The circadian rhythm is our internal clock that lets us know when it is time to sleep, wake up and eat. This biological timer takes input from external stimuli such as light and temperature and affects every living organism. When we are out of sync with our circadian rhythm (i.e. from sleep deprivation), we can
Cell culture is the growth and maintenance of cells outside of their normal environment. Growing tissues and cells outside of the body dates back to the 19th century. In 1885, Wilhelm Roux demonstrated the principle of cell culture when he maintained tissues of an embryonic chicken in warm saline solution for several days. In the
At Kerafast, our mission is to facilitate access to unique reagents developed by academic researchers. Together with our providing investigators, we get one-of-a-kind bioreagents into the hands of scientists worldwide who can use the materials to accelerate their own research. As we begin the new year, we took the opportunity to review how reagents in
Researchers have visualized macrophages transferring cytoplasm to melanoma tumor cells, contact which in turn alters tumor cell migration and stimulates cancer metastasis. The study, which cites our MC-38 adenocarcinoma cell line, was recently published in the journal Developmental Cell. Macrophages: good or bad guys? Macrophages are white blood cells that digest pathogens and cellular debris.
The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a global health issue that limits the prevention and treatment of infections. Patients infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria have worse clinical outcomes with a higher risk of death and consume more healthcare resources than patients infected with non-resistant strains of the same bacteria. Given the significant clinical and
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) came into the colloquial vocabulary in the 1980s when a growing number of homosexual men and intravenous drug users presented with unusual symptoms synonymous with an impaired immune system. These groups demonstrated clinical signs of a rare opportunistic infection, Pneumocystis crinii pneumonia, that had previously only been seen in patients who
In humans, we utilize an essential nutrient, choline, converting it to phosphocholine and phosphatidylcholine. Phosphatidylcholines (PCs) are important components of biological membranes of both plants and animals. Mechanisms differ in terms of how the PCs are generated. The Kennedy pathway is used in mammals, fungi and some bacteria, while in yeast as well as mammals
Scientists from Harvard University have shown that the three domains of life – archaea, bacteria and eukarya – all use the same mechanism to ensure cells within a population maintain a uniform size. The research, recently published in Nature Microbiology, provides new insight into the evolution of cell cycle control. Previously, the researchers had demonstrated
By: Amelia Gibson, PhD, MBA, Kerafast Director of Business Development More than three million dogs are estimated to enter animal shelters in the United States annually. The stress dogs experience living in the shelter environment can lead to physical and emotional issues that threaten their health as well as make them less likely to be
For reasons that are not fully understood, mammalian cardiac muscle cells do not regenerate after suffering an injury. After a heart attack, for example, many of these cells, called cardiomyocytes, are lost and the body is unable to replace them. With fewer cardiomyocytes, the body cannot pump blood as efficiently, which leads to the increased