A separation system, a method in a separation system and an elution arrangement to be provided in a separation system for separating a biomolecule from a cell culture are provided. The method comprises the steps of: —providing a feed from a cell culture (3; 103; 203) comprising said biomolecule to a magnetic separator (5; 105; 205) and providing to the magnetic separator magnetic beads comprising ligands capable of binding this biomolecule; —separating by the magnetic separator said magnetic beads with bound biomolecules from the rest of the feed; —forwarding said magnetic beads as a slurry with an added buffer to an elution cell (7; 107; 207); —eluting the bound biomolecules in the elution cell.

An in vitro or ex vivo method, based on the measurement of the expression of cytokine(s), from a patient's blood sample, incubated with a stimulus, for determining the risk of occurrence of a healthcare-associated infection in the patient, within seven days following the day on which the collection of the biological sample has been performed from the patient.

The present disclosure provides materials and methods for cell-free expression of epitopes for immunotherapy applications. In particular, the present disclosure provides materials and methods for expressing concatenated epitopes using a cell-free protein synthesis platform for high throughput, large scale, and unbiased epitope screening and the generation of multi-epitope vaccines.

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.

The invention relates to methods and devices to identify an infection via light scatter from a tissue surface.

Described herein are variants of alpha-hemolysin having at least one mutation, such as a mutation to a positive charge. In certain examples, the mutation is selected from V149K, E287R, H35G, T109K, P151K, K147N, E111N, M113A, or combinations thereof in the mature, wild-type alpha-hemolysin amino acid sequence. The α-hemolysin variants may also include a substitution at H144A and/or a series of glycine residues spanning residues 127 to 131 of the mature, wild-type alpha hemolysin. Also provided are nanopore assemblies including the alpha-hemolysin variants, the assembly having a decreased time-to-thread. The decreased time-to-thread, for example, increases DNA sequencing efficiency and accuracy.

A method for characterizing bacteria includes passing a liquid containing an analyte comprising a first bacteria and a second bacteria over and in contact with a polymer material on a substrate. The polymer material is formulated to bind to the first bacteria, and the first bacteria binds to the polymer material with a higher affinity than the second bacteria. A heat transfer property of the polymer material varies based on an amount of the analyte bound thereto. The method further includes binding a portion of the first bacteria and the second bacteria of the analyte to the polymer material, removing at least a portion of the second bacteria from the polymer material, detecting a temperature of the substrate, and calculating a concentration of the first bacteria in the liquid based at least in part on the temperature of the substrate.

Disclosed herein are isolated and purified Staphylococcus aureus bi-component leukocidin, referred to herein as LukAB, and its components LukA and LukB, antibodies specific to LukA, antibodies specific to LukB, therapeutic compositions containing LukA and/or LukB, or anti-LukA and/or anti-LukB antibodies, uses of the compositions to treat acute inflammatory conditions or S. aureus infection, methods for identifying inhibitors of LukAB-mediated cytotoxicity of human phagocytes, and methods for using LukAB as a marker to predict severity of S. aureus infection.

The present disclosure comprises a device and accompanying method for determining the presence or absence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a sample. The disclosure includes the following elements: (1) a lateral flow strip for microfluidic manipulation of a sample; (2) a cassette device for containing the lateral flow strip and enabling interface with a detection device; (3) a cassette handler; (4) a luminous reagent delivery device; and (5) an electromagnetic radiation detection device capable of converting chemiluminescent radiation from the lateral flow strip into an output for a user.