Abstract: The present disclosure provides a variant tyrosine hydroxylase that provides for increased production of L-DOPA in a host cell that expresses the tyrosine hydroxylase. The present disclosure provides nucleic acids encoding the variant tyrosine hydroxylase, and host cells genetically modified with the nucleic acids. The present disclosure provides methods of making L-DOPA in a host cell. The present disclosure provides methods of making a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA), or a BIA precursor. The present disclosure provides methods of detecting L-DOPA level in a cell. The present disclosure provides methods of identifying tyrosine hydroxylase variants that provide for increased L-DOPA production; and methods of identifying gene products that provide for increased tyrosine production.

Abstract: A concave diffraction grating for integrated optics is constructed by replacing the reflective metallic part by either multiple thin elements of metal or multiple elements of dielectric material, each partially reflecting the light, and arranged on elliptical fashion in order to distribute the diffraction/reflection of light and provide aberration-free focusing, by combining diffraction condition and Bragg condition of these curved reflectors.

Abstract: There are provided processes for treating a residual. For example, such processes can comprise treating a mixture comprising the residual, a peracid or source thereof and an ammonium salt in a reactor, with an electric field, by means of at least one anode and at least one cathode that define therebetween an electrokinetic zone for treating the mixture. Such processes allow for inactivation of at least one type of pathogen in the residual so as to obtain a treated residual.

Abstract: A method comprising preparing a solution of clay particles solution, submitting the solution of clay particles first to a high pressure and high velocity flow for shearing the particles in the solution of clay particles, and to a sudden lower pressure, whereby the particles explode into the mist of the solution of clay particles, and mixing the finely dispersed clay solution, whereby epoxy is introduced in the solution of clay particles during on of the above steps of preparing the solution of clay particles or dispersing the solution of clay particles or to the resulting dispersed solution of clay particles, yielding an extremely fine and homogeneous distribution of the particles of nanodimensions in the epoxy, yielding a high-performance nanocomposite epoxy.

Abstract: The present application is directed to a technological platform with integrated microfluidic and optical modules for bio-detection. The platform enables in-situ detection by integrating fluidics with optical source and detection capabilities within a fabricated microchip. The platform is a polymer-based microfluidic chip having integrated excitation source and detection elements in a vicinity of a microfluidic reaction chamber configured to contain a micro-volume of a test sample. The principle of detection is based on an excitation source induced fluorescence of the test sample within the microfluidic reaction chamber.

Abstract: A method comprising preparing a solution of clay particles solution, submitting the solution of clay particles first to a high pressure and high velocity flow for shearing the particles in the solution of clay particles, and to a sudden lower pressure, whereby the particles explode into the mist of the solution of clay particles, and mixing the finely dispersed clay solution, whereby epoxy is introduced in the solution of clay particles during on of the above steps of preparing the solution of clay particles or dispersing the solution of clay particles or to the resulting dispersed solution of clay particles, yielding an extremely fine and homogeneous distribution of the particles of nanodimensions in the epoxy, yielding a high-performance nanocomposite epoxy.