Miles Laboratories, Inc.

Solvay Enzymes, Inc.

Josephine Grosch

Sethuraman Subramanian

George Boguslawski

John W Shultz

Clifford O Yehle

Karen Wollweber

Gary A Wilson

Proteases are susceptible to autolytic degradation. The method of the invention provides a method to identify susceptible autolysis sites which are cleaved to produce a few discrete fragments. Once identified, amino acid(s) at or in the vicinity of the cleavage site may be chemically modified or the DNA sequence capable of encoding the amino acid present at the site may be changed or deleted by site directed mutagenesis to produce an autolysis stable protease. The invention is particularly applicable to alkaline proteases which are produced in large quantities and used as detergent additives. Stable alkaline proteases could then be used in liquid detergent formulations.

Proteases of altered stability to autolytic degradation

A method is provided for detecting a microorganism which produces a desired substance. The method involves overlaying a membrane on an agar surface in a predetermined orientation. Microorganisms are grown on the membrane and the substance allowed to pass into the agar. The membrane is removed and a detectable reaction between the substance and one or more reagents is observed. The location of the microorganism to be detected can be determined by the predetermined orientation, and the microorganism can be isolated by removing it from the membrane. When the substance is not secreted by the microorganism, the microorganisms are lysed releasing the substance for passage into the agar. The microorganisms producing the substance can be located on replicate plates and isolated.

Method for detection and isolation of a microorganism

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Elkhart, IN, United States of America

Josephine Grosch