The present invention is directed to methods for inhibiting growth of bacteria and to nanometer scale surfaces having antibacterial properties.

Yeast strains are disclosed that are capable of surviving high ethanol concentrations and propagating in high ethanol concentrations. Genes that are involved in ethanol tolerance are disclosed as well.

Yeast strains are disclosed that are capable of surviving high ethanol concentrations and propagating in high ethanol concentrations. Genes that are involved in ethanol tolerance are disclosed as well.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a live attenuated vaccine by irradiation and a live attenuated vaccine composition prepared by the same, and more particularly, a method of preparing a live attenuated vaccine by irradiation including irradiating a pathogenic microorganism with a dose of 0.5 to 2 kGy of radiation per single radiation six to fifteen times; and a live attenuated vaccine composition including a pathogenic microorganism attenuated to not be revertant to a wild type by generation of at least one mutation of nucleotide insertion and nucleotide deletion by irradiation.

The present invention provides compounds and methods for modulation of the quorum sensing of bacteria. In an embodiment, the compounds of the present invention are able to act as replacements for naturally occurring bacterial quorum sensing ligands in a ligand-protein binding system; that is, they imitate the effect of natural ligands and produce an agonistic effect. In another embodiment, the compounds of the present invention are able to act in a manner which disturbs or inhibits the naturally occurring ligand-protein binding system in quorum sensing bacteria; that is, they produce an antagonistic effect. The compounds of the present invention comprise N-acylated-homoserine lactones (AHLs) comprised of a wide range of acyl groups.

The present invention provides compounds and methods for modulation of the quorum sensing of bacteria. In an embodiment, the compounds of the present invention are able to act as replacements for naturally occurring bacterial quorum sensing ligands in a ligand-protein binding system; that is, they imitate the effect of natural ligands and produce an agonistic effect. In another embodiment, the compounds of the present invention are able to act in a manner which disturbs or inhibits the naturally occurring ligand-protein binding system in quorum sensing bacteria; that is, they produce an antagonistic effect. The compounds of the present invention comprise N-acylated-homoserine lactones (AHLs) comprised of a wide range of acyl groups.

The present invention is a method for controlling the metabolism of a branched fatty acid including, bringing (a) one or more compounds selected from a compound represented by the following general formula (1) into contact with a microorganism to control the metabolism of a branched fatty acid of the microorganism,

RO—(C.sub.2H.sub.4O).sub.n—H  (1) wherein R is a linear aliphatic hydrocarbon group with 9 or more and 16 or less carbons, and n is 0 or 1.

The present invention is a method for controlling the metabolism of a branched fatty acid including, bringing (a) one or more compounds selected from a compound represented by the following general formula (1) into contact with a microorganism to control the metabolism of a branched fatty acid of the microorganism,

RO—(C.sub.2H.sub.4O).sub.n—H  (1) wherein R is a linear aliphatic hydrocarbon group with 9 or more and 16 or less carbons, and n is 0 or 1.

Outer membrane vesicles from bacteria of the Burkholderia pseudomallei complex can be used as adjuvants in compositions and methods to potentiate the immune response to immunogens.

Disclosed herein are immunogenic compositions (e.g., vaccines) for use in the treatment of mycobacteria infections and biomarkers for monitoring of therapeutic responsiveness to the immunogenic compositions in a subject (e.g., a human). In a first aspect, the disclosure features a pharmaceutical composition containing between 1×10{circumflex over ( )}2 CPU and 1×10{circumflex over ( )}10 CPU of a Mycobacterium tuberculosis strain (Mtb) with one or more mutations that ablate or reduce expression of LprG and Rv1410 (ΔLprG Mtb) in a volume of between 0.05 mL and 3 mL.