Raven Baxter (Raven the Science Maven) and Addgene share guidelines and safety protocols for biosafety level 1 (BSL1) and 2 (BSL2) labs.
Getting Started with Tissue Culture
The cultivation of mammalian cells in the lab, or tissue culture, is a critical tool for many scientists. Mammalian cells provide scientists with the means to study biological processes on the cellular level instead of having to work with a whole organism. Mammalian cells can also be used to produce vital tools in the lab, such as antibodies or viruses.
This video from Addgene provides best practices and advice for those new to tissue culture.
Intro to the Lab Bench: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Are you just getting started in the lab, and looking for some tips on how to stay safe? Join Raven Baxter (Raven the Science Maven) and Addgene to learn more about personal protective equipment, also known as PPE.
How To: Aliquot Cells Into Small Volumes
This video from Addgene shares tips for how to aliquot cells into small volumes during bacterial transformation. Using small volumes allows you to thaw the exact amount you need and limit multiple freeze-thaw cycles.
Lab Safety: Glove Trick
Here’s a quick trick from Addgene to make it easier to put on gloves in the lab: just flip and press!
Streaking for Single Colonies
Monoclonal liquid bacterial cultures should be started using single colonies. Watch this video from Addgene to learn how to effectively streak and grow single colonies on plates.
How To: Create a PCR Master Mix
This lab tip from Addgene shows you how to save some time when doing PCR by creating a DNA master mix.
How To: Purify DNA from an Agarose Gel
This video from Addgene explains how to excise a DNA band from an agarose gel. This protocol begins after our DNA has been prepared and separated using agarose gel electrophoresis.
Gel purification allows you to isolate and purify DNA fragments based on size. Following gel electrophoresis, you can cut DNA bands out of the agarose gel and purify the DNA samples. This is a commonly-used technique for molecular cloning, such as PCR- or restriction enzyme-based cloning.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Protocol
Do you have a short region of a DNA molecule that needs to be copied? Alyssa, a QC scientist at Addgene, walks you through the PCR process.
A standard Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is an in vitro method that allows a single, short region of a DNA molecule (a single gene perhaps) to be copied multiple times by Taq Polymerase. From a single copy of DNA (the template), a researcher can create thousands of identical copies using a simple set of reagents and a basic heating and cooling (denaturing and annealing) cycle.
How To: Design Primers for PCR
Are you looking to design a primer for your PCR? Jennifer Tsang, Science Communication and Marketing Coordinator at Addgene, is here with some tips for creating successful primers.
Oligonucleotide primers are necessary when running a PCR reaction. One needs to design primers that are complementary to the template region of DNA. They are synthesized chemically by joining nucleotides together.