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The Zika virus (ZIKV) can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Resulting infection by this virus can cause early miscarriage and a pattern of severe birth defects in fetuses and infants. Therefore, a rapid diagnostic assay that can be performed throughout pregnancy in a clinical setting is vital for prenatal care of women living in areas where this virus may be transmitted.

Antibiotic resistance is one of the world's most pressing health concerns. ß-lactamases, such as carbapenemases, are enzymes produced by bacteria that provide resistance to multiple ß-lactam antibiotics (e.g., penicillins, cephamycins, and carbapenems) by breaking down the antibiotic molecules and deactivating their antibacterial properties. Carbapenems are broad-spectrum antibiotics often prescribed to treat serious infections in hospitalized patients, and infections with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) have become a challenge in healthcare settings.

Zika virus (ZIKV) can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus. Infection during pregnancy can cause microcephaly and other severe birth defects. Currently, there are no vaccines to prevent or medications to treat Zika infections.

Rabies occurs in more than 150 countries and territories, resulting in at least 55,000 human deaths per year worldwide according to World Health Organization estimates. Rabies is a vaccine-preventable viral disease caused by numerous lyssaviruses that are found in a variety of animal species throughout the world. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system, causing disease in the brain with almost 100% mortality once clinical symptoms manifest.

The 2014-2016 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa was the largest in history, causing more than 28,000 suspected, probable, and confirmed infections and more than 11,000 deaths across nine countries. CDC scientists designed nucleic acid primers and probes which can be used in a sensitive test for detecting all known strains of Ebola virus (species Zaire ebolavirus) including the 2014/2015 strain that emerged in West Africa and the more recent strain that caused an EVD outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017.

As of March 2017, 64 countries and territories had travel notices for active Zika virus transmissions. CDC developed the Trioplex rRT-PCR test to detect evidence of Zika virus infection and aid in differentiating this infection from dengue and chikungunya virus infections, all of which are spread by the same types of Aedes species mosquitoes and cause similar illness.

This invention, developed by the CDC and collaborators, entails a live, attenuated recombinant rabies virus vaccine that can elicit an effective anti-rabies immune response in animal recipients. Inoculation with a live, attenuated, rabies virus allows for the optimized production of immunity in the absence of pathogenicity. Oral administration of rabies vaccines is often a preferred route of vaccine delivery because it is most effective in wildlife. Unfortunately, availability of an oral vaccine for canines has been a significant hurdle to date.

The invention provides for a full-length cloned cDNA copy of the RNA genome of a predominant norovirus strain (Genogroup II.4) designated MD145-12 that was associated with human gastrointestinal illness. The noroviruses, which were formerly known as "Norwalk-like" viruses are estimated to cause 23 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the USA each year. The virus has been designated into category B of the CDC biodefense-related priority pathogens because it can be used as an agent of bioterrorism.

This technology is directed to the discovery of specific microRNAs that target and downregulate enzymes within the cholesterol biosynthetic pathway and is currently being tested in vivo.

Classical X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and radiography are based on X-ray absorption and cannot show soft tissue structures as well as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Detecting the phase delay/advance of X-rays that travel through the body could enhance soft tissue contrast 10 - 100 times. Submicron-period X-ray transmission gratings for medical x-ray energies can substantially enhance the phase detection sensitivity, but fabrication is a great challenge. This invention includes a method to fabricate multilayer transmission gratings of large areas.