An active solid state fermentation bioreactor for producing gases, liquid(s) or solids from gaseous or gaseous and liquid starting materials and a fermentation process using the reactor are disclosed, The bioreactor includes three major phases; a solid phase including the porous solid support, a liquid phase comprising liquid, and a gaseous phase. The solid phase includes a porous solid support, in which at least 20% of the pore volumes have a size resulting in a liquid suction of about 0.01 to about 0.1 bars if these pores are filled with liquid, the porous solid support is inoculated with desired micro-organisms, the volume of the gaseous phase is 20% to 60% of the volume of the bioreactor, and the liquid phase is at least 20% of the reactor volume, The unsaturated capillary conductivity of filling/packing solid material of the bioreactor is at least 0.1 cm/ h. The solid state fermentation bioreactor enables a large gas-liquid interface, in which the filling material has a good capillary conductivity despite the unsaturated state.

An active solid state fermentation bioreactor for producing gases, liquid(s) or solids from gaseous or gaseous and liquid starting materials and a fermentation process using the reactor are disclosed, The bioreactor includes three major phases; a solid phase including the porous solid support, a liquid phase comprising liquid, and a gaseous phase. The solid phase includes a porous solid support, in which at least 20% of the pore volumes have a size resulting in a liquid suction of about 0.01 to about 0.1 bars if these pores are filled with liquid, the porous solid support is inoculated with desired micro-organisms, the volume of the gaseous phase is 20% to 60% of the volume of the bioreactor, and the liquid phase is at least 20% of the reactor volume, The unsaturated capillary conductivity of filling/packing solid material of the bioreactor is at least 0.1 cm/ h. The solid state fermentation bioreactor enables a large gas-liquid interface, in which the filling material has a good capillary conductivity despite the unsaturated state.

Enzymes and methods are described herein for manufacturing terpenes, including terpenes.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple method of producing ergothioneine. The present invention provides a method of producing ergothioneine comprising a step of culturing a microbe belonging to the genus Moniliella in a medium containing a carbon source to allow the microbe to produce ergothioneine.

The invention is directed to a patchoulol synthase, to a nucleic acid encoding said patchoulol synthase, to an expression vector comprising said nucleic acid, to a host cell comprising said expression vector, to a method of preparing patchoulol and elemol, and preferably also pogostol, and to a method of preparing a patchoulol synthase.

The invention is directed to a patchoulol synthase, to a nucleic acid encoding said patchoulol synthase, to an expression vector comprising said nucleic acid, to a host cell comprising said expression vector, to a method of preparing patchoulol and elemol, and preferably also pogostol, and to a method of preparing a patchoulol synthase.

A polypeptide includes, in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a similar sequence, at least one specific amino acid substitution on at least one of the 14th, 37th, 209th, 293rd, and 319th amino acid residues from the N-terminal of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. A polynucleotide, an expression cassette, a vector, and a transformant include a base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of the polypeptide. A method of producing the polypeptide and a method of producing 2-deoxy-scyllo-inosose are also provided.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having a microbial organism having at least one exogenous gene insertion and/or one or more gene disruptions that confer production of primary alcohols. A method for producing long chain alcohols includes culturing these non-naturally occurring microbial organisms.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having a microbial organism having at least one exogenous gene insertion and/or one or more gene disruptions that confer production of primary alcohols. A method for producing long chain alcohols includes culturing these non-naturally occurring microbial organisms.

Methods of and system for growing and maintaining an optimized/ideal active yeast solution in the yeast tank and fermenter tank during the fermentation filling cycle are provided. A new yeast stage tank is used between the yeast tank and the fermenter tank allowing yeast to rapidly produce a huge amount of active young yeast cells for a fermenter during the filling period. A measurable and useful controlling factor, % DT/% Yeast by weight ratio (or “food” to yeast ratio), is used (e.g., % DT=glucose), which offers information on the health status of the yeast. The controlling factor is used to control the status of the yeast throughout the entire process.