| abstract |
A process of producing butanol is disclosed comprising culturing a recombinant butanol-tolerant thermophilic Bacillaceae comprising one or more heterologous nucleic acid molecules which encode one or more butanol biosynthetic pathway enzymes selected from the group consisting of enzymes which catalyse one or more of the reactions butyryl-CoA to butyraldehyde, butyraldehyde to 1-butanol, crotonyl-CoA to butyryl-CoA, 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to crotonyl-CoA, acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA. Methods for making recombinant thermophilic Bacillaceae bacteria comprising introducing nucleic acid molecules encoding one or more butanol biosynthetic pathway enzymes into the bacteria are also claimed, along with recombinant thermophilic Bacillaceae comprising these nucleic acid molecules. The thermophilic Bacillaceae are preferably Geobacillus or Ureibacillus. The enzymes of the butanol biosynthetic pathway may be acetaldehyde dehydrogenase or butyryl CoA dehydrogenase, among others. Analogous methods for producing butyrate using recombinant thermophilic Bacillaceae are also claimed. |