Abstract: This invention is a method and kit for preparing a Tumor in Dish model for use in screening anti-cancer agents and analyzing cancer growth and development.

Abstract: A method for decomposing a target nucleic acid polymer, comprising: bonding a probe nucleic acid polymer and a microparticle to form a probe nucleic acid polymer-bonded microparticle, adding a target nucleic acid polymer to the probe nucleic acid polymer contained within the probe nucleic acid polymer-bonded microparticle to form an addition microparticle, and energizing the microparticle contained within the addition microparticle into a high-energy state and then using energy transfer from this high-energy state microparticle to decompose the target nucleic acid polymer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a methods and compositions for treating a surface, suspension or solution contaminated with a PrPSc prion protein or a surrogate thereof. The methods and compositions employ a combination of one or more enzymes effective to cleave a prion protein to fragments having a non-infective molecular weight, and one or more agents selected to favor conformational unfolding of the PrPSc prion protein while not denaturing the one or more enzymes.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting and quantifying bacterial spores on a surface. In accordance with the method: bacterial spores are transferred from a place of origin to a test surface, the test surface comprises lanthanide ions. Aromatic molecules are released from the bacterial spores; a complex of the lanthanide ions and aromatic molecules is formed on the test surface, the complex is excited to generate a characteristic luminescence on the test surface; the luminescence on the test surface is detected and quantified.

Abstract: Significant research is being done to develop and improve delivery mechanisms for biopharmaceuticals and vaccines, including pulmonary (inhalation), nasal, transdermal, and oral alternatives. Market projections indicate that the delivery of proteins and vaccines by inhalation and oral formulation has become and will continue to be increasingly important. These delivery mechanisms, to be effective, will require better stabilization of the biologicals so that they can maintain potency and effectiveness at ambient temperatures for extended periods of time. The novel Preservation by Vaporization (PBV) Technology described herein provides cost-effective and efficient industrial scale stabilization of proteins, viruses, bacteria, and other sensitive biologicals, thereby allowing a production of products that are not possible to be produced by existing methods. The suggested new PBV process comprises primary drying under vacuum from a partially frozen state (i.e.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for measuring the concentration of an analyte in a test solution wherein the analyte is mevalonic acid and/or 3-hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A, comprising the following steps (p) and (q): (p) a step of allowing an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction represented by Reaction Formula 1 and an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction represented by Reaction Formula 2 to act on a test solution containing mevalonic acid and/or 3 -hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor X, a hydrogen donor Y, and coenzyme A; and (q) a step of measuring an amount of: a reduced hydrogen acceptor X that is produced; or an oxidized hydrogen donor Y that is produced; or a hydrogen acceptor X that is decreased; or a hydrogen donor Y that is decreased, wherein the hydrogen donor Y and the reduced hydrogen acceptor X are not the same.

Abstract: A combination composition comprising as active ingredients L-carnitine or propionyl L-carnitine, troxerutine, diosmine and hesperidine, useful for the prevention and/or treatment of chronic venous diseases.

Abstract: Provided is a device having one or more lipid multilayer arrays of lipid multilayer structures on a substrate. Each lipid multilayer structure encapsulates an encapsulated material that may be delivered to a cell that is in contact with the lipid multilayer structure to determine the cellular response of the cell to the encapsulated material.

Abstract: A simple, inexpensive, and benign process to pretreat lignocellulose biomass for the economical production of biofuel and extraction of organic chemicals. Lignocellulose solids are mixed or blended with ammonium bicarbonate/carbonate and heated within a pressure reactor. At elevated temperature (e.g., >35° C.), the ammonium bicarbonate/carbonate dissociates into ammonia and carbon dioxide gases and water vapor, thereby causing a rise in pressure within the pressure reactor. Rapid release of the gases from the pressure reactor then ruptures biomass cell wall structures, which facilitates conversion of the cellulose and hemicellulose in the pretreated biomass to sugars that are fermentable into ethanol or other liquid fuels. Optionally, ammonia bicarbonate/carbonate can be reconstituted by cooling and precipitating the carbon dioxide and ammonia gases released from the pressure reactor for further use in the pretreatment process or sequestered as an end product.

Abstract: Provided are a photosensitizer-metal nanoparticle complex and a composition for photodynamic therapy or diagnosis having the same. The complex includes a photosensitizer, a metal nanoparticle, and a backbone linking the photosensitizer with the metal nanoparticle. The backbone has a polypeptide substrate capable of being specifically degraded by a protease. When the complex is administered to a patient, fluorescence and production of reactive oxygen species from the conjugated photosensitizers are inhibited in normal tissues due to the resonance energy transfer between the photosensitizer and metal nanoparticles, but in tumor tissues, fluorescence and production of reactive oxygen species from the released photosensitizers are activated, thereby effectively destroying the tumor tissues. In addition, the selective fluorescence in the tumor tissues can further improve accuracy of tumor diagnosis using the protease-activatable photosensitizer-metal nanoparticle complex.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for enhancing the quality and survival of red blood cells during storage by depleting the red blood cells of both carbon dioxide and oxygen and maintaining 2,3-diphosphoglycerate acid levels.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of isotopically labeling glycans and in facilitating high throughput quantitative/comparative analysis of glycomic compositions of biological cells. The method is applicable inter alia for identifying differentiated cells and their glycomic characteristics, differentiation conditions, disease and/or therapeutic progression, diagnosing disease states, determining drug activity, establishing manufacturing efficiencies and for determining the half-life of glycans in cells.

Abstract: The invention relates to an additive which can be added to buffers used in nucleotide detection processes and improved methods of nucleic acid sequencing using this additive. In particular the invention relates to use of the additive to improve the efficiency of fluorescence-based multiple cycle nucleic acid sequencing reactions.

Abstract: Genetically-engineered fluorophore molecules with increased fluorescence are provided. These fluorophores are derived from the domains of phytochromes, and in particular bacterial phytochromes. Methods for generating these fluorophores and various applications of these fluorophores are also provided.

Abstract: Methods and composition of induction of pluripotent stem cells are disclosed. For example, in certain aspects methods for generating essentially vector-free induced pluripotent stem cells with cell signaling regulators are described. Furthermore, certain aspects of the invention provide novel compositions comprising induced pluripotent stem cells essentially free of exogenous retroviral vector elements in the presence of a medium comprising signaling inhibitors. In certain aspects, feeder-free episomal reprogramming methods may be provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the culturing of cells by continuous perfusion culturing of a cell culture comprising cell culture medium and cells, wherein cell culture medium is added to the cell culture, the cell culture is circulated over a filter module comprising hollow fibers resulting in an outflow of liquid having a lower cell density than the cell culture and the flow within the filter module is an alternating tangential flow. Preferably, culture medium is added at a particular perfusion rate and/or biomass is removed form the culture at least once. The method is especially suitable for the culturing of aggregating cells. The invention also relates to such a process wherein a biological substance, preferably an antibody, is produced by the cells, which biological substance may be further purified in downstream processing.

Abstract: The present invention provides compositions and methods for decreasing oxidative damage to an organ during cold storage.

Abstract: The invention provides methods of detecting bacteria in fluids, including blood, platelets and other blood products for transfusion, and urine. The methods are based on lysing the bacteria to release ATP and detecting the ATP. Eukaryotic cell contamination is a problem to be overcome, because eukaryotic cell contain large amounts of ATP. Thus, some of the methods involve separating intact eukaryotic cells (e.g., platelets) from intact bacterial cells before lysing the bacterial cells to release ATP, contacting the ATP with an ATP-consuming enzyme that catalyzes a reaction, and monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction. Typically, the enzyme is luciferin, and the reaction is monitored by detecting light produced by the luciferin. Other methods of the invention involve contacting a fluid sample with a support surface that binds bacterial cells, lysing the bacterial cells to release ATP, contacting the ATP with an ATP-consuming enzyme, and monitoring the enzyme-catalyzed reaction.

Abstract: The subject the present invention is a method of producing a pharmacologically stable form of purified and lyophilised bacteriophage preparations of increased stability and antibacterial activity, characterized in that phages produced from a bacterial lysate, for example by ultrafiltration on ultrafiltration membranes, containing a high molecular weight preparation of purified phages is stabilised most preferably with a probiotic extract in the presence or absence of neutral salts and/or organic solvents, lyophilised, characterised via HPLC chromatography, by SDS-PAGE, and bacterial lysis biological assays, and then stored under a vacuum, where the active lyophilisate is destined for phage therapy of infections and tumors.

Abstract: The present invention provides microbial strains, in particular yeast strains, that produce at least 0.1 mg per g biomass dry weight of a sphingoid base. The present invention further provides a method to obtain sphingoid base-producing microbial strains comprising incubating a population of microbial cells in the presence of a suitable concentration of a toxin, selecting cells that are resistant against said toxin, and isolating cells out of the toxin-resistant cell population that produce at least 0.1 mg per g biomass dry weight of the sphingoid base of Formula I. Optionally, the method further comprises subjecting a population of toxin-resistant microbial cells that produce at least 0.1 mg per g biomass dry weight of the sphingoid base of Formula I to DNA-mediated transformation with a polynucleotide encoding an enzyme of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway. The present invention further provides a polypeptide having dihydroceramide desaturase activity obtainable form Pichia ciferrii.