Abstract: A high-molecular-weight recombinant silk or silk-like protein having a molecular weight which is substantially similar to that of native silk protein, and a micro- or nano-sized spider silk or silk-like fiber having improved physical properties, produced therefrom. The recombinant silk or silk-like protein according to the invention has high molecular weight, like dragline silk proteins from spiders, while a fiber produced therefrom has excellent physical properties compared to a fiber produced from native silk protein. Thus, the recombinant silk or silk-like protein and the spider silk or silk-like fiber produced therefrom will be highly useful in various industrial applications, including bioengineering applications and medical applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of producing a fatty acid alkyl ester using microorganisms having the ability to produce oil, and more particularly to a method of producing a fatty acid alkyl ester, the method comprising culturing microorganisms having the ability to produce oil, thus accumulating a large amount of oil in the microorganisms, inducing the autolysis of the produced oil in the microorganisms to produce a free fatty acid, and converting the free fatty acid into an alkyl ester. According to the method of the present invention, oil accumulated in microorganisms, such as triacylglycerol that is typical oil produced by microorganisms, can be converted into a fatty acid alkyl ester with high efficiency using a metabolic engineering approach. Thus, the method of the present invention is useful for the industrial production of a fatty acid alkyl ester which has been recently found to be effective as biodiesel.

Abstract: Mutants of various polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthases capable of synthesizing a lactate polymer (PLA) and a lactate copolymer (PLA copolymer), and a method of preparing a lactate polymer and a lactate copolymer using the same are provided. More specifically, a mutant of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, or 8, and a method of preparing lactate polymer and lactate copolymer using the mutant of synthase are provided. The polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, 4, 6, or 8 can have an activity of synthesizing a lactate polymer and a lactate copolymer by an amino acid sequence mutation affecting an activity of synthesizing a lactate polymer, and can produce a lactate polymer and a copolymer that have different features, respectively, by using the mutants of the synthase.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for concentrating law titer fermentation broth, and more particularly to a method for concentrating a fermentation broth using forward osmosis. The method comprises: introducing the fermentation broth and an osmolyte into a feed chamber and a draw chamber, respectively, which are included in a concentration system and are divided from each other by a forward osmosis membrane, and subjecting the introduced fermentation broth to forward osmosis, thereby concentrating the fermentation broth in the feed chamber. The method can maximize the concentration of the low titer fermentation broth while minimizing energy consumption and operating cost, and thus can contribute to the industrialization of new technology.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an expression vector which can effectively express target proteins or peptides on the surface of cells using an outer membrane protein (FadL) of E. coli as a surface anchoring motif. Also, the present invention relates to microorganisms transformed with the expression vector, and a method for stably expressing large amounts of target proteins on the surface of cells by culturing the transformed microorganisms. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a production method of protein arrays, a production method of antibodies, and a bioconversion method, the methods being characterized by using target proteins which have been expressed on the cell surface by the inventive method. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for improving target proteins by the inventive surface expression method. The present invention allows target proteins with normal functions to be expressed on an outer cell membrane.

Abstract: The present invention relates to mutant microorganisms having improved productivity of branched-chain amino acids, and a method for producing branched-chain amino acids using the mutant microorganisms. More specifically, relates to mutant microorganisms having improved productivity of L-valine, which are produced by attenuating or deleting a gene encoding an enzyme involved in L-isoleucine biosynthesis, a gene encoding an enzyme involved in L-leucine, and a gene encoding an enzyme involved in D-pantothenic acid biosynthesis, and mutating a gene encoding an enzyme involved in L-valine biosynthesis, such that the expression thereof is increased, as well as a method for producing L-valine using the mutant microorganisms. The inventive mutant microorganisms produced by site-specific mutagenesis and metabolic pathway engineering can produce branched-chain amino acids, particularly L-valine, with high efficiency, and thus will be useful as industrial microorganisms for producing L-valine.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for separating and purifying a target protein, a method for preparing a target protein, and a method for bioconversion by a whole cell enzyme or a partially purified enzyme. According to the present invention, when the sHSPs are added in cultivation, separation and purification processes for preparing a target protein, the target protein can be obtained at high yields by preventing the loss of protein by proteases. Also, when sIISPs are added in a reaction process using a whole cell enzyme or a partially purified enzyme, the yield of bioconversion using enzyme can be increased by preventing the loss of enzyme by proteases.

Abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) films, patterns and biochips and methods of making the same are provided. Such a biochip comprises a bio-receptor attached by means of an exposed chemical functional group on a surface of a high density CNT film or pattern produced by repeated lamination of CNTs on a substrate with exposed amine groups. Various types of CNT-biochips may be fabricated by bonding of bio-receptors to a CNT pattern (or film) containing exposed carboxyl groups or modified by various chemical functional groups. Further, the CNT-biochip may be used to measure an electrical or electrochemical signal using both conductor and semiconductor properties of the CNT, thereby not needing labeling. Upon fluorescent measurement of DNA hybridization using such a CNT-DNA chip it is possible to show more distinct signals useful for genotyping, mutation detection, pathogen identification and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism capable of metabolizing sucrose, and more particularly to a recombinant microorganism capable of metabolizing sucrose in which a gene encoding sucrose phosphotransferase and/or a gene encoding sucrose-6-phosphate hydrolase is introduced or to a recombinant microorganism capable of metabolizing sucrose in which a gene encoding ?-fructofuranosidase is introduced. According to the present invention, a recombinant microorganism capable of using inexpensive sucrose as a carbon source instead of expensive glucose is provided. In addition, in a process of culturing microorganisms which have been incapable of using sucrose as a carbon source, sucrose can substitute for other carbon sources including glucose.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of increasing the expression of a target protein by co-expression of a gene encoding a target protein having a high content of a specific amino acid with a nucleotide sequence encoding the tRNA of the specific amino acid. According to the present invention, the expression of a protein having a high content of a specific amino acid can be remarkably increased by co-expression with the tRNA of the specific amino acid. Thus, the present invention is useful for increasing the productivity of a protein having a high content of a specific amino acid, such as a repetitive protein.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for expressing a target protein on an exosporium forming the outermost surface of bacterial spores. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for expressing a target protein on the surface of cells and spores using an exosporium as a matrix for surface expression, and methods for the production of a protein array, the production of antibodies, the separation of a certain substance from a mixture, bioconversion, and the improvement of a target protein, which are characterized by using the cells or spores having the target protein that was expressed on the surface by the above expression method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of wounds containing blood plasma or serum and a method for treating wounds effectively by applying said composition to the wound site to normalize the tissue-environment around the site.

Abstract: Provided is a method of preparing polylactate (PLA) or a copolymer thereof using a mutant microorganism in which a gene participating in a coenzyme A (CoA) donor- and lactate-producing pathway is genetically manipulated to increase the productivity of a CoA donor and lactate. Amounts of the CoA donor and the lactate are simultaneously increased in a microbial metabolic pathway to enable effective biosynthesis of PLA and a hydroxyalkanoate-lactate copolymer having a high content of lactate, which is industrially useful.

Abstract: Provided is a detection method of a biochemical material using surface-enhanced Raman scattering in order to detect the existence of a biochemical material in a target subject or its content therein, more particularly a detection method of a biochemical material facilitating multiplex detection with high-sensitivity, high-reproducibility, high-reliability, and high-precision owing to multiple hot spots formed on the nanowire surface of a single crystal body by the bond of multiple nanoparticles which are physically separated from each other.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for secreting and producing a target protein into cell culture broth. More particularly, the invention relates to a microorganism co-transformed with a recombinant expression vector containing E. coli outer membrane protein F (OmpF) and a recombinant expression vector containing a target protein to be secreted into cell culture broth, as well as a method of secreting and producing the target protein into cell culture broth by culturing the microorganism. According to the invention, the target protein can be secreted into cell culture broth in a pure form without fusion with other proteins so that the efficient isolation and purification of the target protein is possible.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of preparing heavy metal nanoparticles using a heavy metal-binding protein. More specifically, relates to a method for preparing heavy metal structures, comprising the steps of: culturing a microorganism transformed with a gene encoding a heavy metal-binding protein, in a heavy metal ion-containing medium, to produce heavy metal structures in the microorganism; and collecting the produced heavy metal structures, as well as nanoparticles of heavy metal structures prepared according to said method. Unlike prior methods of preparing quantum dots by physically binding metal materials, en the quantum dots disclosed herein can be efficiently produced by expressing the heavy metal-binding protein in cells. In addition, the quantum dots are useful because they can solve an optical stability problem that is the shortcoming of organic fluorophores.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for simultaneously surface expressing a target protein using a cofactor and an enzyme regenerating the cofactor on the cell surface. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a microorganism capable of simultaneously surface expressing a target protein using a cofactor to transform a biochemical material at a high efficiency and an enzyme generating the cofactor without adding an expensive cofactor in a large amount.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a copolymer comprising 3-hydroxyalkanoate monomer unit and lactate monomer unit, or their preparing method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for preparing a copolymer comprising lactate monomer and 3-hydroxyalkanoate monomer, wherein the method comprises culturing a cell or plant comprising the gene of enzyme converting lactate and 3-hydroxyalkanoate into lactyl-CoA and 3-hydroxyalkanoyl-CoA, respectively, and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene together, and the copolymer made by the method. The copolymer of the present invention is a biodegradable polymer being able to be usefully used instead of conventional synthetic plastic, and the copolymer can be used also for medical use.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism having an enhanced ability to produce ethanol and butanol and a method for preparing ethanol and butanol using the same, and more particularly to a recombinant microorganism having an enhanced ability to produce ethanol and butanol, into which a gene encoding CoA transferase and a gene encoding alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase are introduced, and to a method for preparing ethanol and butanol using the same. The recombinant microorganism according to the present invention, obtained by manipulating metabolic pathways of microorganisms, is capable of producing butanol and ethanol exclusively without producing any byproduct, and thus is useful as a microorganism producing industrial solvents and transportation fuel.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing butanol using a bacterium capable of biosynthesizing butanol from butyryl-CoA as an intermediate. More particularly, a method for producing butanol, the method comprising generating bytyryl-CoA in a bacterium which contains a gene coding for AdhE (an enzyme responsible for the conversion of butyryl-CoA to butanol) using various methods, and converting the butyryl-CoA into butanol.