TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Process: Step (a) comprises contacting the feed with an aqueous or non-aqueous mixture of the microorganism or biocatalyst capable of hydroxylating the aromatic compounds at 5 - 100 degrees Centigrade and at an air or oxygen pressure of 1 - 10 atmospheres.Preferred Microorganisms: The microorganisms or biocatalysts capable of oxidizing the aromatic materials are selected from bacteria, fungi and/or fractions.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: Step (b) is performed by contacting the hydroxylated products of step (a) with water in the absence of externally supplied hydrogen in the presence of an agent selected from carbon monoxide optionally with base and water stable hydride donors at above 200 - 600 (preferably 250 - 550, especially 300 - 500) degrees Centigrade and at a pressure of 500 - 2700 (preferably 700 - 1800) psi. Step (b) is continued till the conversion and upgrading is obtained to produce lower molecular weight hydrogen enriched and lower heteroatom containing products. The carbon monoxide is reacted to form a species capable of transferring hydride ions to the aromatic ring and is generated by decomposition of formic acid. The process further comprises:(i) adding an inorganic hydroxide or carbonate base of Group I or II metals, iron or nickel; and(ii) recontacting the obtained products with the organic resource material for further conversion and upgrading.The neutral water free of dissolved oxygen is charged into the reactor. Preferred Composition: The weight ratio of water to organic resource material and water to feed is about 0.5 - 10 and 0.5 - 5 respectively. The maximum particle diameter of organic resource material is 0.25 inches - 200 Tyler mesh (preferably about 60 - 100) Tyler mesh. The amount of the agent, which is equivalent to a concentration level in water, is about 0.01 - 15 (preferably 0.1 - 10) wt.%.Preferred Components: The water stable inorganic hydride donor is selected from metal formate, metal borohydride or metal hydride. The water is free of dissolved oxygen. EXAMPLE - A biphenyl was oxidized by a monocyclic dioxygenase of a suitable strain to produce a dihydroxybiphenyl. The dihydroxybiphenyl such as 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl was then transformed under aqueous-CO reaction conditions in 15% sodium formate at 460 degrees Centigrade for cleavage and hydrogenation reactions. After 1 hour of reaction at 460 degrees Centigrade no reaction of biphenyl was observed. The major products obtained were: phenol (22.4%), alkylphenols (24.9%), and monohydroxybiphenyls (2.7%) with 100 % conversion. Also at 400 degrees Centigrade in 15 % sodium formate and 15 % formic acid the major products obtained from 3,4-dihydroxybiphenyl were: alkylbenzenes (4 %), cyclohexyl- and cyclopenylbenzenes (58 %), monohydroxybiphenyls (15 %), and dihydroxy naphthalenes (3 %) with 100% conversion, and cyclopentylbenzenes (1.8 %) and monohydroxybiphenyls (14.7%) with 18.4% conversion respectively.