Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel Bacillus pumilus bilirubin oxidase, to the method for preparing same and also to the use thereof in particular for assaying bilirubin and for using enzymatic biofuel cells.

Abstract: Described is a method for generating conjugated dienes through a biological process. More specifically, the application describes a method for producing conjugated dienes (for example butadiene, isoprene or dimethylbutadiene) from light alkenols via enzymatic dehydration, in particular by making use of an alkenol dehydratase.

Abstract: The present invention is related to novel mammalian enterokinase analogues such as mammalian enterokinase light chain analogues and methods of making such. Also described herein is a method for cleaving proteins having an enterokinase cleavage site.

Abstract: Purified Ref polypeptides with increased nuclease site-specific targeting activity, recombinant nucleic acids and cells for expression of such Ref polypeptides, and methods for using the Ref polypeptides in combination with RecA protein and variants thereof to effect targeted nuclease cleavage of a DNA duplex are disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism capable of fermenting arabinose to a desired product such as ethanol. In some embodiments, the organism is also capable of fermenting xylose. In some embodiments, the organism is capable of fermenting arabinose and xylose, and expresses one or more cellulases.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods and compositions for the production of mature proteases in bacterial host cells. The compositions include modified polynucleotides that encode modified proteases, which have at least one mutation in the pro region; the modified serine proteases encoded by the modified polynucleotides; expression cassettes, DNA constructs, and vectors comprising the modified polynucleotides that encode the modified proteases; and the bacterial host cells transformed with the vectors of the invention. The methods include methods for enhancing the production of mature proteases in bacterial host cells e.g. Bacillus sp. host cells. The produced proteases find use in the industrial production of enzymes, suitable for use in various industries, including but not limited to the cleaning, animal feed and textile processing industry.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a modified polynucleotide encoding aspartate kinase (EC:2.7.2.4; hereinafter, referred to as LysC), transketolase (EC:2.2.1.1; hereinafter, referred to as Tkt) or pyruvate carboxylase (EC:6.4.1.1; hereinafter, referred to as Pyc), in which the initiation codon is substituted with ATG, a vector including the same, a microorganism transformed with the vector, and a method for producing L-lysine using the same.

Abstract: Provided in the present invention is an application for PRDX2 and/or PRDX6 in the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition to treat or prevent damage, aging or diseases resulting from an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Abstract: A thermostable cellobiohydrolase including a cellobiohydrolase catalytic domain, the cellobiohydrolase catalytic domain including: (A) a polypeptide including an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1; (B) a polypeptide including an amino acid sequence obtained by deletion, substitution or addition of at least one amino acid of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and having at least a cellobiohydrolase activity under conditions of 75° C. and pH 5.5; (C) a polypeptide including an amino acid sequence having at least 85% sequence identity with the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1, and having at least a cellobiohydrolase activity under conditions of 75° C. and pH 5.

Abstract: Isolated and/or purified polypeptides and nucleic acid sequences encoding polypeptides from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius are provided. Further provided are methods for modulating or altering recombination inside or outside of a cell using isolated and/or purified polypeptides and/or nucleic acid sequences from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the fermentative preparation of sulphur-containing amino acids chosen from the group of L-methionine, L-cysteine, L-cystine, L-homocysteine and L-homocystine, comprising the steps: a) provision of a microorganism of the family Enterobacteriaceae or of a microorganism of the family Corynebacteriaceae which has an increased thiosulphate sulphurtransferase activity compared with the particular starting strain; b) fermentation of the microorganism, from a) in a medium which contains an inorganic source of sulphur chosen from the group of salt of dithiosulphuric acid or a mixture of a salt, of dithiosulphuric acid and a salt of sulphuric acid, a fermentation broth being obtained, and c) concentration of the sulphur-containing amino acid in the fermentation broth from b).

Abstract: Provided are a yeast cell in which the activity of an external mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase is decreased and a method of producing lactate by using the yeast cell.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant yeast comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a heterologous enzyme that catalyses the conversion of malic acid to fumaric acid. The invention further relates to a process for the production of a dicarboxylic acid wherein the yeast according to the present invention is used.

Abstract: One aspect of the invention relates to industrial bioconversion of the xylose portion of biomass materials into fuels and chemicals. Another aspect of the invention relates to industrial bioconversion of the xylan portion of biomass materials into fuels and chemicals. In one embodiment, the invention is directed to the bacterium Clostridium thermocellum, a highly cellulolytic organism that has much potential as a biocatalyst in a consolidated bioprocess configuration. In some embodiments, the invention is a genetic modification that confers the ability to ferment xylose to C. thermocellum and the strains created with this modification. In some embodiments, the genetic modification is composed of two genes contained in an operon from T. saccharolyticum. The genes express proteins with xylose isomerase (XI) and xylulokinase activites (XK). In other embodiments, the invention relates to a recombinant Clostridium thermocellum host cell capable of fermenting xylan.

Abstract: Provided are microorganisms, e.g., the Saccharomyces yeast, that have been made able to co-ferment xylose sugar-obtained from hydrolyzing plant cellulosic biomass form trees, grasses, straws, etc., with glucose that can be obtained from hydrolyzing either edible feedstocks such as starch, cane sugar, etc. or from hydrolyzing cellulose from various types of non-edible cellulosic biomass. The microorganisms are also capable of expressing an amylase, e.g., glucoamylase, having nonnegligible enzymatic activity, capable of producing glucose from oligo- or polysaccharides obtained by treating soluble starch with ?-amylase. In some embodiments, nucleotidic material is provided comprising genes actively expressing xylose reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase as well as an active gene expressing glucoamylase. Vectors and other compositions of matter are provided as.

Abstract: Provided herein compositions and methods for producing isoprenoids, including squalene. In certain aspects and embodiments provided are genetically converted yeast and uses therefore. In some aspects and embodiments, the genetically converted yeast produce isoprenoids, preferably squalene. Also are provided methods of producing squalene using a genetically converted yeast or a non-genetically converted yeast. The invention also provides squalene produced by genetically converted yeast or non-genetically converted yeast.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for producing a product of one or more enzymatic pathways. The pathways used in the methods of the invention involve one or more conversion steps such as, for example, an enzymatic conversion of guluronic acid into D-glucarate (Step 7); an enzymatic conversion of 5-ketogluconate (5-KGA) into L-Iduronic acid (Step 15); an enzymatic conversion of L-Iduronic acid into Idaric acid Step 7b); and an enzymatic conversion of 5-ketocluconate into 4,6-dihydroxy 2,5-diketo hexanoate (2,5-DDH) (Step 16). In some embodiments the methods of the invention produce 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) as a product. The methods include both enzymatic and chemical conversions as steps. Various pathways are also provided for converting glucose into 5-dehdyro-4-deoxy-glucarate (DDG), and for converting glucose into 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). The methods also involve the use of engineered enzymes that perform reactions with high specificity and efficiency.

Abstract: The present invention relates to enzyme mutants obtained from the nucleoside deoxyribosyltransferase (NDT) of Lactobacilli bacteria. These mutants are surprisingly able to exchange deoxyribose mono-, bi- and triphosphate between various nucleobases. In vitro syntheses have been successfully performed with several nucleobase analogs. These enzyme mutants provide new tools to synthesize, in vitro and/or in vivo, dNTPs or analogs thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polymerase HBV mutant polypeptides comprising a mutated polymerase domain which is functionally disrupted for polymerase activity and fusion proteins comprising such polymerase mutant polypeptide. The present invention also relates to a nucleic acid molecule and an expression vector for expressing said polymerase mutant polypeptide as well as a composition which can be used for eliciting an immune response to HBV with the goal of providing a protective or therapeutic effect against HBV infection.

Abstract: Synthetic representative HCV subtypes, including a 1a and 1b genome, dubbed Bole1a and Bole1b, are provided using an inventive method of Bayesian phylogenetic tree analysis, ancestral sequence reconstruction and covariance analysis. Bole1a branches centrally among 390 full-genome sequences used in its design, a carefully curated 143 sequence full-genome dataset, and separate genomic regions including an independent set of 214 E1E2 sequences from a Baltimore cohort. Bole1a is phylogenetically representative of widely circulating strains. Full genome non-synonymous diversity comparison and 9-mer peptide coverage analysis showed that Bole1a is able to provide more coverage (94% and 78% respectively) than any other sequence in the dataset including H77, a traditional reference sequence. Bole1a also provides unsurpassed epitope coverage when compared to all known T cell epitopes.