The present invention relates to variants having glucoamylase activity with improved properties and to compositions comprising these variants suitable for use for example in the production of a food, beverage (e.g. beer), feed, biochemical, or biofuel. Also disclosed are DNA constructs encoding the variants and methods of producing the glucoamylase variants in host cells. Furthermore, different methods and uses related to glucoamylases according to the invention are disclosed, such as in a brewing process.

The present invention relates to glucoamylase 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.

The present invention relates to processes for producing a fermentation product, such as ethanol, from starch-containing material; wherein an acid having a pKa in the range from 3.75 to 5.75 is present or added in fermentation so that the acid concentration in fermentation is maintained between above 0 (zero) and 100 mmoles/L fermentation medium and wherein the acid is added before the exponential growth phase of the fermenting organism.

Provided are cells having an increased protein production characterized in that said cell comprises modified SUMOylation, a process for producing such a cell or expression system and the use of such a cell in producing a protein of interest.

The present invention relates to a variant pullulanase, wherein the pullulanase comprises at least the following combination of substitutions: N368G+N393A+Q431E+L432F+A492A,S+N610R+G624S+T631S+S632C, and optionally further comprises N222P+Q252A+Q256R; wherein the variant has pullulanase activity, and wherein the variants have at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99%, but less than 100% sequence identity to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 3. Further aspect the present invention relates to a process for liquefying starch-containing material at a temperature above the initial gelatinization temperature using an alpha-amylase and a thermo-stable pullulanase of the invention.

The invention relates to a method for the simultaneous production of a fermented, solid product and ethanol comprising the following steps: 1) providing a mixture of milled or flaked or otherwise disintegrated biomass, comprising oligosaccharides and/or polysaccharides and live yeast in a dry matter ratio of from 2:1 to 100:1, and water; 2) fermenting the mixture resulting from step (1) under conditions where the water content in the initial mixture does not exceed 65% by weight, for 1-36 hours at a temperature of about 25-60° C. under anaerobic conditions; 3) incubating the fermented mixture resulting from step (2) for 0.5-240 minutes at a temperature of about 70-150° C.; and 4) separating wet fermented, solid product from the fermented mixture resulting from step (3); further comprising either a) that the fermentation in step (2) is performed in one or more interconnected paddle worm or continuous worm conveyers with inlet means for the fermentation mixture and additives and outlet means for the ferment as well as control means for rotation speed, temperature and pH, or b) that one or more processing aids are added in any of steps (1), (2) and (3) and further comprising a step of 5) separating crude ethanol from the fermented mixture in step (2) by vacuum and/or in step (3) by vacuum or by injection of steam and condensing the surplus stripping steam. The invention further relates to the products of this method as well as uses thereof.

Disclosed is a genetically recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae useful for degrading and utilizing kitchen wastes. Genes encoding α-amylase(AMY), glucoamylase (GA) and acid protease (AP) were introduced into the genetically recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae using a saccharomyces cerevisiae multi-gene co-expression vector and successfully expressed and secreted. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae so obtained are capable of secreting amylases and protease to degrade the starch and proteins in kitchen wastes to produce carbon and nitrogen sources such as glucose, polypeptides and amino acids, allowing fermentation into ethanol.

The present invention relates to polypeptides comprising a carbohydrate-binding module amino acid sequence and an alpha-amylase amino acid sequence as well as to the application of such polypeptides.

The present invention relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing material, wherein a thermostable alpha-amylase and optionally a thermostable protease are present and/or added during liquefaction. The invention also relates to a composition suitable for use in a process of the invention.

The invention provides a method for combating biofilm, said method comprising contacting a biofilm with a composition comprising an effective amount of antimicrobial peptide biofilm enzyme combinations, preferably in the form of a fusion protein. The biofilm may be on an animate or inanimate surface and both medical and non-medical uses and methods are provided. In one aspect the invention provides a composition for use in the treatment or prevention of a biofilm in a subject, particularly in the oral cavity.