The present invention provides methods and compositions relating to an assay for hERG channel protein sensitivity to small molecule pharmacological agents. In one embodiment, the invention includes an engineered hERG channel protein. In another embodiment, the invention includes a method of identifying small molecule pharmacological agents that interfere with repolarization of cardiac cells.

A diagnostic biological array, kit or system, and method of using same unit for conducting simultaneously blood tests and determining the presence of diseases, the blood type, and blood quality of a blood sample and its applications.

Provided is an information processing apparatus (100) including: an image acquiring unit (112) that acquires captured image information of a sample (20) dyed with a fluorescent dye reagent (10), an information acquiring unit (111) that acquires information related to the fluorescent dye reagent (10), a correcting unit (131) that corrects the luminance of the captured image information using a fluorescence fading coefficient that represents the rapidness at which the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescent dye reagent (10) drops, the fluorescence fading coefficient being included in the fluorescent dye reagent (10), and a calculating unit (132) that calculates information corresponding to fluorescent molecules in the captured image information, using the corrected luminance.

The subject invention provides materials and methods for single-step fluorescence and electrochemical detection of small molecules, e.g., fentanyl and its analogs, in a sample. The subjection invention provides nucleic acids materials, e.g., aptamers (nucleic acid oligonucleotides) that can bind to fentanyl and its analogs with nanomolar affinity and high specificity against illicit drugs, adulterants, and cutting agents commonly existing in seized samples. The method for detecting fentanyl and/or its analogs in a sample comprises contacting the sample with an aptamer-based sensor selective for fentanyl and its analogs, and sensitively, specifically, and rapidly detecting fentanyl and/or its analogs in the sample.

The invention provides novel non-invasive in vitro methods for assessing the metabolic condition of oocytes and/or embryos with fluorescence lifetime imaging microscope, that can be used, for example, in assessment of oocytes and embryos in assisted reproductive technologies.

In some embodiments, a non-transitory processor-readable medium stores code representing instructions to be executed by a processor. The code includes code to cause the processor to receive a plurality of sets of images associated with a sample treated with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) probes. Each image from that set of images is associated with a different focal length using a fluorescence microscope. Each FISH probe can selectively bind to a unique location on chromosomal DNA in the sample. The code further causes the processor to identify cell nuclei in the images. The code further causes the processor to apply a convolutional neural network (CNN) to each set of images. The CNN is configured to identify a probe indication from a plurality of probe indications for that set of images. The code further causes the processor to identify the sample as containing circulating tumor cells.

A system, including an optical imaging assembly configured to image a sample at an object plane to an image plane; an image sensor arranged at the image plane and configured to capture images of the sample for a field of view of the system; a light source configured to emit light having a wavelength, λ; a spatial light modulator (SLM) arranged to receive the light emitted from the light source and to provide a spatially modulated light pattern; one or more optical elements arranged to receive the spatially modulated light pattern from the SLM and to direct the spatially modulated light pattern to the image plane; and an electronic controller in communication with the image sensor and the spatial light modulator, the electronic controller being programmed to identify one or more targets in the field of view of the optical imaging assembly and to control the spatial light modulator to selectively direct light from the light source to the one or more targets identified by the electronic controller.

The present invention relates to the use of a control marker for implementing analysis methods on spots, in particular in the context of multiplex analyses. The present invention thus relates to solid supports containing said control marker, their preparation method and their use in analysis methods. The present invention makes it possible to verify the presence, location and/or integrity of the spots at the end of the analysis method, and thus to secure the obtained results while guaranteeing that the yielded result indeed results from a present, intact and localized spot.

The present invention relates to a detector for measuring fluorescence in a liquid sample and to devices for biochemical analyses comprising it, in particular to devices for performing analyses of real time PCR. The detector of the present invention has a series of advantages such as drastic simplification of the detection configuration, reduced costs, better performances due to the greater freedom in planning the optical configuration which allows dividing the detector itself into independent areas.

Provided herein are methods and compositions for the purification and detection of germ stem cells (e.g., oogonial stem cells) based on expression of MRP9.