The invention relates to a respiratory secretion sample collection device that includes a collection reservoir for directly receiving a sample of a respiratory secretion, a displacement member for insertion into the collection reservoir and displacing the sample within the collection reservoir, a container of a diluent for fluid communication with the sample for mixing the diluent with the sample, and an outlet for discharging the mixture of the diluent and the sample to an assay device. In embodiments, the precise volumes of the sample and the diluent are effectively mixed to enable the conduct of assays for which the relative concentration of diluent and sample is critical.

The present invention relates to vitro method for analysing a liquid sample as to the presence, identity and properties of microbes comprising: a) isolating microbes from the liquid sample; b) analysing said microbes spectroscopically by means of spontaneous Raman spectroscopy; and c) determining antibiotic susceptibility of said microbes spectroscopically by means of spontaneous Raman spectroscopy. The present invention also refers to device for analysing a liquid sample as to the presence, identity and properties of microbes, wherein the device comprises as a first unit (i) a chip comprising a filtering unit and an antibiotics exposure unit capable of determining the susceptibility of microbes to an antibiotic; as a second unit (ii) a Raman spectroscopy system; and as a third unit (iii) an evaluation module which is coupled to the Raman spectroscopy system.

The technology provided herein relates to multiplex methods and kits for detecting different analytes in a sample in parallel by sequential signal-encoding of said analytes, as well as in vitro methods for screening, identifying and/or testing a substance and/or drug and in vitro methods for diagnosis of a disease, and an optical multiplexing system.

A time-resolved fluorescence kit for synchronously detecting 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, aflatoxin B1 and sterigmatocystin includes an immunochromatography time-resolved fluorescence test strip and a sample reaction bottle containing europium-labeled anti-4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, anti-aflatoxin B1 and anti-sterigmatocystin monoclonal antibodies, where a water absorption pad, a detection pad and a sample pad are sequentially disposed on one side of the immunochromatography time-resolved fluorescence test strip from top to bottom, adjacent pads are connected in an overlapping manner at a joint, the detection pad uses a nitrocellulose membrane as a base pad, a quality control line and detection lines are transversely arranged on the nitrocellulose membrane from top to bottom, the quality control line is coated with a rabbit antimouse polyclonal antibody, and the three detection lines each are coated with a toxin-protein conjugate. The three mycotoxins including 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol, aflatoxin B1 and sterigmatocystin can be rapidly and synchronously detected.

A pesticidal protein class of PirA, PirB, and PirAB fusion proteins exhibiting toxic activity against Coleopteran, Lepidopteran, and Hemipteran pest species is disclosed. DNA constructs are provided which contain a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding the PirA, PirB, and PirAB fusion proteins. Transgenic plants, plant cells, seed, and plant parts resistant to Coleopteran, Lepidopteran, and Hemipteran infestation are provided which contain recombinant nucleic acid sequences encoding the PirA, PirB, and PirAB fusion proteins. Methods for detecting the presence of the recombinant nucleic acid sequences or the proteins of the present invention in a biological sample, and methods of controlling Coleopteran, Lepidopteran, and Hemipteran species pests using the PirA, PirB, and PirAB fusion proteins are also provided.

The present disclosure provides a biosensor for detecting the presence of and/or the amount of at least one fungal plant pathogen in a sample, comprising: a support structure; at least two interdigitated electrodes coupled to the support structure, wherein at least one of the interdigitated electrodes is functionalized with a linker coupled to at least one biological component that recognizes the at least one fungal plant pathogen; and an impedance measurement circuit coupled to the at least two interdigitated electrodes. The present disclosure also provides methods of detecting the presence of and/or the amount of at least one fungal plant pathogen in a sample, methods of making the biosensor described herein, as well as methods and uses of using the herein described biosensor for detecting the presence of and/or amount of at least one fungal plant pathogen.

A microfluidic device for detection of an analyte in a fluid is described. The microfluidic device comprises a substrate having a first surface defining entrances to one or more chambers defined in the substrate, surfaces of the chambers defining a second surface of the substrate, the first surface being modified for selective targeting and capture of at least one analyte to operably effect a blocking of the entrance to at least one of the chambers, and wherein a response characteristic of the microfluidic device is operably varied by the blocking of the entrance to the at least one of the chambers, thereby providing an indication of the presence of the analyte within the fluid.

Coccidioidomycosis is most often diagnosed serologically and the quantitative complement-fixing antibody test (CF) is considered prognostically useful. Because CF is complex, labor-intensive, and poorly standardized, an enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) alternative would be attractive. The present invention features an antibody-binding domain that is restricted to a 200 amino acid recombinant peptide of the known antigen responsible for CF activity. Overlapping truncations of this peptide do not bind CF antibodies, suggesting that the responsible epitope(s) are conformational. Further, anchoring the antigenic peptide to the ELISA plate by means of a C-terminal tag instead of allowing the peptide to randomly adhere to the plastic plate improves sensitivity of antibody detection by one to two logs in different sera. The newly developed ELISA shows a significant quantitative correlation with CF. This ELISA shows potential as the basis for a new quantitative assay for coccidioidal antibodies.

In one aspect, methods of generating human monoclonal antibodies that specifically binds to an allergen are provided. In some embodiments, the monoclonal antibodies are generated from sequences identified from isolated single B cells from a human subject who is allergic to the allergen.

The invention provides anti-CaENO1 antibodies and humanized antibodies as effective diagnostic agent or therapeutic treatment against infections caused by Candida spp. (preferably Candida. albicans, Candida tropicalis), fluconazole resistance Candida spp., Streptococcus, or Staphylococcus.