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Aug 15, 2024

First in vitro cell co-culture experiments using laser-induced high-energy electrons FLASH irradiation for the development of anti-cancer therapeutic strategie

By Nicholas Yeboah, Resa Nelson, and Adam Nahor Researchers were able to administer ultrahigh dose rates (UHDRs) to melanoma cells (skin cancer) in an in vitro cell co-culture experiment with healthy melanocytes. They were able to target the cancer cells and minimize DNA damage in healthy melanocytes while simultaneously increasing the potency of the radiation.… 

Aug 6, 2024

Imaging Neural Systems: A Faster, More Sensitive Sensor

By Aloha Das, Amadou Diallo, Kayla Saychien Neurons require changing calcium concentrations to fire allowing neuron firing in the brain to be imaged by isolating calcium ion flows. Previous calcium imaging methods lacked the speed and sensitivity to image neurons efficiently so this paper introduces a new variation of “sensor” molecule to detect these calcium… 

Jul 23, 2024

Foldscopes: A Swift and Low-Cost Technology Solution to Crop Loss

By Katya Frazier, Ian Kriel, Karen Chien A low-cost and lightweight alternative to the compound microscope, a Foldscope presents an effective way to quickly determine size and viability of pollen and germination. Foldscopes can be used as a tool in agriculture to detect signs of environmental stressors, such as climate change, in which moderate droughts… 

Jul 14, 2024

3D tumour spheroid models for in vitro therapeutic screening3D tumour spheroid models for in vitro therapeutic screening: a systematic approach to enhance the biological relevance of data obtained.3D tumour spheroid models for in vitro therapeutic screening

By Ian Kriel, Adam Nahor, Kaelyn Coates, and Resa Nelson A map of the earth fails to accurately describe the shape of the planet when compared to a globe. Similarly, 2D cancer cultures fail to capture the scope, morphology, and organisation present in a tumor. Using 3D spheroids to replace 2D cell cultures, dynamics of… 

Jul 6, 2024

DNA Origami Meets AFM: A Promising Duo in Nanoscience

By: Karen Chen, Kaelyn Coates, and Aloha Das DNA and other similar structures often coil up, obstructing the view of their molecular interactions to researchers. By combining the techniques of AFM (Atomic Force Microscopy) with DNA origami-based scaffolding methods, this paper showcases ways to visualize and study many nanometer-scale common interactions and structures formed by… 

Jun 17, 2024

Expansion microscopy technique optimized for viewing meiotic protein structures

By Dr. Stefanie Chen By testing three different expansion protocols (ProExM, MAP, and U-ExM) and using three types of super-resolution microscopy (dSTORM, SIM, and re-scan confocal microscopy), researchers were able to determine that MAP-SIM worked best for imaging the fine features of the meiosis-specific synaptonemal complex from mouse spermatocytes. In order to view small molecular…