The disclosure relates to omega-hydroxylase-related fusion polypeptides that result in improved omega-hydroxylated fatty acid derivative production when expressed in recombinant host cells. The disclosure further relates to microorganisms for expressing the omega-hydroxylase-related fusion polypeptides for the production of omega-hydroxylated fatty acid derivatives.

A variety of methods and systems for screening biocatalysts are disclosed, including, in one embodiment, a screening method for identifying engineered biocatalysts, including reacting an olefin with water in the presence of an engineered biocatalyst to produce at least a fatty alcohol having from 4 carbons to 24 carbons; reacting at least a portion of the fatty alcohol with oxygen in the present of a fatty alcohol oxidase to produce a fatty aldehyde and hydrogen peroxide, the fatty aldehyde having from 4 carbons to 24 carbons; and measuring activity of the engineered biocatalyst.

The present invention provides for a mechanism to completely replace the electron accepting function of glycerol formation with an alternative pathway to ethanol formation, thereby reducing glycerol production and increasing ethanol production. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a down-regulation in one or more native enzymes in the glycerol-production pathway. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising an up-regulation in one or more enzymes in the ethanol-production pathway.

The present invention discloses a method for preparing L-glufosinate ammonium by biological enzymatic de-racemization, a glufosinate ammonium dehydrogenase mutant and a use thereof. The method for preparing L-glufosinate ammonium by biological enzymatic de-racemization includes catalyzing D,L-glufosinate ammonium as a raw material by a multi-enzyme catalysis system to obtain L-glufosinate ammonium. The enzyme catalysis system includes D-amino acid oxidase for catalyzing D-glufosinate ammonium in the D,L-glufosinate ammonium to 2-carbonyl-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphonyl]butanoic acid, and a glufosinate ammonium dehydrogenase mutant for catalytically reducing 2-carbonyl-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphonyl]butanoic acid to L-glufosinate ammonium. The glufosinate ammonium dehydrogenase mutant is obtained by mutation of glufosinate-ammonium dehydrogenase in wild fungi Thiopseudomonas denitrificans at a mutation site of V377S. The glufosinate ammonium dehydrogenase mutant in the present invention has better catalytic efficiency. When racemic D, L-glufosinate ammonium is used as a substrate for a catalytic reaction, the conversion rate is much higher than the conversion rate of a wild-type enzyme, and the yield of 2-carbonyl-4-[hydroxy(methyl)phosphonyl]butanoic acid (PPO for short) is also greatly improved.

The present invention provides engineered galactose oxidase (GOase) enzymes, polypeptides having GOase activity, and polynucleotides encoding these enzymes, as well as vectors and host cells comprising these polynucleotides and polypeptides. Methods for producing GOase enzymes are also provided. The present invention further provides compositions comprising the GOase enzymes and methods of using the engineered GOase enzymes. The present invention finds particular use in the production of pharmaceutical and other compounds.

The invention relates to a recombinant cell, preferably a yeast cell comprising: a) one or more heterologous genes encoding a glycerol dehydrogenase activity; b) one or more genes encoding a dihydroxyacetone kinase (E.C. 2.7.1.28 and/or E.C. 2.7.1.29); c) one or more heterologous genes encoding a ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (EC 4.1.1.39, RuBisCO); and d) one or more heterologous genes encoding a phosphoribulokinase (EC 2.7.1.19, PRK); and optionally e) one or more heterologous genes encoding for a glycerol transporter. This cell can be used for the production of ethanol and advantageously produces little or no glycerol.

A method for preparing a soy leghemoglobin includes: constructing a first plasmid containing genes for heme biosynthesis pathway enzymes; constructing a second plasmid containing gene for Glycine max leghemoglobin LGB2; constructing a first Escherichia coli production host containing the first plasmid and the second plasmid; and producing the soy leghemoglobin by culturing the first Escherichia coli production host. A composition useful as a meat flavor and/or an iron supplement includes the soy leghemoglobin prepared in accordance with the method.

The present disclosure provides engineered ketoreductase enzymes having improved properties as compared to a naturally occurring wild-type ketoreductase enzyme. Also provided are polynucleotides encoding the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, host cells capable of expressing the engineered ketoreductase enzymes, and methods of using the engineered ketoreductase enzymes to synthesize a variety of chiral compounds. The engineered ketoreductase polypeptides are optimized for catalyzing the conversion of N-methyl-3-keto-3-(2-thienyl)-1-propanamine to (S)—N-methyl-3-hydroxy-3-(2-thienyl)-1-propanamine.

The present disclosure provides approaches for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) in tobacco. Some of these approaches include genetically engineering tobacco plants to increase one or more antioxidants, increase oxygen radicle absorbance capacity (ORAC), or reduce nitrite. Also provided are methods and compositions for producing modified tobacco plants and tobacco products therefrom comprising reduced TSNAs.

A method of demethylizing an opioid to a nor-opioid is provided. The method comprises contacting an opioid with at least one enzyme. Contacting the opioid with the at least one enzyme converts the opioid to a nor-opioid. A method of converting a nor-opioid to a nal-opioid is provided. The method comprises contacting a nor-opioid with at least one enzyme. Contacting the nor-opioid with the at least one enzyme converts the nor-opioid to a nal-opioid.