The present disclosure provides agricultural compositions and methods of using these compositions to increase plant growth, pathogen resistance and drought tolerance. The agricultural compositions disclosed herein comprise mixtures of mutualistic beneficial fungi such as Laccaria bicolor and Piriformispora indica, and bacterial strains of Pseudomonas.

Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. By improving the population of biological agents, the modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. In particular, modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations of biological agents can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the diseases they cause promoting plant growth. Therefore, the present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Compositions of the invention include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents. These modified biological agents can be used as an inoculant or as a seed coating for plants and seeds.

The present invention provides recombinant gram-negative host cells that do not degrade protease-sensitive recombinant proteins yet grow to high cell density, methods for the use of these host cells to produce high-quality recombinant proteins, including antibodies and antibody fragments, at high yield, as well as compositions and methods relating to periplasmic expression of recombinant proteins or polypeptides of interest in host cells.

Disclosed are isothiocyanate (ITC)-detecting biosensors that utilize recombinant host cells containing an ITC responsive genetic element such as a saxA promoter, operably linked with a reporter element, such as a luxCDABE operon or ilux operon. Such biosensors can detect the presence of diverse ITCs in samples such as plant extracts, biofumigated soils and seed meal amended soils.

Methods for improving the ability of a population of biological agents to compete and survive in a field setting are provided. By improving the population of biological agents, the modified population of agents is able to grow, compete with other microbial strains and fungi, and provide protection for plants from pathogens. In particular, modified biological agents and modified populations of such agents that are herbicide tolerant or resistant are selected or engineered. In this manner, the protection from disease-causing agents is enhanced. Such modified populations of biological agents can be added to soils to prevent fungal pathogens and the diseases they cause promoting plant growth. Therefore, the present invention is useful for enhancing the competitiveness of modified biological agents particularly over other microbial agents which are not herbicide resistant. Compositions of the invention include selected or engineered herbicide resistant biological agents and modified populations of biocontrol agents. These modified biological agents can be used as an inoculant or as a seed coating for plants and seeds.

The present invention provides for a Pseudomonas cell is able to grow in a medium with xylose or galactose as a sole carbon source with a growth rate of equal to or higher than 0.10 h.sup.−1. The present invention provides for methods and compositions relating to an engineered Pseudomonas putida KT2440 utilizing a non-native carbon source, such as galactose or xylose or both.

The invention relates to the use of bacterial lipopeptide biosurfactants in the treatment of white spot disease in fresh water and marine fish. Particularly useful for treatment of white spot disease are viscosin-like lipopeptide biosurfactants obtainable from the Pseudomonas fluorescens strain H6, massetolide or a derivative thereof and putisolvin or a derivative thereof.

Disclosed in the present disclosure is a method for preparing (S)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carboxylic acid and derivatives thereof, comprising: taking a racemate of a compound represented by Formula (I) or a racemate of a salt of the compound represented by Formula (I) as a substrate, and making a R-isomer of the compound represented by Formula (I) in the substrate react under the catalysis of oxidative dehydrogenase to generate imino acid represented by formula (II); and converting the imino acid represented by Formula (II) into an S-isomer of the compound represented by Formula (I) in the presence of pipecolic acid reductase and a coenzyme capable of supplying hydrogen anions. The present disclosure is featured by mild reaction condition, strong stereoselectivity, high reaction efficiency, high conversion rate, etc.

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An improved bacterial oil treatment composition or pool for handling a decommissioned oil cable, which may be laid in particular as part of a power grid in the ground. The invention further relates to a bacteria growth culture medium containing the bacterial oil treatment composition for refurbishing an oil cable and a corresponding use.

Provided herein are methods for integrating a gene of interest into a chromosome of a host cell. In some embodiments, the methods include introducing into a host cell a first plasmid comprising a transposase coding sequence and a donor sequence, which includes a selectable marker coding sequence flanked by a first and a second lox site and is itself flanked by inverted repeats recognized by the transposase. Following transposase-mediated chromosomal integration of the donor sequence into the host cell, a second plasmid is introduced, which comprises the gene of interest and a second selectable marker coding sequence, both flanked by a first and a second lox site. The gene of interest is chromosomally integrated into the host cell by recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) between the donor sequence and the second plasmid via Cre-/cuc recombination. Further provided herein are host cells, vectors, and methods of producing a product related thereto.