The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Secretary of State for Defence

The Secretary of State for Defence in Her Britannic Majesty's Government

Enigma Diagnostics Limited

Promega Corporation

Engima Diagnostics Limited

The United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the State of Defence

The Secretary of State of Defence

David James Squirrell

Martin Lee

Peter J White

Christopher Robin Lowe

Rachel Louise Price

Hilary Bird

Melenie Jane Murphy

Dario Lyall Leslie

James A H Murray

David Wenn

Laurence Carlo Tisi

William Hunter Symonds

Ross Jones

Philip Walsh

Julie Deacon

John Shaw

Martin John Berry

Trevor John Beckett

Kevin David Neale

Christopher John Silk

Michael John Withers

Elaine Ann Perkins

James Augustus Henry Murray

Martin Alan Lee

Carl Nicholas Mayers

Melanie Jane Murphy

James Augusts Murray

Georgina Martin

David Whitaker

Roger James Williamson

George Richard Gregory

Graham Gutsell

Peter John White

Melanie J Murphy

Tara Louise Willey

Nigel Patrick Pomeroy

Rachel Louise Leslie

Kevin J Bown

Ross Peter Jones

Christohper Robin Lowe

A vessel of a malleable or moldable material having one or more side walls and a closed base integral with said one or more side walls, an opening in the top of the vessel, and further comprising two or more projections extending into the interior of the vessel generally laterally from said side walls, wherein said projections are also integral with said side wall. Vessels of this type are produced by a process in which ridges are deformed into projections within a vessel blank, and this process forms a further aspect of the invention. They are particularly useful for holding solid masses such as small beads or cakes in position in the vessel.

Vessel and process for production thereof

A reaction vessel for conducting a chemical or biochemical reaction, such as a polymerase chain reaction wherein at least one wall of said vessel comprises a metallic layer and an inner non-metallic layer. Reaction systems comprising combinations of vessels of the invention and apparatus for heating them, as well as particular reactions vessels are also described and claimed.

Reaction vessel comprising conductive layer and inner non-metallic layer

A delivery apparatus for selectively delivering one or more liquid reagents into a reaction or test chamber (), especially of an assay apparatus, the apparatus comprising: one or more respective storage chambers () for containing the one or more liquid reagents and arranged generally above the reaction or test chamber (); and a plunger element () arranged and operable for insertion into the mouth of a selected storage chamber so as to displace a selected reagent from therewithin into the reaction or test chamber () generally therebelow by gravitational liquid overflow from the mouth of the chamber. The apparatus may conveniently be provided as a discrete delivery unit, with the storage chambers () pretilled with the selected reagents.

Reagent delivery system

A method of carrying out an amplification reaction, said method comprising supplying to a well in a disposable unit (a) a sample which contains or is suspected of containing a target nucleic acid sequence (b) primers, nucleotides and enzymes required to effect said amplification reaction and (c) a buffer system, and subjecting the unit to thermal cycling conditions such that any target nucleic acid present within the sample is amplified; wherein the disposable unit comprises a thermally conducting layer and a facing layer having one or more reagent wells of up to 1000 microns in depth defined therebetween; and the reaction mixture comprises at least one of the following: A) a buffer system wherein the pH is above 8.3; B) a detergent; and/or C) a blocking agent. Apparatus for effecting the method as well as disposable units for use in the method are described. The method is particularly suitable for rapid PCR reactions.

Reaction system for performing in the amplification of nucleic acids

A liquid dispensing device comprising a hollow body having an opening in a lower end thereof for receiving liquid, and an integrated cap member arranged to sealingly close the body, said cap member comprising a resilient diaphragm which is deformable in a downwards direction. The device is suitable for use in automated apparatus.

Liquid dispensing device with a cap and a diaphragm

A delivery apparatus for selectively delivering one or more liquid reagents into a reaction or test chamber (), especially of an assay apparatus, the apparatus comprising: one or more respective storage chambers () for containing the one or more liquid reagents and arranged generally above the reaction or test chamber (); and a plunger element () arranged and operable for insertion into the mouth of a selected storage chamber so as to displace a selected reagent from therewithin into the reaction or test chamber () generally therebelow by gravitational liquid overflow from the mouth of the chamber. The apparatus may conveniently be provided as a discrete delivery unit, with the storage chambers () prefilled with the selected reagents.

A recombinant protein having luciferase activity and at least 60% similarity to a wild-type luciferase wherein in the sequence of the enzyme, the amino acid residue corresponding to residue 357 inluciferase is mutated as compared to the corresponding wild-type luciferase, such that the luciferase enzyme is able to emit light at a different wavelength as compared to the corresponding wild-type luciferase and/or has enhanced thermostability as compared to the corresponding wild-type luciferase. In general, the residue corresponding to 357 inluciferase is changed from an acidic amino acid to a non-acidic amino acid and preferably an uncharged polar amino acid such as tyrosine. Mutant luciferases in accordance with the invention can produce a large (50 nm) wavelength shift in emitted light and have good thermostability. The resultant colour shift can be reversed by addition of coenzyme A. These properties make the mutant particularly useful in a variety of assays.

Luciferase mutant

An isolated recombinant luciferase having luciferase activity. The recombinant luciferase has an amino acid sequence which differs from the wild-type luciferase fromor. In the sequence of the recombinant luciferase, the amino acid residue corresponding to phenylalanine 295 inwild-type luciferase or to leucine 297 inorwild-type luciferases, is mutated compared to the corresponding amino acid which appears in the corresponding wild-type luciferase sequence. The recombinant luciferase has increased thermostability compared to the corresponding wild-type luciferase.

Mutant luciferase

A method for detecting viable cells such as bacterial cells, within a sample, said method comprising (i) incubating said sample with a virus which is able to infect said cells under conditions which allow said virus to infect and replicate within any such cells which are viable; and (ii) detecting any nucleic acid obtained by replication of the virus in said cell.

Method for detecting viable cells in a sample by using a virus

A sample delivery system comprising (i) a cartridge comprising a body section adapted to hold a sealed sample vessel so as to fix the position of a seal of the sample vessel in relation to the cartridge; and (ii) apparatus adapted to receive said cartridge, said apparatus being provided with an opening system for opening said sealed sample vessel contained within the cartridge.

Sample processor

A method for detecting viable cells such as bacterial cells, within a sample, said method comprising (i) incubating said sample with a virus which is able to infect said cells under conditions which allow said virus to infect and replicate within any such cells which are viable; (ii) detecting any nucleic acid obtained by replication of the virus in said cell.

An analytical kit using RNA probes for the detection or analysis of nucleic acid sequences is described. These probes are contacted with a sample suspected of containing the nucleic acid sequence and if they form duplexes, they are hydrolysed. This may be done, for example, during an amplification reaction. AMP generated as a result of the hydrolysis is converted to ATP. The ATP may then be detected using bioluminescent reagents.

Analytical method and kit

A protein having luciferase activity and at least 60% similarity to luciferase fromororwherein in the sequence of the enzyme, at least one of (a) the amino acid residue corresponding to residue 214 inluciferase; (b) the amino acid residue corresponding to residue 232 inluciferase; (c) the amino acid residue corresponding to residue 295 inluciferase; (d) the amino acid residue corresponding to acid 14 ofluciferase; (e) the amino acid residue corresponding to amino acid 35 ofluciferase; (f) the amino acid residue corresponding to amino acid residue 105 ofluciferase; (g) the amino acid residue corresponding to amino acid residue 234 ofluciferase; (h) the amino acid residue corresponding to amino acid residue 420 ofluciferase; (i) the amino acid residue corresponding to amino acid residue 310 ofluciferase; is different to the amino acid which appears in the corresponding wild type sequence and wherein the luciferase enzyme has increased thermostability as compared to an enzyme having the amino acid of the corresponding wild-type luciferase at this position.

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Growing community of inventors

Salisbury, United Kingdom

David James Squirrell