Provided herein are methods for selection of circular aptamers using a circular nucleic acid library. Also provided are circular aptamers, circular aptamer probes, biosensor systems, and the methods for their use in detecting a microorganism target, or a target molecule present on or generated from a microorganism or a virus in a test sample, including C. difficile glutamate dehydrogenase and methods for determining whether a subject has a C. difficile infection.

Two Borrelia burgdorferi recombinant proteins were expressed in E. coli. These two proteins were generated from (a) the full length dbpA gene combined with the invariable region 6 of the VlsE gene (dbpA/C6), and (b) the full length OspC gene combined with the coding sequence for amino acids 1-121 of the E. coli maltose binding protein gene (OspC/MBP). Methods of using these recombinant proteins for detecting anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in patient sera and diagnosis of Lyme Disease are described.

Detection devices comprising microbe-targeting molecules (MTMs) and engineered MTMs in the form of a lateral flow assay (LFA) are provided. Methods of using the detection devices in the detection and/or identification of microbes and microbe components in a sample are also provided.

The present disclosure relates to a polynucleotide-binding protein for use in in vitro diagnostics. The present disclosure also relates to a method of separation of nucleic acids from a liquid biological sample, protecting nucleic acids in a biological sample from degradation, a method of extracting nucleic acids from a solution and a kit or container for protecting and/or separating nucleic acids from a solution, and more specifically to a method for preserving and/or separating nucleic acids from a sample.

The present invention features biomarkers capable of diagnosing inflammatory bowel disease and methods of using such biomarkers to diagnose and selecting treatments for inflammatory bowel diseases.

Devices and methods for the detection of analytes are disclosed. Devices and methods for detecting food-borne pathogens are disclosed.

Selective enrichment media and methods for selectively growing and detecting Salmonella spp. and/or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The media may comprise a carbon and nitrogen source, an inorganic salt, a fermentable sugar, one or more selective agents, and an efflux pump inhibitor. Various selective agents include sulfa drugs, surfactants, aminocoumarins, cycloheximide, supravital stains, ascorbic acid, bromobenzoic acid, myricetin, nitrofurantoin, rifamycins, polyketides, and oxazolidinones. Various efflux pump inhibitors include arylpiperazines, such as 1-(1-naphthylmethyl)piperazine, and quinoline derivatives, such as 4-chloroquinoline. Methods of selectively growing and detecting Salmonella and/or Shiga toxin-producing E. coli are provided.

Binding agents able to disrupt bacterial biofilms of diverse origin are described, including monoclonal antibodies secreted by human B lymphocytes. Methods to prevent formation of or to dissolve biofilms with these binding agents are also described. Immunogens for eliciting antibodies to disrupt biofilms are also described.

The purpose of the present invention is to: provide an agent that effectively suppresses inhibition of antigen-antibody reaction in an immunoassay using a sample containing a body fluid, in particular, a component derived from a biological mucosal membrane, such as saliva; and to suppress false positive and false negative results in the immunoassay. The present invention provides an agent for suppressing inhibition of immune reaction, characterized in that the agent comprises a compound of the following (1) or (2): (1) Sulfonic acid compound of the formula R.sup.1SO.sub.3H or a salt thereof. (In the formula, R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of: a straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group; a straight-chain C.sub.1-C.sub.30 alkyl group substituted with an aryl group having at least one straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group; and an aryl group having at least one straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group. These groups may include a substituent group.); and (2) Quaternary ammonium ion of the formula N.sup.+R.sup.2R.sup.3R.sup.4R.sup.5 or a salt thereof. (In the formula, R.sup.2-R.sup.5 are each independently a straight-chain C.sub.1-C.sub.30 alkyl group, or an aryl group substituted with at least one straight-chain C.sub.5-C.sub.30 alkyl group. These groups may include a substituent group.); wherein the agent is capable of suppressing immune reaction inhibitory action caused by a body fluid in an immunoassay sample.

The present invention concerns a method for labeling specifically living bacteria of a given category of bacteria in a sample comprising bacteria, the method comprising the steps of: a) incubating said bacteria of said sample with at least one analog of a monosaccharide compound, said monosaccharide being an endogenous monosaccharide residue of glycans of the outer membrane of such given category of bacteria, the said endogenous monosaccharide residue comprising an ulosonic acid or ulosonate salt residue, the said analog of a monosaccharide compound being a modified monosaccharide substituted at a given position by a first reactive chemical group capable to react with a second reactive group of a labeling molecule, the said given position being preferably a position which comprises a free group in the said endogenous monosaccharide residue incorporated within said glycans of the outer membrane of the bacteria, b) contacting said bacteria with a said labeling molecule comprising a said second reactive group, for generating the reaction of said first reactive group of said analog residue incorporated within said glycans of the outer membrane of said living bacteria with said second reactive group of said labeling molecule.