Provided is a compound having the structure: (SIG)-(SI-MOD).sub.m
where SIG is a signaling molecule, SI is a self-immolative structure bound to SIG such that SIG has a reduced signal relative to the signal of SIG without SI, MOD is a moiety bound to SI that is subject to modification by an activator, and m is an integer from 1 to about 10. When MOD is modified by an activator, SI is destabilized and self-cleaved from SIG such that SIG generates an increased signal. Also provided are methods of determining whether a sample, such as a cell, comprises an activator, such as a nitroreducase, using the compound. Further provided are methods of determining whether a mammalian cell is hypoxic using the compound where nitroreductase is the activator. A method of detecting a microorganism that comprises a nitroreductase using the compound where nitroreductase is the activator is also provided.

Provided is a compound having the structure: (SIG)-(SI-MOD).sub.m
where SIG is a signaling molecule, SI is a self-immolative structure bound to SIG such that SIG has a reduced signal relative to the signal of SIG without SI, MOD is a moiety bound to SI that is subject to modification by an activator, and m is an integer from 1 to about 10. When MOD is modified by an activator, SI is destabilized and self-cleaved from SIG such that SIG generates an increased signal. Also provided are methods of determining whether a sample, such as a cell, comprises an activator, such as a nitroreducase, using the compound. Further provided are methods of determining whether a mammalian cell is hypoxic using the compound where nitroreductase is the activator. A method of detecting a microorganism that comprises a nitroreductase using the compound where nitroreductase is the activator is also provided.

Vesicles that incorporate reporting constructs for characterizing Botulinum neurotoxin protease activity and suitable for use in an assay are provided. The reporting constructs are a pair of recombinant hybrid proteins that act in concert. The reporting constructs are a pair of recombinant hybrid proteins that act in concert, and that include a Botulinum neurotoxin protease recognition and cleavage sequence positioned to release a fluorophore upon cleavage.

Vesicles that incorporate reporting constructs for characterizing Botulinum neurotoxin protease activity and suitable for use in an assay are provided. The reporting constructs are a pair of recombinant hybrid proteins that act in concert. The reporting constructs are a pair of recombinant hybrid proteins that act in concert, and that include a Botulinum neurotoxin protease recognition and cleavage sequence positioned to release a fluorophore upon cleavage.

A conjugation device includes at least one flow reactor having an inlet and an outlet, the flow reactor(s) being completely filled with a support such as a matrix including 1) chromatography beads, fibers or membranes, and 2) a biologic catalyzer, namely the enzyme ligase, which is immobilized onto this support; a fluid delivery unit in fluid communication with the inlet of the flow reactor(s) and configured to continuously provide the flow reactor(s) with at least one kind of reaction fluid such as antibody and linker-payload according to stages of the conjugation process, the at least one kind of process fluid including a first moiety and a second moiety of a conjugate to be produced; and a fluid collection unit in fluid communication with the outlet of the flow reactor(s) and configured to control collection of fluid flowing out of the outlet of the flow reactor(s) according to the stages of the conjugation process. In a period of enabling the at least one kind of reaction fluid to continuously flow through the flow reactor(s), a conjugation reaction is conducted between the first moiety and the second moiety under catalysis of the ligase to produce the conjugate.

Proteases are enzymes which hydrolyze protein enzymes, eliminating their activity. The present invention exploits the hydrolyzing activity of proteases including proteinase K, endoproteinase LysC and/or trypsin to control the activity of restriction enzymes and/or eliminate or reduce production of unwanted DNA or RNA fragments (known as star activity).

Proteases are enzymes which hydrolyze protein enzymes, eliminating their activity. The present invention exploits the hydrolyzing activity of proteases including proteinase K, endoproteinase LysC and/or trypsin to control the activity of restriction enzymes and/or eliminate or reduce production of unwanted DNA or RNA fragments (known as star activity).

The present invention relates to a method for monitoring kinase activity or activation in a sample, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a sample comprising a kinase, b) incubating the sample with a protease to cleave the kinase provided in step a) into protease specific proteolytic peptides, c) applying phosphopeptide enrichment to the sample, d) analysing the sample obtained in step c) via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and e) detecting phosphorylations of the kinase provided in step a), wherein the detection of step e) is performed only in case a proteolytic peptide associated with the activation region of the kinase is identified.

The present invention relates to a method for monitoring kinase activity or activation in a sample, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a sample comprising a kinase, b) incubating the sample with a protease to cleave the kinase provided in step a) into protease specific proteolytic peptides, c) applying phosphopeptide enrichment to the sample, d) analysing the sample obtained in step c) via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, and e) detecting phosphorylations of the kinase provided in step a), wherein the detection of step e) is performed only in case a proteolytic peptide associated with the activation region of the kinase is identified.

The present invention relates to a method for detecting a pathogen in cellular lysate by measuring pathogen-specific enzyme activity. The method comprises contacting the cellular lysate with a substrate the pathogen of interest recognizes and modifies, and obtaining a measurable, recordable, signal. The method may comprise detection of SARS-CoV viruses using the activity of SARS PLpro enzyme in tongue scrape lysate as a readout.