Methods of using thermostable serine proteases are described herein.

A phytase chimera, a nucleic acid having a nucleic acid sequence encoding such a phytase chimera, a vector having such a nucleic acid, a host cell having such a nucleic acid or such a vector, and the use of such a phytase chimera in food and animal feed production.

The present invention relates to a feed composition comprising an acid protease.

A method for improving the performance of a subject or for improving digestibility of a raw material in a feed (e.g. nutrient digestibility, such as amino acid digestibility), or for improving nitrogen retention, or for improving dietary phosphorus absorption and retention, or for improving the efficacy of the phytase, or for improving the subject's resistance to necrotic enteritis or for improving feed conversion ratio (FCR) or for improving weight gain in a subject or for improving feed efficiency in a subject or for modulating (e.g. improving) the immune response of the subject or for reducing populations of pathogenic bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract of a subject, or for reducing nutrient excretion in manure, which method comprising administering to a subject at least one direct fed microbial in combination with a phytase, wherein the phytase is administered to the subject at a dosage of more than about 1500 FTU/kg feed.

The present invention is generally directed to fusion proteins containing a targeting sequence that targets the fusion protein to the exosporium of a Bacillus cereus family member. The invention also relates to recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing such fusion proteins and formulations containing the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing the fusion proteins. Methods for stimulating plant growth, for protecting plants from pathogens, and for enhancing stress resistance in a plant by applying the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members or the formulations to plants or a plant growth medium are also described. The invention also relates to methods for immobilizing spores of a recombinant Bacillus cereus family member expressing a fusion protein on plants.

The present invention relates to compositions and methods for improving dietary phosphorus and calcium utilization in animals.

The present invention is generally directed to fusion proteins containing a targeting sequence that targets the fusion protein to the exosporium of a Bacillus cereus family member. The invention also relates to recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing such fusion proteins, formulations containing the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members expressing the fusion proteins. Methods for stimulating plant growth and for protecting plants from pathogens by applying the recombinant Bacillus cereus family members or the formulations to plants or a plant growth medium are also described. The invention also relates to methods for immobilizing spores of a recombinant Bacillus cereus family member expressing a fusion protein on plant roots.

Polypeptides having phytase activity and polynucleotide sequences encoding the phytases are provided. The gene expresses the phytase at a level of at least 7 g/l to 40 g/L. The phytases have higher specific activity, retain activity at low pH, retain activity at high temperature, increased phosphorous equivalency, increased phosphorous bioavailability, and increased phosphorous hydrolysis. The phytases can be used in a variety of industries including food, feed, ethanol production, pharmaceuticals, and cleaning.

The present invention relates to phytase variants. The present invention also relates to polynucleotides encoding the variants; nucleic acid constructs, vectors, and host cells comprising the polynucleotides; and methods of using the variants.

The present invention provides phytase enzymes exhibiting a surprisingly high thermostability as compared to commercially available phytases. Additionally some of the new phytase variants display up to four fold increased catalytic rate thus greatly increased speed of phytate dephosphorilation.