Abstract: The invention discloses MHC oligomers and methods for making the same comprising at least two functional MHC complexes having a peptide binding groove, each MHC complex having a peptide bound in the peptide binding groove of the MHC complex, wherein each peptide has a modification which allows highly specific oligomersation of the functional MHC complexes through a core structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for screening the binding properties of constituent peptides of MHC molecules by providing in solution MHC molecules or their constituent peptides for a set of MHC molecules including a plurality of subsets of MHC molecules, wherein the MHC molecules of each subset differ from MHC molecules of at least one other subset in at least one of the putative MHC binding peptide, an MHC alpha chain and an MHC beta chain, and loading said MHC molecules with an MHC binding peptide by (i) refolding of the MHC alpha chain and beta chain peptides in presence of said MHC binding peptide or (ii) by peptide exchange or loading with an unlabelled MHC binding peptide in the absence of any labelled MHC binding peptide, (b) taking of at least one sample from each subset, and (c) determining loading efficiency for the sample of step (b).

Abstract: The invention demonstrates an improved choice of biotinylation peptide to be used in a combination or fusion with an MHC molecule for immobilizing or multimerising such MHC molecules for a variety of purposes.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with MHC binding peptides derived from the avian influenza virus H5N1 and in particular MHC class I restricted binding peptides from the Haemagglutinin 5 (H5) protein from this virus and their uses.

Abstract: An optical detection device is provided for analysing analytes in a liquid suspension or solution that can detect and process a large number of wavelengths of incident and fluorescent light simultaneously, which is small in size and can be easily adapted to different investigation requirements. In one embodiment an optical detection device comprises a light supplying means (45), an analyte handling means (78), a light directing means (19), and detection means, integrated on planar substrate devices (40), (20), and (30), (30?), respectively. A plurality of optical waveguides are integrated in the substrate devices to direct light emitted by the light supplying means (45) through the different sections of the optical detection device to the detection means. The analyte handling means (78) comprises an analyte channel (70) for the liquid flow of the analyte suspension or solution and an analyte sorting means (72) comprising several sorting channels (72?).

Abstract: A magnetic storage device comprises an array of magnetic memory cells (50). Each cell (50) has, in electrical series connection, a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) (30) and a Zener diode (40). The MTJ (30) comprises, in sequence, a fixed ferromagnetic layer (FMF) (32), a non-magnetic spacer layer (33), a tunnel barrier layer (34), a further spacer layer (35), and a soft ferromagnetic layer (FMS) (36) that can change the orientation of its magnetic moment. The material type and thickness of each layer in the MTJ (30) is selected so that the cell (50) can be written by applying a voltage across the cell, which sets the orientation of the magnetic moments of the FMF (32) and FMS (36) relative to one another. The switching is effected by means of an induced exchange interaction between the FMS and FMF mediated by the tunneling of spin-polarised electrons in the MTJ (30).

Abstract: The invention concerns a oligomeric MHC complex comprising at least two chimeric proteins, said chimeric proteins comprising a first section derived from an MHC peptide chain or a functional part thereof and a second section comprising an oligomerising domain derived from an oligomer-forming coiled-coil protein, wherein formation of the oligomeric MHC complex occurs by oligomerisation at the oligomerising domain of the chimeric proteins, and wherein at least two of the first sections are derived from the same MHC peptide chain. The invention also concerns a chimeric protein comprising a first section derived from an MHC peptide chain or a functional part thereof and a second section comprising an oligomerising domain derived from an oligomer-forming coiled-coil protein.