The present invention relates inter alia to methods of biosynthetic production of QS-21, precursors and variants thereof, and to related aspects.

The invention relates to a polypeptide having lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase (LPMO) activity, well as to a nucleic acid encoding said polypeptide, and a vector and host cell comprising said nucleic acid. The invention also relates to a method for degrading a polysaccharide comprising (1-4) glyosidic bonds and for producing crystalline nanochitin, as well as to the obtained crystalline nanochitin. The invention also relates to a composite material and a method for obtaining this composite material, and to the uses of the crystalline nanochitin and of the composite material.

The present invention relates to biotechnological methods for producing saturated as well as unsaturated aldehydes, as well as mixtures thereof with at least one alpha-dioxygenase and at least one aldehyde dehydrogenase. The method can be carried out either fermentatively, as biotransformation or enzymatically. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a vector system, as well as sequences and recombinant microorganisms comprising/encoding enzymes which can be used to produce the aldehydes and mixtures according to the invention. Further, the present invention relates to compositions obtained by the methods according to the present invention

Methods to produce oils with modified profiles of fatty acid, carotenoids and/or terpenoids in microalgal mutants are provided. Microalgal mutants produce the oil containing fatty acids, carotenoids and/or terpenoids of a modified profile with a disruption or ablation of one or more alleles of an endogenous polynucleotide or comprising an exogeneous gene are also provided.

Provided are a recombinant protein, a gene encoding the recombinant protein, a recombinant microorganism including the gene, and a method of degrading a macromolecular substance using the recombinant microorganism or the recombinant protein.

The present invention is in the area of enzymes for (hemi-)cellulose degradation and/or modification, more in particular the degradation and/or modification of xylan. The invention is based on a newly discovered enzymatic activity of a class of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), i.e. oxidative cleavage of xylan in addition to oxidative cleavage of cellulose. The present invention therefore relates to a method for degrading and/or modifying xylan in a xylan-comprising substrate, a method for preparing a product from a xylan-comprising substrate, a kit of parts, a liquid, paste or solid formulation, and a xylan-comprising composition, comprising said LPMO. The invention further relates to a use of said LPMO, said kit of parts, said formulation and/or said composition, in a method of the invention.

Provided are methods, prokaryotic host cells, expression vectors, and kits for the production of a tryptophan, a tryptamine, or an intermediate or a side product thereof, or a derivative thereof. In some embodiments, the tryptophan, tryptamine, intermediate or side product is a non-naturally occurring derivative. In some embodiments, the tryptamine is a psilocybin derivative. In certain embodiments, the prokaryotic host cell is selected from the group consisting of Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Vibrio natriegens, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Escherichia coli Nissle 1917, Clostridium acetobutlyicum, Streptomyces coelicolor, Lactococcus lactis, Pseudomonas putida, Streptomyces clavuligerus, and Streptomyces venezuelae.

The present invention relates a process for preparing a cereal-based extract; said process comprises the steps of: (i) providing a whole grain cereal, (ii) subjecting the whole grain cereal to a single grinding and subsequently combining the whole grain cereal and water, (iii) subjecting the slurry of ground whole grain cereal and water to an enzymatic hydrolysis step, (iv) separating a soluble fraction of the whole grain cereal from an insoluble fraction through filtration, decantation or centrifugation and wherein the enzymatic hydrolysis step makes use of lytic polysaccharides monooxygeneases (LPMOs) in combination with carbohydrate hydrolysing enzymes and at least one protease. The invention also relates to a concentrated cereal-based extract ingredient comprising based on a dry matter basis, 40-90% (w/w) of carbohydrate, 5-20% (w/w) of protein, 0.5-20% (w/w) of total dietary fiber, optionally 1-4% (w/w) of ash and 0-10% (w/w) of fat, and such a extract obtained with the process.

Compositions and methods include genetically encoding and expressing a novel delta-9 desaturase in plant cells. In some embodiments, methods of expressing nucleic acids in a plant cell to take advantage of the delta-9 desaturase enzyme's activity, such that the percent composition of saturated fatty acids in plant seeds is decreased and there is a concomitant increase in -7 fatty acids. In other embodiments, amino acid sequences have delta-9 desaturase activity. Methods can involve expression of delta-9 desaturase in plant cells, plant materials, and whole plants for the purpose of increasing the amount of unusual fatty acids in whole plants, plant seeds, and plant materials, for example, seeds.

Compositions and methods include genetically encoding and expressing a novel delta-9 desaturase in plant cells. In some embodiments, methods of expressing nucleic acids in a plant cell to take advantage of the delta-9 desaturase enzyme's activity, such that the percent composition of saturated fatty acids in plant seeds is decreased and there is a concomitant increase in 9 fatty acids. In other embodiments, amino acid sequences have delta-9 desaturase activity. Methods can involve expression of delta-9 desaturase in plant cells, plant materials, and whole plants for the purpose of increasing the amount of mono unsaturated fatty acids in whole plants, plant seeds, and plant materials, for example, seeds.