Understanding the characteristics of natural plasmids and how they function in nature can inform us on how to create better recombinant vectors. In this blog post, we’ll define plasmid host range, identify a few of the features that confer broad host range in plasmids in nature, ...
When using flow cytometry to analyze your samples, it is necessary to set up a sequence of gates to be able to select and precisely measure your cells of interest. In many experiments you’ll be working with a heterogeneous cell population, for example from a processed piece of ...
Throughout their history, fluorescent dyes have enabled the visualization of both organic tissues and cell cultures, opening biological interiors to many inquisitive scientists. Seeing inside these specimens has offered illumination on biochemical processes that are crucial in ...
Monoclonal antibody drugs are popular therapeutics for a plethora of disease conditions, from cancer to autoimmune disorders. Antibodies administered as drugs are still immunogenic, meaning that they elicit an immune response from the body. Several factors contribute to the ...
Annotation of genes in immune cells typically involves the creation of germline knockout mice, which is time-consuming, as it only changes one gene at a time. CRISPR-based systems enable gene knockout in immune cells in a high-throughput manner, but these systems have not been ...
Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) are an important biological tool that allow scientists to express a gene of interest in a cell or animal model. AAV plasmids contain several important elements, but among the most important are the inverted terminal repeats (ITRs). ITRs are the ...
In April 2022, physicians in Scotland began noticing unusual cases of acute hepatitis in the pediatric population. Once ~400 cases had amassed in places around the world, hypotheses began to develop that this illness was caused by either SARS-CoV-2, Adenovirus type 41 (AdV-41), ...
I spent about seven years working in research labs, and then pivoted to writing full-time in mid-2020. As I left the ivory tower and walked down into its foothills, I began to have conversations with many people who eagerly follow progress in synthetic biology, and want to be ...
