Pesticidal proteins exhibiting toxic activity against Lepidopteran pest species are disclosed, and include, but are not limited to, TIC13085 and TIC13087. DNA constructs are provided which contain a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding one or more of the disclosed pesticidal proteins. Transgenic plants, plant cells, seed, and plant parts resistant to Lepidopteran infestation are provided which contain recombinant nucleic acid sequences encoding the pesticidal proteins of the present invention. Methods for detecting the presence of the recombinant nucleic acid sequences or the proteins of the present invention in a biological sample, and methods of controlling Lepidopteran species pests using any of the TIC13085 and TIC13087 pesticidal proteins are also provided.

The invention refers to formulae for biologic control of insect plagues in plants, free of chemicals, that include deposited Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki strains, as well as crystals from endotoxins derived from said strains. It also refers to the biologic control method for the protection of plants from insect plagues through the application of the said formula on plants, their parts, the soil, or their surroundings.

A method and system for high rate acidification and organic solids solubilization of feedstocks such as municipal source separated organics, municipal sewage sludge, and various industrial organic wastes are disclosed. The method and system feature a completely mixed bioreactor containing hydrogen-producing microorganisms, a crossflow membrane unit or membrane module located downstream of the bioreactor, a storage tank for receiving concentrated microorganisms from the membrane unit or module, and a connection that recirculates desired quantities of biomass from the storage tank to the bioreactor. This configuration decouples the solids residence time (SRT) from the hydraulic retention time (HRT) and results in a high solubilization rate.

Water-responsive actuators and methods for creating water responsive actuators are disclosed. In some embodiments, the disclosed subject matter includes a first layer, for example a plastic tape, and a second layer, for example bacterial spores and cured adhesive. The second layer can be created in a pattern. The pattern can include joints, which can contract when exposed to dry air and can thereby bend the actuator, and can expand when exposed to humid air and thereby return the actuator its original position.

The present invention provides a composition comprising a biologically pure culture of a Bacillus thuringiensis strain or a cell-free preparation thereof comprising zwittermicin A, Vip3Aa11, Cry1Aa11, and Cry1Ab1. The present invention also relates to a method of controlling animal pests and protecting a useful plant or a part of a useful plant in need of protection from animal pest damage, the method comprising applying to an animal pest or an environment thereof an effective amount of a composition comprising a biologically pure culture of a Bacillus thuringiensis strain or a cell-free preparation thereof.

The present invention is directed to a pesticide composition comprising at least two proteins selected from the group consisting of: CrylIa10, Cry2Abl, Cry9Eal, and the amino-acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6. Further provided are the nucleic acid construct comprising a nucleic-acid sequence encoding CrylIa10, Cry2Abl, Cry9Eal, and the amino-acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6, and a method of controlling a pest, comprising contacting the pest with an effective amount of the pesticide composition disclosed herein.

The technology described herein is directed to compositions and methods for determining provenance of an item, a non-limiting example being a food item. In one aspect described herein is an engineered microorganism comprising at least one genetic barcode element, essential gene mutations, and/or germination gene mutations. In another aspect described herein is a method of determining the provenance of an item comprising contacting the item with an engineered microorganism and later detecting the genetic barcode element to determine the provenance of the item. In another aspect, described herein is a method of determining the path of an item or individual across a surface.

The present disclosure provides codon optimized synthetic nucleotide sequences encoding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal crystal protein having insecticidal activity against insect pests. The present disclosure also relates to expression of these sequences in plants. The disclosure further provides a DNA construct, a vector, and a host cell comprising the codon optimized synthetic nucleotide sequences of the invention. Also it provides use of the codon optimized synthetic nucleotide sequences for production of insect resistant transgenic plants, insect resistant transgenic plant comprising the said sequence and a composition comprising Bacillus thuringiensis comprising the codon optimized synthetic nucleotide sequence of the present invention.

The invention provides a B. thuringiensis {Bt) strain which does not produce beta-exotoxin and which exhibits insecticidal activity against Spodoptera frugiperda, an insect whose control is poor or ineffective with the currently market available Bt-based products. Thus, compositions based in this strain can be used as insecticides or for preparation of insecticides, being preferably that the composition used is a combination of spores and crystal proteins of the strain. The genome of the strain contains a combination of at least (6) different cry genes and at least (3) different Vip genes that has not been described for other Bt strains and that can be used to identify it.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions comprising viable spores of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) strains for controlling or reducing mite infestations, such as the control and reduction of infestations produced by Dermanyssus gallinae (poultry red mite).