Multiplex Lateral Flow Assay and the Sample Preparation Method for the Simultaneous Detection of Three Marine Toxins.

A multiplex lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) has been developed to detect the primary marine biotoxin groups: amnesic shellfish poisoning toxins, paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins, and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning toxins. The performance characteristics of the multiplex LFA were evaluated for its suitability as a screening method for the detection of toxins in shellfish. The marine toxin-specific antibodies were class-specific, and there was no cross-reactivity between the three toxin groups.

High-Throughput Time-Lapse Fluorescence Microscopy Screening for Heterogeneously Expressed Genes in Bacillus subtilis.

Elucidating phenotypic heterogeneity in clonal bacterial populations is important for both the fundamental understanding of bacterial behavior and the synthetic engineering of bacteria in biotechnology. In this study, we present and validate a high-throughput and high-resolution time-lapse fluorescence microscopy-based strategy to easily and systematically screen for heterogeneously expressed genes in the Bacillus subtilis model bacterium. This screen allows detection of expression patterns at high spatial and temporal resolution, which often escape detection by other approaches, and can readily be extrapolated to other bacteria.