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CRISPR Cas9 gene editing can cause deletions
The CRISPR-Cas9 system is now thought to be the method for gene editing therapy in humans with minimal side-effects. However, significant off-target effects were until recently believed to be just...
View ArticleMutation Detection Methods using PCR
PCR based methods can be used for the detection of single point mutations (SNPs) present in genetic disorders. The detection of mutations in the genome or transcriptome is of great importance for the...
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Real-time PCR of nonspecific DNA-binding dyes
Nonspecific DNA binding dyes only allow the determination of the presence or absence of an amplicon. No information on the precise nature of the product can be determined. The dye STBR Green I emits...
View Articlepeptide vaccine development
The trials and tribulations of peptide vaccines development.Learning from past errors. Dante J. Marciani, Sc.D., Ph.D.Vaccination or immunization against pathogenic agents has been one of the most...
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Cancer and exosomal long non-coding RNAs
Extracellular vesicles, including exosomes and microvesicles, allow early diagnosis, prognosis and potentially targeted treatments of cancer. Circulating exosomes are a source of stable RNAs including...
View ArticlePotassium Detecting Oligonucleotides
Guanine rich oligonucleotides allow detection of potassium ionsOligonucleotides containing sequences from human telomere DNA or a thrombin binding aptamer can form tetraplex structures upon binding of...
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BNA Probes Increase Methylation Quantification Efficiency
As reported by Oshima et al. in 2018, inserting bridged nucleic acids (BNAs) into oligonucleotide probes increase the melting temperature (Tm) of the probes leading to an increase of the delta Tm (Δ...
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Bridged Nucleic Acids (BNAs) Applications
Applications for Bridged Nucleic Acids (BNAs) BNA Clamping BNA clamp oligonucleotides inhibit DNA primer extension on a single-stranded template and also arrest reverse transcription on a...
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A’-Form RNA helices and mRNA transport
In Drosophila, A’-form RNA helices drive microtubule-based mRNA transportA cell uses microtubule-based mRNA transport to restrict protein expression to a specific location within the cell. The exact...
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Click chemistry allows detection of DNA synthesis
Incorporation of EdU or 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine allows the sensitive detection of DNA synthesis in cells using “click chemistry." In 2008, Salic and Mitchinson reported the EdU based method for a...
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Mosaic Mutations and Alzheimer’s Disease
In organisms, genetic mutations can arise in fertilized eggs as well as in subsets of cells. Somatic mosaicism refers to the presence of two genetically distinct populations of cells within an...
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Bridged Nucleic Acids for RNA interference (RNAi)
RNAi using 2’,4’-BNANC[NH] nucleic acid analogues RNA interference (RNAi) or gene silencing by double-stranded RNA, was discovered in 1998 and in 2006 the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was...
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A’-Form RNA helices and mRNA transport
In Drosophila, A’-form RNA helices drive microtubule-based mRNA transportA cell uses microtubule-based mRNA transport to restrict protein expression to a specific location within the cell. The exact...
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Mosaic Mutations and Alzheimer’s Disease
In organisms, genetic mutations can arise in fertilized eggs as well as in subsets of cells. Somatic mosaicism refers to the presence of two genetically distinct populations of cells within an...
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PCR Primers for Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Detection
The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes liver infection, but for some people, it is just an acute or short-term infection, however, for others, it can become a long-term, chronic infection called chronic...
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RNA, self and non-self
The innate immune system discriminates between self and non-self mainly based on receptors recognizing non-self molecules present in pathogens, but not present in the host. Recent observations showed...
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Microbial PCR
PCR based methods as well as in-situ hybridization multiplexing methods when used for pathogen detection allow the simultaneous analysis of multiple nucleic acid sequences in a single reaction....
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Toehold Probes allow selective pull down of DNA
Toehold probes utilize the thermodynamic properties of specifically designed oligonucleotides for specific detection of a target sequence. Correctly designed toehold probes selectively detect the...
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qPCR enables analysis of specific bacteria
qPCR is a very useful method for the detection and measurement of bacterial abundance in environmental samples. Using internal standards allows comparison of detected amounts of target amplicon with...
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Splice switching oligonucleotides
What are splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs)?Splice-switching oligonucleotides are short, synthetic, oligonucleotides that act as antisense oligonucleotides. Oligonucleotides containing modified...
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