We received the following question from Bitesize Bio reader, Beheroze Sattha. It relates to a problem with absolute quantification using plasmids for standard curves. Since many people use this technique it is an interesting one question for us to explore, and it also gives us a great opportunity to cover some important tips for performing [...]

We all are very familiar with the effects of cannabinoid receptor stimulation on the body. Relaxation, pain relief, and increased appetite probably come first to mind. These psychoactive effects result from activation of  the CB1 receptor found on cells in the brain by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But there is another receptor, called CB2, that can bind THC and other [...]

This past week I found myself asking this question quite a few times. What is going on with the peer review process? Is anyone actually reviewing the papers getting into journals anymore? This is due to some recent experiences I’ve had with papers published in both the larger highly reputable journals and smaller niche journals [...]

Recently we received a question from Bitesize Bio reader Sonia after our article How to: Get Better Plasmid Midiprep Yields. She asked: “What could be the problem when one sample gives a good yield while the other plasmid gives poor a one, when both the samples were processed simultaneously, and in the same way.” This is a [...]

Who is Andy Bass? Answer: A surfing scientist turned businessman from Alabama with a passion for educating the world about molecular biology. Andy is the CEO and founder of Yonder Biology, a brand new biotech company located in northern San Diego county here in California. I had a chance to speak with Andy about his new venture [...]

When I worked in technical service for a well known biotech company, I have to confess that we often used a certain phrase in the frustration of dealing with calls from angry scientists ranting about a problem they were having with a kit because, as it turned out, they didn’t read the manual. “Read the F***ing [...]

Happy New Year! Now that 2010 has begun, it’s a good time to start thinking about how you want to spend your travel money (or which meetings you want to nudge your PI about spending their travel money on for you). So to help you plan, here is a list of the bigger, more popular conferences in the [...]

Perhaps at no other time of year like the winter solstice is the mixture of religious beliefs and daily life more intertwined.  Most people, regardless of race and country of origin, come from a faith that believes in God or a Higher Power. As scientists, it is a widely held belief that we do not [...]

Since our most popular article of all time (“The Basics: How Ethanol Precipitation of DNA and RNA Works”) was published, many of our readers have asked us to further explain the difference between precipitating DNA with ethanol vs. isopropanol and which is the better choice. So today, I’ll meet the challenge and discuss the pros [...]

It’s that time of year again. The time when you have to fit in buying holiday gifts among the hundred other things you need to do at work and at home. Coming up with cool ideas or the “perfect gift” is a challenge for busy people with too much on their plate already. To help [...]