The present invention provides engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes having improved properties as compared to a naturally occurring wild-type ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes, as well as polynucleotides encoding the engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes, host cells capable of expressing the engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes, and methods of using the engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes to synthesize a chiral catalyst used in the synthesis of antiviral compounds, such as nucleoside inhibitors. The present invention further provides methods of using the engineered enzymes to deracemize a chiral alcohol in a one-pot, multi-enzyme system.

The present invention relates to polypeptides capable of modifying the C8-atom of deoxynivalenol and methods (e.g., for detoxifying mycotoxins) based thereon. The present invention further relates to compositions, kits, transgenic plants, transgenic seeds, transgenic pollen grains, foodstuff, intermediate foodstuff; fodder, intermediate fodder; feed, intermediate feed; additive (e.g., foodstuff-, fodder- or feed additive), intermediate additive (e.g., foodstuff-, fodder- or feed intermediate additive); detoxifying agent, intermediate detoxifying agent; nutritional supplement, intermediate nutritional supplement, prebiotic, intermediate prebiotic and/or mixture/s thereof comprising one or more of the polypeptides capable of modifying the C8-atom of deoxynivalenol.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of Droxidopa by means of an improved enzymatic reduction of a compound of formula (II): (II), wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 is independent hydrogen, acetyl, R.sup.3 is hydrogen, a C1-C4 linear or branched alkyl group and R.sup.4 is hydrogen or an amine protecting group. ##STR00001##

The invention describes a process for the production of ethanol from a composition comprising glucose and between 50 μM and 100 mM acetic acid, said process comprising fermenting said composition in the presence of a recombinant yeast which is capable to convert acetic acid anaerobically; maintaining the amount of undissociated acetic acid at a value of at least 50 μM; and recovering the ethanol. Said process is useful for both starch and cellulosic based, acetic acid containing hydrolysates and advantageously results in a greater consumption of acetic acid and thus higher ethanol yields.

The present invention provides for a mechanism to reduce glycerol production and increase nitrogen utilization and ethanol production of recombinant microorganisms. One aspect of this invention relates to strains of S. cerevisiae with reduced glycerol productivity that get a kinetic benefit from higher nitrogen concentration without sacrificing ethanol yield. A second aspect of the invention relates to metabolic modifications resulting in altered transport and/or intracellular metabolism of nitrogen sources present in corn mash.

An anode can include: an electrode substrate; a first region of the substrate having a catalyst composition located thereon, wherein the catalyst composition includes an inorganic or metallic catalyst; and a second region of the substrate having an enzyme composition located thereon, wherein the combination of the catalyst composition and enzyme composition converts a fuel reagent to carbon dioxide at neutral pH. The first region and second region can be separate regions. The catalyst of the catalyst composition can include gold nanoparticles. The catalyst can include an inorganic or metallic catalyst selected from vanadium oxide, titanium (III) chloride, Pd(OAc).sub.2, MnO, zeolite, alumina, graphitic carbon, palladium, platinum, gold, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, or combinations thereof. The catalyst can be nanoparticle, nanorod, nanodot, or combination thereof. The catalyst can have sizes that range from about 10 to 20 nm.

Methods and compositions for the oxidation of short alkanes by engineered microorganisms expressing enzymes are described, along with methods of use.

The present invention provides engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes having improved properties as compared to a naturally occurring wild-type ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes, as well as polynucleotides encoding the engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes, host cells capable of expressing the engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes, and methods of using the engineered ketoreductase and phosphite dehydrogenase enzymes to synthesize a chiral catalyst used in the synthesis of antiviral compounds, such as nucleoside inhibitors. The present invention further provides methods of using the engineered enzymes to deracemize a chiral alcohol in a one-pot, multi-enzyme system.

A cathode can include: an electrode substrate; a porphyrin precursor attached to the substrate; and an enzyme coupled to the electrode substrate to be associated with the porphyrin precursor, the enzyme reduces oxygen. The cathode can include a conductive material associated with the porphyrin precursor and/or the enzyme. The cathode can include 1-pyrenebutanoic acid, succinimidyl ester (PBSE) associated with the porphyrin precursor and/or the enzyme and/or the conductive material. The cathode can include 2,5-dimethyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrrole-3-carbaldehyde (DMY-Carb) associated with the 1-pyrenebutanoic acid, succinimidyl ester (PBSE) and/or the porphyrin precursor and/or the enzyme and/or the conductive material. The porphyrin precursor is attached to the substrate through covalent coupling. In some aspects, substrate is linked to the porphyrin precursor, the porphyrin precursor is linked to the conductive material, the conductive material is linked to the PBSE, the PBSE is linked to the DMY-carb, and the DMY-carb is linked to the enzyme.

The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of Droxidopa by means of an improved enzymatic reduction of a compound of formula (II): (II), wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 is independent hydrogen, acetyl, R.sup.3 is hydrogen, a C1-C4 linear or branched alkyl group and R.sup.4 is hydrogen or an amine protecting group.

##STR00001##