Inventors:
Stephen K. Picataggio - Golden CO
Min Zhang - Lakewood CO
Christina K. Eddy - Saratoga Springs NY
Kristine A. Deanda - Conifer CO
Mark Finkelstein - Fort Collins CO
Ali Mohagheghi - Northglenn CO
Mildred M. Newman - Littleton CO
James D. McMillan - Boulder CO
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute - Kansas City MO
International Classification:
C12P 706, C12N 121, C12N 1574
Abstract:
The invention relates to microorganisms which normally do not ferment pentose sugar and which are genetically altered to ferment pentose sugar to produce ethanol, and fermentation processes utilizing the same. Examples include Zymomonas mobilis which has been transformed with combinations of E. coli genes for xylose isomerase, xylulokinase, transaldolase, transketolase, L-arabinose isomerase, L-ribulokinase, and L-ribulose 5-phosphate 4-epimerase. Expression of the added genes are under the control of Zymomonas mobilis promoters. These newly created microorganisms are useful for fermenting pentoses and glucose, produced by hydrolysis of hemicellulose and cellulose, to produce ethanol.