A collection device for a biological sample to capture target compounds such as viruses or other pathogens or particles for testing from within the sample and move the captured target compound to a separate chamber for subsequent processing. The collection device can include an openable substance blister including capture particles located in a cup interior. Capture particles can attract and bind the target compounds from the sample. An extraction tube extracts any nucleic acid from the target compound for storage or subsequent amplification and testing to confirm presence of known microorganisms. The extraction tube can comprise a heat-deformable material and can be connected to a microfluidic cartridge for further processing of nucleic acid including, amplification and detection. The microfluidic cartridge includes valves and a plurality of chambers for amplification.

Methods and techniques are described for analyzing test fluids to determine presence, absence, or concentration of analytes in the test fluids. The methods may correspond to diagnostic testing, such as quickly (within 5 minutes) identifying whether or not an individual may have a particular disease or condition, such as infection by SARS-CoV-2 or a SARS-CoV-2 variant or vaccine-induced immunity or natural immunity to infection by SARS-CoV-2 or a SARS-CoV-2 variant, or whether an individual would benefit from a vaccine booster. The test results can be used for a variety of applications including facilitating or controlling access at events, venues, or transportation systems, or generating exposure notifications.

Described are devices, systems, kits, methods, and techniques for analyzing test fluids to determine presence, absence, or concentration of analytes in the test fluids and useful for performing diagnostic testing, such as to quickly identify whether or not an individual may have a particular disease or condition, such as infection by SARS-CoV-2 or a SARS-CoV-2 variant or vaccine-induced immunity or natural immunity to infection by SARS-CoV-2 or a SARS-CoV-2 variant. The devices, systems, kits, methods, and techniques described herein can be used to detect analytes in body fluids using a functionalized electrochemical test strip and potentiostatic measurements, allowing for prompt identification of whether or not an individual has a particular disease or condition, such as in a period of 5 minutes or less.

A direct chemical lysis composition includes an assay compatible buffer composition and an assay compatible surfactant. When combined with a specimen storage composition, such compositions prevent undesired modifications to nucleic acid and proteins lysed from cells in the biological sample. Assays of samples from such compositions do not require expensive and time-consuming steps such as centrifugation and prolonged high temperature processing. The direct chemical lysis composition of the present invention permits direct nucleic acid extraction from the cells in the biological sample without the need to decant off the transport media or otherwise exchange the transport media with assay compatible buffers. There is no need to combine the sample with proteinase K or another enzyme to extract nucleic acids from the cells. A method for lysing cells to obtain target nucleic acid for assay and a kit for combining the direct chemical lysis composition with a sample are also contemplated.

A method for diagnosing hepatitis virus infection or a hepatitis disease condition in a subject based on hepatitis virus-associated biomarkers present on exosomes in a bodily fluid sample from the subject is disclosed. Also disclosed are a method for monitoring the course of a hepatitis virus infection or a hepatitis disease condition in a subject and a method for monitoring effectiveness of treatment to a subject with an anti-hepatitis virus agent based on hepatitis virus-associated biomarkers present on exosomes in bodily fluid samples from the subject, as well as a kit for diagnosing hepatitis virus infection and/or a hepatitis disease condition in a subject based on hepatitis virus-associated biomarkers on exosomes in bodily fluid samples from the subject.

In some embodiments the present invention provides influenza hemagglutinin (“HA”) polypeptides, proteins, and protein complexes that comprise a stalk domain that is engineered to facilitate maintenance of its native trimeric conformation, even if the head domain of the HA protein is removed or disrupted. In some embodiments, the present invention provides compositions comprising such polypeptides, proteins, and protein complexes, and methods of use of such proteins and compositions, for example as vaccine immunogens.

A method of analyzing biological data containing expression values of a plurality of polypeptides in the blood of a subject. The method comprises: calculating a distance between a segment of a curved line and an axis defined by a direction, the distance being calculated at a point over the curved line defined by a coordinate along the direction. The method further comprises correlating the distance to the presence of, absence of, or likelihood that the subject has, a bacterial infection. The coordinate is defined by a combination of the expression values, wherein at least 90% of the segment is between a lower bound line and an upper bound line.

Disclosed is a synthetic T cell receptor (TCR) having antigenic specificity for an HLA-A2-restricted epitope of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 E7, E7.sub.11-19. Related polypeptides and proteins, as well as related nucleic acids, recombinant expression vectors, host cells, and populations of cells are also provided. Antibodies, or an antigen binding portion thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions relating to the TCRs of the invention are also provided. Also disclosed are methods of detecting the presence of a condition in a mammal and methods of treating or preventing a condition in a mammal, wherein the condition is cancer, HPV 16 infection, or HPV-positive premalignancy.

Compositions and methods are described that provide prognostic determination of the severity of influenza infection based on the PDE3A status of an individual. Impaired PDE3A function is associated with severe symptoms on contracting influenza. Specific SNP mutations are identified that are associated with impaired PDE3A function, and primers and kits are provided that permit identification of these SNPs. Such information can also be combined with other patient data.

A reagent, test paper, a reagent kit, and a test paper kit for detecting a sulfhydryl compound, and a preparation method thereof are provided. The reagent is obtained by mixing a phosphotungstic acid (PTA) reagent, an acetate buffer, and a shield reagent in a specified ratio. The test paper is composed of porous water-absorbent paper and a dry detection reagent dispersed thereon. The reagent is based on principle innovation. When in use, the reagent is directly mixed with urine to be tested in a volume ratio of 2:1, a resulting mixture is allowed to stand for 10 min to 15 min, and then a result can be directly determined by naked eyes. The reagent overcomes the shortcoming of requiring a control sample to assist in the determination of a result in existing methods, and has the advantages of simple operation, safety and non-toxicity, and rapid detection.