One variation of a method includes: during an initial period, modifying a population of insects to produce a target compound responsive to application of a stressor; during a growth period succeeding the initial period, cultivating the population of insects according to a set of growth conditions; and, during a treatment period succeeding the growth period, applying a dosage of the stressor to the population of insects to trigger production of the target compound. The method further includes, during a harvest period succeeding the treatment period: harvesting the population of insects; homogenizing the population of insects to form a blend including a set of secondary components and an amount of the target compound; extracting the amount of the target compound from the blend; and mixing the first amount of the first target compound with a set of stabilizing agents configured to stabilize the target compound.

The invention pertains to an inducible CRISPR system for controlling expression of a CRISPR complex with an inducible fusion promoter. One embodiment of the invention provides HIV LTR-minimal Drosophila hsp70 fusion promoter that can be used for inducible co-expression of gRNA and Cas9 in HIV-infected cells to target cellular cofactors such as Cyclin T1. A single introduction of such embodiment leads to sustained suppression of HIV replication in stringent, chronically infected HeLa-CD4 cell lines as well as in T-cell lines. In another embodiment, the invention further relates to enhancement of HIV suppression by incorporating cis-acting ribozymes immediately upstream of the gRNA in the inducible CRISPR system construct. The inducible fusion promoter is adaptable for other tissue- or cell-type specific expression of the inducible CRISPR system.

A Tumor Micro-Environment (TME) responsive expression vector including a nucleic acid sequence of a synthetic promoter, comprising two or more promoter-response-elements inducing expression of an immune-effector gene.

Provided herein are CAR-T compositions that are directed to GPC3, including a chimeric receptor, and engineered immune cells to GPC3. The disclosure also provides vectors, compositions, and methods of treatment using GPC3 antigen binding molecules and engineered immune cells, optionally in combination with expression of IL-18. GPC3 CAR compositions provided herein can be used for the treatment of certain cancers.

The present invention relates to modular systems for vaccination against infectious agents that involves the delivery of, e.g., exosome-loaded, antigen-encoding mRNAs to and into cells and tissues of the immunized subject. The present invention also relates to compositions and methods for the design, preparation, manufacture, formulation, and/or use of vaccines, e.g., nucleic acid vaccines, loaded into extracellular vesicles, e.g., exosomes loaded with synthetic mRNAs encoding multiple surface and cytoplasmic antigens of interest, e.g., antigenic polypeptides derived from an infectious virus, e.g., SARS-CoV-2, designed to elicit strong humoral and cellular immune responses due to the simultaneous expression of antigens in their native state and as exosome-associated antigens.

The invention pertains to an inducible CRISPR system for controlling expression of a CRISPR complex with an inducible fusion promoter. One embodiment of the invention provides HIV LTR-minimal Drosophila hsp70 fusion promoter that can be used for inducible co-expression of gRNA and Cas9 in HIV-infected cells to target cellular cofactors such as Cyclin T1. A single introduction of such embodiment leads to sustained suppression of HIV replication in stringent, chronically infected HeLa-CD4 cell lines as well as in T-cell lines. In another embodiment, the invention further relates to enhancement of HIV suppression by incorporating cis-acting ribozymes immediately upstream of the gRNA in the inducible CRISPR system construct. The inducible fusion promoter is adaptable for other tissue- or cell-type specific expression of the inducible CRISPR system.

The description of living biological cells comprising heterologously expressed reflectin biomolecules that can be used to dynamically tune the optical properties of the host cells, as well as of the methods of fabrication thereof, are provided. Methods of regulating optical properties, including local refractive indices, of such cells with external stimuli are also provided.

Provided herein are recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) nucleic acid vectors that comprise one or more modifications within at least one inverted terminal repeat (ITR) region. Exemplary modifications include ITR sequences comprising a glucocorticoid responsive element and/or a transcription factor binding site. Also provided are plasmids, libraries, rAAV particles, compositions, kits, and methods related to such vectors.

The present disclosure provides methods for genetically modifying lymphocytes and methods for performing adoptive cellular therapy that include transducing T cells and/or NK cells. The methods can include inhibitory RNA molecule(s) and/or engineered signaling polypeptides that can include a lymphoproliferative element, and/or a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), for example a microenvironment restricted biologic CAR (MRB-CAR). Additional elements of such engineered signaling polypeptides are provided herein, such as those that drive proliferation and regulatory elements therefor, as well as replication incompetent recombinant retroviral particles and packaging cell lines and methods of making the same. Numerous elements and methods for regulating transduced and/or genetically modified T cells and/or NK cells are provided, such as, for example, those including riboswitches, MRB-CARs, recognition domains, and/or pH-modulating agents.

The present disclosure provides a nucleic acid sequence for regulating the transcription of a nucleic acid fragment of interest, wherein the nucleic acid sequence comprises at least 2 copies of TetO-operator sequences capable of binding to a transactivator rtTA regulatable by tetracycline or a derivative thereof, and 1 copy of minimal promoter sequence containing a TATA box sequence, and at least 1 copy of a CuO-operator sequence capable of binding to a transcription repressor CymR regulatable by cumate. The present disclosure also provides a vector and a host cell containing the nucleic acid sequence, and a method for inducing the expression of a nucleic acid fragment of interest in a host cell.