Provided herein are methods, compositions, and non-naturally occurring microbial organism for preparing compounds such as α-butanol, butyric acid, succinic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1-pentanol, pentanoic acid, glutaric acid, 1,5-pentanediol, 1-hexanol, hexanoic acid, adipic acid, 1,6-hexanediol, 6-hydroxy hexanoic acid, ε-Caprolactone, 6-amino-hexanoic acid, ε-Caprolactam, hexamethylenediamine, linear fatty acids and linear fatty alcohols that are between 7-25 carbons long, linear alkanes and linear α-alkenes that are between 6-24 carbons long, sebacic acid and dodecanedioic acid comprising: a) converting a C.sub.N aldehyde and pyruvate to a C.sub.N+3 β-hydroxyketone intermediate through an aldol addition; and b) converting the C.sub.N+3 β-hydroxyketone intermediate to the compounds through enzymatic steps, or a combination of enzymatic and chemical steps.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring bacterium having decreased or eliminated activity of an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction defined by EC 1.2.7.5, such as aldehyde:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (AOR). Optionally, the bacterium also has decreased or eliminated activity of an enzyme that catalyzes the reaction defined by EC 1.2.1.10 and/or EC 1.1.1.1, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, or bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase. The invention further provides methods of producing products by culturing the bacterium in the presence of a gaseous substrate containing one or more of CO, CO.sub.2, and H.sub.2.

The invention relates to the fields of bacterial metabolism and the utilization or consumption of short-chain carboxylic acids to reduced products. Specifically, it relates to syngas fermentations using monocultures of syngas-utilizing homoacetogenic bacteria for the production of alcohols using native alcohol dehydrogenase.

Microorganisms are genetically engineered to produce 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP). The microorganisms are carboxydotrophic acetogens. The microorganisms produce acetyl-coA using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for fixing CO/CO.sub.2. A β-alanine pyruvate aminotransferase from a microorganism that contains such an enzyme is introduced. Additionally, an acetyl-coA carboxylase may also be introduced. The production of 3-HP can be improved. This can be effected by improved promoters or higher copy number or enzymes that are catalytically more efficient.

Microorganisms are genetically engineered to produce 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP). The microorganisms are carboxydotrophic acetogens. The microorganisms produce acetyl-coA using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for fixing CO/CO.sub.2. A β-alanine pyruvate aminotransferase from a microorganism that contains such an enzyme is introduced. Additionally, an acetyl-coA carboxylase may also be introduced. The production of 3-HP can be improved. This can be effected by improved promoters or higher copy number or enzymes that are catalytically more efficient.

Disclosed herein are methods for production of 2-phenylethanol by microbial fermentation of substrates comprising carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide and further disclosed are genetically modified microorganisms for use in such methods. Additionally, the processes disclosed herein are improved methods of 2-PE production that alleviate dependence on natural and petrochemical processes.

The invention provides a process for reducing bio-catalytic oxidation of a product in a post-production stream. More particularly the invention provides a process for reducing bio-catalytic oxidation of an alcohol in a product stream, the product stream comprising an alcohol product, dissolved carbon dioxide, and at least one enzyme capable of oxidizing the alcohol. The invention finds applicability in fermentation processes, wherein a C1-fixing microorganism utilizes a C1-containing substrate to produce a fermentation product.

A method is described for producing an objective substance, for example, an aldehyde such as vanillin. The objective substance is produced from a carbon source or a precursor of the objective substance by using a microorganism having an ability to produce the objective substance, wherein the microorganism has been modified to have a specific carboxylic acid reductase (CAR) gene, such as a Gordonia CAR gene, Novosphingobium CAR gene, or Coccomyxa CAR gene.

Provided herein are methods, compositions, and non-naturally occurring microbial organism for preparing compounds such as 1-butanol, butyric acid, succinic acid, 1,4-butanediol, 1-pentanol, pentanoic acid, glutaric acid, 1,5-pentanediol, 1-hexanol, hexanoic acid, adipic acid, 1,6-hexanediol, 6-hydroxy hexanoic acid, -Caprolactone, 6-amino-hexanoic acid, -Caprolactam, hexamethylenediamine, linear fatty acids and linear fatty alcohols that are between 7-25 carbons long, linear alkanes and linear -alkenes that are between 6-24 carbons long, sebacic acid and dodecanedioic acid comprising: a) converting a C.sub.N aldehyde and pyruvate to a C.sub.N+3 -hydroxyketone intermediate through an aldol addition; and b) converting the C.sub.N+3 -hydroxyketone intermediate to the compounds through enzymatic steps, or a combination of enzymatic and chemical steps.

Microorganisms are genetically engineered to produce 3-hydroxypropionate (3-HP). The microorganisms are carboxydotrophic acetogens. The microorganisms produce acetyl-coA using the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway for fixing CO/CO.sub.2. A -alanine pyruvate aminotransferase from a microorganism that contains such an enzyme is introduced. Additionally, an acetyl-coA carboxylase may also be introduced. The production of 3-HP can be improved. This can be effected by improved promoters or higher copy number or enzymes that are catalytically more efficient.