Abstract: There is provided is a process for producing a sulfur-containing ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid compound represented by the formula (2): wherein R1 represents hydrogen, C1-8 alkyl, or C6-20 aryl, which comprises subjecting a sulfur-containing ketol represented by the formula (1): wherein R1 is the same as defined above, to the action of microbial cells of a microorganism belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus or Bacillus capable of converting the ketol into a corresponding ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid compound, or a treated material thereof, thereby producing the sulfur-containing ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid without using a hydroxynitrile compound as a starting material.

Abstract: This invention relates to an aeration system comprising an aeration section, a degassing section and optionally an additional section. This invention also relates to a horizontal photobioreactor comprising the aeration system. This invention further relates to methods of using the photobioreactors.

Abstract: The invention relates to the development of appropriate cultivation conditions for a bacteria to grow anaerobically (fermentatively) on a glycerol substrate. The method requires culturing bacteria having a functional 1,2-propanediol pathway and a functional type II glycerol dehydrogenase-dihydroxyacetone kinase pathway in a culture medium containing high concentrations of glycerol, a neutral to mildly acidic pH, low levels of potassium and phosphate, and high levels of CO2, such that glycerol is thus converted into a desirable product, such as ethanol, hydrogen, formate, succinate, or 1,2-propanediol.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a system for culturing cells comprising a culturing bag and a continuous flow centrifuge wherein the cells are continuously separated from the supernatant and are recycled into the culturing bag. Further provided are methods for culturing cells and for producing a biological substance using the device for culturing cells, and the use of a bag for culturing cells in said device or said methods. In particular, a perfusion system for culturing cells is provided wherein the wave technology for culturing cells is combined with continuous flow centrifugation for separating the medium from the cells.

Abstract: A method for treatment of a material comprising lignocellulosic fibres is disclosed. More particularly, the treatment increases the accessibility of the lignocellulosic fibres for following microbial or biological processes.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for producing a purified synthesis gas stream from a feed synthesis gas stream comprising contacting it with a water gas shift catalyst in a shift reactor to obtain a shifted synthesis gas stream enriched in H2S and in CO2. H2S and CO2 are removed from the shifted synthesis gas stream by contacting it with an absorbing liquid to obtain semi-purified synthesis gas and an absorbing liquid rich in H2S and CO2. At least part of the absorbing liquid rich in H2S and CO2 is heated to obtain heated absorbing liquid rich in H2S and CO2 followed by de-pressurising the heated absorbing liquid rich in H2S and CO2 in a flash vessel to thereby obtain a flash gas rich in CO2 and absorbing liquid rich in H2S. The absorbing liquid rich in H2S is contacted at elevated temperature with a stripping gas to thereby transfer H2S to the stripping gas to obtain regenerated absorbing liquid and stripping gas rich in H2S.

Abstract: A method for processing environmental or industrial samples to remove, reclaim or otherwise reduce the level of chemical species present in the sample that act as redox active species. The redox active species is kept in a waste chamber and is separated from an aqueous bacterial culture that is held in a culture chamber. The waste chamber and the culture chamber are separated by a porous membrane through which electron transfer can occur but through which the aqueous bacterial culture cannot pass. The redox active species substantially remains in the waste chamber and is in non-contact with the aqueous bacterial culture during the process of removal, reduction or reclamation.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process, a plant, and a biofuel for integrated biofuel production, such as with butanol, biodiesel, and/or sugar product. The integrated process includes the step of removing hexose from a feedstock to form a lignocellulosic material. The process also includes the step of converting the hexose to butanol and/or a biodiesel material, and the step of depolymerizing lignocellulosic material to form pentose and a residue. The process also includes the step of converting the pentose to butanol and/or a biodiesel material.

Abstract: A microorganism which is Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain NCIMB 41164 or a mutant thereof. A method of culturing the microorganism in a culture medium comprising urea or urea derivative is claimed. A nitrile hydratase obtainable from the microorganism is claimed. Also claimed is a process of preparing an amide from the corresponding nitrile wherein the nitrile is subjected to a hydration reaction in an aqueous medium in the presence of a biocatalyst selected from the group consisting of a microorganism which is a Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain NCIMB 41164, a mutant thereof and a nitrile hydratase obtainable from Rhodococcus rhodochrous strain NCIMB 41164 or a mutant thereof. Also claimed is a method of storing the Rhodococcus rhodochrous NCIMB 41164.

Abstract: A method for producing bacterial cellulose, said method comprising culturing a biologically pure culture of a cellulose-producing Proteus strain in a liquid medium suitable for culturing facultatively anaerobic microorganisms, separating bacterial cellulose produced in said liquid medium from said liquid medium, washing said separated bacterial cellulose and drying said bacterial cellulose. The cellulose-producing Proteus strain is preferably a Proteus myxofaciens strain, preferably strain IDAC 071005-01 or strain ATCC 19692. The liquid medium is provided with a carbohydrate substrate containing at least one sugar selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, fructose, lactose, xylose, and rhamnose. A bacterial cellulose product produced by culturing a biologically pure culture of a cellulose-producing Proteus strain in a liquid medium suitable for culturing facultatively anaerobic microorganisms.

Abstract: The invention provides an isolated haloalkaliphilic microorganism designated as strain sapolanicus belonging to the genus Halanaerobium, which is capable of producing hydrogen from biomass. Methods of producing biohydrogen comprising the fermentation of the microorganism with alkaline pretreated biomass are also provided. Fermentation is preferably carried out without neutralization of the pretreated biomass and at a pH of greater than or equal to about 10.

Abstract: Single-use closed bioreactors with recirculating exhaust gas that can be operated in an uncontrolled environment are reported for the manufacturing of biological products using genetically modified biological cultures that produces carbon dioxide or that requires carbon dioxide in their metabolic process.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the enhanced production of metabolites by a process whereby a carbon source is oxidized with a fermentative microbe in a compartment having a portal. An electron acceptor is added to the compartment to assist the microbe in the removal of excess electrons. The electron acceptor accepts electrons from the microbe after oxidation of the carbon source. Other transfers of electrons can take place to enhance the production of the metabolite, such as acids, biofuels or brewed beverages.

Abstract: The invention relates to an isolated polynucleotide having a polynucleotide sequence which codes for the alr gene, and a host-vector system having a coryneform host bacterium in which the alr gene is present in attenuated form and a vector which carries at least the alr gene according to SEQ ID No 1, and the use of polynucleotides which comprise the sequences according to the invention as hybridization probes.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to methods of modifying the glycosylation structures of recombinant proteins expressed in fungi or other lower eukaryotes, to more closely resemble the glycosylation of proteins from higher mammals, in particular humans. The present invention also relates to novel enzymes and, nucleic acids encoding them and, hosts engineered to express the enzymes, methods for producing modified glycoproteins in hosts and modified glycoproteins so produced.

Abstract: The present invention concerns multimeric oxidoreductase complexes which function in the enzymatic conversion of a carbon substrate, said complexes having a dehydrogenase subunit and a cytochrome C subunit. The invention further relates to polynucleotides coding for the multimeric complexes and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant bacteria and the uses thereof, particularly for the production of ethanol. The invention also relates to methods for the production of such bacteria, as well as to nucleic acid constructs suitable for such production. The invention specifically relates to bacteria lacking a functional LDH gene and/or containing a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a PDC and ADH. The bacteria of this invention may be produced from any stress-resistant bacteria.

Abstract: The invention relates to the development of appropriate cultivation conditions for a bacteria to grow anaerobically (fermentatively) on a glycerol substrate. The method requires culturing bacteria having a functional 1,2-propanediol pathway and a functional type II glycerol dehydrogenase-dihydroxyacetone kinase pathway in a culture medium containing high concentrations of glycerol, a neutral to mildly acidic pH, low levels of potassium and phosphate, and high levels of CO2, such that glycerol is thus converted into a desirable product, such as ethanol, hydrogen, formate, succinate, or 1,2-propanediol.

Abstract: L-Glutamic acid is produced by culturing in a liquid culture medium a microorganism belonging to the genus Pantoea or Serratia and having an ability to produce L-glutamic acid, which increases in an activity of enzyme catalyzing a reaction for L-glutamic acid biosynthesis or which decreases in or is deficient in an activity of an enzyme catalyzing a reaction branching from a pathway for L-glutamic acid biosynthesis and producing a compound other than L-glutamic acid, and collecting produced L-glutamic acid from the culture medium.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing a fraction containing more than 50% of CH represented by the general formula (1), which comprises at least the step of allowing a glucuronic acid donor, an N-acetylgalactosamine donor, a saccharide receptor, a chondroitin polymerase derived from the Escherichia coli K4 strain, and Mn2+ at a final concentration of 0.02 to 100 mM to coexist, and performing a reaction thereof under conditions of 20 to 40° C. and pH 6 to 8 for 0.5 minutes to 4 hours, and a method for producing a fraction containing more than 50% of CH represented by the general formula (2), which comprises at least the step of performing the reaction under same conditions for 10 hours or longer, which enable industrial scale production of a CH fraction of a controlled even number saccharide and odd number saccharide content ratio by a simple procedure at a low cost.

Abstract: An agricultural waste digester and biogas generation system. The system includes a digester assembly having a cylindrical body, a hollow interior, a center axis and a plurality of wheel segments within the interior of the digester assembly. A gas conduit extends from the interior of the digester assembly to a power generation device. Also included is a water vessel containing water, and each of the plurality of wheel segments have an acruate, contoured surface area which restrict biogas movement within the digester assembly to produce induced agitation of agricultural waste.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improvement in efficiency in gasification for use with syngas fermentation. In particular, the invention relates to increasing the overall carbon capture efficiency of a gasification/fermentation process to produce products such as alcohols.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of making microorganisms capable of producing petroleum from coal, or wood or certain other fossil fuels or raw materials, wherein gene sequences responsible for such production are isolated from microorganisms capable of such production, and transfected into suitable hosts, with better productivity or viability. The invention also includes using the same process to make elemental carbon, hydrogen and oxygen from organic or inorganic sources, including natural water or salt-water sources, petroleum, coal, other fossil fuel materials or other hydrocarbon sources, including turf, grass, glucose, rubber, sapropel, sapropelites, slates and wood; and it further includes making fossil fuels from water or from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. In the alternative, the appropriate gene sequence can be used to make probes which can be used to find other gene sequences in other microorganisms which can optimize production.

Abstract: In the method for separating and purifying histidine from a culture containing the amino acid, the culture containing histidine and microbial cells is charged onto the top of a column filled with a carrier particle whose particle size is 420 ?m or more and which has an ability to adsorb histidine and then an eluent is passed through the column whereby accomplishing the separation and purification of histidine, and preferably in the step mentioned above, a strong acid cation exchange resin is employed as a carrier particle whereby accomplishing the separation and purification of histidine.

Abstract: A method for the production of an immunostimulant milk product, characterized in that bioconversion is carried out on or a milk substrate with the aid of a Bifidobacterium culture by keeping said substrate in contact with said culture in conditions which are unfavorable with respect to the fermentation of Bifidobacterium. The invention also relates to milk foods and products obtained by said method.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of alcohols by microbial fermentation, particularly to production of alcohols by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising CO. It more particularly relates to processes for the production of alcohols from their corresponding acids in the presence of a substrate comprising CO. In particular embodiments, a fermentation reaction producing acid(s) and optionally alcohol(s) is perturbed such that at least a portion one or more of acid(s) is converted to alcohol.

Abstract: The invention concerns a novel isolated microorganism characterized in that it is capable of: i) transforming Kjeldahl nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen and/or nitrogen oxides into gas nitrogen; and ii) transforming carbonaceous matter into carbon dioxide; both transformation processes being carried out in aerobic condition. The invention also concerns a method for treating wastewater using said microorganism.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a useful substance which comprises culturing a transformant obtained by transforming a microorganism capable of producing the useful substance with a DNA encoding a protein in a medium, wherein the protein has an activity to improve growth of a high concentration oxygen-requiring microorganism under low oxygen concentration; forming and accumulating the useful substance in a culture; and collecting the useful substance from the culture.

Abstract: A process and system for converting animal waste to useful biofuel products, and more particularly a process and system for converting excrement from lactating dairy cattle to a combination of ethanol, methane, carbon dioxide and fertilizer is presented. The system uses a continuous process to place the animal waste into an aqueous mixture with a starter sugar and a digestive microorganism into a heated anaerobic digester. The products of the reactions within the digester include methane, which is extracted in a gaseous form, and ethanol and carbon dioxide, which are separated out of an aqueous solution in a distillation column. The water from the solution is recycled and the solid residue remaining in the digester is dried in a rotary kiln and granulated to form a fertilizer material.

Abstract: The invention relates to bacterial strains having an outstanding ability to produce menaquinone and to applications thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microorganism of the genus Cupriavidus or Ralstonia, which is genetically modified to express phosphomannose isomerase (EC5.3.1.8) and facilitated diffusion protein for mannose uptake (EC1.3.1.74), and optionally mannofructokinase (EC2.7.1.4) and/or xylose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5), xylulokinase (E 2.7.1.17) and xylose proton symporter E or a high affinity ABC-transporter. A modified Cupriavidus or Ralstonia host is capable of growing on mannose, xylose, arabinose, glucose, or galactose, or a combination thereof as the carbon source.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of lantibiotics, and more specifically to the isolation of nucleic acid molecules that code for the enzymes required for the biosynthetic pathway of the lantibiotic 107891 and the homologues thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides functional food and beverage that produce, through oral intake, a promotive effect on normal epidermal keratinization, and an epidermal differentiation and keratinization promoter for use in such functional food and beverage. The epidermal differentiation and keratinization promoter of the present invention contains, as an active component, fermented milk whey obtained by fermentation of milk with bacteria including lactic acid bacteria, such as Latobacillus helveticus. The functional food and beverage for promoting epidermal keratinization of the present invention contains the epidermal differentiation and keratinization promoter.

Abstract: The present invention discloses compositions and methodologies for the utilization of probiotic organisms in therapeutic compositions. More specifically, the present invention relates to the utilization of one or more species or strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria, preferably strains of Bacillus coagulans, for the control of gastrointestinal tract pathogens, including antibiotic-resistant gastrointestinal tract pathogens, and their associated diseases by both a reduction in the rate of colonization and the severity of the deleterious physiological effects of the colonization of the antibiotic-resistant pathogen. In addition, the present invention relates to the utilization of therapeutic compounds comprised of lactic acid-producing bacteria and anti-microbial agents such as antibiotics, anti-fungal compounds, anti-yeast compounds, or anti-viral compounds.

Abstract: Methods and systems to achieve clean fuel processing systems in which carbon dioxide emissions (1) from fossil fuel consumption sources (2) may be processed in at least one processing reactor (4) containing a plurality of chemoautotrophic bacteria (5) which can convert the carbon dioxide emissions into biomass (6) which may then be used for various products (21) such as biofuels, fertilizer, feedstock, or the like. Sulfate reducing bacteria (13) may be used to supply sulfur containing compounds to the chemoautotrophic bacteria (5).

Abstract: A process for producing flavor constituents from spent vanilla materials, comprising treating the materials with microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and yeast, that produce enzymes having the ability to degrade the plant cells systems of the materials, and recovering the flavor constituents so produced.

Abstract: To provide a pharmaceutical product or food which has an excellent fat-accumulation-inhibiting activity and/or fat-metabolism-improving activity and which is effective for inhibition or improvement of obesity, fatty liver, etc. The present invention provides an agent for preventing or ameliorating obesity containing, as an active ingredient, cells of a lactic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Pediococcus, a cell culture thereof, or an extract of any of these.

Abstract: Methods are provided for selecting microbial strains with improved properties for fermentation and/or bioproduct production. A salt selection is employed to identify mutants with improved bioproduct tolerance, titer, or osmotic tolerance relative to a microbial strain from which they were derived.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods of producing bioenergy products and metabolites of industrial interest from lignocellulosic biomass. More specifically, the invention describes the identification, characterization and isolation of novel bacteria having the remarkable ability to transform lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars and, even more remarkably, into bioenergy products and metabolites. The invention also discloses a method to isolate such bacteria, compositions comprising such bacteria, and their uses for the modification of lignocellulosic biomass, with a view to producing bioenergy.

Abstract: Disclosed is a promoter which enables the expression of a gene product in a large quantity in Bacillus subtilis. Also disclosed is a method for producing a gene product using the promoter. Specifically disclosed are: a nucleic acid molecule which contains a promoter region derived from a toxin gene of a bacterium belonging to the genus Clostridium and can enhance the expression of a heterologous gene operably linked to the nucleic acid molecule; a nucleic acid construct which contains the nucleic acid molecule and the heterologous gene; a vector carrying the nucleic acid construct; a host cell which is transformed with the vector; and a method and a kit for producing an expression product of the heterologous gene using the nucleic acid molecule, the nucleic acid construct, the vector or the host cell.

Abstract: An organic acid is produced by allowing a bacterium which has an ability to produce an organic acid and has been modified so that expression of yidE gene is enhanced, or a product obtained by processing the bacterium, to act on an organic raw material in a reaction mixture containing carbonate ions, bicarbonate ions, or carbon dioxide gas to produce the organic acid, and collecting the organic acid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to bacterial strains, capable of utilizing glycerol as a carbon source for the fermentative production of succinic acid, wherein said strains are genetically modified so that they comprise a deregulation of their endogenous pyruvate-formate-lyase enzyme activity, as well as to methods of producing organic acids, in particular succinic acid, by making use of such microorganism. The present invention also relates to the downstream processing of the produced organic acids by cation exchange chromatography.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a modified host cell comprising a heterologous expression of an efflux pump capable of transporting an organic molecule out of the host cell wherein the organic molecule at a sufficiently high concentration reduces the growth rate of or is lethal to the host cell.

Abstract: The invention relates to applications of a cellulase of Pseudomonas sp. ND137, functional fragments and/or variants and engineered forms thereof, in the context of industrial bioprocessing, more particularly solvent production.

Abstract: Disclosed are formulations for enhancing the in vivo colonization of probiotic microorganisms that include digestive enzymes and probiotic microorganisms, and polysorbate surfactants. The enzymes include lactogenic enzyme formulations that promote growth of Lactobacillus probiotics, bifidogenic enzyme formulations that promote growth of Bifidobacterium probiotics and combination formulations that benefit both types of probiotics. It has been discovered that certain polysorbate surfactants, including polysorbate-60 and polysorbate-80, further promote probiotic microorganism growth, when used with the enzyme formulations. The formulations are preferably compounded as dry powders, to avoid water reaction with the enzymes in blended formulations. Such formulations can be contained in capsules, tablets, packets or bottles and administered orally, either sequentially or in one combined formulation.

Abstract: A method for producing a chondroitin sugar chain comprises reacting a glucuronic acid donor, an N-acetyl galactosamine donor, a sugar receptor and a bacterial cell enzyme which synthesizes chondroitin in the presence of a surfactant. The surfactant is selected from polyoxyethylene octadecyl amine, n-decanoyl-N-methylglucamide, sodium cholate, n-octyl-?-D-thioglucopyranoside, n-nonyl-?-D-thiomaltopyranoside, sucrose monocholate, sucrose monocaprate, and sucrose monolaurate. The chondroitin sugar chain has all the following properties: a weight average molecular weight: 50,000 or more when measured by gel filtration chromatography; it is completely degraded to disaccharides with chondroitinase ABC; and when the sugar chain is decomposed with chondroitinase ABC and the decomposed products are subjected to a disaccharide analysis, substantially all of them correspond to an unsaturated disaccharide unit of chondroitin.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for preparing 7-methoxy-3-desacetylcefalotin by a hydrolysis process which takes place in water and is catalyzed by an enzyme obtained from Bacillus pumulis possessing acetyl hydrolasic activity.

Abstract: A method obtains a biological glue from a bacteria.

Abstract: The invention relates to an antibiotic substances of microbial origin, arbitrarily denominated antibiotic GE 81112 factor A, factor B1 and factor B, which is produced by fermentation of Streptomyces sp. DSMZ 14386, the pharmaceutically acceptable salts and compositions thereof, and their use as an antibacterial agent having inhibitory activity versus susceptible microbes.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for a robust production of isoprenoids via one or more biosynthetic pathways. The invention also provides nucleic acids, enzymes, expression vectors, and genetically modified host cells for carrying out the subject methods. The invention also provides fermentation methods for high productivity of isoprenoids from genetically modified host cells.