Disclosed herein, inter alia, are compositions and methods useful for improving detection of analytes. The compositions and methods provided include polymer-wrapped viral particles useful, inter alia, for the detection of PSMA.

A method for analyzing a microorganism according to the present invention includes: a step of reading, from a mass spectrum obtained by a mass spectrometric analysis of a sample containing a microorganism, a mass-to-charge ratio or ratios m/z of a peak or peaks originating from 1-10 kinds of proteins selected from the group, consisting of 10 kinds of proteins of gns, YaiA, YibT, PPI, L25, L21, S8, L17, L15 and S7 as well as any combination of the 10 kinds of proteins; and an identification step configured to determine, based on the read mass-to-charge ratio or ratios, m/z, of the peak or peaks, whether or not the microorganism contained in the sample contains at least one of the following six serotypes of Salmonella bacteria: Abaetetuba, Anatum, Newport, Poona, Tallahassee and Vellore.

The invention relates to a method for labeling specifically living microorganisms in a sample comprising microorganisms, the method comprising the steps of: a) incubating said microorganisms of said sample with at least one modified monosaccharide compound comprising a first reactive chemical group capable to chemically react with a second reactive group, so that a residue bearing said first reactive group is incorporated into such microorganisms, and b) contacting said residue incorporated in the microorganisms, with a labeling molecule comprising a said second reactive group, for generating the chemical reaction of said first reactive group of said residue incorporated within said living microorganisms with said second reactive group of said labeling molecule, resulting in a covalent link, characterized in that the said modified monosaccharide compound has the following formula (I′), or a salt thereof: —X can be O, NH or S, preferably O and NH, and —R1 and R2 can be independently H, OH, NH.sub.2, OH and NH.sub.2 being substituted or not by protecting groups thereof, preferably substituted by alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, acyl, formyl or imidoyl groups, and —R3 is H or an alkyl chain in C.sub.1 to C.sub.4, each carbon being substituted or not substituted by OH or NH.sub.2 substituted or not by protecting groups thereof, preferably by alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, acyl, formyl or imidoyl groups, and —at least one of X, R1, R2 and R3 groups, preferably R3, being substituted by a said first reactive group Ra. ##STR00001##

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.

This invention concerns compositions and methods of treating or diagnosing inflammatory disorders and other disorders, as well as compositions and methods of treating HIV.

Provided herein are chimeric polypeptides that may be used, e.g., for the diagnosis of or vaccination against Ehrlichia chaffeensis and/or Ehrlichia canis.

Individuals consuming a prebiotic and who displayed improvements in blood glucose and/or insulin levels also displayed a decrease in the levels of the non-butyrate-producing Firmicutes genus of bacteria Sporacetigenium. Increasing levels of butyrate-producing Firmicutes genera were not consistently correlated with improvements in metabolism in response to prebiotic consumption. In the general population, Sporacetigenium levels are positively correlated with insulin levels.

Improved surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) of biological targets in liquids is provided. Nanoparticles are treated with a surfactant to provide an electrostatic attraction between the nanoparticles and the biological targets. The resulting clustering of the nanoparticles at the biological targets improves the SERS signal, Such SERS spectroscopy enables real time monitoring of the biological targets, thereby enabling a wide variety of assays etc.

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for diagnosing Lyme disease, including diagnosis within the first two weeks of infection. Also disclosed herein are compositions and methods for detecting and diagnosing infection by a Borrelia sp.

A colorimetric sensor for detecting bacteria and/or includes one or more layers having a photonic crystal structure a functional layer comprising a nanomaterial capable of generating bacteria- and/or viruses-bioresponsive surface plasmon overlapping the one or more layers having the photonic crystal structure. The bacteria- and/or viruses-bioresponsive nanomaterial of the functional layer is doped with proteinic substances or antibodies acting as virus receptors, or the colorimetric sensor comprises a receptor layer comprising proteinic substances or antibodies acting as virus receptors. The functional layer and receptor layer overlap each other. Alternatively, or in addition to, the colorimetric sensor comprises a plasmonic nanostructured layer comprising nanostructures such to generate plasmonic colors, overlapping the one or more layers having the photonic crystal structure.