Search results for: aseptic technique
How to Measure FRET
…called donor dequenching, this technique measures increased donor emission when the acceptor is photobleached. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy FRET (FLIM FRET) – This technique detects fluorescence lifetime changes of donor….
Read MoreRed light/Green Light In Aseptic Technique: When Is The Flame OK?
…are indeed! Good aseptic technique is often accompanied by some healthy paranoia (DON’T TOUCH MY BUGS WITH YOUR BUGGY HANDS!) but there are times when you need to quench your…
Read MoreSAGE Part 2: LongSAGE, RL-SAGE and SuperSAGE
SAGE, or serial analysis of gene expression, is a technique that enables you to digitally analyze the entire gene expression profile of a cell(s). Before this technique, scientists were limited…
Read MoreUsing Gage R&R Studies to Measure Precision in the Lab
…of a result (from laboratory technique and environment to instruments), the field of “measurement systems analysis” can become a critical means of trusting one’s data. The purpose of this article…
Read MoreStudying the Epigenome by Next Generation Sequencing
…When reading a sequence treated with bisulfite, every cytosine we find is from a methylated spot. Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS) is a great technique that…
Read MoreMultiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA)
Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) is a molecular technique developed by MRC-Holland back in 2002. In a nutshell, MLPA is a sensitive technique that allows quantification of nucleic acid sequences,…
Read MoreTips for Successful Bone Marrow Isolation
…a difficult technique. Flash forward to a few weeks later and I was confidently undertaking bone marrow isolation. Learning a new technique is always daunting, but with practice and a…
Read MoreSouthern (blot) exposure remains a useful technique
…earth still does that?” “Maybe for a very, very specific use,” conjectured one of the scientists. When I asked the scientist who taught me the technique a very long time…
Read MoreLive-Cell Imaging: Choosing the Right Technique
…which technique is right for you, we have put together a brief guide to the three most common methods for live-cell imaging and have discussed their issues and advantages to…
Read MoreAcid Fast: A Histology Tool To Detect Bacteria and TB
What Does Acid-Fast Stain? Acid-fast stain (AF) is an important special staining technique used in the histology lab. This is a differential stain used to identify acid-fast bacterial organisms, such…
Read MoreDetecting Post-Translational Modifications
…shift in mobility. This is a useful technique when you have no idea what kind of modification to expect, as many modifications may cause a shift (such as ubiquitin ladders…
Read MoreThe Next Big Thing: Alternative Polyadenylation
…a great technique for many different purposes, but it has a major downfall when studying polyadenylation sites: insufficient coverage of the regions of interest. Consequently, it is not able to…
Read MoreColor Transmission Electron Microscopy
…San Diego, has recently developed an exciting new technique, whereby TEM samples themselves can express color. The importance of this new technique is that it is the sample itself speaking….
Read MoreWhat is Sterile? Find Your Way around a Sterile Tissue Culture Hood
…being free from biological contaminants. Aseptic technique will ensure that only the things you want to grow in your culture will. If you are mindful of sources of contamination and…
Read MoreThe Sandwich Technique: How to Dish Out Critique
…gently correcting your mistakes. There’s a “sandwich technique” used in education; a protocol of sorts for providing constructive feedback. It recommends starting any assessment with praise, having critical remarks in…
Read MoreA Short History of Cryo-Electron Microscopy
…image the objects listed above amongst many others. The same reasoning applies to the atomic world. For over a century, X-ray crystallography has been the dominant technique used to capture…
Read MoreiPOND, Part 1: Fishing for Proteins with DNA as Bait
…proteins are present at DNA during or after replication, iPOND is an elegant technique to help you find out. In this article, I will explain how iPOND works and how…
Read MoreGetting Started with Raman Spectroscopy: What You Need to Know
Are you an assiduous biologist who prefers label-free imaging methods for biological samples analysis? Raman spectroscopy offers you a wonderland of imaging technique with unlimited benefits. To start with, Raman…
Read MoreBasic Bacterial Culturing Practices
…To combat this problem, sterility and aseptic technique are some of your most critical allies. Sterilize Your Bacterial Culture Tools Before Use! You can easily sterilize utensils, liquids and agar…
Read MoreOligo Purification Methods: How, Why and for What?
…your goal is, and how robust is your technique. If you are still not sure which one to choose, seek help from scientific papers that have used the technique you…
Read MoreActivity-Based Protein Profiling: A Powerful Technique for the Modern Biologist
…also use an azide or an alkyne for a “clickable” ABP. And without the reporter group, you’ll simply have an enzyme inhibitor. ABPP Detection Techniques ABPP is a powerful technique…
Read MoreTrapping Objects With Light: From Star Wars to Neurons
…and instrumentation of optical traps can be implemented into a variety of different microscopy setups and demonstrates how easily this technique can be coupled with various imaging approaches to achieve…
Read MoreWestern Blot, ELISA, SPR, Biosensor Assay or PCR: Which Technique Should I Use?
…a very attractive technique for a number of reasons. In contrast to Co-Ip, SPR does not require you to label your protein of interest. This allows you to bypass the…
Read MoreCatch of the Day: A Look into Different FISH Techniques
…your laboratory. FISH is a general technique that involves hybridizing a nucleic acid probe to its complementary sequence on chromosomes, within cells and tissues that have been previously fixed on…
Read MoreThree-Dimensional Scanning Electron Microscopy for Biology
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is a powerful technique, traditionally used for imaging the surface of cells, tissues and whole multicellular organisms (see An Introduction to Electron Microscopy for Biologists)(Fig. 1)….
Read More17 Ways to Stop Pipetting Errors From Ruining Your Experiments
…on Good Technique 9. Make Sure You Know How to Pipette Properly For the basics, take a look at Gilson’s pipetting technique manual. The most important rules to follow are:…
Read MoreA Beginner’s Guide to Exosome Isolation
…new therapeutics. If this article intrigued you, and you want to study these phenomenal tiny vesicles, remember that each isolation technique has its advantages and disadvantages. Each technique exploits one…
Read MoreThe A-Z of PCR Variants
The wide range of applications of PCR has led to an ever-growing list of variants of the technique. While some are optimizations to suit specific requirements and are very similar…
Read MoreThe Who’s Who of Super Resolution Microscopy, Part 1
…resulting in a smaller spot being detected. How does this help you? A resolution of 30-80nm can theoretically be achieved using this technique (Hell and Wichmann 1994). The technique is…
Read MoreThe History of PCR
…a kitchen table, the ingredients of PCR were waiting for someone to scream out “CAKE!” and open up the scientific community to a technique with a myriad of applications. The…
Read MoreA Molecular Biology Roadmap For First Time Travelers
…first started: How do all the different techniques fit together? How do I choose the right technique? Where do I start? And the always popular, Why isn’t this working? (Although…
Read MoreMass Spectrometry in Biological Research – A Guide for Beginners
Mass spectrometry, also referred to as mass spec or MS, is an analytical technique that is becoming increasingly important in bioscience research. This article will introduce you to mass spectrometry…
Read MoreSix Steps to Successful Mouse Genotyping
…of mice. Even though mouse genotyping is a simple enough technique, once standardized, here are a few specific tips to a hassle free genotyping experience: 1. Know What you are…
Read MoreTwo Photon Confocal Microscopy: What it is and How to Use it to Your Advantage
…to the usual one-photon technique): 1) Near-infrared radiation used in two-photon excitation suffers from significantly less absorption in biological specimens than UV or blue-green light, making the technique more appropriate…
Read MoreElectron Microscopy Sample Preparation: 10 Pieces of Expert Advice
…those preparing them? Electron microscopy (EM) is a powerful technique that contributes to revolutionary discoveries at the frontiers of science. It has tremendous potential within key fields such as epigenetics…
Read MoreSPUD’s Your Bud When it Comes to Sensitive qPCR
There’s piloting a brand new technique for the first time. Then, there’s jumping through hoops trying to get an established lab technique to work. The former, in contrast to the…
Read MoreJust This Moment. Introducing the Science Behind Mindfulness and Meditation
…is where the technique of mindfulness may help you in the lab and beyond. Using mindfulness can help us to pay greater attention to our tasks in the lab and…
Read MoreWriting Your First (or next) Paper: Part I
…trust in the authors of the papers we read, and you want people to trust the results you generate. Becoming a master of a technique can take as long, and…
Read MoreTop 10 Tips for Phenol-Chloroform Extractions and Ethanol Precipitations
There are a lot of “helpful suggestions” to wade through when it comes to perfecting your TRIzol Method technique, so let’s wade through the madness and share some tips! Comment…
Read MoreFlow Cytometry Gone Viral: Introducing Flow Virometry
…through what this technique is, its applications and relevance to your biological research, and how you can start using it in your experiments. Current Viral Detection Methods: Pitfalls and Problems…
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