Bench Tips

Advice on how to solve a challenging lab task or technique provided by a subject matter expert.

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Using Crystallography to Resolve Protein Structure
March 11, 2013
Protein crystallization and crystallography are both a science and an art. Every protein crystal is different and unpredictable, even those from the ... read more
Harvesting Cells for Flow Cytometry
March 04, 2013
Even before strategizing about spectral overlap and where to draw gates, thought and care need to be put into harvesting cells for analysis or sorting... read more
Proteomics Platform Development Hinges on Biomarker Discovery Study Design
February 25, 2013
Proteome profiling can identify new biomarkers for many different applications, including disease progression and the efficacy/toxicity of therapeutic... read more
Troubleshooting in UV/Vis Spectrophotometry
February 18, 2013
Challenges in spectrophotometric measurement vary, depending on the volume and concentration of the samples. In bioresearch applications, UV/Vis ... read more
When Submitting Gel Slices for Protein Determination, Watch for Keratin and Other Impurities
February 11, 2013
Mass spectrometry (MS) is a method for characterizing and quantifying proteins based on mass differences. When proteins fail to resolve in the lab, ... read more
When to Go Digital -- dPCR vs. qPCR
February 08, 2013
Digital PCR (dPCR) is the latest technology in the PCR method arsenal. The driving innovation behind dPCR is sample partitioning. Each partition -- ... read more
When Choosing a Cell-Based Assay, Consider Cell Type, Endpoint and More
January 21, 2013
Cellular assays are incredibly powerful and versatile research tools for measuring the functional activity of a target. Although there are three major... read more
Tips for Using an Image-based Automated Cell Counter
January 15, 2013
Automated cell counters are replacing tedious manual methods of cell counting. With attention to some of the basics, automated image-based cell ... read more
How to Increase the Quality and Quantity of your RNA Extractions
January 14, 2013
When isolating RNA, good lab technique is essential. RNA is more labile in comparison to fixed and sacrosanct DNA. RNA, with a ribose sugar backbone, ... read more
Top Things to Consider When Purchasing an Equipment Maintenance Contract
January 07, 2013
The decision to insure a critical piece of laboratory equipment by purchasing a maintenance contract is crucial to operating a successful laboratory. ... read more
Maximizing Your Grant Score
December 17, 2012
Although no one enjoys writing grant proposals, securing funding is a necessary evil of any scientific career. In today’s climate, the competition is ... read more
Live-Cell Microscopy: Four Tips for Keeping Cells Healthy
December 10, 2012
Live cell imaging is often a race against the clock in which stress must be minimized to maintain cell viability. In microscopy, stress is caused ... read more
How to Choose the Right Antibody
December 03, 2012
Finding the right antibody can be a difficult task, even for the experienced researcher. Ideally, you would like to have an antibody that detects ... read more
Tips for Successful Sub-culturing: Tailoring Your Dissociation Method to Your Cell Line
November 29, 2012
Cells that grow in suspension are easy to sub-culture. They will do fine as long as the cells are diluted into suitable, fresh media before they use ... read more
5 Practical Tips for Defrosting the Lab Freezer
November 19, 2012
Busy –20°C freezers are crowded with multiple users storing boxes of sample and reagents all competing against ever thickening layers of ice. A ... read more
4 Tips for Optimizing Your Microarray Workflow
November 14, 2012
Microarrays are arrangements of thousands of biomolecules on a solid substrate, such as a silicon chip or glass slide. They are designed for high-... read more
Top 4 Tips for Designing a Multiplex Immunoassay
November 05, 2012
Multiplex technology allows researchers to explore the regulation of small molecules -- like cytokines and chemokines -- across entire biological ... read more
Optimizing Libraries in the NGS Workflow
October 29, 2012
Next generation sequencing (NGS) entered the mainstream in 2008, surpassing traditional Sanger sequencing in its ability to produce hundreds of ... read more
Optimizing Fluorescent Imaging for Western Blotting
October 15, 2012
While many researchers continue to use enzyme-based chemiluminescence for their Western blots, fluorescent imaging is quickly gaining ground as a ... read more
Tips for Reducing ELISA Background
October 08, 2012
At the end of the assay, your ability to read your ELISA and derive meaningful information from it will greatly depend upon the signal-to-noise ratio ... read more