The Liquid Biopsy Workflow
Posted 17th July 2019 by Jane Williams
Anders Stahlberg works both in the academic setting as Associate Professor at the University of Gothenburg and in the clinical setting at Clinical Genetics & Genomics, Sahlgrenska University Hospital. Together with his colleagues, this means all aspects of circulating cell-free tumour DNA are covered; from basic science and development, understanding why and how liquid biopsies should be undertaken, to clinically focused questions that the patient will hopefully benefit from.
Ahead of the Liquid Biopsies Congress later this year, we spoke to him about his work.
Identifying biomarkers to track tumour burden in patient blood
Posted 3rd June 2019 by Joshua Sewell
There is a huge need to identify biomarkers to discern which metastatic colorectal cancer patients will benefit from treatment using Regorafenib. Despite being the latest approved drugs for the disease, Regorafenib has limited clinical efficacy and is associated with a number of side effects. However, a lot of patients are treated with Regorafenib as it is the only treatment available for patients who cannot receive anti-EGFR treatment due to K-RAS or BRAF mutation.
Speaker profile: Jari Louhelainen
Posted 16th January 2019 by Jane Williams
With many years experience in both cancer research and forensics, we spoke to Associate Professor of Biochemistry Jari Louhelainen about his career so far and what he thinks the future holds for molecular biology.
DNA is no longer just ACGT: synthetic DNA is here to stay
Posted 23rd November 2018 by Jane Williams
One of the most amazing aspects surrounding us is life itself – not just humans, but the environment: trees, flowers, insects, animals and even bacteria. They all share one central molecule which is crucial for their existence.
Microfluidics: How origami is saving lives in Africa
Posted 7th November 2018 by Jane Williams
This article was originally published by The Scottish Funding Council in May 2018 and is published here with permission.
A folded piece of paper could save lives in Uganda, says Glasgow University’s Prof Jonathan Cooper.
Apac is a district in central Uganda sitting just north of the equator. Its main village is surrounded by Lake Kyoga and the Arocha and Wirewiri swamps. It also has an unusually hot microclimate producing an environment that results in the region having the highest number of mosquito bites per person in the world – on average, each person is bitten five times per night, year-round. The local health workers refer to these as “innoculations” – for, despite years of mass drug administrations, insecticide spraying and distribution of nets, it remains one of the most malarial districts in the world.
Exploring the World’s Largest Biobanks
Posted 5th October 2018 by Jane Williams
There are currently more than 120 biobanks worldwide. While most focus on genomic research and personalised medicine, biobanks range in size. Small operations have just a few freezers which are kept in a researcher’s laboratory, a clinical laboratory, or a pathology suite, while the larger, commercial ones support large clinical and epidemiological suites. In addition, the storage of samples tends to vary:
Dissecting gene expressions in nucleus versus cytoplasm with single-cell resolution
Posted 4th July 2018 by Jane Williams
Single-cell ITP for physical fractionation of cytoplasmic versus nuclear nucleic acids (NAs)
Single-cell analyses have become powerful tools to explore the heterogeneity of cell populations such as tumours and developing embryos. Microfluidics have significantly contributed to this field, particularly to reduce the cost and improve the throughput of single-cell RNA sequencing and DNA sequencing.
Digital PCR: Possibilities & Opportunities
Posted 23rd April 2018 by Jane Williams
The Digital PCR track at the 4Bio Summit covered the benefits and future development of dPCR, comparisons between dPCR and qPCR and other technologies such as NGS, strategies to convert to a dPCR platform and applying the technology to precision medicine.
If you weren’t able to attend the 4Bio Summit, enjoy these free slides from Ward De Speigelaere, Anthony Magliocco and Nasrin Sarafan-Vasseur.