Over the past two decades, library-based display technologies have been staggeringly optimized since their appearance in order to mimic the process of natural molecular evolution. Display technologies are essential for the isolation of specific high-affinity binding molecules (proteins, polypeptides, nucleic acids and others) for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, inflammatory pathologies etc. Applications extend to other fields such as antibody and enzyme engineering, cell-free protein synthesis and the discovery of protein–protein interactions. Phage display technology is the most established of these methods but more recent fully in vitro alternatives, such as ribosome display, mRNA display, cis-activity based (CIS) display and covalent antibody display (CAD), as well as aptamer display and in vitro compartmentalization, offer advantages over phage in library size, speed and the display of unnatural amino acids and nucleotides. Altogether, they have produced several molecules currently approved or in diverse stages of clinical or preclinical testing and have provided researchers with tools to address some of the disadvantages of peptides and nucleotides such as their low affinity, low stability, high immunogenicity and difficulty to cross membranes. In this review we assess the fundamental technological features and point out some recent advances and applications of display technologies.

Obesity is a common nutrition-related disorder leading to reduced life expectancy in both humans and dogs. With the aim of identifying new prevention and control options, the study objectives were (1) to investigate dog-owner perceptions about obesity in terms of themselves and their dogs, and (2) to identify factors associated with obesity and possible social, environmental and economic drivers for its development in dog owners and their pets. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed across multiple countries. The questionnaire focused on human and canine obesity, associated factors and potential drivers, and was distributed online and in the form of hard copies among dog owners in 11 European countries. In total, 3,185 responses from ten countries were included in multivariable analyses. Between 19.1% and 48.8% of the dog owners reported to be overweight/obese. Owner-reported overweight/obesity in dogs ranged from 6.0% to 31.3% based on body condition score charts, and 31.8% to 69.4% based on body fat index charts. Common factors associated with obesity in owners and their dogs were age, gender and owners’ attitudes to diet and physical activity. Dog owners who did not consider obesity to be a disease were more likely to have obese dogs.

Canine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by protozoal haemoparasites of different Babesia species. Babesiosis is one of the most important globally extended and quickly spreading tick-borne infections of dogs. This comprehensive review gives an in-depth overview of Babesia species currently identified in dogs together with relevant vector tick species and their geographical distribution, life cycle and transmission of parasite. The main mechanisms in the pathogenesis of babesiosis are described and elucidated by recent literature overview. As Babesia infection causes a disease with very variable clinical manifestations, special attention is given to clinical signs, laboratory features and clinicopathological findings. The diagnosis of canine babesiosis by microscopy, serological and molecular methods is reviewed, together with recent advances in mass spectrometry based assays. Accurate detection and species recognition are important for the selection of the appropriate therapy, monitoring and prediction of the outcome of the disease. Finally, guidelines for the treatment and prevention of canine babesiosis are given.