TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Process: The biomass is sterilized before being introduced into the first stage bioreactor. The process further involves filtering the hydrocarbon molecules to remove foreign or unwanted substances, refining the filtered hydrocarbon molecules to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuel, removing from the hydrocarbon slurry, introducing the removed sludge comprising microorganisms into a second stage bioreactor to cultivate the microorganisms, removing the cultivated microorganisms from the second stage bioreactor and re-introducing the cultivated microorganisms into the first stage bioreactor, removing any remaining hydrocarbon from the aqueous solution comprising enzymes produced by the microorganisms, and removing from the first stage bioreactor byproducts selected from oxygen, water and carbon dioxide. The biomass is agricultural waste or forestry waste. The biomass is waste wood from a construction site or a demolition site. The biomass is municipal waste. The hydrocarbon molecule comprises 1-22 carbon atoms, preferably 8 carbon atoms. The process further involves manufacturing a polymer, a plastic, a chemical or a solvent from the hydrocarbon molecule. Preferred Organisms: The microorganisms are selected from mixed ruminal microorganisms, a cellulotyic microorganism, a hemicellulose-degrading bacterial species from an insect gut, a cellulose-degrading fungus from the gut of an insect, a cellulotyic fungus, a hemicellulotyic fungus, a xylan-degrading microorganism, a bacteria from the gut of a wood eating insect, a bacteria from the gut of Loricardiid catfish Panaque, a fungus from the gut of Loricardiid catfish Panaque and a lignan-degrading bacteria isolated from the soil, where a ruminal microorganism from the mixed ruminal microorganisms is an anaerobic fungi, an anaerobic protozoa, an anaerobic bacteria or an anaerobic Archaebacteria (Archaea). The anaerobic Archaebacteria (Archaea) is a strain of Methanobrevibacter ruminatum. The ruminal microorganism from the mixed ruminal microorganisms is Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius, Eubacteria, Ruminococcus albus, R.flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Fibrobacter succinogenes or Selenomonas ruminantium. The microorganisms are genetically engineered, and where a strain genetically engineered microorganism produces one length of hydrocarbon molecule.