The invention relates to an integrated process for alcohol production and organic acid production from lignocellulosic material.

The present invention relates to raw starch hydrolysis and in particular to a raw starch hydrolysis and fermentation process. More particularly the present invention relates to a process of producing a fermentation product from raw starch material, comprising the steps of: (a) saccharifying starch-containing material at a temperature below the initial gelatinization temperature of said starch-containing material; and (b) fermenting with a fermenting organism, wherein step (a) is carried out using at least a variant alpha-amylase comprising a substitution at one or more positions corresponding to positions 196, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 28, 38, 39, 43, 54, 56, 57, 64, 67, 68, 70, 71, 86, 89, 90, 94, 96, 99, 101, 103, 107, 108, 110, 113, 114, 117, 127, 134, 138, 142, 150, 151, 152, 156, 169, 171, 174, 179, 183, 193, 199, 200, 204, 205, 207, 208, 209, 212, 218, 221, 222, 224, 233, 241, 245, 259, 275, 278, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 308, 323, 335, 348, 359, 382, 386, 388, 392, 394, 396, 412, 414, 417, 424, 428, 457, 459, 466, 479, 489, 511, 533, 534, 542, 543, 545, 547, 549, 550, 551, 560, 566, 570, 574, 575, 576, 577, 578, 580, 581, 582, 589, 592, 599, 603, 605, 608, 614, 619, or 626 of the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, wherein the variant has alpha-amylase activity and wherein the variant has at least 60%, e.g., at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 96%, at least 97%, at least 98%, or at least 99% sequence identity, but less than 100% sequence identity, to the polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1, and optionally a glucoamylase.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a fermentable sugar composition, wherein a polysaccharide composition is treated by at least one glucoamylase enzyme and at least one oligo-1,6-glucosidase enzyme, and wherein the fermentable sugars are removed during the process. Thereby, the otherwise non-fermentable sugars can be utilized in the fermentation process to yield a fermentation product such as an alcohol or an organic acid or amino acid.

Described are compositions and methods relating to modified yeast that over-express MIG transcriptional regulator polypeptides. The yeast produces a deceased amount of acetate compared to parental cells. Such yeast is particularly useful for large-scale ethanol production from starch substrates where acetate in an undesirable end product.

Described are compositions and methods relating to modified yeast that over-express MIG transcriptional regulator polypeptides. The yeast produces a deceased amount of acetate compared to parental cells. Such yeast is particularly useful for large-scale ethanol production from starch substrates where acetate in an undesirable end product.

The present invention is directed to a yeast strain, or strains, secreting a full suite, or any subset of that full suite, of enzymes to hydrolyze corn starch, corn fiber, lignocellulose, (including enzymes that hydrolyze linkages in cellulose, hemicellulose, and between lignin and carbohydrates) and to utilize pentose sugars (xylose and arabinose). The invention is also directed to the set of proteins that are well expressed in yeast for each category of enzymatic activity. The resulting strain, or strains can be used to hydrolyze starch and cellulose simultaneously. The resulting strain, or strains can be also metabolically engineered to produce less glycerol and uptake acetate. The resulting strain, or strains can also be used to produce ethanol from granular starch without liquefaction. The resulting strain, or strains, can be further used to reduce the amount of external enzyme needed to hydrolyze a biomass feedstock during an Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) process, or to increase the yield of ethanol during SSF at current saccharolytic enzyme loadings. In addition, multiple enzymes of the present invention can be co-expressed in cells of the invention to provide synergistic digestive action on biomass feedstock. In some aspects, host cells expressing different heterologous saccharolytic enzymes can also be co-cultured together and used to produce ethanol from biomass feedstock.

The present invention is directed to a yeast strain, or strains, secreting a full suite, or any subset of that full suite, of enzymes to hydrolyze corn starch, corn fiber, lignocellulose, (including enzymes that hydrolyze linkages in cellulose, hemicellulose, and between lignin and carbohydrates) and to utilize pentose sugars (xylose and arabinose). The invention is also directed to the set of proteins that are well expressed in yeast for each category of enzymatic activity. The resulting strain, or strains can be used to hydrolyze starch and cellulose simultaneously. The resulting strain, or strains can be also metabolically engineered to produce less glycerol and uptake acetate. The resulting strain, or strains can also be used to produce ethanol from granular starch without liquefaction. The resulting strain, or strains, can be further used to reduce the amount of external enzyme needed to hydrolyze a biomass feedstock during an Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) process, or to increase the yield of ethanol during SSF at current saccharolytic enzyme loadings. In addition, multiple enzymes of the present invention can be co-expressed in cells of the invention to provide synergistic digestive action on biomass feedstock. In some aspects, host cells expressing different heterologous saccharolytic enzymes can also be co-cultured together and used to produce ethanol from biomass feedstock.

The present invention relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing material, wherein a thermostable xylanase that is resistance to inhibition by metal ions in the liquefying starch-containing material is present and/or added during liquefaction.

The present invention relates to processes for producing fermentation products from starch-containing material, wherein a thermostable xylanase that is resistance to inhibition by metal ions in the liquefying starch-containing material is present and/or added during liquefaction.

A system for biofuel production can include a cell, a nanoparticle on a surface of the cell, and an irradiation unit configured to expose the cell to irradiation. A method of producing biofuel can include providing a cell having a nanoparticle on a surface of the cell, exposing the cell to a fuel precursor, irradiating the cell, converting the fuel precursor to a biofuel with the cell, and collecting the biofuel.