Perform a classy protein experiment with commonly used lab tools

 :: Posted by avi_wener on 02-22-2012

Understanding protein folding with thermal shift assays using a common tool that is probably already in your laboratory! If the slides are difficult to see, simply click on the full screen icon on the bottom right hand corner of the slide deck to enlarge the presentation.

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Wecome to the 2012 Google Science Fair!

 :: Posted by avi_wener on 02-21-2012

Google is at it again. Welcome to the 2012 Google Science Fair. Entry deadline is April 1, 2012.

Check out last year’s superstar winners. They certainly impressed me!

Transfering high molecular weight proteins

 :: Posted by avi_wener on 02-20-2012

We are all intimately familiar with protein blotting techniques which have been a cornerstone of the biochemicstry/biology lab for the past 30 years.

As is well known, the efficiency of protein migration is affected by various factors including the size and charge of the protein, and protocol optimization is often needed on a protein-specific basis. In fact, it can be particularly challenging to transfer large molecular weight proteins alongside small molecular weight proteins, as transfer conditions may cause small proteins to blow through the membrane.

Currently there are three popular techniques for protein transfer: the tank transfer, the semi-dry blotting method and the fast blotting “turbo” technique (for transfer within 3-10 minutes).

In the attached paper, Transfer of high molecular weight proteins to membranes: a comparison of transfer efficiency between blotting systems, Bio-Rad Laboratories presents a comparison of the various blotting techniques across a wide range of molecular weights with a particular emphasis on large proteins (more than 200kD).

Can a video game cure cancer?

 :: Posted by avi_wener on 02-17-2012

The cure for cancer comes down to this: video games.

In a research lab at Wake Forest University, biophysicist and computer scientist Samuel Cho uses graphics processing units (GPUs), the technology that makes video game images so realistic, to simulate the inner workings of human cells.

“If it wasn’t for gamers who kept buying these GPUs, the prices wouldn’t have dropped, and we couldn’t have used them for science,” Cho says.

Now he can see exactly how the cells live, divide and die.

Read Can a Video Game Cure Cancer on the Wake Forest University website.

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Where have all the young profs gone?

 :: Posted by avi_wener on 02-16-2012

In a very interesting study on Principle Investigator demographics, Dr. Sally Rockey, Director of Extramural Research at the NIH, found that over the last 32 years the average age distribution of NIH principle investigators has increased significantly. Watch the video below to see a shocking visual representation of the data. As a note to our PI population, although hearing loss is common in the elderly, your inability to hear what’s being said in this video is not a sign of aging. The video does not have any sound!

See Rock Talk for the full story.