Abstract: Provided are reagents and methods for non-invasive in vivo imaging wherein the reagents comprise targeted carrier molecules conjugated to a NIR reporter molecule. In one aspect the targeted carrier molecule is an antibody, or fragment thereof that has specificity for an antigen in a living body, animal or human. In one embodiment the antibodies are anti-cancer/tumor marker antibodies, organ specific antibodies, tissue specific antibodies, cell type specific antibodies, cell surface specific antibodies, anti-viral antibodies, anti-bacterial antibodies and anti-pathogenic antibodies. The NIR reporter molecules are any fluorescent reporter molecule compatible with in vivo imaging and generally having an excitation wavelength of at least 580 nm.

Abstract: Provided is an optical in vivo contrast agent comprising a fluorescent polymeric microsphere, wherein the microsphere is impregnated with a dye having an excitation and emission spectrum compatible with in vivo imaging, and wherein the microsphere is coated with a block copolymer.

Abstract: An optical fiber system comprising: (i) a dispersion pre-compensator including dispersion compensating fiber DCF characterized by the overall dispersion value DDCF at the operating wavelength ?; and (ii) a passive optical network (PON) including a plurality of transmission paths provided by a plurality of optical fibers, said plurality of transmission paths having a minimum and maximum dispersion value DMIN and DMAX; wherein the dispersion pre-compensator includes an output port operatively coupled to an input port of the a passive optical network and ?DMAX<DDCF<?DMIN.

Abstract: An optical transmitter (8) having enhanced stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) threshold power (PSBS) capability is disclosed. The transmitter includes a light source (12) adapted to emit a continuous-wave (CW) light beam (16). A phase modulator (20) is optically coupled to the light source and to a plurality n of radio-frequency (RF) signal drivers (22) adapted to generate a corresponding plurality of sinusoidal RF drive signals having respective modulation amplitudes An, modulation frequencies fn, and modulation phases ?n. The phase modulator phase modulates the light beam based on the plurality of sinusoidal RF drive signals to form a phase-modulated carrier light beam (16?). The modulation phases ?n are chosen to increase the SBS threshold power relative to a baseline threshold power when the phase-modulated carrier light beam travels over an optical fiber (50). Modulation frequencies fn are also chosen to suppress combined second-order (CSO) distortion.

Abstract: Provided is a method for controlling the degree of labeling (DOL) of a carrier molecule or solid support by the addition of a reactive label competitor to the labeling reaction. When the reactive label competitor is added to the labeling solution the competitor competes with the carrier molecule or solid support for the label, reducing the number of labels available to conjugates to the carrier molecule or solid support. This provides for a facile method that predictably alters the DOL of a carrier molecule or solid support.

Abstract: The invention relates to G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) microarrays on porous substrates for structural or functional analyses of GPCRs, and methods of preparing porous substrate surfaces for receiving membranes that comprise GPCRs. In one embodiment, a GPCR microarray of the invention comprises a membrane adhered to an upper surface of a porous substrate, the membrane spanning across a plurality of pores on the porous substrate to form a plurality of cavities having sufficient geometry to permit entry of assay reagents into each cavity, thereby allowing access of assay reagents to both sides of GPCR in the membrane.