The present invention concerns nucleic acids of interest for modulating the microbiome of a host, to vectors encoding the nucleic acids and to methods for in vivo modulating the microbiome of a subject by delivering the nucleic acids of interest.

Recombinant bacterial cells are provided that comprise a stable non-canonical amino acid translation pathway. In some aspects, the bacteria comprise nucleic acids encoding a non-canonical amino acid translation pathway (e.g., a tRNA for incorporation of a non-canonical amino acid, such selenocysteine); a marker polypeptide that includes the non-canonical amino acid. Recombinant tRNA and selection marker coding sequences are likewise provided.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for the production of heterologous proteins in a cell including axonemes. The cells include a nucleic acid encoding a fusion protein expressed in the axoneme. The fusion protein includes an axonemal protein linked to a heterologous protein, and the fusion protein provides axonemal function to the cell.

Direct detection of mutagenesis in prokaryotes by reversion of an inactivating mutation (reversion mutation assay), producing a quantitative signal for in vivo mutagenesis, may greatly reduce the amount of test chemicals and labor involved in these assays. Further, transcriptional coupling of β-lactamase reversion and GFP, translational fusion between β-lactamase and GFP with stop codon in GFP, and a novel dual reporter to monitor continuous mutagenesis may be used in methods described herein.

The present invention relates to, in part, methods and compositions for reducing the incidence and/or severity of complications associated with IV beta-lactam antibiotic use in allo-HCT recipients, such as aGVHD and VRE colonization and/or VRE bloodstream infection, using beta-lactamase agents.

The present invention relates to pharmaceuticals and modified beta-lactamases. Specifically, the invention relates to novel recombinant beta-lactamases and pharmaceutical compositions comprising the beta-lactamases.

Also, the present invention relates to methods for modifying a beta-lactamase, producing the beta-lactamase and treating or preventing beta-lactam antibiotic induced adverse effects. Furthermore, the present invention relates to the beta-lactamase for use as a medicament and to the use of the beta-lactamase in the manufacture of a medicament for treating or preventing beta-lactam antibiotics induced adverse effects.

Still further, the invention relates to a polynucleotide and a host cell comprising the polynucleotide.

This invention relates to, in part, compositions of beta-lactamases and methods of using these enzymes in, for example, gastrointestinal tract (GI tract) disorders such as C. difficile infection (CDI).

Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), the gold-standard diagnostic that indicates whether an antimicrobial will be clinically effective, often suffer the slowest times-to-result for the most resistant pathogens. Here we introduce novel assays to be performed in parallel with standard AST assays that enable rapid, same-shift reporting of AST results for a plurality of pathogens. The assays developed here are further capable of detecting resistance to carbapenems, the most powerful class of beta-lactams commonly used as “last-resort” antimicrobials.

Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST), the gold-standard diagnostic that indicates whether an antimicrobial will be clinically effective, often suffer the slowest times-to-result for the most resistant pathogens. Here we introduce novel assays to be performed in parallel with standard AST assays that enable rapid, same-shift reporting of AST results for a plurality of pathogens. The assays developed here are further capable of detecting resistance to carbapenems, the most powerful class of beta-lactams commonly used as “last-resort” antimicrobials.

The invention relates to, in part, improved methods for the production of beta-lactamase using Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells. High yield production of beta-lactamase is achieved using methods of the invention.