Alex Chen
Alex received his Ph.D in Immunology and Virology at the University of Massachusetts. He then worked at Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute and University of Toronto as a post-doctoral researcher studying viral immunity and biology of HIV. He is currently an active member at bitesize bio. He is looking forward to endless opportunities in medical writing and collaborative communication writing.
Articles by Alex Chen:
Codon Optimization 101
The intriguing thing about protein expression is that the combination of transfer RNAs (tRNAs) that translate the 3 letter codon into an amino acid (aa) far exceeds the number of existing amino acids (aa). If you do the math correctly, the maximum number of unique combinations using the triplet code to code for the 4…
Using Synthetic DNA For Long Term Data Storage
The amount of data requiring long-term storage is growing and accelerating. Current long-term digital storage technology cannot keep up. Imagine roughly 2.5 QUINTILLION bytes of data being created everyday in this world1–2 as more computers and network infrastructure come online. For average users, a long-term storage solution is probably not an issue. However, organizations and…
A Primer on Checking the Methylation State of the Genome
We all know that genes encode proteins that make up a living cell. However, the level and coordination of gene expression is really the key to the success of a living cell. One way eukaryotic cells (that’s us!) control protein expression is through addition of a methyl or hydroxymethyl group on the cytosine nucleotide. This…
Small Particles (Things) Matter!- Introducing Nanoparticle PCR
There are many different methods and protocols on making your PCR run more efficiently. I recently came across an interesting PCR method called “nanoparticle” PCR. This method seems to attract a lot of attention, because it enhances a PCR by a few orders of magnitude. More interestingly, while the enhancement effect has been reported in a…
An Introduction to MassTag PCR
New ways to perform PCR emerge all the time. This speaks for the speed of technological advances, and reflects the ongoing need to keep up with fast-moving research. We all know that PCR’s main purpose is to amplify a stretch of nucleic acids based on sequence-specific primers. Nowadays, a wide range of PCR techniques exist,…