A method for producing alcoholic beverages from alkaline cooking, using as a basis the increase in pH in the medium to cook cacahuazintle corn grains, other similar mealy corn or any other grain, which offers a different proposal due to the generation of flavors, aromas and sensory characteristics that differentiate the products obtained by the methods herein disclosed from existing alcoholic beverages. A method for producing alcohol for human consumption and/or industrial use from the recovery and treatment of nejayote obtained from alkaline cooking residues, also known as nixtamalization of corn, applied to any alkaline cooking residue in the alimentary field.

A method and use of nisin-permeabilized microbial cells as whole-cell catalysts for reducing the amount of a target substrate in a sample to one of more product are provided. Specifically, a method of reducing the amount of lactose in a dairy sample using nisin-permeabilized lactic acid bacterial cell catalysts, which have been permeabilized by incubating with a nisin producing microbial cell and/or culture medium derived therof. Further provided is a nisin producing microbial cell, derived from parent strain Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis bv. diacetylactis SD96 (NCBI accession No. SRX6686433).

The usefulness of β-galactosidases derived from Bacillus circulans is further enhanced. A modified β-galactosidase in which one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of proline 182 (P182), tyrosine 187 (Y187), serine 188 (S188), tryptophan 405 (W405), alanine 406 (A406), glutamine 407 (Q407), tyrosine 449 (Y449), threonine 483 (T483), serine 512 (S512), serine 531 (S531), threonine 533 (T533), serine 534 (S534), asparagine 550 (N550), glutamine 551 (Q551), tryptophan 593 (W593), tyrosine 598 (Y598), proline 602 (P602), proline 604 (P604), tyrosine 609 (Y609), lysine 612 (K612), and tyrosine 615 (Y615), or an amino acid(s) corresponding thereto, has/have been substituted by other amino acid in a β-galactosidase consisting of the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 4 or an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any of SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 4.

The usefulness of β-galactosidases derived from Bacillus circulans is further enhanced. A modified β-galactosidase in which one or more amino acids selected from the group consisting of proline 182 (P182), tyrosine 187 (Y187), serine 188 (S188), tryptophan 405 (W405), alanine 406 (A406), glutamine 407 (Q407), tyrosine 449 (Y449), threonine 483 (T483), serine 512 (S512), serine 531 (S531), threonine 533 (T533), serine 534 (S534), asparagine 550 (N550), glutamine 551 (Q551), tryptophan 593 (W593), tyrosine 598 (Y598), proline 602 (P602), proline 604 (P604), tyrosine 609 (Y609), lysine 612 (K612), and tyrosine 615 (Y615), or an amino acid(s) corresponding thereto, has/have been substituted by other amino acid in a β-galactosidase consisting of the amino acid sequence of any of SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 4 or an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in any of SEQ ID NOs. 1 to 4.

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having laccase activity and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

The present invention relates to isolated polypeptides having laccase activity and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides and polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides. The invention also relates to nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides as well as methods of producing and using the polypeptides.

Provided are certain glycosyl hydrolase family 3 (GH3) beta-xylosidases engineered to acquire beta-glucosidase activities. Provided also are compositions comprising such multi-functional GH3 enzymes and methods of use or industrial applications thereof.

Provided are certain glycosyl hydrolase family 3 (GH3) beta-xylosidases engineered to acquire beta-glucosidase activities. Provided also are compositions comprising such multi-functional GH3 enzymes and methods of use or industrial applications thereof.

A method of efficiently producing saccharides having glucose as the major component by inexpensively suppressing the non-productive adsorption of the enzyme to lignin is provided. The method of producing saccharides includes: a first step of preparing a water-soluble protein by adding at least any one of an animal protein and a vegetable protein to an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution or an aqueous calcium hydroxide solution to react with each other; a second step of adding the water-soluble protein to a slurry including a biomass; and a third step of producing saccharides having glucose as a major component by adding a degrading enzyme to the slurry for at least any one of a cellulose or a hemicellulose included in the biomass to be degraded by the degrading enzyme simultaneously with addition of the water-soluble protein to the slurry or after addition of the water-soluble protein.

A method of efficiently producing saccharides having glucose as the major component by inexpensively suppressing the non-productive adsorption of the enzyme to lignin is provided. The method of producing saccharides includes: a first step of preparing a water-soluble protein by adding at least any one of an animal protein and a vegetable protein to an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution or an aqueous calcium hydroxide solution to react with each other; a second step of adding the water-soluble protein to a slurry including a biomass; and a third step of producing saccharides having glucose as a major component by adding a degrading enzyme to the slurry for at least any one of a cellulose or a hemicellulose included in the biomass to be degraded by the degrading enzyme simultaneously with addition of the water-soluble protein to the slurry or after addition of the water-soluble protein.