Provided is a gene expression system, suitable for expression in an insect, comprising an insect muscle actin promoter operably linked to a marker gene, which overcomes or ameliorates one or more of: cost of rearing; amount of handling; errors in identification due to human error or loss of marker by the insect; and health concerns related to the effects of marker powders on workers in mass rearing facilities.

The present invention relates to an animal model for oxidative stress research and use thereof, and more specifically, the present invention can utilize a mutant of RCAT having a regulatory function for an antioxidant stress regulator in Caenorhabditis elegans and a human cell line expressing RCAT as animal and human cell line models for oxidative stress research, using the mutant and the human cell line.

The present invention provides compositions and methods for light-activated cation channel proteins and their uses within cell membranes and subcellular regions. The invention provides for proteins, nucleic acids, vectors and methods for genetically targeted expression of light-activated cation channels to specific cells or defined cell populations. In particular the invention provides millisecond-timescale temporal control of cation channels using moderate light intensities in cells, cell lines, transgenic animals, and humans. The invention provides for optically generating electrical spikes in nerve cells and other excitable cells useful for driving neuronal networks, drug screening, and therapy.

Disclosed are methods, compositions, and systems for transforming silkworms to produce spider silk and analogs of spider silk. In certain embodiments, the method may include inserting a DNA sequence coding for at least a portion of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog of a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, positioned between at least a portion of the 5′ and 3′ ends of a silkworm fibroin gene to generate a fusion gene construct having a sequence that encodes for a polypeptide comprising both spider silk fibroin and silkworm silk fibroin sequences. In certain embodiments, the fused gene is able to replace a native gene present in the silkworm such that the transformed silkworm expresses a polypeptide comprising a spider silk fibroin polypeptide, or an analog thereof, and expresses significantly less of the native silkworm silk.

The present invention is directed to small interfering RNA molecules (siRNA) targeted against nucleic acid sequence that encodes huntingtin or ataxin-1, and methods of using these siRNA molecules.

Four zebrafish gene promoters, which are skin specific, muscle specific, skeletal muscle specific and ubiquitously expressed respectively, were isolated and ligated to the 5′ end of the EGFP gene. When the resulting chimeric gene constructs were introduced into zebrafish, the transgenic zebrafish emit green fluorescence under a blue light or ultraviolet light according to the specificity of the promoters used. Thus, new varieties of ornamental fish of different fluorescence patterns, e.g., skin fluorescence, muscle fluorescence, skeletal muscle-specific and/or ubiquitous fluorescence, are developed.

The disclosure includes non-naturally occurring or engineered CRISPR Cas9, each associated with at least one destabilization domain (DD), along with compositions, systems and complexes involving the DD-CRISPR Cas9, nucleic acid molecules and vectors encoding the same, delivery systems involving the same, uses therefor.

Provided herein are genetic constructs comprising genetic perturbation cassettes and methods of using such to assess the timing and order of gene expression.

A genetically-modified non-human animal model of longevity and increased health span, which is associated with reduced tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis, as well as related methods for increasing longevity and health span, reducing tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis, and identifying active agents that confer increased longevity or health span, or reduced tumorigenesis or tumor metastasis.

A novel class or family of TGF-β binding proteins is disclosed. Also disclosed are assays for selecting molecules for increasing bone mineralization and methods for utilizing such molecules.