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Digital Pathology Challenges

The market for digital pathology technology is growing. Previously, slides were reviewed by trained pathologists and a photograph could be used to document their findings. Whilst well trained pathologists have provided slide reviews with accuracy, this method is still subjective and labor intensive.

3 Jul 2017

Advances in Digital Pathology

The ability to digitize images formed from glass slides has been a huge development in pathology. Large numbers of tissue samples on slides can be scanned and archived digitally. Digital images can now be sent instantly to remote locations making primary diagnoses and consultations for second opinions easier to obtain. Moreover, digital pathology has aided research and education as example tissue slide images can be archived and used repeatedly. It should be noted that digital pathology is not yet widespread but advances in digital pathology may soon change that.

29 Jun 2017

Analyzing Metabolomics Data

The availability of data is the foremost step in analysis. There are several metabolomic databases available, each of them serving a different purpose. Their goal is to put the metabolites in some order so that it becomes easy for researchers to spot and analyze the data.

27 Jun 2017

What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is a chemical process by which plants, some bacteria, and algae convert energy derived from sunlight to chemical energy. This is an important process for biological life on earth because it allows energy from sunlight to be harnessed and transferred into a form that can be utilized by organisms to fuel their activity.

27 Jun 2017

What is Infrared Microscopy?

Infrared (IR) microscopy, also known as infrared microspectroscopy, is a type of light microscopy that uses a source that transmits infrared wavelengths of light to view an image of the sample. Unlike other optical microscopes with absorbent glass optics, an infrared microscope has reflective optics to allow the microscope to cover the entire spectral range of infrared light.

21 Jun 2017

Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography

Fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) is, as the term implies, an effective (fast) liquid chromatography technique for the separation of protein molecules. The term also implies that the mobile phase is a liquid; the stationary phase is often a resin.

16 Jun 2017

Research into the Microbiome

Microscopic research into the human body has shown that each of us has trillions of microbes living within and on the outside of our bodies. The roughly four million genes represented by this community of human-associated microbes is collectively referred to as the microbiome.

15 Jun 2017

Placental Microbiome

The placenta is an organ attached to the womb lining that supplies a developing fetus with nutrients and oxygen, as well as removing fetal waste and secreting hormones. The microbiome refers to the trillions of microorganisms that reside within or on the human body. Microorganisms influence a number of bodily processes such as metabolism and digestion and are suspected to play a role in important illnesses such as diabetes and obesity

14 Jun 2017

Microarray Applications

The microarray is a very recent development in the field of biotechnology. Scientists are now able to understand the gene functions of any organism by tracking down thousands of genes and their products at the same time, with the help of this technology.

13 Jun 2017

What is Ultraviolet Microscopy?

Ultraviolet (UV) microscopy is a type of light microscopy that utilizes UV light to generate a magnified image of the sample being analyzed. As a result of the shorter wavelength of UV light than visible light, it is possible to view samples with greater magnification and resolution.

13 Jun 2017

Uterine Microbiome

Interest in the microbiome of the reproductive tract has been growing over recent years. Studies of vaginal and placental microbiomes have shown associations between these microbiomes and obstetric outcomes and it is plausible that the uterine microbiome is also associated with these outcomes.

9 Jun 2017

Enzyme Mechanisms

Enzyme mechanisms of catalysis play many important roles in the functioning of a healthy body. An enzyme may exist as a multi-subunit complex or it may be associated with a cofactor such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP)

8 Jun 2017

What is Digital Holographic Microscopy?

Digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is a type of microscopy that combines digital holography with microscopy to allow transparent cells to be visualized with classic cell culture plates.

7 Jun 2017

Types of Microarray

Microarray or biochip is a lab-oriented microscope slide that is usually made of glass, silicon chip, or nylon membrane. It is a 2D array (sometimes 3D) whose surface is provided with thousands of minute pores in defined positions.

6 Jun 2017

GFP-tagging in Fluorescence Microscopy

Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) was first isolated from the jelly fish, Aequorea victoria. The protein consists of 238 amino acid residues that fluoresce green when exposed to UV light. The gene for GFP was successfully inserted into E.coli bacteria in 1994 and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2008 was jointly awarded to Osamu Shimomura, Martin Chalfie and Roger Y. Tsien for the discovery and development of GFPs. They are commonly used as a reporter of expression in biology.

5 Jun 2017

DNA Replication and Repair

DNA replication and repair are critical processes that ensure the correct genetic material of a biological system is carried on. DNA continually undergoes a process of replication and division and errors can sometimes occur in the process. It is essential for the biological system to have a mechanism in place to detect and repair these errors.

31 May 2017

Amino Acid Metabolism

Amino acid metabolism is an important process that occurs within the human body to assist in numerous biological reactions. This article will cover the role of glutamate, transamination reactions, and various types of amino acids such as glycogenic, ketogenic, and mixed amino acids.

31 May 2017

What is Glycolysis?

Glycolysis is a series of reactions that helpextract energy from glucose. This is an ancient pathway of metabolism that is present in the majority of living organisms today. It is the foundation of both aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration. It takes place in the cytosol of a cell and is the foundation of both aerobic and anaerobic cellular respiration.

31 May 2017

Using a Scanning Probe Microscope

There are several techniques that can be used to operate a scanning probe microscope. The choice of which method to use will depend on the situation at hand and the purpose.

31 May 2017

Enzyme Kinetics

Enzyme kinetics involves the measurement of the rate at which chemical reactions that are catalyzed by enzymes occur. Knowledge about the kinetics of an enzyme can reveal useful information about its catalytic mechanism, role in metabolism, factors that impact its activity, and mechanisms of inhibition.

30 May 2017