Abstract: Devices and methods for minimally invasive suturing are disclosed. One suturing device for minimally invasive suturing includes a proximal section a distal end, and an intermediate region therebetween. The device includes a suture head assembly having a suturing needle with a pointed end and a second end. The suturing needle is capable of rotating about an axis approximately perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the device, wherein the pointed end of the suturing needle is positioned within the suture head assembly prior to deployment of guides that are adapted and configured to guide the needle around a circular path when advanced by a drive mechanism having a needle driver for engaging and rotating the suturing needle.

Abstract: Nucleic acid sequences encoding the bacterial cellulose synthase operon derived from Acetobacter are disclosed. Methods for isolating the genes, vectors containing the genes, and transformed hosts useful for the expression of recombinant bacterial cellulose synthase or production of cellulose are also described.

Abstract: A gene having a DNA sequence complementary to that of the glucoamylase polypeptide mRNA from a fungal species, preferably Aspergillus awamori, is prepared. The mRNA is an approximately 2.2 kilobase poly A RNA obtained from fungal cells grown under conditions of glucoamylase induction. Reverse transcription of the mRNA provides a glucoamylase probe used to identify genomic digest fragments containing glucoamylase gene regions, which are sequenced to locate the introns and exons. The genomic fragments are spliced together to form a gene having a DNA sequence with altered or deleted introns which codes for fungal glucoamylase protein and is capable, when correctly combined with a cleaved DNA expression vector, of expressing a non-native protein having glucoamylase enzyme activity upon transformation of a host organism by the vector. The host is preferably bacteria or yeast. The transformed yeast host may be used to produce ethanol.

Abstract: Chimeric plasmids capable of transforming bacteria and yeast are described. The plasmids carry the Cm (chloramphenicol resistance) gene and the Tc (tetracycline resistance) gene as selectable markers. The Cm gene allows the plasmids to be selected for in wild-type strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Tc gene allows heterologous genes cloned into the plasmids to be selected for in Escherichia coli bacteria.