A method of increasing east one growth characteristic of a plant comprising growing a Cladosporium sphaerospermum strain in or on a medium in a container, where a headspace of said C. sphaerospermum in said container is in fluid communication with a headspace of said plant, where said C. sphaerospermum produces at least one volatile organic compound (VOC), where said at least one VOC produced by said C. sphaerospermum causes the plant to have an increase in at least one growth characteristic when compared to the growth characteristic of a plant which has not been exposed to the VOC, and where said C. sphaerospermum comprises an ITS1/2 consensus amplicon of SEQ ID NO: 5 and an ITS3/4 consensus amplicon of SEQ ID NO: 6.

There are provided microorganisms having a property of producing a lipid containing unsaturated fatty acids as constituent fatty acids and extracellularly secreting the produced lipid encapsulated in lipid particles, methods of screening said microorganisms, as well as methods of efficiently producing a fatty acid-containing lipid using said microorganisms. Furthermore, there are provided lipid particles encapsulating a lipid containing unsaturated fatty acids, and foods, cosmetics, and animal feeds comprising said lipid particles added thereto. Artificially treated microorganisms or microorganisms collected from nature are grown on a solid medium, and microbial strains that form lipid particles at the periphery of the colonies and/or microbial strains that, when cultured in a transparent liquid medium, make the culture liquid cloudy are selected. The microorganisms obtained are cultured, lipid-containing lipid particles secreted in the culture liquid, are separated from the culture liquid, and the lipid is separated and purified.

Methods, compositions, systems and kits relating to processing of cassava bagasse into bacterial feedstock, such as bacterial feedstock suitable for nanocellulose production, are disclosed. Cassava bagasse may be contacted with an acid catalyst or an enzymatic catalyst to produce a hydrolysate, which can be used to form a pre-fermentation medium. Incubation of the pre-fermentation medium with a first population of microorganisms yields a supernatant enriched in reducing sugars, which may be used to form a culture medium which can be used to support growth of a second population of microorganisms to form the nanocellulose.

The disclosure relates to an antimicrobial composition that includes a plurality of esters of C.sub.2-C.sub.5 acids; a plurality of C.sub.2-C.sub.5 alcohols; at least one C.sub.2-C.sub.5 acid; and at least one C.sub.2-C.sub.5 aldehyde. The antimicrobial composition is absent naphthalene and azulene derivative compounds. The antimicrobial composition can be incorporated into a variety of carriers, and the antimicrobial composition can be used in methods of affecting antimicrobial activity of various microbes on various substrates.

The present invention provides tools and methods for producing organic acids using strains of Monascus which are tolerant to high organic acid concentrations at low pH.

The present invention discloses a low urea-producing and flavor-producing Wickerhamomyces anomalus strain and a use thereof in food production, falling within the fields of wine brewing and food safety. The Wickerhamomyces anomalus of the present invention is obtained by isolating from a liquor fermentation environment (Daqu), is named Wickerhamomyces anomalus CGMCC NO. 12416, and was deposited at China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center on May 6, 2016, with a deposit number of CGMCC NO. 12416. The strain of the present invention has the characteristics of low urea production, flavor production, and tolerance to ethanol and acids, is an excellent strain having a fermentation function, and can be used in brewed wine, distilled liquor and other food fields to ensure food safety.

Provided herein are methods for modulating the psilocybin biosynthesis pathway in fungi or other organisms. Also provided are genetically modified fungi and organisms with induced and/or increased expression of psilocybin and psilocin and psilocybin and/or psilocin compositions generated by the provided methods.

The present invention relates to the novel strain Pholiota adiposa SKU714, a method for producing cellulase from the strain and a method for saccharifying cellulose using the produced cellulase. Since the cellulase produced by the novel strain according to the present invention exhibits better saccharification yield than the existing saccharification enzymes, it can be used in various applications, including bioenergy production, textile industry, papermaking industry, detergent industry, feed industry, food industry, production of low-calorie foods, fermentation of food wastes, or the like.

Novel strains of the insect-pathogenic fungus, Metarhizium var. anisopliae fungal strain BNL 101 deposited in the CABI UK Centre, United Kingdom, having ICI CC Number 506833; or BNL 102 deposited in the CABI UK Centre, United Kingdom, having ICI CC Number 506834; or a culture having the identifying characteristics thereof, are disclosed. The present invention also discloses methods of using the fungal strains, and spores obtained therefrom, to control insects, and provides a natural pest control preparation. The preparations and compositions comprise several unique and desirable features, such as a wide host range or alternatively a selective host range, and a consistent pathogenicity. The preparations and compositions have a high virulence (insecticidal activity), that is 2 times to 3 times, or greater, mor virulent (insecticidal) than compositions or preparations that do not contain the preparation or composition, and especially that do not contain the BNL 101 or BNL 102 fungal strain, or spores therefrom. The fungal strains also provide for a high spore yield in production, and possess a high stability in the field.

The present invention relates to a novel monascuspurpurone compound of formula (I): ##STR00001##
or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof as described in the specification, the process for preparation of the same, and the composition comprising the same. The uses of a monascuspurpurone compound for promoting adipocyte differentiation, for increasing the activity of PPARγ and/or C/EBPα, for lowering blood glucose, for preventing and/or treating a disease or disorder related to insulin resistance, and for preventing and/or treating metabolic syndrome or its complications are also provided.