Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure include swellable smart gel sealants. In certain embodiments, the smart gel sealants reversibly swell when exposed to a certain trigger, such as temperature or pH. In specific embodiments, the smart gel is disposed within voids in a well and triggered to swell in order to seal the voids. One application of the smart gel sealant is to seal the casing of a well against the leakage of gas, such as CO2.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for producing compounds (such as 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate, catechol, cis,cis-muconate, or ?-carboxy-cis,cis-muconic acid) utilizing biosynthetic pathways in prokaryotic organisms expressing one or more heterologous genes. In some embodiments, the method includes expressing a heterologous asbF gene (for example, a gene having dehydroshikimate dehydratase activity) in a prokaryotic cell under conditions sufficient to produce the one or more compounds and purifying the compound. In additional embodiments, the method further includes expressing one or more of a heterologous 3,4-DHB decarboxylase gene, a heterologous catechol 1,2-dioxygenase gene, and a heterologous 3,4-DHB dioxygenase gene in the prokaryotic cell and purifying the compound.

Abstract: The present invention relates, in general, to an immunogenic composition (e.g., a vaccine) and, in particular, to a polyvalent immunogenic composition, such as a polyvalent HIV vaccine, and to methods of using same. The invention further relates to methods that use a genetic algorithm to create sets of polyvalent antigens suitable for use, for example, in vaccination strategies.