A composition is described comprising superparamagnetic particles. Optionally, the particles comprise microbeads. Optionally, the particles comprise nanobeads. Optionally, the particles are non-spherical particles. Optionally, the particles are non-spherical particles suitable for RNA or DNA extraction. A method is described for forming microparticles. Optionally, the method comprises using citrate precipitation. Optionally, a kit comprising one or more of the particles is described. Optionally, a kit for sample preparation for nucleic acid extraction is described comprising non-spherical microparticles or nanoparticles.

Provided herein are methods and systems for low-cost, low-equipment detection of pathogens in biological sample. In particular, provided herein is a low-cost method for detecting norovirus that provides reliable, visible test with femtomolar, attomolar, and zeptomolar detection limits and that uses materials suitable for deployment of the methods in the field.

Apparatuses and methods of optically analyzing fluid within a pipette are described herein. In an embodiment, an optical reader subassembly includes a pipette configured to aspirate and hold a fluid sample within its tip, a housing configured to receive at least the tip of the pipette through a reentrant seal so that the tip of the pipette is located in a light tight manner within an internal area, a light source positioned to be in proximity to the tip of the pipette when the tip of the pipette is received by the housing, the light source configured to project light through the tip of the pipette and onto the fluid sample held within the tip, and an optical sensor configured to take a reading of the fluid sample held within the tip of the pipette without any of the fluid sample being injected from the pipette.

A composition is described comprising superparamagnetic particles. Optionally, the particles comprise microbeads. Optionally, the particles comprise nanobeads. Optionally, the particles are non-spherical particles. Optionally, the particles are non-spherical particles suitable for RNA or DNA extraction. A method is described for forming microparticles. Optionally, the method comprises using citrate precipitation. Optionally, a kit comprising one or more of the particles is described. Optionally, a kit for sample preparation for nucleic acid extraction is described comprising non-spherical microparticles or nanoparticles.

A polypeptide magnetic nanoparticle, comprising: a specific targeting polypeptide and a magnetic nanoparticle. The amino acid sequence of the specific targeting polypeptide is VRRDAPRFSMQGLDA-X, and the C-terminal X thereof is a sequence of 5 to 20 amino acids. The amino acid in the amino acid sequence of C-terminal X is selected from one or more of: C, G, and N. The polypeptide magnetic nanoparticle can be used for CTC detection and molecular typing of various cancer types, including esophageal cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, bladder cancer, skin cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, etc. Biomarkers of CTC molecular typing include PD-L1, HER2, ER, PR, AR, EGFR, VEGFR, CXCR4, etc. The polypeptide magnetic nanoparticle is helpful for CTC detection and the qualitative and semiquantitative analysis of expression levels of biomarkers at CTC level, thereby performing precise therapy such as targeted individualized targeted therapy or immunotherapy on patients.

The present disclosure relates to an extracellular vesicle purification material and purification method. The purification method adopts metal oxide microspheres or magnetic beads that can reversibly bind to phosphatidylserine to purify extracellular vesicles, and the purification material comprises nano zirconium dioxide microspheres, nano titanium dioxide microspheres or nano aluminum oxide microspheres, nano zirconium dioxide magnetic microspheres, nano titanium dioxide magnetic microspheres or nano aluminum oxide magnetic microspheres, and porous zirconium dioxide nano microspheres, porous titanium dioxide nano microspheres or porous aluminum oxide nano microspheres. The purification method of the present disclosure can quickly purify multiple samples: serum/plasma, urine and cell culture supernatant, has a moderate flux so as to retain extracellular vesicles to the greatest extent, and can obtain high-purity extracellular vesicles, without chelating agents and other reagents that may affect subsequent experiments, via elution.

Described herein is a manufacturing method of a magnetic particle. First, deionized water, an organic solvent, a hydrophilic polymer, a lipid-soluble initiator, and at least two monomers are placed in a reactor and then stirred for polymerizing the at least two monomers into a copolymer to form a knobby copolymer core. Next, a polymer layer is formed to cover the knobby copolymer core, wherein the polymer layer has at least one functional group. Thereafter, a magnetic substance precursor is adsorbed by the knobby copolymer core covered with the polymer layer to form a magnetic substance layer. Further, a silicon-based layer may be additionally formed to cover the magnetic substance layer.

To provide magnetic composite particles which can be separated from a sample solution in a short period of time using magnetism, and furthermore, have an excellent dispersion stability in the sample solution, which are magnetic composite particles in which an outer shell is formed on surfaces of core particles containing an inorganic oxide or a polymer, wherein the outer shell comprises magnetic nanoparticles and a silicon compound, the value of the volume average particle diameter (dTEM) of the magnetic composite particles measured by a transmission electron microscope is 30 nm or more to 210 nm or less, and the value of (dDLS)/(dTEM) which is the ratio of the value of the particle diameter (dDLS) of the particles measured by a dynamic light scattering method and the value of the volume average particle diameter (dTEM) is 2.0 or less.

The disclosure relates to metal nanoparticle compositions and their methods of formation and use, in particular gold nanoparticles (AuNP) and gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles. Compositions according to the disclosure include aqueous suspensions of metal nanoparticles that are stabilized with one or more carbohydrate capping agents and/or that are functionalized with one or more binding pair members for capture/detection of a target analyte. The nanoparticle suspensions are stable for extended periods and can be functionalized as desired at a later point in time, typically prior to use in an assay for the detection of a target biological analyte. The stable nanoparticle suspension can be formed by the aqueous reduction of oxidized metal precursors at non-acidic pH values in the presence of a carbohydrate-based capping agent such as dextrin or other oligosaccharides.

A magnetic separation filter has an unsupported magnetically soft material layer having a plurality of pores, and, optionally, a passivation layer disposed on the magnetically soft material layer. The magnetic separation filter may be part of a microfluidic device having a lateral flow channel and a vertical flow magnetic separation filter. The magnetic separation device may be used to separate magnetically tagged particles, such as cells.