Coccidioidomycosis is most often diagnosed serologically and the quantitative complement-fixing antibody test (CF) is considered prognostically useful. Because CF is complex, labor-intensive, and poorly standardized, an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) alternative would be attractive. The present invention features an antibody-binding domain that is restricted to a 200 amino acid recombinant peptide of the known antigen responsible for CF activity. Overlapping truncations of this peptide do not bind CF antibodies, suggesting that the responsible epitope(s) are conformational. Further, anchoring the antigenic peptide to the ELISA plate by means of a C-terminal tag instead of allowing the peptide to randomly adhere to the plastic plate improves sensitivity of antibody detection by one to two logs in different sera. The newly developed ELISA shows a significant quantitative correlation with CF. This ELISA shows potential as the basis for a new quantitative assay for coccidioidal antibodies.

The present invention relates to a strain for producing chitinase and application thereof. The class of the strain is named Streptomyces diastaticus CS1801 and the preservation number thereof is CCTCC NO: M2018263. The Streptomyces diastaticus CS1801 of the present invention is derived from naturally fermented prawn paste. By fermentation of prawns, the enzyme activity of the chitosan is as high as 57.3 U/L and the content of chitooligosaccharides is 0.58 mol/L. The present invention provides a new method for producing chitooligosaccharides and has a good application prospect.

The present disclosure describes methods of determining a treatment protocol for and/or a prognosis for a subject suspected of or at risk of suffering from a neurologic disease or disorder, including such diseases and disorders that involve motor neuron function. In certain aspects, methods are provided for determining a concentration of a one or more chitinase proteins in a biological fluid sample containing or suspected of containing chitinase protein.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide engineered exopolysaccharide-associated proteins, engineered bacteria expressing such proteins, and engineered biofilms comprising such proteins. Some aspects of this disclosure provide methods for engineering exopolysaccharide-associated proteins, and for the generation of engineered bacteria and biofilms expressing or comprising such proteins. Some aspects of this disclosure provide compositions and methods useful for the generation of vaccines and the vaccination of subjects, for delivering molecules of interest to a target site, for example, a surface, for purification of molecules of interest, for example, from bioreactors comprising engineered bacteria as provided herein, and for bioremediation applications, such as the cleanup of environmental pollutants.

The invention relates to combined multistage microbial preparations that are effective for enhancement of the biological skin barrier and maintenance of healthy skin microbiota. The preparations might be used as cosmetic or medicinal products. Combined multistage microbial cosmetic product are intended for an invigoration of the natural biological reinforcement barrier on the skin and mucosal surfaces weakened in case of chronic problems associated with dysbiosis such as atopic dermatitis, acne, rosacea and vitiligo or acute problems caused by damage of the skin such as burns, cuts and contusions. The preparations comprises a set of compounds for sequential applications of compounds able (1) to dissolve biofilms formed by the pathogenic microorganisms in the skin and suppress the viability of the microorganisms released from the biofilms in the first stage, (2) to calm an inflammation caused by the imbalanced immune system and restore the efficient biological barrier in the second stage, (3) to achieve the restoration of normal physiological microflora disturbed by the dysbiosis in the third stage, and (4) to provide substances participating in the long term nonspecific skin defense and contributing to the normal consistency and nutrition in the skin. The beneficial substances may be applied onto the skin in the form of oil emulsions, creams, ointments, gels, and other cosmetic or medical formulations.

Isolated bioactive priming peptides and bioactive priming compostions comprising bioactive priming polypeptides and/or inducer compounds are provided that are useful when applied to plants in agricultural formulations. Methods of using the isolated bioactive priming peptides and/or compositions are also provided which are applied exogenously to the surface of a plant or a plant cell membrane or endogenously to the interior of a plant or to a plant cell. The isolated bioactive priming peptides and/or bioactive priming compositions when applied to a plant, a plant part, or a plant growth medium or a rhizosphere in an area surrounding the plant or the plant part increase growth, yield, health, longevity, productivity, and/or vigor of a plant or a plant part and/or protect the plant or the plant part from disease, and/or increase the innate immune response of the plant or the plant part and/or improve the quality and/or quantity of juice obtained from a plant or plant part.

Methods of extracting microbial DNA from soil involve lysing microbial cells contained within the soil by mixing the soil with one or more enzymes, sonicating the soil, or both. Methods further involve precipitating DNA lysed from the microbial cells using cold isopropanol to form a DNA pellet, washing non-DNA debris from the DNA pellet, and re-suspending the DNA in a resuspension buffer. Example methods may involve extracting microbial DNA from a plurality of soil samples containing soybean cyst nematodes, fungal spores, and other microbial species armed with fibrous and/or proteinaceous materials. Such methods can involve adding soil slurry samples into separate wells within a multi-well plate, lysing microbial cells within each sample using enzymatically- and/or mechanically-enhanced lysis techniques, precipitating the microbial DNA released from the cells, washing non-DNA debris from the resulting DNA pellets, and re-suspending the DNA for further analysis.

Some aspects of this disclosure provide engineered exopolysaccharide-associated proteins, engineered bacteria expressing such proteins, and engineered biofilms comprising such proteins. Some aspects of this disclosure provide methods for engineering exopolysaccharide-associated proteins, and for the generation of engineered bacteria and biofilms expressing or comprising such proteins. Some aspects of this disclosure provide compositions and methods useful for the generation of vaccines and the vaccination of subjects, for delivering molecules of interest to a target site, for example, a surface, for purification of molecules of interest, for example, from bioreactors comprising engineered bacteria as provided herein, and for bioremediation applications, such as the cleanup of environmental pollutants.

Disclosed herein is the nucleotide sequence of the Chromobacterium subtsugae genome. Also provided are the nucleotide sequences of open reading frames in the C subtsugae genome (i.e., C. subtsugae genes). In addition, the amino acid sequences of proteins encoded by the C. subtsugae genome are provided. Nucleic acids, vectors and polypeptides comprising the aforementioned sequences are also provided. Homologues, functional fragments and conservative variants of the aforementioned sequences are also provided. Compositions having pesticidal, bioremedial and plant growth-promoting activities comprising C. subtsugae genes and proteins, and methods for the use of these compositions, are also provided.

A method for the enzymatic saccharification of a polysaccharide is provided. This method comprises the step a) of contacting the polysaccharide with a hydrolase and water, in the absence of solvent, thereby forming a solid reaction mixture; and the step b) of: b)-i. mixing and then incubating the solid reaction mixture, b)-ii. milling the solid reaction mixture, or b)-iii. milling and then incubating the solid reaction mixture.