Disclosed herein are highly sensitive immunoassays that utilize a capture/release mechanism to reduce non-specific binding and achieve detection with attomolar-level sensitivity. Kits that can be used for carrying out these highly sensitive immunoassays are also disclosed herein.

The present application discloses methods and apparatus for detecting a complex including an analyte that include contacting a sample in a solution with a population of functionalized beads of a first type, which are magnetic functionalized beads and are functionalized to include a first moiety that associates with an analyte under suitable conditions, contacting the sample solution with a population of functionalized beads of a second type, which are functionalized to include a second moiety that associates with the analyte under suitable conditions, contact resulting in formation of a complex including one of the first type of functionalized bead, the analyte, and one of the second type of functionalized bead, and detecting the complex including the analyte by detecting magnetic fields produced by the magnetic functionalized bead and by detecting the functionalized bead of the second type associated with the analyte in the complex.

A method for separation and detection of exosomes may include: bringing a biological sample into contact with a capture molecule, the capture molecule including a specific binding substance for an antigen expressed on a cancer cell surface, to form a complex of an exosome and the capture molecule; and a bringing the complex into contact with a detector molecule, the detector molecule including a specific binding substance for an antigen expressed on a cancer cell surface and a labeling substance, to detect the complex by using the detector molecule, in which the antigen expressed on a cancer cell surface for at least one of the capture molecule and the detector molecule is cell-surface vimentin.

The invention relates to a bridge assay that can be used on an automatic diagnostic apparatus in order to detect anti-thyrotropin receptor autoantibodies, wherein the chimeric TSH receptor used comprises the extracellular portion of the chimeric TSH receptor and is N-terminally fused to a protein causing secretion of the chimeric TSH receptor from culture cells, and the anchored chimeric TSH receptor is immobilized on paramagnetic particles.

The present application relates to detection units and methods for detecting one or more target analytes in a sample using a complex formed by a target and first and second probes, wherein the complex comprises an elongated region, a particle that is coupled to the first probe, and a solid support that is coupled to the second probe. Specific binding of a target analyte can be distinguished from non-specific binding of the particle by measuring the displacement of the particle.

The present invention is drawn to devices and systems for allergen detection in a sample. The allergen detection system includes a sampler, a disposable analysis cartridge and a detection device with an optimized optical system. In some embodiments, the allergen detection utilizes aptamer nucleic acid molecules as detection agents. In some embodiments, the nucleic acids are conjugated to magnetic beads or solid surfaces such as glasses, microwells and microchips.

Disclosed herein are reagents, compositions and methods for isolating and detecting rare cells such as circulating multiple myeloma cells as well as method of evaluating and treating patients suspected of having diseases of abnormal plasma cells, such as multiple myeloma.

Methods are described for preparing samples including biological, environmental, and food products for microbial analysis. Microbes and microbe components in the sample can be treated with antimicrobial compounds and a matrix solution to permit fast and accurate characterization using analysis techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS).

The present invention relates to derivatization of antibiotic analytes as well as methods of determining the amount or concentration of derivatized antibiotic analytes in an obtained sample.

Two different antibodies that specifically bind to tau protein or phosphorylated tau protein are used. One of the two different antibodies is a first antibody immobilized on a support or labeled with a molecule capable of binding to the support, and the other of the two different antibodies is a second antibody labeled without being immobilized on the support. The tau protein includes an N-terminal domain, a C-terminal domain, and an intermediate domain located between the N-terminal and C-terminal domains. Epitopes recognized by the first and second antibodies are each an amino acid sequence contained in the intermediate domain or an amino acid sequence contained in the N-terminal domain. One of the first and second antibodies is first subjected to an antigen-antibody reaction with the blood sample, and the other of the first and second antibodies is subsequently subjected to an antigen-antibody reaction with the blood sample.