Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the effective prevention and treatment of an ever-increasing range of infections. It’s a leading mortality factor worldwide, but the newly discovered antibiotic, clovibactin, may offer a pivotal solution. It effectively kills drug-resistant bacterial pathogens without detectable resistance—even multidrug-resistant “superbugs.”
Continue reading “Clovibactin: A Revolutionary Antibiotic with No Resistance”Last year’s International Symposium of Human Identification (ISHI) covered a span of topics during various workshops, sessions, and poster presentations. Topics ranged from investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) to customary updates about CODIS and DNA testing standards to mobilizing DNA analysis labs. However, one topic particularly stood out to attendees—Ashley Spence’s powerful testimony on pursuing justice for victims.
Continue reading “Pursuing Justice For Victims: DNA Forensics”Engineered T-cell therapies, specifically CAR-T cell therapies, have emerged as a breakthrough treatment for certain types of blood cancers including lymphomas, some forms of leukemia, and most recently, multiple myeloma. CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) T-cell therapy involves collecting T cells from a patient and re-engineering them to detect and destroy cancer cells.
International Pet Day, observed each year on April 11th, provides the purrfect opportunity to reciprocate all the labored love and affection our pets so freely give us. There’s no doubt that our furry, feathered, and scaley friends greatly improve our quality of life. But did you know there are benefits to this human-animal bond beyond their incredible cuteness? Read about some of the paw-some science-approved benefits that can come with pet ownership.
Continue reading “The Power of Pet Ownership”
Celebrated each year on March 14th (3.14), Pi Day commemorates the irrational, transcendent, and never-ending ratio that’s used to represent a mathematical constant. This infinite number is crucial when describing circles because no matter how big or small, the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter will always equal to pi.
In 2009, pi day, also written π or 3.14, was declared an official national holiday–one that’s worth celebrating! We’ll help you kick things off with 3 fun facts, 1 joke, and 4 activities that are certain to get you in the Pi Day spirit.
Continue reading “3.14 Ways to Make Pi Day a Piece of Cake!”Cardiovascular disease (CVD), continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States and worldwide. Many patients with CVD have signs of chronic kidney disease (CKD), and those with CKD are often times disproportionately affected by CVD.
This interconnectedness was further explored in a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that identified a new immune target, suPAR, as a protein that causes kidney disease and atherosclerosis, the most common form of CVD. Unlike traditional approaches to treating CVD such as controlling blood pressure and lowering cholesterol, this breakthrough research offers a new approach to treatment from an entirely different perspective.
Continue reading “suPAR: A New Approach to Treating Cardiovascular Disease”In the past few years, and as seen as a popular topic at ISHI 33, investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) has rapidly grown and emerged as a new field of science to identify human remains or cold case crime scene samples. The technique traces potential genetic familial relationships through DNA databases. Although genetic genealogy and public DNA databases have been around for quite some time, what’s new is their use by law enforcement.
In 2022, our bloggers wrote on topics ranging from monkeypox outbreaks to cultured meat in biotech labs to preventing the next pandemic. Our top three most-viewed blog posts this year have the commonality of Promega products helping to advance important research in different fields and push science a step forward in the world. Take a look at Promega’s top three most-viewed blog posts of 2022.
Continue reading “Our Top Three Most-Viewed Blog Posts of 2022”Whether you’re looking to learn about nucleic acid analysis, wondering how to do an ELISA assay, or simply have ten minutes to kill in your day, Promega resources have you covered! We’ve revamped and upgraded our hub of self-service resources so we can provide the most up-to-date scientific support. Here are some highlights of what’s new:
Most of us are familiar with the term wellness. We associate wellness with lifestyle practices such as exercising, having a balanced diet, and taking care of our bodies. As significant as these practices are to live long, healthy lives, there’s a critical component of wellness that is often overlooked, emotional wellness.
The National Center for Emotional Wellness defines emotional wellness as, “An awareness, understanding and acceptance of our feelings, and our ability to effectively manage through challenges and change.” Maintaining a healthy emotional balance helps us form better relationships with peers, make healthier lifestyle choices, and empower people through life’s unexpected changes. October, Emotional Wellness Month, is the perfect reminder to take time out for your brain and make steps towards effectively managing your emotions.
Continue reading “What Have You Done for Your Emotional Wellness, This Month? “