Abstract: The present invention relates to in vivo and in vitro methods, agents and compound screening assays for inducing anabolic stimulation of chondrocytes, including cartilage formation enhancing pharmaceutical compositions, and the use thereof in treating and/or preventing a disease involving a systemic or local decrease in mean cartilage thickness in a subject.

Abstract: A method is selects membrane-translocating peptides (MTPs) from a peptide display library that are capable of crossing or penetrating a lipid membrane. A plurality of nucleic acid constructs that encode displayed peptides are expressed, resulting in the formation of a plurality of nucleic acid-peptide complexes, each complex comprising at least one displayed peptide associated with the corresponding nucleic acid construct encoding the displayed peptide; the complexes are exposed to a population of membrane-encapsulated compartments, allowing a translocating reaction to occur; complexes that remain unassociated with the membrane are removed; optionally complexes that are associated with the membrane are removed; and internalized nucleic acid-peptide complexes are recovered. The membrane-encapsulated compartments may be artificial vesicles such as liposomes, or populations of one or more cell types.

Abstract: An indicator device, and a biological test method, for determining the toxic fingerprint and degree of toxicity, comprising at least 3, preferably at least 11, different microorganisms freeze-dried on an inert support material, wherein the microorganisms are being selected to form a high diversity of microorganisms, on the support material, with regards to the taxonomical tree and high diversity regarding responses to toxic chemicals. Further, a kit and a process for producing the indicator device is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of identifying one or more genes encoding one or more proteins having an optimized property. In particular, the method comprises expressing a collection of genes and screening for a desired property, identifying a plurality of genes having the desired property, and replacing one or more one or more sub-sequences of each of said genes with a different, compatible genetic sub-sequence, and screening again in order to identify genes encoding proteins having an optimized property.

Abstract: A selective targeting method is disclosed comprising contacting a library of ligands, particularly a peptide library, with an anti-target to allow the ligands to bind to the anti-target; separating the non-binding ligands from the anti-target bound ligands, contacting the non-binding anti-target ligands with a target allowing the unbound ligands to bind with the target to form a target-bound ligand complex; separating the target-bound ligand complex from ligands which do not bind to the target, and identifying the target-bound ligands on the target-bound ligand complex wherein the target-bound ligands have a KD in the range of about 10?7 to 10?10 M. Additionally claimed are the ligands identified according to the method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for generating functional biomolecules. In one exemplary aspect of the invention, generation of functional biomolecules may be performed against multiple targets simultaneously within a single system. In general, a plurality of targets may be disposed within in a single reaction volume and a library of biomolecules, such as a nucleic acid library, may be applied to the reaction volume. The members of the library that do not bind to any of the plurality of targets under given conditions may then be partitioned. The remaining members of the library may then be marked and/or tagged, such as to identify the particular target or targets to which the member of the library binds. The binding members of the library may then be isolated and, by virtue of the marking or tagging, be matched to a particular target or targets.

Abstract: The present application includes systems and methods for identifying a compound capable of interacting with a G-Protein Coupled Receptor (GPCR) or Receptor Tyrosine Kinase (RTK) including providing a device capable of measuring cell-substrate impedance operably connected to an impedance analyzer, adding test cells expressing a GPCR or a RTK to wells of the device, measuring first impedances of the wells and optionally determining first cell indices from the first impedances, adding a compound to at least one well containing test cells to form at least one compound well and adding a vehicle control to at least another well containing test cells to form at least one control well, measuring second impedances of the compound well and the control well and optionally determining second cell indices from the second impedances, determining the change in the impedance or cell index for the compound well and the one control well, comparing the change in impedance or cell index between the compound well and the control

Abstract: Methods and compositions for providing novel catalyst supports are included herein. In one embodiment, included herein are yeast cell supports including one or more receptor proteins uniformly displayed on the surface of a yeast cell having the species Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Each receptor protein is anchored to a ligand that is selective for that protein, and each ligand is, in turn, bound to a catalyst. Both the catalyst support-catalyst combinations and the catalyst supports alone are contemplated by the invention.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a gold nanoparticle (AuNP)-based peptide chip prepared by forming a monolayer of AuNPs onto a self-assembled monolayer constructed on a solid support, and then immobilizing a peptide on the AuNPs. The AuNPs can effectively amplify the mass signal of the peptide, thus making it possible to measure the mass change of the peptide in a simple and accurate manner. Also, when secondary ion mass spectrometric analysis (spectrum or imaging) is performed on the AuNP-based peptide chip, the activities of enzymes and related inhibitors can be effectively quantified. The disclosed invention enables various enzyme activities to be analyzed rapidly and accurately, and thus can provide an important method for disease diagnosis and new drug development through the elucidation of signaling and interaction mechanisms.

Abstract: The invention relates to the direct selection of metabolic pathways having a determined function in the transformation of a substrate {Ai} into a target product {B}, which is of interest in the industrial, pharmaceutical or agri-food sectors. More specifically, the invention relates to the detection, within metagenomic libraries, of novel biosynthesis pathways involved in a biochemical reaction having a known product {B}. The selection and characterization of said novel metabolic pathways enables {B} to be produced enzymatically. The invention provides an alternative to the chemical synthesis of the molecule in question {B}. Moreover, and above all, the invention can be used specifically to target and exploit the only metabolic pathways enabling the transformation of {Ai} into {B}, while eliminating the associated metabolic pathways that can catabolise the target product {B}.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods of using unstructured recombinant polymers (URPs) and proteins containing one or more of the URPs. The present invention also provides microproteins, toxins and other related proteinaceous entities, as well as genetic packages displaying these entities, and the uses thereof. The present invention also provides recombinant polypeptides including vectors encoding the subject proteinaceous entities, as well as host cells comprising the vectors. The subject compositions have a variety of utilities including a range of pharmaceutical applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to high-throughput cell-based assays for real-time monitoring of multi-resistant drug protein activity. The present invention is an improvement over existing assays in that in addition to a fluorescent drug efflux probe as an indicator of MDR protein activity, the instant assays provide an o-tolidine-based dye for quenching extracellular fluorescence of the probe.

Abstract: The present invention provides an advance in phage display technology by permitting the uncoupling of the propagation of phages containing inserted sequences encoding heterologous polypeptides from the expression of said polypeptides. The invention provides phage constructs and methods for their use to permit phage coat protein expression, and thus phage propagation, in the absence of display of heterologous polypeptides, which may be expressed as a fusion with said coat protein in a regulated manner.

Abstract: This invention relates to a simple and quick method for the detection, identification and/or quantitation of binding factors using fluorescence techniques. A fluorescent probe is incubated with a factor or group of factors, and the presence of a factor capable of binding the probe can be detected by fluorescence polarization. When coupled with a separation step, this invention allows on-line monitoring of binding complex formation.

Abstract: The invention describes a method for the synthesis of compounds comprising the steps of: (a) compartmentalizing two or more sets of primary compounds into microcapsules; such that a proportion of the microcapsules contains two or more compounds; and (b) forming secondary compounds in the microcapsules by chemical reactions between primary compounds from different sets. The invention further allows for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, and which is co-compartmentalized into the microcapsules.

Abstract: A method is provided for constructing, identifying and using new therapeutic or diagnostic proteins capable of binding to a target cell. The new proteins are derived by mutating a binding subunit of a wild type heteromeric cytotoxic protein to create a library of microorganism clones producing mutant proteins which are then screened for their ability to specifically bind to and kill a target cell.

Abstract: The peptides of the formulaX--Tyr--X.sup.2 --Gly--Phe(4NO.sub.2)--Pro--NH.sub.2wherein X is hydrogen or an amidino group and X.sup.2 is D-S-methylmethionyl or D-arginyl, together with their pharmacologically acceptable salts, which have been described as exhibiting analgesic, antidiarrhoeal and antitussive activity, are effective in reversing neuronally-mediated bronchoconstriction in mammals. The said compounds have application in the palliation of conditions characterized by such a state, in particular asthma in human beings.

Abstract: This invention relates to novel peptides having utility for promotion of growth and/or lactation in animals, to processes and DNA useful in production of such peptides, and to methods utilizing such peptides to promote growth or lactation in animals. In some embodiments, the invention is directed to peptides having bovine IGF-II biological activity, to production of such peptides, and to their use in effecting proliferation of certain cells (e.g. mammary epithelial or muscle) or in enhancing lactation in cattle or other animals.

Abstract: A hormone composition for producing superovulation in cattle. The composition has a particular ratio of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) which produces an optimum superovulation response in cattle. The composition can be produced from animal pituitary glands or by recombinant DNA procedures.

Abstract: An octapeptide inhibitor of myristoylating enzymes is disclosed having an amino acid sequence as follows or a physiologically acceptable amide or salt derivative thereof: ##STR1##