Abstract: The present invention provides fungal xylanase and/or beta-xylosidase enzymes suitable for use in saccharification reactions. The present application further provides genetically modified fungal organisms that produce xylanase and/or beta-xylosidases, as well as enzyme mixtures exhibiting enhanced hydrolysis of cellulosic material to fermentable sugars, enzyme mixtures produced by the genetically modified fungal organisms, and methods for producing fermentable sugars from cellulose using such enzyme mixtures.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzyme compositions for high temperature saccharification of cellulosic material and to uses thereof.

Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Abstract: The subject invention pertains to the discovery that the NADH-dependent propanediol oxidoreductase (FucO) can reduce furfural. This allows for a new approach to improve furfural tolerance in bacterial and/or yeast cells used to produce desired products. Thus, novel biocatalysts (bacterial, fungal or yeast cells) exhibiting increased tolerance to furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) are provided as are methods of making and using such biocatalysts for the production of a desired product.

Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of a parent cellobiohydrolase II. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.

Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid by continuous fermentation includes filtering a culture of polyploidy prototrophic yeast having a capacity to produce lactic acid by introduction of a lactate dehydrogenase gene through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m; and recovering the lactic acid from filtrate while the unfiltered liquid is retained in or returned to the culture and a fermentation feedstock is added to the culture.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a genetic modification of moderately thermophilic Bacillus species that are facultative anaerobic and homolactic. The method includes introducing DNA cloned in a thermosensitive plasmid system containing a pSH71 replicon or a homologue thereof into cells of a moderately thermophilic Bacillus species that is facultative anaerobic and homolactic; culturing the cells on a selective medium at a permissive temperature to select transformed cells; culturing the transformed cells on a selective medium at a non-permissive temperature to select transformed cells capable of growing on the selective medium at the non-permissive temperature. The method can modify the Bacilli for R-lactic acid production, production of other organic acids than lactic acid, alcohol, enzymes, amino acids, and vitamins. The Bacillus species may be modified by replacing the S-lactate dehydrogenase gene by a DNA construct including a DNA sequence encoding R-lactate dehydrogenase.

Abstract: A system and method for the treatment of biomass comprising mixing a biomass with an ionic liquid (IL) to swell the biomass and electromagnetic (EM) heating, preferably radiofrequency (RF) heating, said biomass. Additionally, a method of acidolysis of biomass comprising mixing biomass in an ionic liquid (IL) to swell the biomass; adding an acid, to lower the pH of the biomass below pH 7; applying radio frequency (RF) heating to the biomass to heat to a target temperature range; applying ultrasonic heating, electromagnetic (EM) heating, convective heating, conductive heating, or combinations thereof, to the biomass to maintain the biomass at a target temperature range; washing the treated biomass; and recovering sugars and released lignin.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods of increasing the efficiency of biomass saccharification. In particular, the methods include ways of avoiding feedback inhibition during the production of useful products.

Abstract: A method produces a sugar liquid by adding a filamentous fungus-derived cellulase to a pretreated product of cellulose to obtain a hydrolysate; adding waste molasses to said hydrolysate to obtain a mixed sugar liquid; and subjecting said mixed sugar liquid to solid-liquid separation and filtering the obtained solution component through an ultrafiltration membrane, to recover the filamentous fungus-derived cellulase as a non-permeate and to obtain a sugar liquid as a permeate.

Abstract: The present invention provides: a lactic acid-producing Escherichia coli including an enzymatic activity of at least one NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase and an enzymatic activity of at least one NAD-independent lactate oxidoreductase, both of which are enhanced so as to decompose one of D-lactic acid or L-lactic acid and to produce the other one of D-lactic acid or L-lactic acid; and a lactic acid production method using the lactic acid-producing Escherichia coli.

Abstract: Overlay processes are disclosed for making ethanol that not only increase ethanol conversion but do so in a cost effective manner with a reduction in energy requirements per unit of ethanol production. The processes can provide, if desired, higher organic compound as a co-product with ethanol.

Abstract: A method produces a chemical through continuous fermentation including: (a) culturing a cell in a culture medium in a fermentor to ferment a feedstock to produce a chemical; (b) conducting filtration of the culture medium with a separation membrane module; (c) separating a permeate containing the chemical from the culture medium while retaining a non-permeated liquid in the fermentor, and (d) supplying a gas from at least one of a lower portion of the separation membrane module and a pipe communicating between the fermentor and the separation membrane module to adjust a gas linear velocity in the separation membrane module to 0.15 cm/s to 70 cm/s while supplying the separation membrane module with a liquid.

Abstract: A method of producing a chemical by continuous fermentation includes a fermentation step of converting a fermentation feedstock to a fermentation liquid containing a chemical by fermentation on cultivation of a microorganism; a membrane separation step of recovering the chemical as a filtrate by a separation membrane from the fermentation liquid; a concentrating step of obtaining a permeate and a concentrate containing the chemical by a reverse osmosis membrane from the filtrate; and/or a purification step of distilling the filtrate to increase a purity of the chemical, in which, cleaning etc. of the separation membrane in the membrane separation step is preformed by using the permeated liquid from the reverse osmosis membrane in the concentrating step and/or the condensed liquid in the purification step.

Abstract: A method of producing chemicals through continuous fermentation includes washing a membrane with a washing liquid supplied from a permeate side of a membrane unit in a continuous fermentation; filtering a culture medium containing a fermentation feedstock, a chemical and a microbe or a cultured cell through a separation membrane; collecting the chemical from a filtrate; retaining or refluxing unfiltered remains in the culture medium; and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture medium, wherein the washing liquid is high-temperature water having a temperature higher than a temperature of the culture medium and of 150° C. or less, and a concentration of the microbe in a fermenter is controlled by supplying the washing liquid.

Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed for use in the production of useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use biomass materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to enhance the production of a product, e.g., the production of ethanol and/or butanol by fermentation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process of producing a fermentation product in the presence of pyridoxamine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel enzymes and the uses thereof. The invention also relates to methods of producing such enzymes, coding nucleic acid molecules, recombinant cells and methods of modifying biomass from such materials. The invention is particularly suited to degrade biomass and/or to improve biomass degradation. The invention also relates to various applications of the enzymes of the invention for the production of bioenergy (such as bioethanol), as well as in the field of chemistry, paper industry, textile industry and beverage industry.

Abstract: The invention relates to Mutant cellobiohydrolase, being a mutant of SEQ ID NO:1, having a substitution at position N247(I,F,H,W) of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the mutant cellobiohydrolase has at least 50% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 1, and wherein the mutant cellobiohydrolase has CBHI activity.

Abstract: A novel xylose isomerase nucleotide sequence obtained from a bovine rumen fluid metagenomic library and also provides the amino acid sequence encoded by the nucleotide sequence, and a vector and a transformant containing the nucleotide sequence. When the xylose isomerase is expressed, a host cell is endowed with the capability of converting xylose into xylulose, and the xylulose is further metabolized by the host cell. Therefore, the host cell can take the xylose as a carbon source for growth. The xylose isomerase from a new source is expressed with high activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and is a mesophilic enzyme with optimal temperature of 60° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and methods for producing organic acids using strains of Monascus which are tolerant to high organicacid concentrations at low pH.

Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Abstract: Provided are isolated polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. Also provided are nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention provides tools and methods for producing organic acids using strains of Monascus which are tolerant to high organic acid concentrations at low pH.

Abstract: A method of producing a chemical includes a fermentation step that converts a fermentation feedstock, through fermentation by culturing a microorganism or culture cells, into a fermented liquid containing the chemical, and a membrane separation step that collects the chemical, as a filtrate, from the fermented liquid with the use of two or more separation membrane modules, and returning the non-filtered liquid to the fermented liquid, wherein in the membrane separation step, timing of the filtration-stop treatment for each separation membrane module is controlled when an intermittent filtration operation including alternately repeating a filtration treatment and a filtration-stop treatment is performed with plural separation membrane modules.

Abstract: The present invention refers to the new Escherichia coli strains denominated JU15, JU15A, LL26 and MS04 and their derivatives that produce metabolites, particularly D-lactate, L-lactate or ethanol, with high yield and selectivity from a wide variety of carbon sources, such as culture media with a high xylose content (as the main carbon source) and, in particular, media formulated with hydrolyzed vegetables, such as sugarcane bagasse, agave bagasse and fast-growing grasses, and a wide variety of agricultural and industrial wastes, such as whey or forestry wastes, celluloses, grasses, agave bagasse, paper wastes, shavings and sawdust, shrubs and generally any material derived from lignocellulose. These strains use the production of the metabolite of interest (especially D-lactate, L-lactate or ethanol) as the only way of regenerating the reducing power.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a yeast cell comprising one or more exogenous genes of a pentose metabolic pathway non-native to the yeast cell wherein the yeast cell has a disruption of the hxk1, hxk2 glk1 and gal1 native in the yeast cell. The invention further relates to pentose and glucose fermenting yeast cell that is capable of simultaneous pentose and glucose consumption.

Abstract: A method of producing a compound originating from a polysaccharide-based biomass includes at least one of a saccharification step that produces a sugar solution containing a monosaccharide and/or an oligosaccharide from a product obtainable by hydrolyzing the polysaccharide-based biomass; a fermentation step that ferments the sugar solution containing the monosaccharide and/or oligosaccharide originating from the polysaccharide-based biomass; and a treatment that removes a fermentation inhibitor with the use of a separation membrane having a glucose removal rate and an isopropyl alcohol removal rate which simultaneously satisfy the following relationships (I) and (II) when a 500 ppm aqueous glucose solution at pH 6.5 at 25° C. and a 500 ppm aqueous isopropyl alcohol solution at pH 6.5 at 25° C. are respectively permeated through the membrane at an operation pressure of 0.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for producing lactic acid, wherein only lactic acid is selectively absorbed and separated from fermentation liquor using a lactic acid absorption resin and wherein a neutralizing agent is not used. The present invention does not include a neutralizing process and a process of converting lactate to lactic acid. The method of the present invention comprises the steps of: adding and mixing a culture medium, microorganism and sugar in a fermenter; passing a fermentation liquor through a microorganism filtration unit to remove microorganism through a cross-flow filtration; and selectively absorbing and separating lactic acid from filtered liquid using a lactic acid absorption resin. Accordingly, the separation and purification process of lactic acid from a fermentation liquor for polymerization is simplified. The manufacturing cost is thus reduced.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing D-type lactic acid, by a sugar fermentation of sugar. In accordance with the method of the invention, lactic acid produced during the fermentation reaction is selectively absorbed and detached using an active carbon stick. The method does not require steps, such as, lactate concentration and electrodialytic water splitting that are required during the lactic acid fermentation process. According to the invention, D-type lactic acid can be produced in a high purity and with a high yield. Further, the time and cost associated with the separation process can be reduced in a great extent, thereby offering advantageous effects from a commercial perspective.

Abstract: A method of producing lactic acid continuous fermentation including filtering a culture of polyploid yeast having a capacity to produce lactic acid through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m, and recovering the product from the filtrate while the unfiltered liquid is retained in or returned to the culture and a fermentation feedstock is added to the culture.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of saccharifying the trash (leaf) fraction of sugar cane using enzymes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellobiohydrolase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: Provided is a process for producing biomass-based product from straw hemicellulose and utilizing the components thereof thoroughly. Steam-explosion and acid-hydrolysis are combined in the pre-treatment of straw in the process, thus a higher concentration of a sugar liquid can be obtained, and furfural and acetic acid can be recovered. The hemicellulose obtained by the pre-treatment can be used directly as ferment materials for producing butanol, succinic acid, butylene glycol, lactic acid, hydrogen and firedamp, which reduces the cost of these biomass-based products. The cellulose and lignin obtained by extracting the straw with an alkaline solution can produce products, such as sodium hydroxymethyl cellulose etc. In the process, all components in the straw can be utilized thoroughly and waste and pollutant will not be produced.

Abstract: This invention provides processes and apparatus to convert biomass, including wood and agricultural residues, into low-ash biomass pellets for combustion, alone or in combination with another solid fuel. Some embodiments provide processes for producing hemicellulosic sugars and low-ash biomass from cellulosic biomass, comprising providing an aqueous extraction solution with acetic acid; extracting the feedstock to produce an extract liquor containing soluble ash, hemicellulosic oligomers, acetic acid, dissolved lignin, and cellulose-rich solids; dewatering and drying the cellulose-rich, lignin-rich solids to produce a low-ash biomass; hydrolyzing the hemicellulosic oligomers to produce fermentable hemicellulosic sugars, wherein additional acetic acid is generated; removing a vapor stream comprising vaporized acetic acid from the extract; recycling the vapor or its condensate to provide some starting acetic acid for the extraction solution; and recovering fermentable hemicellulosic sugars.

Abstract: Methods of manufacturing fuels are provided. These methods use often difficult to process lignocellulosic materials, for example crop residues and grasses. The methods can be readily practiced on a commercial scale in an economically viable manner, in some cases using as feedstocks materials that would otherwise be discarded as waste.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polypeptide having a mutation at one or more position corresponding to T219 of SEQ ID NO: 55, wherein the polypeptide has at least 50% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 55, and wherein the polypeptide has permease activity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polypeptide having cellulolytic enhancing activity variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.

Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having cellulolytic enhancing activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to variants of a parent beta-glucosidase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.

Abstract: The present invention provides isolated polypeptides having cellobiohydrolase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also provides nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: The present invention relates to alpha-amylases, nucleic acids encoding the alpha-amylases, methods of producing the alpha-amylases, and methods of using the alpha-amylases.

Abstract: The present invention thus provides a method for producing L-lactic acid, which comprises the step of culturing a lactic acid bacterium that can produce L-lactic acid in a medium containing any one selected from the group consisting of cellobiose, cellooligosaccharides, xylose, arabinose, and glucose derived from cellulose and/or hemicellulose as a substrate to obtain L-lactic acid. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, Enterococcus mundtii NITE BP-965 can be used.

Abstract: The present invention provides isolated polypeptides having endoglucanase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also provides nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cell comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Abstract: Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems are described that can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for the production of a biochemical selected among lactic acid, acetol and 1,2-propanediol, comprising culturing a microorganism modified for an improved production of the biochemical selected among lactic acid, acetol and 1,2-propanediol in an appropriate culture medium and recovery of the desired biochemical which may be further purified wherein the microorganism expresses a methylglyoxal synthase (MGS) enzyme which activity is not inhibited by orthophosphate. The present invention concerns a mutant methylglyoxal synthase (MGS) comprising at least one amino acid residue in the protein sequence of the parent enzyme replaced by a different amino acid residue at the same position wherein the mutant enzyme has retained more than 50% of the methylglyoxal synthase activity of the parent enzyme and the methylglyoxal synthase activity of the mutant MGS is not inhibited by orthophosphate as compared to the parent enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions comprising: a polypeptide having cellulolytic enhancing activity and a sulfur-containing compound. The present invention also relates to methods of using the compositions.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with the strains of B. coagulans for lactic acid production and the related methods, in which the carbon sources are pentose or hexose or the agricultural or industrial wastes containing pentose or hexose or a mixture of both. According to the invention, the highest amount of L-lactic acid produced from glucose is 173 g/L, the optical purity is over 99%, the yield is up to 0.98, and the productivity is up to 2.4 g/L per hour. The highest amount of L-lactic acid produced from xylose is 195 g/L, the optical purity is over 99%, the yield is up to 0.98, and the productivity is up to 2.7 g/L per hour. The highest amount of L-lactic acid produced from reducing sugars in xylitol byproducts is 106 g/L, the optical purity is over 99%, and the productivity is up to 2.08 g/L per hour. The B. coagulans strains XZL4 (DSM No. 23183) and XZL9 (DSM No.

Abstract: The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having beta-glucosidase activity, beta-xylosidase activity, or beta-glucosidase and beta-xylosidase activity and isolated polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.