The present invention relates to endoglucanase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, expression vectors, and recombinant host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.

According to present disclosure, there is disclosed an algae growth and cultivation system that provides a cost-efficient means of producing algae biomass as feedstock for algae-based products, such as, fertilizer, feed, biofuel manufacture, and desirably impacts, nutrient recovery from waste streams for valued byproducts production, recycle water, and alternative/renewable energy production. The system as discussed herein is an integrated systems approach to wastewater treatment, algal strains selection for byproducts production, and recycle of algal biomass-processing waste or additional algae harvested as feedstock for products such as fertilizer production. Embodiments of a system as discussed herein present an economically viable algae production system and process that allows algae-derived products such as fertilizer, feed, biofuels, etc. to compete with non-organic or petroleum products in the marketplace.

According to present disclosure, there is disclosed an algae growth and cultivation system that provides a cost-efficient means of producing algae biomass as feedstock for algae-based products, such as, fertilizer, feed, biofuel manufacture, and desirably impacts, nutrient recovery from waste streams for valued byproducts production, recycle water, and alternative/renewable energy production. The system as discussed herein is an integrated systems approach to wastewater treatment, algal strains selection for byproducts production, and recycle of algal biomass-processing waste or additional algae harvested as feedstock for products such as fertilizer production. Embodiments of a system as discussed herein present an economically viable algae production system and process that allows algae-derived products such as fertilizer, feed, biofuels, etc. to compete with non-organic or petroleum products in the marketplace.

Described is a method for the production of 3-buten-2-one comprising the enzymatic conversion of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone into 3-buten-2-one by making use of an enzyme catalyzing 4-hydroxy-2-butanone dehydration, wherein said enzyme catalyzing 4-hydroxy-2-butanone dehydration is (a) a 3-hydroxypropiony-CoA dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.116), (b) a 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.55), (c) an enoyl-CoA hydratase (EC 4.2.1.17), (d) a 3-hydroxyoctanoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.59), (e) a crotonyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] hydratase (EC 4.2.1.58), (f) a 3-hydroxydecanoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.60), (g) a 3-hydroxypalmitoyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.61), (h) a long-chain-enoyl-CoA hydratase (EC 4.2.1.74), or (i) a 3-methylglutaconyl-CoA hydratase (EC 4.2.1.18). The produced 3-buten-2-one can be further converted into 3-buten-2-ol and finally into 1,3-butadiene.

Yeast cells having a reductive TCA pathway from pyruvate or phosphoenolpyruvate to succinate, and which include at least one exogenous gene overexpressing an enzyme in that pathway, further contain an exogenous transhydrogenase gene.

The invention relates to a method for preparing organic compounds with recovery of product liquids, which comprise short-chain and medium length-chain carboxylic acids having a chain length of from 2 to 16 carbon atoms, by anaerobic fermentation of biomass with mixed microorganism cultures with suppression of methane formation and by electrolytic treatment of these product liquids containing the carboxylic acids with a constant or varying oxidation flow for the recovery and isolation of the target compounds.

A method of producing an aromatic chemical, comprises: providing a feedstock comprising biomass to a first reactor to produce a first product stream, wherein the first product stream comprises methane and carbon dioxide; combining the first product stream with a recycle stream to form a second reactor feed stream; passing the second reactor feed stream through a second reactor to produce a second product stream comprising aromatics and hydrogen gas; recovering aromatics from the second product stream to create a recovery stream depleted of aromatics; combining the recovery stream with a stream comprising carbon dioxide to form a combined recovery stream; passing the combined recovery stream to a third reactor to produce the recycle stream comprising gas; and forming an aromatic chemical from the second product stream.

A process for the production of a methane-enriched gas including the steps of providing a bioreactor having at least one device for supplying a gas, and at least one outlet for removing the methane-enriched gas generated in the bioreactor; providing a device for determining the proportion of carbon dioxide in the methane-enriched gas removed from the bioreactor; specifying a target value S for the proportion of carbon dioxide in the methane-enriched gas removed from the bioreactor; supplying carbon dioxide-containing gas to the bioreactor; supplying hydrogen-containing gas to the bioreactor; forming methane-enriched gas in the bioreactor; removing the methane-enriched gas formed in the bioreactor from the bioreactor; determining an actual value for the proportion of carbon dioxide in the methane-enriched gas removed from the bioreactor; comparing the target value S with the determined actual value; regulating the quantity of supplied carbon dioxide-containing gas and/or regulating the quantity of supplied hydrogen-containing gas in a manner such that the determined actual value corresponds to the specified target value S, wherein the target value S specified for the proportion of carbon dioxide in the methane-enriched gas removed from the bioreactor satisfies the condition 0 vol% < S ≤ 5 vol%.

A method for producing hydrocarbons, includes at least the following steps: a) anaerobic fermentation of a fermentable raw material in order to produce volatile fatty acids, b) elongation of the volatile fatty acids produced in step a) by fermentation with at least one bacterium of the Megasphaera genus, extraction of the fatty acids produced from the fermentation broth, and c) production of hydrocarbons by subjecting the fatty acids produced in step b) to a Kolbe electrolysis.

A method for producing hydrocarbons, includes at least the following steps: a) anaerobic fermentation of a fermentable raw material in order to produce volatile fatty acids, b) elongation of the volatile fatty acids produced in step a) by fermentation with at least one bacterium of the Megasphaera genus, extraction of the fatty acids produced from the fermentation broth, and c) production of hydrocarbons by subjecting the fatty acids produced in step b) to a Kolbe electrolysis.