A method for ex vivo treating blood or plasma is provided. The method includes (a) ex vivo contacting a blood or plasma with an enzyme composition to react the enzyme composition with the blood or plasma, wherein the enzyme composition is capable of eliminating electronegative low-density lipoprotein from the blood or plasma by the activity of the enzyme composition, and the enzyme composition is selected from a group consisting of: a first enzyme for eliminating a glycan residue of an electronegative low-density lipoprotein (LDL); a second enzyme for eliminating ceramide carried by a electronegative low-density lipoprotein (LDL); and a combination thereof; and (b) terminating contact between the blood or plasma and the enzyme composition to terminate the reaction of the enzyme composition with the blood or plasma.

Embodiments of the present disclosure involve systems and methods that inhibit the production of lactic acid during propagation of yeast and/or during hydrolysis of cellulose by including a sufficient amount of dissolved oxygen.

A process for producing alcohol from lignocellulosic biomass includes adding at least one of sulfur dioxide and sulfurous acid to the lignocellulosic biomass to provide an effective sulfur dioxide dosage and/or effective sulfur dioxide slurry concentration, each of which is calculated using the ratio of the volume of the slurry in the pretreatment reactor to the total volume of the pretreatment reactor, within a predetermined range.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and compositions for the pretreatment of biomass within seconds with low inhibitor formation. The pretreatment process is used to convert biomass to a fuel or other useful chemicals by subjecting the feedstock to a rapid retention time under pressure and temperature and/or chemical reactant. The system includes a continuously-operating valve discharge apparatus to discharge pretreated feedstock while maintaining uniform pressure on the pretreatment system.

The present invention provides an apparatus and a method for conversion of cellulosic material, such as chopped straw and corn stover, and household waste, to ethanol and other products. The cellulosic material is subjected to continuous hydrothermal pre-treatment without addition of chemicals, and a liquid and a fiber fraction are produced. The fiber fraction is subjected to enzymatic liquefaction and saccharification. The method of the present invention comprises: performing the hydrothermal pre-treatment by subjecting the cellulosic material to at least one soaking operation, and conveying the cellulosic material through at least one pressurized reactor, and subjecting the cellulosic material to at least one pressing operation, creating a fiber fraction and a liquid fraction; selecting the temperature and residence time for the hydrothermal pretreatment, so that the fibrous structure of the feedstock is maintained and at least 80% of the lignin is maintained in the fiber fraction.

Discharging pretreated biomass from a pretreatment reactor and mixing the discharged pretreated biomass with a cooling liquid in a vessel provides a cooled slurry having a consistency that is less than about 12 wt %. Since the consistency is relatively low, the cooled slurry may be pumped to a higher elevation using standard pumping equipment. At the higher elevation, the cooled slurry may be separated into a first stream comprising a liquid component of the slurry and a second other stream comprising a solid component of the slurry (e.g., having a consistency between about 15 wt % and 40 about wt %). The solid component may be fed to an inlet of a hydrolysis reactor, while the liquid component may be fed to a cooling system that provides a cooled stream. The cooled stream may then be cycled back to the vessel.

The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for treating plant based raw material with an enzymatic hydrolysis, in which the plant based raw material (1) is treated to form lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) and the lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) or its fraction (10) is conducted into the enzymatic hydrolysis (4), wherein the method comprises at least one treatment stage (2a,2b,2c) in which the plant based raw material (1) is treated so that the lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) contains over 80% fine solid particles which are fiber-like or indefinable particles smaller than 0.2 mm, defined by an optical measurement device, the lignocellulosic material (3a,3b) or at least one fraction (10) of the lignocellulosic material is supplied into the enzymatic hydrolysis (4) for forming a lignin based material (5), and at least one solid-liquid separation stage (6) after the enzymatic hydrolysis (4) in which a lignin fraction (7) and a soluble carbohydrate containing fraction (8) are separated. Further, the invention relates to the soluble carbohydrate containing fraction, the lignin fraction, the lignin based material, the liquid fraction and the solid fraction, and their uses.

An improved dry grind system and method for producing a sugar stream from grains or similar carbohydrate sources and/or residues, such as for biofuel production. In particular, a sugar/carbohydrate stream, which includes a desired Dextrose Equivalent (DE) where DE describes the degree of conversion of starch to dextrose (aka glucose) and/or has had removed therefrom an undesirable amount of unfermentable components, can be produced after saccharification and prior to fermentation (or other sugar conversion process), with such sugar stream being available for biofuel production, e.g., alcohol production, or other processes. In addition, the systems and methods also can involve the removal of certain grain components, e.g., corn kernel components, including protein, oil and/or fiber, prior to fermentation or other conversion systems. In other words, sugar stream production and/or grain component separation occurs on the front end of the system and method.

An improved dry grind system and method for producing a sugar stream from grains or similar carbohydrate sources and/or residues, such as for biofuel production. In particular, a sugar/carbohydrate stream, which includes a desired Dextrose Equivalent (DE) where DE describes the degree of conversion of starch to dextrose (aka glucose) and/or has had removed therefrom an undesirable amount of unfermentable components, can be produced after saccharification and prior to fermentation (or other sugar conversion process), with such sugar stream being available for biofuel production, e.g., alcohol production, or other processes. In addition, the systems and methods also can involve the removal of certain grain components, e.g., corn kernel components, including protein, oil and/or fiber, prior to fermentation or other conversion systems. In other words, sugar stream production and/or grain component separation occurs on the front end of the system and method.

A new method of disposing of waste for the hog industry is disclosed which avoids use of lagoons. Manure is semi-continuously degritted, anaerobically digested and digested with biomass to produce bio-organic fertilizer and biogas.