Provided herein are methods for isolating nucleic acids from intact cells in a sample of intact cells, contamination dead cells, cell debris, and biofilm using two separation steps, either by centrifugation or filtration, performed in sequentially. Also provided is a method for isolating nucleic acids from intact cells using a first separation step followed by treatment with a nuclease and then a second separating step. Provided herein is a related method for isolating DNA from intact cells using a nuclease that produces DNA cuts on double stranded DNA, followed by a second separating step.

The invention relates to a method for in vitro diagnosis of the presence of a mental disorder in a human individual or the predisposition of the human individual to the mental disorder, wherein the mental disorder is associated with a dysfunctional DISC1 protein pathway or disturbed dopamine homeostasis, the method comprising: a) measuring in a sample of a body tissue or fluid from the individual the expression levels of at least two marker genes, each of which coding for at least one marker protein; b) comparing the measured expression levels to predetermined threshold values representing the expression levels of said marker genes in a healthy population; and c) based on the comparison, determining whether the individual has the mental disorder or a predisposition to the mental disorder, wherein the measured expression levels are indicative to the mental disorder or disposition if the measured expression levels of said marker genes exceed, reach or fall below the predetermined threshold value. For example, the expression level (relative mRNA expression) of each of the marker genes Ifng, Ccl4, Il13ra1, Il12rb2, C3, and Slc27a2 is significantly decreased in a transgenic rat (TG, gray) in relation to non-transgenic littermates (LM, white). That is, the lower expression level of each tested marker gene in the transgenic rat relative to the expression level of the respective marker gene in the non-transgenic control is indicative of dysfunctional DISC1 protein pathway or disturbed dopamine homeostasis.

The invention relates to a gene construct for detecting the presence of microorganisms that produce chemical molecules of the Acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) type, comprising a first expression cassette that includes a copper-inducible promoter operably linked to the gene encoding the RhlR protein and, downstream of said first expression cassette, a second expression cassette including a promoter that is induced by the AHL-RhlR complex, said promoter being operably linked to a gene encoding a reporter protein. The invention also includes a genetically modified biosensor cell to detect the presence of microorganisms comprising said gene construct, as well as the method of detecting the presence of microorganisms that produce AHL-type chemical molecules by immobilizing the biosensor in an organic matrix, generating a surface that can be used to expose a sample of a fluid such as air or a liquid medium, and thus detect these molecules mediated by the biosensor cell.

A system for and method of antimicrobial susceptibility testing includes detecting a resonance peak of a sensor provided with live microbes on a surface thereof; applying a substance to the live microbes; detecting a resonance peak of said sensor after application of said substance; determining a width of a top of each of said resonance peaks before and after application of the substance from one of: (1) a phase angle versus frequency plot where the phase angle is the phase angle of the electrical impedance of said sensor. (2) a real part of a plot of an electrical impedance versus frequency of said sensor. (3) a plot of a magnitude of electrical impedance versus frequency of said sensor, and (4) a phase angle versus frequency plot where the phase angle is the phase angle between an output voltage and an input voltage of said sensor, and comparing the determined widths of tops of said resonance peaks or standard deviations of the frequency of said resonance peaks to determine antimicrobial susceptibility including the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).

Herein disclosed are methods for treatment of cancer and methods for patient selection for administration of cancer treatment regimens comprising inhibitors of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1). In particular, disclosed herein are methods for identification of patients with tumors harboring genetic alterations that confer sensitivity to Chk1 inhibition.

Provided is an analysis method including obtaining sequence information of nucleic acid contained in a measurement sample prepared by mixing at least one sample that contains subject-derived nucleic acid and a sample that contains non-subject-derived nucleic acid such that the measurement sample contains a previously determined amount of nucleic acid; and outputting sequence information in which a data amount of sequence information per sample that contains subject-derived nucleic acid is a predetermined amount irrespective of the number of samples that contain subject-derived nucleic acid and that have been used in preparing the measurement sample.

The present invention relates to: a method for providing information for the prediction or diagnosis of oral precancer or oral cancer characterized by confirming expression of the Axin2 gene or the Snail gene in an oral leukoplakia tissue sample or an oral submucous fibrosis tissue sample; and a use of a compound capable of delaying or inhibiting the progression of a precancerous lesion and recurrent oral cancer using the compound capable of effectively inhibiting the expression of the Axin2 gene or the Snail gene. According to the present invention, the possibility of oral leukoplakia or submucous fibrosis which causes white lesions to appear inside the oral cavity can be predicted and diagnosed, thereby being useful in eliminating the potential risks of oral cancer by early prediction of progression into oral precancer or oral cancer for which effective treatment does not currently exist.

The present invention relates to: a method for providing information for the prediction or diagnosis of oral precancer or oral cancer characterized by confirming expression of the Axin2 gene or the Snail gene in an oral leukoplakia tissue sample or an oral submucous fibrosis tissue sample; and a use of a compound capable of delaying or inhibiting the progression of a precancerous lesion and recurrent oral cancer using the compound capable of effectively inhibiting the expression of the Axin2 gene or the Snail gene. According to the present invention, the possibility of oral leukoplakia or submucous fibrosis which causes white lesions to appear inside the oral cavity can be predicted and diagnosed, thereby being useful in eliminating the potential risks of oral cancer by early prediction of progression into oral precancer or oral cancer for which effective treatment does not currently exist.

A method and a sensor for detecting L-cystine are disclosed. The method is implemented by assembling a sodium 3,3-dithiodipropane sulfonate (SPS) membrane on a surface of Au membrane layer of an Au electrode and using an extended gate of field effect transistor (FET) and in-situ signal amplification of the FET to detect L-cystine sensitively. The polyanion of the SPS membrane adsorbs and binds a positively charged target L-cystine through electrostatic interaction, thus forming an electric double layer structure to generate a membrane potential identifying a monovalent organic ammonium ion. The sensor includes the FET, wherein a gate-extended gold electrode is arranged on the FET, and the SPS membrane is assembled on the surface of the Au membrane layer of the gate-extended gold electrode. The sensor has an excellent Nernst response to L-cystine.

Disclosed are compositions and methods for single-step PCR of a sample containing a complex target gene pool that can simultaneously amplify a wide variety of variant target gene sequences common to the sample while maintaining the original ratios of gene variants. The compositions and methods described herein utilize (1) a gene-specific primer pool that contains multiple variants that occur in a sample containing a complex mixture of target sequences that are both required for amplification of variants in the mixture which may introduce amplification bias, with (2) a non-specific PCR primer that is designed to target multiple gene-specific primer variants and eliminate amplification bias.