A modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase comprising a tyrosine residue 20 having a phenylalanine (Y20F) mutation, a microorganism harboring the modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and a method of producing ester by feeding the microorganism are disclosed. The method includes providing the microorganism harboring a modified chloramphenicol acetyltransferase in an environment suitable for the microorganism to produce an ester and feeding the microorganism (i) a sugar or a cellulose, and (ii) an alcohol and/or a carboxylic acid.

A method of determining susceptibility to COVID-19 infection comprising the steps of providing a stool sample, and determining an amount of Bifidobacterium, Clostridium, Faecalibacterium, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Ruminococcus, and Subdoligranulum in the stool sample. A method of determining susceptibility to COVID-19 infection comprising the steps of providing a stool sample, and determining an amount of Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, in the stool sample. A method of reducing the severity of COVID-19 infection comprising the steps of providing the individual, and administering at least one of the following: Bifidobacterium and or Faecalibacterium. A method of reducing the risk of infection of COVID-19 comprising the steps of providing the individual, and administering Bifidobacterium and or Faecalibacterium. A method of increasing an amount of Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium in an individual, the method comprising the steps of providing the individual; and administering one or more of the following: Vitamin C, doxycycline, Zinc, and Ivermectin.

The present invention provides high-complexity defined gut microbial communities capable of achieving substantial engraftment and having stability following human fecal community microbial challenge and methods of producing the same. Also provided are methods of using high-complexity defined gut microbial communities for the treatment of dysbiosis or a pathological condition in an animal.

Biocatalytic conversion systems and methods of producing and using same that have improved yields are disclosed. The systems and methods involve co-fermentation of sugars and gaseous substrates for alcohol, ketone, and/or organic acid production. The systems and methods may include biocatalytically converting at least one sugar substrate into at least one of alcohol, at least one ketone, and/or at least one organic acid. The systems and methods may further include biocatalytically converting gases that comprise CO.sub.2 and H.sub.2 to at least one alcohol and/or at least one organic acid, thereby adding extra revenue to biorefineries.

The object of the invention are compositions and medical treatment methods with an inheritable, Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic and commensal bacterium of the family Christensenellaceae belonging to an OTU (Operational Taxonomic Unit) characterized by a 16S rRNA sequence SEQ ID NO: 1 or to an OTU characterized by a 16S rRNA sequence SEQ ID NO: 2.

There is provided an acetogenic microbial cell which is capable of producing at least one higher alcohol from a carbon source, wherein the acetogenic microbial cell is genetically modified to comprise an increased expression relative to its wild type cell of at least one enzyme, E.sub.8, a butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA transferase (cat3). There is also provided a method and use of the cell to produce higher alcohols.

Bacterial strain Clostridium histolyticum was deposited in CCM (Czech Collection of Microorganisms at Masaryk University, Faculty of Science) under No. CCM 8656. This strain produces proteolytic enzymes including collagenase, elastinase, neutral proteases and clostripain under anaerobic conditions at a temperature from 25° C. to 45° C. The strain is used for the production of a mixture of two collagenases, col 1 and col 2, with molecular weight 116 kDa and 126 kDa, and possibly clostripain. The mixture of the above-mentioned collagenases and possibly clostripain obtained from the above-mentioned strain is used for the isolation of Langerhans islets.

A Kurthia gibsonii strain EO-06 with Deposit Number of CGMCC No. 18436, a Clostridium kogasensis strain EO-08 with Deposit Number of CGMCC No. 18438 and a Clostridium acidisoli strain EO-09 with Deposit Number of CGMCC No. 18439 are provided. The above strains can be used to treat pollution, for example, to treat industrial gas or wastewater containing ethylene oxide, which greatly improves the decontamination disposal capacity of ethylene oxide in industrial production. The present disclosure also provides a degradation agent for degrading ethylene oxide and a method for biodegrading ethylene oxide.

The invention relates to a method for producing a sugar syrup comprising fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic biomass containing paper waste, in particular printable paper, printed paper or cardboard, said method comprising the following steps: a. optionally, a step of shredding said lignocellulosic biomass containing paper waste; b.i. a step of impregnating said lignocellulosic biomass containing paper waste or shredded lignocellulosic biomass obtained on completion of step a. in an aqueous medium, and ii. a thermal pretreatment step implemented, without the addition of acid, at a temperature of between 80° C. and 150° C., at a pH between 6.5 and 8.5, in particular between 6.5 and 8, in order to obtain a pretreated product, said impregnation and thermal pretreatment steps being carried out simultaneously or successively according to i. and then ii; c. a step of enzymatic hydrolysis of the pretreated product obtained on completion of step b. in order to convert the cellulose and hemicellulose into a sugar syrup comprising fermentable sugars; and d. a step of recovering the sugar syrup comprising fermentable sugars obtained on completion of step c.

A method of producing chemicals includes providing fermentative cells; co-feeding any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers with carbohydrates to the fermentative cells; and producing a chemical from the fermentative cells. The fermentative cells may include any of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum. The carbohydrates may include any of glucose, mannose, galactose, fructose, arabinose, xylose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, cellobiose, and starch. The method may include providing a substantially equal proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers and the carbohydrates for co-feeding to the fermentative cells. The method may include altering a proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The method may include modulating a production of the chemical by altering the proportion of the any of galacturonate and galacturonate polymers to the carbohydrates. The chemical may include any of acetate and butyrate.