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Cell Dissociation Methods for Disaggregation of Tissue: Mechanical vs Enzymatic vs Chemical
March 2021 Share
Cell Dissociation Methods Research is undertaken step by step, and cutting corners provides inaccurate results. It’s important to follow proper protocol from beginning to end to ensure the highest quality findings possible. When working with cells of any kind (immune cells, tumor cells, etc.) the first step is always to collect the desired cell sample from the host tissue. Dissociation, sometimes called disaggregation, involves the breaking down of a cell …
Using Akadeum’s Mouse B Cell Isolation Kit to study targeted delivery of anti-tumor DNA vaccines to B cells as a novel alternative to chemotherapy
March 2021 Share
Use of Akadeum’s gentle Mouse B Cell Isolation kit results in a highly enriched sample of B cells that are healthy and retain their antigen-presenting capabilities. A researcher, Ichwaku Rastogi, from the Doug McNeel Lab at the University of Wisconsin, used the Mouse B Cell Isolation Kit from Akadeum Life Sciences to obtain a high purity isolation of viable, healthy B cells. The researchers are looking into targeted delivery of …
COVID-19 Reinfection: T Cell Immunity & the COVID-19 Vaccine
March 2021 Share
COVID-19 Reinfection In January 2020, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed the first domestic case of COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Soon after, COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, spreading at exponential rates and drastically altering the world as we knew it. After more than a year of research and experiments, we’ve begun to learn more about the mechanisms of this coronavirus variant, and how …
Improving COVID-19 Detection using Saliva Samples instead of NPS
March 2021 Share
Saliva-based tests can simplify, accelerate, and increase the availability of COVID-19 testing – and potentially lead to better patient outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause illness across the world, but there is hope on the horizon as improved testing, treatments, and vaccines make their way to the global population. With the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutations, however, it is more important than ever that testing …
COVID-19 Vaccine: How do mRNA Vaccines Work?
February 2021 Share
What is an mRNA Vaccine? Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is genetic material that acts as instructions for cells to develop proteins. An mRNA vaccine harnesses the productive capabilities of mRNA to build up immunities by subjecting the body to proteins that will be recognizable in the future if naturally exposed to a virus. How do mRNA Vaccines Work? While most vaccines contain a weakened or inactive infectious pathogen, mRNA vaccines …
Cell Culture Problems: Cell Clumping – Causes, How to Unclump Cells & How to Avoid Cell Clumping
February 2021 Share
What is Cell Clumping? When working with single-suspension cell cultures in a growth medium, it is not uncommon to experience cell loss in a sample. As cells are ruptured, they release DNA and debris that cause cells to aggregate into large clumps that make it difficult for them to expand. Cell clumping can both lead to and be caused by cell apoptosis, or cell death. As more cells die and …
Cell Harvesting: Methods for Isolating Cell Cultures from a Growth Medium
February 2021 Share
Isolating Cell Cultures from a Medium The process of culturing cells involves the introduction of a host population to a growth medium, allowing the population to reproduce quickly in a nutrient-rich environment. After enough cells have spawned to satisfy the requirements of the intended experiment, those same cells need to be removed from the cell culture medium. The cells are intertwined within the substance in which they multiplied and need …
Cell Culture Contamination: Identifying Mycoplasma, Fungus, and Bacteria in a Growth Medium
February 2021 Share
Contamination in Cell Cultures Medical research is an ever-evolving field that continues to contribute to the advancement of human health. A key component of this type of research is the process of cell culturing, which involves the isolation and expansion of a cell population. The cell culture process begins with the extraction of a target sample. Once the desired cells have been acquired, they must be purified to minimize contamination. …
Culturing T Cells: Primary T Cell Culture and T Cell Expansion Protocol
February 2021 Share
Isolating and Culturing T Cells One of the best ways to increase the accuracy of research is to increase the sample size that is being studied. The larger the group of subjects, the more representative they may be of the total population. Not to mention experiment security in case something goes wrong. In the field of medical research this increase in population can be carried out by culturing cells. Cell …
T Cell Immune Response and Cytokine Storm in COVID-19 Patients
February 2021 Share
T Cells and COVID-19 The body is naturally equipped with a variety of T lymphocytes that work together to fend off harmful pathogens. The human immune system routinely battles mild diseases with recognizable antigens. By attacking the source of a virus or bacteria, damage to healthy cells can be minimized. The T cell immune response to COVID-19 is different because it’s caused by an RNA virus (SARS-CoV-2). RNA viruses insert …
