The State of Biotech

To slow or reverse the effects of climate change, there is promise in development of biotechnology innovations that enhance the adaptation, resilience, preservation, and restoration of natural and managed ecosystems.

What is DNA and how can learning about yours help you to build your family tree? Discover the ins and outs of DNA including: Components and Types of DNA, How DNA replicates itself, Mutations, Genes and Chromosomes, Dominant and Recessive genes, Sex-linked genes, Hereditary Diseases, Inheritance of blood types.

Clinical translation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) requires advanced strategies that ensure safe and robust long-term growth and functional differentiation. We recently reported the development of a new small molecule cocktail that can be used as a universal end-to-end solution for stress-free culture of human cells. This four-part small molecule cocktail, which we named CEPT (Chroman 1, Emricasan, trans-ISRIB, Polyamines), enhanced cell survival of genetically stable hPSCs by simultaneously blocking several stress mechanisms that otherwise compromise cell structure and function. CEPT improved routine cell passaging, cryopreservation/thawing of pluripotent and differentiated cells, embryoid body and organoid formation, single-cell cloning, genome editing, and new iPSC line generation. Thus, CEPT represents a unique poly-pharmacological strategy for comprehensive cytoprotection, providing a new rationale for efficient and safe utilization of hPSCs. Conferring cell fitness by multi-target drug combinations may become a common approach in cryobiology, drug development, and regenerative medicine.

Multiplexed tissue analysis is a powerful technique that allows comparisons of cell-type locations and cell-type interactions within a single fixed tissue sample. It is common for researchers to ask these questions before a multiplexing study begins: "How do I know what biomarkers are relevant in the tissue? Also, how do I pivot towards additional biomarkers as my research questions evolve?" Smart study design can help answer existing questions and enable continued exploration of new connections that weren’t immediately obvious at the beginning of the study. Multiplexed IF imaging can replace historical immunohistochemical staining, allowing researchers to explore more in-depth questions on the same piece of tissue.