A di-enzymatic chimeric endolysin includes a primary enzymatic active domain including a primary protein sequence and that cleaves a glycosidic, peptide, or amide bond; a secondary enzymatic active domain disposed at a C-terminus end of the di-enzymatic chimeric endolysin and including a secondary protein sequence that, in combination with the primary enzymatic active domain, synergistically cleaves glycosidic, peptide, or amide bonds in a peptidoglycan; a cell wall binding domain including a recognition sequence that is sequentially interposed between the primary protein sequence and the secondary protein sequence and that binds to a cell wall; and a tertiary structure such that the primary enzymatic active domain faces and opposes the secondary enzymatic active domain in the di-enzymatic chimeric endolysin for synergistic cleavage of the peptidoglycan.

Polypeptides, viruses, methods and compositions provided herein are useful for the selective elimination of senescent cells. Method aspects include methods for inducing apoptosis in a senescent cell comprising administering to the cell a polynucleotide, virus, host cell, or pharmaceutical composition described herein. Other methods include expressing a pro-apoptotic gene in a senescent cell comprising administering to the cell the polynucleotide, virus, or pharmaceutical composition as described herein.

The present invention provides methods for the prevention, control, disruption and treatment of bacterial biofilms with lysin, particularly lysin having capability to kill Staphlococcal bacteria, including drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus, particularly the lysin PlySs2. The invention also provides compositions and methods for use in treatment or modulation of bacterial biofilm(s) and biofilm formation.

The present invention relates to assays, kits and oligonucleotides for the detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa for a fast, sensitive and reliable detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a species- and serotype-specific manner. In particular, the present invention provides an assay for the serotype-specific detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a kit for the serotype-specific detection of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as oligonucleotides useful in such assay or kit. The present invention further relates to the use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype specific antibodies for serotype specific treatment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in a patient detected for said specific Pseudomonas aeruginosa serotype with such an assay or kit.

Disclosed herein include methods, compositions, and kits suitable for use in thresholding of protein signals. There are provided, in some embodiments, synthetic protein circuits that respond to inputs only above or below a certain threshold concentration. In some embodiments, the threshold value itself is tunable. Methods of treating a disease or disorder characterized by aberrant signaling are provided in some embodiments.

Provided are compositions, methods and kits that are useful for detecting, inhibiting the growth of, and killing bacteria. The compositions include recombinant, chimeric polypeptides that contain at least one immunoglobulin fragment crystallizable region (Fc) segment and at least one additional segment that contains a binding domain that is specific for a bacterial cell wall substrate. The binding domain is one from one or more of a bacterial autolysin, a bacteriophage lysin, a bacteriophage tail or tail fiber, or a bacteriocin. Method of using the polypeptides for detecting, inhibiting the growth of, and killing bacteria are provided and involve contacting bacteria with the polypeptides. Methods of making the polypeptides include expressing the polypeptides in cells, and separating the polypeptides from the cells. Polynucleotides, such as expression vectors, that encode the chimeric polypeptides are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods and compositions provided herein that include a compound protease. The compound protease can contain a protease domain, a cut site for another enzyme and an association domain. In some embodiments, the compound protease is part of a protein circuit.

Polypeptides, viruses, methods and compositions provided herein are useful for the selective elimination of senescent cells. Method aspects include methods for inducing apoptosis in a senescent cell comprising administering to the cell a polynucleotide, virus, host cell, or pharmaceutical composition described herein. Other methods include expressing a pro-apoptotic gene in a senescent cell comprising administering to the cell the polynucleotide, virus, or pharmaceutical composition as described herein.

The invention relates to the field of medicine, specifically to the field of treatment of conditions associated with Staphylococcus infection. The invention relates to a novel endolysin polypeptide specifically targeting a bacterial Staphylococcus cell. The invention further relates to said endolysin polypeptide for medical use, preferably for treating an individual suffering from a condition associated with Staphylococcus infection.

The present invention relates to novel methods of generating and screening for chimeric polypeptides, which can be used in the treatment and prophylaxis of pathogenic bacterial contamination, colonisation and infection. The novel methods are based on random recombination of protein domains, and the chimeric polypeptides obtainable by the methods according to the invention are characterized in that they comprise at least one enzymatic active domain (EAD) and at least one cell binding domain (CBD). The present invention also relates to a library of chimeric polypeptides obtainable by the methods of the present invention.