10 min read AlphaFold Protein structures are defined, experimentally, by X-ray crystallography, nuclear magnetic resonance and electron cryomicroscopy (cryo-EM). However, these techniques are complex, time consuming, expensive and the protein is often not in its native form (Bertoline et al., 2023). Therefore, from its introduction in 2018, DeepMind’s AlphaFold program has […]
15 min read. Basic principle: Time of flight mass analysers use an electric field to accelerate ions along a field-free drift path of known length, and then measures the time each ion takes to reach the detector. This is shown in the diagram below. Time of flight (ToF) is dependent on the mass to charge […]
20 min read. The adeno-associated virus (AAV) was first discovered in 1965 as a contaminant of adenovirus preparations, subsequently AAV was found in human tissues. Pure scientific curiosity in understanding basic AAV biology is what led to realising the tremendous potential of AAV as a vector in human gene therapies. AAV vectors are now the […]
15 min read. Chemotherapeutic agents used to treat cancer require accurate dosing to prevent serious adverse toxicities. For those drugs excreted through the kidney, a precise understanding of kidney function (as measured by glomerular filtration rate, GFR) is needed to ensure drug toxicity is avoided. Carboplatin is unique among chemotherapeutic agents in that its dosing […]
hOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO DEVELOP GOOD Pipetting Techniques? In order to achieve optimal and reliable results for our diagnostic services we ensure all staff are trained to a high degree in basic laboratory skills, such as liquid handling. Pipettes are used daily in our lab for liquid handling. Two factors contribute to good laboratory […]