With the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and diseases like the Ebola virus, biological laboratories across the globe have intensified their research efforts. Lab work, which often requires technicians to handle caustic chemicals and deadly pathogens, endangers not only lab employees but also the general population, as one mishandled sample could cause a pandemic. As a
The ability to express and purify human proteins is essential to scientific research. However, challenges can arise when switching between systems that are not essentially the same. Here are some tips for recombinant protein expression in E. coli: Codon Optimization Different organisms often show particular preferences for one of the several codons that encode the
In early December world leaders and scientists convened in Paris for the Conference of the Parties on the U.N. Convention on Climate Change, reported The New York Times. During the two-week event, attendees discussed rising global temperatures and the associated environmental fallout. While presidents and prime ministers pitched industrial strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions,
On December 3rd, a group of scientists from leading research organizations met in Washington, DC to discuss a controversial topic, editing the human germline. Changing these genes would result in heritable changes to the human genome – changes that could be passed on from parents to their children. Convened by the Institute of Medicine, the
The VSV delta G system, like many other expression vectors, is leading the way in how scientists safely learn about a collection of viruses. Expression vectors are plasmids or viruses used for protein expression in cells. These plasmids or viruses are specifically developed so that they can introduce a certain gene to a target cell.
Anthony Franchini, PhD, is a postdoctoral associate at the University of Rochester who recently joined the Kerafast fellowship program. As a fellow, he works with both Kerafast and UR Ventures – the university’s technology transfer office – to help identify reagents which may be a fit for the Kerafast platform. He meets with other University
Click chemistry is a versatile reaction used to join two molecules together rapidly and with high yield. Those molecules might be proteins, peptides, DNA, oligonucleotides, small compounds such as drugs, or labeling tools such as biotin and fluorescent dyes. With so many potential applications, click chemistry is a handy tool for many different researchers, ranging
Hilary Koprowski, MD Many advances in the fields of virology and immunology came during the 30-plus year period when Hilary Koprowski, MD was the Wistar Institute’s director and then in the years following when he was a Professor Laureate and on the Board of Trustees. During this illustrious scientific career, Dr. Koprowski published more than
We recently surveyed the 128 technology commercialization offices currently partnering with us to get their feedback on the Kerafast program. The survey asked about their experiences working with Kerafast and provided an opportunity to weigh in on new reagents, marketing campaigns and suggestions for building the community. We look forward to using the results to
An increasing number of universities are now operating business incubators, programs which help nurture and grow early-stage companies affiliated with the institution. According to the International Business Innovation Association, there are now more than 1,250 business incubators in the United States and more than 7,000 worldwide. As of 2012, about one-third of the U.S. incubators