Abstract: The invention also relates to a microbial strain selected from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp for use as a medicament, (i) a cellular extract from a strain selected from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp for use in treating inflammatory bowel disease, (ii) the supernatant from the cell culture from a strain selected from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp for use in treating inflammatory bowel disease or, (iii) a medically active molecule or a medically active substance obtained from a strain selected from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp for use in treating inflammatory bowel disease.

Abstract: The present invention uses microfluidics droplets for studying the growth dynamics of communities of bacteria in the presence of various perturbations such as various chemicals or other microorganisms and to establish microbial assemblies model which is representative of a microbiota of interest and to examine their growth dynamics after perturbations such as with an array of chemicals or other microorganisms. In particular, the present invention refers to a method and apparatus for assessing the effect of a chemical or biological substance on the growth of microorganisms.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method of producing a library of microorganisms, the method comprising the steps of: a. providing a first fluid comprising at least one single cell, b. dispersing said first fluid comprising at least one single cell in a second fluid, thereby obtaining a plurality of single-layer microfluidic droplets, wherein at least one single- layer microfluidic droplet comprises at least one single cell, wherein the second fluid is immiscible with the first fluid, c. optionally, adding to said at least one single-layer microfluidic droplet a third fluid comprising a sensing compound, wherein the third fluid is miscible with said first fluid, and wherein the third fluid is immiscible with said second fluid, d. injecting said at least one single-layer microfluidic droplet optionally comprising the sensing compound into a fourth fluid, wherein said fourth fluid is immiscible with said second fluid, thereby obtaining at least one double-layer microfluidic droplet, e.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the identification of a first microorganism potentially secreting an effector compound, said first microorganism thereby having either i. an inhibitory effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism or ii. an enhancing effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism, the method comprising: a. providing a cell from a first microorganism which potentially produces an effector compound of interest and a cell from a second detector microorganism; b. introducing both cells into a microdroplet for incubation; c. introducing the microdroplet into a microfluidic system; d. analyzing in said microfluidic system the cell of the second microorganism for the exhibition of an enhanced growth effect or the exhibition of an inhibited growth effect stemming from said effector compound. The invention also relates to a microorganism or effector compound identified by the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising (i) a live strain from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp, (ii) an attenuated strain from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp or, (iii) a medically active substance isolated from a strain from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp.

Abstract: The invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising (i) a live strain from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp, (ii) an attenuated strain from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp or, (iii) a medically active substance isolated from a strain from the genus of Kazachstania spp, Acetobacter spp. and/or Stenotrophomonas spp. These may be used to treat pancreatic cancer.

Abstract: Cultivation and/or test-system comprising at least two cultivation spaces combined in a microparticle, wherein the sperically shaped microparticle comprises, (i) a first cultivation space in the center core of said spherically shaped microparticle, (ii) a second cultivation space in the wall surrounding the core of said microparticle, (iii) wherein the wall surrounding the core allows for the exchange of molecules as, salts, nutrients, peptides, chemicals and other compounds in order for the cells in the first cultivation space to interact with the cells in second cultivation space and vice versa. In the test system, the cells are co-cultivated and the microparticles are then selected based on the phenotype of the cells in the first or second cultivation space.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic system in which the droplets flow through an off-chip delay line in a linear sequential order. This ensures that all the droplets are incubated for the same amount of time and under the same conditions as they flow through the delay line. The invention further relates to the use of this microfluidic system for high throughput screening methods or in vitro evolution methods.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the identification of a first microorganism potentially secreting an effector compound, said first microorganism thereby having either i. an inhibitory effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism or ii. an enhancing effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism, the method comprising: a. providing a cell from a first microorganism which potentially produces an effector compound of interest and a cell from a second detector microorganism; b. introducing both cells into a microdroplet for incubation; c. introducing the microdroplet into a microfluidic system; d. analyzing in said microfluidic system the cell of the second microorganism for the exhibition of an enhanced growth effect or the exhibition of an inhibited growth effect stemming from said effector compound. The invention also relates to a microorganism or effector compound identified by the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel methods and kits to be employed for preparing adapter-ligated amplicons or a sequencing library of a target DNA, respectively.

Abstract: Cultivation and/or test-system comprising at least two cultivation spaces combined in a microparticle, wherein the sperically shaped microparticle comprises, (i) a first cultivation space in the center core of said spherically shaped microparticle, (ii) a second cultivation space in the wall surrounding the core of said microparticle, (iii) wherein the wall surrounding the core allows for the exchange of molecules as, salts, nutrients, peptides, chemicals and other compounds in order for the cells in the first cultivation space to interact with the cells in second cultivation space and vice versa. In the test system, the cells are co-cultivated and the microparticles are then selected based on the phenotype of the cells in the first or second cultivation space.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for detecting and/or selecting a microorganism with a desired trait comprising the steps of (a) providing a composition comprising two or more microorganisms, (b) subjecting said two or more microorganisms to one of the following reactions leading to a change in the genetic composition in at least one microorganism, (i) natural transformation, (ii) transduction by phage, (iii) conjugation; (c) encapsulating each microorganism in a single microfluidic droplet together with an indicator molecule capable of detecting the presence of the desired trait, (d) incubating the encapsulated microorganism together with the indicator molecule under conditions that allow the detection of the desired trait, (e) sorting said droplets in a microfluidic system into at least (i) one group where the desired trait is not detectable and (ii) one group where the desired trait is detectable if present.

Abstract: A method for the analysis of microorganisms, which produce a compound, the method comprising: a. providing a microorganism which produces a compound of interest and a detector microorganism which comprises a reporter gene or reporter gene operon, wherein the microorganism producing said compound of interest and the detector microorganism are combined into single droplets, wherein each droplet comprises at least one cell of each strain; b. subjecting the droplets to a microfluidic system; c. analyzing the droplets for the activation of the reporter gene of the detector strain; d. sorting and collecting the droplets comprising the detector microorganism with expressed reporter gene.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel methods, kits and uses to be employed for the generation of tagged DNA fragments of a target DNA and nucleic acid molecules associated therewith

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and uses where a combination of (i) an enzyme exhibiting 5??3? exonuclease activity and specifically degrading 5?-phosphorylated strands of double-stranded nucleic acids is used, and (ii) one or more primer pair(s), each primer being 5? phosphorylated, in a method comprising at least a first and a second amplification reaction of a first and a second template, respectively, for preventing contamination of the second amplification reaction with amplification products of the first amplification reaction, as well as novel methods and kits using the combination. Also, the present invention relates to kits comprising the enzyme and either 5?-phosphorylated primers or a polynucleotide kinase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a reaction mixture for the amplification of nucleic acids, the non-methylated cytosine bases of which have been converted to uracil bases by means of a bisulfition reaction. The invention also discloses methods for amplifying bisulfited nucleic acid and for determining the nucleic acid methylation state, and also kits based on the reaction mixture according to the invention.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel methods and kits to be employed for preparing adapter-ligated amplicons or a sequencing library of a target DNA, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to novel methods and kits to be employed for preparing adapter-ligated amplicons or a sequencing library of a target DNA, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for activating a nucleic acid for a polymerase reaction with the steps: (a) Heating a nucleic acid to a temperature of 55° C. to 80° C., (b) cooling the nucleic acid to a temperature at which a polymerase shows no substantial decrease in activity, and (c) starting the polymerase reaction by the addition of a heat-labile polymerase to the nucleic acid.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for synthesis of a cDNA in a sample, in an enzymatic reaction, whereby the process comprises the steps: simultaneous preparation of a first enzyme with polyadenylation activity, a second enzyme with reverse transcriptase activity, a buffer, at least one ribonucleotide, at least one deoxyribonucleotide, an anchor oligonucleotide; addition of a sample that comprises a ribonucleic acid; and incubation of the agents of the previous steps in one or more temperature steps, which are selected such that the first enzyme and the second enzyme show activity. The invention further relates to a reaction mixture that comprises a first enzyme with polyadenylation activity, a second enzyme with reverse transcriptase activity, optionally a buffer, optionally at least one ribonucleotide, optionally at least one deoxyribonucleotide, and optionally an anchor oligonucleotide. Moreover, the invention relates to a kit that comprises a corresponding reaction mixture.