For The Better

The human gut harbors a diverse and extremely active population of microorganisms known as the microbiota. These microorganisms are provided with a stable, nutrient-rich habitat in the gut and in return they help stimulate the immune system, aid digestion, and provide otherwise unobtainable metabolites to the human host. A balanced microbiome plays an important role …

Laboratory professionals in all areas of science have experienced significant changes in recent years, and 2022 was no exception. As steady progress continues in returning to normalcy as we’ve learned how to manage COVID-19, the emergence of mpox last year brought a new set of challenges for healthcare professionals, laboratories and diagnostics developers to navigate. …

In vivo fluorescence imaging is a non-invasive tool for visualizing and quantifying cellular and biological functions. Using biologically specific, validated fluorescent probes, scientists can visualize disease pathogenesis and related biological processes within the context of a living system. The ability to provide earlier and more meaningful preclinical insights into disease processes and treatment effects makes …

High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) is an analytical technique that is ubiquitous in labs across the globe. This technique is commonly used in labs for the purpose of separating, identifying, and quantifying components in a mixture. This post continues the series of Chromatography Explained and will focus on introducing HPLC and how HPLC instrumentation works. …

Sustainability in the lab sounds like something to strive for. But what does it actually mean? Sustainability has dual definitions: one related to environmental efforts and one focused on business strategy. A previous blog discussed sustainable environmental efforts in the Gas Chromatography (GC) lab covering improved energy efficiency, reduced carrier gas usage, and reduced operational …

The term “sustainable development” was coined by the United Nations1 and it is described as “Development that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”2 and it is the cornerstone of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Governments, companies, and other stakeholders are currently implementing …

How Public and Private Sector Collaboration Gives More Children a Healthier Start to Life  According to data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, more than 4 million babies are tested each year in state-led newborn screening (NBS) programs for a range of rare diseases and other inherited disorders. In some cases, …

Over the past few decades, our understanding of cancer biology has increased rapidly. Yet our ability to translate this knowledge into clinical success remains poor, with reports of eye-wateringly high attrition rates for cancer therapeutics. For example, results published by BIO showed that the likelihood of success from Phase I to FDA approval for cancer …

LC/MS/MS is perhaps one of the most common bioanalytical methods used today, offering ultrasensitive detection in the several parts per million, and sometimes billion, range. The unique specificity of tandem mass spectrometry provides greater flexibility for LC separations, expanding the applications that can utilize LC/MS/MS. It is used in a variety of applications including environment …

Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. This includes a wide range of conditions that result from progressive damage to cells and nervous system connections that are essential for mobility, coordination, strength, sensation, and cognition. The causal agents of these and similar central nervous system diseases are not yet fully understood, although they are believed …