TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Method: The biomass material is hydrolyzed by treatment with an acid, an enzyme or a mixture of enzymes (preferably the biomass material is hydrolyzed by treatment with an acid, followed by treatment with an enzyme). The biomass material is reduced in size prior to hydrolyzing. The hydrolysis step includes pretreatment with acid in an acidification unit, followed by de-watering. The conditions in (M3) include maintaining the medium at less than 45 degrees C, and a pH of below 9.5; and when the fuel is ethanol, then the conditions include maintaining a concentration of the ethanol lower than 1 M. The material (A1) is pulverized such that it has a particle size of 5-50 microns. Preferred Components: The fermentor configured to house the medium and comprising Clostridium phytofermentans further comprises at least one other microbe different than Clostridium phytofermentans. The other microbes comprise at least one yeast or bacteria. The bacteria comprise any stains of Zymomonas mobilis. The enzyme is selected from endoglucanases, exoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases (CBH), beta -glucosidase, glycoside hydrolases, glycosyltransferases, lyases, and esterases active against components of hemicellulose, pectin, and/or starch. The second microbe comprises yeast; or a bacterium different than Clostridium phytofermentans. The medium (S1) has dissolved within constituents selected from growth factors, minerals, surfactants and/or chelating agents.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: In (M1), the concentration of carbohydrate used is greater than 50 mM (preferably greater than 100 mM, especially less than 2000 mM). The material (A1) comprises a low molecular weight carbohydrate having a molecular weight of less than 1000; or a high molecular weight carbohydrate having a molecular weight of greater than 1000. The material is free of lignin. The low molecular weight carbohydrate is selected from arabinose, cellobiose, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, mannose, ribose and/or xylose. The material (A1) comprises a low molecular weight carbohydrate formed by breaking down a high molecular weight carbohydrate, where the breaking down includes using an enzyme. The material (A1) comprises a blend of at least two carbohydrates.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The high molecular weight carbohydrate is selected from cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, polygalacturonic acid, pectin, starch and/or xylan. The material (A1) comprises cellulosic or lignocellulosic material. The cellulosic or lignocellulosic material is selected from polycoated paper, Kraft paper, papermaking sludge, wood, wood pulp, distillers grains, particle board, leaves, grasses, grass clippings, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, wheat straw, coconut hair, algae, switchgrass, Crambe and/or biomass crops. The lignocellulosic material is selected from wood, wood pulp, papermaking sludge, paper pulp waste streams, particle board, grasses, rice hulls, bagasse, cotton, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo, sisal, abaca, straw, corn cobs, corn stover, distillers grains, leaves, wheat straw, coconut hair, algae, switchgrass, Miscanthus, legume plants, sorghum and/or biomass crops (Crambe). EXAMPLE - Clostridium phytofermentans was grown in culture tubes in GS-2 medium containing ground corn at 27 g/l, or wet distillers grains at 10.5 g/l, or shredded corn stover at 20 g/l, or shredded switch grass at 20 g/l. The initial pH of media was 7.5 and the initial Clostridium phytofermentans concentration was 0.8-1.1x 107 cells/ml. Cultures were incubated under an atmosphere of nitrogen at 30 degrees C. All substrates were fermented, as indicated by gas production, and the primary fermentation product in all cultures was ethanol. This experiment indicates that Clostridium phytofermentans ferments these cellulosic feedstocks to ethanol without chemical pretreatment of the cellulosic feedstock and without the addition of cellulases or other enzymes.