Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the identification of a first microorganism potentially secreting an effector compound, said first microorganism thereby having either i. an inhibitory effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism or ii. an enhancing effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism, the method comprising: a. providing a cell from a first microorganism which potentially produces an effector compound of interest and a cell from a second detector microorganism; b. introducing both cells into a microdroplet for incubation; c. introducing the microdroplet into a microfluidic system; d. analyzing in said microfluidic system the cell of the second microorganism for the exhibition of an enhanced growth effect or the exhibition of an inhibited growth effect stemming from said effector compound. The invention also relates to a microorganism or effector compound identified by the method according to the invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to a microfluidic system in which the droplets flow through an off-chip delay line in a linear sequential order. This ensures that all the droplets are incubated for the same amount of time and under the same conditions as they flow through the delay line. The invention further relates to the use of this microfluidic system for high throughput screening methods or in vitro evolution methods.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the identification of a first microorganism potentially secreting an effector compound, said first microorganism thereby having either i. an inhibitory effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism or ii. an enhancing effect on the cell division activity of a second microorganism, the method comprising: a. providing a cell from a first microorganism which potentially produces an effector compound of interest and a cell from a second detector microorganism; b. introducing both cells into a microdroplet for incubation; c. introducing the microdroplet into a microfluidic system; d. analyzing in said microfluidic system the cell of the second microorganism for the exhibition of an enhanced growth effect or the exhibition of an inhibited growth effect stemming from said effector compound. The invention also relates to a microorganism or effector compound identified by the method according to the invention.

Abstract: In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a method for detecting and/or selecting a microorganism with a desired trait comprising the steps of (a) providing a composition comprising two or more microorganisms, (b) subjecting said two or more microorganisms to one of the following reactions leading to a change in the genetic composition in at least one microorganism, (i) natural transformation, (ii) transduction by phage, (iii) conjugation; (c) encapsulating each microorganism in a single microfluidic droplet together with an indicator molecule capable of detecting the presence of the desired trait, (d) incubating the encapsulated microorganism together with the indicator molecule under conditions that allow the detection of the desired trait, (e) sorting said droplets in a microfluidic system into at least (i) one group where the desired trait is not detectable and (ii) one group where the desired trait is detectable if present.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for activating a nucleic acid for a polymerase reaction with the steps: (a) Heating a nucleic acid to a temperature of 55° C. to 80° C., (b) cooling the nucleic acid to a temperature at which a polymerase shows no substantial decrease in activity, and (c) starting the polymerase reaction by the addition of a heat-labile polymerase to the nucleic acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the quantification of one or more nucleic acids in a sample, for example: making a sample available which contains at least one nucleic acid to be quantified, adding an oligonucleotide probe, the oligonucleotide probe comprising a sequence which can specifically hybridize to the nucleic acid to be quantified or to a common sequence of the nucleic acids to be quantified, incubating the sample under conditions which allow the hybridization of the oligonucleotide probe to the nucleic acid(s) to be quantified, incubating the sample under conditions which allow the extension of hybridized probes, the nucleic acid(s) serving as a template in each case, removing the non-hybridized probes from the sample and quantifying the hybridized oligonucleotide probes to measure the quantity of the nucleic acid(s) to be quantified. The invention also relates to a kit for carrying out said method.

Abstract: Methods are described which utilize modified sequencing primers that bind to template with high specificity and stability to improve sequencing performance. In one embodiment, the method utilizes sequencing primers having 3? and 5? ends, comprising a minor groove binder (MGB) molecule linked to the 5? end. In one embodiment said primer further comprises a 5? flap and said MGB molecule is linked to the 5? flap.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for inserting one or more tag sequences into a nucleic acid characterized by the following steps: (a) preparation of a template nucleic acid; (b) hybridization of at least one anchor sequence of at least one anchor oligonucleotide with one sequence section of the template nucleic acid; and (c) synthesization of a new strand of nucleic acid, which is partially complementary to the template nucleic acid and which contains a sequence complementary to the non-hybridized portion of the anchor oligonucleotide, e.g. to at least one tag sequence, on its 3? end.

Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for the sample preparation for a subsequent preparation, processing or analysis method of a sample containing an at least one species of nucleic acid and/or one species of protein, whereby the method comprises the following steps: A) providing a sample which contains at least one species of a nucleic acid and/or of a protein, B) contacting the sample with a fluid or solid composition to produce a fluid sample preparation, whereby the composition contains at least a nitrogenous compound, which is selected from the group consisting of a) polyamines, b) amino acids, and oligo- and polypeptides, c) nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds, including homo-oder heteropolymeres, which comprise these nitrogenous compounds, d) amines of the type R1R2NR3, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are chosen independently from one another from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl groups and aryl groups, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are not H simultaneously, e) carbonxylic acid amides, f) inorganic ammonium sa

Abstract: Novel thermostable chimeric nucleic acid polymerases and methods for their generation and use are disclosed. It is shown that these chimeric nucleic acid polymerases, such as DNA polymerases, can be constructed using enzymatically active domains, isolated from different proteins or chemically synthesized. It is demonstrated that chimeric nucleic acid polymerases of the present invention possess the chemical and physical properties of their component domains (e.g., exonuclease activity, thermostability) and that the chimeric polymerases are thermostable.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for the enhancement of the reactivation of thermostable reversibly inactivated enzymes comprising reactivating at least one thermostable reversibly inactivated enzyme in the presence of one or more nitrogen containing compounds.

Abstract: Novel thermostable chimeric nucleic acid polymerases and methods for their generation and use are disclosed. It is shown that these chimeric nucleic acid polymerases, such as DNA polymerases, can be constructed using enzymatically active domains, isolated from different proteins or chemically synthesized. It is demonstrated that chimeric nucleic acid polymerases of the present invention possess the chemical and physical properties of their component domains (e.g., exonuclease activity, thermostability) and that the chimeric polymerases are thermostable.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods for the enhancement of the reactivation of thermostable reversibly inactivated enzymes comprising reactivating at least one thermostable reversibly inactivated enzyme in the presence of one or more nitrogen containing compounds.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for processing RNA, in particular, a RNA reaction method and kits for carrying out said RNA reaction method.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the quantification of one or more nucleic acids in a sample. The method comprises the following steps: making a sample available which contains at least one nucleic acid to be quantified, adding an oligonucleotide probe to the sample, the oligonucleotide probe comprising a sequence which can specifically hybridize to the nucleic acid to be quantified or to a common sequence of the nucleic acids to be quantified, incubating the sample under conditions which allow the hybridization of the oligonucleotide probe to the nucleic acid(s) to be quantified, incubating the sample under conditions which allow the extension of hybridized probes, the nucleic acid(s) serving as a template in each case, removing the non-hybridized probes from the sample and quantifying the hybridized oligonucleotide probes to measure the quantity of the nucleic acid(s) to be quantified. The invention also relates to a kit for carrying out said method.

Abstract: The invention relates to composition or a kit containing an enzyme that is reversibly inhibited by means of a chemical modification and an enzyme which is reversibly inhibited using non-covalent binding, the use of a mixture of enzymes reversibly inhibited in such a manner for processing or multiplying polynucleotides, and a method for specifically amplifying DNA by simultaneously using both types of reversibly inhibited enzymes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a thermostable polymerase based on thermococcus pacificus; DNA molecules which code for one such polymerase; expression vectors; host cells; methods for producing one such polymerase and the use thereof for polymerising nucleic acid, especially in the polymerase chain reaction.

Abstract: The invention generally provides a method for the sample preparation for a subsequent preparation, processing or analysis method of a sample containing an at least one species of nucleic acid and/or one species of protein, whereby the method comprises the following steps: A) providing a sample which contains at least one species of a nucleic acid and/or of a protein, B) contacting the sample with a fluid or solid composition to produce a fluid sample preparation, whereby the composition contains at least a nitrogenous compound, which is selected from the group consisting of a) polyamines, b) amino acids, and oligo- and polypeptides, c) nitrogenous heterocyclic compounds, including homo- oder heteropolymers, which comprise these nitrogenous compounds, d) amines of the type R1R2NR3, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are chosen independently from one another from the group consisting of H, C1-C5-alkyl groups and aryl groups, whereby R1, R2 and R3 are not H simultaneously, e) carboxylic acid amides, f) inorganic ammonium sal

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the field of nucleic acid chemistry. More specifically, it relates to a method for enhancing the performance of coamplification reactions, e.g., multiplex PCR reactions.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for synthesizing a cDNA in a sample in an enzymatic reaction, characterized in that the method comprises the steps: simultaneously providing of a first enzyme with polyadenylation activity, a second enzyme with reverse transcriptase activity, a buffer, at least one ribonucleotide, at least one deoxyribonucleotide, an anchor oligonucleotide, adding of a sample comprising a ribonucleic acid and incubating the agents from the preceding steps in one or more temperature steps, which are selected so that the first enzyme and the second enzyme display activity, characterized in that additionally an amplification takes place in the same reaction mixture.