Described are compositions and methods relating to yeast having a genetic mutation that results in decreased amounts of Cdc42 effector proteins, resulting in increased alcohol and lysine production. Such yeast is well-suited for use commercial alcohol production to increase yields and to increase the value of Such yeast is well-suited for use commercial alcohol production to increase yields and to increase the value of amino-acid-containing, fermentation-co-products.

The present disclosure provides for novel metabolic pathways to increase acetone and isopropanol formation. More specifically, the present disclosure provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a plurality of first native and/or heterologous enzymes that function in a first engineered metabolic pathway to convert fructose-6-phosphate to acetyl-CoA and acetate (e.g., phosphoketolase and acetate kinase), wherein the plurality of first native and/or heterologous enzymes is activated, upregulated, or overexpressed. The recombinant microorganism further comprises a plurality of second native and/or heterologous enzymes that function in a second engineered metabolic pathways to convert acetyl-CoA and acetate to isopropanol (e.g., thiolase, CoA transferase and acetoacetate decarboxylase), wherein the plurality of second native and/or heterologous enzymes is activated, upregulated, or overexpressed. Also provided are methods for making isopropanol or acetone using the recombinant microorganisms.

The present disclosure provides recombinant microorganisms and methods for the anaerobic production of 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid from one or more carbon sources. The microorganisms and methods provide redox-balanced and ATP positive pathways for co-producing 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid with ethanol and for co-producing 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid with ethanol and 1-propanol. The method provides recombinant microorganisms that express endogenous and/or exogenous nucleic acid molecules encoding polypeptides that catalyze the conversion of a carbon source into 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid and that coupled the 2,4-furandicarboxylic acid pathway with an additional metabolic pathway.

Provided is an engineered pathway that can function in a cell-free system, cellular system or a combination thereof to convert a sugar to a chemical or biofuel.

Described are compositions and methods relate to modified yeast that, in addition to native endogenous CRZ1, produces a modified CRZ1 transcriptional activator involved in the calcineurin stress response pathway. Such yeast is well suited for use in fuel alcohol production to increase yield.

The present invention relates to the conversion of a carbon source into acetyl phosphate with increased carbon yield. In particular, the invention provides metabolically engineered micro-organisms capable of producing acetyl phosphate from a carbon source with increased carbon yield, which micro-organisms have been transformed with at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a phosphoketolase having sedoheptulose-7-phosphate phosphoketolase activity and which are further genetically modified to have eliminated transketolase activity. The invention also provides methods for the production of chemicals using said micro-organisms.

The present invention provides for a mechanism to completely replace the electron accepting function of glycerol formation with an alternative pathway to ethanol formation, thereby reducing glycerol production and increasing ethanol production. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a down-regulation in one or more native enzymes in the glycerol-production pathway. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising an up-regulation in one or more enzymes in the ethanol-production pathway.

This present invention relates to cultured recombinant cells comprising heterologous phosphoketolase (PKL) polypeptides that are capable of increased production of acetyl coenzyme A-derived metabolites, as well as methods for producing and using the same. In some embodiments, the recombinant cells further comprise one or more mevalonate (MVA) pathway polypeptides for the production of isoprenoid precursors, isoprene and isoprenoids.

Described are recombinant microorganisms characterized by having phosphoketolase activity, having a diminished or inactivated Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway (EMPP) by inactivation of the gene(s) encoding phosphofructokinase or by reducing phosphofructokinase activity as compared to a non-modified microorganism and having a diminished or inactivated oxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) by inactivation of the gene(s) encoding glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase or by reducing glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity as compared to a non-modified microorganism. These microorganisms can be used for the production of useful metabolites such as acetone, isobutene or propene.

Described is a method for the enzymatic production of acetyl phosphate from formaldehyde using a phosphoketolase or a sulfoacetaldehyde acetyltransferase.