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DNA qPCR quantification

Despite the advancement of new molecular biology techniques like ddPCR or  RNAseq, quantitative PCR (qPCR) is still a golden standard for the quantification of nucleic acids, with applications in diagnostics and research. The method is based on real-time monitoring of amplification of the target DNA allowing its quantification (see basics). Yet, for the method to be quantitative, it has to be done properly. Read more

An international consortium of scientists have found a way to produce a semi-synthetic strain of baker´s yeast with more than a third of its chromosomes artificially synthesized. Read more

US scientists discovered a surprising hidden function of mammalian lungs – they help produce blood. Their study on mice showed that more than half of all platelets in mice are produced by the lungs, a process long attributed to bone marrow.

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Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act? What exactly is that? To make the story short, this makes the use of people’s genetic information in the workplace and health insurance decisions illegal. It is an important aspect in the age of emerging personalised genetic tests and analyses.

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A lot of research universities around the world are eager to find new diagnostic and therapeutic tools with the help of nanotechnology. We could say that the founding father of this scientific field was physicist Richard P. Feynman, who in 1959 first described a process in which scientists would be able to manipulate and control individual atoms and molecules. Read more

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the world. It is a tick-borne illness that afflicts around 60,000 people worldwide every year. Although the mortality rate is low, the diagnosis is complex as doctors must rely upon highly variable symptoms and indirect measures of infection when offering diagnoses.  Read more


Meet Dr. Pierre Blonski, Head of the Blood Analytical Platform at Ketterthill Labs, which is the biggest private laboratory in Luxemborough and handles over 6000 blood samples per day.

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A leader in genetic sequencing is betting that it can detect cancer at its earliest stages on the basis of minuscule amounts of genetic material circulating in a person’s bloodstream. But specialists warn that there are many technical hurdles to such an application. Read more

Nowadays, magnetic beads are considered a powerful tool for a variety of research and medical applications. Coupling of magnetic properties with specific ligands in magnetic beads allows the separation and purification of cells, proteins, nucleic acids, and other molecules in a highly efficient and specific manner. Read more