Oligonucleotides encoding peptides known to bind to HLA-DR1 molecules have been inserted into the gene III of filamentous M13 phages. DR1 molecules purified from human lymphoblastoid cell lines could specifically bind to these peptide sequences expressed on the phage surface. A M13 phage peptide library was next constructed and screened with DR1 molecules. After four rounds of selection, more t...

Despite its importance in post-transcriptional regulation of polycistronic operons in Escherichia coli, little is known about the mechanism of translation re-initiation, which occurs when the same ribosome used to translate an upstream open reading frame (ORF) also translates a downstream ORF. To investigate translation re-initiation in Escherichia coli, we constructed a di-cistronic reporter i...

There is a consistent demand for new biosensors for the detection of protein targets, and a systematic method for the rapid development of new sensors is needed. Here we present a platform where short unstructured peptides that bind to a desired target are selected using M13 phage display. The selected peptides are then chemically synthesized and immobilized on gold, allowing for detection of t...

Polygalacturonases (PG) (EC 3.2.1.15), catalyze the random hydrolysis of 1, 4-alpha-D-galactosiduronic linkages in pectate and other galacturonans. Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) possesses a single PG gene, pglA (PD1485) and Xf mutants deficient in the production of PG result in lost pathogenicity and a compromised ability to systemically infect grapevines. We have cloned the pglA gene into a number o...

Abstract Current standard of care treatment for gliomas includes maximal safe surgical resection followed by concurrent chemoradiation, however, the diffuse infiltrative nature present certain challenges neurosurgeons to clearly visualize tumor tissue under conventional white light during microsurgical resection. Fluorescence-guided techniques have been recently introduced help surgeons better ...

Developing materials that are effective against sexually transmitted pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) and HIV-1 is challenging both in terms of material selection and improving bio-membrane and cellular permeability at desired mucosal sites. Here, we engineered the prokaryotic bacterial virus (M13 phage) carrying two functional peptides, integrin binding peptide (RGD) and a segment ...