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Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity (ADCC)

ADCC is the killing of a target cell which is coated with antibodies by an effector cell of the immune system. It is also referred to as the kiss of death.

1 Aug 2018

Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED) Microscopy

Stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy is a super-resolution fluorescence microscopy technique which can overcome the diffraction limit.

1 Aug 2018

Macropinocytosis Pathway

Endocytosis is the process by which cells take in molecules from their surroundings. Clathrin-dependent endocytosis requires the recruitment of clathrin to help curve the plasma membrane into the vesicle which absorbs the molecules. More recently, it was discovered that other, non-clathrin-dependent pathways existed. Macropinocytosis is one such pathway, creating larger vesicles without the use of clathrin.

1 Aug 2018

MicroRNA Profiling

MicroRNAs, or miRNAs, are small RNAs that regulate gene expression after transcription has taken place.

1 Aug 2018

What is Protein A?

Protein A is a 42KDa cell surface protein which is found on the cell walls of 90% of Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains.

1 Aug 2018

Types of IgG

IgG is the type of immunoglobulin most commonly found within human serum and can be broken down into four sub-classes: IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4.

31 Jul 2018

Nanoencapsulation in Pharmaceuticals

Nanoencapsulation is often used in the pharmaceutical industry to protect drugs from premature degradation and increase their stability in the blood.

31 Jul 2018

Nucleic Acid Labelling Overview

Scientists often need to label nucleic acids such as RNA and DNA during experiments. Methods can be enzymatic or chemical.

31 Jul 2018

Effects of Mycoplasma Contamination on Research

Mycoplasma are bacteria which infect cell cultures, changing mammalian cell properties and skewing research results. Because of this, mycoplasma contamination is treated very seriously.

30 Jul 2018

Importance of Phylogeny in Microbiology

The development of reliable phylogenetic trees is an important step in characterising new pathogens and developing new treatments in biomedicine.

30 Jul 2018

Multiplex PCR

Multiplex PCR involves the amplification and sequencing of a several fragments of DNA in a single reaction.

30 Jul 2018

What are Cytochrome P450 (CYP) Enzymes?

The cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes are a protein superfamily involved in the synthesis and metabolism of drugs, toxins and normal cellular components.

26 Jul 2018

What Makes Something Acidic or Alkaline?

pH is the hydrogen ion concentration present in a given solution. A low pH value denotes acidity, whereas a high pH value indicates alkalinity.

26 Jul 2018

What is Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)?

The Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) guidelines are a set of regulations that ensure that food, drugs, medical devices, and cosmetics are produced safely.

26 Jul 2018

Single Cell Microbiology

For the past few decades, microbiology has mostly relied on bulk data. However, attempts to extract data from single cells have now been used to start understanding heterogeneous populations.

26 Jul 2018

What is NOTCH2NL?

NOTCH2NL refers to Notch homolog 2 N-terminal-like protein, which is involved in the Notch signaling pathway. It is implicated in the determination of the brain size in humans.

26 Jul 2018

What are Plasmodesmata?

One of the most fundamental differences between animal and plant cells is the cell wall – a rigid structure surrounding the plant cells. The cell wall provides strength and structural support, but it also hinders the plant cells from being in direct contact with one another. To overcome this, plants have “plasmodesmata” – intercellular connections which bridge the cytoplasm of two cells together.

26 Jul 2018

Quorum Sensing and Vibrio Cholerae

Quorum sensing is a phenomenon in which bacteria can communicate with members of their own species and other species to coordinate their behavior. This phenomenon is achieved by the production and sensing of secreted signal molecules, which diffuse from the microbial cells and build up in the environment.

26 Jul 2018

Intermolecular Forces in Tertiary Protein Structure

Proteins are made of amino acid chains, or polypeptides. Amino acids have a basic backbone made of an amino group and a carboxyl group, and differ in their side-chains.

26 Jul 2018

Nanodelivery Drug Systems

Targeted delivery leads to more efficient dosage at the desired site. Because of this, it is of interest to the pharmaceutical industry. Nanomaterials have a size range in the nanometer range, which is a billionth of a meter. This is a good size for carrying drugs to target cells, as they are small enough to be able to enter these cells.

24 Jul 2018