The present invention provides a detection instrument capable of easily detecting an intended detection object without any skilled technique. The detection instrument (1) of the present invention includes a detection portion (12), a detection reagent which develops a color by specifically reacting with a detection object in a sample is placed in the detection portion (12), positional information of the detection reagent in the detection portion (12) is information on the detection object, and color development of the detection reagent can be optically read. It is preferred that a bar code is formed in the detection portion (12), and the detection reagent is placed as a part of the bar code.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method (i.e., Enzyme Linked Oligonucleotide Sorbent Assay (ELOSA)) for the detection and/or quantification of a test oligonucleotide (e.g., a small oligonucleotide) in a test sample, such as a biological fluid, comprising: a) contacting the test sample with i) a capture reagent bound to a solid support, wherein the capture reagent comprises an oligonucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence complementary to the test oligonucleotide; and ii) a competition oligonucleotide operably linked to an enzyme, wherein the competition oligonucleotide comprises a nucleic acid sequence complementary to the capture oligonucleotide; thereby creating a reaction mixture; b) contacting the reaction mixture with a substrate that specifically binds to the enzyme, thereby generating an enzyme-substrate reaction product; and c) measuring the concentration of the enzyme-substrate reaction product, so as to detect and/or quantify the test oligonucleotide.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method (i.e., Enzyme Linked Oligonucleotide Sorbent Assay (ELOSA)) for the detection and/or quantification of a test oligonucleotide (e.g., a small oligonucleotide) in a test sample, such as a biological fluid, comprising: a) contacting the test sample with i) a capture reagent bound to a solid support, wherein the capture reagent comprises an oligonucleotide comprising a nucleic acid sequence complementary to the test oligonucleotide; and ii) a competition oligonucleotide operably linked to an enzyme, wherein the competition oligonucleotide comprises a nucleic acid sequence complementary to the capture oligonucleotide; thereby creating a reaction mixture; b) contacting the reaction mixture with a substrate that specifically binds to the enzyme, thereby generating an enzyme-substrate reaction product; and c) measuring the concentration of the enzyme-substrate reaction product, so as to detect and/or quantify the test oligonucleotide.

The present invention pertains to an enzymatic measurement method using an antibody-enzyme complex or a nucleic acid probe measurement method using an enzyme-labeled nucleic acid probe, in both of which the quantification of a product of a reaction by an enzyme in the antibody-enzyme complex or the enzyme-labeled nucleic acid probe is performed by generating thio-NAD(P)H by an enzymatic cycling reaction using NAD(P)H, thio-NAD(P), and a dehydrogenase (DH), and measuring the amount of the generated thio-NAD(P)H or measuring a change in color caused by the generated thio-NAD(P)H. An enzymatic reaction system in which NAD(P) generated from NAD(P)H by the enzymatic cycling reaction is selectively reduced, is caused to coexist with the enzymatic cycling reaction. The present invention also pertains to a kit for enzyme immunoassay, and a kit for nucleic acid probe measurement. In the enzymatic cycling reaction, the detection sensitivity is increased by increasing the amount of thio-NAD(P)H generated per unit time with respect to a predetermined amount of a substrate (reduced), and combining the same with an enzyme immunoassay, etc., enables quantification, etc., of a protein or nucleic acid with high sensitivity.

The present invention pertains to an enzymatic measurement method using an antibody-enzyme complex or a nucleic acid probe measurement method using an enzyme-labeled nucleic acid probe, in both of which the quantification of a product of a reaction by an enzyme in the antibody-enzyme complex or the enzyme-labeled nucleic acid probe is performed by generating thio-NAD(P)H by an enzymatic cycling reaction using NAD(P)H, thio-NAD(P), and a dehydrogenase (DH), and measuring the amount of the generated thio-NAD(P)H or measuring a change in color caused by the generated thio-NAD(P)H. An enzymatic reaction system in which NAD(P) generated from NAD(P)H by the enzymatic cycling reaction is selectively reduced, is caused to coexist with the enzymatic cycling reaction. The present invention also pertains to a kit for enzyme immunoassay, and a kit for nucleic acid probe measurement. In the enzymatic cycling reaction, the detection sensitivity is increased by increasing the amount of thio-NAD(P)H generated per unit time with respect to a predetermined amount of a substrate (reduced), and combining the same with an enzyme immunoassay, etc., enables quantification, etc., of a protein or nucleic acid with high sensitivity.

This document provides methods and materials for detecting contaminated food products. For example, methods and materials for using an enzymatic amplification cascade of restriction endonucleases to detect nucleic acid of a microorganism or virus (e.g., a pathogen) within a sample (e.g., food product sample) being tested, thereby assessing a food product for possible contamination are provided.

This document provides methods and materials for detecting contaminated food products. For example, methods and materials for using an enzymatic amplification cascade of restriction endonucleases to detect nucleic acid of a microorganism or virus (e.g., a pathogen) within a sample (e.g., food product sample) being tested, thereby assessing a food product for possible contamination are provided.

The invention generally relates to methods for quantifying an amount of enzyme molecules. Systems and methods of the invention are provided for measuring an amount of target by forming a plurality of fluid partitions, a subset of which include the target, performing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the subset, and detecting the number of partitions in the subset. The amount of target can be determined based on the detected number.

The invention generally relates to methods for quantifying an amount of enzyme molecules. Systems and methods of the invention are provided for measuring an amount of target by forming a plurality of fluid partitions, a subset of which include the target, performing an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in the subset, and detecting the number of partitions in the subset. The amount of target can be determined based on the detected number.

This disclosure provides a method of determining a sequence of nucleotides for a nucleic acid template. The method can include the steps of contacting the nucleic acid template with a conformationally labeled polymerase and at least four different nucleotide species under conditions wherein the conformationally labeled polymerase catalyzes sequential addition of the nucleotide species to form a nucleic acid complement of the nucleic acid template, wherein the sequential addition of each different nucleotide species produces a conformational signal change from the conformationally labeled polymerase and wherein the rate or time duration for the conformational signal change is distinguishable for each different nucleotide species; detecting a series of changes in the signal from the conformationally labeled polymerase under the conditions; and determining the rates or time durations for the changes in the signal, thereby determining the sequence of nucleotides for the nucleic acid template.