Direct conversion of cellulose to L-lactic acid by a novel thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor strain.

Background: Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulosic biomass to L-lactic acid using thermophilic cellulolytic/hemicellulolytic bacteria provides a promising solution for efficient lignocellulose conversion without the need for additional cellulolytic/hemicellulolytic enzymes. Most studies on the mesophilic and thermophilic CBP of lignocellulose to lactic acid concentrate on cultivation of non-cellulolytic mesophilic and thermophilic bacteria at temperatures of 30-55 °C with external addition of cellulases/hemicellulases for saccharification of substrates.

Results: L-Lactic acid was generated by fermenting microcrystalline cellulose or lignocellulosic substrates with a novel thermophilic anaerobic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor sp.

Single-step ethanol production from lignocellulose using novel extremely thermophilic bacteria.

Background: Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol using thermophilic bacteria provides a promising solution for efficient lignocellulose conversion without the need for additional cellulolytic enzymes. Most studies on the thermophilic CBP concentrate on co-cultivation of the thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum with non-cellulolytic thermophilic anaerobes at temperatures of 55°C-60°C.

Results: We have specifically screened for cellulolytic bacteria growing at temperatures >70°C to enable direct conversion of lignocellulosic materials into ethanol.

Transcriptional profiling of mature Arabidopsis trichomes reveals that NOECK encodes the MIXTA-like transcriptional regulator MYB106.

Leaf hairs (trichomes) of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) have been extensively used as a model to address general questions in cell and developmental biology. Here, we lay the foundation for a systems-level understanding of the biology of this model cell type by performing genome-wide gene expression analyses. We have identified 3,231 genes that are up-regulated in mature trichomes relative to leaves without trichomes, and we compared wild-type trichomes with two mutants, glabra3 and triptychon, that affect trichome morphology and physiology in contrasting ways.