The invention pertains to a method for synthesizing a product of interest by culturing a microalgal cell obtained from a subterranean habitat for producing the product of interest. The microalgal cell obtained from a subterranean habitat can be cultured in the dark, in light, in low nutrition, or nutrient rich conditions for at least a portion of production cycle. A combination of these conditions can be used to specifically manipulate a microalgal cell culture to produce a product of interest. The product of interest can be a water-soluble carotenoid, for example, a water-soluble carotenoid produced by culturing an algae belonging to the genus Haematococcus or a capsular exopolysaccharide produced by culturing an algae belonging to the genus Parachlorella. Compositions containing the water-soluble carotenoid, for example, as sunscreen and compositions containing the exopolysaccharide, for example, as moisturizing cream are also described.

The present disclosure relates to the biosynthesis of indigoid dye precursors and their conversion to indigoid dyes. Specifically, the present disclosure relates to methods of using polypeptides to produce indigoid dye precursors from indole feed compounds, and the use of the indigoid dye precursors to produce indigoid dyes.

A genetically modified microorganism includes: an exogenous nucleic acid sequence encoding naphthalene dioxygenase (NDO), wherein the endogenous icd gene of the genetically modified microorganism is knocked out, in which the endogenous icd gene encodes isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH), and wherein the genetically modified microorganism is capable of using glutamic acid and/or a salt thereof as a nitrogen source to grow and producing indigo dye.

The invention features compounds (e.g., macrocyclic compounds) capable of modulating biological processes, for example through binding to a presenter protein (e.g., a member of the FKBP family, a member of the cyclophilin family, or PIN1) and a target protein (e.g., a eukaryotic target protein such as a mammalian target protein or a fungal target protein or a prokaryotic target protein such as a bacterial target protein). These compounds bind endogenous intracellular presenter proteins, such as the FKBPs or cyclophilins, and the resulting binary complexes selectively bind and modulate the activity of intracellular target proteins. Formation of a tripartite complex among the presenter protein, the compound, and the target protein is driven by both protein-compound and protein-protein interactions, and both are required for modulation of the targeted protein's activity.

The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a compound of formula VIIIa and salts forms of VIIIa where R.sup.c is an aryl sulfonic acid

##STR00001##

A process for synthetically producing (S)-nicotine ([(S)-3-(1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl) pyridine]) is provided.

The present invention provides a dehydrogenase mutant L283V/L286V, and a preparation method and use thereof, and relates to the field of biomedicine technologies. An amino acid sequence of the mutant L283V/L286V is as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1; and the mutant is prepared by simultaneously mutating 283.sup.rd and 286.sup.th leucine of a dehydrogenase with an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 3 into valine. The dehydrogenase mutant L283V/L286V shows high selectivity in catalyzing myosmine reduction reaction in a whole cell system to produce S-nornicotine, and has relatively high dehydrogenase and imine reductase activities, a short enzyme reduction time, and a high transformation rate. The product S-nornicotine obtained through the reaction has extremely high optical purity, which reduces the operation difficulty of subsequent purification.

The present invention generally relates to the biotechnology engineering, and specifically to a genetically engineered bacterium capable of producing cytokinins with isoprenoid side chains (isoprenoid cytokinins), and the preparation and application thereof.

The present disclosure includes genetically engineered, non-pathogenic Streptomyces bacterium with exogenous, non-native Thaxtomin A (ThxA) biosynthetic gene clusters conferring the genetically engineered, non-pathogenic Streptomyces bacterium with the ability to produce thaxtomin A. Also included are methods of providing thaxtomin producing capability in non-native Streptomyces bacterial strains, methods of producing thaxtomin compounds with the genetically engineered Streptomyces bacteria of the present disclosure, and methods of producing thaxtomin compounds and nitro-tryptophan analogs, and fluorinated thaxtomin compounds, analogs, and intermediates with the genetically engineered Streptomyces bacteria of the present disclosure.

A Bradyrhizobium monooxygenase, a gene for encoding the monooxygenase, a recombinant expression vector comprising the gene and a recombinant transformant, a method of preparing the monooxygenase by the recombinant expression transformant, and a method of preparing an optically pure chiral sulfoxide by the monooxygenase, in particular to a method of preparing prazole drugs by means of catalyzing the asymmetric oxidation of thioether, a prazole precursor. As compared with other methods of preparing an optically pure sulfoxide, the product produced by the monooxygenase of the present invention as a catalyst has high optical purity, avoids the generation of the byproduct sulfone, and has advantages of mild reaction conditions, simple and convenient operations, easy amplification, etc.