American Biotechnologist

Rewriting Molecular Biology Textbooks…Again!

avi_wener — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:53:48 +0000

Over the past decade, research in the field of epigenetics has revealed that chemically modified bases are abundant components of the human genome and has forced us to abandon the notion we’ve had since high school genetics that DNA consists of only four bases.

Now, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have made a discovery that once again forces us to rewrite our textbooks. This time, however, the findings pertain to RNA, which like DNA carries information about our genes and how they are expressed. The researchers have identified a novel base modification in RNA which they say will revolutionize our understanding of gene expression.

Their report, published May 17 in the journal Cell, shows that messenger RNA (mRNA), long thought to be a simple blueprint for protein production, is often chemically modified by addition of a methyl group to one of its bases, adenine. Although mRNA was thought to contain only four nucleobases, their discovery shows that a fifth base, N6-methyladenosine (m6A), pervades the transcriptome. The researchers found that up to 20 percent of human mRNA is routinely methylated. Over 5,000 different mRNA molecules contain m6A, which means that this modification is likely to have widespread effects on how genes are expressed.

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Bio-Rad: Educating the next generation

avi_wener — Wed, 16 May 2012 17:28:31 +0000

Several years ago, Bio-Rad Laboratories released the highly successful music video “The PCR Song.” The song, which boasts great lyrics and a catchy tune, went viral receiving over 1 Million views since its release. There have been many attempts to copy Bio-Rad’s success and hundreds of knock-off videos have been posted to YouTube. One thing is for sure, The PCR Song has helped spread awareness about PCR technology among the lay public and is inspiring a whole new generation to learn more about cutting edge science.

Here is the latest PCR Song remix posted by budding future scientists:

Here’s the original video:

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30,000 Scientists Can’t be Wrong

avi_wener — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:11:48 +0000

The results are in from SelectScience’s Scientists’ Choice Award and Bio-Rad Laboratories‘ Trans-Blot® Turbo™ has taken the prize for Best Life Science Product of 2011. Over 30,000 SelectScience members were invited to vote for their favorite product of 2011 and the Trans-Blot Turbo was given the recognition that it deserves.

Click on the picture below to watch the award ceremony.

To learn more visit www.bio-rad.com/ad/tbt.

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Generating electricity from viruses

avi_wener — Mon, 14 May 2012 18:01:06 +0000

Imagine charging your phone as you walk, thanks to a paper-thin generator embedded in the sole of your shoe. This futuristic scenario is now a little closer to reality. Scientists from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have developed a way to generate power using harmless viruses that convert mechanical energy into electricity.

The scientists tested their approach by creating a generator that produces enough current to operate a small liquid-crystal display. It works by tapping a finger on a postage stamp-sized electrode coated with specially engineered viruses. The viruses convert the force of the tap into an electric charge.

Their generator is the first to produce electricity by harnessing the piezoelectric properties of a biological material. Piezoelectricity is the accumulation of a charge in a solid in response to mechanical stress.

The milestone could lead to tiny devices that harvest electrical energy from the vibrations of everyday tasks such as shutting a door or climbing stairs.

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Mother’s Day Biology

avi_wener — Sun, 13 May 2012 13:00:15 +0000

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Using Chili Peppers to Burn Beer Belly Fat

avi_wener — Thu, 10 May 2012 14:00:43 +0000

According to research from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), the ingredient that gives hot sauce its heat could play a role in the future of weight loss.

Ali Tavakkoli, MD, BWH Department of Surgery, and his team have published a study investigating whether two surgeries called vagal de-afferentation-which uses capsaicin, the component responsible for the chili pepper’s burning sensation-and vagatomy can achieve weight loss and reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases with fewer side effects when compared to today’s bariatric surgical options.

The study is published in the May issue of Digestive Diseases and Sciences. The study is accompanied by an editorial by Edward A. Fox, PhD, Purdue University.

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More Quantitative Than qPCR

avi_wener — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:23:44 +0000

The introduction of real time PCR (qPCR) revolutionized the world of molecular biology and provided scientists with a tool for obtaining truly quantitative nucleic acid data. While qPCR remains one of the most robust tools available on the bench, its resolution power is limited to changes in DNA concentration that are higher than 50%. This limitation is mainly due to the compounding of errors derived from each step in the quantification process. That’s where Droplet Digital PCR enters the picture.

Droplet Digital PCR alleviates the compounding error effect by partitioning samples into 20,000 droplets such that each copy of DNA is encapsulated in its own bubble. Subsequent amplification reactions are then carried out individually which leads to reduce background noise and therefore a more sensitive measurement of low concentrations of nucleic acid that may not have been detectable using qPCR.

Bio-Rad Laboratories‘ Frank Bizouarn recently published an outstanding article in Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News detailing the benefits of ddPCR including a real life example. The article covers how ddPCR works and its use in gene-expression analysis, copy number variation determination and rare event detection.

Check out Digital PCR: Improving Nucleic Acid Quantification.

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A lesson from the past with predictions for the future

avi_wener — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:05:25 +0000

A lesson from the past with predictions for the future. This talk was given in 2003. How accurate were his predictions 9 years later?

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Is this the end of the PhD as we know it?

avi_wener — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:50:40 +0000

A very scary, yet eye openning, article appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education recently. The article, which is titled “The Future of the Ph.D.” discusses the downfall of the coveted tenure faculty position, and how only 30 percent of of the teaching faculty are tenured and tenure-track academics.

The author also highlights the dismal plight of female graduate students who dare to succumb to their maternal instincts during the course of their graduate studies.

The article finishes with the thought provoking question “Is the Ph.D. worth saving?”

I’m not sure. How about you?

Be sure to check out the full article here.

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Lessons from the past affect our perception of the present

avi_wener — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:59:09 +0000

In the journal Science this week (online May 3, 2012), UCSF researchers demonstrated that the brain activity is critical for memory formation and recall. Moreover, they showed that the brain patterns through which the rats see rapid replays of past experiences are fundamental to their ability to make decisions. Disturbing those particular brain patterns impaired the animals’ ability to learn rules based on memories of things that had happened in the past.

Seeking to understand how the recall of specific memories in the brain guides our thinking, neuroscientist Loren Frank, associate professor of physiology and a member of the Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience at UCSF, and his colleagues built a system for detecting the underlying patterns of neuronal activity in rats. They fitted the animals with electrodes and built a system that enabled them to detect a specific pattern, called a sharp-wave ripple, in the hippocampus. Whenever they detected a ripple, they would send a small amount of electricity into another set of electrodes that would immediately interrupt the ripple event, in effect turning off all memory replay activity without otherwise affecting the brain.

Checkout a related talk from Dr. Frank below.

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