The disclosure provides a process for producing a fermentation product from a lignocellulosic feedstock. The process describes soaking a lignocellulosic feedstock in an aqueous solution to produce a soaked feedstock. The soaked feedstock is at least partially dewatered and the at least partially dewatered feedstock is subjected to pretreating in the presence of sulfur dioxide, sulfurous acid or a combination thereof to produce a pretreated feedstock composition. The pretreated feedstock composition is fed to an enzymatic hydrolysis in which the concentration of dissolved solids fed to the enzymatic hydrolysis is at least 50% (w/w) of the concentration of dissolved solids in the pretreated feedstock composition. The cellulose in the pretreated feedstock composition is hydrolyzed with cellulase enzymes in the presence of the dissolved solids to produce glucose. The glucose is fermented to produce the fermentation product.

The invention described below relates to an enclosed cell sorting device and methods of using the device. The device is constructed so that the entire process of cell sorting can be conducted under fully anaerobic conditions to retain viability of anaerobic cells before, during, and after cell sorting. This is accomplished by creating an anaerobic atmosphere for the high speed cell sorter and all its components and by the use of airlocks that allow the introduction of anaerobic containers into the chamber containing the sample.

A method and apparatus of aseptic processing and production of cells in a non-sterile enclosure apparatus without chemical biocides is disclosed, by controlling the level of humidity throughout the enclosure to 25% relative humidity (RH) or less, and preferably 20% or 15% or less RH. In addition, the temperature is controlled to 37 C., and consistent gas flow is maintained the enclosure. Colony forming units from microbial contamination detected by environmental monitoring within the enclosure are significantly reduced in this method.

Methods of treating animal organic material are disclosed herein. The methods include diluting the animal organic material to produce an organic material slurry, anaerobically digesting the organic material slurry to produce a biogas and a digestate, separating the digestate to produce a digestate solids and a filtrate, removing ammonia from the filtrate, removing organic contaminants and divalent anions from the filtrate, concentrating the filtrate to produce a retentate and a permeate, combining the digestate solids and the retentate to produce a solids product, and returning the permeate to dilute the animal organic material. Systems for treatment of animal organic material are also disclosed herein. The systems include a dilution tank, an anaerobic digester, a first solids-liquid separation subsystem, an ammonia-reducing column, a second solids-liquid separation subsystem, a production water storage tank, and a solids product tank.