Abstract: A culture chamber for microbiological competition assays using volatile compounds is provided, having a first receptacle, a second receptacle and a central part between the first receptacle and the second receptacle, wherein the receptacles have an outer wall and a perimeter wall perpendicular to the outer wall and wherein the central part has an intermediate wall with at least one opening and two side walls that extend from the perimeter of the intermediate wall in opposite directions, such that the side walls of the central part surround the perimeter walls of the receptacles and the perimeter walls of the receptacles are supported on the intermediate wall.

Abstract: An isolated DNA sequence that encodes a peptide with CPC-acetylhydrolase enzymatic activity is disclosed. Also, a method of expressing CPC-acetylhydrolase activity that includes the steps of (a) providing a microorganism that is susceptible to transformation with the isolated DNA sequence and that, upon transformation, expresses the CPC-acetylhydrolase activity encoded by the sequence, and (b) transforming the microorganism with the DNA sequence to cause expression of the CPC-acetylhydrolase activity in the microorganism is disclosed. Also, a method for producing a microorganism with increased capacity to aid in the production of cephalosporin, which method includes the steps of (a) providing a microorganism that has CPC-AH activity by virtue of expression of the DNA sequence or of a fragment thereof coding for the CPC-acetylhydrolase enzyme activity; and (b) inactivating the activity by disrupting expression of the DNA sequence is disclosed.