National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology

Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Director-general of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Secretary of Agency of Industrial Science and Technology

Ministry of International Trade & Industry

Hiroaki Tao

Masaki Torimura

Tetsuya Nakazato

Hiroshi Aoki

Moritoshi Sato

Takashi Ikeda

Kenichi Sakata

Sung Bae Kim

Sung-Bae Kim

Akira Miyazaki

Kenji Bansho

Yoshio Umezawa

Hiroshi Izumi

Atsushi Yamamoto

Kazutoshi Noda

Jun Kitamoto

Hiroaki Sato

Akihiro Wakisaka

Ryuichi Naganawa

Takashi Imagawa

Akira Kimura

Mamoru Tominaga

Teruyuki Seino

SungBae Kim

Akiko Kitajima

The invention relates to establishment of a series of artificial luciferases based on artificial amino acid sequences extracted by amino acid alignment of copepod-derived luciferase sequences in a database based on amino acid similarity. The invention provides high luminescence intensity, high luminescence stability, and a spectrum with increased wavelength as luminescence characteristics. A series of artificial luciferases (ALuc) was established. The group of ALucs has superior luminescence characteristics, such as an increase in luminescence intensity, an increase in luminescence stability, or an increase in wavelength of the luminescence spectrum, which were not obtained before. Further, by using the artificial luciferases (ALuc) of the invention, it is possible to provide a novel, superior bioassay system, such as a bioluminescent probe, two-hybrid assay, a luminescent capsule, or the like having improved measurement function.

Artificial bioluminescent enzyme

The invention relates to a bioluminescent substrate suitably usable in a series of artificial luciferases (ALuc), and the invention provides a wavelength-shifted spectrum with a selective high intensity luminescence and high luminescence stability obtained by the use of the substrate together with ALuc. The luminescent substrate for ALuc obtained by the invention can be included together with a suitable luminescence solution in a luminescence kit. The bioluminescent substrate for ALuc of the invention can exhibit unprecedented excellent luminescence specificity and functionality in the conventional bioluminescence probe, two-hybrid assay, bioluminescent capsule, and reporter gene assay.

Luminescent substrate for use in artificial bioluminescent enzyme

A spotter that includes a plurality of spotting heads, each of the plurality of spotting heads having a discharging portion at a tip portion, the plurality of spotting heads form an m&#xd7;n array (m, n&#x3e;1) with m spotting heads arranged lengthwise and n spotting heads arranged crosswise; and a pitch varying mechanism configured to vary an array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in a lengthwise direction and an array pitch of the plurality of spotting heads arrayed in a crosswise direction.

Variable pitch array spotter

In a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid, such as a sample solution, on a substrate, such as a glass slide, the dispensing apparatus includes a capillary provided with a distal end and a proximal end, a pump unit configured to pump an operating liquid into the capillary and to pump the operating liquid out of the capillary, and a controller configured to control the pump unit so as to change a position of a liquid surface of the operating liquid in the capillary so that a predetermined volume of liquid is suctioned from the distal end into the capillary and the liquid suctioned in the capillary is discharged from the distal end. As a result, it is possible to precisely dispense extremely small volume amounts of liquids such as a nanoliter.

Dispensing apparatus and a dispensing method

A single-chain probe of the present invention for detecting a ligand, comprises: a ligand binding protein for binding the ligand; a recognition protein for recognizing that the ligand is bound by the ligand binding protein; and C- and N-terminal fragments, generated by dissecting an enzyme, between the ligand binding protein and the recognition protein, wherein a carboxy terminal end of the C-terminal fragment is located upstream of an amino terminal end of the N-terminal fragment, and the C- and N-terminal fragments vary the enzyme activity via complementation in case where the recognition protein recognizes that the ligand is bound by the ligand binding protein. This makes it possible to achieve detection of a target protein-specific ligand using the single chain with a high efficiency.

Single-molecule-format probe and utilization thereof

Constitute a molecular recognition probe comprising: an electrochemically active group; an activity suppression group that suppresses an electrochemical activity of the electrochemically active group; a receptor area where a molecule of a target substance is specifically recognized; and a molecule area where a steric structure is changed as a result of molecular recognition; wherein the electrochemically active group is suppressed of its activity by the activity suppression group before the molecule is recognized and restores its activity after the molecule is recognized; or constitute a molecular recognition sensor by providing an anchor area on the molecular recognition probe and fixing it on a surface of an electrode.

Electrochemical molecular recognition probes

The invention provides a new GC/ICP-MS capable of preventing carbon deposition caused by the analysis sample or its solvent. With a GC/ICP-MS, it is effective to introduce oxygen continuously or during a specific period to the part where argon or other makeup gas is introduced to the ICP-MS, and this is achieved by introducing oxygen in air into the gas supply line using an oxygen permeable tube or oxygen permeable membrane. A selector valve is used to introduce permeated oxygen to the aforementioned gas supply line only during a desired period.

Analyzer constituted by gas chromatograph combined with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer

The claimed invention comprises a single molecule-format bioluminescent probe for detecting a target-specific ligand in a living cell, which comprises, a ligand-binding molecule of which conformation is changed upon binding to the ligand, wherein the ligand-binding molecule comprises a ligand-binding domain (LBD) of a nuclear receptor and an LBD-interacting domain that is a co-activator peptide of said nuclear receptor, and an N-terminal polypeptide and a C-terminal polypeptide of a click beetle luciferase (N-CBLuc and C-CBLuc), which flank each end of the ligand-binding molecule, respectively, wherein the N-CBLuc and the C-CBLuc self-complement to generate a luminescent signal only upon binding of the ligand to the ligand-binding molecule.

Single molecule-format bioluminescent probe

The present invention provides an 'in vivo and in vitro real-time bioluminescence imaging means,' which can transmit a detection signal promptly in response to an external signal, while taking advantage of a single-molecule-format luminescent probe as a bioluminescent means. The present invention is characterized by using, as a single-molecule-format luminescent probe utilizing the increase and decrease of a second messenger level as an index, a fusion protein including a single-chain protein containing a second messenger recognition protein and optionally a peptide which is capable of binding with the protein, and linked respectively to the N-terminus and the C-terminus thereto, an N-terminal fragment (N-LE) and a C-terminal fragment (C-LE) generated by dissecting a luminescent enzyme (LE). A single-molecule-format luminescent probe could be provided, which makes it possible to observe light emission (extinction) in vivo as well as in vitro, as a result of a conformational change of the second messenger recognition protein induced by the binding (unbinding) with a second messenger, and the subsequent association or dissociation between the N-LE and the C-LE flanked at both termini of the recognition protein.

Single molecule-format real-time bioluminescence imaging probe

To provide an inductively-coupled plasma torch capable of realizing a GC analysis or the like and a solution analysis by the same torch without removing a capillary tube, etc. The injector tube of the inductively-coupled plasma torch includes an outer injector tubefor introducing an atomized solution sample or the like into the inductively-coupled plasma, and an inner injector tubefor introducing gaseous molecules into the inductively-coupled plasma, housed in the outer injector tube as integrated and coaxially with it. The inner injector tube is able to convey make-up gas, and has a capillary tubefor conveying gaseous molecules and carrier gas together. For sample introduction in analyzing a gaseous sample, the inner injector tubeis used, and for sample introduction in analyzing an aerosol sample, the outer injector tubeis used.

Inductively-coupled plasma torch for simultaneous introduction of gaseous and liquid samples

Provided are a laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry sample plate for a soft LDI-MS measurement, in which when a laser beam is irradiated, a correct measurement of high sensitivity can be made without generation of any disturbance peak and uniform coating of a sample can be made on a sample plate in fabrication of the sample, and a measurement apparatus using the sample plate. A specified ionization element having a dot structure is used as an ionization medium which is used in laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry and absorbs a laser beam.

Ionization plate for mass spectrometry and mass spectrometer

An inductively-coupled plasma torch capable of holding a capillary tube coaxially with an injector tube and conveying make-up gas smoothly is provided. The inductively-coupled plasma torch of the present invention includes a guide which is held near the end portion of the injector tube, and has a through hole for holding the capillary tube coaxially with the injector tube, and means for conveying make-up gas.

Inductively-coupled plasma torch

A light emitting device having a lamp for producing light when supplied with electric current, and an elongated optical material having a portion disposed within the lamp and one end located outside the lamp and serving as an outlet of emitted light. The optical material may be (a) a light transmissive, fluorescent or phosphorescent adapted to emit fluorescent or phosphorescent light upon being excited by irradiation with the light of the lamp so that the fluorescent or phosphorescent light is transmitted to the outlet, (b) a rod transparent to the light of the lamp so that the light from the lamp entering the rod is transmitted to the outlet, or (c) a light transmissive, laser generating optical material adapted to emit a laser beam upon being excited with the light of the lamp so that the laser beam is transmitted to the outlet.

Light emitting device

In a method of analyzing a concentration of a target substance contained in a fluid using a quartz oscillator having a surface covered with a layer capable of absorbing the target substance, the temperature of the fluid and the quartz oscillator is controlled at substantially the same predetermined temperature selected according to the concentration of the target substance in said fluid, so that the analysis can be made with optimum sensitivity. A device for analyzing a concentration of a target substance contained in a fluid, includes a contacting chamber accommodating a quartz oscillator, a temperature controller, disposed in a feed passage for feeding the fluid into said contacting chamber, for adjusting a temperature of the fluid at a desired predetermined temperature; and a detector of a frequency of the quartz oscillator.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Hiroaki Tao