Abstract: Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides.

Abstract: Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides. In certain embodiments, an acyl amino acid produced using compositions and/or methods of the present invention comprises cocoyl glutamate.

Abstract: Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides.

Abstract: Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides. In certain embodiments, an acyl amino acid produced using compositions and/or methods of the present invention comprises cocoyl glutamate.

Abstract: Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides. In certain embodiments, an acyl amino acid produced using compositions and/or methods of the present invention comprises cocoyl glutamate.

Abstract: The present invention provides, among other things, engineered microorganisms and methods that allow efficient conversion of soy carbohydrates to industrial chemicals by fermentation. In some embodiments, the invention provides microbial cells engineered to have increased efficiency in utilizing a soy carbon source (e.g., soy molasses, soy meal, and/or soy hulls) as compared to a parent cell. In some embodiments, microbial cells are engineered to have altered (e.g., increased) expression or activity of one or more carbohydrate modifying enzymes (e.g., glycosidases). In some embodiments, microbial cells are engineered to have altered localization of carbohydrate modifying enzymes (e.g., glycosidases). In some embodiments, engineered microbial cells provided herein are used to produce industrial chemicals (e.g., surfactin) using soy components as primary or sole carbon sources.

Abstract: Antimicrobial compositions and methods of using the compositions are described herein. The compositions include an antibacterial acyl amino acid. In some embodiments, the acyl amino acid is a fatty acylated glutamate. The methods herein include methods of using acyl amino acids for treating and preventing bacterial infections.

Abstract: Engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing acyl amino acids are provided. Also provided are methods of making acyl amino acids using engineered polypeptides. In certain embodiments, an acyl amino acid produced using compositions and/or methods of the present invention comprises cocoyl glutamate.

Abstract: Novel lipopeptides, and engineered polypeptides useful in synthesizing lipopeptides are provided. Also provided are methods of making lipopeptides using engineered polypeptides, and methods of using lipopeptides, e.g., as insecticidal and/or antimicrobial agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel methods of growing of microorganisms in cell culture media comprising cellulosic material as a carbon source. The present invention further provides novel cell culture media cellulosic material as a carbon source. In certain embodiments, inventive cell culture media substantially lack a carbon source other than cellulosic material (e.g., the media substantially lack glucose and glycerol). In certain embodiments, inventive cell culture media comprise cellulosic material as the sole carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention provides novel methods of growing of microorganisms in cell culture media comprising crude glycerol as a carbon source. The present invention further provides novel cell culture media comprising crude glycerol as a carbon source. In certain embodiments, inventive cell culture media substantially lack refined glycerol. In certain embodiments, inventive cell culture media comprise crude glycerol as the sole carbon source.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system for linking nucleic acids to one another. In particular, the present invention provides techniques for producing DNA product molecules that may be easily and directly ligated to recipient molecules. The product molecules need not be cleaved with restriction enzymes in order to undergo such ligation. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the DNA product molecules are produced through iterative DNA synthesis reactions, so that the product molecules are amplified products. The invention further provides methods for directed ligation of product molecules (i.e., for selective ligation of certain molecules within a collection of molecules), and also for methods of exon shuffling, in which multiple different product molecules are produced in a single ligation reaction. Preferred embodiments of the invention involve ligation of product molecules encoding functional protein domains, particularly domains naturally found in conserved gene families.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved techniques and reagents for producing nucleic acid molecules. In certain preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules are modular vectors. In certain preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules are produced in polymerase chain reactions employing terminator primer residues.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system for linking nucleic acids to one another. In particular, the present invention provides techniques for producing DNA product molecules that may be easily and directly ligated to recipient molecules. The product molecules need not be cleaved with restriction enzymes in order to undergo such ligation. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the DNA product molecules are produced through iterative DNA synthesis reactions, so that the product molecules are amplified products. The invention further provides methods for directed ligation of product molecules (i.e., for selective ligation of certain molecules within a collection of molecules), and also for methods of exon shuffling, in which multiple different product molecules are produced in a single ligation reaction. Preferred embodiments of the invention involve ligation of product molecules encoding functional protein domains, particularly domains naturally found in conserved gene families.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved techniques and reagents for producing nucleic acid molecules. In certain preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules are modular vectors. In certain preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules are produced in polymerase chain reactions employing terminator primer residues.

Abstract: The present invention provides improved techniques and reagents for producing nucleic acid molecules. In certain preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules are modular vectors. In certain preferred embodiments, the nucleic acid molecules are produced in polymerase chain reactions employing terminator primer residues.

Abstract: The present invention encompasses the recognition that vectors utilized in molecular biology need not be provided as single intact molecules but rather can be assembled from fragments containing functional elements, or portions thereof. In certain preferred embodiments of the invention, vector fragments are linked together simultaneously with the linkage of vector and insert sequences to one another.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved system for linking nucleic acids to one another. In particular, the present invention provides techniques for producing DNA product molecules that may be easily and directly ligated to recipient molecules. The product molecules need not be cleaved with restriction enzymes in order to undergo such ligation. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the DNA product molecules are produced through iterative DNA synthesis reactions, so that the product molecules are amplified products. The invention further provides methods for directed ligation of product molecules (i.e., for selective ligation of certain molecules within a collection of molecules), and also for methods of exon shuffling, in which multiple different product molecules are produced in a single ligation reaction. Preferred embodiments of the invention involve ligation of product molecules encoding functional protein domains, particularly domains naturally found in conserved gene families.

Abstract: The present invention makes available methods and reagents for novel manipulation of nucleic acids. As described herein, the present invention makes use of the ability of intronic sequences, such as derived from group I, group II, or nuclear pre-mRNA introns, to mediate specific cleavage and ligation of discontinuous nucleic acid molecules. For example, novel genes and gene products can be generated by admixing nucleic acid constructs which comprise exon nucleic acid sequences flanked by intron sequences that can direct trans-splicing of the exon sequences to each other. The flanking intronic sequences can, by intermolecular complementation, form a reactive complex which promotes the transesterification reactions necessary to cause the ligation of discontinuous nucleic acid sequences to one another, and thereby generate a recombinant gene comprising the ligated exons.

Abstract: The present invention makes available methods and reagents for novel manipulation of nucleic acids. As described herein, the present invention makes use of the ability of intronic sequences, such as derived from group I, group II, or nuclear pre-mRNA introns, to mediate specific cleavage and ligation of discontinuous nucleic acid molecules. For example, novel genes and gene products can be generated by admixing nucleic acid constructs which comprise exon nucleic acid sequences flanked by intron sequences that can direct trans-splicing of the exon sequences to each other. The flanking intronic sequences can, by intermolecular complementation, form a reactive complex which promotes the transesterification reactions necessary to cause the ligation of discontinuous nucleic acid sequences to one another, and thereby generate a recombinant gene comprising the ligated exons.