The invention relates to a method to inhibit gene expression in bacteria, which is referred to here as Antibacterial Gene Silencing (AGS). In particular embodiments, the method is used to protect plants and animals against pathogenic bacteria by targeting pathogenicity factors and/or essential genes in a sequence-specific manner via small non-coding RNAs. The method can also be used to enhance beneficial effects and/or growth of symbiotic or commensal bacteria. The invention involves the exogenous delivery of small RNA entities onto bacteria, either in the form of RNA extracts or embedded into plant extracellular vesicles (EVs), so as to reduce bacterial growth, survival and/or pathogenicity. The invention also describes a method to identify in a rapid, reliable and cost-effective manner, small RNAs that possess antibacterial activity and that have the potential to be further developed as anti-infective agents. In addition, the latter method is instrumental to rapidly characterize any gene from any bacterial species.

The disclosure relates to a systemic platform for developing soil-borne plant pathogen inhibiting microbial consortia. The platform utilizes multivariate computer modelling and multidimensional ecological function balancing (MEFB) nodal analysis to develop microbial consortia, consortia, and inoculants. The disclosure further relates to a prescriptive biocontrol system that will enable farmers to have site-specific agricultural biologics developed for their specific site and crop of interest.

Fusion proteins containing a targeting sequence, an exosporium protein, or an exosporium protein fragment that targets the fusion protein to the exosporium of a Bacillus cereus family member are provided. Recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing such fusion proteins are also provided. Genetically inactivated Bacillus cereus family members and recombinant Bacillus cereus family members that overexpress exosporium proteins are also provided. Seeds coated with the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members and methods for using the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members (e.g., for stimulating plant growth) are also provided. Various modifications of the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members that express the fusion proteins are further provided. Fusion proteins comprising a spore coat protein and a protein or peptide of interest, recombinant bacteria that express such fusion proteins, seeds coated with such recombinant bacteria, and methods for using such recombinant bacteria (e.g., for stimulating plant growth) are also provided.

The present invention discloses biomass compositions for improving shelf life, increasing fruit water retention, and/or decreasing needle-drop in conifer species and methods for making the same. The composition comprises pasteurized microalgae selected from Chlorella, Aurantiochytrium, Scenedesmus, or any combination thereof.

The present invention discloses biomass compositions for improving shelf life, increasing fruit water retention, and/or decreasing needle-drop in conifer species and methods for making the same. The composition comprises pasteurized microalgae selected from Chlorella, Aurantiochytrium, Scenedesmus, or any combination thereof.

A method for producing galanthamine using a plant, includes (a) performing a thermal treatment on a living plant to induce accumulation of galanthamine therein, wherein the living plant is a plant belonging to the family Amaryllidaceae; and (b) placing the living plant in a medium and performing an electrical stimulation treatment on the living plant to release the galanthamine from the living plant to the medium.

The present invention relates to production of renewable fuels and fuel components from plant oil originating from at least one Brassica species, where said Brassica species, doped with at least one nitrogen-fixing bacteria, is cultivated to obtain Brassica seed oil, and feedstock comprising the Brassica seed oil is converted in a converting step, whereby renewable fuel or renewable fuel components are obtained. The invention also relates to a method for reducing nitrate release in renewable fuel production. Further, the invention relates to a method for reducing greenhouse gases in renewable fuel production.

In the invention described here, the approach is to formulate an edible vaccine based on N-terminal yeast surface display expression systems including S. cerevisiae EBY100/pYD5-VP28, S. cerevisiae EBY100/pYD5-VP28-VP24 and S. cerevisiae EBY100/pYD5-VP24 for preventing shrimps such as L. vannamei, P. monodon and M. rosenbergii species from white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection, suggesting that yeast surface display expression system expressing WSSV antigen has potential as a prophylactic treatment for WSSV in shrimps via oral vaccination. The technology developed in this patent application can also be used to produce edible (oral) vaccines for preventing and treating other infectious diseases in animals and human.

The present invention concerns a method for culturing a plant, said method comprising a culture step wherein said plant is submitted to repeated thermal cycles, wherein, for each thermal cycle, cool temperature and warm temperature are alternately artificially applied to all or a part of said plant, over a period shorter than natural seasons.

The present invention also concerns a method for producing natural rubber from latex-producing plants, said method comprising the steps of (a) culturing the latex-producing plant by implementing the method of culture of the invention, (b) harvesting part or all of root part of said plant, and (c) extracting natural rubber from the root part harvested at step b).

This invention is directed to methods of inducing apomixis in a sexual eukaryote or inducing sexual reproduction in an apomictic eukaryote. More particularly, this invention provides methods of switching from meiosis to apomeiosis and from syngamy to parthenogenesis in a plant. The invention also provides methods of producing an apomictic eukaryote from a sexual eukaryote and a sexual eukaryote from an apomictic eukaryote.