A method produces a protein using a filamentous fungus, in which decrease in dissolved oxygen saturation during culture of the filamentous fungus can be suppressed even when the culture is scaled up. The method of producing a protein includes culturing a fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma whose BXL1 gene was disrupted, using a biomass containing cellulose and xylan as an inducer. The use of the BXL1 gene-disrupted fungus belonging to the genus Trichoderma enables suppression of the decrease in dissolved oxygen saturation even when xylose and cellulose are used as inducers.

An enzymatically produced soluble α-glucan fiber composition is provided suitable for use as a digestion resistant fiber in food and feed applications. The soluble α-glucan fiber composition can be blended with one or more additional food ingredients to produce fiber-containing compositions. Methods for the production and use of compositions comprising the soluble α-glucan fiber are also provided.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods useful for analyzing lariat RNA, which plays a role in the regulation of gene expression. A sample of RNA is specifically treated to remove linear mRNA and enrich for lariat RNA. The enriched lariat RNA sample may be analyzed further to identify introns, branch point sequences, alternative splicing patters, and gene transcription levels. The enriched lariat RNA sample may also be exploited as a detection or compound screening tool, as well as other uses.

Disclosed is a method for producing ethanol, including: culturing yeast transformed so as to display an enzyme on the cell surface in a medium containing particles of lignocellulosic biomass, thereby producing ethanol, wherein the enzyme is an enzyme involved in hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic biomass. The present invention makes it possible to provide a method for producing ethanol by which a high ethanol yield can be achieved from lignocellulosic biomass with lower initial cell concentration and added enzyme amount.

The present invention relates to a method of making glucose syrup from liquefied starch, and to compositions useful therein.

A fungal alpha-amylase is provided from Aspergillus fumigatus (AfAmyl). AfAmyl has an optimal pH of 3.5 and is operable at 30-75 degrees C., allowing the enzyme to be used in combination with a glucoamylase and an isoamylase in a saccharification reaction. This obviates the necessity of running a saccharification reaction as a batch process, where the pH and temperature must be readjusted for optimal use of the alpha-amylase or glucoamylase. AfAmyl also catalyzes the saccharification of starch substrates to an oligosaccharide composition significantly enriched in DP2 and (DPI+DP2) compared to the products of saccharification catalyzed by an alpha-amylase from Aspergillus kawachii. This facilitates the utilization of the oligosaccharide composition by a fermenting organism in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, for example.

The present invention relates to a method of making glucose syrup from liquefied starch comprising, (a) contacting the liquefied starch with a glucoamylase, a pullulanase, and optionally an alpha-amylase wherein the ratio of pullulanase dose expressed as NPUN/gDS, to alpha-amylase dose expressed as FAU(A)/gDS is at least 60, particularly at least 75, particularly at least 100, more particularly at least 150, more particularly at least 200, more particularly at least 250, more particularly at least 300, more particularly at least 400, more particularly at least 500, more particularly at least 600, more particularly at least 800 or if no alpha-amylase is present the pullulanse is present in a dose of at least 0.5, particularly at least 0.75, particularly at least 1.0, particularly at least 1.5 NPUN/gDS, and (b) saccharifying the liquefied starch.

The present invention relates to processes of producing a fermentation product from starch containing material comprising (a) forming a slurry comprising the starch-containing material and water; (b) converting the starch-containing material into dextrins with an alpha-amylase; (c) saccharifying the dextrins using a carbohydrate source generating enzyme to form sugars; (d) fermenting sugars using a fermenting organism; (e) recovering the fermentation product to form whole stillage; (f) separating the whole stillage into a liquid fraction thin stillage and solid fraction wet cake; (g) hydrolyzing the thin stillage; (h) recycle a portion of the hydrolyzed thin stillage to steps (a); wherein the thin stillage in step (g) is hydrolyzed using a glucoamylase and/or polygalacturonase.

The present invention is directed to a transgenic maize plant or a part thereof comprising as transgene a nucleic acid capable of expressing a cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, preferably a Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, wherein as a result of the expression of the cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof the transgenic maize plant exhibits an enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress and/or an increased yield, to a method of producing such transgenic maize plant, to method of enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress of a maize plant and/or of increasing yield potential of a maize plant, to a nucleic acid capable of expressing a cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, preferably a Chenopodium rubrum cell wall invertase or a functional part thereof, to a vector comprising such nucleic acid, the use of the nucleic acid or vector for enhancing the tolerance to abiotic stress of a maize plant, for increasing yield potential of a maize plant and/or for protecting a maize plant against abiotic stress, and to a method for production of ethanol or methane from transgenic maize plant or a part thereof of the invention.

This specification discloses process for obtaining maltodextrin having DE between 17 and 19.9 and the maltodextrins obtained from the process. The disclosed maltodextrins can be provided as a powder or in shelf stable liquid form. The disclose maltodextrins have a polysaccharide profile similar to those observed for prior art maltodextrins, but make maltodextrin solutions having a high solids content, but reduced viscosity compared to prior art maltodextrins, on equivalent solids-in-solution basis. The process combines adds an alpha-amylase and a pullulanase enzyme to a polysaccharide mixture during a saccharification step. The disclosed maltodextrins make solutions at 50° C. and greater than 65% on a solids dry solids basis having a viscosity between 5,000 and 12,000 cP and having a water activity of less than 0.80.