A Fast Approach to Staining Nuclei

Fluorescent Cell Imaging Simplified

Researchers Make Scientific History with New Cellular Connection

Researchers led by Dr. Helen McNeill at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute have revealed an exciting and unusual biochemical connection. Their discovery has implications for diseases linked to mitochondria, which are the primary sources of energy production within our cells.

Dr. McNeill’s team has an international reputation for their work in understanding how cells become organized into tissues and how growth is regulated during development. The group focuses on mutations in the fat (ft) gene. The protein product of this gene, called ‘Fat’, acts at the cell membrane to promote adhesion and communication between cells. Mutations in ft can cause cells to overgrow and become tumours. This occurs partially through the Hippo pathway, a pathway that is frequently activated in cancers such as liver, breast, ovarian and sarcomas.

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Awesome way to teach science

For mos of us, grade 6 is a long-gone memory, not to mention any science that we may have learned so many years ago. But what if your grade 6 science teacher produced a YouTube rap video (just pretend that YouTube and the Internet existed back them) just like the one below. Wouldn’t you have remembered much more? How many more students would have been turned on to science if they had a creative and inspirational teacher like this one? Then again, more people interested in science means fewer jobs….but I digress.

If you are considering getting into science teaching after you finish your graduate degree, take a lesson from this science teacher.

Introduction to Flow Cytometry

Flow Cytometry has been around since the 1960s and has gone through many iterations over the years. Despite its prestigious place in the field of cell biology research, many molecular biologists are still unfamiliar with the intricacies of this elegant technique and what it can accomplish. Thankfully, AbD Serotec, a Bio-Rad company, has put together a beginners guide titled Introduction to Flow Cytometry.

Instead of dazzling readers with the mathematical an physical formulas behind flow cytometry, the guide provides an invaluable introduction to the nuts and bolts of the technique. Its five chapters include:

• Principles of the Flow Cytometer
• Principles of Fluorescence
• Data analysis
• Common Protocols & Methods
• Troubleshooting and Recommended Reading

To download the guide or to view it online visit Introduction to Flow Cytometry

Staining of Live Cells for Multicolor Flow Cytometry Experiments

Bio-Rad Laboratories recently announced the launch of its CytoTrack Cell Proliferation Assays that provide unmatched flexibility when designing a multicolor flow cytometry experiment, allowing researchers to efficiently stain and track live cells in four colors for up to 10 generations — two more generations than other currently available methods can follow.

CFDA-SE, the most commonly used reagent for monitoring cell proliferation, is difficult to use in multicolor experiments because it has the same spectra as green fluorescent protein and the most frequently used fluorophore, fluorescein.

Unlike CFDA-SE and other popular cell proliferation assays that are available in only one color, Bio-Rad’s CytoTrack Assays are available in four different emission wavelengths ranging from blue to far red. This allows researchers to choose the one most suitable for their multicolor flow cytometric experiment.

The CytoTrack Assay dye reacts with primary amines using a proprietary chemistry that provides effective labeling of cells without the large efflux usually seen with CFDA-SE.

“This unique feature allows researchers to easily visualize up to 10 cell divisions, making it ideal for those interested in studying the induction and inhibition of cell division in any in vitro experimental model,” said Mary Thao, Bio-Rad Product Manager in the Gene Expression Division.

CytoTrack Assays come in easy-to-use vials with material sufficient for 50 experiments. The dye can be added directly into the culture medium, allowing researchers to save time.

Bio-Rad offers additional reagents and consumables to complete each step of flow cytometry experiments, such as cell viability assays, primary antibodies, and antibody labeling kits.

For more information about Bio-Rad’s cell proliferation assays, please visit bio-rad.com/cellproliferation

Take the guesswork out of cell counting