Tech

Determining the identity of a person through a DNA sample is rarely straightforward, especially if the sample comes from a decomposed, burned, or otherwise degraded source. A body that has been submerged under water for months, for example, may contain DNA fragments that are too small to be analyzed by conventional means. Two companies, Foster City, Calif.-based Applied Biosystems http://www.appliedbiosystems.com, and Princeton, NJ-based Orchid Biosciences http://www.orchid.com, have worked out

Figure 1Immunogold labeling is the method of choice for staining cell and tissue sections for electron microscopy, but the manual procedure involves a series of short wash-and-wait steps that can add up to an entire day of tedious bench work. Bannock-burn, Ill.-based Leica Microsystems' new immunogold labeling system solves this problem by automating most of the process.The EM IGL, which lists for $16,000 (US), reduces the amount of time and labor needed for staining by 70% to 80%, says Ann Kors

Figure 1Disease in laboratory animals interferes with biomedical research.1 Infectious agents often distort experimental results to such a degree that labs must increase the number of animals under investigation to compensate for statistical variability. Moreover, some rodent pathogens are hazardous to other lab animals and to the humans who study them.This past October, in an effort not only to control infection in lab animals, but also to harmonize international standards for monitoring their

Researchers use spin-labeling techniques to bring protein structures to life

1000 Workstation keeps the air out