A single domain antibody-based Luminex assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in clinical samples.

Within the past decade, single domain antibodies (sdAbs) have been recognized as unique affinity binding reagents that can be tailored for performance in a variety of immunoassay formats. Luminex MagPlex color-coded magnetic microspheres provide a high-throughput platform that enables multiplexed immunoassays. We developed a MagPlex bead-based assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, using sdAbs against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein in which we engineered the sdAb capture reagents to orient them on the beads.

Antibodies to S2 domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in Moderna mRNA vaccinated subjects sustain antibody-dependent NK cell-mediated cell cytotoxicity against Omicron BA.1.

Vaccination with the primary two-dose series of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA protects against infection with the ancestral strain, and limits the presentation of severe disease after re-infection by multiple variants of concern (VOC), including Omicron, despite the lack of a strong neutralizing response to these variants. We compared antibody responses in serum samples collected from mRNA-1273 (Moderna) vaccinated subjects to identify mechanisms of immune escape and cross-protection. Using pseudovirus constructs containing domain-specific amino acid changes representative of Omicron BA.

Development and validation of a vero cell-based suspension method for the detection of Zika virus.

Objective.: To develop and validate a cell suspension method using Vero 76 cells for culturing Zika virus (ZIKV) based on infection of detached freshly seeded cells.

Material And Methods.

Direct mosquito feedings on dengue-2 virus-infected people reveal dynamics of human infectiousness.

Dengue virus (DENV) transmission from humans to mosquitoes is a poorly documented, but critical component of DENV epidemiology. Magnitude of viremia is the primary determinant of successful human-to-mosquito DENV transmission. People with the same level of viremia, however, can vary in their infectiousness to mosquitoes as a function of other factors that remain to be elucidated.

Quantifying heterogeneities in arbovirus transmission: Description of the rationale and methodology for a prospective longitudinal study of dengue and Zika virus transmission in Iquitos, Peru (2014-2019).

Current knowledge of dengue virus (DENV) transmission provides only a partial understanding of a complex and dynamic system yielding a public health track record that has more failures than successes. An important part of the problem is that the foundation for contemporary interventions includes a series of longstanding, but untested, assumptions based on a relatively small portion of the human population; i.e.

Efficacy of a spatial repellent for control of -borne virus transmission: A cluster-randomized trial in Iquitos, Peru.

Over half the world's population is at risk for viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, such as dengue and Zika. The primary vector, , thrives in urban environments. Despite decades of effort, cases and geographic range of -borne viruses (ABVs) continue to expand.

Correction: Bacillus anthracis Spore Surface Protein BclA Mediates Complement Factor H Binding to Spores and Promotes Spore Persistence.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.

Correction: Bacillus anthracis Spore Surface Protein BclA Mediates Complement Factor H Binding to Spores and Promotes Spore Persistence.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.

Bacillus anthracis Spore Surface Protein BclA Mediates Complement Factor H Binding to Spores and Promotes Spore Persistence.

Spores of Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax, are known to persist in the host lungs for prolonged periods of time, however the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrated that BclA, a major surface protein of B. anthracis spores, mediated direct binding of complement factor H (CFH) to spores.

Characterization of Bacillus anthracis persistence in vivo.

Pulmonary exposure to Bacillus anthracis spores initiates inhalational anthrax, a life-threatening infection. It is known that dormant spores can be recovered from the lungs of infected animals months after the initial spore exposure. Consequently, a 60-day course antibiotic treatment is recommended for exposed individuals.

Activation of the classical complement pathway by Bacillus anthracis is the primary mechanism for spore phagocytosis and involves the spore surface protein BclA.

Interactions between spores of Bacillus anthracis and macrophages are critical for the development of anthrax infections, as spores are thought to use macrophages as vehicles to disseminate in the host. In this study, we report a novel mechanism for phagocytosis of B. anthracis spores.

Bacillus anthracis spore entry into epithelial cells is an actin-dependent process requiring c-Src and PI3K.

Dissemination of Bacillus anthracis from the respiratory mucosa is a critical step in the establishment of inhalational anthrax. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies indicated that this organism was able to penetrate the lung epithelium by directly entering into epithelial cells of the lung; however the molecular details of B. anthracis breaching the epithelium were lacking.

In vivo demonstration and quantification of intracellular Bacillus anthracis in lung epithelial cells.

Inhalational anthrax is initiated by the entry of Bacillus anthracis spores into the lung. A critical early event in the establishment of an infection is the dissemination of spores from the lung. Using in vitro cell culture assays, we previously demonstrated that B.