Abstract: The technology as disclosed herein relates to methods, compositions and kits for multiplex measuring levels of expression of target RNA species (e.g., mRNA and non-coding RNAs) in single, living cells. Aspects of the invention relate to, in part, a duplex-binding protein which is labeled with a FRET dye, and a RNA-binding probe, which comprises a spectrally paired FRET dye and specifically hybridizes to a target RNA. When the RNA-binding probe binds to a target RNA, a duplex is formed, which is allows binding of the duplex-binding protein bringing the two FRET dyes into close proximity and allowing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) reaction and a detectable change in fluorescence, which determines the amount of target RNA species in the living cell. Aspects of the invention also include, kits, vectors and polynucleic acid sequences of the duplex-binding protein and RNA-binding probes disclosed herein, and cell and cell lines comprising the same.

Abstract: The technology as disclosed herein relates to methods, compositions and kits for multiplex measuring levels of expression of target RNA species (e.g., mRNA and non-coding RNAs) in single, living cells. Aspects of the invention relate to, in part, a duplex-binding protein which is labeled with a FRET dye, and a RNA-binding probe, which comprises a spectrally paired FRET dye and specifically hybridizes to a target RNA. When the RNA-binding probe binds to a target RNA, a duplex is formed, which is allows binding of the duplex-binding protein bringing the two FRET dyes into close proximity and allowing fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) reaction and a detectable change in fluorescence, which determines the amount of target RNA species in the living cell. Aspects of the invention also include, kits, vectors and polynucleic acid sequences of the duplex-binding protein and RNA-binding probes disclosed herein, and cell and cell lines comprising the same.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to a population of committed ventricular progenitor (CVP) cells and their use to generate a tissue engineered myocardium, in particular two dimensional tissue engineered myocardium which is comparable to functional ventricular heart muscle. One embodiment of present invention provides a composition and methods for the production of a tissue engineered myocardium which has functional properties of cardiac muscle, such as contractibility (e.g. contraction force) and numerous properties of mature fully functional ventricular heart muscle tissue. In particular, in one embodiment, a composition comprising the tissue engineered myocardium comprises committed ventricular progenitor (CVP) cells seeded on a free-standing biopolymer structure to form functional ventricular myocardium tissue.