Among other things, the present disclosure provides biosynthesis polypeptides, methods, and non-naturally occurring microbial organisms for preparing various compounds such as 1,5-pentanediol, adipic acid, 1,6-hexanediol, 6-hydroxy hexanoic acid, and 2-keto carboxylic acids.

A polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing microorganism is cultured to obtain microbial bodies accumulating polyhydroxyalkanoate particles and having an average cell size of 2 μm or more. The microbial bodies are subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature higher than a temperature in the culturing to increase an average particle size of the polyhydroxyalkanoate particles in the microbial bodies. The resulting average particle size is equal to or greater than 1.8 μm and equal to or smaller than the average cell size. The microbial bodies subjected to the heat treatment can be disrupted to obtain a cell disruption solution. The PHA particles can be separated from an aqueous phase of the cell disruption solution.

A polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing microorganism is cultured to obtain microbial bodies accumulating polyhydroxyalkanoate particles and having an average cell size of 2 μm or more. The microbial bodies are subjected to a heat treatment at a temperature higher than a temperature in the culturing to increase an average particle size of the polyhydroxyalkanoate particles in the microbial bodies. The resulting average particle size is equal to or greater than 1.8 μm and equal to or smaller than the average cell size. The microbial bodies subjected to the heat treatment can be disrupted to obtain a cell disruption solution. The PHA particles can be separated from an aqueous phase of the cell disruption solution.

The present disclosure provides microbial organisms having increased availability of co-factors, such as NADPH, for increasing production of various products, including 1,3-BDO, MMA, (3R)-hydroxybutyl (3R)-hydroxybutyrate, amino acids, 3HB-CoA, adipate, caprolactam, 6-ACA, HMD A, or MAA, and products made from any of these. Also provided are one or more exogenous nucleic acids encoding an enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to increase availability of NADPH, where the exogenous nucleic acid includes one or more of ATP-NADH kinase, pntAB, nadK, and gapN. Also provided are one or more gene attenuations occurring in genes, such as NDH-2, that result in an increased ratio of NADPH to NADH. Various combinations of the exogenous nucleic acids and gene deletions are also provided in the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides methods of making and using the same, including methods for culturing cells, and for the production of the various products.

The present invention provides a biomass-derived polyester compound useful as a rubber material or an adhesive material, the compound including a multiple bond in the molecule. By synthesizing an ester compound composed of a hydroxycinnamic acid and a fatty acid, and carrying out polycondensation reaction using the ester compound as a monomer, a polyester compound containing cinnamic acid and a ricinoleic acid derivative that are alternately linked to each other can be efficiently obtained. For example, an ester compound of General Formula (1) is produced. (In the formula, the substituents R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each represent a hydrogen atom or a methoxy group; the substituent R.sub.3 represents an alkyl group or an alkenyl group; and n represents an integer of 10 to 100).

The present invention provides a biomass-derived polyester compound useful as a rubber material or an adhesive material, the compound including a multiple bond in the molecule. By synthesizing an ester compound composed of a hydroxycinnamic acid and a fatty acid, and carrying out polycondensation reaction using the ester compound as a monomer, a polyester compound containing cinnamic acid and a ricinoleic acid derivative that are alternately linked to each other can be efficiently obtained. For example, an ester compound of General Formula (1) is produced. (In the formula, the substituents R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 each represent a hydrogen atom or a methoxy group; the substituent R.sub.3 represents an alkyl group or an alkenyl group; and n represents an integer of 10 to 100).

Among other things, the present disclosure provides biosynthesis polypeptides, methods, and non-naturally occurring microbial organisms for preparing various compounds such as 1,5-pentanediol, adipic acid, 1,6-hexanediol, 6-hydroxy hexanoic acid, and 2-keto carboxylic acids.

Among other things, the present disclosure provides biosynthesis polypeptides, methods, and non-naturally occurring microbial organisms for preparing various compounds such as 1,5-pentanediol, adipic acid, 1,6-hexanediol, 6-hydroxy hexanoic acid, and 2-keto carboxylic acids.

A capsule composition comprising: (a) a polyester shell having a thickness of no more than 20 microns, and (b) a solution containing a visual and/or olfactory indicator, wherein the solution is encapsulated by the polyester shell. Also described herein is a method for detecting alpha particle radiation, in which: (i) the capsule composition is placed in contact with an esterase in a location where the presence of alpha particle radiation is being determined; (ii) waiting a period of time for the esterase to degrade the polyester shells, wherein the period of time is insufficient for the esterase to cause leakage of the solution in the absence of alpha particle radiation but is sufficient for alpha particle radiation, if present, to cause leakage from the capsule composition; and (iii) observing whether leakage has occurred at the end of the period of time to determine whether alpha particle radiation is present.

A capsule composition comprising: (a) a polyester shell having a thickness of no more than 20 microns, and (b) a solution containing a visual and/or olfactory indicator, wherein the solution is encapsulated by the polyester shell. Also described herein is a method for detecting alpha particle radiation, in which: (i) the capsule composition is placed in contact with an esterase in a location where the presence of alpha particle radiation is being determined; (ii) waiting a period of time for the esterase to degrade the polyester shells, wherein the period of time is insufficient for the esterase to cause leakage of the solution in the absence of alpha particle radiation but is sufficient for alpha particle radiation, if present, to cause leakage from the capsule composition; and (iii) observing whether leakage has occurred at the end of the period of time to determine whether alpha particle radiation is present.