Abstract: A line pulling system having a chassis, a reel carrier assembly, an electric power source, and an electric jack assembly. The electric jack assembly can include a housing, a leg configured to extend and retract axially from the housing, an electric motor, a current sensor configured to detect a current supplied to the electric motor, and a controller. The controller can receive current data and, if the current is less than a threshold current, supply a first voltage to the electric motor to cause the electric motor to extend or retract the leg at a first speed. If the current is greater than or equal to the threshold current, the controller can supply a second voltage to the electric motor. The second voltage can cause the electric motor to extend or retract the leg at a second speed that is less than the first speed.

Abstract: Provided are methods, such as high throughput methods, of assessing or measuring the ability of an enzyme to modify the topology (e.g. supercoil topology) of a target nucleic acid, the methods comprising the steps of: (a) providing a solid support to which a capture nucleic acid is or may be immobilized, which capture nucleic acid is capable of binding the target nucleic acid in a manner that is proportional to the supercoil topology of said target nucleic acid (e.g. by triplex formation); (b) incubating a test mixture comprising (i) the enzyme, (ii) the target nucleic acid, (iii) capture nucleic acid, in the presence of (iv) said solid support, such that supercoiled target nucleic acid bound by the capture nucleic acid is immobilized to the solid support, (c) determining the amount of target nucleic acid bound by said capture nucleic acid in step (b) e.g. by use of a detectable label. The method may be used to screen for modulators of the enzyme activity.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to synthetic analogues of microcin B17 component units, methods of making and using these analogues, including, for example, as inhibitors of DNA gyrase.

Abstract: Provided are methods, such as high throughput methods, of assessing or measuring the ability of an enzyme to modify the supercoil topology of a target nucleic acid, the methods comprising the steps of: (a) providing a solid support to which a capture nucleic acid is or may be immobilised, which capture nucleic acid is capable of binding the target nucleic acid in a manner that is proportional to the supercoil topology of said target nucleic acid (e.g. by triplex formation); (b) incubating a test mixture comprising (i) the enzyme, (ii) the target nucleic acid, (iii) capture nucleic acid, in the presence of (iv) said solid support, such that supercoiled target nucleic acid bound by the capture nucleic acid is immobilised to the solid support, (c) determining the amount of target nucleic acid bound by said capture nucleic acid in step (b) e.g. by use of a detectable label. The method may be used to screen for modulators of the enzyme activity.