Bispecific antibody-mediated detection of the Staphylococcus aureus thermonuclease.

We report a novel fluorescence-based immunoassay which enables qualitative detection of the Staphylococcus aureus Thermonuclease (TNase) enzyme, thus providing confirmation of the presence of the S. aureus bacterium in vitro. The biomedical problem of chronic wound healing and the continuing emergence of antibiotic-resistant species is addressed in the development of a detection system capable of the rapid, real-time assessment of bacterial load and diversity.

Integrating molecular detection and response to create self-signalling antibodies.

Monoclonal antibodies are reproducible, specific, and cost-effective molecular probes; use outside the laboratory is, however, restricted by technical limitations. Addressing these constraints, the first self-signalling antibodies are now described, where specific antigen binding causes release of bound reporter from bispecific antibodies (BsAb) to generate a detectable signal. The report examines the concept that two different antibody binding sites in close proximity can promote interaction between molecules recognised by these sites, generating a signal by molecular crowding.