Direct identification of pneumococcal serotypes in blood cultures by a PCR-reverse-hybridisation technique.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to assess the performance of a technique (S. PneumoStrip test) based on PCR followed by reverse strip hybridisation for the detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes directly in blood culture vials.

Methods: One hundred and ten (110) pairs of isolated strains and their corresponding original blood cultures vials were studied in parallel.

Pepsin degradation of Cry1A(b) protein purified from genetically modified maize (Zea mays).

The aim of this work was to study the in vitro digestion of Cry1A(b) protein by pepsin. To perform this work, a protein fraction purified from transgenic maize by immunoadsorption was employed. The undigested fraction showed several bands of molecular weight ranging between 14 and 70 kDa when assayed by SDS-PAGE.

Selection of high affine peptide ligands for detection of Clostridium Tyrobutyricum spores.

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is the main agent responsible for "late blowing" in cheese, which causes severe economic losses. Nowadays, the reference method for its detection is the Most-Probable-Number (MPN); however, it is time consuming and non-specific. Thus, in order to check milk contamination with spores of C.