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.

The disclosure provides methods, compositions, and kits for enhanced detection of microbes in samples and monitoring of antimicrobial activity in a subject.

Methods for using focused light scattering techniques for the optical sensing of biological particles suspended in a liquid medium are disclosed. The optical sensing enables one to characterize particles size and/or distribution in a given sample. This, in turn, allows one to identify the biological particles, determine their relative particle density, detect particle shedding, and identify particle aggregation. The methods are also useful in screening and optimizing drug candidates, evaluating the efficacy and dosage levels of such drugs, and in personalized medicine applications.

Provided are a sweat allergy antigen, an antibody capable of binding to the antigen specifically, and others, which are produced utilizing a microorganism-originated protein that exists in sweat allergy patient in a dissolved state or a partial peptide of the protein.

Provided, among other things, is a yeast cell comprising: (A) a recombinant DNA that constitutively or inducibly expresses a cytidine deaminase comprising sequence with about 90% sequence identity or more with a cytidine deaminase domain of (i) SEQ ID NO. 2 or SEQ ID NO. 4, or (ii) a chimera between the two starting with SEQ ID NO. 3 or SEQ ID NO. 4 sequence and having one transition to end in SEQ ID NO. 1 or SEQ ID NO. 2 sequence, or (iii) a chimera between the two starting with SEQ ID NO. 1 or SEQ ID NO. 2 sequence and having one transition to end in SEQ ID NO. 3 or SEQ ID NO. 4 sequence; and (B) a second recombinant DNA that constitutively or inducibly expresses a binding scaffold protein for presentation on the outer surface of the yeast, wherein the cytidine deaminase as expressed by the first recombinant DNA is effective to contribute to a mutagenic process for inducing mutations in the binding scaffold protein of the yeast cell.

Methods for obtaining highly pure native, recombinant or modified BAD-1 protein include the steps of culturing a population of microbes expressing BAD-1 protein in a culture medium, collecting the population of microbes from the culture medium, obtaining a BAD-1 protein-containing solution, and purifying the BAD-1 protein from the solution by combining the BAD-1 protein-containing solution with a nickel-chelating resin, washing the nickel-chelating resin to remove unbound matter, and eluting the BAD-1 protein from the nickel-chelating resin. Highly pure native BAD-1 protein may be used in diagnostic kits for detecting Blastomyces dermatitidis infections in animals.

Pneumonia due to the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii is a life-threatening infection that occurs in immunocompromised patients. The inability to culture the organism as well as the lack of a sequenced genome has hindered antigen discovery that could be useful in developing effective vaccines, therapeutic antibodies and diagnostic methods. A method of surface proteomics of Pneumocystis murina that reliably detects surface proteins that are conserved in Pneumocystis jirovecii is described. In particular, eight identified P. murina surface proteins are described. Methods of eliciting immune responses against the identified proteins, generating therapeutic antibodies against the identified proteins, as well as diagnostic methods based on the identified peptides are described.

Methods for using focused light scattering techniques for the optical sensing of biological particles suspended in a liquid medium are disclosed. The optical sensing enables one to characterize particles size and/or distribution in a given sample. This, in turn, allows one to identify the biological particles, determine their relative particle density, detect particle shedding, and identify particle aggregation. The methods are also useful in screening and optimizing drug candidates, evaluating the efficacy and dosage levels of such drugs, and in personalized medicine applications.

The invention provides methods for preparing a conifer seedling with increased tolerance to a pest. A conifer seedling is inoculated with an isolated endophyte when the conifer seedling is susceptible to colonization by the endophyte.

An aptamer for specifically detecting patulin and a method for detecting patulin using the same. The aptamer for specifically detecting patulin is a single-stranded DNA aptamer serving as a bioreceptor capable of effectively detecting patulin. Since such an aptamer for specifically detecting patulin is capable of specifically binding to patulin which is a mycotoxin having a simple chemical structure and a low molecular weight, it can be effectively employed as a bioreceptor in various bioassays for specifically detecting patulin. The aptamer for specifically detecting patulin can achieve more effective detection of patulin in apples or apple juice.