TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Method: In the method above, the microorganism is selected from bacteria or fungi. The microorganism is a bacterium selected from Acetobacterium, Bacillus, Streptococcus, Clostridium, Zymomonas, Anaerocellum, Caldicellulosiruptor, Thermoanaerobacter, Gluconobacter, and Escherichia coli.The bacterium is selected from Clostridium thermocellum, Zymomonas mobilis, Anaerocellum thermophilum, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, Thermoanaerobacter sp. X514, and E. coli. The microorganism is a bacterium and where the protein of the Sm-like superfamily is a bacterial Hfq protein, where the Hfq protein comprises a defined sequence of 161, 102, 82, 92, or 99 amino acids (SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10), given in the specification, or its functional derivative or homolog that shares at least 95% sequence identity with SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10. The microorganism is Z. mobilis, where the Hfq protein comprises the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. The microorganism is a fungal species selected from Saccharomyces sp., Kluyveromyces sp., Pichia sp., Candida sp., and Schizosaccharomycetes sp.. The fungal species is yeast selected from Saccharomyces cerevisiae or Pichia pastoris. The protein of the Sm-like superfamily is a yeast Sm or Lsm protein, where the protein comprises any of the 19 defined sequences comprising 77-551 amino acids (EVEN SEQ ID NOS: 14-50), given in the specification, or its functional derivative or homolog that shares at least 95% sequence identity with EVEN SEQ ID NOS: 14-50. The expression vector is a replicative vector or an integrative vector. The stress is environmental stress selected from high temperatures, low temperatures, low pH, oxidation, osmotic, and drought. At least one inhibitor is selected from an acetate salt, vanillin, furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and peroxide (H2O2), where the acetate salt is selected from sodium acetate, ammonium acetate and potassium acetate. The enhanced tolerance is characterized by ability to grow in a media containing sodium acetate at a concentration of 195 mM. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.