The present disclosure describes methods for generating microbial strains expressing a heterologous bacterial glucose permease gene that produce biomolecules of interest. In aspects, the disclosure provides novel bacterial strains, which express a heterologous bacterial glucose permease gene whose expression is controlled by a native Corynebacterium glutamicum promoter or a mutant promoter derived therefrom. Also provided herein are methods for producing a library of bacterial glucose permease genes using a promoter ladder comprising a plurality of promoters derived from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

Provided are a kit and a method for measuring cleanliness of a bio-related sample and a bio-related instrument, which is not susceptible to ATP-degrading activity. Provided are a method for measuring cleanliness of a bio-related sample or a bio-related instrument and a kit therefor, comprising using an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction that produces ATP from ADP, luciferin, luciferase, and a metal salt. Also provided are a method further comprising using pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), adenylate kinase (ADK), or pyruvate-water dikinase (PWDK) and a kit further comprising PPDK, ADK, or PWDK. Further provided are a method for measuring cleanliness of a bio-related sample or a bio-related instrument and a kit therefor, comprising using an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction that produces ATP from AMP, an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction that produces AMP from ADP, luciferin, luciferase, and a metal salt.

The present invention discloses anti-cancer compositions, and associated methods, including an anti-cancer composition comprising: a cellular energy inhibitor having the structure according to formula I ##STR00001## wherein X is selected from the group consisting of: a nitro, an imidazole, a halide, sulfonate, a carboxylate, an alkoxide, and amine oxide; and R is selected from the group consisting of: OR, N(R).sub.2, C(O)R, C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl, C1-C6 heteroalkyl, a C6-C12 heteroaryl, H, and an alkali metal; where R represents H, alkali metal, C1-C6 alkyl, C6-C12 aryl or C(O)R, R represents H, C1-C6 alkyl, or C6-C12 aryl, and R represents H, C1-C20 alkyl or C6-C12 aryl. The anti-cancer composition can additionally comprise at least one sugar, which stabilizes the cellular energy inhibitor by substantially preventing the inhibitor from hydrolyzing. Also, the anti-cancer composition can comprise a hexokinase inhibitor. Further, the anti-cancer composition can comprise a biological buffer that is present in an amount sufficient to at least partially deacidify the cellular energy inhibitor and neutralize metabolic by-products of the cellular energy inhibitor.

The present invention provides a measuring method for at least one of a kinase forward reaction substrate, a phosphorylated product thereof, and a precursor thereof, and includes a step of conducting an enzymatic cycling reaction by bringing at least a kinase, a first nucleotide coenzyme of the kinase, and a second nucleotide coenzyme having a different nucleoside moiety from the first nucleotide coenzyme into contact with a sample; a step of detecting a signal corresponding to a change of at least one of the first nucleotide coenzyme and a conversion product thereof, and the second nucleotide coenzyme and a conversion product thereof; and (3) a step of calculating, on the basis of the detected change of the signal, an amount of the kinase forward reaction substrate and/or the phosphorylated product thereof contained in the sample.

The invention relates to artificial forisome bodies including a fusion protein of at least one SEO-F protein or an at least 50-amino acid portion thereof, and at least one additional protein or peptide, with the exception of GFP and the Venus protein, wherein in an embodiment the forisome body further includes an unfused SEO-F protein or a form of the protein having C-terminal deletions of up to 45 amino acids and/or N-terminal deletions of up to 13 amino acids, wherein the unfused SEO-F protein is selected from proteins having the property of being capable of forming homomeric forisome bodies in the absence of additional SEO-F proteins.

Artificial forisome bodies include a fusion protein of at least one SEO-F protein or an at least 50-amino acid portion of an SEO-F protein, and at least one additional protein or peptide, with the exception of GFP and the Venus protein. The additional protein or peptide has a mass of at most 30 kDa, or the forisome body further includes an unfused SEO-F protein or a form of the protein having C-terminal deletions of up to 45 amino acids and/or N-terminal deletions of up to 13 amino acids, in which the unfused SEO-F protein is a protein capable of forming homomeric forisome bodies in the absence of additional SEO-F proteins.

This disclosure provides a composition containing a conjugate with a modified insulin molecule. The conjugate has an insulin molecule, which can be insulin or an insulin analog, glucagon, GLP-1, GLP-2 or a GLP-1 agonist. The conjugate also contains one or more polymers. Each of the one or more polymers is covalently linked to the insulin molecule. Additionally, each of the one or more polymers is covalently linked to between 0 to 50 copies of a decoy ligand, and to between 0 to 50 copies of a glucose-binding agent, such that the combined total number of glucose-binding agents and decoy ligands covalently linked to each of the one or more polymers is at least 1. The conjugate can reversibly bind to soluble glucose and in which the extent of its glucose-binding controls the extent to which the modified insulin is able to bind to and activate the insulin receptor. Methods of making the conjugate, as well as use of the conjugate in treatment, are also provided.

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for treating macular degeneration, and more particularly to a pharmaceutical composition for treating macular degeneration, which comprises an inhibitor of mTOR gene expression. The pharmaceutical composition according to the present invention can effectively treat age-related macular degeneration, a representative retinal disease that causes blindness in adults.

The present disclosure describes methods for generating microbial strains expressing a heterologous bacterial glucose permease gene that produce biomolecules of interest. In aspects, the disclosure provides novel bacterial strains, which express a heterologous bacterial glucose permease gene whose expression is controlled by a native Corynebacterium glutamicum promoter or a mutant promoter derived therefrom. Also provided herein are methods for producing a library of bacterial glucose permease genes using a promoter ladder comprising a plurality of promoters derived from Corynebacterium glutamicum.

This invention is aimed at improving an ethanol fermentation ability of a recombinant yeast strain having an ability of assimilating pentose, such as xylose or arabinose. The recombinant yeast strain haying an ability of assimilating pentose is obtained by lowering activity of a gene involved in upstream of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate in the Embden-Meyerhof pathway.