microsatellites

Small Differences that Matter: Detecting Microsatellite Polymorphisms

If you have any training in genetics, chances are that during the course of your education you ran into those funny little sequences called microsatellites. These are repeated tandem motifs 1-6 nucleotides long, scattered all over our genomes. These used to be called “junk DNA,” because researchers thought that the repeats served no purpose. Nowadays,…

Human_embryonic_stem_cells_only_A

Seeing Potential: How to Visualise Your Multipotent Cells

The cells I work with are special — they’re stem cells. This means that when it comes to deciding their ultimate fate, they’re still sitting on the fence. This ability is great for identifying pathways of cellular development and differentiation. It also serves research into tissue regeneration and human disease. But how can we make…