The invention relates to chitin, a hydrolysate and a method for the production of at least one desired product from insects. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for the production of chitin and/or chitosan from insect cuticles, comprising a step in which insect cuticles are treated with an oxidising agent, followed by a step involving the enzymatic hydrolysis of the insect cuticles using a proteolytic enzyme.

Disclosed herein are methods of controlling insect pests, in particular Leptinotarsa spp. which infest crop plants, and methods of providing plants resistant to such pests. Also disclosed are polynucleotides and recombinant DNA molecules and constructs useful in such methods, insecticidal compositions such as topical sprays containing insecticidal double-stranded RNAs, and solanaceous plants with improved resistance to infestation by Leptinotarsa spp. Further disclosed are methods of selecting target genes for RNAi-mediated silencing and control of Leptinotarsa spp.

Disclosed herein are methods of controlling insect pests, in particular Leptinotarsa spp. which infest crop plants, and methods of providing plants resistant to such pests. Also disclosed are polynucleotides and recombinant DNA molecules and constructs useful in such methods, insecticidal compositions such as topical sprays containing insecticidal double-stranded RNAs, and solanaceous plants with improved resistance to infestation by Leptinotarsa spp. Further disclosed are methods of selecting target genes for RNAi-mediated silencing and control of Leptinotarsa spp.

Provided is a gene expression system, suitable for expression in an insect, comprising an insect muscle actin promoter operably linked to a marker gene, which overcomes or ameliorates one or more of: cost of rearing; amount of handling; errors in identification due to human error or loss of marker by the insect; and health concerns related to the effects of marker powders on workers in mass rearing facilities.

The present invention discloses Hemipteran insect inhibitory proteins, methods of using such proteins, nucleotide sequences encoding such proteins, methods of detecting and isolating such proteins, and their use in agricultural systems.

Pore-forming peptides or proteins modified utilizing DNA nanotechnology, which provides definition and control of pore size, an increase in stability when inserted in a lipid membrane, and membrane affinity. Chemical modifications are easily made on the compound through hybridization to the oligonucleotide attached to the peptide or protein. The compound can hybridize to a DNA template thereby defining the number of monomers assembled to a pore and thus the size of the formed pore. The DNA template can range from a unique single strand composed of multiple hybridization sites separated by flexible linkers to a complex rigid DNA nanoconstruct, such as a DNA origami-based ring, serving as a scaffold for pore formation. Hydrophilic modification at the transmembrane segment or terminus of the peptide provides long-lived pores and keeps the compound in a membrane-spanning conformation.

The present invention relates to methods and compositions for maggot debridement therapy. More specifically, the invention relates to recombinant nucleic acid constructs, transgenic maggots comprising the recombinant nucleic acids, methods for making the maggots, and methods for the use of the maggots, including debridement and promoting of wound healing.

In certain embodiments novel PAC1 receptor agonists are provided wherein the agonists comprise a targeting sequence that binds to the PAC1 receptor and said targeting sequence is attached to an amino acid sequence comprising a fragment of the maxadilan amino acid sequence, wherein the targeting sequence comprises a full-length 38 amino acid PACAP peptide or an N-terminus fragment thereof containing the amino acid sequence HSDGIF, wherein said targeting sequence optionally comprises an amino acid insertion between residues 11 and 12 of said PACAP peptide or fragment thereof; and the fragment of the maxadilan amino acid sequence comprises a fragment of the maxadilan sequence effective to activate PAC1 signaling.

This invention relates to elastomeric protein and elastomeric protein production. In particular, the invention is directed to elastomeric protein sequences, including methods and compositions for production of elastomeric protein sequences, such as expression constructs, and host cells, and including compositions generated from the elastomeric protein sequences.

Disclosed herein are fusion proteins comprising a truncated thrombostasin protein having at least 85% sequence homology to a thrombostasin protein, wherein the thrombostasin protein has a carboxy terminal deletion; and a fusion partner protein that is a non-thrombostasin protein. Further disclosed are vaccine compositions thrombostasin proteins having a comprising a carboxy terminal deletion, and methods for inhibiting a response to a thrombostasin protein in a host in need thereof, comprising the disclosed fusion proteins or vaccine compositions. Further disclosed are methods for the preparation of a fusion protein composition.