The technology provided herein relates to novel methods for producing lactic acid (L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid and D/L-Lactic acid) from starch containing material with extreme thermophilic bacterial cells belonging to the genus Caldicellulosiruptor, mutants thereof, isolated strains, microbial cultures, and microbial compositions. The novel methods are in particular suitable for the production of lactic acid from any carbon source, not limited to but especially useful for unmodified starch and/or starch-containing material.

The present invention relates to compositions to induce production of proteins, e.g., enzymes, e.g., amylases or biomass degrading enzymes in a host cell, and methods for increasing the yield of the proteins, e.g., enzymes produced. Such compositions comprise a caramelized sugar product. The methods described herein can also be used to enhance processing of biomass materials, e.g., to produce sugar products.

The present invention relates to enzyme compositions for high temperature saccharification of cellulosic material and to uses thereof.

The present invention relates to enzyme compositions for high temperature saccharification of cellulosic material and to uses thereof.

The invention relates to the field of microbiology, more particularly to fermentation technology. Yeast fermentation, particularly production of bio-based compounds starting from second generation carbon sources is often hampered by the presence of inhibitory chemicals. This application provides means and methods to overcome the negative effect of fermentation inhibitors, more particularly by providing chimeric genes and yeast strains comprising them that are tolerant to these inhibitors.

The invention relates to the field of microbiology, more particularly to fermentation technology. Yeast fermentation, particularly production of bio-based compounds starting from second generation carbon sources is often hampered by the presence of inhibitory chemicals. This application provides means and methods to overcome the negative effect of fermentation inhibitors, more particularly by providing chimeric genes and yeast strains comprising them that are tolerant to these inhibitors.

The present invention relates to a Bifidobacterium longum probiotic for use to improve fermentability of a plant fibre during gastro-intestinal tract passage in a subject, wherein said plant fibre has an insoluble fraction of between 40 to 80% (w/w).

Embodiments provide a modified microbe capable of growing in or fermenting a solution, or lignocellulosic hydrolysate, comprising ferulic acid and/or coniferyl aldehyde. The microbe has one or more modifications to provide: (a) a decrease in copy number or expression of a BNA7 gene; (b) an increase in copy number or expression of one or more pentose phosphate pathway genes; and/or (c) localization of one or more products of the pentose phosphate pathway genes to the mitochondria or endoplasmic reticulum. Also provided is a microbe having modified expression or copy number of BNA7 and/or one or more of the pentose phosphate pathway genes. The pentose phosphate pathway genes may in certain embodiments be selected from at least one of ZWF1, TKL1, RPE1 and GND1. Also provided is a method for fermenting a substrate comprising ferulic acid and/or coniferyl aldehyde to produce a fermentation product.

The present invention relates to novel nucleic acid sequences encoding bacterial xylose isomerases that upon transformation of a eukaryotic microbial host cell, such as yeast, to confer to the host cell the ability of isomerising xylose to xylulose. The nucleic acid sequences encode xylose isomerases that originate from bacteria such as Eubacterium sp., Clostridium cellulosi and others. The invention further relates to fermentation processes wherein the transformed host cells ferment a xylose-containing medium to produce ethanol or other fermentation products.

The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism which is capable of simultaneously fermenting at least two sugars in a lignocellulosic saccharified liquid, and also capable of generating diol.