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Mechanism of DNA Synthesis

DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the biological molecule which contains the information needed to create a living organism. As the cell divides to become two, the DNA has to be copied so that both cells contain the necessary genetic information. The synthesis, or making of new DNA strands in living cells is referred to as “DNA replication”.

3 Jul 2018

What is the Electron Transport Chain?

The electron transport chain is comprised of a series of enzymatic reactions within the inner membrane of the mitochondria, which are cell organelles that release and store energy for all physiological needs.

3 Jul 2018

Loss-on-Drying Method (LOD)

There are many situations in which the moisture content of a substance must be accurately determined in order to establish the quality for standard specifications. This is often necessary for a range of products and raw materials, from chemicals through pharmaceutical agents to foodstuffs. The moisture content is crucial in the shelf life of many raw materials and products.

3 Jul 2018

Importance of Allostery in Pharmacology

Allostery refers to the binding of a metabolite at a site other than the chemically active site of a protein. The existence of allosteric sites on receptor molecules has expanded potential drug mechanisms.

29 Jun 2018

Electroporation and the Production of Knockout Mice

Knockout mice are animals that have been genetically modified for so that one or more genes are not expressed, or “knocked out.” Studies are then carried out on the mice to determine what the effects of a loss of the gene have on the animal, or the effects of drugs and other therapies.

28 Jun 2018

What are Chaperone Proteins?

Chaperones are a family of proteins that play a vital role in the stabilization of unfolded proteins. This stabilization aids in many processes such as translocation, degradation, and folding.

28 Jun 2018

Organoid Production Methodology

One of the ways to understand tissue organization and function is to recreate it ex vivo. This kind of experiment can provide insights into what kinds of cells and signaling is critical for the development and function of a tissue or organ. This attempt to create tissues and organs outside the body led to the creation of organoids which are self-organized, three-dimensional tissues, although they mostly represent partial regions of a tissue.

28 Jun 2018

Bioorthogonal Chemical Reporters

Bioorthogonal chemical reporters are small exogenous reporters which do not chemically modify the biomolecules they are tagged to.

27 Jun 2018

ChIP-Seq Analysis: Histone Modifications

ChIP-Seq is a powerful tool that enables researchers to investigate and understand protein−DNA interactions and the influence these have on gene expression and cell function.

27 Jun 2018

DNA Loop Extrusion Mechanisms

DNA loop extrusion is the formation of DNA loops when the DNA slips through ring-like motor proteins. Many theories have been proposed to explain loop extrusion.

27 Jun 2018

Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM)

Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM) is a tool which breaks the diffraction resolution barrier to provide resolutions of up to 20nm.

27 Jun 2018

CRISPR Interference (CRISPRi) for Gene Suppression

CRISPR (cluster of regularly interspaced palindromic repeats) are sequences found in approximately 50% of bacteria and approximately 90% of archaea, providing adaptive immunity against viral infection. Using these sequences, scientists have recently developed a new genetic technique called CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), which allows the suppression of genetic transcription.

27 Jun 2018

Lipidomics in Research

The complete set of lipids in an organism or a cell along with its interactions with other molecules, such as other lipids, proteins, and metabolites constitutes the lipidome. Lipidomics is the comprehensive and quantitative study of the lipidome. It involves identification and quantitation of thousands of biological pathways involving lipids and their interactions.

27 Jun 2018

Nanobody Applications

Nanobodies are therapeutic proteins derived from the heavy chain domains of IgG of camels. Usually antibodies have two identical heavy (H) and light (L) polypeptide chains. However, camel species have a unique form of IgG that has no L chains.

26 Jun 2018

What is Dynein?

Dynein, one of three cytoskeletal motor protein families, was first identified a half century ago and got its name after the ‘dyne’ (i.e. a unit of force).

26 Jun 2018

Metabolomics in Pharmacology

Metabolomics is the holistic study of metabolism. The application of metabolomics in pharmacology gives rise to a new field called “pharmacometabolomics.” The basic tenet of pharmacometabolomics is to determine the effects of drug treatment on the body’s metabolic scenario. It is also used to identify specific metabolic pathways that are responsible for drug-mediated outcomes.

26 Jun 2018