The invention relates to identification and characterization of recombinant DNA and polypeptides for specific Bt toxin receptors. In particular, the Bt toxin receptors of the invention include those derived from the Lepidopteran super family including the species Trichoplusiani ni, Pseudoplusia includens, Helicoverpa zea, and Spodoptera frugiperda. The receptors of the invention further include those derived from the Coleopteran super family and particularly from the species Diabrotica virgifera virgifera. The recombinant DNA and polypeptides so provided are useful in the identification and design of novel Bt toxin receptor ligands including novel or improved insecticidal toxins for use in a variety of agricultural applications. Materials and methods for identifying novel toxins are also disclosed herein. The invention also provides methods for selecting toxins to combine to control insect populations by manipulating Bt toxin receptor.

Among the various aspects of the present disclosure is the provision of a method of detection, treatment, and monitoring of cardiovascular disease or a foot wound by detection of a novel biomarker, Fatty Acid Synthase (FAS).

In this application is described a method for rapidly and accurately identifying B. anthracis in a sample by simultaneously detecting the presence of cell wall antigen and capsule antigen in the same sample culture grown under capsule inducing conditions. Other uses and advantages of the method of the invention are described herein.

The present invention relates to a class-G immunoglobulin against the anthrax toxin protective antigen (PA), or one of the fragments of same, comprising at least: a variable heavy-chain region comprising an amino acid sequence represented by the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, or comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 1, and comprising the amino acids Leucine in position 51 and Glycine in position 67, and a variable light-chain region comprising an amino acid sequence represented by the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2, or comprising an amino acid sequence having at least 90% identity with the sequence SEQ ID NO: 2, and comprising a Leucine amino acid in position 55. The invention also relates to the uses of such an immunoglobulin.

The present invention provides for a system and method to detect low levels of the anthrax protective antigen (PA) exotoxin in biological fluids, wherein the system uses a metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)-PA assay in combination with microwave-accelerated PA protein surface absorption. Microwave irradiation rapidly accelerates PA deposition onto the surface adjacent to deposited metallic particles and significantly speeding up the MEF-PA assay and resulting in a total assay run time of less than 40 min with an analytical sensitivity of less than 1 pg/ml PA.

The present invention relates to monoclonal antibodies that bind or neutralize anthrax lethal factor (LF), edema factor (EF), and/or protective antigen (PA). The invention provides such antibodies, fragments of such antibodies retaining anthrax toxin-binding ability, fully human or humanized antibodies retaining anthrax toxin-binding ability, and pharmaceutical compositions including such antibodies. The invention further provides for isolated nucleic acids encoding the antibodies of the invention and host cells transformed therewith. Additionally, the invention provides for prophylactic, therapeutic, and diagnostic methods employing the antibodies and nucleic acids of the invention.

Methods are provided for assaying whether a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain is capable of increasing the amount of sugar available from animal feed comprising non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in vivo when the Bacillus composition and animal feed are fed to an animal. Methods also are provided for increasing the amount of sugar available from animal feed comprising non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) when the animal feed is fed to an animal, comprising adding to the animal feed a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain, wherein the composition produces 120 hexose equivalents (mol/ml) or more when measured by the method described herein. Animal feeds comprising 14% (w/w) or more of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) if the animal feed is for a piglet, lactating sow, broiler or layer, or 19% (w/w) or more of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) if the animal feed is for a grower-finisher pig or gestating sow, and a Bacillus composition comprising at least one Bacillus strain, as well as methods and uses relating thereto, also are provided.

The invention features methods for rapidly and sensitively identifying molecular targets in medical, industrial, and environmental samples. The invention labels target molecules and then images them using large area imaging. Diagnostic tests based on the invention can be rapid, ultrasensitive, quantitative, multiplexed, and automated. A broad range of infectious agents (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites) and molecules (e.g., proteins, DNA, RNA, hormones, and drugs) can be detected by the methods. The invention enables rapid, ultra-sensitive, cost-effective, and portable assays. The ability of the invention to detect low levels of target molecules rapidly and cost-effectively results from the combination of high intensity labeling, formats that facilitate rapid reaction kinetics, and large area imaging based using either instrumentation made from off-the-shelf commercial components or no instrumentation at all.

In this application is described a method for rapidly and accurately identifying B. anthracis in a sample by simultaneously detecting the presence of cell wall antigen and capsule antigen in the same sample culture grown under capsule inducing conditions. Other uses and advantages of the method of the invention are described herein.

The invention relates to identification and characterization of recombinant DNA and polypeptides for specific Bt toxin receptors. In particular, the Bt toxin receptors of the invention include those derived from the Lepidopteran super family including the species Trichoplusiani ni, Pseudoplusia includens, Helicoverpa zea, and Spodoptera frugiperda. The receptors of the invention further include those derived from the Coleopteran super family and particularly from the species Diabrotica virgifera virgifera. The recombinant DNA and polypeptides so provided are useful in the identification and design of novel Bt toxin receptor ligands including novel or improved insecticidal toxins for use in a variety of agricultural applications. Materials and methods for identifying novel toxins are also disclosed herein. The invention also provides methods for selecting toxins to combine to control insect populations by manipulating Bt toxin receptor.