Disclosed are peptides and methods useful for identifying and producing capture agents based on epitopes of a target. In particular, disclosed are peptides comprising an epitope, where the peptide is cross-linked, where the epitope corresponds to an epitope of a target, wherein the peptide does not include the entire target, and where the cross-link is a disulfide, preferably a disulfide that naturally occurs in the target or between added or substitute cysteines. Also disclosed are methods of preparing such peptides and methods of using such peptides. In particular, in methods of identifying a target binding compound.

The present invention is methods and assays for identifying single proteins from a sample, without the use of affinity reagents. The methods and assays combine endopeptidase-based component of conventional peptide mapping with single molecule labeling and a microreactor array platform. The invention also includes kits for performing the methods and assays.

Described are antagonistic TNFR2 polypeptides, such as antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, and the use of these polypeptides to inhibit the proliferation of regulatory T cells (T-regs) and/or myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), to expand T effector cell populations or function, and to reduce the proliferation of, or directly kill, tumor cells, such as tumor cells that express TNFR2 antigen. The polypeptides, such as antibodies and antigen-binding fragments thereof, are TNFR2 antagonists, such as dominant TNFR2 antagonists. The polypeptides can be used to suppress the T-reg- or MDSC-mediated deactivation of tumor reactive T lymphocytes, expand populations of tumor-reactive cytotoxic T cells, and/or to directly kill TNFR2+ tumor cells. The antagonistic TNFR2 polypeptides described herein can be used to treat a wide variety of cancers and infectious diseases.

The invention further relates to a process for the enzymatic synthesis of an (oligo)peptide. The invention relates to a method for designing an enzymatic synthesis process of an (oligo)peptide, comprising identifying two or more (oligo)peptide fragments of an (oligo)peptide, which fragments are (oligo)peptides suitable for preparing the (oligo)peptide by enzymatic condensation of the two or more peptide fragments using a ligase. The invention relates to a method for designing an enzymatic synthesis process of a cyclic (oligo)peptide, comprising identifying a non-cyclic (oligo)peptide from which the cyclic (oligo)peptide can be prepared by cyclisation, catalysed by a cyclase. The invention further relates to a process for the enzymatic synthesis of an (oligo)peptide.

The present disclosure provides methods of treating patients having a respiratory disorder, methods of identifying subjects having an increased risk of developing a respiratory disorder, and methods of detecting human Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase (ALOX15) variant nucleic acid molecules and variant polypeptides.

This invention provides methods for detecting the presence of a plurality of predetermined compounds in a sample using a plurality of tag moieties and at least one nanopore. This invention also provides methods for determining the quantity of each of a plurality of predetermined compounds in a sample using a plurality of tag moieties and at least one nanopore. This invention further provides methods for detecting interaction of at least two predetermined compounds using at least one tag moiety and at least one nanopore.

The present invention relates to the field of biochemistry, more particularly to proteomics, more particularly to protein sequencing, even more particularly to single molecule peptide sequencing. The invention discloses means and methods for single molecule protein sequencing and/or amino acid identification using cleavage inducing agent. Said cleavage inducing agents which are not specific for one particular amino acid, cleave polypeptides step by step from the N-terminus onwards and provide information on the identity of the cleaved amino acids based on the kinetics of said reaction.

The present description provides methods, assays and reagents useful for sequencing proteins. Sequencing proteins in a broad sense involves observing the plausible identity and order of amino acids, which is useful for sequencing single polypeptide molecules or multiple molecules of a single polypeptide. In one aspect, the methods are useful for sequencing multiple polypeptides. The methods and reagents described herein can be useful for high resolution interrogation of the proteome and enabling ultrasensitive diagnostics critical for early detection of diseases.

An amino acid-specific binder selectively binds to a binding amino acid. A binder complex selectively identifies the binding amino acid and includes an adjunct attached to the amino acid-specific binder. The adjunct includes a taggant, protein, substrate, or chemical modifier. Selectively identifying an N-terminal amino acid includes anchoring a C-terminal end; contacting an N-terminal amino acid of the anchored analyte with the binder complex; selectively binding when the N-terminal amino acid includes the binding amino acid; producing, by the taggant of the tagged complex, a taggant signal; detecting the taggant signal; and identifying the N-terminal amino acid based on the taggant signal.

Disclosed is a method for evaluating in vivo protein nutrition based on an LC-MS-MS technique, including the following steps: (1) collecting contents from different intestinal segments, and extracting and isolating protein ingredients; (2) determining the concentration of proteins; (3) treating before carrying out mass spectrometry: including digestion and desalting of a whole protein solution; (4) LC-MS-MS analysis; (5) database searching; and (6) data processing. Proteomic technology is used to identify proteins in the contents of different intestinal segments and digestive products thereof, and the source of the proteins in the contents of different intestinal segments and the contents thereof can be determined therefrom. Through bioinformatic analysis, the function of differential proteins in the body can be further understood, where the gene expression of enzymes related to protein digestion and metabolism may be different, thereby providing a scientific basis for further scientific evaluation of protein digestion and utilization.