Abstract: A method is provided for improving the uptake of a cationic compound onto a polyester article starting material, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a polyesterase enzyme; (b) contacting said polyesterase enzyme with said polyester article starting material under conditions and for a time suitable for said polyesterase to produce surface modification of said polyester article starting material and produce a surface modified polyester; (c) contacting said modified polyester article, subsequently or simultaneously with said step (b) with a cationic compound whereby adherence of said cationic compound to said modified polyester is increased compared to said polyester starting material. Also disclosed is a method for increasing the hydrophilicity of a polyester to improve fabric characteristics such as stain resistance, wettability and/or dyeability.

Abstract: During the desizing and enzymatic stonewashing of denim fabric and/or garments, redeposition of blue color often occurs back onto the surfaces of the denim. The invention relates to a redepositing or backstain inhibiting composition and a method requiring the inclusion of an added protease prior to, during or subsequent to the stonewashing process which reduces the redeposition of the blue dye and hence improves the stonewashing process when using redepositing or backstaining cellulases to give an appearance closer to that when using stones alone or nonredepositing cellulases in the stonewashing process.

Abstract: Described herein are methods for obtaining from an initial population of cells a plurality of subpopulations of cells having a similar density by growing samples from the initial population in medium having a limiting nutrient. Also provided are methods for using such subpopulation of cells to identify members of an initial population, either spontaneously occurring or induced by mutagenesis, having altered and/or preferred phenotypes.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a coated article comprising: (a) preparing a solution of lignin; (b) mixing the lignin solution with a phenol oxidizing enzyme; (c) incubating the mixture from said step (b) under conditions and for a time sufficient to form a solution of a desired viscosity; (d) contacting or spreading the mixture from the step (c) on an article to be coated; and (e) allowing the coating to set onto the article by subjecting the article to conditions and for a time sufficient to form a coating on the surface of the article.

Abstract: Novel &agr;-amylase enzymes are disclosed having a substution equivalent to G475R in Bacillus licheniformis. The disclosed &agr;-amylase enzymes show improved specific activity and starch hydrolysis performance. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding such enzymes, expression vectors including such polynucleotides, host cells transformed with such expression vectors, and the use of such enzymes in detergent compositions.

Abstract: According to the invention a method is provided for liquefying starch comprising the steps of adding a sodium composition to the starch prior to or simultaneously with liquefying the starch; adding &agr;-amylase to the treated starch; and reacting the treated starch for a time and at a temperature effective to liquefy the treated starch. Preferred sodium compositions comprise sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium benzoate, sodium sulfate, sodium bisulfite, sodium ascorbate, sodium acetate, sodium nitrate, sodium tartrate, sodium tetraborate, sodium propionate, sodium citrate, sodium succinate, monosodium glutamate, trisodium citrate, sodium phosphate or a mixture thereof.

Abstract: An improved method of mutanting DNA is provided comprising mutating a gene bearing phagemid in a host and infecting the host cell with a suitable helper phage to initiate packaging of the DNA into a phagemid. The packaged phagemid is then used to infect a second host cell. The method facilitates more efficient screening for genetic diversity. Also, the gene of interest is mutated and separable from the host cell which undergoes the mutational event reducing false positive results or other artifacts of general mutation techniques.

Abstract: A process for expressing extracellular .beta.-glucosidase in a filamentous fungus by expressing a fungal DNA sequence encoding enhanced, deleted or altered .beta.-glucosidase in a recombinant host microorganism is disclosed. Recombinant fungal cellulase compositions containing enhanced, deleted or altered expression of .beta.-glucosidase is also disclosed.

Abstract: Novel .alpha.-amylase enzymes are disclosed in which one or more of residues corresponding to A210, H405 and T412 in Bacillus licheniformis are mutated. The disclosed .alpha.-amylase enzymes show altered or improved stability and/or activity profiles.

Abstract: A method is provided for producing a painted article comprising: (a) preparing a lignin solution comprising lignin and a dye or pigment; (b) mixing the lignin solution with a phenol oxidizing enzyme; (c) incubating the mixture from said step (b) under conditions and for a time sufficient to form a solution of a desired viscosity; (d) contacting or spreading the mixture from the step (c) on an article to be painted; and (e) allowing the mixture to set onto the article by subjecting the article to conditions and for a time sufficient to form a paint on the surface of the article.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel cellulase composition obtainable from Bacillus sp. CBS 669.93. A preferred cellulase has a calculated molecular weight of approximately 63 kD, a calculated isoelectric point of about 5 and a pH optimum on CMC of about 6 at 40.degree. C. and 60.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for identifying a toxicant in an environmental water or soil sample comprising (a) adding to the sample an antibody known to form a complex with a toxicant suspected to be present in the sample; (b) incubating the antibody with the sample for a time and under conditions sufficient to allow complexes to form between the antibody and the toxicant; and (c) comparing the toxicity of the sample treated as in the step (b) with the toxicity of the sample prior to the step (a), whereby a reduced amount of toxicity of the treated sample compared with the untreated sample indicates the presence of the toxicant in said sample. The method described herein provides unexpected and important advantages by providing more accurate correlations between predicted and observed toxicity of a sample than previous methods.

Abstract: A method is provided for screening microorganisms having a selectable characteristic comprising: (a) providing a growth chamber capable of forming a plurality of discrete compartments, said compartments comprising a barrier which inhibits the diffusion of metabolites or nutrients between said compartments within said growth chamber; (b) preparing a growth medium which, by its lack of or addition of one or more metabolites or nutrients, preferentially facilitates growth of microorganisms exhibiting said selectable characteristic from microorganisms which do not exhibit said selectable characteristic; (c) inoculating said growth medium with a plurality of microorganisms, a portion of which comprise said selectable characteristic; (d) placing said inoculated growth medium into said growth chamber so as to randomly disperse said microorganisms among discrete compartments in said growth chamber; and (e) incubating said growth chamber for a suitable time and under suitable conditions to obtain a detectable disparit

Abstract: The present invention relates to a modified cellulase protein which is advantageously used in the treatment of textiles. Particularly, a method for treating a cellulose containing fabric is provided comprising the steps of forming an aqueous solution comprising a cellulase composition which differs from a precursor cellulase in that it has been enlarged and contacting the aqueous solution with a cellulose containing fabric for a time and under conditions appropriate to treat the fabric. The enlarged cellulase may comprise a multimeric composition of two or more distinct cellulase units or a single cellulase which has had adhered thereto polymeric or fibrous constituents.

Abstract: A method is provided for reducing the shrinkage of wool comprising the steps of: (a) preparing an aqueous solution comprising an oxidase or a peroxidase; and (b) contacting a wool containing article with said aqueous solution under conditions suitable for reacting said oxidase or peroxidase with said wool.

Abstract: Novel .alpha.-amylase enzymes are disclosed in which one or more asparagine residues are substituted with a different amino acid or deleted. The disclosed .alpha.-amylase enzymes show altered or improved low pH starch hydrolysis performance, stability and activity profiles.

Abstract: A mutant cellulase obtainable from Thermomonospora spp is provided which differs from a precursor cellulase in that it has been genetically engineered to introduce a substitution, deletion or addition of an amino acid residue to said precursor cellulase which provided improved activity in a detergent. Preferably, the substitution is at a residue corresponding to T140 in Thermomonospora fusca.

Abstract: This invention relates to a laundry detergent composition as well as a method of laundrying fabric or soiled garments in which the composition requires a surfactant, a pectinase enzyme, a specific hemicellulase enzyme or enzymes, a cellulase enzyme, and additional component which includes bleaching agents, builders, an amylase enzyme and/or a protease enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel cellulase composition obtainable from Bacillus sp. CBS 670.93. A preferred cellulase has a calculated molecular weight of approximately 50 kD, a calculated isoelectric point of about 4 and a pH optimum on CMC of about 6-10 at 40.degree. C. and about 7 at 60.degree. C.

Abstract: Novel alpha-amylase mutants derived from the DNA sequences of naturally occurring or recombinant alpha-amylases are disclosed. The mutant alpha-amylases, in general, are obtained by in vitro modifications of a precursor DNA sequence encoding the naturally occurring or recombinant alpha-amylase to generate the substitution (replacement) or deletion of one or more oxidizable amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of a precursor alpha-amylase. Such mutant alpha-amylases have altered oxidative stability and/or altered pH performance profiles and/or altered thermal stability as compared to the precursor. Also disclosed are detergent and starch liquefaction compositions comprising the mutant amylases, as well as methods of using the mutant amylases.