Accurate measurements of the presence or absence of a target cell in a sample are provided. For example, the sample can be mixed with a plurality of transduction particles capable of binding to the target cells, the transduction particles being engineered to include a nucleic acid molecule formulated to cause the target cells to produce a plurality of detectable reporter molecules once the particles bind to and deliver the nucleic acid molecules into the one or more target cells. A set of signal data points are received that are associated with a quantity of reporter molecules and the signal data points are analyzed to accurately detect target cells in the sample. Systems and methods are disclosed.

Methods for preventing IBS, reducing the likelihood of developing IBS and/or treating IBS by administering COT inhibitors and/or COT neutralizers to a subject in need thereof are described. Methods of eliciting a specific immune response and methods of vaccinating a subject to prevent IBS or to reduce the likelihood of developing or having IBS are also provided. Methods of diagnosing IBS by detecting the presence or absence of COT or a COT marker in a subject are described.

The present invention relates to recombinant Gram-negative bacterial strains and the use thereof for delivery of heterologous proteins into eukaryotic cells.

The present invention relates to recombinant Gram-negative bacterial strains and the use thereof for delivery of heterologous proteins into eukaryotic cells.

Described herein are assays for identifying piericidins and piericidin compositions.

Devices, systems and methods including a sonicator for sample preparation are provided. A sonicator may be used to mix, resuspend, aerosolize, disperse, disintegrate, or de-gas a solution. A sonicator may be used to disrupt a cell, such as a pathogen cell in a sample. Sample preparation may include exposing pathogen-identifying material by sonication to detect, identify, or measure pathogens. A sonicator may transfer ultrasonic energy to the sample solution by contacting its tip to an exterior wall of a vessel containing the sample. Multipurpose devices including a sonicator also include further components for additional actions and assays. Devices, and systems comprising such devices, may communicate with a laboratory or other devices in a system for sample assay and analysis. Methods utilizing such devices and systems are provided. The improved sample preparation devices, systems and methods are useful for analyzing samples, e.g. for diagnosing patients suffering from infection by pathogens.

An apparatus and method for detecting the type, presence or amount of bacteria in a sample. The apparatus and method involve staining a liquid sample with a fluorescent stain corresponding to bacteria and imaging one or more portions of the sample at a selected set of sample Z-axis heights, X-Y coordinates, or both, within the sample after a predetermined time to allow for non-bacterial components in the sample to settle out of solution. A calibration method for correlating the concentration or amount of bacteria in biological samples by different analysis methods including glass slide methods, agar plate colony culture methods and high precision methods.

The invention provides a method for detecting bacteria. The method utilises a peptide that forms a complex with a conjugated reporter polymer and is susceptible to cleavage by one or more proteases on the surface of a bacteria. Presence or absence of the bacteria can be determined by assessing the optical absorption and/or colour and/or photoluminescence (e.g. fluorescence) of the conjugated reporter polymer, which may undergo a conformational change after binding with the to the cleaved peptide substrate. Specifically, the peptide substrate may comprise a cleavage site for digestion by the protease, and the protease may be an omptin protease. The conjugated reporter polymer may be selected from a polythiophene, a poly(1,4-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), a poly(1,4-phenylene) (PPP), a polyfluorenes (PFO), a nitrogen-containing polymer such as polyquinoline, poly(2,5-pyridinevinylene) (PPyV), 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), and a polypyrrole. The method may be used to detect contamination in food or water, or as a clinical and/or diagnostic test.

A method for classifying a microorganism, including (S1) obtaining a first mass spectrum resulting from mass spectrometry of a first microorganism belonging to the order Enterobacterales that has been cultured under conditions for producing an acid shock protein, classification of the first microorganism at and below one of the family, genus, and species levels being unknown; (S2) obtaining a first m/z corresponding to the acid shock protein from the first mass spectrum; and (S3) performing classification at or below one of the unknown levels of the first microorganism by analyzing the first m/z.