Processes for producing ethanol comprise saccharifying cellulosic material with a cellulolytic enzyme composition and fermenting the saccharified cellulosic material with a fermenting microorganism to produce ethanol. The fermenting organism is Saccharomyces cerevisiae CIBTS1260 (deposited under Accession No. NRRL Y-50973 at the Agricultural Research Service Culture Collection (NRRL), Illinois 61604 U.S.A.) or a fermenting organism that has properties that the same or about the same as that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae CIBTS1260).

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.

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.

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.

The present application relates to recombinant microorganisms useful in the biosynthesis of monoethylene glycol (MEG), or optionally MEG and one or more co-product, from one or more hexose feedstock. The present application also relates to recombinant microorganisms useful in the biosynthesis of glycolic acid (GA), or optionally GA and one or more co-product, from one or more hexose feedstock. The present application relates to recombinant microorganisms useful in the biosynthesis of xylitol, or optionally xylitol and one or more co-product, from one or more hexose feedstock. Also provided are methods of producing MEG (or GA or xylitol), or optionally MEG (or GA or xylitol) and one or more co-product, from one or more hexose feedstock using the recombinant microorganisms, as well as compositions comprising the recombinant microorganisms and/or the products MEG (or GA or xylitol), or optionally MEG (or GA or xylitol) and one or more co-product.

The present application discloses the identification of the novel K. marxianus xylose transporter genes KHT105 and RAG4, as well as the identification of a novel set of I. orientalis pentose phosphate pathway genes The present application further discloses a series of genetically modified yeast cells comprising various combinations of arabinose fermentation pathways, xylose fermentation pathways, pentose phosphate pathways, and/or xylose transporter genes, and methods of culturing these cells to produce ethanol in fermentation media containing xylose.

An engineered pathway for carbon fixation without rubisco incorporates carbon dioxide into fructose-6-phosphate.

Disclosed are an engineered yeast for efficient and rapid synthesis of erythritol and a construction method thereof. Yarrowia lipolytica is used as a synthetic chassis for genetic improvement. A method for synthesizing erythritol is as follows: using glucose as a carbon source, and a nitrogen source and an inorganic salt as raw materials, sterilizing a medium, cooling the sterilized medium before inoculating yeast Yarrowia lipolytica, performing continuous fermentation or fed-batch fermentation under the condition of oxygen supply, and purifying erythritol from a fermentation broth. Under the condition of continuous feeding, the yield of erythritol is more than 350 g/L, and the production efficiency is more than 4.5 g/L.Math.h, nearly 100% higher than that of a comparative strain.