Provided are compositions, devices and systems, methods for assessing, treating and/or preventing an intraocular disease or disorder in a subject, wherein the etiology of the intraocular disease or disorder comprises infection of a microorganism in the intraocular space or cavity of the subject. Provided are compositions, devices and systems, and methods for assessing, treating and/or preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a subject, e.g., a human patient.

The invention provides methods of enriching and isolating novel microbial organisms, such as rhizobacteria, that promote the growth of plants by recreating the rhizosphere in a laboratory setting. The methods of the invention can be used to produce and characterize beneficial microbes grown at the root-soil interface and provide a technique for selectively enriching bacteria that live in close association with plants and foster the growth thereof.

Provided herein is a large immuno-sorbent surface area assay (ALISSA) for the rapid and sensitive detection of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) and anthrax toxin. This assay is designed to capture a low number of toxin molecules and to measure their intrinsic protease activity via conversion of a fluorogenic or luminescent substrate. Also provided herein are novel peptides that can be specifically cleaved by BoNT and novel peptides that are resistant to cleavage by BoNT. The combination of these cleavable and control peptides can be used for implementation of an exemplary ALISSA used to specifically detect BoNT enzymatic activity. Furthermore, the ALISSA as described herein may also be used in a column based format for use in a high-throughput system for testing large quantities of samples.

The present invention relates to the field of bacterial Surface (S)-layer proteins, in particular to compounds capable of disrupting the bacterial S-Layer, specifically the S-Layer of Bacillus anthracis. More particularly, the invention provides for single domain antibodies for diagnosis and treatment of infection caused by pathogens with an S-Layer, in particular of Bacillus anthracis infection. The invention relates to S-Layer protein binding agents inhibiting bacterial growth and interrupting S-Layer assembly, useful in the treatment of bacterial infection, more specifically treatment of anthrax disease.

Described herein is a redox biosensor system for measurement of NADH/NAD.sup.+ ratio including a host strain or cell-free system including first and a second expression cassette; the first expression cassette including, in operable communication, a constitutive promoter and a gene encoding a Rex allosteric transcription factor that regulates gene expression by binding to NAD(H); and the second expression cassette including, in operable communication, a promoter regulated by the Rex allosteric transcription factor, and a gene encoding a reporter protein, wherein the first expression cassette expresses the Rex allosteric transcription factor, and, in the presence of NAD(H), the Rex allosteric transcription factor drives expression of the reporter protein from the second expression cassette, and wherein the expression of the reporter protein is proportional to the NADH/NAD.sup.+ ratio.

Targeted antimicrobials are described and related, compositions, methods and systems.

Methods and systems for identifying and/or forming a synthetic ensemble, synthetic bioensemble, and/or Endomicrobial Supplement (EMS) are disclosed. Methods of making synthetic microbial ensembles to inhibit bacterial fowl pathogen colonization in the gastrointestinal tract of fowl are disclosed. Method for modulating the alpha and/or beta diversity in the microbial population of the gastrointestinal tract of fowl is disclosed

Provided are methods and pharmaceutical compositions related to nanobodies from engineered Bacillus subtilis bacteria which can be useful as therapeutic agents or for diagnostic testing.

Detection of Listeria from an environmental sample is described herein. In particular, the detection can be completed with results available the same day or same work shift, e.g., in about 12 hours or less, or about 6 to 10 hours. The Same Day detection utilizes a short incubation period and/or concentration steps coupled with a rapid detection assay to produce same day results.

Provided are compositions, devices and systems, methods for assessing, treating and/or preventing an intraocular disease or disorder in a subject, wherein the etiology of the intraocular disease or disorder comprises infection of a microorganism in the intraocular space or cavity of the subject. Provided are compositions, devices and systems, and methods for assessing, treating and/or preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a subject, e.g., a human patient.