Detection of rotavirus in clinical specimens using an immunosensor prototype based on the photon burst counting technique.

In this study, a sensitive fluorescence sensor was developed for the detection of small, fluorescence-labeled particles dispersed in a solution. The prototype system comprises of a laser confocal optical system and a mechanical sample stage to detect photon bursting of fluorescence-labeled small particles in sample volumes less than 5 µL within 3 minutes. To examine the feasibility of the prototype system as a diagnostic tool, assemblages of rotavirus and fluorescence-labeled antibody were analyzed. The detection sensitivity for rotavirus was 1 × 104 pfu/mL. Rotavirus in stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis was also detected. The advantages and disadvantages of this immunosensor with respect to ELISA and RT-PCR, the current gold standards for virus detection, are discussed.

Adhesion of tissue sections from eleven organs on glass slides with amino group coatings.

The adhesion of immunohistochemically stained tissue sections from eleven different organs on microscope slides was compared. Skin, trachea and mammary gland tissue sections heat-treated for antigen retrieval exhibited strong adhesive retention on glass slides coated with self-assembled monolayers containing amino groups at high density.

Effect of amino group density for prevention of mammary gland tissue detachment from coated glass surface.

Tissue detachment from histological glass slides coated with different amino group densities was investigated during heat treatment for immunohistochemical staining. In both sow and piglet mammary gland tissues, the results clearly showed strong adhesion and high retention on self-assembled monolayers with high amino group density.