Gene knockout mesophilic and thermophilic organisms, and methods of use thereof

1. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, or a full complement thereof.

2. An isolated nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which shares at least 98% identity to a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1, or a full complement thereof, wherein the nucleotide sequence when transformed in a host cell aids in the process of converting biomass to ethanol.

3. A genetic construct comprising SEQ ID NO:1 operably linked to a promoter expressible in a thermophilic or mesophilic bacterium.

4. A recombinant thermophilic or mesophilic bacterium comprising the genetic construct of claim 3 .

5. A vector comprising the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 or claim 2 .

6. A host cell comprising the nucleic acid molecule of claim 1 or claim 2 .

7. A genetically modified thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism, wherein

the genetically modified microorganism has been transformed by a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1;

thereby partially, substantially, or completely deleting, silencing, inactivating, or down-regulating a gene that encodes acetate kinase, and increasing the native ability of said thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism to produce ethanol as a fermentation product.

8. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism is a species of the genera Thermoanaerobacterium, Thermoanaerobacter, Clostridium, Geobacillus, Saccharococcus, Paenibacillus, Bacillus, Caldicellulosiruptor, Anaerocellum , or Anoxybacillus.

9. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism is a bacterium selected from the group consisting of: Thermoanaerobacterium thermosulfurigenes, Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense, Thermoanaerobacterium polysaccharolyticum, Thermoanaerobacterium zeae, Thermoanaerobacterium xylanolyticum, Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum, Thermoanaerobium brockii, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum, Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus, Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus, Thermoanaerobacter brocki, Clostridium thermocellum, Clostridium cellulolyticum, Clostridium phytofermentans, Clostridium straminosolvens, Geobacillus thermoglucosidasius, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, Saccharococcus caldoxylosilyticus, Saccharoccus thermophilus, Paenibacillus campinasensis, Bacillus flavothermus, Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis, Anoxybacillus gonensis, Caldicellulosiruptor acetigenus, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, Caldicellulosiruptor kristjanssonii, Caldicellulosiruptor owensensis, Caldicellulosiruptor lactoaceticus , and Anaerocellum thermophilum.

10. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism with a native ability to metabolize a hexose sugar; (b) a thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism with a native ability to metabolize a pentose sugar; (c) a thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism with a native ability to metabolize a hexose sugar and a pentose sugar; (d) a thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism with a native ability to hydrolyze cellulose; (e) a thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism with a native ability to hydrolyze xylan; and (f) a thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism with a native ability to hydrolyze cellulose and xylan.

11. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism has a native ability to metabolize a hexose sugar; and a first non-native gene is inserted, which first non-native gene encodes a first non-native enzyme that confers the ability to metabolize a pentose sugar, thereby allowing said thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism to produce ethanol as a fermentation product from a pentose sugar.

12. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism has a native ability to metabolize a pentose sugar; and a first non-native gene is inserted, which first non-native gene encodes a first non-native enzyme that confers the ability to metabolize a hexose sugar, thereby allowing said thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism to produce ethanol as a fermentation product from a hexose sugar.

13. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein a second native gene is partially, substantially, or completely deleted, silenced, inactivated, or down-regulated, which second native gene encodes a second native enzyme involved in the metabolic production of an organic acid or a salt thereof.

14. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 13 , wherein said second native enzyme is lactate dehydrogenase or phosphotransacetylase.

15. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism has a native ability to hydrolyze cellulose; and a first non-native gene is inserted, which first non-native gene encodes a first non-native enzyme that confers the ability to hydrolyze xylan.

16. The genetically modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism has a native ability to hydrolyze xylan; and a first non-native gene is inserted, which first non-native gene encodes a first non-native enzyme that confers the ability to hydrolyze cellulose.

17. The genetically-modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism is mesophilic.

18. The genetically-modified microorganism according to claim 7 , wherein said microorganism is thermophilic.

19. A process for converting lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol, comprising contacting lignocellulosic biomass with a genetically modified thermophilic or mesophilic microorganism according to claim 7 .