TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Components: The microorganism is a genus of Clostridium, Lactobacillus, Moorella, Thermoanaerobacter, Propionibacterium, Propionispera, Anaerobiospirillum or Bacteriodes. The microorganism is a species of Clostridium formicoaceticum, Clostridium butyricum, Moorella thermoacetica, Thermoanaerobacter kivui, Lactobacillus delbrukii, Propionibacterium acidipropionici, Propionispera arboris, Anaerobiospirillum succinicproducens, Bacteriodes amylophilus or Bacteriodes ruminicola.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Method: The biological conversion process comprises fermentation; and culturing at least one microorganism (homofermentative microorganism, homoacetogenic microorganisms, homolactic microorganisms, propionic acid bacteria, butyric acid bacteria, succinic acid bacteria or 3-hydroxypropionic acid bacteria).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: (II) comprises carbohydrate substances and non-carbohydrate substances; and biomass. The biological process-produced intermediate comprises a carboxylic acid and/or their salts (acetic acid, lactic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, succinic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, salts of any of the acids, or a mixture of any of the acids and respective salts (preferably acetic acid, an acetate salt, a mixture of acetic acid and acetate salt, lactic acid, a lactate salt, a mixture of lactic acid and lactate salt, propionic acid, a propionate salt, a mixture of propionic acid and propionate salt, butyric acid, a butyrate salt, a mixture of butyric acid and butyrate salt, succinic acid, a succinate salt, a mixture of succinic acid and succinate salt, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a 3-hydroxypropionate salt, or a mixture of 3-hydroxypropionic acid and 3-hydroxypropionate salt)). The thermochemical process-produced intermediate is syngas, a component of syngas, a mixture of syngas components, pyrolysis gas, a component of pyrolysis gas, or a mixture of pyrolysis gas components (preferably hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, or methanol). The biological process-produced intermediate comprises a salt of a carboxylic acid, and the method further comprises acidifying the salt of the carboxylic acid to form the carboxylic acid prior to the step of reacting. The reductant is hydrogen and/or carbon monoxide. Preferred Process: The thermochemical conversion process is gasification, pyrolysis, reforming or partial oxidation. The method further comprises esterifying the carboxylic acid prior to the step of reacting; and contacting the acid/amine complex with a water immiscible solvent to form an ester of the water immiscible solvent and the carboxylic acid. The step of acidifying comprises introducing carbon dioxide or an acid with a lower pKa than the carboxylic acid being acidified to a solution comprising the salt of the carboxylic acid (preferably introducing a tertiary amine with carbon dioxide to form an acid/amine complex). The step of reacting the at least one biological process-produced intermediate and the at least one thermochemical process-produced intermediate is chemical conversion (preferably hydrogenation, hydrogenolysis or reduction by carbon monoxide) or biological conversion. The method further comprises fractionating (II) to form a carbohydrate-containing fraction for conversion to an intermediate by a biological conversion process, and to form a residue fraction comprising lignin for conversion to an intermediate by a thermochemical conversion process. The step of fractionating is physical treatment, metal ion treatment, ultraviolet light treatment, ozone treatment, oxygen treatment, organosolv treatment, steam explosion treatment, lime impregnation with steam explosion treatment, lime impregnation without steam treatment, hydrogen peroxide treatment, hydrogen peroxide/ozone (peroxone) treatment, acid treatment, dilute acid treatment, or base treatment. In the process, the biological process-produced intermediate is produced by fermentation of carbohydrate substances in the material; the thermochemical process-produced intermediate is produced by thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material; and the biological process-produced intermediate and the thermochemical process-produced intermediate are chemically reacted to produce (I). In the process, (a) the biological process-produced intermediate is produced by fermentation of carbohydrate substances in the material; (b) the thermochemical process-produced intermediate is produced by thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material; (c) a portion of the biological process produced intermediate is produced by fermentation of a portion of thermochemical process produced intermediate, and the biological process-produced intermediate of step (a) and the biological process-produced intermediate of step (c) and at least a portion of the remaining thermochemical process produced intermediate of (b) are chemically reacted to produce (I). In the process, (a1) the material is fermented to produce the biological process-produced intermediate and a fermentation residue comprises non-fermented components of the material; (b1) the thermochemical process-produced intermediate is produced by thermochemical conversion of the fermentation residue; and (c1) the biological process-produced intermediate of step (a1) and the thermochemical process-produced intermediate of step (b1) are chemically reacted to produce the product. The method of producing ethanol from (II) comprises: converting the material into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises acetic acid, an acetate salt and/or an acetate ester, and at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises a reductant, and chemically reacting the reductant and the acetic acid, acetate salt and/or acetate ester to produce ethanol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce ethanol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce ethanol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce ethanol. The method of producing propylene glycol from (II), comprises: converting the material into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises lactic acid, a lactate ester, a lactate salt, or a mixture of lactic acid, lactate ester and a lactate salt, where at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises a reductant, and chemically reacting the reductant and the lactic acid, lactate ester, lactate salt, or mixture of lactic acid, lactate ester or lactate salt to produce propylene glycol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce propylene glycol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce propylene glycol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce propylene glycol. In the method of producing propylene glycol, the step of converting comprises producing the lactic acid, lactate ester, lactate salt, or mixture of lactic acid, lactate ester or lactate salt by a biological conversion process of carbohydrate substances in the material, and producing the reductant by a thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material. The method for producing propanol and ethanol from (II), comprises: converting (II) into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises propionic acid, a propionate ester, a propionate salt, acetic acid, an acetate ester and/or an acetate salt, and at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises a reductant, and chemically reacting the reductant and the propionic acid, propionate ester, propionate salt, acetic acid, acetate ester and/or acetate salt to produce propanol and ethanol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce propanol and ethanol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce propanol and ethanol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce propanol and ethanol. In the method of producing propanol and ethanol, the step of converting comprises producing propionic acid, a propionate ester, a propionate salt, acetic acid, an acetate ester and/or an acetate salt by a biological conversion process of carbohydrate substances in the material, and producing the reductant by a thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material. The method of producing propanol from (II), comprises: converting the material into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises propionic acid, a propionate ester, a propionate salt, or a mixture of propionic acid, propionate ester and a propionate salt, and at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises hydrogen, where the step of converting comprises producing propionic acid, propionate ester propionate salt, or mixture of propionic acid, propionate ester and propionic salt by biological conversion of carbohydrate substances in the material and a portion of the hydrogen produced by the thermochemical conversion process, and chemically reacting remaining hydrogen and the propionic acid, propionate ester, propionate salt, or mixture of propionic acid, propionate ester and propionate salt to produce propanol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce propanol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce propanol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce propanol. The method of producing ethanol from (II), comprises: converting the material into at least one intermediate, where the intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises acetic acid, an acetate ester, an acetate salt, or a mixture of acetic acid, acetate ester and an acetate salt and a conversion process residue, converting the conversion process residue into at least one intermediate, where the intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises a reductant (preferably hydrogen or methanol), chemically reacting the acetic acid, acetate salt, or mixture of acetic acid, acetate ester and acetate salt and the reductant to form ethanol. In the method of producing ethanol, the step of converting comprises: (a3) producing a portion of the acetic acid, acetate ester, acetate salt, or mixture of acetic acid, acetate ester and acetate salt by a biological conversion process of carbohydrate substances in the material; (b3) producing a portion of the biological process-produced intermediate by biological conversion of methanol produced by the thermochemical process, and chemically reacting hydrogen produced by the thermochemical conversion process and biological process-produced intermediates of step (a3) and (b3) to form ethanol. The method of producing butanol and ethanol from (II), comprises: converting the material into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises butyric acid, a butyrate ester, a butyrate salt, acetic acid, an acetate ester and/or an acetate salt, where at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises hydrogen, and the step of converting comprises producing butyric acid, butyrate ester, butyrate salt, acetic acid, acetate ester and/or acetate salt by biological conversion of carbohydrate substances in the material and a portion of the hydrogen produced by the thermochemical conversion process, and chemically reacting remaining hydrogen and the butyric acid, butyrate ester, butyrate salt, acetic acid, acetate ester and/or acetate salt to produce butanol and ethanol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce butanol and ethanol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce butanol and ethanol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce butanol and ethanol. The method of producing 1,4-butanediol from (II), comprises: converting the material into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises succinic acid, a succinate ester, a succinate salt, or a mixture of succinic acid, succinate ester and succinate salt, and at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises a reductant, and chemically reacting the reductant and the succinic acid, succinate ester, succinate salt, or mixture of succinic acid, succinate ester and succinate salt to produce 1,4-butanediol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce 1,4-butanediol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce 1,4-butanediol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce 1,4-butanediol. In the method of producing 1,4-butanediol, the step of converting comprises producing the succinic acid, succinate ester, succinate salt, or mixture of succinic acid, succinate ester and succinate salt by a biological conversion process of carbohydrate substances in the material, and producing the reductant by a thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material. The method of producing 1,3-propanediol from (II), comprises: converting the material into at least two intermediates, where at least one intermediate is produced by a biological conversion process and comprises 3-hydroxypropionic acid, a 3-hydroxypropionate ester and/or a 3-hydroxypropionate salt, and at least one intermediate is produced by a thermochemical conversion process and comprises a reductant, and chemically reacting the reductant and the 3-hydroxypropionic acid, 3-hydroxypropionate ester and/or 3-hydroxypropionate salt to produce 1,3-propanediol, where the chemical energy efficiency of the method to produce 1,3-propanediol from the material is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a solely biological conversion process to produce 1,3-propanediol and is greater than the chemical energy efficiency of a process in which all of the material is initially subjected to a thermochemical conversion step as part of the process to produce 1,3-propanediol. In the method of producing 1,3-propane diol, the step of converting comprises producing the 3-hydroxypropionic acid, 3-hydroxypropionate ester and/or 3-hydroxypropionate salt by a biological conversion process of carbohydrate substances in the material, and producing the reductant by a thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material. In the method of producing ethanol, the step of converting comprises: (a2) producing the acetic acid, acetate salt, acetate ester or mixture of acetic acid, acetate ester or acetate salt by a biological conversion process of carbohydrate substances in the material and producing the reductant by a thermochemical conversion of non-carbohydrate substances in the material; or step (a2); (b2) producing a portion of at least one biological process produced intermediate by biological conversion of carbon monoxide and a portion of the hydrogen produced by the thermochemical conversion process, and chemically reacting remaining hydrogen or carbon monoxide produced by the thermochemical conversion process and biological process-produced intermediates of steps (a2) and (b2) to produce ethanol. EXAMPLE - None given.