Enjoy Chromatin Highs and Lows with Chromatrap®’s ChIP-Seq KitsJune 17, 2016Chromatin analysis experiments can be a roller coaster of emotion. One moment you’re flying high and the next you’re in a troubleshooting inferno. Fortunately, there has been quite a bit of competition to fine-tune nearly every portion of the ChIP sequencing workflow over the last few years, and those advancements are now benefitting researchers like […]
Synthesizing A Human GenomeJune 16, 2016One score and six years ago, humanity embarked upon the Human Genome Project (HGP), sequencing all 3 gigabases of our genetic instruction manual. More than 1000 human genomes later, a consortium of synthetic biology heavy-hitters has proposed a new grand challenge. Appending “-Read” to the first project, they now propose Human Genome Project-Write, a quest […]
Watch out Cas9: Cpf1 Hits the Mark in Human Cells and Creates a Mouse ModelJune 15, 2016In the Wild West of CRISPR genome editing, Cas9 has established itself as a wrangler of animal models that takes out any sequence with an sgRNA bounty on its head. But now there’s a new sheriff in town with marksman aim. CRISPR from Prevotella and Francisella 1 (Cpf1) was brought forth by the pioneering lab […]
New C2c2 CRISPR Turns The Tables on RNAJune 15, 2016In the CRISPR hype up to now, DNA has gotten a raw deal. In all known CRISPR systems, RNA guides gang up with protein effectors (e.g., Cas9 and Cpf1) to chop up poor, abused DNA helices. Now, a new CRISPR protein – C2c2 – is giving DNA a reprieve, turning the tables on RNA instead. […]
Freeze-Dried, Zika-Detecting Gene CircuitsJune 15, 2016Freeze-drying has claimed to be the technology the future before, but its fruits – from strawberries to ice cream – have never quite lived up to the hype. However, synthetic gene circuits recently joined the picnic with a powerful new use for the process; they can be freeze dried onto filter paper along with cell-free […]