Insights on Discovery

  1. Visualization Of In Vivo Gene Editing Heterogeneity At The Transcript Level With The BaseScope™ Duplex RNA In Situ Hybridization Assay 2/23/2021

    Genome editing, revolutionized by the CRISPR/Cas9 system, is a powerful research tool and promising therapeutic strategy for human genetic diseases. The BaseScope™ RNA in situ hybridization (ISH) Assay is the only method available to quantify cell-specific CRISPR-edited transcripts, including single nucleotide changes, in the context of intact fixed tissue. In this report we illustrate one use of the BaseScope™ Duplex Assay to assess the heterogeneity of in vivo CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing in the mouse liver.

  2. End Of End Point Assays: New Analytics In Vaccine Design, Development 2/18/2021

    While the the COVID-19 pandemic escalated the importance of finding vaccines in 2020, having technologies in place to rapidly develop safe and effective vaccines against infectious diseases has been a running topic in the industry for years. Surface plasmon resonance technology has emerged as an efficient and accurate analytical tool in boosting the discovery, characterization and development of vaccines. Read more.

  3. Uniquely Powerful T Cells And How To Find Them 1/26/2021

    T cell-based immunotherapy is promising as a treatment for multiple types of cancer but current techniques limit our ability to measure T cell characteristics of interest and select the most efficacious cells for a therapy. New technologies are needed to allow us to identify the drivers of desired phenotypes such as polyfunctionality, serial killing, and proliferation.

  4. Unravel The Complexity Of Single Cell Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity And ADCC Mediation 1/22/2021

    Current experimental methods to characterize NK cells rely on bulk measurements of heterogenous samples that often contain contaminating cell types. In this application note, we demonstrate how NK cell function can be assessed at the single-cell level to characterize both cytotoxicity and ADCC mediation in the presence of target cells.

  5. Directly Link T Cell Phenotype And Function To Genotype 1/22/2021

    Current techniques used to assess T cell function only allow us to draw correlative conclusions. This application note demonstrates how the Berkeley Lights platform can directly link phenotype to genotype to identify differences in CAR T cell killing kinetics as well as to recover TCR sequences that are associated with desired killing behavior.

  6. Identify And Select Optimal CAR T Phenotypes 1/22/2021

    Many methods to measure single-cell T cell proliferation are time-consuming and can't measure antigen-specific proliferation and correlate that growth to other parameters such as cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity of the same cell. This application note demonstrates how the Berkeley Lights platform can be used to identify single T cells that maintain proliferative ability while secreting specific cytokine combinations and exhibiting desired tumor killing activity.   

  7. The Pivotal Role Of Plasmid DNA 1/13/2021

    Today, plasmid DNA plays a critical role in the production of next-generation cell and gene therapies and vaccines. With our plasmid DNA manufacturing expertise, we have helped facilitate the advance of these important therapeutics, and we continue to invest in additional capacity and novel capabilities to support biopharma manufacturers into the future.

  8. Supporting AAV And Lentiviral Vector Development And Commercialization 1/12/2021

    Plasmids are essential for the development of viral vectors used to manufacture novel gene therapies and viral vaccines. We are supporting the innovation of drug developers in this space by providing standardized royalty-free, bulk AAV helper and lentiviral packaging plasmids for research and GMP production.

  9. What To Consider When Using DIY Kits For Plasmid DNA Production 1/12/2021

    In sharp contrast to the complicated, labor-intensive efforts that were previously needed to extract even a small amount of DNA, there are now numerous easy-to-use DIY kits available that enable researchers to obtain the DNA they need. To help determine whether a DIY DNA kit or a third-party vendor is the best option to support your plasmid DNA production needs, evaluate what to consider when using DIY kits.

  10. Mind The Gaps: A Perspective From The World Of Academic Spinouts 11/16/2020

    Depending upon your perspective, “emerging” biotech could mean any number of things, ranging all the way from the recent spinout of an academic lab to a publicly held company developing a therapeutic that has not yet reached the marketplace. Read more about what current situations may cause anxiety for a company in the emerging biotech space.