A method for producing a positive antigen-based control for detecting a pathogen which includes providing a culture fluid having a pathogen with a first detectable antigen, wherein the culture fluid has a first concentration of the first detectable antigen, and exposing the culture fluid to UV electromagnetic irradiation for a time period sufficient to render the pathogen inactivated, thereby producing a positive antigen-based control, wherein the positive antigen-based control has a second concentration of the first detectable antigen that is no more than about 50% different from the first concentration when determined via ELISA. Also described are positive antigen-based controls and kits having the same.

A serological detection system and a serological method of detecting a specific immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype against a target antigen in a sample, the serological detection system comprising: (a) a first probe having a first tag, the first probe having general binding affinity for all Ig having the same isotype as the specific Ig isotype in the sample, (b) a second probe having a second tag, the second probe being the target antigen of the specific Ig isotype in the sample, (c) a third tag, the third tag having binding affinity for the first tag and for the second tag so as to form a reporter complex in the presence of the specific IgG antibodies, and (d) a suitable substrate that generates an optically detectable signal in the presence of the reporter complex. In aspects, the serological detection system and the serological method are quantifiable.

An example object of the invention is to provide a binding nucleic acid molecule capable of specifically binding to a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. A SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein-binding nucleic acid molecule according to an example aspect of the invention includes: any of the following polynucleotides (a), and (b): (a) a polynucleotide consisting of any of base sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7 or a partial sequence of any of the base sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7; (b) a polynucleotide consisting of a base sequence having 80% or more identity to any base sequence of the polynucleotide (a), and binding to a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein:

This disclosure provides novel broadly neutralizing anti-tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) antibodies. The disclosed anti-TBEV antibodies represent a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing or treating diseases or infections caused by various tick-borne flaviviruses, including TBEV.

Disclosed herein is a kit for detecting or quantifying a SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid phosphoprotein, including a first antibody, wherein a variable heavy chain domain comprises the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21, and a variable light chain domain comprises the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22; and a second antibody, wherein a variable heavy chain domain comprises the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 9 and 13, and a variable light chain domain comprises the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 10 and 14.

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems designed to utilize antibodies and viral inactivating/lysis agents to detect SARS-CoV-2 on a microfluidic channel-based platform, for example in samples obtained from nasal swabs taken from infected individuals. The rapid and accurate point of care COVID-19 diagnostic tests that are disclosed herein can transform medical professional's testing capabilities, and in this way improve the ability to control the COVID-19 pandemic.

To address the need in the art, the inventors have comprehensively characterized the SARS-CoV-2-specific B cell repertoire in convalescent COVID-19 patients and generated mAbs against the spike, ORF8, and NP proteins. Together, the inventors' data reveal key insight into antigen specificity and B cell subset distribution upon SARS-CoV-2 infection in the context of age, sex, and disease severity. Aspects of the disclosure relate to novel antibody and antigen binding fragments. Further aspects relate to polypeptides comprising the antigen binding fragment(s) of the disclosure, and compositions comprising the polypeptides, antibodies, and/or antigen binding fragments of the disclosure. Also described are nucleic acids encoding an antibody or antigen binding fragment of the disclosure.

The present invention provides a method for detecting viral infection of a subject by a first Flavivirus species, said method comprising: (a) contacting a sample from said subject with a solid phase support, wherein said solid phase support includes a capture means for immobilising antibody present in the sample that binds a first antigen from a first Flavivirus species; (b) challenging said immobilised antibody with: (i) a second antigen from a second (different) Flavivirus species, wherein the binding of said second antigen thereto suppresses (e.g. blocks) any inherent antigenic binding cross-reactivity towards the second Flavivirus species; and (ii) a labelled first antigen from the first Flavivirus species, thereby forming a labelled antigen-antibody complex; and (c) wherein the presence of labelled complex indicates viral infection of the subject by the first Flavivirus species, and wherein the absence of labelled complex indicates no viral infection of the subject by the first Flavivirus species; and kits for performing said method.

Triazabutadiene molecules as cleavable cross-linkers adapted to cross-link components with click chemistry, e.g., clickable triazabutadienes. For example, in some embodiments, the triazabutadienes feature alkyne handles attached to the imidazole portion or the aryl portion of the triazabutadienes, wherein the alkyne handles can link to azide handles (e.g., azide handles disposed on other components) via click chemistry. Also described are methods of producing said clickable triazabutadienes and methods of use of said clickable triazabutadienes. The present invention also features methods of cleaving said clickable triazabutadienes, e.g., for liberating the diazonium species for further chemical reactions.

This disclosure provides a multimeric hepatitis B virus (HBV) protein binding molecule, e.g., a dimeric IgA or a pentameric or hexameric IgM binding molecule, comprising at least two bivalent binding units, or variants or fragments thereof, each comprising at least two antibody heavy chain constant regions or fragments thereof, wherein each heavy chain constant region or fragment thereof is associated with an HBV antigen binding domain. The disclosure also provides compositions comprising the multimeric binding molecules, polynucleotides encoding the multimeric binding molecules, and methods to make and use the multimeric binding molecules.