A system for biofuel production can include a cell, a nanoparticle on a surface of the cell, and an irradiation unit configured to expose the cell to irradiation. A method of producing biofuel can include providing a cell having a nanoparticle on a surface of the cell, exposing the cell to a fuel precursor, irradiating the cell, converting the fuel precursor to a biofuel with the cell, and collecting the biofuel.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for producing selenoneine that allows production of selenoneine at higher yields, even if an inorganic selenium compound is used as a selenium compound. This purpose can be achieved by a method for producing selenoneine, comprising the step of applying histidine and a selenium compound to a transformant to obtain selenoneine, wherein the transformant has at least one gene selected from the group consisting of a SatA gene, a CysB gene and a MetR gene, and an EgtA gene inserted therein and can overexpress the inserted genes.

Provided is a process for synthesizing a functionalized cyclic dithiocarbamate.

Methods and fluid compositions are provided for decreasing an amount of sulfur-containing compounds in downhole fluids and/or subterranean reservoir wellbores by including at least one enzyme destabilizer in a fluid composition. The fluid composition may then be circulated into a subterranean reservoir wellbore. The fluid composition may further include a base fluid and at least one sulfur producing enzyme. The base fluid may be or include, but is not limited to, drilling fluids, servicing fluids, production fluids, completion fluids, injection fluids, refinery fluids, and combinations thereof. The enzyme destabilizer(s) may be destabilize the sulfur producing enzymes and thereby decrease an amount of sulfur-containing compounds produced vis-à-vis the sulfur producing enzyme(s).

Cysteine synthase enzymes (e.g. O-Acetyl-L-Serine Sulfhydrylase enzymes) may be used in combination with sulfide quinone reductase enzymes in additive compositions, fluid compositions, and methods for decreasing or removing hydrogen sulfide from recovered downhole fluids and/or the subterranean reservoir wellbore from which the downhole fluid was recovered. The fluid composition may include at least one cysteine synthase enzyme with at least one sulfide quinone reductase, and a base fluid, such as a water-based fluid, an organic-based fluid, and combinations thereof.

The present invention describes an approach to produce or increase hypotaurine or taurine production in unicellular organisms. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic modification of unicellular organisms that include bacteria, algal, microalgal, diatoms, yeast, or fungi. The invention relates to methods to increase taurine levels in the cells by binding taurine or decreasing taurine degradation. The invention can be used in organisms that contain native or heterologous (transgenic) taurine biosynthetic pathways or cells that have taurine by enrichment. The invention also relates to methods to increase taurine levels in the cells and to use the said cells or extracts or purifications from the cells that contain the invention to produce plant growth enhancers, food, animal feed, aquafeed, food or drink supplements, animal-feed supplements, dietary supplements, health supplements or taurine.

The present invention describes methods to produce a synthetic or semi-synthetic cysteine synthase/PLP-dependent decarboxylase (sCs/PLP-DC). More particularly, the invention relates to genetic modification of organisms including eukaryotes and prokaryotes to express a functional sCs/PLP-DC. The invention includes methods to produce taurine in organisms that contain native or heterologous (transgenic) taurine biosynthetic pathways or cells that have taurine by enrichment. The invention also relates to methods to increase taurine levels in the cells and to use the said cells or extracts or purifications from the cells that contain the invention to produce plant growth enhancers, food, animal feed, aquafeed, food or drink supplements, animal-feed supplements, dietary supplements, health supplements or taurine.

The present invention relates to a secretagogue compound derived from oxalate degrading bacteria, for use in the treatment of an oxalate related disease and/or oxalate related imbalance in a subject, wherein the administration of the secretagogue results in a reduction of urinary oxalate and/or plasma oxalate in the subject. The invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a secretagogue compound, a method for treating a subject suffering from an oxalate related disease, and to a method for preparing a secretagogue.

Metal bioremediation and metal mining strategies can include compositions and methods.

The present invention describes an approach to produce taurine or increase hypotaurine or taurine production in prokaryotes or eukaryotes. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic transformation of organisms with algal, microalgal or fungal genes that encode proteins that pool catalyze the conversion of sulfur-containing compounds such as sulfate or cysteine to taurine. The invention describes methods for the use of polynucleotides for cysteine dioxygenase-like (CDOL), sulfinoalanine decarboxylase-like (SADL), cysteine sulfate/decarboxylase or a portion of the cysteine synthetase/PLP decarboxylase (partCS/PLP-DC) polypeptide in bacteria, alga, yeast, or plants to produce taurine or increase hypotaurine or taurine. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in plants but other organisms may be used. Taurine production or increased levels of hypoataurine or taurine in plants could be used as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or therapeutic compounds or as a supplement in animal feed or for animal feed or as an enhancer for plant growth or yield.