This invention provides a recombinant microorganism into which an acyl-CoA reductase exerting excellent activity in a reduction reaction involving the use of acyl-CoA as a substrate has been introduced. Such recombinant microorganism comprises a nucleic acid encoding a protein (a) or (b) below introduced into a host microorganism: (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2; or (b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 70% or higher identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 and having activity for synthesizing an aldehyde compound from acyl-CoA.

The invention generally relates to the production of a fatty alcohol composition from recombinant microbial cells. The fatty alcohols are produced by expressing a gene encoding a heterologous fatty alcohol forming acyl-CoA reductase (FAR); a gene encoding a heterologous thioesterase (TE) gene and a gene encoding an acyl-CoA synthetase (ACS).

Recombinant cells and methods for improved yield of fatty alcohols. The recombinant cells harbor a recombinant thioesterase gene, a recombinant acyl-CoA synthetase gene, and a recombinant acyl-CoA reductase gene. In addition, a gene product from one or more of an acyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene, an enoyl-CoA hydratase gene, a 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase gene, and a 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase gene in the recombinant cells is functionally deleted. Culturing the recombinant cells produces fatty alcohols at high yields.

Methods are provided for biological conversion of anhydrosugars, such as anhydrosugars found in a pyrolysis oil, to fatty acid alkyl esters. The methods can include use of a genetically modified Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria that can convert levoglucosan and/or other anhydrosugars into fatty acid alkyl esters without requiring formation and conversion of an intermediate compound external to the bacteria. Optionally, the methods can be used in combination with methods for production and/or separation of increased amounts of levoglucosan from pyrolysis of biomass.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods for the biosynthesis of di- or trifunctional C7 alkanes in the presence of isolated enzymes or in the presence of a recombinant host cell expressing those enzymes. The di- or trifunctional C7 alkanes are useful as intermediates in the production of nylon-7, nylon-7,x, nylon-x,7, and polyesters.

The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms that have been engineered to produce various chemicals using genes that have been repurposed to create a reverse beta oxidation pathway. Generally speaking, the beta oxidation cycle is expressed and driven in reverse by modifying various regulation points for as many cycles as needed, and then the CoA thioester intermediates are converted to useful products by the action of termination enzymes.

Herein are provided methods for increasing enzymatic activity of desaturases and fatty acyl reductases by co-expressing NAD(P)H cytochrome b5 reductases (EC 1.6.2.2, Ncb5or), as well as to methods for production of compounds comprised in pheromones, in particular moth pheromones, such as saturated and desaturated fatty alcohols, and saturated and desaturated fatty alcohol acetates and fatty acids, and derivatives thereof, in a cell.