Disclosed herein are an expression vector capable of expressing myrcene, an Escherichia coli strain transformed with the vector and having improved capability of producing myrcene and a method for producing myrcene and a method for recycling glycerol using the same. In an aspect, the transformed Escherichia coli strain of the present disclosure can produce myrcene with high purity on a large scale using glycerol or glucose as a carbon source. Also, the Escherichia coli strain of the present disclosure is economical and environment-friendly because it can produce high value-added myrcene using waste glycerol as a carbon source. In addition, the strongly volatile myrcene can be produced and isolated at the same time.

A method for conferring tolerance to a 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor herbicide in a plant by expressing one or more polypeptide components of an exogenous plastoquinone-9 pathway in the plant. Nucleic acids, vectors, transgenic cells and transgenic plants useful in such a method are also disclosed.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to biosynthesis of cannabinoids and cannabinoid precursors in recombinant cells and in vitro.

Provided herein are compounds of Formulas (la), (lb), (II) to (VIII), and salts thereof, and methods of making the same. Also provided herein are recombinant proteins useful in the production of compounds disclosed herein, polynucleotides encoding the same, and cells comprising the same.

Described is a method for the production of isobutene from a carbon source characterized in that it comprises: (a) culturing a microorganism capable of producing 3-methylcrotonic acid from a carbon source in a liquid culture medium, thereby producing said 3-methylcrotonic acid so that it accumulates in the liquid culture medium; and (b) enzymatically converting said 3-methylcrotonic acid contained in the liquid culture medium obtained in step (a) into isobutene by: (i) incubating a microorganism expressing an FMN-dependent decarboxylase associated with an FMN prenyl transferase with said liquid culture medium containing 3-methylcrotonic acid obtained in step (a); and/or (ii) incubating an FMN-dependent decarboxylase associated with an FMN prenyl transferase with said liquid culture medium containing 3-methylcrotonic acid obtained in step (a); thereby producing said isobutene; and (c) recovering the produced isobutene.

The present disclosure relates to recombinant polypeptides that have prenyltransferase activity, nucleic acids encoding these recombinant polypeptides, recombinant host cells that produce these recombinant polypeptides, and compositions comprising the recombinant polypeptides, nucleic acids, and/or recombinant host cells. The present disclosure also relates to uses of these recombinant polypeptides, nucleic acids encoding them, and recombinant host cells comprising them, in methods for the preparation of cannabinoids and hop compounds.

Screening assays are used to identify mutant homogentisate solanesyl transferase (HST) enzymes which are at least partially resistant to HST-inhibiting herbicides. Nucleic acids encoding the mutant HST enzyme proteins are made available and useful in modifying plants and plant parts so that they can be made herbicide resistant. Crop plants which express the mutant HST enzymes can be grown in the field and herbicides used to controlling unwanted other vegetation. The homogentisate solanesyltransferase (HST) enzyme or an active fragment thereof comprises the amino acid sequence motif: F[V/M]TX[F/Y] (SEQ ID NO: 1), wherein X is any amino acid; and wherein one or more of the amino acid residues of the motif are mutated.

Methods and systems for the alteration of cannabinoid expression and composition are described. Modular systems for processing cannabis and hemp are described. Described components of the modular system include improved recovery of high-value cannabis components and methods for utilizing residual biomass components after the cannabis plant has been fully processed.

The present disclosure relates to the use of a switch for the production of heterologous non-catabolic compounds in microbial host cells. In one aspect, provided herein are genetically modified microorganisms that produce non-catabolic compounds more stably when serially cultured under aerobic conditions followed by microaerobic conditions, and methods of producing non-catabolic compounds by culturing the genetically modified microbes under such culture conditions. In another aspect, provided herein are genetically modified microorganisms that produce non-catabolic compounds more stably when serially cultured in the presence of maltose followed by the reduction or absence of maltose, and methods of producing non-catabolic compounds by culturing the genetically modified microbes under such culture conditions.

The present disclosure relates generally to methods and compositions for activating gamma-delta (GD) T cells. Such methods and compositions can be used to treat cancer.