The present invention concerns novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strains capable of multiplying on a substrate comprising at least one C5 sugar with a speed and rate of multiplication compatible with the industrial production of yeast. It also concerns novel strains which, when cultured, make it possible to obtain yeasts having an application efficiency, i.e. an efficiency that is satisfactory in applications and uses of interest in industries such as breadmaking, biomass production, flavour production, the production of secondary metabolites, protein production, ethanol production, brewing, winemaking or the production of yeast extract.

The present invention is to provide a preparation of variant recombinant whole cell biocatalysts, referred herein as “designer cells” having significantly enhanced carbonyl reductase activity for use in the efficient production of variant industrially important enantiomerically enriched alcohols. More specifically, the alcohol is optically pure ethyl (S)-4-chloro-3-hydroxybutyrate, which is useful as chiral building block and an intermediate for the production of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors.

An acetyl-CoA-producing microorganism, which is capable of efficiently synthesizing acetyl-CoA using carbon dioxide, and a substance production method using the same are provided. An acetyl-CoA-producing microorganism including an acetyl-CoA production cycle obtained by imparting at least one type of enzymatic activity selected from the group consisting of malate thiokinase, malyl-CoA lyase, glyoxylate carboligase, 2-hydroxy-3-oxopropionate reductase, and hydroxypyruvate reductase, to a microorganism.

The present invention concerns a eukaryotic host selected from microorganisms, and a method for producing glycolic acid using said eukaryotic host cells, especially cells of a genetically modified fungal host. Further this invention relates to a glycolic acid product obtained using the method described here and the use of genetically modified microorganism cells in production of glycolic acid.

A genetically modified yeast cell that is capable of consuming glucose at an increased rate and a method of efficiently producing pyruvate or pyruvate-derived products by using the yeast cell.

Plants are provided with increased ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) regeneration capacity during the Calvin cycle through increased expression of sedoheptulose 1,7 bisphosphatase, in combination with reduced photo-respiratory losses through expression of glycolate catabolizing enzymes. Such plants have a greater growth rate and/or improved biomass and/or increased carbon fixation compared to untreated plants, or plants comprising only one of the features above.

Disclosed is a recombinant microorganism comprising endogenous enzymes that convert CO and/or CO.sub.2 to acetyl-CoA. The recombinant microorganism contains a heterologous nucleic acid sequence encoding one or more enzymes that allow the conversion of acetyl-CoA to an alkene with a main chain of 1 to 5 carbon atoms. The heterologous nucleic acid sequence comprises one or more coding sequences encoding one or more enzymes that catalyse the conversion of acetyl-CoA to crotonyl-CoA, and that further catalyse the conversion of crotonyl-CoA to an alkene; or one or more coding sequences encoding one or more enzymes that catalyse the conversion of acetyl-CoA to 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA, and that further catalyse the conversion of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA to an alkene; or one or more coding sequences encoding one or more enzymes that catalyse the conversion of acetyl-CoA to propionyl-CoA, and that further catalyse the conversion of propionyl-CoA to an alkene. Each coding sequence is operationally linked to a transcriptional promoter.

Genetically modified microorganisms that have the ability to convert carbon substrates into chemical products such as 2,3-BDO are disclosed. For example, genetically modified methanotrophs that are capable of generating 2,3-BDO at high titers from a methane source are disclosed. Methods of making these genetically modified microorganisms and methods of using them are also disclosed.

Methods for increasing the genetic stability of genetically enhanced microbial host cells capable of producing a compound of interest are disclosed.

The present specification discloses a transformed Synechococcus elongatus strain which may directly produce squalene from carbon dioxide, and a method for producing squalene and a method for removing carbon dioxide, using the same. In an aspect, the strain may produce squalene using carbon dioxide as a carbon source. The Synechococcus elongatus strain is economically efficient because a high-value added squalene is produced using light and carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere as a carbon source, and the method for producing squalene is eco-friendly because the strain may be utilized to remove or reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by using microorganisms. The strain of the present disclosure may produce only squalene, which is a desired target material with high purity, and has an advantage in that squalene may be continuously mass-produced.