News & Comment

Automation has increased the speed of DNA sequencing by established methods by several orders of magnitude. Now, commercial and academic efforts to develop alternative sequencing technologies are trying to push the envelope even further. Laura Bonetta reports.

Human genotyping has never been hotter, and a sophisticated set of array-based tools now simplifies the process dramatically, facilitating everything from small basic research studies to complex genetic epidemiology. Alan Dove reports.

Techniques for delivering nucleic acids into mammalian cells have been around for decades. But tools and reagents continue to improve and target a broader range of cells and applications. Laura Bonetta reports.

Improved lasers, optical devices and software have increased the speed, accuracy and sensitivity of flow cytometers, while decreasing their size and cost. These and other recent developments extend the reach and broaden the applications of this powerful technology. Laura Bonetta reports.

Arrays of DNA segments have become a standard tool in molecular biology, but arrays of proteins have been more difficult to develop. Several manufacturers now offer off-the-shelf protein arrays for a variety of uses, though, and customized arrays are becoming more common as well. With the right strategy, experimenters can use these new tools to speed their work dramatically. Alan Dove reports.

The demand for faster, cheaper and more reliable assay systems is driving a new technical revolution in the form of microfluidics—the flow of tiny droplets through hair-thin tubing—with applications everywhere from industry to doctors' offices. Julie Clayton reports.

Automating the microscopy and imaging process simplifies the testing of large numbers of compounds or growth conditions, and the subsequent monitoring of many different phenotypic indicators, giving researchers the power to dramatically scale up their cell-based assays. Caitlin Smith and Michael Eisenstein report.

The interest of the research community in analyzing large sets of proteins in biological samples is driving technological developments and a proliferation of commercially available tools for proteomics studies. Diane Gershon reports.

The culture of animal cells is key to much of basic research today and an important starting point for therapeutic applications. But each cell type has its own quirks. Some cells are happy with most media and protocols, but others can become the bane of a scientist's existence with their seemingly inexplicable needs. Caitlin Smith reports.

Real-time PCR is the favored method for measuring gene expression. Researchers benefit from a vast and growing choice of reagents and instruments for their experiments. Laura Bonetta reports.

Researchers are eager to map out all the signaling pathways regulated by protein kinases. Many new protocols and reagents are available to tackle this formidable task. Laura Bonetta reports.

Electron microscopy has emerged as an important tool for determining the three-dimensional (3D) structures of cellular components. Advances in instrumentation, methods for data collection and techniques for computation are improving the resolution and breadth of application for this powerful technology. Laura Bonetta reports.

A substantial bottleneck in working with proteins, both native and recombinant, is purifying the protein of interest efficiently, with a minimum of labor and cost. Recent advances in purification technology from many companies are making the protein scientist's job easier. Caitlin Smith reports.

The DNA marketplace is changing: the technology is maturing, whole human genome arrays, as well as those of model organisms, are beginning to make it onto the market, and researchers have more choices of commercial platform than ever before. Diane Gershon takes a closer look at what's on offer.

Combined with the right computational tools, genomic data can uncover unknown pathways to cellular processes. Because few researchers have the resources to develop their own bioinformatics software, companies have stepped in to meet this need. Laura Bonetta reports.

The ability to trigger RNA interference in mammalian cells provides unprecedented opportunities for probing the functions of genes. Many products and resources are there to help. Laura Bonetta reports.