515 results about "Fermentable sugar" patented technology

This invention relates to novel enzymes and novel methods for producing the same. More specifically this invention relates to a variety of fungal enzymes. Nucleic acid molecules encoding such enzymes, compositions, recombinant and genetically modified host cells, and methods of use are described. The invention also relates to a method to convert lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars with enzymes that degrade the lignocellulosic material and novel combinations of enzymes, including those that provide a synergistic release of sugars from plant biomass. The invention also relates to a method to release cellular content by degradation of cell walls. The invention also relates to methods to use the novel enzymes and compositions of such enzymes in a variety of other processes, including washing of clothing, detergent processes, biorefining, deinking and biobleaching of paper and pulp, and treatment of waste streams.

Lignin polymers having distinctive properties, including a generally high molecular weight and generally homogeneous size distribution, as well as preservation of native reactive side groups, are isolated by solvent extraction of plant materials. Methods for isolation of lignin polymers, and for use of the isolated lignin polymers are disclosed. Compositions containing lignin isolated from plant materials, such as carbon fiber composites, resins, adhesive binders and coatings, polyurethane-based foams, rubbers and elastomers, plastics, films, paints, nutritional supplements, food and beverage additives are disclosed. Xylose and xylose derivatives, furfural, fermentable sugars, cellulose and hemi-cellulose products may be used directly or further processed. The lignin polymers and other plant-derived products disclosed herein may be produced in abundance at low cost, and may be used as substitutes for feedstocks originating from fossil fuel or petrochemical sources in the manufacture of various products.

Processes for saccharification of pretreated biomass to obtain high concentrations of fermentable sugars are provided. Specifically, a process was developed that uses a fed batch approach with particle size reduction to provide a high dry weight of biomass content enzymatic saccharification reaction, which produces a high sugars concentration hydrolysate, using a low cost reactor system.

A method and system to produce biodiesel from a combination of corn (maize) and other agro feedstock may be simarouba, mahua, rice, pongamia etc. Germ is separated (either by wet process or dry process) from corn, crude corn oil extracted from germ and corn starch milk/slurry is heated and cooked in jet cooker to about 105 degree Celsius, enzymes added to convert starch into fermentable sugars in liquification and saccharification process and rapidly cooled down to about 30 degree Celsius. Simarouba fruits syrup, mahua syrup is mixed with corn starch milk (after saccharification). When yeast is added the fermentation takes place for about 72 hours. Thereafter the fermented wash is distilled to produce ethanol. Water consumed in dry process is very less compared to traditional wet process system. Corn oil and mixture of other oils is fed into transesterification (reaction) vessels where ethanol with catalyst, usually sodium hydroxide is added and reaction takes place for about a period of 2-8 hours. Crude biodiesel and crude glycerin as by-products is produced. Excess ethanol removed by distillation process. Crude biodiesel washed with warm water to remove residual soaps or unused catalyst, dried and biodiesel stored for commercial use. Oil extracted from spent bleach mud (used sodium bentonite), a waste product of edible oil refineries may also be utilized for economical production of biodiesel in combination of corn oil and ethanol.

The present invention relates to the production of sugar hydrolysates from cellulosic material. The method may be used e.g. for producing fermentable sugars for the production of bioethanol from lignocellulosic material. Cellulolytic enzymes and their production by recombinant technology is described, as well as uses of the enzymes and enzyme preparations.

A method for the production of fermentable sugars and high viscosity cellulose from lignocellulosic material in a batch or continuous process is provided. Lignocellulosic material is fractionated in a fashion that cellulose is removed as pulp, cooking chemicals can be reused, lignin is separated for the production of process energy, and hemicelluloses are converted into fermentable sugars, while fermentation inhibitors are removed. High yield production of alcohols or organic acids can be obtained from this method using the final reaction step.

The present invention provides transgenic plants expressing one or more cell wall degrading enzymes that can degrade lignocellulose to fermentable sugars. These fermentable sugars can further be fermented to ethanol or other products. The enzymes are directed to the plastids or the apoplasts or the transgenic plant for storage. When the transgenic plants are harvested, the plants are ground to release the enzymes which then are used to degrade the lignocellulose of plant material to produce the fermentable sugars. The transgenic plants express the flowering locus c gene so that flowering is delayed and the plant biomass is increased.

This invention relates to novel enzymes and novel methods for producing the same. More specifically this invention relates to a variety of fungal enzymes. Nucleic acid molecules encoding such enzymes, compositions, recombinant and genetically modified host cells, and methods of use are described. The invention also relates to a method to convert lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars with enzymes that degrade the lignocellulosic material and novel combinations of enzymes, including those that provide a synergistic release of sugars from plant biomass. The invention also relates to methods to use the novel enzymes and compositions of such enzymes in a variety of other processes, including washing of clothing, detergent processes, deinking and biobleaching of paper and pulp, and treatment of waste streams.

The present invention provides transgenic plants which after harvest degrade the lignin and cellulose therein to fermentable sugars which can further be fermented to ethanol or other products. In particular, the transgenic plants comprise ligninase and cellulase genes from microbes operably linked to a DNA encoding a signal peptide which targets the fusion polypeptide produced therefrom to an organelle of the plant, in particular the chloroplasts. When the transgenic plants are harvested, the plants are ground to release the ligninase and cellulase which then degrade the lignin and cellulose of the transgenic plants to produce the fermentable sugars.

Methods for treating lignocellulosic biomass to produce readily saccharifiable carbohydrate-enriched biomass are provided. In one method, lignocellulosic biomass comprising lignin is treated with aqueous ammonia, then contacted with a gas comprising ozone at a temperature of about 0° C. to about 50° C. In another method, lignocellulosic biomass comprising lignin is contacted with a gas comprising ozone at a temperature of about 0° C. to about 50° C., then treated with aqueous ammonia. The readily saccharifiable carbohydrate-enriched biomass may be saccharified with an enzyme consortium to produce fermentable sugars.

An improved method for processing corn into ethanol and other valuable co-products. The invention generally involves a multi-step process which produces germ (or oil), protein, and feed yeast as its co-products while maintaining or enhancing the provision of fermentable sugar to ethanol fermentation. This is accomplished by fundamentally altering the way the corn is fractionated, disrupting the cell walls rather than the protein matrix as is done in conventional wet milling.

Processes are described for fractionating lignocellulosic biomass into cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, comprising fractionating lignocellulosic biomass in the presence of a solvent for lignin (such as ethanol), a hydrolysis catalyst (such as sulfur dioxide), and water, to produce a liquor containing hemicellulose, cellulose-rich solids, and lignin; hydrolyzing the hemicellulose to produce hemicellulosic monomers; saccharifying the cellulose-rich solids to produce glucose; recovering the hemicellulosic monomers and the glucose, separately or in a combined stream, as fermentable sugars; and fermenting the fermentable sugars to a fermentation product having a higher normal boiling point than water. Process integration of mass and/or energy is disclosed in many specific embodiments. The fermentation product may include an organic acid, an alcohol, a diol, or combinations thereof.

The invention relates to a method of extracting hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin from wood fiber raw materials and belongs to the field of utilization and technology of biomass resources of agriculture and forestry. In the method, the hemicellulose is extracted from the wood fiber raw materials by using hot water, then the lignin is extracted by using alkaline organic solvent under mild conditions; and residual ingredients rich in the cellulose are further used for enzyme hydrolysis to prepare fermentable sugar solution, thereby achieving full-ingredient utilization of the hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin in the biomass resources of the agriculture and forestry. The method has simple process, and is environmentally friendly, the organic solvent can be recycled, thereby promoting the development of the green agriculture and forestry, and the method has wide social and economic benefits.

A biorefining process used to convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol via a fermentation pathway. In a first pretreatment process step, the biomass is mixed with an aqueous wash solution to remove soluble carbohydrates from the biomass structure. Next, the solid fraction is separated from a liquid fraction. In a second pretreatment process, the solid fraction is pre-treated to make the fiber bundles and complex polysaccharides more amenable to enzymatic hydrolysis. Following the second pretreatment process, the pre-treated biomass is subjected to one or more enzymes in a hydrolysis process. The liquid fraction isolated from the first pretreatment process is diverted past the second pretreatment process and is recombined with the solid fraction in the hydrolysis process. The enzyme cocktail in the hydrolysis process breaks down the alpha- and hemicellulose polymers into fermentable sugars. Finally, a fermentation process produces a “beer” that is further processed in a distillation and dehydration process.

Methods are disclosed for forming heptan-4-one, and, optionally, heptan-4-ol, from fermentable sugars. The sugars are fermented using a bacteria or yeast that predominantly forms butyric acid. The butyric acid is subjected to catalytic ketonization conditions to form heptan-4-one, with concomitant loss of water and carbon dioxide. The heptan-4-one can be subjected to catalytic hydrogenation to form heptan-4-ol, an either of these can be included in gasoline compositions. In one aspect, the fermentable sugars are derived from lignocellulosic materials such as wood products, switchgrass, or agricultural wastes, which are delignified to form lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. The cellulose and hemicellulose can be depolymerized to form glycose and xylose, either or both of which can be fermented by the bacteria. Thus, the methods described herein can convert biomass to a fuel composition or fuel additive, which can be used in a conventional gasoline engine, unlike traditional fuels such as ethanol or biodiesel.