Disclosed herein are an apparatus for electrically assessing and/or manipulating cells. One aspect is directed to electrically mapping cells on the surface of the semiconductor substrate via cross-electrode impedance measurements. Further according to some aspects, the electrode array allows for spatially addressable electrical stimulation and/or recording of electrical signals in real-time using the CMOS circuitry. Some of these aspects are directed to using an electrode array to perform cell patterning through electrochemical gas generation, and extracellular electrochemical mapping.

The present invention provides a D-serine transport modifier which is characterized by controlling the transport of D-serine into and out of cells by a D-serine transporter protein, a pharmaceutical composition which comprises the same as an active component and treats or prevents diseases relating to an increase or decrease in the amount of D-serine, and a screening method of substances that control the transport of D-serine. The present invention also provides a screening method of a D-serine transporter protein.

A human tissue stem cell in which a gene of interest is introduced into a gene locus of a stem cell marker gene.

An RNA methyltransferase inhibitor comprising sulfonamide-based compounds and/or pyrazoline-based compounds is provided

Systems and methods are provided for microbial identification using cleavable tags. Control information is sent to a mass spectrometer to fragment one or more nucleic acid primers labeled with a first tag and monitor for an intensity of the first tag in a mass spectrometry (MS) method. An ion source provides a beam of ions from a polymerase chain reaction amplified sample that includes one or more nucleic acid primers labeled with the first tag. The first tag binds to one or more nucleic acid primers of a known microbe and is cleaved from the nucleic acid primers during the MS method. The mass spectrometer receives the beam of ions and is adapted to perform the MS method on the beam of ions. If the intensity of the first tag received from the mass spectrometer exceeds a threshold value, the known microbe is identified in the sample.

Systems and methods are provided for microbial identification using cleavable tags. Control information is sent to a mass spectrometer to fragment one or more nucleic acid primers labeled with a first tag and monitor for an intensity of the first tag in a mass spectrometry (MS) method. An ion source provides a beam of ions from a polymerase chain reaction amplified sample that includes one or more nucleic acid primers labeled with the first tag. The first tag binds to one or more nucleic acid primers of a known microbe and is cleaved from the nucleic acid primers during the MS method. The mass spectrometer receives the beam of ions and is adapted to perform the MS method on the beam of ions. If the intensity of the first tag received from the mass spectrometer exceeds a threshold value, the known microbe is identified in the sample.

A microorganism test method includes: covering, with a hydrophobic capping solvent, a sample containing a specimen and a liquid culture medium, within a region in a vicinity of a sensor configured to detect a microorganism contained in the specimen; and calculating, based on an output from the sensor, information indicating a degree of growth of the microorganism contained in the specimen. For example, an analysis unit drives an array sensor in which many resonators are arranged in a matrix pattern, stores a resonance frequency of a resonator which is acquired at the time of starting the measurement as an initial frequency, and calculates a difference (frequency shift) between the initial frequency and a resonance frequency of the resonator which is measured at predetermined time intervals as information indicating a degree of growth of the microorganism contained in the specimen.

A microorganism test method includes: covering, with a hydrophobic capping solvent, a sample containing a specimen and a liquid culture medium, within a region in a vicinity of a sensor configured to detect a microorganism contained in the specimen; and calculating, based on an output from the sensor, information indicating a degree of growth of the microorganism contained in the specimen. For example, an analysis unit drives an array sensor in which many resonators are arranged in a matrix pattern, stores a resonance frequency of a resonator which is acquired at the time of starting the measurement as an initial frequency, and calculates a difference (frequency shift) between the initial frequency and a resonance frequency of the resonator which is measured at predetermined time intervals as information indicating a degree of growth of the microorganism contained in the specimen.

Disclosed herein is a quantitative screen for the assessment of microbiome derived drug metabolism. The disclosed quantitative screen, named MDMQ-Screen, may be employed, inter alia, for assessing the impact of the human gut microbiome on drug metabolism. MDMQ-Screen is used to measure and explain inter-individual variability in drug metabolism. This information is crucial in explaining potential toxic effects of the administered drugs, as well variability in response to therapy between individuals. Inter alia, MDMQ-Screen can be used to assess unexplained variability in drug response and toxicity of already used medications; used in future drug development pipelines to aid in the design and interpretation of clinical trials; and used at bedside to assess the probability of drug response and toxicity and provide recommendations for therapeutic modifications in a personalized medicine manner.

The present invention relates to: a biomarker composition for predicting the prognosis of brain disease caused by microplastic exposure; and a use thereof. More particularly, it was confirmed that polyethylene microspheres (PS) in a mouse animal model orally administered with the PS penetrate brain tissue to change the level of metabolites inside the brain tissue and the diversity of intestinal microorganisms, thereby causing brain disease, and thus the present invention is intended to provide a biomarker composition for predicting the prognosis of brain disease caused by microplastic exposure, and a method for predicting the prognosis of brain disease using same.