The fountain of youth, at least for some cells
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The fountain of youth, at least for some cells

ByElmar Endl

Recent reports suggest that somatic cell-derived induced neurons (iNs), but not induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons largely preserve age-associated traits such as age-specific DNA methylation patterns, transcriptomic aging signatures and nuclear lamina-associated changes. Michael Peitz, manager of the Cell Programming Core Facility, co-directed a study which adressed a key question: Are age-associated epigenetic and transcriptional…

Flow cytometry guidelines
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Flow cytometry guidelines

ByElmar Endl

The European Journal of Immunology has published a very comprehensive guide to flow cytometry in it’s October issue in which we were involved. 231 authors: experts in cytometry & immunology 214 pages 54 sections including: ◦  equipment set-up, data acquisition & handling ◦  barcoding, CyTOF, combinatorial & imaging cytometry ◦  complete immune cell cytometric  …

Zebrafish without stripes
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Zebrafish without stripes

ByElmar Endl

Dowling-Degos disease is a hereditary pigmentation disorder that generally progresses harmlessly. However, some of those affected also develop severe skin inflammation. An international team of researchers under the leadership of the University of Bonn has now found a cause for this link. Their knowledge comes thanks to an animal that is known among aquarium owners…

A Genome-wide CRISPR Screen Identifies NEK7 as an Essential Component of NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation
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A Genome-wide CRISPR Screen Identifies NEK7 as an Essential Component of NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation

ByElmar Endl

The Journal of Biological Chemistry, 291, 103-109. The mechanisms of NLRP3 activation are still poorly understood. Jonathan Schmid-Burgk and colleagues present new data on the identification of NEK7, which specifically functions upstream of NLRP3 activation. NEK7 was identified in an unbiased genetic screening approach, which employed the CRISPR technology to identify macrophages that were rendered…

Study reveals the way CRISPR/Cas9 cleaves enzymes and positions them for cutting
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Study reveals the way CRISPR/Cas9 cleaves enzymes and positions them for cutting

ByElmar Endl

Original published on Phys.org (Phys.org)—A team of researchers with the University of California has learned more about the process that is involved during CRISPR/Cas9 gene splicing by using a crystallization technique to get a closer look. In their paper published in the journal Science, the team describes their study of the way three-stranded structures known…

50th Anniversary

50th Anniversary

ByElmar Endl

This would be the perfect time to ask something like ” how old is this flow cytometry stuff”. This month sees the 50 years anniversary of the first publication on cell sorting by Mack Fulwyler (Science 1965) and a first description of a Spectrophotometer for ultrarapid cell analysis by Louis Kamentsky and Myron Melamed (Science…