The present invention can: efficiently and readily produce glucose from microalgae that accumulate starch in their cells; and obtain ethanol. During a preparation step of the glucose production method, microalgae are prepared on which a saccharifying enzyme acts on starch accumulated inside the microalgae cells, without disrupting the cell walls. In a saccharification step, starch inside the cells is saccharified and glucose is generated, by adding a saccharifying enzyme to the microalgae without a disruption treatment. The ethanol production method has a step in which, after the saccharification step, the glucose undergoes alcoholic fermentation and ethanol is generated.

This specification discloses process for obtaining maltodextrin having DE between 17 and 19.9 and the maltodextrins obtained from the process. The disclosed maltodextrins can be provided as a powder or in shelf stable liquid form. The disclose maltodextrins have a polysaccharide profile similar to those observed for prior art maltodextrins, but make maltodextrin solutions having a high solids content, but reduced viscosity compared to prior art maltodextrins, on equivalent solids-in-solution basis. The process combines adds an alpha-amylase and a pullulanase enzyme to a polysaccharide mixture during a saccharification step. The disclosed maltodextrins make solutions at 50° C. and greater than 65% on a solids dry solids basis having a viscosity between 5,000 and 12,000 cP and having a water activity of less than 0.80.

The present invention relates to variants of a parent alpha-amylase. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants and to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides, and methods of using the variant enzymes.

A process of recovering oil, comprising (a) converting a starch-containing material into dextrins with an alpha-amylase; (b) saccharifying the dextrins using a carbohydrate source generating enzyme to form a sugar; (c) fermenting the sugar in a fermentation medium into a fermentation product using a fermenting organism; (d) recovering the fermentation product to form a whole stillage; (e) separating the whole stillage into thin stillage and wet cake; (e′) optionally concentrating the thin stillage into syrup; (f) recovering oil from the thin stillage and/or optionally the syrup, wherein a protease and a phospholipase are present and/or added during steps (a) to (c). Use of a protease and a phospholipase for increasing oil recovery yields from thin stillage and/or syrup in a fermentation product production process.

Disclosed are compositions and methods relating to variant α-amylases. The variant α-amylases are useful, for example, for starch liquefaction and saccharification, cleaning starchy stains, textile desizing, baking and brewing.

A method for treating a neurodegenerative disease is provided. The method for treating a neurodegenerative disease includes administering, to a subject in need thereof, one or more of a small molecule glycogen synthase (GYS) inhibitor, an antisense oligonucleotide targeting glycogen synthase, an antibody-enzyme fusion compound targeting polyglucosan bodies (PGBs), or combinations thereof.

The present invention relates to polypeptide having alpha-amylase activity. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the polypeptides.

Described is a method for reducing the amount of thermostable α-amylase required for starch liquefaction performed under low sodium conditions by supplementing liquefaction with a thermostable phytase.

The present invention relates to alpha-amylase variants having an improved stability as compared to the parent alpha-amylase. The invention further relates to use of the variants, compositions comprising the variants, and methods of producing the variants.

The present invention provides in methods for preparing a cake batter or a cake product prepared from the batter, comprising adding in any order one or more raw starch degrading alpha-amylases and one or more phospholipases to cake batter ingredients, and preparing the cake batter. Also, cake batters or cake products comprising one or more raw starch degrading alpha-amylases and one or more phospholipases are provided herein.