The present invention relates to a lyophilized composition comprising killed cancer cells with substantially retained immunogenicity and morphology, an intracellular cryopreservative such as trehalose and an extracellular cryopreservative such as polyvinylpyrrolidone. The present invention also relates to a process for the preparation of said lyophilized composition. The lyophilized composition of the present invention can be used for cancer immunotherapy.

The present invention provides a novel sensor for detecting streptavidin (SA). The nucleic acid sensor for analyzing SA of the present invention includes the following nucleic acid element that includes a catalyst nucleic acid molecule (D) that exerts a catalytic function and a binding nucleic acid molecule (A) that binds to SA. The nucleic acid element is a double-stranded nucleic acid element including a first strand and a second strand. The first strand (ss1) includes the binding nucleic acid molecule (A), a loop-forming sequence (L1), and the catalyst nucleic acid molecule (D) linked in this order. The second strand (ss2) includes a stem-forming sequence (S.sub.A), a loop-forming sequence (L2), and a stem-forming sequence (S.sub.D) linked in this order. In this nucleic acid element, in the absence of SA, the catalytic function of the catalyst nucleic acid molecule (D) is inhibited by stem formation in each of the stem-forming sequences (S.sub.A) and (S.sub.D), and in the presence of SA, the stem formation is released by a binding of the binding nucleic acid molecule (A) with the SA, and the catalytic function of the catalyst nucleic acid molecule (D) is exerted.

The present invention provides methods for rapid forensic analysis of mitochondrial DNA and methods for characterizing heteroplasmy of mitochondrial DNA, which can be used to assess the progression of mitochondrial diseases.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mutant streptavidin with a reduced affinity for natural biotin, and also to provide a modified biotin having a high affinity for the mutant streptavidin with a reduced affinity for natural biotin. According to the present invention, there is provided a reagent kit for use in treatments or diagnoses, which comprises: (a) a mutant streptavidin with a reduced affinity for natural biotin or biocytin; and a modified biotin having a high affinity for the above-described mutant streptavidin.

In one aspect the disclosure relations to means and methods for identifying a protein or a DNA encoding the protein, involved in the production of a product by a micro-organism. In the methods the micro-organism is cultured under different culture conditions each of which exhibit a different level of the product that is produced by the micro-organism. The genetic expression of the genes of the micro-organism is compared with the level of the product, and groups of DNAs are identified that are involved in the production of the product by the micro-organism.

The present invention provides a modified biotin-binding protein comprising an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 or its modified sequence and having a biotin-binding activity and replacement selected from the group consisting of: 1) replacement of the 36th serine residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with an amino acid residue that does not form a hydrogen bond; 2) replacement of the 80th tryptophan residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with a hydrophilic amino acid residue; 3) replacement of the 116th aspartic acid residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with an amino acid residue that does not form a hydrogen bond; 4) replacement of the 46th proline residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with a threonine, serine, or tyrosine residue and replacement of the 78th threonine residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with an amino acid residue that does not form a hydrogen bond; 5) replacement of the 46th proline residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with a threonine, serine, or tyrosine residue and replacement of the 116th aspartic acid residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with an amino acid that does not form a hydrogen bond; and 6) replacement of the 46th proline residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with a threonine, serine, or tyrosine residue, replacement of the 78th threonine residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with an amino acid residue that does not form a hydrogen bond, and replacement of the 116th aspartic acid residue of SEQ ID NO: 2 with an amino acid that does not form a hydrogen bond.

The present invention relates to a composition for preventing, alleviating or treating liver injury, for example, nonalcoholic fatty liver, and more specifically, it relates to a composition for preventing or treating liver injury comprising a Ruminococcus spp. strain.

Lanthanide chelate lipid nanoparticles, and methods of their synthesis and use are described. Biological molecules labeled with the lipid nanoparticles, useful in bioaffinity assays with improved sensitivities are also described.