Fungal protease compositions, and more particularly, proteolytic enzyme mixtures comprising a plurality of Aspergillus proteases are provided. The disclosure also relates to protein hydrolysates, food and beverage products and dietary supplements produced using these proteolytic enzyme mixtures, and methods of making and using the same.

The disclosure provides a method of reducing aflatoxin contamination in one or more nuts and/or reducing the amount of Aspergillus flavus and/or Aspergillus parasiticus resulting in the presence of aflatoxin contamination in one or more nuts. In an embodiment, nuts are treated with ultraviolet (UV) light, ozone, and peroxide, or combinations thereof. In an embodiment, nuts are treated with UV light and ozone. In an embodiment, nuts are treated with UV light and peroxide. In an embodiment, nuts are treated with ozone and peroxide.

The disclosure provides methods of preparing aflatoxin-contaminated nuts.

The object of the invention is a method for modifying the morphology of coagulant type aggregated filamentous fungi comprising: a) the encapsulation of the spores of the said filamentous fungi in the dispersed phase of a water-in-oil emulsion, b) the germination of the encapsulated spores in the said dispersed phase of the emulsion, c) the recovery of the non-aggregated germinated spores, the said emulsion being obtained by using a microfluidic device, d) the culturing of the germinated spores in a liquid medium.

The present invention discloses a method for direct transformation of exogenous DNA into resting spores of Aspergillus niger independent of mediators. The method includes three steps of culture of Aspergillus niger and collection of spores, pretreatment of Aspergillus niger spores, and electroporation of Aspergillus niger spores by using HDEN method, to obtain Aspergillus niger spores with introduction of plasmids to be transformed. In the present invention, non-germinated spores are used as a starting material for introduction of an exogenous molecule, and exogenous DNA is introduced into the resting spores of Aspergillus niger by employing the HDEN electrotransformation technique, whereby the complex step of spore germination is omitted, and steps of protoplast preparation or Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in conventional methods etc. are omitted. Moreover, the transformation efficiency is high, and at least an effect of no less than 6000 positive transformants per transformation reaction system can be achieved.

A novel method of growing fungi is disclosed which uses an engineered artificial media and produces high density filamentous fungi biomats that can be harvested with a minimum of processing and from which fungal products such as antibiotics, proteins, and lipids can be isolated, the method resulting in lowered fungus cultivation costs for energy usage, oxygenation, water usage and waste stream production.

A novel method of growing fungi is disclosed which uses an engineered artificial media and produces high density filamentous fungi biomats that can be harvested with a minimum of processing and from which fungal products such as antibiotics, proteins, and lipids can be isolated, the method resulting in lowered fungus cultivation costs for energy usage, oxygenation, water usage and waste stream production.

A novel method of growing fungi is disclosed which uses an engineered artificial media and produces high density filamentous fungi biomats that can be harvested with a minimum of processing and from which fungal products such as antibiotics, proteins, and lipids can be isolated, the method resulting in lowered fungus cultivation costs for energy usage, oxygenation, water usage and waste stream production.

This application describes consortium between fungi and algae, where the algae are incorporated within hyphae of the fungi. The fungi, the algae, or both can be modified to express heterologous lipid synthesizing enzymes. Incorporation of algae into fungi facilitates harvesting of the algae and products produced by the consortia. Such consortia are robust. For example, the fungi and algae can symbiotically provide nutrients to each other and are tolerant of environmental stresses.

This invention relates to methods and materials for modulating the characteristics of a plant, said plant having been heterologously disposed to an endophyte or a plurality of endophytes, or derived from a plant reproductive element heterologously disposed to an endophyte or a plurality of endophytes.