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A blue B cell is producing lots of Y-shaped antibodies.
Microscopic Bowls Uncover the Secrets of Protein Secretions
Researchers developed a “test tube” so tiny that it can hold a single cell. These vials enabled them to connect protein secretion levels with surface markers and transcriptome data from the same cell. 
Microscopic Bowls Uncover the Secrets of Protein Secretions
Microscopic Bowls Uncover the Secrets of Protein Secretions

Researchers developed a “test tube” so tiny that it can hold a single cell. These vials enabled them to connect protein secretion levels with surface markers and transcriptome data from the same cell. 

Researchers developed a “test tube” so tiny that it can hold a single cell. These vials enabled them to connect protein secretion levels with surface markers and transcriptome data from the same cell. 

methods

The image shows six different panels containing cells. On each panel, the cells are labelled using a different fluorescent dye that highlights features of a specific organelle within the cells.
Cell Painting: Exploring the Richness of Biological Images
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Sep 8, 2023 | 4 min read
By coloring different organelles simultaneously, cell painting allows scientists to pick up subtle changes in cell function in response to drugs and other perturbations.
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Researchers Report Decoding Thoughts from fMRI Data
Grace van Deelen | Oct 20, 2022 | 5 min read
A method appears to be the first to noninvasively reconstruct language from brain activity.
The Best of Cell Biology
Bob Grant | 2 min read
A new eBook compiles recent articles from The Scientist that capture the essence of new conceptual and technological territory being explored on the cellular level.
Images from a novel brain imaging technique, DIANA
New MRI Technique Tracks Brain Activity at Millisecond Timescales
Catherine Offord | Oct 14, 2022 | 4 min read
The method, dubbed “DIANA,” could transform neuroscientists’ understanding of how the brain works, researchers say—though for now, it’s only been tested in anesthetized mice.
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New CRISPR Technique Causes Few Unintended Mutations in Fruit Flies
Jason P. Dinh | Jul 1, 2022 | 4 min read
A study finds that CRISPR-Nickase, which changes just one allele of a given gene, improves gene editing efficiency compared with CRISPR-Cas9.
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Reptiles are the Real Bird Brains
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Mar 22, 2022 | 4 min read
A research group argues that a species’ number of neurons, rather than brain volume, should serve as indicator of cognitive capacity when studying brain evolution, but some experts voice doubts.
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Researchers Use Ultrasound to Control Neurons in Mice
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Feb 9, 2022 | 4 min read
A study shows “sonogenetics” could be a useful new tool in neuroscience and other fields.
illustration of a large purple molecular complex with a strand of orange RNA running through it and red strand emerging from it
Study Reveals Outsize Role of mRNA Region in Tuning Expression
Sophie Fessl, PhD | Jan 27, 2022 | 3 min read
A new method helps researchers uncover the rules of ribosome recruitment in yeast.
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First Immortal Cell Line Cultured for Reef-Building Corals
Amanda Heidt | Jul 1, 2021 | 3 min read
Lab-grown cells from the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis provide new opportunities to study bleaching, symbioses, and biomineralization.
Infographic: How Scientists Are Creating Coral Cell Lines
Amanda Heidt | Jul 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Stable, long-term cell lines will enable scientists to study everything from coral bleaching to biomineralization, knowledge that may help protect corals from ongoing climate change.
a person in a white lab coat with a blue glove inserting a clear pcr tube into a which thermocycler while holding an orange box
Coronavirus Mutations Could Muddle COVID-19 PCR Tests
Jack J. Lee | May 17, 2021 | 4 min read
Researchers find that SARS-CoV-2 variants can evade primer-probe sets and recommend that diagnostic assays include multiple targets for reliability.
liquid-containing tube labeled Laboratory Test Wastewater Sample SARS-CoV-2
Sewage Sampling Robots Speed SARS-CoV-2 Detection
Ruth Williams | May 1, 2021 | 3 min read
An automated wastewater monitoring technique could enable researchers to predict outbreaks of the virus up to a week in advance.
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Ruth Williams | May 1, 2021 | 1 min read
Researchers use magnetic nanoparticles and liquid-handling robots in an effort to detect COVID-19 outbreaks early.
a mockup of an at-home COVID-19 test in development
Top Technical Advances of 2020
Shawna Williams | Dec 18, 2020 | 3 min read
The pandemic spurred innovation in a variety of ways, from CRISPR-based diagnostics to cell biology benchwork at home.
red blood cell rbc ipsc induced pluripotent stem cell blood tranfsuion bioreactor
New Protocol Advances Toward Lab-Made Universal Red Blood Cells
Diana Kwon | Dec 17, 2020 | 4 min read
Researchers report a new way of generating the cells from induced pluripotent stem cells in hopes they will one day be used in blood transfusions.
CRISPR, Cas-9, Nobel, Chemistry
CRISPR’s Adaptation to Genome Editing Earns Chemistry Nobel
Amanda Heidt | Oct 7, 2020 | 4 min read
Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna reprogrammed the bacterial immune response into one of the most popular tools for genetics and molecular biology.
laser imaging, methods, Duke Health, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, pandemic, coronavirus, masks, safety, health, aerosols, droplets, saliva
Simple Tool Evaluates Mask Performance at Blocking Droplets
Amanda Heidt | Aug 12, 2020 | 4 min read
A proof-of-concept study finds some commonly used facial coverings may perform worse than no mask at all.
Bacterial Superglue Enables Antiviral Antibody Discovery
Ruth Williams | Jul 13, 2020 | 3 min read
Testing out combinations of antiviral proteins from llamas could help researchers create potent virus-neutralizing multimers.
CRISPR, TALENs, ZFNs, gene editing, base editing, mitochondria, DNA, mtDNA
New Gene Editing Tool Corrects Mutations in Mitochondrial DNA
Amanda Heidt | Jul 9, 2020 | 3 min read
An enzyme pulled from toxic bacteria can enter the organelle and perform single-nucleotide DNA swaps.
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