In some embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to new compositions of matter that comprise phosphorescent reporters. In some embodiments, the phosphorescent reporters of the present disclosure comprise strontium aluminate. In some embodiments, the strontium aluminate is doped with europium and dysprosium (SrAl.sub.2O.sub.4:Eu.sup.2+, Dy.sup.3+). Additional embodiments of the present disclosure pertain to methods of making the aforementioned phosphorescent reporters. In some embodiments, the method includes size reduction of inorganic phosphorescent powders through a combination of wet milling and settling. In additional embodiments, the present disclosure pertains to methods of detecting the phosphorescent reporters in various settings, such as diagnostic settings.

Methods, systems and programing for substance detection with a magnetic sensor are presented. In one example, a magnetic sensor having one or more layers is formed on a base for sensing a magnetic field created by magnetic particles present in proximity to the magnetic sensor. A first end of each of a first set of strands is immobilized with respect to the magnetic sensor. A magnetic particle is attached to a second end of each of the first set of strands so that when a material containing a substance is in contact with the base, the substance causes at least some of the first set of strands to break resulting in that the magnetic particle attached to the second end of each of the at least some of the first set of strands is no longer in proximity to the magnetic sensor.

The present invention aims to provide core-shell particles that can be used in a method of separating a substance to be separated and that allow obtainment of a highly purified product. Each of a plurality of core-shell particles (C) of the present invention includes a core layer (P) as magnetic silica particles containing the magnetic metal oxide particles (A) and a shell layer (Q) that is a silica layer on a surface of the core layer (P), an average thickness of a plurality of shell layers (Q) being 3 to 3000 nm, wherein a weight percentage of the magnetic metal oxide particles (A) in the core layer (P) is 60 to 95 wt % based on a weight of the core layer (P), and the plurality of core-shell particles (C) have a particle size distribution with a coefficient of variation of 50% or less.

Methods for producing engineered exosomes and other vesicle-like biological targets, including allowing a target vesicle-like structure to react and bind with immunomagnetic particles; capturing the immunomagnetic particle/vesicle complex by applying a magnetic field; further engineering the captured vesicles by surface modifying with additional active moieties or internally loading with active agents; and releasing the engineered vesicle-like structures, such as by photolytically cleaving a linkage between the particle and engineered vesicle-like structures, thereby releasing intact vesicle-like structures which can act as delivery vehicles for therapeutic treatments.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for polymer conjugates, methods of making the polymer conjugates, methods of using polymer conjugates, and the like, where the polymer conjugates include magnetic particles (e.g. iron oxide particles). Embodiments of the present disclosure can be advantageous for one or more of the following reasons: strong and rapid magnetic response, multiple types of agents can be attached to the polymer conjugate, the size of the polymer conjugate can be controlled, and the polymer conjugates can be produced in a cost-effective manner.

Generally, a polymer nanomaterial encapsulation system useful in the production of polymer encapsulated nanoparticles comprised of a hydrophobic nanoparticle encapsulated in the hydrophobic region of the polymer with the external hydrophilic region of the polymer ensuring water-solubility and affording a functional group which can be utilized for the production of nanoparticle conjugates. Specifically, particular embodiments include a polymer nanoparticle structure including one or more of: a quantum dot and/or a superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle and/or an upconverting nanoparticle, encapsulated in polystyrene-b-polyethylene glycol amine for the production of antibody conjugates useful in the capture of cellular targets.

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.

Nanoparticle-based nanosensors comprising supramolecular recognition sequences, protease consensus sequences, post-translationally modifiable sequences, or sterically hindered benzylether bonds for specific interaction with a biological marker, and methods for rapid diagnosis of lung conditions using specified panels of target biomarkers.

Provided herein are encoded microcarriers for analyte detection in multiplex assays. The microcarriers are encoded with an analog code for identification and comprise a capture agent for analyte detection and a substantially transparent magnetic polymer. The analog code is generated by a two-dimensional shape of a substantially non-transparent layer. Also provided are methods of making the encoded microcarriers disclosed herein. Further provided are methods and kits for conducting a multiplex assay using the microcarriers described herein.

Provided is a universal method for quantitatively determining therapeutic tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha inhibitors in patient samples that is sufficiently sensitive for being able to detect all therapeutic TNF-alpha inhibitors.