Some aspects of the present disclosure provide methods for evolving recombinases to recognize target sequences that differ from the canonical recognition sequences. Some aspects of this disclosure provide evolved recombinases, e.g., recombinases that bind and recombine naturally-occurring target sequences, such as, e.g., target sequences within the human Rosa26 locus. Methods for using such recombinases for genetically engineering nucleic acid molecules in vitro and in vivo are also provided. Some aspects of this disclosure also provide libraries and screening methods for assessing the target site preferences of recombinases, as well as methods for selecting recombinases that bind and recombine a non-canonical target sequence with high specificity.

A bacteriophage structure, a method of making the structure, and uses of the structure are described. The structure is a substrate with a surface having an ordered arrangement of parallel microridges thereon. Each microridge is composed of a plurality of nanoridges and has a longitudinal axis. Each nanoridge contains a bundle of phage nano fibers having longitudinal axes. The phage nanofibers in each nanoridge bundle are arranged in a substantially smectic alignment. The longitudinal axis of each microridge is perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the phage nanofibers which make up the nanoridges of the microridge. The structure may be used as a growth surface for inducing differentiation of stem cells such as neural progenitor cells.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating acute kidney injury. The method can include administering a sufficient amount of a DNA origami nanostructure to a subject afflicted with AKI to increase an excretory function of said subject. In some examples, the the DNA origami nanostructure includes a scaffold strand and a plurality of staple strands, in which the scaffold strand comprises a M13 viral genome having a length of 7249 base pairs; and each staple strand of the plurality of staple strands has a length of about 20 to 60 base pairs.

The present invention provides for a modified virus, such as a recombinant M13 phage, which in an array, such as a film, is capable of producing piezoelectricity. The modified virus comprises a coat protein can displays a negatively charged amino acid sequence. The present invention provides for a device comprising a piezoelectric element comprising a suitable virus, such as the modified virus, a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface is in contact with a first electrode and the second surface is in contact with a second electrode, wherein when pressure is applied to the film, the film is capable of generating an electric current. The present invention provides for a method of making the device, and a method for generating electricity using the device.

The present invention relates to a plasmid-based CTX phage replication system and Vibrio cholerae strain that can be infected by CTX phage and can be used for cholera toxin production. More particularly, the present invention provides a Vibrio cholera variant strain, which expresses a toxT protein in which tyrosine at position 139 is substituted by phenylalanine through the point mutation of a toxT gene using a plasmid-based CTX phage replication system, and is used as a receptor strain which can improve CTX phage infection efficiency and allows a plurality of CTX prophages to simultaneously infect the strain and to be inserted into the chromosome thereof, which the consequent provision of the effect of increasing the production yield of a cholera toxin.

Some aspects of the present disclosure provide methods for evolving recombinases to recognize target sequences that differ from the canonical recognition sequences. Some aspects of this disclosure provide evolved recombinases, e.g., recombinases that bind and recombine naturally-occurring target sequences, such as, e.g., target sequences within the human Rosa26 locus. Methods for using such recombinases for genetically engineering nucleic acid molecules in vitro and in vivo are also provided. Some aspects of this disclosure also provide libraries and screening methods for assessing the target site preferences of recombinases, as well as methods for selecting recombinases that bind and recombine a non-canonical target sequence with high specificity.

The present invention relates to methods and systems for the directed evolution of macromolecules. The methods involve increasing the mutation rate of an evolving organism comprising a gene of interest that encodes a gene product lacking a desired activity, whereby a mutated gene of interest is produced that encodes an evolved gene product comprising the desired activity and causing a suppression of mutagenesis. The systems comprise an evolving organism comprising a gene of interest encoding a gene product to be evolved, a host organism, and optionally, a lagoon, a cellstat and/or a suitable growth medium.

Disclosed herein are methods of treating acute kidney injury. The A method can include administering a sufficient amount of a DNA origami nanostructure to a subject afflicted with AKI to increase an excretory function of said subject. In some examples, the DNA origami nanostructure includes a scaffold strand and a plurality of staple strands, in which the scaffold strand comprises a M1 3 viral genome having a length of 7249 base pairs; and each staple strand of the plurality of staple strands has a length of about 20 to 60 base pairs.

Provided are engineered phages populations, which are homogeneous in length, as well as methods of making and methods of using such phages. Also provided are engineered chlorotoxin-phages as well as their methods of making and using. The disclosed homogeneous phage populations and chlorotoxin-phages may be used, for example, for treating and/or imaging tumors, such as central nervous system tumors.

The present disclosure relates to a method of in vitro engineering of nucleic acids. This disclosure further relates to in vitro engineering of viral genomes and to the improvement of viral properties by in vitro genomic engineering of viral genomes. Specifically, the disclosure relates to in vitro viral genomic digestion using RNA-guided Cas9, the assembly of a recombinant genome by the insertion of a DNA or RNA fragment into the digested viral genome and transformation of a host cell with the recombinant genome. This method also related to in vitro engineering for error correction of nucleic acids.