Valtion Teknillinen Tutkimuskeskus

Roal Oy

Neste Chemicals Oy

Kymmene Oy

Kone Oy

Ab Enzymes Oy

Rohm Enzyme Finland Oy

Alko Ltd.

Metsa-serla Oy

Eriksson Capital Ab

Metsalitto Osuuskunta

Koskisen Oy

Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus Vtt Oy

Liisa Viikari

Matti Siika-Aho

Jari Vehmaanperä

Jarno Kallio

Marika Alapuranen

Pia Qvintus-Leino

Terhi Puranen

Johanna Buchert

Sanni Voutilainen

Teemu Halonen

Satu Hooman

Merja Elisa Penttila

Jaakko Pere

Annikka Mustranta

Anne-Christine Ritschkoff

Anu Saloheimo

Marjatta Ranua

Marja-Leena Niku-Paavola

Simo Tuominen

Lars G&auml;dda

Markku Saloheimo

Leena Valtakari

Merja Penttilä

Pentti Ojapalo

Tapani Vuorinen

Kirsi Immonen

Anneli Hase

Harry Boer

Kristiina Kruus

Christer Eckerman

Maria Smolander

Laura-Leena Kiiskinen

Jaana Uusitalo

Petri Silenius

Maija Tenkanen

Kirsi Kataja

Bjarne Holmbom

Marjaana Rättö

Anu Koivula

Michael Bailey

Rainer Ekman

Matti Valkiainen

Anita Teleman

Osmo Ojamo

Merja Itavaara

Tor Johansson

Tiina Mattila-Sandholm

Leena Paajanen

Maij Tenkanen

Jeffrey Thornton

Anne Kantelinen

Leena Fagern&auml;s

Satu Jamsa

Marjaana Ratto

Jari VehmaanperÄ

Satu JÄMSÄ

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.

Treatment of cellulosic material and enzymes useful therein

A thin film structure, method of producing it and the use thereof. The thin film structure comprises a substrate with a thin conductive layer containing an oxidizing enzyme mixed with an electron transfer mediator. The thin layer is protected against wetting to allow for its storage in dry conditions and further being sufficiently porous to allow for immediate activation of the oxidizing enzyme when contacted with an aqueous solution. The thin film can be used as a cathode in electrochemical fuel cells.

Thin film structures

A process for producing ethanol from a fibrous lignocellulosic raw material. After pre-treatment of the raw material, the fibrous fraction is first hydrolysed at high consistency and then the modified material is subjected simultaneously to continued hydrolysis with a cellulase and to ethanol fermentation in a fermentation mixture. Fermentation is continued to convert an essential portion of the available cellulose into ethanol, then a liquid fraction containing solubilized hemicelluloses is added to the fermentation mixture and fermentation continued. By means of the invention, high fermentation rates, high ethanol concentrations and low ethanol production costs can be attained.

Process for producing ethanol

The present invention relates to novel cellulase enzymes, especially novel endoglucanases including endoglucanase fusion proteins, preparations and compositions containing these endoglucanase enzymes and fusion proteins, expression vectors, host cells and methods for their preparation and uses of the cellulases, preparations and compositions in the textile, detergent and pulp and paper industries.

Enzymes

The invention relates to a new laccase enzyme, which can be isolated from the strains of thegenus, thestrain in particular. The pH optimum of the enzyme is within 5&#x2013;8 and the enzyme works at a temperature of 30&#x2013;80&#xb0; C. The isoelectric point of the enzyme is about 4.0 as determined by isoelectric focusing and the molecular weight about 80 kDa, defined by SDS-PAGE. The enzyme is especially well suited to applications, wherein the pH and temperature conditions are high. The invention also relates to a gene that encodes laccase enzyme, and a laccase enzyme produced by recombinant technology.

Laccase enzyme and the gene encoding the enzyme

The present invention concerns a method for enzymatic treatment of lignocellulosic materials which contain xylan-polymers, such as cellulose kraft pulps. According to a method of the present kind, at least a part of the hexenuronic acid groups present in the material is selectively removed in order to remove metal ions from the pulp, to change the surface charge thereof, to improve the brightness stability of the pulp and to render the material more suitable for enzymatic treatment.

Method of modifying a xylan-containing carbohydrate substrate having hexenuronic acid groups attached to the xylan

The invention relates to a process for enhancing the concentration of the fiber derived dissolved and colloidal substances in process water that comes from mechanical pulping. According to the invention, process water is treated with enzyme preparations that have an effect on carbohydrates and that contain mannanase and/or endoglucanase, in particular, which break down the soluble carbohydrate polymers contained by the process water into low molecular weight oligosaccharides. The treatment prevents an increase in viscosity so that process water can be concentrated into a high dry content, or the treatment can be used to lower the viscosity of previously concentrated process water to facilitate after-treatment.

Process for concentrating soluble and colloidal substances in process waters

An adhesive binder for bonding together lignocellulosic particles, fibers and flakes of vegetable origin to form particle boards, fiber boards, flake boards and similar wood-based products, comprising a solublized fraction obtained by enzymatic treatment of fibrous, lignocellulosic raw materials. The present binder can be obtained by treating fibrous lignocellulosic raw material with a hydrolytic enzyme in an aqueous medium, recovering the solubilized material of the enzymatic treatment, forming an aqueous suspension containing said material and an oxidase, and oxidizing said material in the presence of said oxidase by introducing oxygen-containing gas into the supension. This method thus produces an increased amount of a water-soluble fraction containing carbohydrates, extractives and lignin useful as an adhesive binder.

Adhesive for fiber boards

The invention relates to an intermediate product for the preparation of polymerizates from lignin derivatives obtained from the cellulose industry. The intermediate product is produced by treating the lignin derivatives with enzymes capable of oxidizing phenol in the presence of oxidizing agents. According to the invention the lignin derivatives are subjected to the enzymatic treatment for more than 3 hours in the presence of air, or they are subjected to an enzymatic treatment for more than 10 min, whereby air or oxygen is introduced. The lignin polymers obtained from the polymerization of lignin derivatives performed in the presence of active intermediate products are suited for use in the production of binding agents for wood materials.

Intermediate product for preparation of lignin polymers and use thereof for production of wood materials

A process for manufacturing fiber boards and similar wood-based products from a lignocellulosic raw material having a moisture content of at least 10 wt-%. According to the process, an aqueous fraction is separated from the fibers of the raw material, which fraction later is recycled to the process in order to form at least a part of the agent used for binding the fibers. Before mixing with the fibers, the aqueous effluent is concentrated and enzymatically oxidized in the presence of oxygen in order to polymerize the solubilized wood material and in order to increase its concentration. Lignin can be added to the water solubilized wood material or the solubilized wood material can be added to the fibers together with another binder. Eventually, the mixture is formed into a board and hardened.

Process for preparing fiber boards

Process for preparing mechanical pulp by treating the pulp with an

Process for preparing and treating mechanical pulp with an enzyme

The present invention relates to a DNA sequence, which codes for endomannanase produced by fungi of the genus Trichoderma and transferred into a yeast or fungus strain induces that strain to produce endomannanase, as well as to a method for isolating genes coding for endomannanases. The invention also relates to vectors, yeast strains and fungal strains containing the DNA sequence. Furthermore, the invention provides an enzyme product containing at least one endomannanase, which contains at least one of the following endomannanases produced by fungi of the Trichoderma genus: an enzyme having mannanase activity and an isoelectric point (pI) of about 3.8, an enzyme having mannanase activity and a pI of about 4.1, an enzyme having mannanase activity and a pI of about 4.5, an enzyme having mannanase activity and a pI of about 5.4 and an enzyme having mannanase activity and a pI of about 6.5, the isoelectric points being determined by isoelectric focusing. The endomannanase enzyme and enzyme products according to the invention can be used for hydrolyzation of mannopolymers, in particular in connection with bleaching of lignocellulosic pulps.

Mannanase enzymes, genes coding for them and a method for isolating the

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