Danisco US Inc.

Regina Chin

Andrew Shaw

Scott Douglas Power

Michael Jay Pepsin

Sandra W Ramer

William Albert Cuevas

Sang-Kyu Lee

Louise Wallace

Carol A Requadt

Amr R Toppozada

David Aaron Estell

Karsten Matthias Kragh

Luis Gustavo Cascao-Pereira

David E Estell

William A Cuevas

Alpha-amylases from(AmyE), variants thereof, nucleic acids encoding the same, and host cells comprising the nucleic acids are provided. Methods of using AmyE or variants thereof are disclosed, including liquefaction and/or saccharification of starch. Such methods may yield sugars useful for ethanol production or high fructose corn syrup production. In some cases, the amylases can be used at low pH, in the absence of calcium, and/or in the absence of a glucoamylase.

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An &#x3b1;-amylase from(AmyE) produces significant amounts of glucose from various carbohydrate substrates, including vegetable starch, maltoheptaose, and maltotriose. Among other things, this advantageous property allows AmyE or variants thereof to be used in a saccharification reaction having a reduced or eliminated requirement for glucoamylase. The reduction or elimination of the glucoamylase requirement significantly improves the efficiency of the production of ethanol or high fructose corn syrup, for example.

G4-forming amylase (PS4), and variants thereof, advantageously can be used in an enzyme-catalyzed high temperature liquefaction step to produce ethanol from starch, e.g., cornstarch. PS4 produces significant amounts of maltotrioses, which can be utilized byin a subsequent fermentation step to produce ethanol. This property of PS4 advantageously allows ethanol to be produced from liquefacted starch in the absence of a saccharification step. PS4 variants are provided that exhibit improved properties, such as thermostability and/or altered exo-specific and endo-specific amylase activity.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Regina Chin