Abstract: Provided are methylcytosine-selective deaminases, compositions, kits, and methods employing them, including a sequencing method involving (a) contacting a DNA substrate comprising cytosine (C) and at least one methylcytosine nucleobase selected from 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) or comprising C and both 5mC and 5hmC, with a methylcytosine-selective deaminase to produce a deamination product, wherein the methylcytosine-selective deaminase (i) is capable of deaminating 5mC to thymidine (T) and/or 5hmC to hydroxymethyluridine (hmU) and (ii) preferentially deaminates the at least one methylcytosine nucleobase relative to cytosine (C); and (b) sequencing the deamination product, or amplifying the deamination product to produce an amplification product, and sequencing the amplification product, in each case, to produce sequence reads, wherein positions of Cs and position of the at least one methylcytosine nucleobase in the DNA substrate is determined based on the sequence reads.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions, kits, and methods of making RNA vaccines having an appropriate cap structure. Systems, apparatus, compositions, and/or methods may include and/or use, in some embodiments, non-naturally occurring single-chain RNA capping enzymes. In some embodiments, an RNA capping enzyme may include an FCE variant having (a) an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to positions 1 to 878 of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or (b) one or more substitutions relative to SEQ ID NO: 1 at a position selected from positions corresponding to positions 215, 337, 572, 648, and 833 (e.g., a position selected from positions corresponding to position 215, 337, and 572) of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to methods for preparing a library for sequencing. For example, a method may comprise (a) in a coupled reaction, (i) contacting a population of nucleic acid fragments with a tailing enzyme to produce tailed fragments, and (ii) ligating to the tailed fragments a sequencing adapter with a ligase to produce adapter-tagged fragments; and/or separating adapter-tagged fragments from the tailing enzyme and the ligase to produce separated adapter-tagged fragments and, optionally, separated tailing enzyme and/or separated ligase. In some embodiments, a tailing enzyme and/or a ligase used in library preparation may be immobilized enzymes.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems, apparatus, compositions, kits, workflows, and/or methods that address errors in synthesizing and/or copying polynucleotide sequences. The present disclosure provides, for example, systems, apparatus, compositions, kits, workflows, and methods for detecting, reducing, and/or removing sequence errors including mismatches and/or indels. Enzyme composition may include, in some embodiments, a T4EndoVII endonuclease and a mismatch endonuclease, wherein the composition is cell-free, the composition has a temperature of 30° C. to 45° C., the composition comprises ?1 unit of T4EndoVII per ?L and ?1 unit of ?L of the mismatch endonuclease, the composition comprises ?0.2 ng T4EndoVII per 20 ?L and ?7 ng mismatch endonuclease per 20 ?L, the composition further comprises a buffering agent, and/or the mismatch endonuclease is EndoMS.

Abstract: Ordered assembly of large numbers of fragments into a single large DNA have been improved in both frequency and fidelity of the assembled product. This has been achieved by novel compositions and methods that are utilized in a computer system that integrates comprehensive ligation data from multiple sources to provide optimized synthetic overhangs or overhangs from restriction endonuclease cleavage on DNA fragments for assembly by ligation. Intragenic cut sites are avoided by the use of a novel restriction endonuclease which recognizes 7 nucleotides (bases) and cuts DNA to create 4-base overhangs with the help of a synthetic activator oligonucleotide. Variations in ligation preferences by different ligases provide extra precision in assembly reactions. The use of the improved methods are exemplified by the successful assembly from 52 fragments of a viral genome and also a 52 fragment ordered assembly of a bacteria operon.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to compositions and analysis of RNA (e.g., dephosphorylated oligoribonucleotides) including, for example, natural and/or synthetic RNAs. A composition may comprise, for example, an endoribonuclease having an amino acid sequence that (i) corresponds to an amino acid sequence of a first species (e.g., Homo sapiens, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus oryzae, Momordica charantia, Pyrococcus furiosus, Cucumis sativus, and Sus scrofa) or (ii) is a non-naturally occurring sequence; and/or an RNA end repair enzyme having an amino acid sequence that (i) corresponds to an amino acid sequence of a species other than the first species (e.g., a bacterial species or a bacteriophage species) or (ii) is a non-naturally occurring sequence.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to compositions, kits, and methods of making RNA vaccines having an appropriate cap structure. Systems, apparatus, compositions, and/or methods may include and/or use, in some embodiments, non-naturally occurring single-chain RNA capping enzymes. In some embodiments, an RNA capping enzyme may include an FCE variant having (a) an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to positions 1 to 878 of SEQ ID NO: 1, and/or (b) one or more substitutions relative to SEQ ID NO: 1 at a position selected from positions corresponding to positions 215, 337, 572, 648, and 833 (e.g., a position selected from positions corresponding to position 215, 337, and 572) of SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: Provided herein is a method for efficiently capping RNA in vitro. In some embodiments the capping reaction may be done at high temperature using Vaccinia capping enzyme or a variant thereof. In other embodiments, the capping reactions may comprise a capping enzyme from a large virus of amoeba, e.g., Faustovirus, mimivirus or moumouvirus, or a variant thereof. Compositions and kits for practicing the method are also provided.

Abstract: Compositions, methods and kits are provided for long range amplification of nucleic acid sequences in vitro. This includes a site-specific or sequence-specific nick in one strand of a duplex to initiate strand displacement linear amplification without the need for primers. Preferably, modified components of a T7 replisome are used for the in vitro linear amplification reaction enabling copying of at least 300 bases and as much as 50 kb of the target nucleic acid.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for enzymes with altered properties that involve a systematic approach to mutagenesis and a screening assay that permits selection of the desired proteins. Embodiments of the method are particularly suited for modifying specific properties of restriction endonucleases such as star activity. The compositions includes restriction endonucleases with reduced star activity as defined by an overall fidelity index improvement factor.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for engineering mutant enzymes with reduced star activity where the mutant enzymes have a fidelity index (FI) in a specified buffer that is greater than the FI of the non-mutated enzyme in the same buffer.

Abstract: Provided herein is a reverse transcriptase mixture comprising a reverse transcriptase and a colored dye at a concentration in the range of 0.003%-1% (v/w). The colored dye may be visually observed during transfer of the mix from one vessel to another and addition of the mix to another mix can be confirmed by eye by observing the colored dye.

Abstract: A bacteriophage RNA polymerase variant is provided. In some embodiments, the variant may have increased thermostability relative to the corresponding wild type bacteriophage RNA polymerase and/or wild type T7 RNA polymerase. Compositions, kits and methods that employ the variant are also provided.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to compositions and analysis of RNA (e.g., dephosphorylated oligoribonucleotides) including, for example, natural and/or synthetic RNAs. A composition may comprise, for example, an endoribonuclease having an amino acid sequence that (i) corresponds to an amino acid sequence of a first species (e.g., Homo sapiens, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus oryzae, Momordica charantia, Pyrococcus furiosus, Cucumis sativus, and Sus scrofa) or (ii) is a non-naturally occurring sequence; and/or an RNA end repair enzyme having an amino acid sequence that (i) corresponds to an amino acid sequence of a species other than the first species (e.g., a bacterial species or a bacteriophage species) or (ii) is a non-naturally occurring sequence.

Abstract: Kits and methods are provided that utilize a mesophilic strand displacing polymerase selected from Bsu DNA polymerase (large fragment) and Klenow in Loop mediated amplification (LAMP) at temperatures in the range of 34° C.-52ºC. This contrasts with 60° C.-65° C. required for standard Bst polymerase dependent LAMP. The reduced temperature of the LAMP reaction enables the use of other proteins that are temperature sensitive in a one-step reaction. For example, a Cas protein such as Cas12a may be used with a target nucleic acid specific guide RNA and optionally a reporter oligonucleotide containing a quencher and a fluorophore or lateral flow reagents to determine the presence of pathogens in a sample.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for identifying any of the presence, location and phasing of methylated and/or hydroxymethylated cytosines in nucleic acids including long stretches of DNA. In some embodiments, the method may comprise reacting a first portion (aliquot) of a nucleic acid sample with a dioxygenase and optionally a glucosyltransferase in a reaction mixture containing the nucleic acid followed by a reaction with a cytidine deaminase to detect and optionally map 5mC in a DNA. Optionally, a second portion can be reacted with glucosyltransferase followed by reaction with a cytidine deaminase to detect and optionally map 5hmC in a DNA.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for engineering mutant enzymes with reduced star activity where the mutant enzymes have a fidelity index (FI) In a specified buffer that is greater than the FI of the non-mutated enzyme in the same buffer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to enzymes, systems, compositions, methods, apparatus, and workflows for selectively cutting, cleaving, digesting and/or hydrolyzing duplex DNA strands or the DNA strand of a DNA/RNA hybrid.

Abstract: Compositions and methods are provided for enzymes with altered properties that involve a systematic approach to mutagenesis and a screening assay that permits selection of the desired proteins. Embodiments of the method are particularly suited for modifying specific properties of restriction endonucleases such as star activity. The compositions includes restriction endonucleases with reduced star activity as defined by an overall fidelity index improvement factor.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates, according to some embodiments, to systems, apparatus, compositions, methods, and workflows that include DNase I variants with desirable properties including, for example, salt tolerance. A DNase I variant, in some embodiments, may have an amino acid sequence that is at least 85% identical, at least 90% identical, at least 95% identical, and/or at least 98% identical to SEQ ID NO:1 and may be identical to SEQ ID NO:1 at one or more positions selected from the group of positions corresponding to L29, A35, D87, Q88, S94, P103, T108, P121, P132, A135, D145, E161, G172, P190, H208, and A224 of SEQ ID NO:1.