The present disclosure relates to the novel activity of the enzymatic composition containing lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) that are bacterial (Auxiliary Activity 10, AA10) and/or fungal (Auxiliary Activity 9, AA9) for degrading polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and related plastic polymers. The genes that encode KpLPMO10A (AA10) and AfLPMO9A (AA9) were isolated from Kitasatospora papulosa and Aspergillus fischeri microorganisms, respectively. Methods such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) detected alterations in the superficial chemical composition and morphology of the PET found in liquid bottles when treated with LPMOs. The gentle temperature conditions used during the LPMO-PET reaction suit the use of these enzymes to help canonical enzymes (PETases) deconstruct plastics, which is beneficial for the circular economy for PET.

An isolated polynucleotide encoding a modified luciferase polypeptide and substrates. The OgLuc variant polypeptide has at least 60% amino acid sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 1 and at least one amino acid substitution at a position corresponding to an amino acid in SEQ ID NO: 1. The OgLuc variant polypeptide has at least one of enhanced luminescence, enhanced signal stability, and enhanced protein stability relative to the corresponding polypeptide of the wild-type Oplophorus luciferase.

The invention relates to a plastic compound comprising at least one polyolefin and a biological entity that degrades said polyolefin. The invention further relates to a process for preparing a plastic article wherein at least one polyolefin and one biological entity that degrades said polyolefin are mixed at a temperature at which the polyolefin is in a partially or totally molten state.

The present invention relates to a novel modification of a 5-methylcytosine nucleic acid catalyzed by a Cmd1 enzyme and an application thereof. The present inventors have for the first time discovered Cmd1, a 5mC-modifying enzyme, which can link a glyceryl group to a 5mC methyl carbon of a methylated nucleic acid through a carbon-carbon single bond, and this is a new epigenetic modification.

Described herein are biocatalytic methods of producing terpene degradation products useful as starting material for the production of perfumery ingredients, such as, for example, ambrox. In particular novel terpene degrading polypeptides (enal-cleaving polypeptides) and novel peptides converting terpenes compounds to oxygenated derivatives (oxygenases) and mutants and variants derived therefrom are described which may be applied in novel types of fully enzymatic multistep degradation pathways allowing the controlled, stepwise conversion and degradation of linear or cyclic terpene substrates. Said novel biosynthetic strategies allow the fully biochemical synthesis of valuable terpene-derived compounds, like for example manooloxy or gamma ambrol. Also described herein are recombinant host organisms carrying the required set of genetic information for the functional expression of the set of enzymes necessary for catalyzing the combination of enzymatic conversion and degradation steps.

The screening method of the present invention is useful for screening drugs such as insulin secretagogues having an insulin secretagogue activity with minimized side effects (hypoglycemia induction, etc.). The transformant in which a polynucleotide encoding the fusion protein used for the screening method is introduced, the screening kit comprising the transformant, etc. are also useful for screening excellent drugs.

An in vitro process for the production of closed linear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) comprises (a) contacting a DNA template comprising at least one protelomerase target sequence with at least one DNA polymerase in the presence of one or more primers under conditions promoting amplification of the template; and (b) contacting amplified DNA produced in (a) with at least one protelomerase under conditions promoting production of closed linear DNA. A kit provides components necessary in the process.

The present invention provides, among other things, methods of quantitating mRNA capping efficiency, particularly for mRNA synthesized in vitro. In some embodiments, the methods comprise chromatographic methods of quantifying capping efficiency and methylation status of the caps.

Provided herein are recombinant polynucleotides including a first nucleic acid sequence encoding an antigen, and a second nucleic acid sequence encoding an enzyme of an amino acid catabolic pathway. The provided recombinant polynucleotides are particularly useful for inducing long-lived immune responses having improved memory characteristics. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions, viral particles, and host cells including the disclosed recombinant polynucleotides, and methods for using the disclosed materials.

This disclosure describes a method that includes using dorsomorphin to increase the infectivity of adeno-associated virus (AAV). The AAV may be of any AAV serotype. In some embodiments, dorsomorphin may be used in combination with IL-6 or TNFα or both. This disclosure further describes methods for using dorsomorphin-treated cells to determine neutralizing antibody (NAb) titers.