TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Components: The feedstock is rice husk, rice bran, corn stover, corn cobs, sugar cane bagasse, palm fiber, palm kernel cake, wood pulp, pine tree material, fir tree material, hardwood tree material, switch grass, microalgae, macro algae or cyanobacteria.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Methods: In the method, the temperature is 180-350 (preferably 240-350) degrees C. The pressure is 400-3500 (preferably 1500-3500) psig. The reaction causes dehydration of glucose to form 5-hydroxymethyl furan, pentose to form furfural. The resulting reacted product comprises water soluble phase and a water insoluble phase. The unreacted biomass is separated from the lignin and the unreacted biomass is subjected to a second reaction. The temperature and pressure of the fluid when present are in the near-critical range for water. The method further involves separating aqueous alcoholic solution of the lignin and the xylose from the post reaction mixture by reducing at least one of temperature and pressure of the post reaction mixture to evolve the aqueous phase; precipitating the lignin by removing the alcohol from the alcoholic solution and filtering the lignin from the remaining solution containing the xylose. Preferred Components: The water content of the combination before reaction is 30-300 wt.% of the dry weight of the feedstock. The feedstock contains at least 10 wt.% proteins based on the dry weight of the feedstock. The alcohol is methanol, ethanol or propanol. The alcohol is in amount of 0.5-350 wt.% excess of the contained hexose or pentose in the feedstock. The reaction of the feedstock, water and the alcohol is performed with a hydrogenation catalyst or hydrogen. The soluble phase contains hexose, alkyl glucosides, pentose, alkyl pentosides, fufural and 5-hydroxymethyl furan.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Methods: The cellulose is precipitated and separated from the post reaction mixture. The precipitation occurs by reducing the pressure of the post reaction mixture rapidly to prevent crystallization of the cellulose, providing amorphous cellulose. The method further involves contacting the separated cellulose with supercritical alcohol and water to hydrolyze the cellulose. The period of time is 0.1-3600 seconds. Preferred Components: In the method, the feedstock contains at least 10 wt.% cellulosic material based on the dry weight of the feedstock. The feedstock is lignocellulose, cellulose, hemicellulose or polysaccharide. The water insoluble phase contains lignin and unreacted biomass. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.