The invention relates to a process for the preparation of colchicine 1 from colchicoside 2 which comprises enzymatic conversion of colchicoside 2 to 3-O-demethylcolchicine 3, wherein the enzyme used is a cellulase. According to another aspect of the invention, 3-O-demethylcolchicine 3 can be converted to colchicine 1 using an alkylating agent. The invention also relates to a process or enriching the colchicine 1 content of extracts from plants belonging to the Colchicaceae family containing colchicine 1, colchicoside 2 and 3-(9-demethyl colchicine 3, which comprises conversion by means of a colchicoside 2 cellulase to 3-O-demethylcolchicine 3, followed by conversion of 3-O-demethylcolchicine 3 to colchicine 1 using an alkylating agent.

The use of microorganisms to make alpha-functionalized chemicals and fuels, (e.g. alpha-functionalized carboxylic acids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, amines, and their beta-, and omega-functionalized derivatives), by utilizing an iterative carbon chain elongation pathway that uses functionalized extender units. The core enzymes in the pathway include thiolase, dehydrogenase, dehydratase and reductase. Native or engineered thiolases catalyze the condensation of either unsubstituted or functionalized acyl-CoA primers with an alpha-functionalized acetyl-CoA as the extender unit to generate alpha-functionalized β-keto acyl-CoA. Dehydrogenase converts alpha-functionalized β-keto acyl-CoA to alpha-functionalized β-hydroxy acyl-CoA. Dehydratase converts alpha-functionalized β-hydroxy acyl-CoA to alpha-functionalized enoyl-CoA. Reductase converts alpha-functionalized enoyl-CoA to alpha-functionalized acyl-CoA. The platform can be operated in an iterative manner (i.e. multiple turns) by using the resulting alpha-functionalized acyl-CoA as primer and the aforementioned alpha-functionalized extender unit in subsequent turns of the cycle. Termination pathways acting on any of the four alpha-functionalized CoA thioester intermediates terminate the platform and generate various alpha-functionalized carboxylic acids, alcohols and amines with different β-reduction degree.

The present invention relates to a method for the stereo selective production of a trans-diol or a cis-diol or a hydroxyketone comprising the step(s) (i) conversion of a trans-diol or a cis-diol to a hydroxyketone and/or (ii) conversion of a hydroxyketone to a cis-diol or a trans-diol, catalyzed by an enzyme, which is encoded by a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: or wherein the enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. The present invention also relates to the use of an enzyme encoded by a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or wherein the enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 for the conversion of a trans-diol to a cis-diol or for the conversion of a trans-diol or a cis-diol to a hydroxyketone and/or the conversion of a hydroxyketone to a trans-diol or a cis-diol.

The present invention relates to a method for the stereo selective production of a trans-diol or a cis-diol or a hydroxyketone comprising the step(s) (i) conversion of a trans-diol or a cis-diol to a hydroxyketone and/or (ii) conversion of a hydroxyketone to a cis-diol or a trans-diol, catalyzed by an enzyme, which is encoded by a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: or wherein the enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. The present invention also relates to the use of an enzyme encoded by a nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or wherein the enzyme comprises an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 for the conversion of a trans-diol to a cis-diol or for the conversion of a trans-diol or a cis-diol to a hydroxyketone and/or the conversion of a hydroxyketone to a trans-diol or a cis-diol.

A marker composition for selecting a living modified organism allows transformation and the production of a target product without antibiotics or antibiotic resistance genes. The marker composition for selecting a living modified organism may basically prevent problems caused by the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes and produce a target product at a high yield.

A marker composition for selecting a living modified organism allows transformation and the production of a target product without antibiotics or antibiotic resistance genes. The marker composition for selecting a living modified organism may basically prevent problems caused by the use of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes and produce a target product at a high yield.

Disclosed are a ketoreductase mutant and a method for producing a chiral alcohol. The ketoreductase mutant has an amino acid sequence obtained by the mutation of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, and the mutation includes a mutation siteK200H. In the present disclosure, the mutant obtained by mutation takes a ketone compound as a raw material, the chiral alcohol may be efficiently produced by stereoselective reduction, and the stability is greatly improved, which is suitable for popularization and application to the industrial production of the chiral alcohol.

Provided are a Cinnamomum burmannii monoterpene synthase CbTPS1, an amino acid sequence thereof, a nucleic acid molecule encoding the protein, an use thereof in preparing the monoterpene synthase, and a method for preparing dextrorotatory borneol by using the Cinnamomum burmannii monoterpene synthase CbTPS1.

Provided are a Cinnamomum burmannii monoterpene synthase CbTPS1, an amino acid sequence thereof, a nucleic acid molecule encoding the protein, an use thereof in preparing the monoterpene synthase, and a method for preparing dextrorotatory borneol by using the Cinnamomum burmannii monoterpene synthase CbTPS1.

The present invention discloses a membrane-less reactor design for microbial electrosynthesis of alcohols from carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). The membrane-less reactor design thus facilitates higher and efficient CO.sub.2 transformation to alcohols via single pot microbial electrosynthesis. The reactor design operates efficiently avoiding oxygen contact at working electrode without using membrane, in turn there is an increase in CO.sub.2 solubility and its bioavailability for subsequent CO.sub.2 conversion to alcohols at faster rate. The present invention further provides a process of operation of the reactor for biotransformation of the carbon dioxide.