Structurally stabilized, e.g., stapled, peptides with the ability to translocate through microbial cell membranes to the interior of microbial cells and exert a biological activity there are provided, as are methods of designing, making and using such peptides.

The invention relates to a peptide comprising (i) a main chain comprising at least one L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), (ii) at least one integrin binding peptide, and (iii) at least one heparin binding peptide. The invention further relates to a coating for metal surfaces comprising the peptide according to the invention and a coated metal surface which promotes osseointegration that can be obtained by reacting the peptide according to the invention with a metal surface.

The present invention relates to: a coacervate formed from a catechol-substituted anionic polymer; an adhesive comprising same; and a method for producing same. More specifically, the present invention relates to: a coacervate formed by mixing a catechol derivative of a mussel adhesive protein and a catechol-substituted anionic polymer; an adhesive comprising the coacervate; and a method for producing a coacervate, wherein the method comprises a step of obtaining a catechol-substituted anionic polymer through catechol substitution of an anionic polymer, and a step of mixing the catechol-substituted anionic polymer and a catechol derivative of a mussel adhesive protein.

Provided herein are methods for selecting a population of cells expressing a target polypeptide. In some aspects, the disclosure provides methods for sorting and selecting populations of transfected host cells based on their early expression of a selectable polypeptide. In certain embodiments, the sorting is performed using fluorescence-activated cell sorting or magnetic-activated cell sorting based on the selectable polypeptide. Such selection methods can be further utilized to generate clonal populations of producer cells, e.g. for large-scale manufacturing of a target polypeptide of interest.

The present invention relates to a porous microsphere comprising a mussel adhesive protein and a method of preparing the same. The porous microsphere comprising the mussel adhesive protein according to the present invention is capable of minimally invasive bio-injection through syringes to efficiently deliver therapeutic stem cells to the sites of tissue defects as cell carriers. Further, the present invention may be widely applied to scaffolds for tissue engineering, drug carriers, or the like, which may be suitably applied to the size of the defected site of tissue.

New insecticidal proteins, nucleotides, peptides, their expression in plants, methods of producing the peptides, new processes, production techniques, new peptides, new formulations, and new organisms, a process which increases the insecticidal peptide production yield from yeast expression systems. The present invention is also related and discloses selected endotoxins we call cysteine rich insecticidal peptides (CRIPS) which are peptides derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and their genes and endotoxins in combination with toxic peptides known as Inhibitor Cystine Knot (ICK) genes and peptides as well as with other types of insecticidal peptides such as trypsin modulating oostatic factor (TMOF) peptide sequences used in various formulations and combinations; of both genes and peptides, useful for the control of insects.

A method for determining an interaction between a first protein and a second protein comprises the steps of: expressing in a cell or introducing into a cell a first fusion protein comprising the first protein, a multimerizable protein, and a fluorescent protein, and a second fusion protein comprising the second protein and a multimerizable protein; detecting a fluorescent focus formed by an association between the first fusion protein and the second fusion protein in the cell; and determining an interaction between the first protein and the second protein according to the detection of the fluorescent focus.

New insecticidal nucleotides, peptides, polypeptides, and proteins, and their expression in plants; methods of producing new peptides; new processes and production techniques; new formulations; new organisms; and a process which increases the insecticidal peptide production yield from yeast expression systems. The present invention is also directed to insecticidal peptides we call cysteine rich insecticidal peptides (CRIPS), and mixtures and/or compositions thereof with pore-forming insecticidal proteins (PFIPs). The present invention also describes mixtures and compositions of CRIPs with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), and the genes and/or proteins therefrom, in various formulations and combinations, of both genes and peptides, useful for the control of insects.

A composition includes aluminum hydroxide gel and a conjugate of at least one CysA13(33-40) peptide linked to the keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Maleimidobutyric acid Nhydroxysuccinimide ester (SM) serves as cross-linking agent. The composition can produce an effective and specific immune response against A40. The antibodies produced are specific for A40 without significantly binding to A42. The composition can increase the response against A40 compared with the response produced by other conjugates that include CysA(33-40) peptide and KLH, and are bound or conjugated by other crosslinking agents.

The invention relates to alpha conotoxin (-conotoxin) peptides and methods for their preparation. Also described are pharmaceutical compositions comprising alpha conotoxin (-conotoxin) peptides and their use in the treatment or prevention of indications 5 associated with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and/or voltage gated calcium channels.