Disclosed herein are expression vectors which display a passenger polypeptide on the outer surface of a biological entity. As disclosed herein the displayed passenger polypeptide is capable of interacting or binding with a given ligand. Also disclosed are methods of making and using the expression vectors. N/C terminal fusion expression vectors and methods of making and using are also disclosed.

The invention relates to biosensors for detecting odorants, especially a biosensor that mimics odorant detection by a mammal, for example, humans, dogs or cats. The field of the invention also related to the standardization of odors for scent, smell and taste using the biosensor of the invention, and the discovery of agonists, antagonists, and mixtures of odorants for creating new odors, masking odors, enhancing odors, and designing odors.

The invention relates to biosensors for detecting odorants, especially a biosensor that mimics odorant detection by a mammal, for example, humans, dogs or cats. The field of the invention also related to the standardization of odors for scent, smell and taste using the biosensor of the invention, and the discovery of agonists, antagonists, and mixtures of odorants for creating new odors, masking odors, enhancing odors, and designing odors.

Provided herein are compositions comprising: a scaffold polymer having one or more acryloyl groups or one or more methacryloyl groups; optionally a porogen and a crosslinking agent, compositions that upon crosslinking form a hydrogel for use in cell encapsulation and methods for immunocytochemistry of encapsulated cells. Scaffold polymers used are selected from: Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA); Poly(ethylene glycol) dimethylacrylate (PEGDMA); Poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMEA); Poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate (PEGMA); and Poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMEMA), and porogens selected from: Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG); Chitosan; Agarose; Dextran; Hyaluronic acid; Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA); Cellulose and derivatives thereof; Gelatin and derivatives thereof; and Acrylamide and derivatives thereof. The invention also provides, at least in part, compositions for forming a porous hydrogel around a cell suitable for immunostaining of cells within the hydrogel.

Provided are FRET-based biosensor constructs, and multiplexed platforms or arrays of these biosensor constructs useful for screening candidate drug molecules for efficacy and/or specificity of drug activity. Optionally the biosensor constructs may be located on an inner membrane within a cell or engineered to be located on the cell's surface. The cells or cell lines displaying the biosensors on a cell surface may be arranged as an array of cells for high throughput evaluation of the efficacy and/or specificity of drug candidates, such as a library of candidate drug compounds.

Disclosed herein are unique assay methods and devices that provide simple and quick evaluation of function, status and/or activity of an immune system of a subject. Specifically exemplified is a method that involves mixing an assay substance with a blood or blood component from the subject to form an assay product that comprises at least one unit of the assay substance and at least one molecular component of the blood or blood component; analyzing the assay product under conditions to determine an assay product property (the assay product property including a physical, chemical, optical, electrical, magnetic, and/or mechanical property); and comparing the assay product property with a correlative property of an unexposed assay substance to generate a comparative data value, wherein the comparative data value indicates the function, status and/or activity of an immune system of the subject.

Disclosed herein are unique assay methods and devices that provide simple and quick evaluation of function, status and/or activity of an immune system of a subject. Specifically exemplified is a method that involves mixing an assay substance with a blood or blood component from the subject to form an assay product that comprises at least one unit of the assay substance and at least one molecular component of the blood or blood component; analyzing the assay product under conditions to determine an assay product property (the assay product property including a physical, chemical, optical, electrical, magnetic, and/or mechanical property); and comparing the assay product property with a correlative property of an unexposed assay substance to generate a comparative data value, wherein the comparative data value indicates the function, status and/or activity of an immune system of the subject.

The present invention provides a method and a system for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample. In particular, the present invention provides a system, such as a diagnostic kit, for detecting the presence of an analyte in a sample, comprising (a) a recombinant bacterium or spore expressing one or more recombinant proteins on the surface thereof, wherein the recombinant protein specifically binds to the analyte directly or through a binding agent that specifically binds to the recombinant protein and the analyte, and (b) a signal-producing substance that can be detected.

The present invention relates to a method for screening an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof by using cells bearing magnetic beads and, more particularly, to a method for screening an antibody binding specifically to an antigen protein or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, in which cells having biotinylated phospholipids in the cell membranes thereof and a streptavidin-magnetic bead complex fused to the surfaces thereof, and a magnetic-based system are utilized.

The present invention relates to a method for screening an antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof by using cells bearing magnetic beads and, more particularly, to a method for screening an antibody binding specifically to an antigen protein or an antigen-binding fragment thereof, in which cells having biotinylated phospholipids in the cell membranes thereof and a streptavidin-magnetic bead complex fused to the surfaces thereof, and a magnetic-based system are utilized.