The present invention is related to an in vitro method for diagnosing Gaucher's disease in a subject comprising a step of a) detecting a biomarker in a sample from the subject, wherein the biomarker is free lyso-Gb1.

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.

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.

A fungal strain Beauveria species bearing accession number MTCC 5184 is disclosed. The process for the preparation of an enzyme mix including at least one enzyme selected from, but not limited to protease, carbohydrase, and lipase from the disclosed Beauveria species and uses of the enzyme mix in various areas also disclosed.

Compositions and methods for modifying the expression of one or more chitinase proteins in a target cell or tissue type are disclosed. The compositions can be used in methods of treating a disease condition associated with expression of a chitinase protein in a cell or tissue type in a subject in need thereof, such as ALS and PD.

There is provided a method of treating hay for preventing and/or reducing heat damage in high moisture hay and as well to preserve the same, the method including adding to hay a hay preservative including a hay preserving and heat reducing effective amount of at least one enzyme having a chitinase activity, either alone or in combination with a hay preserving and heat reducing effective amount of a yeast of the genus Pichia or a bacteria of the genus Pediococcus. There is also provided a method of treating hay for preventing and/or reducing heat damage in high moisture hay and as well to preserve the same, the method including adding to hay a hay preservative including a hay preserving and heat reducing effective amount of yeast of the genus Pichia.

Disclosed are double stranded RNA molecules that are toxic to coleopteran insects. In particular, interfering RNA molecules capable of interfering with pest target genes and that are toxic to the target pest are provided. Further, methods of making and using the interfering RNA, for example in transgenic plants or as the active ingredient in a composition, to confer protection from insect damage are disclosed.

Various recombinant yeast suitable for use in pharmaceutical compositions expressing therapeutic proteins, food compositions expressing therapeutic proteins, methods of administering to an animal, and related methods, kits, and nucleic acid molecules are described.