Abstract: The invention relates to the field of genetic engineering tools, methods and techniques for gene or genome editing. Specifically, the invention concerns isolated polypeptides having nuclease activity, host cells and expression vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding said polypeptides as well as methods of cleaving and editing target nucleic acids in a sequence-specific manner. The polypeptides, nucleic acids, expression vectors, host cells and methods of the present invention have application in many fields of biotechnology, including, for example, synthetic biology and gene therapy.

Abstract: A method for cost-effectively and efficiently culturing Akkermansia muciniphilais is disclosed. High biomass yields can be obtained on chemically defined media. This allows for large scale production of A. muciniphila suitable for use in humans, such as for pharmaceutical or food applications. The A. muciniphila can be produced free of animal-derived products, thereby allowing a broad-range of applications.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to change the capacity of a plant for adaptation to changes in the zinc concentration in the environment, especially the soil, comprising providing said plant with a nucleotide according to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 or an ortholog thereof. Such a method is especially useful to decrease Zn deficiency or to (hyper)accumulate Zn in plants for bioremediation or for biofortification. Transgenic plants for these proteins are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila or fragments thereof for treating a metabolic disorder in a subject in need thereof. The present invention also relates to a composition, a pharmaceutical composition and a medicament comprising pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila or fragments thereof for treating a metabolic disorder. The present invention also relates to the use of pasteurized Akkermansia muciniphila or fragments thereof for promoting weight loss in a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: It has been found that an extracellular polypeptide derived from Akkermansia municiphila is capable of modulating and/or promoting gut mucosal immune system function and/or maintaining and/or restoring metabolic status and/or increasing the physical integrity of the gut mucosal barrier in a mammal. The polypeptide or host cells including such polypeptide may be employed to prevent and/or treat a variety of conditions that benefit from an increased physical integrity of the gut mucosal barrier and/or an improved gut mucosal immune system function and metabolic status.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of genetic engineering tools, methods and techniques for gene or genome editing. Specifically, the invention concerns isolated polypeptides having nuclease activity, host cells and expression vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding said polypeptides as well as methods of cleaving and editing target nucleic acids in a sequence-specific manner. The polypeptides, nucleic acids, expression vectors, host cells and methods of the present invention have application in many fields of biotechnology, including, for example, synthetic biology and gene therapy.

Abstract: The invention relates to a resistance gene and functional homologs or fragments thereof isolated from S. chacoense, S. berthaultii, S. sucrense or S. tarijense. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of said resistance gene, for example the use of said resistance gene in a method to increase or confer at least partial resistance in a plant to an oomycete infection. The invention provides an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding one of the amino acid sequences of FIG. 4 or a functional fragment or a functional homolog thereof such as those presented in FIG. 13.

Abstract: Molecular markers are described for determining the presence or absence of a gene conferring resistance to tomato yellow leaf curl virus from S. chilense (Ty-1) in a host plant. Also described, are methods for producing a host plant comprising a gene conferring resistance to tomato yellow leaf curl virus from S. chilense (Ty-1), including the analysis of the presence or absence of the molecular markers. A plant, and parts thereof, obtained by such a method are also described.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new gene that produces a protein which is capable of inferring oomycete resistance, more preferably resistance to Phytophthora infestans when expressed in a plant, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a protein that is encoded by the protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 10 or the protein depicted in FIG. 11 or a nucleotide sequence that codes for a protein that has an identity of at least 95% with said protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 10 or the protein depicted in FIG. 11. The invention also relates to a method for providing at least partial resistance or increasing resistance in a plant against an oomycete infection comprising providing a plant or a part thereof with a nucleotide sequence as indicated above or a functional fragment thereof, preferably wherein said plant is a plant from the Solanaceae family, more preferably Solanum tuberosum.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to change the capacity of a plant for adaptation to changes in the zinc concentration in the environment, especially the soil, comprising providing said plant with a nucleotide according to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 or an ortholog thereof. Such a method is especially useful to decrease Zn deficiency or to (hyper)accumulate Zn in plants for bioremediation or for biofortification. Transgenic plants for these proteins are also disclosed.

Abstract: The disclosure is concerned with a novel human intestinal isolate capable of converting L-lysine into butyrate and/or of converting fructose-lysine into butyrate. The novel isolate can be used as a probiotic or supplement to promote production of butyrate in the GI tract, thereby preventing and/or treating conditions or diseases that benefit from the production of butyrate. Additionally, the isolate may prevent and/or treat conditions or diseases caused by an excess of pathogenic bacteria in the GI tract, mediated by L-lysine, or mediated by fructose-lysine or other advanced glycation end products.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to change the capacity of a plant for adaptation to changes in the zinc concentration in the environment, especially the soil, comprising providing said plant with a nucleotide according to SEQ ID NO:1 or SEQ ID NO: 2 or an ortholog thereof. Such a method is especially useful to decrease Zn deficiency or to (hyper)accumulate Zn in plants for bioremediation or for biofortification. Transgenic plants for these proteins are also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of genetic engineering tools, methods and techniques for gene or genome editing. Specifically, the invention concerns isolated polypeptides having nuclease activity, host cells and expression vectors comprising nucleic acids encoding said polypeptides as well as methods of cleaving and editing target nucleic acids in a sequence-specific manner. The polypeptides, nucleic acids, expression vectors, host cells and methods of the present invention have application in many fields of biotechnology, including, for example, synthetic biology and gene therapy.

Abstract: An intronic, self-splicing riboswitch is configured for enzyme-product specificity by introducing an appropriate aptamer. This then provides a sensing-expression construct, whereby the presence of an enzyme product in the cell triggers self-splicing of the intron sequence to restore the reading frame of the reporter gene and as such to drive expression of the gene product. The sensing construct expresses a protein which marks the cell or permits its growth or survival in or on an otherwise selective media. In this way, introduction or the presence of such product sensing-reporter constructs in cells can be harnessed to provide a multi-parallel rapid screening of cells or libraries for desirable enzyme variants.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new gene that produces a protein which is capable of inferring oomycete resistance, more preferably resistance to Phytophthora infestans when expressed in a plant, wherein said nucleotide sequence encodes a protein that is encoded by the protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 10 or the protein depicted in FIG. 11 or a nucleotide sequence that codes for a protein that has an identity of at least 95% with said protein produced by the nucleotide sequence of FIG. 10 or the protein depicted in FIG. 11. The invention also relates to a method for providing at least partial resistance or increasing resistance in a plant against an oomycete infection comprising providing a plant or a part thereof with a nucleotide sequence as indicated above or a functional fragment thereof, preferably wherein said plant is a plant from the Solanaceae family, more preferably Solanum tuberosum.

Abstract: A process for the crystallisation of a water-soluble compound is disclosed. The process comprises (a) providing, in a crystallisation vessel, a solution of the water-soluble compound in a mixture of water and a solvent in which the water-soluble compound has a lower solubility than in water; (b) passing vapor phase of the mixture through a sorption zone containing a water vapor sorbent to selectively adsorb water from the vapor phase; (c) recycling a part of the vapor phase to the crystallisation vessel or withdrawing vapor phase depleted in water from the process and adding solvent to the crystallisation vessel; (d) allowing solid crystals of the water-soluble compound to precipitate from the solution; and (e) discharging precipitated solid crystals of the water-soluble compound from the crystallisation vessel and discharging a solution of non-crystallised water-soluble compound in water-solvent mixture from the crystallisation vessel.

Abstract: Compounds disclosed herein are effective against Ralstonia pickettii for treating or preventing insulin resistance, obesity or type II diabetes of a subject, and include an antibiotic effective against Ralstonia pickettii, an immunogenic compound producing a protective immune response, or an antibody which specifically binds to Ralstonia pickettii or a fragment thereof. In vitro methods for diagnosis or prediction of insulin resistance, obesity or type II diabetes include determining the presence of Ralstonia pickettii or of an antibody which specifically binds to Ralstonia pickettii in a test sample. An antibody binding specifically to an antigen of Ralstonia pickettii, a Ralstonia pickettii cell, or a nucleic acid hybridizing under stringent conditions to a nucleic acid from Ralstonia pickettii is disclosed. A kit including said antibody, the nucleic acid, and optionally a Ralstonia pickettii bacteria or a nucleic acid or protein thereof, a further reagent or a conventional kit component, is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new gene that is able to provide plants with resistance against pathogens, more preferably Verticillium, Ralstonia or Fusarium. Said gene is typical for Brassicaceae and encodes for a proteins having a sequence as depicted in FIG. 7 or FIG. 2A. Also provided are methods for enhancing the pathogen resistance of plants, wherein said plants preferably are Brassicaceae, but wherein the resistance also is functional in other plants. Further provided are host cells with a nucleotide construct encoding said protein.

Abstract: The invention relates to a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy device adapted for carrying out 1D and nD homo- and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy measurements of a plurality of nuclei, comprising an RF coil adapted to transmit RF to and/or receive RF from a measuring volume, wherein the RF coil forms part of a non-tuned radiofrequency circuit. The invention further relates to a method of NMR data acquisition, a method of manufacturing a NMR spectroscopy device and a NMR-device holder.

Abstract: A first aspect of the present invention relates to a process for recovering crystalline elemental selenium (Se) from an aqueous composition, such as waste water or groundwater. A second aspect of the present invention further relates to a microbial sludge comprising crystalline elemental selenium, which sludge may be used in the further recovery of elemental selenium.