Abstract: A method for detecting the presence of a diagnostic moiety indicative of exposure to an infectious organism in a biological sample taken from a human or animal, said method comprising; (a) adding to said sample a first fluorescently labelled reagent which binds said diagnostic moiety, and a second fluorescently labelled reagent which either binds said diagnostic moiety in addition to said first fluorescently labelled reagent, or which binds the first fluorescently labelled reagent or a complex comprising the first fluorescently labelled reagent in competition to the said diagnostic moiety, wherein a label on one of the first or second fluorescently labelled reagent acts as a fluorescent energy donor compound and wherein the other of the first or second fluorescently labelled reagent acts as a fluorescent energy acceptor compound which is able to accept fluorescent energy from said donor compound; (b) exciting the fluorescent energy donor compound by illuminating with light of a wavelength which is absorbed by

Abstract: There is provided a diagnostic reagent for use in the detection of M. bovis or M. tuberculosis infection in an animal, comprising a peptide which has an epitope from Mycobacterium bovis hypothetic protein Mb3645c (SEQ ID NO: 1) or an epitope from a polypeptide having at least 76% identity with SEQ ID NO: 1.

Abstract: Brucellosis is a disease caused by facultative intracellular bacteria of the monospecific genus Brucella melitensis. The invention in one aspect is an immunogenic nucleic acid composition comprising DNA encoding Brucella melitensis Invasion Protein B, a polypeptide with at least 95% identity thereto, or an immunologically active fragment of either of these, and an adjuvant. In another aspect, the invention is a DNA vaccine composition comprising a plasmid vector having DNA encoding a polypeptide as recited above, in which said plasmid vector is adsorbed to a liposome. Other aspects of the invention include methods of inducing an enhanced immune response to Brucella infection in an animal, methods for the differential diagnosis in an animal of brucellosis and vaccination by an immunogenic nucleic acid composition having DNA encoding any of the above-recited polypeptides, and a kit for conducting said differential diagnosis methods.

Abstract: A methodology for facilitating the identification, authentication or quality control of packaged products is described comprising a marking and an authentication phase. In the marking phase the method involves obtaining an analytical specification, and for example an analytical spectrum, of a reference chemical composition for the product; and recording the data on a machine readable data storage means provided in direct mechanical association with the packaging thereof, and for example being incorporated into or onto or as a part of such packaging. The authentication phase comprises applying a suitable data reader to the data storage means to read the recorded data and reconstruct the recorded analytical specification; chemically analysing a sample of the product to obtain a measured analytical specification; comparing the measured and recorded readings within predetermined tolerance limits. A system to perform the method and a product marked accordingly are also described.

Abstract: A method for detection, identification and/or quanification of target organisms of specific bacterial genus, species or serotype, based upon the occurrence of release of cell contents, particularly nucleotides, e.g., ATP, on lysis of bacterial cell walls on incubation with bacteriophages (phages) specific for them. When new phase particles are released at the end of the phage replication cycle nucleotide levels are measured and compared with controls. The method provides for the detection of specific bacteria which does not require insertion of the lux gene into the phage genome yet is faster and more sensitive than known nonmodified phage utilizing techniques. The method is only limited by the availability of phage types suitable for selective attack of the target bacterial to be detected and can detect a single Salmonella in a sample of milk in under 12 hours.