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by Ryan Wallis, PhD Aging and Disease Imagine a world where everything you do is missing just a little piece and as time goes on you start to lose sense entirely. This is the devastating world of neurodegeneration, a collective term for diseases which include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Conditions like these have an enormous impact on both the individuals who suffer from them and their families, who must watch their loved ones ebb away into a shell of their former selves. These conditions are as cruel as they are debilitating and, alarmingly, they are on the rise (Alzheimer’s Association, 2017). In fact, almost all conditions associated with ageing ar …

by Ryan Wallis, PhD student, QMUL, Blizard Institute The microscopic world of cell biology was first explored by Robert Hooke in the 17th century and published in his work, Micrographia, in 1665. He marvelled at the revelation that an organism such as a cork plant was actually comprised of tiny “Cellula” resembling the small chambers occupied by monks. His insight into this invisible domain was the first in a line of discoveries which have transformed our understanding of biology, health and disease. As technology has progressed, scientific discovery has flourished, and the invention of electron microscopy has allowed us to observe the world on an even smaller …

What are MHC Class I molecules? The MHC class I is a glycoprotein that is expressed on all nucleated cells of the human body. MHC class I are important in disease defense against viruses, bacteria, parasites and neoplasms. MHC class I facilitates the presentation of peptides of 8-10 amino acids in length to cytotoxic T cells. MHC class I has two transmembrane proteins, HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C. MHC class I is produced in MHC class I gene clusters. MHC class I are encoded by HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C. Key Takeaways MHC Class I molecules present peptides to cytotoxic T cells and are found on all nucleated cells. MHC Class II molecules are crucial for antigen presentation …

What is Parkinson’s disease? Parkinson's disease can be seen as a neurodegenerative disease because it is associated with the loss of nerve cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta that produce dopamine. Parkinson's disease is a long-term chronic and progressive movement disorder that slowly develops over time. Parkinson's has been called "the great imitator" because so many of its symptoms mimic other diseases. Parkinson's disease is characterized by resting tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement and impaired balance and coordination. Parkinson's disease primarily affects movement and has no cure, but medications and therapies can …

CAR T-cell therapy CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T-cell Therapy is a type of cancer treatment. CAR T-cells are made in the laboratory and they have an artificially created receptor on the surface of T-Cells (white blood cells). These engineered receptors allow for the body's own immune system to target specific cancers. CAR T-cells consist of two classes: CARs that target surface antigens on tumor cells, CAR-Ts, and CARs that target cytokine receptors expressed on T-cells. CAR-Ts are the most common CARs used in CAR T-cell therapy. Anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy has gained major success throughout the years and it led to the approval of the therapy in 2017 against B-cell malignan …

Antibodies are a special class of Y shaped proteins that help guard your body from invading viruses and bacteria. They do this by either neutralizing the dangerous substance or marking it for destruction. Five classes of antibodies There are five antibody types called IgA, IgG, IgM, IgE and IgD. Each antibody type is made up of two heavy chains and two light chains also known as an 'immunoglobulin'. Every antibody has a unique tip on its end known as the paratope which contains the key to fighting against invaders which could be a virus or bacterium. The middle section of the antibody is called the constant region which att …

Antigen's are foreign molecules recognised by the immune system. Antigens can be protein, carbohydrate, lipid or nucleic acid molecules. Examples include viruses and bacteria as well as fragments of human cells such as those infected by a virus or damaged by radiation or oxidants. Antigens also include artificial substances such as drugs and other xenobiotics (chemicals not normally capable of being taken up by living systems). Antigens are associated with different types of MHC molecule on the surface of cells which allows them to be identified by T lymphocytes. Antibodies are Y shaped molecules than bind Antigens Antibodies are Y shaped prot …

A neuron is a cell that processes and transmits information through electrical and chemical signals. There are trillions of them in the human brain, which is able to carry out so many complex tasks without conscious effort. These cells are the primary building blocks for AI because they are how all biological organisms process information about their surroundings. The key to understanding how these fascinating creatures work will be the first step towards creating intelligent machines with human-like cognition. Parts of a Neuron Neurons have three primary parts: dendrites, cell body, and axon (in this order). Dendrites detect changes in electrical potential across the surface of neu …

Microglia Astrocytes Oligodendrocytes Glial Cells Glial cells are the most abundant cell type in your brain. Previously glial cells were thought to be non-functional glue for neurons, however, years of research have highlighted their key role in regulating neuron activity. The main glial cells are microglia, astrocytes and oligodendrocyte cells. Glia of the nervous system are divided into two main types: white matter glia and grey matter glia. White matter glia support nerve fibers that transmit information between different r …

Interleukin signaling is involved in a number of biological processes, including cell growth and differentiation, inflammation and immunity. Interleukins are glycoproteins which act on hematopoietic cells to regulate immune responses or target cells for destruction by the immune system. Interleukins mediate communication between cells through a complex network of receptors. Interleukin receptors are members of a large family of cell surface molecules called cytokine receptors. Interleukins bind to the receptor and cause it to dimerize with another interleukin receptor, which in turn stimulates activity within the target cells. Interleukins play a major role in host defense against …

CD Markers Cluster of Differentiation (CD) markers play an important role in the differentiation of B cells, T cells and NK (natural killer) cells. These markers are often responsible for the identification of certain cancers and tumors, resulting in CD markers being good candidates for cancer therapies. CTLA-4 Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4)(CD152) is a protein receptor found on T cells. Both CTLA-4 and CD28 bind to B7-1/2 on antigen-presenting cells (APCs) such as dendritic cells and B cells. CTLA-4 has been shown to bind B7-1/2 with a higher affinity than CD28 d …

Chemokines are highly conserved cytokines that control the movement of cells around the body. All 45 members of the chemokine family can be divided into 4 subfamilies depending on their structure and presence of cysteine motifs (the CC chemokines, CXC CX3C and XC) and are recognised by chemokine receptors, G-protein coupled receptors with 7 transmembrane domains predominantly found on the surface of leukocytes. Upon binding of the chemokine to a cognate chemokine receptor, the receptor undergoes a conformational change exposing the highly conserved DRYLAIV domain. The exposed motif binds to neighbouring G-proteins, kick-starting a signal transduction cascade which will ulti …

Toll-Like Receptors The innate immune response has come under the spotlight in recent years due to its central role in propagating the pathogenesis of several diseases, and specifically in driving neurodegenerative aetiology (1-3). Toll-like receptors (TLRs), the mammalian homologue of the Drosophila melanogaster Toll, are highly conserved innate immune receptors and master regulators of the cellular innate immune response (4-6). Research by several groups in the early 1990s discovered the pivotal role of TLRs in the initiation and propagation of the inflammatory signalling in response to bacterial, viral or microbial nucleic acids, kn …

Testing for COVID-19 Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation have emphasised the crucial importance of viral testing. This has therefore led to a huge demand for high-throughput testing of throat and nasopharyngeal samples (Source). The greater number of patients being qualitatively tested for coronavirus, the more treatment can be provided, and the greater the reduction in the rapid spread of this virus. Typically, reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is used for viral diagnostic testing and requires a nasopharyngeal swab for the viral sample. Nasopharyngeal swabs ar …

SARS-CoV-2 검사 키트-코로나 바이러스 검사를위한 원스텝 RT-qPCR 키트 (2019-nCoV 종) 강력하고 재현 가능한 원스텝 코로나 바이러스 검사 (2019-nCoV종) 제품 개요 : 현재 2019-nCoV 또는 COVID-19로 불리는 새로운 코로나 바이러스는 중국 우한에서 진행중인 폐렴 발병 사례의 원인으로 알려졌습니다. Assay Genie Coronavirus COVID-19(2019-nCoV종) 원스텝 RT-qPCR 검사 키트는 실시간 RT qPCR을 사용하여 호흡기 검체에서(가래; 비인두, 구인두, 면봉 및 세척액; 기관 흡인액) 2019-nCoV 또는 COVID-19의 체외 검출을 위해 사용됩니다. Assay Genie Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV종) 원스텝 RT-qPCR 감지 키트는 단일 튜브에서 효율적인 cDNA 합성 및 실시간 PCR을 가능하게합니다. 이 키트에는 실시간 PCR을 수행하기 위해 두 배의 농도로 공급되는 qPCR MasterMix 시약이 포함되어 있습니다. qPCR MasterMix (2x) 시약 …

Rapid Antibody & Antigen tests available from Assay Genie SKU Product Name INCP-AC0502 COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test ICI …

ST2, a member of the IL-1R Subfamily ST2 is a member of the IL-1R subfamily and was identified in 1989 [1]. The ST2 gene is located on chromosome 2q12 in humans and contains 13 introns and spans 40 kilobases (kb). In humans three splice variants exist, ST2L, sST2 and ST2V (Figure 1a). ST2L is a transmembrane bound receptor and as such specifically belongs to the Toll/IL-1R (TIR) superfamily and shows homology to the intracellular domain of IL-1R1 [2]. sST2 is a soluble protein with no transmembrane sequence, it is excreted extracellularly and binds to IL-33. Both ST2L and sST2 contain three identical Ig extracellular domains, although …

What do scientists consider their skill set when looking for jobs outside of academia? Mine where hard to sum. I was a PhD in cell biology. I could Western Blot, I had used thousands of antibodies. I could present data. But outside the traditional ABCs of cell biology I had no further experience. Laser focused, academic, scientific, but show me where I can provide value to a business? Being mindful of your CV skill set It was 2012 when I realized this. I had just submitted my PhD in 2011 at University College Dublin and was now working as a Post-Doc in Cambridge University on kinetochore-microtubule interactions. However, what I did realize at the …

During my PhD I knew how networking was important, it helped me source reagents off other labs, get the best advice and helped me land a post doc at Cambridge University. Its not what you know, its who you know! Following my PhD I targeted a lab that I knew I wanted to research in. I didn’t have the publications to get me in the door, so I knew I had to meet the professor and make a great impression to make sure I landed the job. Don’t just email your CV and hope! I could have emailed them with my CV, like the 300+ other applications they get a week, or I could fly over to Cambridge, call in, introduce myself and make sure they kne …

Our Cancer Research Club symposium series continued on Wednesday afternoon, at Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI), Dublin, Ireland. The Bouchier-Hayes lecture theatre was at maximum capacity with over 60 scientists from all major universities and Institutes in Ireland coming together to network around the theme of “The Tumor Microenvironment”.This event was organised by Dr. Tríona Ní Chonghaile & Dr. Helena Bonner from RCSI who provided a great series of lectures and invited guests.Our first speaker was Alessandra Di Grande who is a PhD student in Tríona Ní Chonghaile’s group in RCSI. Alessandra was our chosen PhD award winner. Alessandra provided a great insight into BH3 mimetic …

Science communication (Scicomm) is currently on the up. As rebellion against the increasing distrust of science stemmed from bigoted and ignorant leaders, scientists are turning to social media – the real voice of the people. It is a great space to educate and enthuse about science, especially to the younger generation who are growing up with social media as a huge influence. However, with great power comes great responsibility. As your following grows it is important to stay true to your message and not just “do it for the likes”. With Instagram and its changing algorithms it is a constant battle to stay “visible”. It’s also extremely h …

Adhesion Molecules Direct cell-cell interactions are maintained and regulated by cell adhesion molecules. The expression of adhesion molecules directs inflammatory responses (Walpola et al., 1994). Early adhesion molecules include P and E selectins which slow down leukocyte movements along the endothelium wall so adhesion molecules such as VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 can attach to the ligand on leukocytes (Leeuwenberg et al., 1992, Libby, 2006). Soluble forms of these adhesion molecules are also found in the supernatant of cytokine activated cultured endothelial cells (Pigott et al., 1992). In atherosclerosis, adhesion molecules are upregulate …

Structure, Function, and Detection Assays for COVID-2019 Background The global spread of the novel coronavirus has sparked international interest in understanding the cellular mechanisms of host infiltration. SARS-Cov-2 (formerly 2019-nCoV) has been identified as the causative viral agent of the disease COVID-19.   Recent efforts to understand SARS-CoV-2 have yielded crucial knowledge in the fight against coronaviruses. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) has been implicated as the cellular receptor which facilitates uptake of the virus into the host cell. Thanks to the tireless efforts …

Ralitsa R. Madsen – University of Cambridge Metabolic Research Laboratories Each one of us is the result of an extraordinary developmental process during which a single fertilised egg turns into more than a trillion cells. This is critically dependent on exquisite coordination of fundamental cell behaviours including growth, migration and “decisions” to differentiate into cell types with specialised functions. When co-ordination is lost, either during development or in adulthood, disease results. Cancer is one severe consequence of dysregulation, but in some people, loosening of growth controls may arise during development an …