Provided among other things is a sampling system for determining an amount or type of contamination a narrow, elongated passageway in a medical device, said sampling system comprising: (a) a fluid supply system that supplies to said passageway a sampling liquid for flowing through said passageway and a gas for flowing through said passageway; and (b) a receiving container that receives liquid from said passageway, wherein said sampling liquid is sterile, wherein said sampling liquid is configured to allow recovery of viable pathogens from the passageway, and wherein said sampling liquid comprises an amount and selection of surfactant effective to enhance the dislodgement of Enterococcus faecalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria from the narrow passageways.

The present invention relates to sensors and methods for detecting bacterial proteases in a sample. In particular, the present invention relates to sensors and methods for detecting Pseudomonas spp. protease activity in a sample. The sensors and methods may be used to detect or predict spoilage of a dairy product. The invention also relates to methods for preparing samples for protease assays.

The present invention relates to sensors and methods for detecting bacterial proteases in a sample. In particular, the present invention relates to sensors and methods for detecting Pseudomonas spp. protease activity in a sample. The sensors and methods may be used to detect or predict spoilage of a dairy product. The invention also relates to methods for preparing samples for protease assays.

Methods and devices for monitoring the viability of a biofilm comprising Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria by detecting pyocyanin are provided.

This disclosure relates to synthetic oligosaccharide subunits of the Pseudomonas exosaccharide Psi and uses thereof, e.g., for epitope mapping of anti-Psl antibodies, for identification of anti-Psl antibodies, and for use as vaccines. In one aspect a synthetic oligosaccharide subunit of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Psl oligosaccharide is provided, comprising the trisaccharide of formula I.

There is provided a biosensor for detecting pathogens in a sample. The detection is based on colorimetry. The biosensor comprises one or more particle supports and a magnetic material attached to a planar support. The biosensor embodies magnetic particles that are functionalized using a chemical substrate specific to the pathogens to be detected. The sensor may allow for a simultaneous detection of a plurality of pathogens in the sample. Also, the sensor may be disposable. Moreover, the sensor may be integrated in a portable detection device.

The present invention relates to a compound of general formula I and to the use thereof as a hapten. ##STR00001## An object of the present invention is also a conjugate of said compound I with a carrier protein or fragment thereof, with a detectable labelling agent, or with a polymer or support, and to the use thereof for producing antibodies. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to a method for the detection and/or quantification of 1-hydroxyphenazine and/or pyocyanin using said antibodies and conjugates for the detection of infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The present invention relates to a family of fluorescent compounds based on the BODIPY scaffold, and methods for the preparation of said compounds. The present invention further relates to the use of said compounds for the detection of bacterial biofilms, wherein the bacterial biofilm comprises Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the compound specifically binds to a Fap protein of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or wherein the compound specifically binds to bacterial cells that contain high levels of cyclic-di-guanosine-monophosphate (c-di-GMP).

A method of determining the presence of Pseudomonas involves establishing a gaseous headspace over a surface suspected of containing at least one Pseudomonas strain and contacting at least a portion of the gaseous headspace with a capillary microextraction of volatiles (CMV) sampling device to absorb at least one component of the headspace by the CMV sampling device. The component loaded CMV sampling device is coupled to an injection port of an analytical device where the components are desorbed into the analytical device, where components are separated, detected, and identified to determine if one or more of the identified components is a biomarker for at least one Pseudomonas strain.

The present invention provides an integrated microfluidic-based device for establishing a wound infection in vivo model suitable for high throughput bioassay such as potential drug screening, in vivo dosing optimization, host-microbe or microbe-microbe interactions under the influence of specific agents of interest, and studying regulatory mechanisms of certain inflammatory diseases relating to or arising from the wound infection. The present invention allows direct qualitative and quantitative assessments of specific markers expressed due to the wound infection by one or more microbes devoid of cell sorting, isolation, or labelling as in other conventional in vivo models or methods.