Current methods for detection of microbial contaminants on surfaces use swabbing/wiping to extract microbes for analysis. This removes easily transferable microbes but fails to extract microbes living in biofilms, which reduces sensitivity and may mask the true degree of contamination. The current disclosure provides an enzyme cocktail that disrupts the biofilm and improves the extraction of live microbes for analysis. Applicant's enzyme system is particularly useful for the application to a variety of surfaces, but particularly on a variety of food processing surfaces. Utilization of Applicant's enzyme cocktail makes possible the extraction of a representative sample of live microorganisms present on a surface, including film forming microorganisms, without affecting non-film forming microorganisms also present on a surface.

The present invention relates, in some aspects, to the production of steviol glycoside rebaudioside D4 through the use of rebaudioside E. In some aspects, the invention relates to mutant CP1 enzymes, mutant HV1 enzymes as well as host cells and methods utilizing such enzymes, such as to produce rebaudioside D4.

The present invention relates to a novel polypeptide which displays IgG cysteine protease activity, and in vivo and ex vivo uses thereof. Uses of the polypeptide include methods for the prevention or treatment of diseases and conditions mediated by IgG, and methods for the analysis of IgG.

Bacterial strain Clostridium histolyticum was deposited in CCM (Czech Collection of Microorganisms at Masaryk University, Faculty of Science) under No. CCM 8656. This strain produces proteolytic enzymes including collagenase, elastinase, neutral proteases and clostripain under anaerobic conditions at a temperature from 25° C. to 45° C. The strain is used for the production of a mixture of two collagenases, col 1 and col 2, with molecular weight 116 kDa and 126 kDa, and possibly clostripain. The mixture of the above-mentioned collagenases and possibly clostripain obtained from the above-mentioned strain is used for the isolation of Langerhans islets.

The technology relates generally to the field of immunology and relates in part to methods for activating T cells and other cells resulting in an immune response against a target antigen. The technology also relates to costimulation of therapeutic cells that express chimeric antigen receptors that recognize target antigens using chimeric MyD88- and CD40-derived polypeptides. The technology further relates in part to therapeutic cells that express chimeric antigen receptors, wherein the chimeric antigen receptors have an endodomain that includes MyD88- and CD40-derived polypeptides, and methods for treating patients using the modified therapeutic cells.

We disclose various improvements for compositions of genetically-modified T cells which include a suicide switch. For instance, the composition may comprise CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells, wherein the ratio of CD4+ T cells to CD8+ T cells is less than 2.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) comprising an antigen binding domain (e.g., anti-TSHR), transmembrane domain (e.g., CD28), and a cytoplasmic domain (e.g., CD27, CD-137, etc.) and a safety mechanism comprising an inducible apoptosis trigger. In some aspects, the disclosure relates to use of the CARs in T cells, compositions, kits and methods for the treatment of thyroid cancers.

The present invention concerns a novel short promoter characterized by a high activity in the skeletal muscles and a low activity in the heart. It then constitutes a valuable candidate especially for driving the expression of transgenes encoding proteins useful for the treatment of muscular dystrophies.

The present disclosure provides methods and compositions that include a polynucleotide that includes nucleic acids that encode an anti-idiotype polypeptide, as well as polypeptides that are encoded by the same, and cells that include and express the polypeptide. Disclosed methods include methods that utilize the anti-idiotype polypeptides as safety switches when they are used in combination with antibodies, include approved biologic antibodies, that include the recognized idiotype. Certain embodiments include anti-idiotype polypeptides and nucleotides encoding the same, that include an internal domain. This internal domain in some embodiments has functional domains that can induce proliferation or cell death upon binding of the anti-idiotype polypeptide by its target antibody.

The present invention relates to an expression system for systemic administration comprising a sequence encoding a protein, said expression system allowing: the expression at a therapeutically acceptable level of the protein in the target tissues including skeletal muscles; and the expression at toxically acceptable level of the protein in tissues other than the target tissues, especially in the heart.