Patent ID: 7033748

Claim:
A method of identifying a polynucleotide of a microbe that is expressed in vivo comprising the steps of: adbsorbing an antibody sample with cells or cellular extracts of the microbe that have been grown in vitro, wherein the antibody sample comprises antibodies specific for antigens expressed by the microbe when grown in vivo and antibodies specific for antigens expressed by the microbe when grown in vitro; isolating unadsorbed antibodies; and probing a phage display library of the microbe's DNA with the unadsorbed antibodies of step (b); wherein the step of probing a phage display library comprises: (i) immobilizing the unadsorbed antibodies on a solid support; (ii) adding the phage display library of the microbe's DNA or RNA to the solid support; (iii) washing unbound phage from the solid support; and (iv) recovering phage that are bound to the solid support; wherein a polynucleotide of the microbe that is expressed in vivo is isolated and identified.