A method of analysis of a hydrocarbon fuel for the presence of a micro-organism comprises contacting a fuel sample with an aqueous diluent and with an antibody reactive with the micro-organism, or reactive with a metabolite or breakdown product produced by the micro-organism, to detect the presence or absence of the micro-organism.

The invention relates to a compilation comprising at least five different peptides, each peptide comprising at least one sequence element corresponding to an epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 1-354, wherein at least five different epitopes are represented. The invention further relates to an in vitro method for determining a patient's immune status to soybean allergens, to a method for detecting at least one soybean allergen in a substance and to a method for determining the allergenicity of a soybean variety. Additionally, the invention relates to a kit comprising at least one composition containing a compound comprising at least five different sequence elements each corresponding to an epitope selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO.: 1-354, wherein at least five different epitopes are represented. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of a peptide comprising a sequence element corresponding to an epitope for providing a molecule binding to a protein or peptide comprising the epitope.

Anti-CaENO1 antibodies and humanized antibodies are provided as an effective diagnostic agent or a therapeutic treatment against infections caused by Candida spp., preferably Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, fluconazole resistance Candida spp., Strepcococcus, Staphylococcus.

Antibody-based binding agents derived from human and camelid immunoglobulins are described, as well as strains of yeast engineered to secrete the binding agents, and methods of treating and preventing Clostridium difficile infections using the engineered strains of yeast. These binding agents recognize and bind with specificity to Clostridium difficile toxin A and/or toxin B and in some cases exhibit toxin neutralizing activity. The binding agents include camelid V.sub.HH peptide monomers, linked groups of V.sub.HH peptide monomers, V.sub.HH peptide monomers joined to antibody Fc domains, and V.sub.HH peptide monomers joined to IgG antibodies.

This disclosure provides, in one aspect, a method for analyzing a sample from a subject for a biomarker that is indicative of the subject's immune response to -glucan. Generally, the method includes obtaining a biological sample from a subject, analyzing the sample for a biomarker anti--glucan antibody compared to a reference standard, computing a Relative Antibody Unit (RAU) value for anti--glucan antibody in the sample, and identifying the subject as biomarker positive if the RAU value is greater than a predetermined RAU value for the biomarker anti--glucan antibody.

A method of detecting a heat-resistant fungus, which has a step of identifying the heat-resistant fungus using the following nucleic acid (I) or (II): (I) a nucleic acid including a nucleotide sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 24 to 35 and 83 to 86, or a complementary sequence thereof; or (II) a nucleic acid including a nucleotide sequence resulting from a deletion, substitution, or addition of one to several nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 24 to 35 and 83 to 86 and being capable of detecting the heat-resistant fungus, or a complementary sequence thereof.

A method of detecting a heat-resistant fungus, which has a step of identifying the heat-resistant fungus using the following nucleic acid (I) or (II): (I) a nucleic acid including a nucleotide sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 24 to 35 and 83 to 86, or a complementary sequence thereof; or (II) a nucleic acid including a nucleotide sequence resulting from a deletion, substitution, or addition of one to several nucleotides in the nucleotide sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOS: 24 to 35 and 83 to 86 and being capable of detecting the heat-resistant fungus, or a complementary sequence thereof.

Described herein are engineered microbe-targeting or microbe-binding molecules, kits comprising the same and uses thereof. Some particular embodiments of the microbe-targeting or microbe-binding molecules comprise a carbohydrate recognition domain of mannose-binding lectin, or a fragment thereof, linked to a portion of a Fc region. In some embodiments, the microbe-targeting molecules or microbe-binding molecules can be conjugated to a substrate, e.g., a magnetic microbead, forming a microbe-targeting substrate (e.g., a microbe-targeting magnetic microbead). Such microbe-targeting molecules and/or substrates and the kits comprising the same can bind and/or capture of a microbe and/or microbial matter thereof, and can thus be used in various applications, e.g., diagnosis and/or treatment of an infection caused by microbes such as sepsis in a subject or any environmental surface. Microbe-targeting molecules and/or substrates can be regenerated after use by washing with a low pH buffer or buffer in which calcium is insoluble.

In one aspect, methods of generating human monoclonal antibodies that specifically binds to an allergen are provided. In some embodiments, the monoclonal antibodies are generated from sequences identified from isolated single B cells from a human subject who is allergic to the allergen.

A method for searching for pathogenic microorganisms inside the human or animal microbiota, comprising the steps of collecting a human or animal biological sample wherein to search for pathogenic microorganisms, treating said biological sample by flow cytometry to individually separate the bacterial cells and the fungi present thereinside, providing a microarray with chips or wells in each of which there is in suspension a first culture medium for bacteria and a second culture medium for fungi, analysing and/or treating the material collected in said culture media.