DocChip: A Configurable Hardware Accelerator for an End-to-End Historical Document Image Processing.

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to digitize and electronically access historical records. Optical character recognition (OCR) is typically applied to scanned historical archives to transcribe them from document images into machine-readable texts. Many libraries offer special stationary equipment for scanning historical documents.

Identification of novel pentose transporters in Kluyveromyces marxianus using a new screening platform.

The capacity of yeasts to assimilate xylose or arabinose is strongly dependent on plasma membrane transport proteins. Because pentoses comprise a substantial proportion of available sugars in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, their utilisation is centrally important for the development of second generation biorefineries. Relatively few native pentose transporters have been studied and there is intense interest in expanding the repertoire.

Genomic adaptations to an endolithic lifestyle in the coral-associated alga Ostreobium.

The green alga Ostreobium is an important coral holobiont member, playing key roles in skeletal decalcification and providing photosynthate to bleached corals that have lost their dinoflagellate endosymbionts. Ostreobium lives in the coral's skeleton, a low-light environment with variable pH and O availability. We present the Ostreobium nuclear genome and a metatranscriptomic analysis of healthy and bleached corals to improve our understanding of Ostreobium's adaptations to its extreme environment and its roles as a coral holobiont member.

Origin of Lactose Fermentation in Kluyveromyces lactis by Interspecies Transfer of a Neo-functionalized Gene Cluster during Domestication.

Humans have used yeasts to make cheese and kefir for millennia, but the ability to ferment the milk sugar lactose is found in only a few yeast species, of which the foremost is Kluyveromyces lactis [1]. Two genes, LAC12 (lactose permease) and LAC4 (lactase), are sufficient for lactose uptake and hydrolysis to glucose and galactose [2]. Here, we show that these genes have a complex evolutionary history in the genus Kluyveromyces that is likely the result of human activity during domestication.

Biological Parts for Synthetic Biology.

is a non-conventional yeast whose physiology and metabolism lends itself to diverse biotechnological applications. While the wild-type yeast is already in use for producing fragrances and fermented products, the lack of standardised tools for its genetic and metabolic engineering prevent it from being used as a next-generation cell factory for bio-based chemicals. In this paper, we bring together and characterise a set of native parts for the expression of multiple genes for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.

Expansion and Diversification of MFS Transporters in .

In yeasts, proteins of the Major Superfamily Transporter selectively bind and allow the uptake of sugars to permit growth on varied substrates. The genome of brewer's yeast, , encodes multiple hexose transporters (Hxt) to transport glucose and other MFS proteins for maltose, galactose, and other monomers. For sugar uptake, the dairy yeast, , uses Rag1p for glucose, Hgt1 for glucose and galactose, and Lac12 for lactose.

Ploidy Variation in Separates Dairy and Non-dairy Isolates.

is traditionally associated with fermented dairy products, but can also be isolated from diverse non-dairy environments. Because of thermotolerance, rapid growth and other traits, many different strains are being developed for food and industrial applications but there is, as yet, little understanding of the genetic diversity or population genetics of this species. shows a high level of phenotypic variation but the only phenotype that has been clearly linked to a genetic polymorphism is lactose utilisation, which is controlled by variation in the gene.

Genome editing in Kluyveromyces and Ogataea yeasts using a broad-host-range Cas9/gRNA co-expression plasmid.

While CRISPR-Cas9-mediated genome editing has transformed yeast research, current plasmids and cassettes for Cas9 and guide-RNA expression are species specific. CRISPR tools that function in multiple yeast species could contribute to the intensifying research on non-conventional yeasts. A plasmid carrying a pangenomic origin of replication and two constitutive expression cassettes for Cas9 and ribozyme-flanked gRNAs was constructed.

Development and implementation of multilocus sequence typing to study the diversity of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus in Italian cheeses.

The yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus possesses advantageous traits like rapid growth, GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status and thermotolerance that make it very suitable for diverse biotechnological applications. Although physiological studies demonstrate wide phenotypic variation within the species, there is only limited information available on the genetic diversity of K. marxianus.

Polymorphisms in the LAC12 gene explain lactose utilisation variability in Kluyveromyces marxianus strains.

Kluyveromyces marxianus is a safe yeast used in the food and biotechnology sectors. One of the important traits that sets it apart from the familiar yeasts, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, is its capacity to grow using lactose as a carbon source. Like in its close relative, Kluyveromyces lactis, this requires lactose transport via a permease and intracellular hydrolysis of the disaccharide.