The present disclosure provides engineered bacterial cells comprising a heterologous gene encoding a propionate catabolism enzyme. In another aspect, the engineered bacterial cells further comprise at least one heterologous gene encoding a transporter of propionate or a kill switch. The disclosure further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising the engineered bacteria, and methods for treating disorders involving the catabolism of propionate, such as Propionic Acidemia and Methylmalonic Acidemia, using the pharmaceutical compositions.

Methods of inhibiting or reducing tumor metabolism and growth are disclosed. A composition containing oxygen scavenging membrane fragments and anaerobe bacteria is injected into a tumor to interfere with tumor growth and metabolism, leading to tumor necrosis. The composition may also contain a cryoprotectant, which permits the composition to be stored at sub-zero temperatures without freezing.

The disclosure herein relates to engineered biosensor-containing bacteria, which is bacteria that contain at least one biosensor circuit, and uses thereof. A biosensor circuit can comprise an essential gene of the bacteria operably linked to an inducible promoter. Additionally, the bacteria can be engineered to be deficient in the endogenous copy of the at least one essential gene.

The present invention concerns a lactic composition useful for the prevention or treatment of diarrhea such as antibiotic associated diarrhea or “tourists.” The composition according to the invention contains at least a bacterial strain selected from the group consisting of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus I-1492, Lactobacillus casei and a mixture of thereof.

A food composition for alleviating hangovers, the food composition contains, as an active ingredient, at least one strain selected from the group consisting of Lactococcus chungangensis, Lactococcus fujiensis, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, and Lactococcus raffinolactis, or a culture liquid thereof culture medium, wherein functional cream cheese is prepared using five species of Lactococcus strains above having the ability to decompose ethanol and acetaldehyde.

Methods of modulating type-I interferon production in a cell are provided. Aspects of the methods include modulating cytosolic cyclic di-adenosine monophosphate (c-di-AMP) activity in the cell in a manner sufficient to modulate type-I interferon production in the cell. Additional aspects of the invention include c-di-AMP activity modulatory compositions, e.g., c-di-AMP, mutant Listeria bacteria, cyclase and/or phosphodiesterase nucleic acid or protein compositions, etc. The subject methods and compositions find use in a variety of applications, including therapeutic applications.

The present invention provides a method for producing a soft gel capsule comprising uncoated probiotic bacteria, the method comprising gentle mixing the uncoated probiotic bacteria with at least one oil to obtain a soft gel capsule fill material at a temperature in the range of 5 to 15° C., encapsulating the fill material in a soft gel capsule made of a gelatin having a melting point in the range of 11 to 28° C.; and drying the soft gel capsule in one or more steps to a water activity of at the most 0.25 at a temperature of at the most 25° C., as well as soft gel capsules produced by this method. The present invention further provides a soft gel capsule comprising dried, uncoated, non-spore-forming probiotic bacteria wherein the soft gel capsule comprises at least E+09 viable bacteria after 24 months of storage at 25° C., e.g. at least 2 E+09 viable bacteria after 12 months of storage at 25° C.

The present invention relates to a method for determining a level of intestinal uptake of vitamin B12 in a subject comprising: —determining a level of the cubam complex or a component thereof in an isolated sample from the subject; and —comparing the level of the cubam complex or a component thereof to reference levels; wherein the level of the cubam complex or a component thereof compared to the reference levels is indicative of the level intestinal uptake of vitamin B12.

Microbiota restoration therapy (MRT) compositions (e.g., oral MRT compositions) and methods for manufacturing MRT compositions are disclosed. An example method for manufacturing an MRT composition may include collecting a stool sample, purifying the stool sample to form a purified sample, stabilizing the purified sample to form a stabilized sample, converting the stabilized sample to a solid, adding one or more additives and/or excipients to the solid to form a treatment composition, and encapsulating the treatment composition.

The invention relates to methods, uses, systems, arrays, engineered nucleotide sequences and vectors for inhibiting bacterial population growth or for altering the relative ratio of sub-populations of first and second bacteria in a mixed population of bacteria. The invention is particularly useful, for example, for treatment of microbes such as for environmental, medical, food and beverage use. The invention relates inter alia to methods of controlling microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC) or biofouling of a substrate or fluid in an industrial or domestic system.