Emory University

The Government of the United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary of Homeland Security

Bernard Quigley

June Rothman Scott

Rama Rao Amara

Venkateswarlu Chamcha

Linda Weigel

Dorothea Zähner

Segaran Pillai

David R Hodge

This disclosure relates to recombinant bacteria, e.g., expressing heterologous pili containing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antigens. In certain embodiments, the recombinant bacteria are administered in combination with other HIV antigens, nucleic acids encoding HIV antigens, recombinant virus encoding HIV antigens, anti-viral agents and/or adjuvants in an effective amount to elicit a mucosal immune response against HIV.

HIV immune stimulating compositions comprising recombinantly expressed pili on bacteria and methods related thereto

Provided herein are methods and compositions for the display of polypeptides of interest on the tip of pili of Gram-positive bacteria. According to the present invention, the polypeptide of interest is amino terminal to a Gram-positive bacterial pilus tip protein or an active variant or fragment thereof, wherein the active variant or fragment comprises a cleaved cell wall sorting signal (CWSS) motif. The Gram-positive bacterium displaying a polypeptide of interest on the tip of pili that are disclosed herein are useful, for example, in methods for immunizing a subject with an antigen and methods for removing contaminants from a composition.

Methods and compositions for the display of polypeptides on the pili of Gram-positive bacteria

Disclosed herein are the identification, cloning, and optimizing the lytic activity of one or more novellysin proteins, a method of selecting a lysin agent for use in molecular diagnostic testing that includes analyzing genome databases forand near neighbors, selecting candidate genes encoding potential lytic enzymes based on conserved amino acid motifs as determined in peptidoglycan hydrolases, cloning the candidate genes in expression vector, isolating proteins thereof, and testing for lytic activity against, and selecting an optimum gene of the candidate genes for optimizing lysis conditions.

Lysin agent and method of use for diagnostic testing

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Atlanta, GA, United States of America

Bernard Quigley