Abstract: Disclosed are DNA polymerases having improved ability to incorporate methylated-dNTPs, relative to a corresponding, unmodified polymerase. The polymerases are useful in a variety of disclosed primer extension methods. Also disclosed are related compositions, including recombinant nucleic acids, vectors, and host cells, which are useful, e.g., for production of the DNA polymerases. Further disclosed are kits and reaction mixtures comprising the improved DNA polymerases as well as methods of primer extension using the improved DNA polymerases.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for isolating a biological target material from a liquid sample in a multiwell plate using magnetic particles, wherein high efficiency and low elution volumes are achieved by specific movements of the multiwell plate and a magnetic separation plate in relation to each other. Also disclosed is a pre-analytical system suitable for carrying out the method.

Abstract: Methods for the rapid detection of the presence or absence of Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) in a biological or non-biological sample are described. The methods can include performing an amplifying step, a hybridizing step, and a detecting step. Furthermore, primers, probes targeting the target TV gene, along with kits are provided that are designed for the detection of TV.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a composition and its use for treating a sputum sample suspected to contain mycobacteria. The composition comprises thymol, a linear or branched alcohol, a chaotropic agent, a reducing agent, a detergent, and a buffer, and has a pH value between 8.5 and 10. Also disclosed is a method for treating a sputum sample suspected to contain mycobacteria.

Abstract: The present invention describes a laboratory system for automatically processing at least one sample container containing a biological sample, the laboratory system comprising a housing; laboratory instrument units for executing processing steps on the biological sample; an input station configured to receive the sample container; a transport means for transport of the sample container from the input station to the laboratory instrument units, and further to an output station; a control unit for determining whether the sample and/or the container is in a condition to be processed by the laboratory instrument units; an input-output station providing an interface between the inside and the outside of the housing; and a workbench on the outside of the housing in front of the input-output station for an operator to be in the position to manipulate the sample and/or the container.

Abstract: A microfluidic device for thermocycling of a reaction mixture is provided. The device comprises an inlet opening, an outlet opening, a flow channel connecting the inlet opening and the outlet opening and defining a flow direction from the inlet opening through the flow channel to the outlet opening, wherein the flow channel comprises a first flow channel surface and a second flow channel surface opposite to the first flow channel surface, and an array of wells provided in the first flow channel surface for fluidic communication with the inlet opening and the outlet opening. Further, the first flow channel surface provides a first hydrophilicity and at least a part of the second flow channel surface provides a second hydrophilicity, wherein the first hydrophilicity is greater than the second hydrophilicity.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a diagnostic system includes an instrument coupled to a client device and having at least one sample processing bay. The diagnostic system has a software architecture including instrument software (ISW) associated with the instrument. The ISW receives an assay definition file (ADF) that has a control file and an assay analysis module (AAM) file. The processing bay prepares and senses the sample according to parameters in the OPUS file and then generates sensor scan data. The diagnostic system then analyzes the sensor scan data and prepares a report according to the AAM file.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the sample preparation of nucleic acids for diagnostic purposes. More precisely, the invention provides a process for simultaneously isolating at least a first and a second target nucleic acid from a plurality of different types of fluid samples and optionally amplifying said isolated nucleic acids in a simultaneous manner.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compositions and methods for the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a reporter assay for rapid and simultaneous bacterial identification and phenotype testing for antimicrobial susceptibility (AST). The current invention uses a strategy that has shown the ability for multiplexing and for handling polymicrobial samples for antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Abstract: The present invention describes a base module (100) and a tray insert (200, 300, 400) of a multipurpose tray (100) for an automated processing system, such as an analytical, pre-analytical or post-analytical processing system, as well as to a multipurpose tray comprising such base module and such tray insert, wherein the tray insert can be particularly used for holding a plurality of reagent or sample tubes to be processed in the automated processing system. The present invention further relates to a method of simplified loading/unloading of such a multipurpose tray into/from the automated processing system.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to reversible sealing of a microfluidic chip used for thermal incubation of an aqueous sample suspected to contain a target nucleic acid. The microfluidic chip contains a flow channel and a plurality of reaction compartments, into which the sample and a displacement fluid are introduced through an inlet port sealable by means of a sealing agent having a melting point above room temperature.

Abstract: This invention provides biochip cartridges and instrument devices for the detection and/or analysis of target analytes from patient samples.

Abstract: The present invention provides inactivated microbes, methods of preparing and using the same, as well as compositions and kits containing the same. The inactivated microbes are useful in the formulation of internal control reagents for use in recombinant nucleic acid techniques, especially nucleic acid amplification, e.g., by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and compositions to detect MET exon 14 skipping using RT-PCR, and methods of treating individuals with MET exon 14 deleted cancers.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for determining settings of a dPCR experiment for the detection of a chromosomal aneuploidy in a plasma sample from a female pregnant with a fetus. Data about the sample, the dPCR process, and a desired accuracy can be used to determine the settings. Such settings can include a minimal input number of control chromosome molecules for the dPCR experiment, a minimal number of control chromosome molecules for a pre-amplification procedure, and a number of PCR cycles in the pre-amplification procedure. These settings can be used to satisfy the accuracy specified by the accuracy data. Thus, the dPCR experiment can be designed to achieve the desired accuracy while reducing cost, e.g., by not using more of a sample than needed and not performing more pre-amplification than needed or performing more manipulations than needed.

Abstract: The subject disclosure presents systems and methods for improved meso-dissection of biological specimens and tissue slides including importing one or more reference slides with annotations, using inter-marker registration algorithms to automatically map the annotations to an image of a milling slide, and dissecting the annotated tissue from the selected regions in the milling slide for analysis, while concurrently tracking the data and analysis using unique identifiers such as bar codes.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises a treatment metric model database that stores a plurality of treatment metric models, each of the plurality of treatment metric models being generated for a first cluster of cluster features vectors, each cluster feature vector representing a distribution for each of a plurality of data categories of patients data represented by patient feature vectors clustered in a second cluster. The apparatus is further configured to: receive patient characteristics features data of a patient; identify a first treatment metric model based on the patient characteristics features data of the patient; input the first patient characteristic features data and data representing a range of administrations of the treatment to the first treatment metric model to compute a range of the treatment metric; and select an administration of the treatment from the range of administrations of the treatment having optimal treatment metric.