Science of Biotechnology
Getting at the Underlying Causes of Cancer
With recent technology, researchers can obtain much more data about particular changes in cells to produce cancer. Making sense of the massive amount of data, though, is the difficulty. Read how molecular science is changing how cancer is characterized.
Recent Advances in Cancer Research Gives Us Some Hope
A rundown of some recent advances that are providing hope for new and more effective treatments of breast, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers by guest writer Zach Fisher. (Posted March 30, 2013)
What Is an Avatar Mouse?
An avatar mouse can be used to test how a patient's own tumor cells respond to various cancer treatments. Read more about tumor xenografts in mice and how they are starting to be used to guide treatment decision.
Are Science Publications Too “Old School” for 21st Century Bioscience?
Discovery in biomedical research is accelerating, but increasing complex results only trickle slowly through peer review publications to the clinic. Is there a better way?
Broad-Scale System-Wide Protein Analysis with LC/MS
Living things are made of proteins, not DNA. However, advances in our understanding of biology has been hindered do to the inability to analyze proteins in a high-throughput broad-scale manner, similar to the way genes can be analyzed with generation DNA sequencing. Advances in LC/MS, though, are changing this situation.
The Challenges of Offering Diagnostic Genetic Analysis
It's anticipated that individual DNA sequencing will revolutionize how we practice medicine. However, there are real practical challenges associated with implementing this technology in the clinic. (Published: February 28, 2013)
Systems Biology and Next Generation Technology
There is a shift in biomedical research from looking at a single molecule to looking at how tens and hundreds of thousands of biomolecules behave in cells. Read more about how systems biology and next generation analysis technology is changing life science research.
Looking for a Way to Cure Aging
Leading age researcher Linda Partridge's work shows that the genes controlling how cells sense and respond to key nutrients also appear to control the aging program.
Genetic Analysis Improves Medicine's Response to Infectious Outbreaks
The accessibility of high through DNA sequencing is changing the way healthcare workers track pathogen infections. See how advances in genetic analysis enables doctors to identify bacterial infection routes and halt outbreaks faster. (Published: January 31, 2013)
How Researchers Figure Out Which Genes Are Associated with Diseases?
How do researchers find the small differences in the 3 billion bases of a person's DNA that predispose someone to be obese, have ADHD, develop cancer, or have a sensitivity to some drug?
Paul Nurse Discusses Challenges Facing Research and Drug Development
Dr. Paul Nurse's thoughts on life science research and new drug discovery based on an interview at the 2012 EMBO Meeting.
Has Biomedical Research Become Less Reliable?
Recent studies suggest much of published biomedical research is not reproducible. How reliable are published results?
Surveying the World's Marine Life
Eric Karsenti, who pioneered the Tara Oceans Expedition, discusses the ambitious endeavor to survey the enormous diversity of microbial marine life and plankton around the globe.
Making the Bird Flu More Pathogenic
The second of two controversial papers on the bird flu (avian influenza A/H5N1 virus) was published on June 22 in Science. There was a lot of concern whether these studies should be made public. Both studies provide important information about mutations make the bird flu more infectious and more deadly and could be conceivably be used to design...
The "-omics" of Biotechnology Research
These terms define the newest approaches to biotech/ biomedical research, made possible today by technological advances in computing and data processing.
Tools that Make RFLP Possible
Essential Tools for RFLP Analysis
The Role of Proteasomes
The primary role of proteasomes in eukaryotic cells (and some archaebacteria), is to destroy other proteins.
Reasons E. coli is used for Gene Cloning
Five reasons the microorganism E. coli is so widely used in protein engineering and genetic research.
What do Fireflies Have to do With Biotechnology?
Fireflies are nocturnal flying beetles that generate light in their abdomen, via a chemical reaction. Find out how firefly luminescence has become a widely used tool in biotechnology.
Differences Between siRNA and miRNA
Is there a difference between small interfering RNA (siRNA) and micro RNA (miRNA)?
How does in vivo electroporation work?
How does in vivo electroporation work?
Discoveries that Make PCR Possible
Essential Tools for Amplifying Genes
Biotechnology and Space Research
Find out how biotechnology research is aiding space programs.