Described herein are recombinant host organisms expressing a sugar transporter and an active pentose fermentation pathway. Also described are processes for producing a fermentation product, such as ethanol, from starch or cellulosic-containing material with the recombinant host organisms.

Provided herein are Metschnikowia species that produce xylitol from xylose when cultured, as well as methods to make and use these Metschnikowia species.

Provided are a mycosporine-like amino acid-producing microorganism and a method for production of mycosporine-like amino acids by using same. The microorganism can produce mycosporine-like amino acids from xylose.

Yeast cells are transformed with an exogenous xylose isomerase gene. Additional genetic modifications enhance the ability of the transformed cells to ferment xylose to ethanol or other desired fermentation products. Those modifications include deletion of non-specific or specific aldose reductase gene(s), deletion of xylitol dehydrogenase gene(s) and/or overexpression of xylulokinase.

Provided herein are Metschnikowia species that produce xylitol from xylose when cultured, as well as methods to make and use these Metschnikowia species.

The present invention discloses a construction method and a recombinant yeast stain Yarrowia lipolytica for xylitol synthesis; Adopting Yarrowia lipolytica as the host, introducing genes into the host through metabolic engineering to enable the recombinant yeast to synthesize xylitol from glucose, fructose, glycerol and starch as carbon sources, block the synthesis pathway of by-products, so that it can synthesize xylitol from the aforesaid carbon sources by fermentation, thus obtain the engineered Yarrowia lipolytica strain to synthesize xylitol from glucose and other carbon sources. After fermentation, xylitol crystal is obtained by ion exchange, decolorization, concentration and crystallization of the clear and transparent fermentation liquor after isolation of the strains from the fermentation. This construction method of engineered Yarrowia lipolytica described in the invention, and the Yarrowia lipolytica strain obtained by this method can simplify the existing method for chemical synthesis of xylitol and have good application.

The present disclosure provides recombinant microorganisms capable of sugar co-utilization, the recombinant microorganism comprising a genetically altered microorganism (e.g. S. cerevisiae) having a lack of, or reduced expression of, or expression of truncated or mutated forms of at least one polypeptide selected from Hxk1, Hxk2, and Glk1. Reduction of the expression or biological activity of Hxk1, Hxk2 and Glk1 leads to reduction in the glucose consumption pathway, allowing the microorganism to co-utilize multiple sugars (e.g. glucose, xylose, galactose) at an improved rate.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for the fermentative production of 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO), compositions and methods for making methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and methods of inducing drought tolerance in plants.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a strain of sugar fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae with capability to ferment xylose, wherein said method comprises different procedural steps. The method comprises mating a first sporulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with a second Saccharomyces cerevisiae haploid strain. Thereafter, screening for mated cells is performed, growing such mated cells, and verifying that mated cells exhibit basic morphology by microscopic inspection. Thereafter, creation of a mixture of the mated cells is performed, subjecting the mixture to continuous chemostat lignocellulose cultivation and obtaining the sugar fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells with capability to ferment xylose is performed. The invention also comprises strains obtained by said method.

Provided herein are Metschnikowia species that produce xylitol from xylose when cultured, as well as methods to make and use these Metschnikowia species.