A fusion protein including a phage tail-spike protein ΦAB6TSP and a signal indicator is provided. Also, a method of detecting bacteria having pseudaminic acid (Pse) is provided, including steps of contacting a sample with a phage tail-spike protein ΦDAB6TSP; and detecting a signal from the sample. The fusion protein and the method of detecting bacteria can be applied to a set of practical diagnosis and therapeutic alternative against Pse-coated antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria.

In a general aspect, microorganisms [e.g., bacteria, etc.) are identified and detected. In some examples, a liquid solvent is supplied through a first channel of a sampling probe to an internal reservoir of the sampling probe; a fixed volume of the liquid solvent in the internal reservoir is held in direct contact with a sample surface for a period of time to form a liquid analyte; gas is supplied to the internal reservoir through a second channel of the sampling probe; the liquid analyte is extracted from the internal reservoir through a third channel of the sampling probe; the liquid analyte is transferred to a mass spectrometer; the mass spectrometer processes the liquid analyte to produce mass spectrometry data; and the mass spectrometry data are analyzed to detect and identify a microorganism [e.g., acteria, fungi, or another type of microorganism) present at the sample surface.

Devices, systems and methods including a sonicator for sample preparation are provided. A sonicator may be used to mix, resuspend, aerosolize, disperse, disintegrate, or de-gas a solution. A sonicator may be used to disrupt a cell, such as a pathogen cell in a sample. Sample preparation may include exposing pathogen-identifying material by sonication to detect, identify, or measure pathogens. A sonicator may transfer ultrasonic energy to the sample solution by contacting its tip to an exterior wall of a vessel containing the sample. Multipurpose devices including a sonicator also include further components for additional actions and assays. Devices, and systems comprising such devices, may communicate with a laboratory or other devices in a system for sample assay and analysis. Methods utilizing such devices and systems are provided. The improved sample preparation devices, systems and methods are useful for analyzing samples, e.g. for diagnosing patients suffering from infection by pathogens.

One aspect of the present disclosure can include a method for reducing or alleviating inflammation in the digestive tract of a subject in need thereof that consumes a disruptive dietary component. One step of the method can include assaying a previously obtained fecal sample from the subject for the presence of one or more Proteobacteria and an activity level of a peroxidase enzyme. The subject can decrease ingestion of the disruptive dietary component if the assayed presence of the one or more Proteobacteria and the activity level of the peroxidase enzyme are increased as compared to control levels.

A robotic surgical system includes a hydraulic drive system and a surgical instrument removably positioned in operative engagement with the hydraulic drive system.

A support for a multiplex binding experiment is functionalized with at least two different polypeptides. The polypeptides are provided in a reaction mixture along with their cognate binding partners. The polypeptides have high affinity for their cognate binding partners provided in the reaction mixture. The polypeptides and their cognate binding partners can be used in immunoassays.

The invention provides a method for detecting bacteria. The method utilises a peptide that forms a complex with a conjugated reporter polymer and is susceptible to cleavage by one or more proteases on the surface of a bacteria. Presence or absence of the bacteria can be determined by assessing the optical absorption and/or colour and/or photoluminescence (e.g. fluorescence) of the conjugated reporter polymer, which may undergo a conformational change after binding with the to the cleaved peptide substrate. Specifically, the peptide substrate may comprise a cleavage site for digestion by the protease, and the protease may be an omptin protease. The conjugated reporter polymer may be selected from a polythiophene, a poly(1,4-phenylene vinylene) (PPV), a poly(1,4-phenylene) (PPP), a polyfluorenes (PFO), a nitrogen-containing polymer such as polyquinoline, poly(2,5-pyridinevinylene) (PPyV), 1,3,4-oxadiazole, and poly(9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK), and a polypyrrole. The method may be used to detect contamination in food or water, or as a clinical and/or diagnostic test.

A robotic surgical system includes a fluid drive system and a surgical instrument removably positioned in operative engagement with the drive system. A sterile barrier covers non-sterile portions of the surgical system. Features of the sterile barrier are used to transfer motion output from the fluid drive system to the instrument for actuation of the instrument.

Accurate measurements of the presence or absence of a target cell in a sample are provided. For example, the sample can be mixed with a plurality of transduction particles capable of binding to the target cells, the transduction particles being engineered to include a nucleic acid molecule formulated to cause the target cells to produce a plurality of detectable reporter molecules once the particles bind to and deliver the nucleic acid molecules into the one or more target cells. A set of signal data points are received that are associated with a quantity of reporter molecules and the signal data points are analyzed to accurately detect target cells in the sample. Systems and methods are disclosed.

A robotic surgical system includes a fluid drive system and a surgical instrument removably positioned in operative engagement with the drive system. A sterile barrier covers non-sterile portions of the surgical system. Features of the sterile barrier are used to transfer motion output from the fluid drive system to the instrument for actuation of the instrument.