleum wells, pipes, reservoirs, tanks and/or reactors.

Abstract: Techniques and methods are provided for isolating nucleic acids from a sample. The methods include adding a chelating agent to the sample to block nucleic acid binding sites on contaminants in the sample; heating the sample to remove hydrocarbons; and lysing the cells using freeze-thaw cycles.

Abstract: A method of identifying in situ conditions of a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect lipid, protein, and/or nucleic acid signatures that are indicative of the Thermotogales order; identifying the relative abundance of the different genera and/or species of the Thermotogales present in the sample to generate a taxonomy signature of the sample; and then using the taxonomy signature to determine conditions, such as temperature, of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a porous liquid or a porous liquid enzyme that includes a high surface area solid and a liquid film substantially covering the high surface area solid. The porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme may be contacted with a fluid that is immiscible with the liquid film such that a liquid-fluid interface is formed. The liquid film may facilitate mass transfer of a substance or substrate across the liquid-fluid interface. The present disclosure also provides methods of performing liquid-based extractions and enzymatic reactions utilizing the porous liquid or porous liquid enzyme of the present disclosure.

Abstract: A method of identifying in situ conditions of a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid signatures that are indicative of microbes associated with hypersaline aquifers; and using the signature to determine the salinity of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

Abstract: A method including: obtaining a field sample; extracting DNA from the field sample and identifying a marker gene; amplifying and sequencing the marker gene; identifying a genetic makeup of the marker gene; identifying a potential compound associated with the genetic makeup; and identifying a gene associated with the potential compound and associating that gene with a metabolite.

Abstract: A method for identifying in situ presence of a hydrocarbon reservoir or of a pipeline leakage is disclosed. The method can include obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep or near an offshore pipeline; analyzing the sample to detect nucleic acid, protein or metabolite signatures that are indicative of cold-shock response; identifying the relative abundance of the cold-shock signatures present in the sample in comparison to the surrounding environment.

Abstract: A method of evaluating subsurface connectivity, including: extracting biological material from samples obtained from a plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores, the biological material including nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids; determining microbial community structures based on the biological material, which includes determining an abundance of various species included in the samples; generating a reservoir connectivity analysis model, wherein the reservoir connectivity analysis model identifies a connectivity between at least two of the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores in accordance with similarities in the microbial community structures at a plurality of subsurface locations that establish a path of fluid communication between the at least two of the plurality of hydrocarbon wellbores, wherein the reservoir connectivity analysis model includes a timing of the connectivity based on molecular biology; and generating a subsurface image or visualization, from the reservoir connectivity analysis model, that ind

Abstract: Oxygenases and methods of biologically upgrading hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil, using oxygenases are provided herein. The oxygenases can be used to remove impurities such as metals, heteroatoms, or asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon stream. In some cases, the oxygenases can be chemically or genetically modified and can be used in different locations such as petroleum wells, pipes, reservoirs, tanks and/or reactors.

Abstract: Nickel-binding proteins and methods of biologically upgrading hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil, using nickel-binding proteins are provided herein. The nickel-binding proteins can be used to remove impurities such as metals and/or asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon stream. In some cases, the nickel-binding proteins can be chemically or genetically modified and can be used in different locations such as petroleum wells, pipes, reservoirs, tanks and/or reactors.

Abstract: Dioxygenases and methods of biologically upgrading hydrocarbon streams, such as crude oil, using dioxygenases are provided herein. The dioxygenases can be used to remove impurities such as metals, heteroatoms, or asphaltenes from a hydrocarbon stream. In some cases, the dioxygenases can be chemically or genetically modified and can be used in different locations such as petroleum wells, pipes, reservoirs, tanks and/or reactors.

Abstract: A method of identifying hydrocarbon seeps that are connected to hydrocarbon reservoirs and for identifying in situ conditions of hydrocarbon reservoirs is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect microbial signatures that are specific to families associated with hydrocarbon reservoirs; and using the signature to determine whether the hydrocarbon seep is connected to a hydrocarbon reservoir and to identify properties of the hydrocarbon reservoir.

Abstract: A method of identifying in situ conditions of a hydrocarbon reservoir is disclosed. The method comprises, obtaining a sample from an area of interest, such as a sediment sample or water column sample near a hydrocarbon seep; analyzing the sample to detect lipid, protein, and/or nucleic acid signatures that are indicative of the Thermotogales order; identifying the relative abundance of the different genera and/or species of the Thermotogales present in the sample to generate a taxonomy signature of the sample; and then using the taxonomy signature to determine conditions, such as temperature, of the hydrocarbon reservoir.