The present invention relates a variant polypeptide having geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase activity, which variant polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence which, when aligned with a geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase comprising the sequence set out in SEQ ID NO: 1, comprises at least one substitution of an amino acid residue corresponding to any of amino acids at positions 92, 100 or 235 said positions being defined with reference to SEQ ID NO: 1 and wherein the variant has one or more modified properties as compared with a reference polypeptide having geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase activity. A variant polypeptide of the invention may be used in a recombinant host for the production of steviol or a steviol glycoside.

Provided herein are genetically modified host cells, compositions, and methods for improved production of steviol glycosides. In some embodiments, the host cell is genetically modified to comprise a heterologous nucleic acid expression cassette that expresses an ABC-transporter capable of transporting steviol glycosides to the extracellular space or to the luminal space of an intracellular organelle. In some embodiments, the host cell further comprises one or more heterologous nucleotide sequence encoding further enzymes of a pathway capable of producing one or more steviol glycosides in the host cell. The host cells, compositions, and methods described herein provide an efficient route for the heterologous production of steviol glycosides, including but not limited to, rebaudioside D and rebaudioside M.

The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms and methods of producing citronellal, citronellol, citronellic acid, and/or citronellal/citronellol pathway intermediates and precursors.

The disclosure relates to the biosynthesis of cannabinoids and related prenylated phenolic compounds using recombinant enzymes. In particular, the disclosure provides recombinant mutant ORF2 enzymes engineered to produce a greater amount of a desired product, or to have a greater ability to catalyze a reaction using a desired substrate, as compared to WT ORF2. The disclosure also provides methods of preparing such ORF2 mutant enzymes; as well as methods of use thereof in improving the biosynthesis of cannabinoids and related prenylated phenolic compounds.

The present invention relates to a recombinant Deinococcus bacterium exhibiting enhanced 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (MEP/DXP) pathway, and its use for producing terpene or terpenoid compounds.

A composition for treating cancer is disclosed. The composition includes a lentiviral particle and an aminobisphosphonate drug. The lentiviral particle is capable of infecting a target cell, such as a cancer cell, and includes an envelope protein optimized for targeting such target cell and a viral vector. The viral vector includes a small RNA optimized to target an FDPS mRNA sequence. The aminobisphosphonate drug includes zoledronic acid.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods of producing carotenoids and carotenoid derivatives.

A composition for treating cancer is disclosed. The composition includes a lentiviral particle and an aminobisphosphonate drug. The lentiviral particle is capable of infecting a target cell, such as a cancer cell, and includes an envelope protein optimized for targeting such target cell and a viral vector. The viral vector includes a small RNA optimized to target an FDPS mRNA sequence. The aminobisphosphonate drug includes zoledronic acid.

This invention relates to the field of genetic engineering. Specifically, the invention relates to the construction of operons to produce biologically active agents. For example, operons may be constructed to produce agents that control the function of biochemical pathway proteins (e.g., protein phosphatases, kinases and/or proteases). Such agents may include inhibitors and modulators that may be used in studying or controlling phosphatase function associated with abnormalities in a phosphatase pathway or expression level. Fusion proteins, such as light activated protein phosphatases, may be genetically encoded and expressed as photoswitchable phosphatases. Systems are provided for use in controlling phosphatase function within living cells or in identifying small molecule inhibitors/activator/modulator molecules of protein phosphatases associated with cell signaling.

The present invention relates to a recombinant Deinococcus bacterium exhibiting enhanced 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate/1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate (MEP/DXP) pathway, and its use for producing terpene or terpenoid compounds.