Gene expression signatures and pathways associated with tuberculosis are identified. The invention provides for diagnostic assays based on gene markers and cell composition, as well as therapeutic targets for modulating tuberculosis infection. In addition, tuberculosis copy number contained in cells and methods of detecting high and low copy number are disclosed.

There is a disclosed a method of killing abnormal cells such as malignant cells including melanoma cells, using a virus recognising at least one of a cell adhesion molecule and a complement regulatory protein. The virus may be a member of the Picornaviridae family. Coxsackie A-group viruses have been found to be particularly suitable. The cell adhesion molecule is desirably a member of the immunoglobulin (Ig) superfamily. Typically, the complement regulatory protein will be DAF.

A method for determination of the growth rate of biofilm (7) using an electrical impedance analyses is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: bringing a culture medium fluid (3) in contact to an electrode structure (4a, 4b), having biofilm (7) grown within the fluid culture medium (3) with the biofilm (7) arranged in distance to the electrodes structure (4a, 4b), so that the fluid culture medium (3) is placed between the growing biofilm (7) and the electrode structure (4a, 4b); measuring the impedance of the electrodes structure (4a, 4b) over a monitoring time, and determining the growth rate of the biofilm (7) as a function of the reduction rate of the impedance values measured on the electrode structure (4a, 4b).

A method for determination of the growth rate of biofilm (7) using an electrical impedance analyses is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: bringing a culture medium fluid (3) in contact to an electrode structure (4a, 4b), having biofilm (7) grown within the fluid culture medium (3) with the biofilm (7) arranged in distance to the electrodes structure (4a, 4b), so that the fluid culture medium (3) is placed between the growing biofilm (7) and the electrode structure (4a, 4b); measuring the impedance of the electrodes structure (4a, 4b) over a monitoring time, and determining the growth rate of the biofilm (7) as a function of the reduction rate of the impedance values measured on the electrode structure (4a, 4b).

The present invention relates to systems and methods for screening natural products such as secondary metabolites produced by engineered microbial strains.

Provided herein are RNA markers and compositions, methods and systems for the related identification and/or uses in methods for detection of antibiotic susceptibility and resistance in a microorganism, and in particular in N. gonorrhoeae.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for targeted integration of sequences of interest such as lineage-specific or cell fate reporter constructs or protein encoding sequences into stem cells.

There is provided a microfluidic device (10) comprising a microfluidic structure having multiple spatially defined cell capturing channels (2) configured for enabling growth of cells or genetic libraries of cells or cell strains that are capable of producing or secreting compounds. The microfluidic structure of the microfluidic device (10) further comprises multiple spatially defined detection chambers (1; 1A) configured to receive and accommodate target entities. Each of the detection chambers (1) is configured for fluid connection with at least one of the cell capturing channels (2), and has a selective barrier (3A) defined between the detection chamber (1; 1A) and the respective cell capturing channel or channels (2) and adapted for allowing flow of at least one of the compounds from the respective cell capturing channel or channels (2) into the detection chamber (1; 1A) enabling the target entities in the detection chamber to be exposed to said at least one compound, while stopping cells or target entities from passing through the selective barrier (3A).

System and Method for measuring the growth of a bacterial culture and its response to one or more antimicrobials using measurement of mass of individual microbes. Methods include periodic sampling, determining change in mass and concentration, and comparing growth rates of cultures in nutrient broth vs. mixtures containing various antibiotic mixtures. A number of antimicrobials can be compared in one measurement by multiplexing or using multiple sensors to measure in parallel. Growth and antibiotic efficacy can be assessed at low concentrations at the onset of growth, typically within 1 to 2 hours.

An imaging system and method for microbial growth detection, counting or identification. One colony may be contrasted in an image that is not optimal for another type of colony. The system and method provides contrast from all available material through space (spatial differences), time (differences appearing over time for a given capture condition) and color space transformation using image input information over time to assess whether microbial growth has occurred for a given sample.