Genesis Research & Development Corporation Limited

Vertichem Corporation

Biojoule Ltd.

Ross L Prestidge

James Douglas Watson

Tony James Lough

Helene Belanger

Paul L Tan

Paul L J Tan

Elizabeth Visser

Jia-Long Yao

Clare Elton

Margot Skinner

Mohammed Farid

John Jj Chen

Nevin Abernethy

Jun Hiyama

Linda Scott

Alan MacFarlane

Mohammed Mehdi Farid

John Chen

In one aspect, a process for treating woody plant material is provided, the process involving contacting the plant material with a continuous flow of an aqueous ethanol solution at elevated temperature and pressure under conditions that promote extraction of ethanol-soluble lignin from the plant material and retention of hemicellulose sugars, xylose and cellulose in the treated plant material solids. In another aspect, a process for extracting hemicellulose sugars from lignin-depleted plant material solids is provided, the process involving contacting lignin-depleted plant material with water at elevated temperature and pressure under conditions that promote extraction of hemicellulose sugars from the plant material; and recovering hemicellulose sugars from the liquid mixture.

Recovery of lignin and water soluble sugars from plant materials

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.

Methods for isolating and harvesting lignin and isolated lignin preparations produced using the methods

An integrated process for the production of ethanol from woody plant material is provided, the process comprising: contacting a continuous flow of the plant material with a counter-current continuous flow of an aqueous ethanol solution at elevated temperature and pressure to provide plant material depleted of lignin; removing ethanol from the lignin-depleted plant material; contacting a continuous flow of the lignin-depleted plant material with water at elevated temperature and pressure to solubilize xylose within the plant material; and hydrolyzing cellulose present in the plant material to form glucose, which in turn is fermented to produce ethanol.

Integrated processing of plant biomass

Methods for the prevention and treatment of disorders, including disorders of the skin and respiratory system, such as infection with mycobacteria such as M. tuberculosis or , sarcoidosis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis and lung cancers are provided, such methods comprising administering a composition comprising at least one derivative of delipidated and deglycolipidated cells.

Methods and compounds for the treatment of immunologically-mediated diseases using mycobacterium vaccae

The present invention provides polypeptides comprising an immunogenic portion of a protein and DNA molecules encoding such polypeptides, together with methods for their use in the diagnosis and treatment of mycobacterial infection. Methods for enhancing the immune response to an antigen including administration of culture filtrate, delipidated cells or delipidated and deglycolipidated cells are also provided.

Compounds and methods for treatment and diagnosis of mycobacterial infections

Methods for the prevention and treatment of disorders, including disorders of the respiratory system, such as infection with mycobacteria such as or , sarcoidosis, asthma, allergic rhinitis and lung cancers are provided, such methods comprising administering a composition comprising derivatives of delipidated and deglycolipidated cells.

Methods for the treatment of skin disorders, including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, alopecia areata and skin cancers are provided, such methods comprising administering a composition having antigenic and/or adjuvant properties. Compositions which may be usefully employed in the inventive methods include inactivated,cells, delipidated and deglycolipidated,cells,,culture filtrate and compounds present in or derived therefrom, together with combinations of such compositions.

Methods for the treatment of immunologically-mediated skin disorders

The present invention provides polypeptides comprising an immunogenic portion of a M. vaccae soluble protein and DNA molecules encoding such polypeptides, together with methods for their use in the diagnosis and treatment of mycobacterial infection. Methods for enhancing the immune response to an antigen including administration of M. vaccae culture filtrate or delipidated M. vaccae cells are also provided.

Mycobacterium vaccae antigens

The present invention provides polypeptides comprising an immunogenic portion of a M. vaccae protein and DNA molecules encoding such polypeptides, together with methods for their use in the diagnosis and treatment of mycobacterial infection. Methods for enhancing the immune response to an antigen including administration of M. vaccae culture filtrate or delipidated M. vaccae cells are also provided.

Growing community of inventors

Auckland, New Zealand

Ross L Prestidge