The invention relates to a genetically modified lactic acid bacterium capable of producing (S,S)-2,3-butanediol stereo specifically from glucose under aerobic conditions. Additionally the invention relates to a method for producing (S,S)-2,3-butanediol and L-acetoin using the genetically modified lactic acid bacterium, under aerobic conditions in the presence of a source of iron-containing porphyrin or a source of metal ions (Fe.sup.3+/Fe.sup.2+). The lactic acid bacterium is genetically modified to express heterologous genes encoding enzymes catalysing the stereo-specific synthesis of (S,S)-2,3-butandiol; and additionally a number of genes are deleted in order to maximise the production of (S,S)-2,3-butanediol as compared to other products of oxidative fermentation.

Provided is an enzymatic process for preparing mercaptans from disulfides.

Disclosed is a method for purifying a protein, comprising steps of: preparing a sample containing a fusion protein containing an amino acid sequence of a peptide tag and an amino acid sequence of a target protein; and separating contaminant proteins contained with the fusion protein in the sample and the fusion protein in the sample, wherein the peptide tag contains 12 or more acidic amino acid residues.

The disclosure provides an engineering bacterium for ferulic acid production, a preparation method of the bacterium and use thereof. The invention provides an engineering bacterium that can efficiently produce ferulic compounds by expressing a series of heterologous enzymes in a host cell through gene recombination technology. The expression system constructed by the invention has low metabolic background, strong heterologous expression ability and low cost. The system can synthesize the end product through relatively simple steps, and provide a new way for the industrial production of ferulic acid, intermediates or derivatives thereof.

Polypeptide scaffolds comprising enzymatic proteins are provided. The enzymatic polypeptide scaffolds comprise heterologous enzymes to form a heterologous metabolic pathway, and can be targeted to a substrate through a surface anchoring domain. The enzymatic polypeptide scaffolds leverage the high specificity and affinity protein/protein interaction between the cohesins and dockerins of microorganismal cellulosomes to form custom enzymatic arrays.

Provided herein are compositions and methods for uncoupling the yield and productivity of an isoprenoid compound produced in a host cell. In some embodiments, the yield and productivity are uncoupled by genetically modifying the host cell to reduce flux through the citric acid cycle (TCA). In other embodiments, the yield and productivity are uncoupled by reducing the levels of ATP in the host cell.

The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for rapid production of chemicals in genetically engineered microorganisms in a large scale. Also provided herein is a high-throughput metabolic engineering platform enabling the rapid optimization of microbial production strains. The platform, which bridges a gap between current in vivo and in vitro bio-production approaches, relies on dynamic minimization of the active metabolic network.

A method of deactivating an explosive composition being used in a blasting operation, which method comprises exposing the explosive composition to a micro-organism that is indigenous to the environment in which the explosive composition is being used and that is capable of producing an enzyme that degrades the explosive composition, wherein the explosive composition has associated with it a chemical inducing agent that promotes production of the enzyme by the micro-organism.

The invention generally relates to plant cells and plants modified to increase resistance to necrotrophs or drought and methods of selecting and using the same. More specifically, the invention relates in part to plant cells and/or plants modified to eliminate or reduce as compared to control plants cell the NADPH oxidase activity or expression of certain respiratory burst oxidase homolog (RBOH) proteins and methods of selecting for and using the same.

The present disclosure is related to genetically engineered microbial strains and related bioprocesses for the production of pyruvate and related products. Specifically, the use of dynamically controlled synthetic metabolic valves to reduce the activity of enzymes known to contribute to pyruvate synthesis, leads to increased pyruvate production in a two-stage process rather than a decrease in production.