Abstract: Disclosed herein are antibacterial compounds that accumulate in Gram-negative bacteria, methods of preparing the compounds, and methods of using the compounds to inhibit or kill microbes, and methods of treating microbial infections, such as Gram-negative bacterial infections. Compounds selected for conversion to potential Gram-negative antibacterial compounds were identified based on compounds having low globularity and low flexibility. Amine substituents were then strategically added to the selected compounds to provide compounds having antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria.

Abstract: Nodulisporic acids (NAs) comprise a group of indole diterpenes known for their potent insecticidal activities; however, biosynthesis of NAs by its natural producer, Hypoxylon pulicicidum (Nodulisporium sp.) is exceptionally difficult to achieve. The identification of genes responsible for NA production could enable biosynthetic pathway optimization to provide access to NAs for commercial applications. Obtaining useful quantities of NAs using published fermentations methods is challenging, making gene knockout studies an undesirable method to confirm gene function. Alternatively, heterologous gene expression of H. pulicicidum genes in a more robust host species like Penicillium paxilli provides a way to rapidly identify the function of genes that play a role in NA biosynthesis. In this work, we identified the function of four secondary-metabolic genes necessary for the biosynthesis of nodulisporic acid F (NAF) and reconstituted these genes in the genome of P.

Abstract: A modular and hierarchical DNA assembly platform for synthetic biology is described. This enabling technology, termed MIDAS (for Modular Idempotent DNA Assembly System), can precisely assemble multiple DNA fragments in a single reaction using a standardised assembly design. It can be used to build genes from libraries of sequence-verified, reusable parts and to assemble multiple genes in a single vector. We describe the design and use of MIDAS, and its application in the reconstruction of the metabolic pathway for production of paspaline, a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of a range of indole diterpenes—a class of economically important secondary metabolites produced by several species of filamentous fungi.

Abstract: Nodulisporic acids (NAs) comprise a group of indole diterpenes known for their potent insecticidal activities; however, biosynthesis of NAs by its natural producer, Hypoxylon pulicicidum (Nodulisporium sp.) is exceptionally difficult to achieve. The identification of genes responsible for NA production could enable biosynthetic pathway optimization to provide access to NAs for commercial applications. Obtaining useful quantities of NAs using published fermentations methods is challenging, making gene knockout studies an undesirable method to confirm gene function. Alternatively, heterologous gene expression of H. pulicicidum genes in a more robust host species like Penicillium paxilli provides a way to rapidly identify the function of genes that play a role in NA biosynthesis. In this work, we identified the function of four secondary-metabolic genes necessary for the biosynthesis of nodulisporic acid F (NAF) and reconstituted these genes in the genome of P.

Abstract: A modular and hierarchical DNA assembly platform for synthetic biology is described. This enabling technology, termed MIDAS (for Modular Idempotent DNA Assembly System), can precisely assemble multiple DNA fragments in a single reaction using a standardised assembly design. It can be used to build genes from libraries of sequence-verified, reusable parts and to assemble multiple genes in a single vector. We describe the design and use of MIDAS, and its application in the reconstruction of the metabolic pathway for production of paspaline, a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of a range of indole diterpenes—a class of economically important secondary metabolites produced by several species of filamentous fungi.

Abstract: Nodulisporic acids (NAs) comprise a group of indole diterpenes known for their potent insecticidal activities; however, biosynthesis of NAs by its natural producer, Hypoxylon pulicicidum (Nodulisporium sp.) is exceptionally difficult to achieve. The identification of genes responsible for NA production could enable biosynthetic pathway optimization to provide access to NAs for commercial applications. Obtaining useful quantities of NAs using published fermentations methods is challenging, making gene knockout studies an undesirable method to confirm gene function. Alternatively, heterologous gene expression of H. pulicicidum genes in a more robust host species like Penicillium paxilli provides a way to rapidly identify the function of genes that play a role in NA biosynthesis. In this work, we identified the function of four secondary-metabolic genes necessary for the biosynthesis of nodulisporic acid F (NAF) and reconstituted these genes in the genome of P.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an efficiency report, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of obtaining a set of switching statistics from a database of a communication switch and integrating this set of switching statistics with a set of work statistics of an operator to generate an efficiency report. Another embodiment can be described as an efficiency report generator that has logic configured to receive an operator work statistic that has been generated in a first computing element using a first entry code, to translate the first entry code into a second entry code, to use this second entry code to store the operator work statistic together with a call statistic received from a communication switch, in a database of the efficiency report generator, and to process these statistics to generate an efficiency report.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an efficiency report, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of obtaining a set of switching statistics from a database of a communication switch and integrating this set of switching statistics with a set of work statistics of an operator to generate an efficiency report. Another embodiment can be described as an efficiency report generator that has logic configured to receive an operator work statistic that has been generated in a first computing element using a first entry code, to translate the first entry code into a second entry code, to use this second entry code to store the operator work statistic together with a call statistic received from a communication switch, in a database of the efficiency report generator, and to process these statistics to generate an efficiency report.

Abstract: Systems and methods for workforce planning, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of generating a forecast report by processing a work-planning input together with a performance report, the performance report having been generated by processing a call-history statistic obtained from a communication switch and/or a work-history statistic obtained from a call center. Another embodiment can be described as a workforce planning system that has logic configured to generate a forecast report by processing a work-planning input together with a performance report, the performance report having been generated by logic configured to process a call-history statistic obtained from a communication switch and/or a work-history statistic obtained from a call center.

Abstract: Systems and methods for vacation request processing, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of processing a vacation request of an employee based on a workload estimate, which includes a work statistic that is used to operate a call center, together with vacation eligibility criteria. Another embodiment can be described as a vacation request processing system that has logic configured to provide a vacation eligibility criteria and a workload estimate, which includes a work statistic that is used to operate a call center, and logic configured to process the vacation request by using the workload estimate and the vacation eligibility criteria.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating an efficiency report, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of obtaining a set of switching statistics from a database of a communication switch and integrating this set of switching statistics with a set of work statistics of an operator to generate an efficiency report. Another embodiment can be described as an efficiency report generator that has logic configured to receive an operator work statistic that has been generated in a first computing element using a first entry code, to translate the first entry code into a second entry code, to use this second entry code to store the operator work statistic together with a call statistic received from a communication switch, in a database of the efficiency report generator, and to process these statistics to generate an efficiency report.

Abstract: Systems and methods for a payroll system, which in one embodiment among many, can be broadly summarized by a representative method of obtaining a set of switching statistics from a communication switch and integrating this set of switching statistics with a set of work statistics of an operator to, for example, determine a bonus payment to the operator if the operator exceeds an expected efficiency. In one embodiment, a payroll system has logic configured to obtain a set of switching statistics from a communication switch and integrate this set of switching statistics with a set of work statistics of an operator to calculate a bonus payment to the operator if the operator exceeds an expected efficiency.