A sample, which is a mixture of glycans, is fluorescently labeled (S2). The sample is subsequently separated by microchip electrophoresis under a buffer solution with no lectin added as well as under multiple kinds of buffer solutions with different lectins respectively added, and the separated components are fluorescently detected (S3). A high-concentration gel which can produce a molecular-sieving effect is used as the buffer solution. Multiple electropherograms are created from the detection results (S4). A glycan having a lectin specifically attached is delayed during its migration in the buffer solution, so that a peak corresponding to this glycan will effectively disappear. Accordingly, based on the kinds of lectins and the presence/absence of a peak on each of the electropherograms, the structure of each glycan in the sample is estimated and the glycan is identified (S5).

Endometrial receptivity status is determined by measuring, in an uterine fluid sample taken from a woman, the amounts of at least three proteins selected among NNMT, LCN2, PGR, SLC26A2, SLC34A2, TCN1, ENPP3, GRN, STC1, DPP4, MPO, CD55, ELANE, MSLN, CTSB, RNASET2, CRISP3, MVP, MMP26, AOC1 and SDCBP2. The EM receptivity status of the woman is determined based on a comparison of the measured amounts of the at least three proteins with respective control amounts.

A method of ion imaging is disclosed that includes automatically sampling a plurality of different locations on a sample using a front device which is arranged and adapted to generate aerosol, smoke or vapour from the sample. Mass spectral data and/or ion mobility data corresponding to each location is obtained and the obtained mass spectral data and/or ion mobility data is used to construct, train or improved a sample classification model.

A method is disclosed comprising providing a biological sample on a swab, directing a spray of charged droplets onto a surface of the swab in order to generate a plurality of analyte ions, and analysing the analyte ions.

The invention relates to a method for the determination and visualization of the spatial distribution of tissue states of a tissue sample, wherein a mass/mobility map is acquired at each of a plurality of sample sites of the tissue sample, the signal heights at each sample site are determined at characteristic signal positions in the corresponding mass/mobility map, from which a tissue state for each sample site is calculated with the aid of a mathematical/statistical classification algorithm, and the spatial distribution of the tissue states calculated for the sample sites is represented graphically.

A method of determining tolerance to an agent in a healthy subject is disclosed. The method comprises: (a) determining a signature of a microbiome in a sample of the healthy subject who has been subjected to the agent or condition; and (b) comparing the signature of the microbiome of the healthy subject to at least one reference signature of a pathological microbiome, wherein when the signature of the microbiome of the healthy subject is statistically significantly similar to the reference signature of the pathological microbiome, it is indicative that the healthy subject is intolerant to the agent.

Systems and methods are presented that allow for selection of tumor neoepitopes that are filtered for various criteria. In particularly contemplated aspects, filtering includes a step in which the mutation leading to the neoepitope is ascertained as being located in a cancer driver gene.

Provided herein are methods for identification of an expression profile, a transcriptional profile, and/or an epigenetic profile from a cell-containing sample. Also provided are compositions for use in the disclosed methods.

Apparatus and methods for the detection of proteins in biological fluids such as urine using a label-free assay is described. Specific proteins are detected by their binding to highly specific capture reagents such as SOMAmers that are attached to the surface of a substrate. Changes to these capture reagents and their local environment upon protein binding modify the behavior of color centers (e.g., fluorescence, ionization state, spin state, etc.) embedded in the substrate beneath the bound capture reagents. These changes can be read out, for example, optically or electrically, for an individual color center or as an average response of many color centers.

The invention is directed to a process for preparing a library of saposin lipoprotein particles, wherein the particles comprise membrane components from a cell or an organelle membrane and a lipid binding polypeptide that is a saposin-like protein belonging to the SAPLIP family of lipid interacting proteins or a derivative form thereof, wherein the process comprises the steps of a) providing a mixture of crude membrane vesicles obtained from a cell or an organelle membrane; b) contacting the mixture of step a) with the lipid binding polypeptide in a liquid environment; and c) allowing for self-assembly of the particles. The invention also provides a process for preparing a purified saposin lipoprotein particle comprising the steps of preparing a library according to the process described above and the additional step of f) purifying the saposin lipoprotein particle from the library. In addition, the invention provides a library of saposin lipoprotein particles and saposin lipoprotein particles obtainable according to the processes of the invention. These can be used in medicine, in particular in preventing, treating or lessening the severity of a disease or for use in a diagnostic method, a cosmetic treatment or for use as vaccination formulation or as a tool for drug development, drug screening, drug discovery, antibody development, development of therapeutic biologies, for membrane or membrane protein purification, for membrane protein expression, for membrane and/or membrane protein research, in particular lipidomics and proteomics, preferably for the isolation, identification and/or study of membranes and/or membrane proteins or creation of a lipidome or proteome database.