An insect culture maintenance system includes a sequence of open-ended cylindrical tubes [500, 502, 504, 506] joined pairwise alternately at their tops and bottoms using multiple dual-cap connectors. Each dual-capped connector has a channel from an inside of a first cap to an inside of a second cap. In use, connectors that cap the bottoms of the tubes [508, 512] are filled with insect food media [518, 520], while connectors that cap the tops of the tubes [510] are open. As a result of this design, adults pass from one tube to the next through the top dual-cap connectors, while larvae pass from one tube to the next through the bottom dual-cap connectors, resulting in propagation of subsequent generations of insects through the sequence of tubes.

Chimeric transmembrane immunoreceptors (CAR) targeted to PSCA are described.

Described herein are compositions and methods to cryopreserve sporozoites. In some aspects, the method can include the step of placing harvested salivary glands containing sporozoites into an insect-based medium.

The present disclosure relates to Dopa containing ultrashort peptides capable of forming a gel, to a gel comprising a peptide in accordance with the present disclosure, and to a glue comprising a peptide in accordance with the present disclosure. Such gel is adhesive and is biocompatible. The peptides are suitable for building 3D structures, 3D printing, gluing as well as other applications.

The invention provides a structured cell growth matrix or assembly comprising a one or more spacer layers and one or more cell immobilization layers. The invention further provides a bioreactor comprising said matrix or assembly.

An object of the present invention is to purify and concentrate differentiating cells derived from ES cells, iPS cells, or the like without damaging them.

The above problem can be solved by an apparatus for analyzing and separating particles comprising: a flow path cartridge, an illumination unit, a detection unit for detecting particles of interest, a force generating unit, wherein a sample liquid reservoir (sample reservoir) connected to a first flow path; a fourth branched flow path and a fifth branched flow path which are connected to the first flow path; a third-A reservoir connected to the fourth branched flow path; a third-B reservoir connected to the fifth branched flow path; and a fourth reservoir for reserving particles which are not sorting; are formed on the cartridge, and each reservoir comprise a means which equalizes an air pressure in the each reservoir with an air pressure of an in-device air pressure control system, and a stream of the flow path in the cartridge is controlled by controlling the air pressure in the each reservoir through the each in-device air pressure control system.

The present invention relates to a polypeptide comprising a mutant fragment of an outer surface protein A (OspA), a nucleic acid coding the same, a pharmaceutical composition (particularly for use as a medicament of in a method of treating or preventing a Borrelia infection) comprising the polypeptide and/or the nucleic acid, a method of treating or preventing a Borrelia infection and a method of immunizing a subject.

The present disclosure relates to a method of isolating extracellular vesicles directly from human tissues. The invention further relates to a method of identifying disease and tissue specific membrane proteins on extracellular vesicles by membrane isolation and proteomic analysis. The invention further relates to methods of diagnosing diseases by capturing extracellular vesicles by the use of disease specific membrane proteins from body fluids, and detecting or analyzing molecular signatures (proteome, DNA, and RNA) on captured extracellular vesicles. Moreover, the present invention relates to kits, apparatus and software required for implementing aforementioned methods.

The present invention is directed to recombinantly-modified adeno-associated virus (AAV) helper vectors that are capable of increasing the packaging efficiency of recombinantly-modified adeno-associated virus (rAAV) and their use to improve the packaging efficiency of such rAAV. The present invention is particularly directed to recombinantly-modified adeno-associated virus (AAV) helper vectors that have been further modified to replace (or augment) the P5 and/or P40 promoter sequences that are natively associated with the Rep proteins encoded by such rAAV with AAV P5 and/or P40 promoters that are associated with the Rep proteins of an rAAV of different serotype. The use of such substitute or additional promoter sequences causes increased production of recombinantly-modified adeno-associated virus.

The present disclosure describes methods and systems for use in the production of adeno-associated virus (AAV) particles, compositions and formulations, including recombinant adeno-associated viruses (rAAV). The present disclosure presents cell culture mediums for use in producing adeno-associated viruses (AAV), such as AAV which comprise a polynucleotide encoding a payload. In certain embodiments, the cell culture medium comprises a hydrolysate mixture, L-glutamine, poloxamer 188 (e.g. 10% pluronic F-68), a lipid emulsion, and a cholesterol mixture. In certain embodiments, the production process and system use Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells (such as Sf9 or Sf21) as viral production cells (VPCs). In certain embodiments, the production process and system use Baculoviral Expression Vectors (BEVs) and/or Baculoviral Infected Insect Cells (BIICs) in the production of rAAVs.