Abstract: Gram-negative bacteria, which are obligate alkaliphiles, have been isolated from samples of soil, water and sediment and a number of other sources obtained from in and around soda lakes. These bacteria have been analyzed according to the principles of numerical taxonomy with respect to each other, as well as to a variety of known bacteria. In addition, these bacteria are further circumscribed by an analysis of various chemotaxonomic characteristics. The bacteria produce various alkali-tolerant enzymes which may be used in various industrial processes requiring such enzymatic activity in a high pH environment.

Abstract: A method for improving the rheological properties of a flour dough through the use of an enzyme preparation which contains sulfhydryl oxidase and glucose oxidase.

Abstract: Carboxyl esterase is inactivated by several chemical compounds such as naproxen or diclofop. By substituting or modifying certain basic residues of the carboxyl esterase, this enzyme shows improved stability properties during application. In this way it is possible to perform stereospecific hydrolysis reactions on industrial scale even at high substrate concentrations.

Abstract: Biologically active deletion and substitution mutants of hIL-3 are provided. Preferred mutants are those having one or more deletions at the N-terminus (amino acids 1-14) and/or the C-terminus (amino acids 116-133, 120-130 and/or 130-133). Preferred substitution mutants include Cys.sup.16 .fwdarw.Ala.sup.16 and/or Cys.sup.84 .fwdarw.Ala.sup.84, Glu.sup.50 .fwdarw.Lys.sup.50 and Lys.sup.79 .fwdarw.Glu.sup.79. These mutants can be used to formulate pharmaceutical compositions. Also disclosed are antibodies directed against specific epitopes localized between amino acids 29 and 54.

Abstract: Gram-negative bacteria, which are obligate alkaliphiles, have been isolated from samples of soil, water and sediment and a number of other sources obtained from in and around soda lakes. These bacteria have been analyzed according to the principles of numerical taxonomy with respect to each other, as well as to a variety of known bacteria. In addition, these bacteria are further circumscribed by an analysis of various chemotaxonomic characteristics. The bacteria produce various alkali-tolerant enzymes which may be used in various industrial processes requiring such enzymatic activity in a high pH environment.

Abstract: The quality of wheat flour tortillas is improved by using a yeast derivative in the tortilla dough.

Abstract: The detection of residues of antibacterials such as antibiotics and sulpha compounds in liquids such as milk, water, meat juice, serum or urine is disclosed. A test unit comprises an agar medium inoculated with a suitable test organism and two or more redox indicators.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved method for the preparation of certain .beta.-lactam antibiotics by enzymatic acylation or by deprotection of a protected intermediate.

Abstract: Clustered antibiotic biosynthetic genes are employed for improvement of production of the antibiotic in microorganisms and for the isolation of other genes involved in the biosynthesis of the antibiotic. The invention is exemplified with improved production of penicillin in Penicillium chrysogenum, with the isolation of another clustered biosynthetic gene(s) and with the expression of penicillin biosynthetic genes in Acremonium chrysogenum.

Abstract: Gram-negative bacteria, which are obligate alkaliphiles, have been isolated from samples of soil, water and sediment and a number of other sources obtained from in and around soda lakes. These bacteria have been analyzed according to the principles of numerical taxonomy with respect to each other, as well as to a variety of known bacteria. In addition, these bacteria are further circumscribed by an analysis of various chemotaxonomic characteristics. The bacteria produce various alkali-tolerant enzymes which may be used in various industrial processes requiring such enzymatic activity in a high pH environment.

Abstract: A method of separating a hydrophobic fermentation product selected from the group consisting of lipase, esterase, endoxylanase and an antibiotic from a mixture comprising said product and contaminants which method comprises adding to the mixture sequentially(1) 0.5 to 15% (w/v) of a nonionic surfactant,(2) 0.5 to 60 mg of a flocculating agent per gram of said mixture,(3) 1 to 20% (w/v) of an extra nonionic surfactant,(4) a suitable K, Na, NH.sub.4 or Mg salt selected from the group of chlorides, sulfates, acetates, carbonates or phosphates, whereby the concentration of the salt is chosen so as to have the surfactant layer on top and is between 2 and 30%;to obtain a three phase product mixture, separating the product mixture into liquid-liquid-solid fractions and recovering the hydrophobic fermentation product.

Abstract: A nucleotide sequence encoding phytase has been isolated and cloned. The coding sequence has been inserted into an expression construct which in turn has been inserted into a vector capable of transforming a microbial expression host. The transformed microbial hosts may be used to economically produce phytase on an industrial scale. The phytase produced via the present invention may be used in a variety of processes requiring the conversion of phytate to inositol and inorganic phosphate.

Abstract: A process for the detection of antibiotics in a liquid medium such as milk, urine and blood is disclosed which comprisesbringing together a fluid sample of the liquid medium, an labelled antibiotic binding protein, and an immobilized antibiotic,allowing the labelled antibiotic binding protein to bind with the immobilized antibiotic,removing labelled antibiotic binding protein which is not bound to immobilized antibiotic, anddetermining the amount of the labelled antibiotic binding protein bound to the immobilized antibiotic.

Abstract: Methods and DNA constructs are provided for the expression of a fungal acetyl xylan esterase gene in microbial hosts. A purified fungal acetyl xylan esterase is obtained which is suited for the use as an accessory enzyme in the degradation of acetylated xylans.

Abstract: Immobilized water-insoluble biocatalysts in particulate form comprise living cells, particularly yeast, dispersed in a cross-linked gelling agent. An enzyme, particularly amyloglucosidase, may be co-immobilized in the particles. These particles are prepared by suspending the living cells in an aqueous solution of a gelling agent, dispersing this suspension in a water immiscible organic liquid to form a suspension in the liquid of aqueous particles comprising the living cells and gelling agent, gelling the gel and cross-linking the gelling agent. It is found that when living cells such as microbial cells and especially yeast are immobilized in this way, that surprisingly, not only is their viability retained, but the ability of yeast cells to produce ethanol under continuous fermentation conditions is significantly improved. Specific strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, suitable for immobilization in this way, are described.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel aerobic, Gram-positive alkaliphilic bacteria which have been isolated from in and around alkaline soda lakes. These alkaliphiles have been analyzed according to the principles of numerical taxonomy with respect to each other and also to a collection of known bacteria. In addition, these bacterial taxa are further circumscribed by an analysis of the lipid components which serve as chemotaxonomic markers. The alkaliphiles of the present invention produce alkalitolerant enzymes which are capable of performing their functions at high pH which makes them uniquely suited for applications requiring such extreme conditions.

Abstract: A dough for the preparation of yeast-leavened flour products whereby the dough comprises a yeast not capable of fermenting malto and an amount of sugar(s) fermentable by the yeast wherein the maximal amount of CO.sub.2 gas produced during the proof is controlled and limited by the amount of fermentable sugar(s) present in the dough.

Abstract: A method for selecting amino acid residues is disclosed which upon replacement will give rise to an enzyme with an altered pH optimum. The method is specific for metalloenzymes which are inactivated at low pH due to the dissociation of the metal ions. The method is based on altering the pK.sub.a of the metal coordinating ligands or altering the K.sub.ass for the metal binding. New glucose isomerases with an altered pH optimum are provided according to this method. These altered properties enable starch degradation to be performed at lower pH values.

Abstract: New mutant glucose isomerases are provided exhibiting improved properties under application conditions. These glucose isomerases are obtained by expression of a gene encoding said enzyme, having an amino acid sequence which differs at least in one amino acid from the wildtype glucose isomerase. Preferred mutant enzymes are those derived from Actinoplanes missouriensis glucose isomerase.

Abstract: Thermostable and acid stable .alpha.-amylases are provided as expression products of genetically engineered .alpha.-amylase genes isolated from microorganisms, preferably belonging to the class of Bacilli. Both chemical and enzymatic mutagenesis methods are e.g. the bisulphite method and enzymatic misincorporation on gapped heteroduplex DNA. The mutant .alpha.-amylases have superior properties, e.g. improved thermostability over a broad pH range, for industrial application in starch processing and textile desizing.