The present invention provides a novel method for improving microbial laccase production, which relates to the field of microbial fermentation. The present invention is to add β-carotene and other types of carotenoids, or microorganisms that produce carotenoids, or mixtures comprising carotenoids into a fermentation system during fermentation of Pleurotus ferulae and other higher fungi. The present invention can improve the laccase production 12 times more than before, with the advantages of a simple process and high yield.

The present application is directed to lettuce plants comprising a mutation in each of at least two different PPO genes, where said mutations reduce the activity of PPO protein compared to a wild type lettuce plant. The present application is also directed to methods for making such lettuce plants.

The technical field of enzyme immobilization, and particularly, an organic-inorganic hybrid nanoflower and a preparation method thereof. The organic-inorganic hybrid nanoflower is a flower-like immobilized enzyme formed by self-assembly of a layered rare earth compound as an inorganic carrier and a biological enzyme as an organic component. The layered rare earth compound is Ln.sub.2(OH).sub.5NO.sub.3.Math.nH.sub.2O, where Ln is one or more of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Y, and n=1.1-2.5. The biological enzyme is one or more of α-amylase, horseradish peroxidase, or laccase. A layered rare earth compound is used as the inorganic carrier for the organic biological enzyme to form the flower-like immobilized enzyme. The immobilized enzyme has better stability and higher catalytic performance when compared with a free enzyme.

The invention provides an enzyme granule comprising a mixture of a laccase and a buffer in an amount capable of maintaining an alkaline pH.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a novel protein crosslinking method. In the present invention, a crosslinking reaction is accelerated by causing both an oxidoreductase such as a laccase and a protein deamidase such as a protein glutaminase to act on a substrate protein.

The invention relates to processes for the conversion of biomass into carbohydrates, notable fermentable sugars. It provides means and methods for increasing the yield of enzymatic digestion of a biomass, in particular in those cases where cellulose is converted into sugars using a cellulose converting enzyme. More in particular, the invention relates to a method for producing a fermentable sugar from a lignocellulosic material wherein the lignocellulosic material is contacted with a laccase and an enzyme capable of degrading cellulose, either simultaneously or in a sequentially deferred fashion, wherein the laccase is the Bacillus spore coat protein CotA.

The invention relates to a plastic compound comprising at least one polyolefin and a biological entity that degrades said polyolefin. The invention further relates to a process for preparing a plastic article wherein at least one polyolefin and one biological entity that degrades said polyolefin are mixed at a temperature at which the polyolefin is in a partially or totally molten state.

This invention relates to a carrier for immobilizing a biocatalyst including a Fe.sub.2O.sub.3 yolk-shell structure, to an immobilized enzyme using the carrier, and to realizing an increase in the stability of the enzyme and stability in organic solvents by cross-linking the enzyme. According to this invention, the carrier for immobilizing a biocatalyst and the enzyme immobilized thereon can be reused, have increased stability, facilitate the control of reactivity, pH, and temperature, and can be widely useful in various biochemical engineering industries.

A method for rapid, high throughput screening of the activities of enzymes, especially ligninases and its enzyme cocktails, using nanostructure initiator mass spectrometry (NIMS) surfaces, substrates and methodology.

Enzyme compositions with enhanced enzyme activity and/or thermophilic and psychrophilic stability are described. Additionally, methods and kits for making and using the enzyme compositions are provided.