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