Techniques
Is Your Bacterial Culture Still Growing? A Primer on OD600 Measurements
How do you know when your bacterial culture is “done” growing? Read on to learn how to monitor bacterial growth using OD600 measurements, and how to figure out when you should harvest your culture.
Read MoreCrystallize Your Protein–DNA Complex by Optimizing These Key Parameters
Looking to engineer a crystal? Here are some key parameters to optimize to give you the maximum chance of success at crystallizing protein DNA–complexes.
Read MoreGetting Started with Immunohistochemistry
Immunohistochemistry isn’t just a useful clinical tool, it also has great applications as a basic research tool. We’ll walk you through the immunohistochemistry basics to get you off to a flying start.
Read MoreThat Other Number – The Meaning Of Numerical Aperture In Microscopy
Do you know what that NA number is on your objective? We walk you through what the numerical aperture is and why it’s important.
Read MoreAn Objective View: What do These Abbreviations Mean on Microscope Objectives?
There are a large number of microscope objective abbreviations relating to optical aberrations; here we’ll shed some light on some of the most common ones to get you up to speed in no time!
Read MoreImproving the Expression of Insoluble and Inactive Proteins Using Osmotic Shock
Discover a better way to improve the expression of your insoluble and inactive proteins using osmotic shock.
Read MoreIntroduction to Yeast Media: How to Feed Your Fungus
Are you finding the variety of available yeast media overwhelming? Read our guide to understand what’s in each and which is right for your fungus.
Read MoreCell Counting with a Hemocytometer: As easy as 1, 2, 3…
Do hemocytometers look scary and complicated with their multiple tiny squares, boxes, and grids? Take a look at our article and see how easy it actually is to use a hemocytometer.
Read MoreLive Imaging of Phagocytosis: Your Simple Guide to Capturing the Action
Live imaging of phagocytosis helps capture the details of this dynamic process. Discover tips and tricks to visualizing this important cellular process.
Read MoreMass Spectrometry in Biological Research – A Guide for Beginners
Mass spectrometry can feel intimidating. Read this easy-to-follow guide to demystify mass spectrometry and learn how it can help your research.
Read MoreWorking with Membrane Proteins: Tips for Expressing, Extracting, and Purifying Your Membrane Protein Sample
Working with membrane proteins can be tricky. Read on to get tried-and-tested tips and tricks for expressing, extracting, and purifying these water-phobic proteins.
Read MoreSurviving the Big Chill: Freezing and Thawing Mammalian Cells in the Lab
Cryopreservation is crucial to the long-term maintenance of cells, so it’s important that you’re clued up on your freeze–thaw cycles. Check out our top tips for freezing and thawing cells.
Read MoreA Beginner’s Guide to The Point Spread Function
Learn how the Point Spread Function affects what you see through your microscope and discover what you can do to improve your images.
Read MoreLab Basics: How The Alkaline Lysis Method Works
Alkaline lysis for plasmid isolation? That’s like the ABCs in a molecular biology lab. Read this detailed article to understand the process behind this common technique.
Read MoreMultiplex CRISPR Gene Editing: What You Need to Know
If you need a multi-gene knockout or large-scale genomic modification, or want reduced off-target effects, then multiplex CRISPR is for you!
Read MoreUnnatural Amino Acids: Essential Tools in Synthetic Biology and Your Research
Discover what unnatural amino acids are, their applications, and how they can be used in your research in our beginner’s guide.
Read MoreControlling Gene Expression with CRISPR Interference (CRISPRi)
CRISPR interference allows for the regulation of gene expression in vivo. Here’s a short guide to how it works.
Read MoreOptimal Conditions for Live-Cell Imaging
Live-cell imaging can bring a lot of clarity to cellular processes, but keeping your cells happy can be tricky. Read on to learn about 4 key parameters for achieving optimal conditions for live-cell imaging.
Read MoreAn Introduction to Live Cell Imaging
Read on to learn more about live cell imaging, including how high rate microscopy can help you capture rapid cellular processes.
Read MoreWhat is PCR? The Beginner’s Guide
If you need to copy, sequence, or quantify DNA, you need to know about PCR. Read our guide to the PCR process, and discover tips to help you avoid the most common PCR pitfalls.
Read MoreA Step-by-Step Guide to Designing qPCR Primers
qPCR primer design is a bit of science, a bit of magic, and a little bit of luck. Here’s the science to help you design the best primers for your experiments.
Read MoreHow to Identify Supercoils, Nicks and Circles in DNA Plasmid Preps using Gel Electrophoresis
Why do you get three bands when running uncut plasmid DNA on agarose gels. Discover the answer and how it can help improve your DNA plasmid preps.
Read MoreWhich Grade of Ethanol Should I Use?
Want to know more about ethanol grades commonly used in the lab? We help you make sense of your flammables cabinet with our rundown of the ethanol grades typically used in molecular biology, as well as some important rules for how to use them correctly.
Read MorePros and Cons of CRISPR: Simple Tips for Weighing Up CRISPR for Genome Editing
Discover the pros and cons of CRISPR as a genome-editing tool in your research.
Read MoreConstant Current or Voltage in SDS-PAGE: The Great Debate
It’s not always easy deciding whether to run electrophoresis at a constant voltage, current, or power. Here, we outline the differences to help you make an informed decision.
Read MoreHow History Shaped Modern Optical Microscopes, Part Two: Corrected Lenses and Objectives
Discover how chromatic and geometric imaging aberrations have been corrected over the last few centuries with the development of corrected lenses and objectives.
Read More5 Ways to Clean Up A DNA Sample
Are you struggling with your DNA clean-up? Then check out our top five methods so you can pick the best option for your experiments.
Read MoreHow History Shaped Modern Optical Microscopes, Part One: Simple and Compound Microscopes
Discover the history of simple and compound microscopes in this first of our two-part series on the history of microscopes.
Read MoreEthanol Precipitation of DNA and RNA: How it Works
Using ethanol precipitation to isolate or concentrate your nucleic acids? Find out how this routinely used technique works, and get tips to produce the best results.
Read More4 Easy Steps to Analyze Your qPCR Data Using Double Delta Ct Analysis
New to qPCR? Here’s a quick summary of one of the two most common analysis methods – double delta Ct analysis.
Read MoreAdvanced Sectioning Techniques: How to Section Difficult Tissues
Are you having problems with tissue sectioning? Follow these 10 tissue sectioning tips to create the perfect tissue section every time without stressing out.
Read MoreStereo (Dissecting) Microscopes 101
Want to know about stereo microscopes? This article answers what a stereo microscope is, how it works and why it’s a great tool for biologists!
Read MoreHow to Make the Perfect Agar Plate Every Time
Agar plates are the foundation of many experiments – make sure your plates are perfect every time with these 8 tips and start your experiment ready for success!
Read MoreCrash Course in Microbial Identification
Need a crash course in microbial identification methods? Here we give you a rundown of the methods available for the identification of bacteria, yeast, or filamentous fungi to the species level.
Read MoreConfocal Images: Expert Tips for Your Hour of Need!
Getting publication perfect confocal images can be tricky. If you are struggling or just want to ensure you’re capturing the best images possible, check out our top 7 tips for confocal imaging.
Read MoreResolution and Refractive Index: Set-up Your Confocal Wisely!
Get the best out of your time on the microscope by understanding the refractive index of your experiment to optimize and increase your resolution.
Read MoreFun With FRAP! Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching for Confocal Microscopy
If you’re thinking FRAP is short for frappuccino then you need to read this article. Discover the history, how it works, and why you’d want it in your confocal toolbox
Read MoreSynthetic Peptides Part 2: Tips and Tricks for Peptide Synthesis
Deciding on the right peptide sequence can make or break your experiment. Find out what to keep in mind when designing a synthetic peptide.
Read MoreAn introduction to Photoactivated Localization Microscopy (PALM)
How does photoactivated localization microscopy (PALM) work? And what use can PALM microscopy be to you? This short introduction to PALM gives you the answers!
Read MoreBeginners Guide to PALM Sample Preparation
Good PALM sample preparation is the key to great images. Find out how to choose the right fluorescent proteins and learn some tips and tricks for sample prep.
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