Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: Ligand-ion channel interactions are analyzed via electrophysiological methods having rapid temporal response and high sensitivity, thereby reducing the collection time and enabling monitoring of dynamic processes. This protocol allows quantification of ligand concentrations in the sub-millisecond to ms range, as compared to s-min for traditional approaches. Moreover, the method can be easily integrated into existing patch clamp analysis packages and allow for monitoring of rapid, dynamic chemical processes in a feasible manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: Surface-modified silica microparticles that are functionalized with stabilized phospholipid vesicles are described herein. These stabilized vesicles can be functionalized with either transmembrane receptors or membrane associated receptors and used for affinity pull-down assays or other chromatographic separation modalities to provide affinity capture/concentration of low abundance ligands in complex mixtures with minimal sample preparation. Further described are methods and apparatus for forming polymer frits in a fused silica capillary. The capillary containing a monomer solution is placed between one or more heat sources connected to each other via a jig and operatively coupled to a temperature controller. The polymer frits are synthesized via thermal polymerization of the monomer solution using the heat sources, which allows for placement of the polymer frits at a spatially-defined location in the capillary.

Abstract: Direct polymerization of lipid monomers or polymer scaffolding of non-lipid monomers coupled with irradiation or redox polymerization performed at neutral pH resulted in stabilized lipid assemblies. An initiator-buffer component and NaHS03 redox mixture polymerizes reactive lipid monomers at near neutral pH conditions to preserve functionality of reconstituted membrane proteins. Improved stability of black lipid membranes (BLMs) is attained by chemical cross-linking of polymerizable, hydrophobic and commercially available non-lipid monomers partitioned into the suspended lipid membranes, and by suspending the BLMs across low surface energy apertures. Substrate apertures having low surface energy modifiers with amphiphobic properties facilitated a reproducible formation of BLMs by promoting interactions between the lipid tail and the substrate material.

Abstract: Ligand-ion channel interactions are analyzed via electrophysiological methods having rapid temporal response and high sensitivity, thereby reducing the collection time and enabling monitoring of dynamic processes. This protocol allows quantification of ligand concentrations in the sub-millisecond to ms range, as compared to s-min for traditional approaches. Moreover, the method can be easily integrated into existing patch clamp analysis packages and allow for monitoring of rapid, dynamic chemical processes in a feasible manner.

Abstract: Surface-modified silica microparticles that are functionalized with stabilized phospholipid vesicles are described herein. These stabilized vesicles can be functionalized with either transmembrane receptors or membrane associated receptors and used for affinity pull-down assays or other chromatographic separation modalities to provide affinity capture/concentration of low abundance ligands in complex mixtures with minimal sample preparation. Further described are methods and apparatus for forming polymer frits in a fused silica capillary. The capillary containing a monomer solution is placed between one or more heat sources connected to each other via a jig and operatively coupled to a temperature controller. The polymer frits are synthesized via thermal polymerization of the monomer solution using the heat sources, which allows for placement of the polymer frits at a spatially-defined location in the capillary.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: Direct polymerization of lipid monomers or polymer scaffolding of non-lipid monomers coupled with irradiation or redox polymerization performed at neutral pH resulted in stabilized lipid assemblies. An initiator-buffer component and NaHS03 redox mixture polymerizes reactive lipid monomers at near neutral pH conditions to preserve functionality of reconstituted membrane proteins. Improved stability of black lipid membranes (BLMs) is attained by chemical cross-linking of polymerizable, hydrophobic and commercially available non-lipid monomers partitioned into the suspended lipid membranes, and by suspending the BLMs across low surface energy apertures. Substrate apertures having low surface energy modifiers with amphiphobic properties facilitated a reproducible formation of BLMs by promoting interactions between the lipid tail and the substrate material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.

Abstract: The present invention relates to moving microorganisms to a surface, where they are grown in the presence and absence of antimicrobials, and by monitoring the growth of the microorganisms over time in the two conditions, their susceptibility to the antimicrobials can be determined. The microorganisms can be moved to the surface through electrophoresis, centrifugation or filtration. When the movement involves electrophoresis, the presence of oxidizing and reducing reagents lowers the voltage at which electrophoretic force can be generated and allows a broader range of means by which the target can be detected. Monitoring can comprise optical detection, and most conveniently includes the detection of individual microorganisms. The microorganisms can be stained in order to give information about their response to antimicrobials.