A process for producing butanol is provided, involving: A) mixing water, lactate, an enzyme mixture comprising at least one enzyme, at least one cofactor and at least one coenzyme, to prepare a reaction mixture; B) catalytically reacting the reaction mixture for an amount of time sufficient to cause conversion of lactate into butanol; and wherein the conversion of lactate into butanol in B) is associated with a regeneration system of NAD (P).sup.+/NAD (P) H and/or acetyl-CoA/CoA.

Modified bacterial strains are provided. The strains can generate a desired product such as pyruvate and products derived from pyruvate. Methods of generating pyruvate and products derived from pyruvate are also provided. The modified bacterial strains have at least one mutation in a gene coding for proteins in a pyruvate dehydrogenase complex such that the mutation allows a cell to accumulate pyruvate and/or products derived from pyruvate.

This disclosure relates to mRNA therapy for the treatment of maple syrup urine disease (MSUD). mRNAs for use in the invention, when administered in vivo, encode branched chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase complex (BCKDC) E1α, E1β, or E2mRNA therapies of the disclosure increase and/or restore deficient levels of E1α, E1β, or E2 expression and/or BCKDC activity in subjects. mRNA therapies of the invention further decrease abnormal accumulation of branched chain amino acids associated with deficient BCKDC activity in subjects.

A process for producing butanol is provided, involving: A) mixing water, lactate, an enzyme mixture comprising at least one enzyme, at least one cofactor and at least one coenzyme, to prepare a reaction mixture; B) catalytically reacting the reaction mixture for an amount of time sufficient to cause conversion of lactate into butanol; and wherein the conversion of lactate into butanol in B) is associated with a regeneration system of NAD (P).sup.+/NAD (P) H and/or acetyl-CoA/CoA.

An engineered microorganism(s) with novel pathways for the conversion of short-chain hydrocarbons to fuels and chemicals (e.g. carboxylic acids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, and their alpha-, beta-, and omega-functionalized derivatives) is described. Key to this approach is the use of hydrocarbon activation enzymes able to overcome the high stability and low reactivity of hydrocarbon compounds through the cleavage of an inert CH bond. Oxygen-dependent or oxygen-independent activation enzymes can be exploited for this purpose, which when combined with appropriate pathways for the conversion of activated hydrocarbons to key metabolic intermediates, enables the generation of product precursors that can subsequently be converted to desired compounds through established pathways. These novel engineered microorganism(s) provide a route for the production of fuels and chemicals from short chain hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane.

The disclosure provides a metabolic pathway for producing a metabolite, the metabolic pathway having a co-factor purge valve system for recycling a cofactor used in the metabolic pathway.

An engineered microorganism(s) with novel pathways for the conversion of short-chain hydrocarbons to fuels and chemicals (e.g. carboxylic acids, alcohols, hydrocarbons, and their alpha-, beta-, and omega-functionalized derivatives) is described. Key to this approach is the use of hydrocarbon activation enzymes able to overcome the high stability and low reactivity of hydrocarbon compounds through the cleavage of an inert CH bond. Oxygen-dependent or oxygen-independent activation enzymes can be exploited for this purpose, which when combined with appropriate pathways for the conversion of activated hydrocarbons to key metabolic intermediates, enables the generation of product precursors that can subsequently be converted to desired compounds through established pathways. These novel engineered microorganism(s) provide a route for the production of fuels and chemicals from short chain hydrocarbons such as methane, ethane, propane, butane, and pentane.

The present disclosure provides recombinant bacterial cells that have been engineered with genetic circuitry which allow the recombinant bacterial cells to sense a patient's internal environment and respond by turning an engineered metabolic pathway on or off. When turned on, the recombinant bacterial cells complete all of the steps in a metabolic pathway to achieve a therapeutic effect in a host subject. These recombinant bacterial cells are designed to drive therapeutic effects throughout the body of a host from a point of origin of the microbiome. Specifically, the present disclosure provides recombinant bacterial cells that comprise an amino acid catabolism enzyme for the treatment of diseases and disorders associated with amino acid metabolism, including cancer, in a subject. The disclosure further provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating disorders associated with amino acid metabolism, such as cancer.

The disclosure provides a metabolic pathway for producing a metabolite, the metabolic pathway having a co-factor purge valve system for recycling a cofactor used in the metabolic pathway.

The disclosure provides a metabolic pathway for producing a metabolite, the metabolic pathway having a co-factor purge valve system for recycling a cofactor used in the metabolic pathway.