Entomopathogenic nematode Heterorhabditis bacteriophora having an enhanced longevity, comprising a first locus comprising a single nucleotide polymorphism at position 75 of the nucleotide sequence SC00004647 as depicted in SEQ ID NO: 5, in which C is substituted by T; and/or a second locus comprising a single nucleotide polymorphism at position 54 of the nucleotide sequence SC00006203 as depicted in SEQ ID NO: 7, in which C is substituted by T.

Described herein are anchor-modified immunoglobulin polypeptides, wherein the anchor moors the immunoglobulin polypeptide to a receptor of interest. The anchor-modified immunoglobulin polypeptides are generally characterized at the N-terminus with an anchor, e.g., the receptor binding portion of a ligand that binds a receptor. Non-human animals genetically modified with recombinant immunoglobulin segments that encode the anchor-modified immunoglobulin polypeptides are capable of making the anchor-modified immunoglobulin polypeptides. Such non-human animals also provided, along with methods and compositions for making and using the non-human animals. Methods for producing anchor-modified immunoglobulins from non-human animals are also provided, as well as anchor-modified immunoglobulins generated therefrom.

A method and system for the treatment of Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus Kluk (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) to protect them from various life-threatening conditions, including the negative effects of various pesticides, provides Monarch butterflies with the ability to assimilate and degrade pesticides such as neonicotinoids and fipronil. Certain embodiments involve the inoculation of flowers by honey bees with desired bacteria that are able to degrade pesticides, such that when Monarch butterflies visit such flowers, they are exposed to such bacteria, transforming the microbiome of the Monarch butterflies so that pesticides can be degraded, thus enhancing the health of the Monarch butterflies.

Methods and compositions are provided for generating antigen-binding proteins against a foreign antigen of interest.

An all male Culicide mosquito population is created by knocking down its Transformer-2 gene, causing the dysfunction of X chromosome-bearing sperm, hence producing severe biased male progenies. Unlike previous methods, we recently discovered that the Tra-2 knockdown also results in female-specific zygotes lethality (XX). This art is therefore also designed to kill early female zygotes (XX) that may have survived the previous knockdown, and the all male progenies are created only when an antibiotic substance has been added into food and drink to feed mosquitoes. The strict limit of the antibiotic exposure time allows mosquito-adapted Wolbachia bacteria to survive. Selected Wolbachia bacteria may induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) of up to 100%. All the progenies are therefore genetically males, which cause sterility when outcrossing with females infected by another Wolbachia strain (bidirectional CI) or are uninfected (unidirectional CI) in natural environment.

The present disclosure relates methods and compositions useful for prevention of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv) in animals, including animals of the species Sus scrofa. The present teachings relate to swine wherein at least one allele of a CD163 gene has been inactivated, and to specific methods and nucleic acid sequences used in gene editing to inactivate the CD163 gene. Swine wherein both alleles of the CD163 gene are inactivated are resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSv). Elite lines comprising homozygous CD163 edited genes retain their superior properties

Two or more conditional, dominant, lethal gene expression systems provide high levels of penetrance in insects. Lethality is induced at an earlier stage of development and the risk of biochemical resistance is reduced, as compared to a single insect conditional, dominant, lethal gene expression system. The invention is useful for the control of insect populations.

Disclosed herein are methods of expanding immune cells for immunotherapy and/or increasing the purity of a population of CAR T cells using artificial antigen presenting cells (aAPCs) having on their surface NKG2D ligand (such as for example MICA, MICB, RAET1E/ULBP4, RAET1G/ULBP5, RAET1 H/ULBP2, RAET1/ULBP1, RAET1UULBP6, and/or RAET1N/ULBP3 as well as mouse ligands H60, MULT-1, and Rae-1) and/or antibodies that bind NKG2D (including, but not limited to antibody fragments, such as, for example, F (ab′)2, Fab′, Fab, and/or scFv).

The present invention relates to the production of avian induced pluripotent stem cells from non-pluripotent somatic cells, including embryonic fibroblasts and adult somatic cells. In this method, avian (including quail or chicken) somatic cells are reprogrammed into a state closely resembling embryonic stem cells including the expression of key stem cell markers alkaline phosphatase, etc. by transfecting/transducing the non-stem cells with genes (preferably using a non-integrating vector as otherwise described herein or alternatively an integrating vector, such a lentiviral vector, retroviral vector or inducible lentiviral vector, among others) which express at least nanog, Lin28 and cMyc. In preferred aspects of the invention, the transfected/transduced vectors express nanog, Lig28, cMyc, Oct 4 (POU5F1 or PouV), SOX2 and KLF4. The induced stem cells which are produced contribute to all 3 germ layers, the trophectoderm and in certain aspects, the gonad in chimeric offspring.

Disclosed are methods and compositions for in situ germline genome engineering. The disclosed methods and compositions may be utilized for germline genome engineering in a subject having a reproductive organ containing a fertilized zygote, via: (i) isolating or obtaining the reproductive organ from the subject after a time period following insemination of the subject; (ii) introducing a reagent composition into the reproductive organ, the reagent composition comprising a nuclease system and/or an exogeneous polynucleotide; and (iii) electroporating the reproductive organ.