The present invention is generally directed to fusion proteins containing a targeting sequence that targets the fusion protein to the exosporium of a Bacillus cereus family member. The invention also relates to recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing such fusion proteins, formulations containing the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing the fusion proteins. Methods for stimulating plant growth and for protecting plants from pathogens by applying the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members or the formulations to plants or a plant growth medium are also described. The invention also relates to methods for immobilizing spores of a recombinant Bacillus cereus family member expressing a fusion protein on plant roots.

Methods of making C4+ hydrocarbon feedstocks using anaerobic microbes are described.

The invention relates to a method for oxidizing a fatty acid or an ester thereof of formula (I) H3C (CH2)n-COOR, wherein R is selected from the group that comprises H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl, wherein n is 0 to 30, preferably 6 to 24, comprising the step of oxidizing the fatty acid or the ester thereof by contacting the fatty acid or the ester thereof with a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase of the CYP153 family in the presence of molecular oxygen and NAD(P)H and a whole-cell catalyst that expresses a recombinant cytochrome P450 monooxygenase of the CYP153 family, a recombinant alcohol dehydrogenase, a recombinant transaminase, and optionally one or more than one recombinant enzyme from the group comprising alanine dehydrogenase, ferredoxin, and ferredoxin reductase, and the use of said whole-cell catalyst to oxidize a fatty acid or an ester thereof.

Systems and methods for providing alternative fuel, in particular hydrogen photocatalytically generated by a system comprising photoactive nanoparticles and a nitrogenase cofactor are provided. In one aspect, the system includes a water soluble cadmium selenide nanoparticle (CdSe) surface capped with mercaptosuccinate (CdSe-MSA); and a NafY.FeMo-co complex comprising a NafY protein and an iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co); wherein the CdSe-MSA and the NafY.FeMo-co complex are present in about 1:1 molar ratio in a CdSe-MSA.NafY.FeMo-co system. In various embodiments, when illuminated, the CdSe-MSA.NafY.FeMo-co system is capable of photocatalytically producing hydrogen gas for an extended period of, e.g., at least 5 hours, at least 10 hours, or at least 90 hours. Methods for making and using the same are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to fusion proteins including an iron-sulfur protein (e.g., cholesterol 7-desaturase (C7D)) and a ferredoxin reductase (e.g., KshB) that can efficiently convert cholesterol to 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) in vivo. Also disclosed herein are engineered microbes (e.g., E. coli) expressing the fusion proteins and methods of use thereof.

The present invention relates to methods of reducing chemical fertilizer usage and greenhouse gas nitrous oxide emission and to methods of improving plant growth rate and seed productivity in agriculture through the application of a novel artificially manufactured formula containing a nitrogen-fixing bacterium that efficiently colonizes non-legume plants in aerial parts and the root system. The bacteria inocula and methods are particularly suitable for plants in the genera Jatropha, Sorghum, Gossypium, Elaeis, Ricinus, Oryza and Manihot.

The present invention is generally directed to fusion proteins containing a targeting sequence that targets the fusion protein to the exosporium of a Bacillus cereus family member. The invention also relates to recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing such fusion proteins, formulations containing the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing the fusion proteins. Methods for stimulating plant growth and for protecting plants from pathogens by applying the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members or the formulations to plants or a plant growth medium are also described. The invention also relates to methods for immobilizing spores of a recombinant Bacillus cereus family member expressing a fusion protein on plant roots.

Recombinant microorganisms and methods for producing saffron compounds including hydroxy--cylcocitral and picrocrocin are disclosed herein. Methods involve expression of a gene encoding a cytochrome p450 polypeptide, and optionally a gene encoding a (2Fe-2S) ferredoxin polypeptide, a gene encoding a flavin-dependent ferredoxin reductase, and a gene encoding a uridine 5-diphospho glycosyltransferase (UGT) polypeptide.

The present disclosure is directed to the biosynthetic pathway for a nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) derived drug and analogs thereof. The invention provides polynucleotide sequences useful for heterologous expression in a convenient microbial host for the synthesis of the NRPS-derived drug, the polypeptides encoded by such polynucleotides, expression vectors comprising the polynucleotides, host cells comprising the polynucleotides or expression vectors, and kits comprising a host cell. Also provided is a method for the production of ET-743, the NRPS-derived drug.

The present invention relates to a composition for preparing retinoid, and more specifically, the composition comprises: a NADH or NADPH, a Beta-Carotene Oxygenase and a flavodoxin or a ferredoxin or a reductase of flavodoxin or ferredoxin; or a microorganism expressing them; or a culture or pulverized product of the microorganism, and thus can expand the supply metabolism of reducing electrons to enhance retinoid productivity through an increase in the activity of the cytochrome P450 system and provide a foundation for the low-cost production of raw materials, and thereby enhance the economic feasibility and efficiency of retinoid production.