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Sample preservation in vitrified ice (vitrification) is widely acknowledged as the first step in the cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) workflow. However, prior to sample preparation researchers must consider the sample quality and determine...

The period responsible for the current generation of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) instrumentation and image processing software is often referred to as the “resolution revolution.” The results of these technological advancements have been...

The preparation of acceptable frozen-hydrated samples on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids is well known to be a challenging bottleneck in the cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) workflow. During sample vitrification it is assumed...

In response to the question “Is your assay really optimized?” the answer we hear the most is – “It’s good enough” So, if your process isn’t broken, why on earth would you consider fixing it?

So, is Design of Experiments (DoE), just a passing trend? DoE might appear to be a relatively new buzz word or concept, but rest assured it’s worth has been proven long ago within other industries. Why therefore hasn’t the approach been readily...

Thanks to high throughput automation, delivering large scale library screens is very much a matter of routine but bottlenecks have an annoying habit of shifting. Has the pressure to keep pace now shifted upstream to your assay development and...

Avoiding sample degradation is essential to ensure the integrity of the research efforts that biobanks support. A constant freezer temperature is a crucial factor in ensuring sample quality since a warm storage environment, even for a short period,...

The recent COVID-19 global pandemic has unleashed a massive global response to develop therapeutic treatments for those suffering from COVID-19 and a vaccine against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Structural biologists from all over the world have mobilized...

Biobanks have become an essential cornerstone of medical research - enabling drug discovery and development, supporting biomarker research and deepening our understanding of disease mechanisms. As we advance towards an era of personalized medicine,...

A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicineaddresses concerns about reproducibility and replicability in scientific research. Sitting near the top of the “food chain”, it is imperative that sample management...

Biobank research is essential for advancing our knowledge of the genetic make-up of diseases and supports a future of more powerful, personalized medicine. However, biobank research faces many challenges, including weak process links that threaten...

Many of us are gearing up to return to the lab after months of working from home. For some, this will be a welcome change and, for others, perhaps another shock to the system in what has been a strange year for scientific research.