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Cells and Model Organisms

How To Passage Cells in Culture

Learn the basics of how to passage cells in culture with this easy-to-follow guide. While the specifics change per cell line, the basics remain.

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Top 5 of the Most Commonly Used Cell Lines

Want to use a cell line but not sure where to start? Or perhaps you’re just curious about the most commonly used cell lines. Our top 5 most commonly used cell lines will help you get a feel for the cells that many researchers turn to.

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Crash 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.

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Pop Quiz!: Do You Know How a Coulter Counter Works?

Are you an immunologist or lab personnel dealing with counting tons of cells? Then you must have come across the elusive Coulter Counter! Read on to know a little history ofthe instrument’s technology and its working principle.

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The Culture of Primary Schwann Cells  

Have you been itching to branch into working with Schwann cells for your next experiment, but aren’t quite sure where to begin? This article will help you decide which primary Schwann cell line is best for your needs.

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Tips for Successful Bone Marrow Isolation 

During my first year of graduate school, I learned how to isolate bone marrow. I remember watching my mentor in awe, wondering how would I be able to do such 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,…

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Culturing M1 and M2 Macrophages: Media Matters

Macrophages are a type of white blood cell derived from monocytes that are most widely known for the ability to phagocytose cell debris, pathogens, and even cancer cells. However, it is becoming clear that the role of macrophages goes beyond eliminating cellular waste. Macrophages are often used in conjunction with T cells to measure immune…

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The What, Why and How of Explant Culture

What Is Explant Culture and Why Should I Use It? Explant culture is the culture of small pieces of tissue surgically removed from animal tissue or organ. It is a useful method for several reasons. The maintenance of the histotypic architecture and biochemical properties of the cells means it more closely resembles the tissue in…

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6 Steps for Successful in vitro Drug Treatment

You might have seen one of the many anti-drug ads the 80s had to offer (including this delightful message from Robocop) and rightfully steered clear of drugs. But when it comes to biology, we use in vitro drug treatment for many experimental purposes, including testing anti-cancer treatments or synchronizing the cell cycle. If you are facing your first in vitro…

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Nodulation: What Is It and Why Is It Important?

Plants are incredibly organisms. Not only do they provide atmospheric oxygen, but, in the case of legumes, they can transform atmospheric nitrogen gas to ammonia, which can then be consumed by humans. How does this happen, you ask? It’s all thanks to bacteria and the process of nodulation. Deep Breaths Nitrogen is an incredibly important…

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Successful Start: Tips for Establishing Organoids

Organoids are a developing star of research. They can be grown to represent the majority of mammalian organs and have a wide range of possible applications. More realistic than simple monolayer cell culture, they offer an in-between step that reduces the need for animal models and simplifies (although doesn’t completely remove) ethics paperwork. They are…

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Staying Alive: Tips for Air-Liquid Interface Cultures

What Is Air-Liquid Interface Culture? Long gone are the days where scientists had to rely on 2D cultures of immortalized cell lines to learn principles of human biology. Today, we have a variety of cell culture systems that come closer than ever before to mimicking the structure and function of our body’s organs. One example…

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C. elegans: The Elegant Model System

In research, choosing a model system is like choosing a partner – you want it to be a perfect fit. If you are attempting to solve problems such as finding unknown proteins in known processes, investigating unknown functions of known proteins or correlating cell biology to a function for which you want a relatively simple…

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Five Factors Affecting Your Mouse Behavioral Studies 

Let’s face it: the nature of behavior itself is inherently variable, whether it’s the heterogeneous socializing behavior of humans at parties, the complex aggressive behavior of rodents when they perceive a threat, or the intricate courtship behavior of insects during their mating dances. Because of this variability, the struggles associated with trying to (successfully) reproduce…

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