Abstract: Bacterial species acting as biomarkers for obesity in domesticated cats and/or dogs are disclosed herein. Also disclosed are methods for diagnosing and/or treating cats and/or dogs having obesity or a predisposition to obesity as well as methods of screening for agents to treat or prevent obesity.

Abstract: A method for detecting conjunctival diseases such as conjunctival MALT lymphoma, and an aging biomarker that serves as an indicator of the aging state of a subject are provided. The method for detecting conjunctival diseases comprises a step of comparing a microbial community structure of a microbiota in an ocular surface tissue specimen sampled from a healthy person with a microbial community structure of a microbiota in an ocular surface tissue specimen sampled from a subject to determine that the ocular surface tissue specimen of the subject has an indication of the conjunctival diseases. The aging biomarker a comprises bacterial species which belongs to the Corynebacteriaceae family or the Propionibacteriales family in an ocular surface tissue.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for identifying chromosomal abnormalities, particularly structural and/or numerical chromosomal abnormalities, and preferably structural chromosomal abnormalities, using insitu hybridization by detecting chromosomes and/or DNA regions in a biological sample, preferably in one or more cell(s) and/or in one or more cell nuclei.

Abstract: We queried DNA from saliva or plasma of 93 HNSCC patients, searching for somatic mutations or human papillomavirus genes, collectively referred to as tumor DNA. When both plasma and saliva were tested, tumor DNA was detected in 96% (95% CI, 84% to 99%) of 47 patients. The fractions of patients with detectable tumor DNA in early- and late-stage disease were 100% (n=10) and 95% (n=37), respectively. Saliva is preferentially enriched for tumor DNA from the oral cavity, whereas plasma is preferentially enriched for tumor DNA from the other sites. Tumor DNA in the saliva and plasma is a valuable biomarker for detection of HNSCC.

Abstract: Methods for detecting presence of one or more of Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumooniae, Toxoplasma gondii, Moraxella catarrhalis, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Pneumocystis jirovecii, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Streptococcus agalactiae, and Neisseria meningitidis nucleic acids in a sample, such as a biological sample obtained from a subject, or an environmental sample, are provided. This disclosure also provides probes, primers, and kits for detecting one or more of Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Toxoplasma gondii, Moraxella catarrhalis, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, Pneumocystis jirovecii, Chlamydia trachomatis, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Streptococcus agalactiae, and Neisseria meningitidis in a sample.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of synthesizing a target nucleic acid preferentially relative to a nucleic acid with one or more nucleotides that differ from the target nucleic acid. Also disclosed are systems and kits for the same.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein relates generally to the fields of microbiology, ecology and microfluidics. Particularly, the invention disclosed herein provides compositions and methods for isolating bacteria from complex microbial communities and measuring growth rates of the isolated bacteria in a given environmental condition.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of detecting a target viral nucleic acid sequence, determining the localization of the target viral nucleic acid sequence, and/or quantifying the number of target viral nucleic acid sequences in a cell. This method may be used on small target nucleic acid sequences, and may be referred to as Nano-FISH or viral Nano-FISH.

Abstract: A method of assigning parent-of-origin to a haplotype, a sub-haplotype or an allele associated with a haplotype. Chromosome-length haplotypes of a genome are generated and a differential methylation status of at least one imprinted differentially methylated region (iDMR) associated with each one of the autosomal chromosomes is determined. The differential methylation status of the at least one iDMR is used to assign parent-of-origin for each one of the chromosome-length haplotypes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods of evaluating and/or treating organs during isolated organ perfusion, and kits for carrying out this evaluation.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods of determining the risk of developing breast cancer in a subject or determining whether a subject suffers from breast cancer. The methods can comprise detecting the expression level of microRNAs (miRNAs) hsa-miR-186-5p (SEQ ID NO: 77) and/or hsa-miR-409-3p (SEQ ID NO: 178) in a bodily fluid sample obtained from the subject and determining whether it is upregulated or downregulated as compared to a control, wherein the upregulation of hsa-miR-186-5p (SEQ ID NO: 77) and/or downregulation of hsa-miR-409-3p (SEQ ID NO: 178) indicates that the subject has breast cancer or is at risk of developing breast cancers. Also encompassed are methods of prognosis or diagnosis of breast cancer by detecting expression levels of combinations of miRNAs and using a score based on a panel of miRNA markers.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and systems for inferring biological age in a subject. The methods involve analyzing data from a microbiome and/or somatic cell transcriptome from a subject and executing a model that infers biological age.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating asthma and asthma patients a Th2 high asthma phenotype are disclosed.

Abstract: Provided herein are methods and kits for analyzing a sample such as a biological sample obtained from a subject having, suspected of having, or being at risk for a cancer to assess presence of cancer stem cells in the sample, which is indicative of poor cancer prognosis.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to methods for determining carrier status with respect to a condition or disease. In certain embodiments, the method involves exposing a sample to a plurality of molecular inversion probes capable of capturing DNA from at least one genomic region suspected of having an altered copy number and at least one internal control DNA known or suspected to have a stable copy number, capturing and sequencing DNA that binds to the molecular inversion probes, and determining a copy number state of the at least one genomic region based on the sequence results.

Abstract: Provided are a method for assisting in determining the hematological stage of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (child ALL), and an in-vitro diagnostic pharmaceutical product usable in the method. The method for assisting in determining the hematological stage of child ALL comprises the steps of (1) obtaining the mRNA level of Wilms' tumor-1 gene (WT1) in at least one of the biological samples of peripheral blood and bone marrow fluid from a test subject; (2) obtaining the GAPDH mRNA level in the biological sample; and (3) calculating an index value necessary for assisting in the determination based on the ratio of the WT1 mRNA level obtained in step (1) to the GAPDH mRNA level obtained in step (2).

Abstract: Methods and compositions for detection of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), trichomoniasis and bacterial vaginosis (BV) are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the presence or absence of VVC-associated Candida, Trichomonas vaginalis, and a plurality of BV-related bacteria in a sample is determined using multiplex nucleic acid-based testing methods.

Abstract: The invention provides AML-specific methylation biomarkers (SP140, MCCC1, EHMT1 and MTSS1). In one embodiment, a biomarker is differentially methylated, specifically in AML.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for determining a subtype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) of an individual by detecting the expression level of at least one classifier biomarker selected from a group of gene signatures for HNSCC. Also provided herein are methods and compositions for determining the response of an individual with a HNSCC subtype to a therapy such as immunotherapy.

Abstract: This present disclosure provides methods and compositions that can be used to quantify cfDNA in biofluids using a hybridization approach.