Tag: proteomics

SDS-PAGE uses molecular weight differences to separate different proteins

April 2, 2024

Gel electrophoresis is a common technique for separating proteins of different molecular weight. But, how does it work? Basically, the method known as sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) uses the effect of a constant applied electric field to induce movement of negatively charged proteins across a polyacrylamide gel. Specifically, the proteins are first … More SDS-PAGE uses molecular weight differences to separate different proteins

SDS-PAGE is the cheapest coarse proteomics tool

March 3, 2024

Interrogating the ensemble of proteins in a cellular system has become an important tool if we want to link gene expression pattern and observed phenotype. The method to do this is known broadly as proteomics, and the most popular proteomics approach is liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). However, LC-MS runs are time-consuming and costly. Hence, … More SDS-PAGE is the cheapest coarse proteomics tool

Many publicly available sequenced genomes remain unannotated or poorly annotated

August 19, 2020

Advent of modern high throughput sequencing machines together with the availability of bioinformatics tools meant that genome of a particular microorganism could be readily assembled from a shotgun sequencing workflow. However, availability of sequenced genome does not mean that the genome has been fully annotated beyond common, highly conserved genes. In fact, many sequenced genomes … More Many publicly available sequenced genomes remain unannotated or poorly annotated

Lipid permeable fluorescent protein enables the profiling of healthy cells surrounding a metastatic niche

July 29, 2020

Certain types of cancer such as lung, pancreatic and breast cancer tend to metastasize and spread to other parts of the body through the circulatory or lymphatic systems. However, our current understanding of why particular body sites serve as useful and conducive niches for tumour cells to reside and grow into a secondary tumour remain … More Lipid permeable fluorescent protein enables the profiling of healthy cells surrounding a metastatic niche

Expert knowledge on pathways and discovery science approaches are dominant problem-solving methodologies in cancer research

December 2, 2019

Advent of sequencing methods that help elucidate the mutational signatures of cancer at the genome level help usher in the use of big data and discovery science approaches in cancer research that have helped identify hitherto unknown pathways and genes as implicated in cancer. Specifically, such DNA sequencing approaches identify mutated genes that could be … More Expert knowledge on pathways and discovery science approaches are dominant problem-solving methodologies in cancer research

How to classify individual cells into different subtypes?

July 17, 2019

Many methods exist to observe cells both in vitro and in vivo; the most common of which is microscopy coupled with staining method. For example, modern optical microscopes are regularly used in identifying diseased cells. Alternatively, confocal laser scanning microscopy could also use fluorescent signals from fluorescent reporters transfected and expressed in cells for tagging … More How to classify individual cells into different subtypes?

Big data drives precision medicine

June 30, 2019

Advent of omics technologies such as genomics, proteomics, transcriptomics and metabolomics poise to revolutionise healthcare. Specifically, tools and methods have been promulgated that would provide a molecular understanding of pathological processes in the human body. Together with computer algorithms that sought to understand and mine inferences from these data sources concerning the genetic complement and … More Big data drives precision medicine

Single molecule experiments typically pertain to hundreds to thousands of molecules

June 23, 2019

Single molecule experiment is one of the important trends in research over the past decade. However, what are defined as single molecule experiments are typically not experiments interrogating a single molecule (except for imaging of a DNA molecule in bacteria). Rather, single molecule experiments typically revolve around hundreds to thousands of molecules.   Specifically, schematic … More Single molecule experiments typically pertain to hundreds to thousands of molecules

Genomics enabled mass spectrometry-based proteomics

January 10, 2018

Mass spectrometry has developed into a critical tool for proteomics where a large number of studies had used mass spectrometry instruments for profiling the proteome of cells and tissues. However, identification of the mass peaks profiled in the mass spectrum would require the support of a library of molecular mass of all proteins profiled in … More Genomics enabled mass spectrometry-based proteomics

Protein identification is the key challenge in proteomics

December 18, 2017

Proteomics seek to uncover the ensemble of proteins within a cell or the cell surface. However, whether assisted by mass spectrometry or Western Blot, the key challenge in proteomics remain the identification of proteins. Protein identification remains laborious and time expensive even in the case of mass spectrometry-based proteomics where the challenge lies in the … More Protein identification is the key challenge in proteomics