University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated

Lorraine P Yomano

Keelnatham T Shanmugam

Lonnie O'Neal Ingram

Shengde Zhou

Sean W York

Elliot N Miller

Lonnie O Ingram

Jonathan C Moore

Xuan Wang

Tammy B Grabar

Xueli Zhang

Brent E Wood

Laura R Jarboe

Lonnie O'Neill Ingram

Lonnie O'neal Ingram

The subject invention pertains to overexpression of a putative oxidoreductase (ucpA) for increasing furfural tolerance in genetically modified microorganisms. Genetically modified microorganisms capable of overexpressing UcpA are also provided. Increased expression of ucpA was shown to increase furfural tolerance by 50%, and to permit the fermentation of sugars to products in the presence of 15 mM furfural.

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The subject invention pertains to the discovery that the NADH-dependent propanediol oxidoreductase (FucO) can reduce furfural. This allows for a new approach to improve furfural tolerance in bacterial and/or yeast cells used to produce desired products. Thus, novel biocatalysts (bacterial, fungal or yeast cells) exhibiting increased tolerance to furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) are provided as are methods of making and using such biocatalysts for the production of a desired product.

The invention relates to bacterium that have increased resistance to furfural and methods of preparation. The invention also relates to methods of producing ethanol using the bacterium and corresponding kits.

Ethanologenic bacteria with increased resistance to furfural

The invention provides recombinant bacteria, which comprise a full complement of heterologous ethanol production genes. Expression of the full complement of heterologous ethanol production genes causes the recombinant bacteria to produce ethanol as the primary fermentation product when grown in mineral salts medium, without the addition of complex nutrients. Methods for producing the recombinant bacteria and methods for producing ethanol using the recombinant bacteria are also disclosed.

Re-engineering bacteria for ethanol production

Disclosed are recombinant host cells suitable for degrading an oligosaccharide that have been optimized for growth and production of high yields of ethanol, and methods of making and using these cells. The invention further provides minimal media comprising urea-like compounds for economical production of ethanol by recombinant microorganisms. Recombinant host cells in accordance with the invention are modified by gene mutation to eliminate genes responsible for the production of unwanted products other than ethanol, thereby increasing the yield of ethanol produced from the oligosaccharides, relative to unmutated parent strains. The new and improved strains of recombinant bacteria are capable of superior ethanol productivity and yield when grown under conditions suitable for fermentation in minimal growth media containing inexpensive reagents. Systems optimized for ethanol production combine a selected optimized minimal medium with a recombinant host cell optimized for use in the selected medium. Preferred systems are suitable for efficient ethanol production by simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) using lignocellulose as an oligosaccharide source. The invention also provides novel isolated polynucleotide sequences, polypeptide sequences, vectors and antibodies.

Recombinant host cells and media for ethanol production

The present invention provides derivatives ofconstructed for the production of lactic acid. The transformedof the invention are prepared by deleting the genes that encode competing pathways followed by a growth-based selection for mutants with improved performance. These transformedare useful for providing an increased supply of lactic acid for use in food and industrial applications.

Materials and methods for efficient lactic acid production

The present invention provides derivatives of ethanologenicK011 constructed for the production of lactic acid. The transformedof the invention are prepared by deleting the genes that encode competing pathways followed by a growth-based selection for mutants with improved performance. These transformedare useful for providing an increased supply of lactic acid for use in food and industrial applications.

Growing community of inventors

Gainesville, FL, United States of America

Lorraine P Yomano