The present invention relates to a low-cost, thermally reversible valve for paper-fluidic diagnostic devices. In particular, this invention demonstrates a tunable valve mechanism fabricated by wax-ink printing and localized heating via thin-film resistors to sequentially release liquids through a cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane. The wax-ink valve can obstruct fluid flow for a sustained time and are thermally actuated to release a controlled amount of liquid past the valve. This integrated paper-fluidic diagnostic assay device requires minimal user involvement, can be easily manufactured and tuned to meet various fluid delivery timing and incubation needs.

An open-cell foam structure that is used to detect and remove substances from water or air.

The present invention provides an isolated binding reagent that specifically binds to a recombinant Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus (CSSV) coat protein antigen having at least 80% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or 4 and/or at least 80% sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or 3. A porous membrane based sensor for detecting CSSV comprising a recombinant CSSV coat protein antigen and a method for detecting CSSV using the sensor are also provided. A competitive ELISA for detecting viral infections in plants is also provided.

Air flow systems, devices and methods for monitoring airborne agents include airborne agent collectors. Airborne agent collectors for collecting and detecting the presence and/or identification of an airborne agent(s) include a soluble and hydrophilic polycaprolactone (PCL) that has been treated with a base (e.g., a base having a pH greater than 8 (e.g., NaOH, NaHCO.sub.3, KOH, Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, and CA(OH).sub.2) and in some embodiments, also treated with a neutralizing agent for increasing hydrophilicity. Detection and identification of airborne agents captured by an airborne agent collector can be performed using any suitable analytical protocols. Such protocols are well known in the art, and include nucleic acid assays, protein assays (e.g., mass spectrometry), and bioassays (e.g., in vitro and in vivo assays). The airborne agent collectors can be used for the detection and identification of nucleic acid from cells or organisms of any type (e.g., viruses, bacteria, fungi) in fixed structures (e.g., homes, sports arenas, theaters, buildings such as offices, laboratories, hospitals, schools, airports, train stations, bus stations, etc.) and in mobile, portable devices or machines (e.g., aircraft, automobiles, air-freshener, air-purifier, air re-circulator, vacuum cleaner, etc.).

Disclosed herein is a molecular imprinted air filter for removing, detecting and/or reporting specific agents and/or molecules and comprising one or more air-permeable layers of molecular imprinted material positioned to contact molecules and/or agents in an airborne, and/or microdroplet-borne environment, a bioactive molecular imprint of a molecule that captures a specific airborne, fluid borne, and/or microdroplet-borne molecule, particle, or agent, and an electronic enhancement.

This invention relates to methods of detecting Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato or for detecting Borrelia associated with Relapsing Fever (RF), kits for carrying out such methods, and methods of treating Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato or RF infections in a subject. Uses of phage specific for Borrelia are also provided.

Methods are provided to separately isolate antigen-binding T cells and antigen-activated T cells derived from a starting population of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and to identify overlapping T cell receptor clonotypes. Antigens include personal and shared neoantigens as well as cancer-testis antigens. The T cell receptor clonotypes can be further used to develop cancer treatment therapies.

Fluorescent viral particles, including viral particles and a fluorescent dye conjugated to the viral particles, are used for viral contaminant removal testing as part of viral clearance evaluation for biological medical product preparation processes. The conjugated fluorescent dye adds only marginally to viral particle size, but provides versatility both for rapid screening of alternative viral removal approaches during process development and for final process validation, as the fluorescent viral particles have fluorescent activity throughout the viral clearance evaluation process, permitting rapid and consistent quantification of initial test solutions, resulting purified solutions, and intermediate solutions of interest at any point during processing under evaluation.

The invention relates to novel means and processes for the detection of a virus in a biological sample comprising cells infected by the virus. In particular, the invention relates to a fluorescent reporter protein designed as a recombinant inactive form of flipGFP suitable for specific activation by viral components in particular by viral proteins, such as viral protease, wherein the viral component recognizes a cleavage site inserted in the recombinant flipGFP. The fluorescent reporter protein is suitable for use in an in vitro method of detection of virus infection in a biological sample when the virus is related to the viral components activating the inactive form of flipGFP into an active fluorescent flipGFP in a biological sample, especially a sample comprising cells, in particular unaltered cells.

The present invention relates to a low-cost, thermally reversible valve for paper-fluidic diagnostic devices. In particular, this invention demonstrates a tunable valve mechanism fabricated by wax-ink printing and localized heating via thin-film resistors to sequentially release liquids through a cellulose or nitrocellulose membrane. The wax-ink valve can obstruct fluid flow for a sustained time and are thermally actuated to release a controlled amount of liquid past the valve. This integrated paper-fluidic diagnostic assay device requires minimal user involvement, can be easily manufactured and tuned to meet various fluid delivery timing and incubation needs.