The invention is directed to kits, compositions, tools and methods comprising a cyclic industrial process to form biocement. In particular, the invention is directed to materials and methods for decomposing calcium carbonate into calcium oxide and carbon dioxide at an elevated temperature, reacting calcium oxide with ammonium chloride to form calcium chloride, water, and ammonia gas; and reacting ammonia gas and carbon dioxide at high pressure to form urea and water, which are then utilized to form biocement. This cyclic process can be achieved by combining industrial processes with the resulting product as biocement. The process may involve retention of calcium carbonate currently utilized in the manufacture of Portland Cement.

A method for producing a carbonate-containing species-rich, nitrogen-containing species-free solution from a urea-rich solution is proposed. The method comprising the steps of: providing a first reservoir comprising a first mixture including urea and a catalyser comprising an enzymatic catalyser and/or a microorganism; allowing an enzymatic reaction catalysed by the catalyser to decompose urea, thereby obtaining a second mixture comprising nitrogen-containing species and carbonate-containing species; converting at least some of the nitrogen-containing species into gaseous nitrogen-containing species to obtain a third mixture comprising the gaseous nitrogen-containing species and the carbonate-containing species; filtering the third mixture by a gas- permeable filter, thereby separating at least some of the gaseous nitrogen-containing species from the carbonate-containing species while keeping the catalyser away from the gas-permeable filter; and collecting the so-obtained carbonate-containing species-rich, nitrogen-containing species-free solution.

The present invention relates to endoglucanase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, expression vectors, and recombinant host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.

A method for the substantially complete conversion of hydrogenous matter to higher value product, the method comprising: (i) subjecting the hydrogenous matter to a substantially complete deconstruction process in which an aqueous phase containing a multiplicity of deconstructed compounds is produced; and (ii) contacting the aqueous phase with an anode of a microbial electrolysis cell, said anode containing a community of microbes thereon which oxidatively degrade one or more of the oxygenated organic compounds in the aqueous phase to produce protons and free electrons at the anode, wherein the protons and free electrons are transported to the cathode to produce hydrogen gas or a valuable reduced organic compound at the cathode upon application of a suitable cell potential across the anode and cathode. The invention is also directed to an apparatus for practicing the method described above.

The invention relates to a method for extracting oxygen form a reaction chamber, as well as a use of microorganisms in such a method and a photobioreactor for carrying out the method.

According to the invention, the method comprises the steps—irradiating at least one phototropic microorganism with light under anaerobic conditions in a reaction chamber, and—in situ bonding of produced oxygen by means of the microorganism by oxidation of an oxygen-utilizing substrates.

The invention relates to a method for extracting oxygen form a reaction chamber, as well as a use of microorganisms in such a method and a photobioreactor for carrying out the method.

According to the invention, the method comprises the steps—irradiating at least one phototropic microorganism with light under anaerobic conditions in a reaction chamber, and—in situ bonding of produced oxygen by means of the microorganism by oxidation of an oxygen-utilizing substrates.

The invention provides a process for producing a fermentable gas stream from a gas source that contains one or more constituent which may be harmful to the fermentation process. To produce the fermentable gas stream, the gas stream is passed through a specifically ordered series of removal modules. The removal modules remove and/or convert various constituents found in the gas stream which may have harmful effects on downstream removal modules and/or inhibitory effects on downstream gas fermenting microorganisms. At least a portion of the fermentable gas stream is preferably capable of being passed to a bioreactor, which contains gas fermenting microorganisms, without inhibiting the fermentation process.

Compositions and methods for a hybrid biological and chemical process that captures and converts carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and/or CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions, into organic chemicals including biofuels or other valuable biomass, chemical, industrial, or pharmaceutical products are provided. The present invention, in certain embodiments, fixes inorganic carbon or CI carbon sources into longer carbon chain organic chemicals by utilizing microorganisms capable of performing the oxyhydrogen reaction and the autotrophic fixation of CO.sub.2 in one or more steps of the process.

Compositions and methods for a hybrid biological and chemical process that captures and converts carbon dioxide and/or other forms of inorganic carbon and/or CI carbon sources including but not limited to carbon monoxide, methane, methanol, formate, or formic acid, and/or mixtures containing CI chemicals including but not limited to various syngas compositions, into organic chemicals including biofuels or other valuable biomass, chemical, industrial, or pharmaceutical products are provided. The present invention, in certain embodiments, fixes inorganic carbon or CI carbon sources into longer carbon chain organic chemicals by utilizing microorganisms capable of performing the oxyhydrogen reaction and the autotrophic fixation of CO.sub.2 in one or more steps of the process.

The present invention relates to a solid state fermentation process for producing hydrogen, and to a bioreactor and solid support for use in the fermentation process.