Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Michigan State University

University of British Columbia

United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Agriculture

Illinois State University

John Ralph

Steven D Karlen

Brian Fox

Curtis Wilkerson

Craig A Bingman

Saunia Withers

Fachuang Lu

Shawn D Mansfield

Emily Beebe

Rebecca Anne Smith

Hoon Y Kim

John H Grabber

Timothy James Donohue

John C Sedbrook

Daniel Noguera

Wayne S Kontur

Ronald D Hatfield

Dharshana Padmakshan

Daniel Leo Gall

Jeff Scott Piotrowski

Mehdi Kabbage

Robert Chase Landick

Ruili Gao

Justin Mobley

Heather Mackay

Yaseen Mottiar

Faride Unda

A method of completely dissolving lignocellulosic biomass. The method includes the steps of dissolving a sample of biomass in an aqueous solution of strong acid and an amine-thiol to yield a first solution. A method for measuring lignin concentration in biomass via absorbance of the first solution at a wavelength of about 283 nm by comparing the measured absorbance to a standard curve of absorbance values made from solutions of known lignin concentration.

Method to solubilize biomass under mild conditions

Antimicrobial diferulates, compositions containing same, and uses of same for inhibiting growth of microorganisms. The antimicrobial diferulates can be used alone or in combination with other antimicrobial agents to inhibit growth of microorganisms such as fungi, oomycetes, and other microorganisms having a glucan-containing cell wall. The antimicrobial diferulates can be included in pharmaceutical compositions for treatment of animals or included in agricultural compositions for treatment of plants, crops, and soils.

Antimicrobial ferulic acid derivatives and uses thereof

The invention is directed to BAHD acyltransferase enzymes, nucleic acids encoding BAHD acyltransferase enzymes, and inhibitory nucleic acids adapted to inhibit the expression and/or translation of BAHD acyltransferase RNA; expression cassettes, plant cells, and plants that have or encode such nucleic acids and enzymes; and methods of making and using such nucleic acids, enzymes, expression cassettes, cells, and plants.

BAHD acyltransferases

The invention relates to feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes and nucleic acids encoding the feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes. The enzymes and/or the nucleic acids enable incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants. The monolignol ferulates include, for example, p-coumaryl ferulate, coniferyl ferulate, and/or sinapyl ferulate.

Feruloyl-CoA:monolignol transferases

The invention is directed to p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes, nucleic acids encoding p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase enzymes, and inhibitory nucleic acids adapted to inhibit the expression and/or translation of p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase RNA; expression cassettes, plant cells, and plants that have or encode such nucleic acids and enzymes; and methods of making and using such nucleic acids, enzymes, expression cassettes, cells, and plants.

P-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferases

Enzymes for depolymerizing lignin. The enzymes include dehydrogenases, &#x3b2;-etherases, and glutathione lyases. The dehydrogenases can comprise one or more or LigD, LigO, LigN, and LigL. The &#x3b2;-etherases can comprise one or more of LigE, LigF, LigP, and BaeA. The glutathione lyases can comprise any one or more of LigG and a number of non-stereospecific, optionally recombinant glutathione lyases derived fromsp. SYK-6,, and other microorganisms. The enzymes can be combined in compositions and/or used in methods of processing lignin or other aromatic compounds in vitro.

In vitro methods of chemical conversion using non-stereospecific glutathione lyases

Methods of detecting and, optionally, determining a level of incorporation of monolignol ester conjugates into lignin. The methods include derivatizing lignin to acylate at least a portion of free phenolic and aliphatic hydroxyls and to halogenate at least a portion of benzylic alcohols present in the lignin to yield derivatized lignin, treating the derivatized lignin with a reducing agent to cleave at least a portion of the derivatized lignin to yield lignin cleavage products, acetylating at least a portion of free hydroxyl groups in the lignin cleavage products with a labeled acetylation agent to yield labeled lignin fragments, and detecting the labeled lignin fragments.

Methods for detecting and determining levels of monolignol ester conjugates incorporated into lignin and compounds relating thereto

The invention relates to nucleic acids encoding a p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase and to inhibitory nucleic acids adapted to inhibit the expression and/or translation of a p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase RNA. Inhibition of p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase in plants improves the incorporation of monolignol ferulates into the lignin of plants, giving rise to plant biomass that is more easily processed into useful products such as paper and biofuels.

P-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase

A method of liquefying biomass. The method includes the steps of contacting biomass with a solution comprising an acyl halide and an acid; and then contacting the biomass with a reductant.

Method to liquefy biomass

In vitro methods for processing lignin and other aromatic compounds

A method of selectively reacting lignin or a lignin-derived reactant to yield an aromatic product. The method includes the step of reacting lignin or a lignin-derived reactant with a molybdenum-containing catalyst, in a solvent, and optionally in the presence of an oxidant, for a time and a temperature wherein at least a portion of the lignin or lignin-derived reactant is selectively converted into an aromatic product, preferably coniferaldehyde and/or sinapaldehyde.

Method of selectively oxidizing lignin

Disclosed is a method to make N-acetyl-p-aminophenol. The method includes steps for converting biomass-derived p-hydroxybenzoates to p-hydroxybenzamide, then to p-aminophenol; and then N-acetylating the p-aminophenol.

Synthesis of paracetamol (acetaminophen) from biomass-derived p-hydroxybenzamide

Growing community of inventors

Madison, WI, United States of America

John Ralph