The present disclosure provides methods for predicting phenotypic performance of a host cell in industrial culture. Specifically, the present disclosure provides methods for predicting phenotypic performance of a host cell in industrial culture by determining the metabolite fingerprinting profile of a host cell in small lab-scale culture and applying said profile to a predictive model of phenotypic performance.

The present invention relates to the field of protein characterization, and in particular to methods for characterizing high molecular weight species of a therapeutic protein by implementing a workflow including using a post-column denaturation-assisted SEC-MS method that allows highly specific, sensitive, and comprehensive characterization of high molecular weight species.

Disclosed herein is a chemo-proteomic probe for labelling and monitoring a live microbe interacting with a host cell and for qualitative and quantitative analyses of those proteins involved during a microbe infects the host cell. This probe comprises a functional group for conjugating to a surface protein of a live microbe under a physiological condition; a photo-reactive group for covalent cross-linking to an interacting cell protein of a host; and a tag for isolating the cross-linked complex of the surface protein of said live microbe and the interacting protein of a host cell for qualitative and quantitative proteomics analyses. The probe may further comprise a visualization tag. This technology takes advantage of the high throughput feature of mass spectrometry analysis and combines it with a uniquely designed chemistry to achieve high efficient isolation and analysis of host cell proteins interacting with a pathogen at different stages of an infection.

The present disclosure provides methods of identifying or certifying an animal that consumed a traceable diet comprising a C.sub.1 metabolizing microorganism.

The invention relates to the use of histone binding agents for detecting, isolating and/or purifying cell free nucleosomes of tumor origin or circulating tumor DNA from a biological sample. The invention also relates to methods and kits using said histone binding agents.

The present disclosure provides for a universal lipid quantitative standard (ULQS) comprising a plurality of isotopically labeled lipid standards that can be used with any analytical mass spectrometry techniques known in the art. The ULQS includes at least one isotopically labeled lipid species from one or more of the following lipid classes: i) phospholipids; ii) lysophospholipids; iii) cholesterol esters; iv) triacylglycerols; v) diacylglycerols; vi) ceramides; and vii) sphingomyelins.

The invention mainly relates to the mass spectrometric identification of pathogens in blood cultures from bloodstream infections (septicemia). The invention provides a method with which microbial pathogens can be separated in purified form from blood after a relatively brief cultivation in a blood culture flask, without any interfering human proteins or any residual fractions of blood particles such as erythrocytes and leukocytes, and can be directly identified by mass spectrometric measurement of their protein profiles. The method is based on the use of relatively strong tensides to destroy the blood particles by dissolving the weak cell membranes and most of the internal structures of the blood particles; in spite of the fact that tensides are regarded as strong ionization inhibitors in MALDI and other ionization processes required for mass spectrometric measurements. This method allows unknown pathogens to be obtained in their pure form by centrifuging or filtration and to be identified on the taxonomic level of species or subspecies. Problems with DNA from high levels of leukocytes can be resolved by special measures. After sufficient cultivation, the identification in a mass spectrometric laboratory takes only half an hour.

Disclosed are methods and systems using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the detection and/or analysis of progesterone metabolites, such as progesterone sulfates, in biological samples. In some cases, the amount of progesterone sulfate may be used to distinguish whether gestational pruritus of the skin is an early symptom of (ICP) or due to benign pruritus gravidarum.

Disclosed herein is a method for verifying the primary structure of a protein through comparative analyses between ion clusters observed in mass spectra and a series of simulated ion clusters deduced from its putative chemical formula. The method comprises the steps of: preparing a protein sample for mass spectrometric analyses; collecting mass spectra of the protein sample; obtaining master ion cluster from a plurality of ion clusters in the mass spectra; producing a series of simulated ion clusters according to the chemical formula of the protein; finding the best fit for the master ion cluster among the series of simulated ion clusters; and verifying if said best-fit simulated ion cluster corresponds to the chemical formula of the protein.

A kit or composition for in situ simultaneously derivatization of 14 phenol and carboxylic acid metabolites of benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene (BTEX) in a urine sample is disclosed. The derivatization imparts a positive charge to phenol and carboxylic acid for subsequent LC-MS analysis. Limit of detection reached part-per-trillion levels for o-Cresol and part-per-billion levels for the remaining BTEX metabolites. BTEX metabolites can be detected in less than 35 mins according to one embodiment of the invention. Methods, kits and compositions disclosed herein can be used for in situ simultaneous derivatization of phenol and carboxylic acid in aqueous solution in general.