The present invention relates to enzyme inhibitors. More specifically, the present invention relates to ligand-directed covalent modification of proteins; method of designing same; pharmaceutical formulation of same; and method of use.

Described herein are compositions and methods related to use of cardiosphere-derived cells and their extracellular vesicles, such as exosomes and microvesicles, for achieving anti-aging and rejuvenation. This includes discoveries for effects on heart structure, function, gene expression, and systemic parameters. For animal studies, intra-cardiac injections of neonatal rat CDCs was compared to in old and young rats including evaluation of blood, echocardiographic, haemodynamic and treadmill stress tests. For in vitro studies, human heart progenitors from older donors, or cardiomyocytes from aged rats were exposed to human CDCs or cardiosphere derived cell (CDC) derived exosomes (CDC-XO) from pediatric donors. CDCs and CDC-XOs were capable of effectuating youthful patterns of gene expression in the hearts of old, along with a variant of physiological and function benefits, including elongation of telomere length. Together, these results indicate capacity of CDCs and CDC-XO to ward off the effects of aging through rejuvenation.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for a suicide gene approach comprising an expression vector comprising a cell cycle-dependent promoter driving the expression of a suicide gene. Also provided herein are methods to render proliferative cells sensitive to a prodrug after transplantation but avoids expression of the suicide gene in post-mitotic cells, such as neurons.

The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism which is capable of simultaneously fermenting at least two sugars in a lignocellulosic saccharified liquid, and also capable of generating diol.

The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism which is capable of simultaneously fermenting at least two sugars in a lignocellulosic saccharified liquid, and also capable of generating diol.

The present invention provides a method for improving salt tolerance of a plant so as to enable the plant to be cultivated under a high salt concentration condition. The present invention discloses a method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, including suppressing or inhibiting a function of PERK13 (Proline-rich extensin-like receptor kinase 13) in a plant; the method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, wherein an antagonist of PERK13 is brought into contact with a root of the plant; the method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, wherein the antagonist is one or more species of microorganisms or a secretion therefrom; and the method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, wherein the suppression of the function of the PERK13 is carried out by suppressing expression of PERK13 gene, or the inhibition of the function of the PERK13 is carried out by inhibiting expression of PERK13 gene.

The present invention provides a method for improving salt tolerance of a plant so as to enable the plant to be cultivated under a high salt concentration condition. The present invention discloses a method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, including suppressing or inhibiting a function of PERK13 (Proline-rich extensin-like receptor kinase 13) in a plant; the method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, wherein an antagonist of PERK13 is brought into contact with a root of the plant; the method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, wherein the antagonist is one or more species of microorganisms or a secretion therefrom; and the method for improving salt tolerance of a plant, wherein the suppression of the function of the PERK13 is carried out by suppressing expression of PERK13 gene, or the inhibition of the function of the PERK13 is carried out by inhibiting expression of PERK13 gene.

The invention is directed to compositions and methods for enzymatic template-free synthesis of polynucleotides wherein different terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) variants are used to incorporate different 3′-O-reversibly blocked deoxynucleoside triphosphates (dNTPs) into a growing chain. In part, the invention is a recognition and appreciation that different TdT variants can be engineered to preferentially incorporate specific dNTPs with higher efficiency than a single “general purpose” TdT variant used to incorporate all four 3-O-reversibly blocked dNTPs.

Provided are a modified Klenow fragment and an application thereof; specifically provided is a modified Klenow fragment, wherein at least one position or functionally equivalent position among F762, A842, I709 and P603 in the amino acid sequence of the modified Klenow fragment contains at least one amino acid substitution mutation. The modified Klenow fragment has higher DNA polymerase activity than a wild-type Klenow fragment and can be applied to sequencing.

The present invention relates to in vitro genetic manipulation. In particular, it relates to RNA templated genome editing.