Polyclonal antibodies specific for serogroup X of N. meningitidis and uses thereof in diagnosis. The present invention is directed to polyclonal antibodies, specific for the capsular polysaccharides of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X (NmX), wherein said antibodies are suitable for in vitro detection of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X in biological fluids without culture. The invention also concerns said polyclonal antibodies in different diagnostic tests and methods, in order to detect Nm X. The invention discloses also a rapid diagnostic test for detecting NmX in a biological fluid, as well as a method for obtaining polyclonal antibodies useful for detecting NmX in biological fluids such as cerebrospinal fluid, serum and urine.

The present invention relates to methods for the diagnosing, prognosing, monitoring, differentiating, treating, and managing of Lyme disease in a subject. The methods according to the invention are characterized by the detection of a biomarker signature comprised of a combination of two or more analytes indicative of disease.

The present invention provides a novel method for more simply and rapidly detecting target bacterial cells by a device using a binding molecule capable of binding to the target bacterial cells. In the method, a sample is incubated in a reagent for concentration of bacteria to cause the sample to react with a fluorescently-labeled binding molecule, and a fluorescence polarization degree is then detect to detect the target, and this is performed using a bacterial detection tool. The bacterial detection tool is obtained by attaching a sample collection tool to a main body. The sample collection tool includes a collection section and a connection section that is connected to the main body. The main body includes a reagent storage chamber, a collection section storage chamber, and a connection section that is connected to the sample collection tool. The reagent storage chamber and the collection section storage chamber are separated from each other. The sample collection tool and the main body are connected to each other at the connection section of the sample collection tool and the connection section of the main body after the preparation step and before the incubation step with the collection section being placed inside the collection section storage chamber. The reagent storage chamber and the collection section storage chamber internally communicate with each other after the preparation step to perform the incubation step and the reaction step. h a sample is collected; and a connection section that is connected to the main body, the main body comprises: a reagent storage chamber that contains the reagent and the fluorescently-labeled binding molecule; a collection section storage chamber that contains the collection section of the sample collection tool; and a connection section that is connected to the sample collection tool, the reagent storage chamber and the collection section storage chamber are separated from each other, and the sample collection tool and the main body are connected to each other at the connection section of the sample collection tool and the connection section of the main body with the collection section of the sample collection tool being placed inside the collection section storage chamber of the main body.

The present invention provides sensor cells comprising a receptor that binds to an analyte indicative of the presence of an agent, where binding of the analyte to the receptor triggers a detection event that is indicative of the presence of the agent. In certain embodiments, the detection event is appearance of a reporter detectable by the naked eye. The present invention also provides uses of such sensor cells for detecting the presence of an agent in a sample.

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides targeted complement-activating molecules comprising a target-binding domain and a complement-activating serine protease effector domain. In some embodiments, the target-binding domain is derived from an antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof. Also provided are compositions and methods for treating cancer, autoimmune disease, or microbial infection, including bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic infection, using targeted complement-activating molecules.

An imaging system and method for microbial growth detection, counting or identification. One colony may be contrasted in an image that is not optimal for another type of colony. The system and method provides contrast from all available material through space (spatial differences), time (differences appearing over time for a given capture condition) and color space transformation using image input information over time to assess whether microbial growth has occurred for a given sample.

A solid support for detecting the presence of antibodies in a biological sample, where the solid support includes microbial antigens immobilized on the solid support, wherein the microbial antigens include at least one antigen prepared from the group consisting of pleomorphic round bodies of Borrelia genus, for example Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii. Also, a method of detecting a tick-borne microbe in a biological sample, wherein the solid support is contacted with a biological sample.

The present specification discloses SNAP-25 compositions, methods of making α-SNAP-25 antibodies that bind an epitope comprising a carboxyl-terminus at the P.sub.1 residue from the BoNT/A cleavage site scissile bond from a SNAP-25 cleavage product, α-SNAP-25 antibodies that bind an epitope comprising a carboxyl-terminus at the P.sub.1 residue from the BoNT/A cleavage site scissile bond from a SNAP-25 cleavage product, methods of detecting BoNT/A activity, and methods of detecting neutralizing α-BoNT/A antibodies.

A family of structurally related proteins has been found to have enzymatic activity. The protein family may comprise DUF1874 proteins. Members of this family can be used to modulate the structure, function and/or activity of a cellular signalling molecule that is associated with a cellular antiviral response. In particular, the proteins described herein exhibit an ability to modulate the function, structure and/or activity of cyclic oligoadenylate (cOA); that is to say they can be used to inhibit, destroy, ablate and/or breakdown cOA activity, structure and/or function. The disclosed proteins (all of which belong to the DUF1874 protein family) are generally referred to as “ring nucleases”.

In a general aspect, microorganisms [e.g., bacteria, etc.) are identified and detected. In some examples, a liquid solvent is supplied through a first channel of a sampling probe to an internal reservoir of the sampling probe; a fixed volume of the liquid solvent in the internal reservoir is held in direct contact with a sample surface for a period of time to form a liquid analyte; gas is supplied to the internal reservoir through a second channel of the sampling probe; the liquid analyte is extracted from the internal reservoir through a third channel of the sampling probe; the liquid analyte is transferred to a mass spectrometer; the mass spectrometer processes the liquid analyte to produce mass spectrometry data; and the mass spectrometry data are analyzed to detect and identify a microorganism [e.g., acteria, fungi, or another type of microorganism) present at the sample surface.