...previous nosy question! The Application Process Broadly speaking, the PhD application process tends to go something...steps in the application process and usually occurs in the few months leading up to applications opening. ...program. Most applications will recommend that you name two professors in your application that you intend...to continue the application process through a campus visit, a weekend where applications can get to know...strengthen your application and help you decide if a program is a good fit for you. The application process looks...know that this process only became even more complicated with COVID-19 and standards for hybrid, virtual...out above, there are many places where the PhD application cycle becomes much more complex. “How do I reach...

...the origin of replication/replicon. The replicon is comprised of the origin of replication (ori) and all...origins of replication There are lots of origins of replication out there so, for simplicity’s sake, we'... cells. The replicons of plasmids are generally different from the those used to replicate the host's ...gene for replication (reference). **F1 is a phage-derived ori that allows for the replication and packaging...control elements. The ori is the place where DNA replication begins, enabling a plasmid to reproduce itself...readily at lower temperatures and allows the replication machinery room to come in and get busy making...derivatives), pSC101, R6K, and 15A. Not all origins of replication are created equal. Some will produce many plasmid...

...disagreements. In fact, conflict resolution isn’t just about resolving conflicts between other people, ...how to sell them. Types of Conflict Before explaining my approach to conflict resolution, it’s important...there are different types of conflict. Most people perceive any conflict as inherently bad, and in many...harmful conflict early, because time frequently does not heal these types of wounds. But conflict can also...-that conflict you are resolving--will make you a better scientist. And some amount of conflict is actually...avoid all conflict can fall into “groupthink” and fail to evolve. Recognizing when “bad” conflict can be ...be spun into “good” conflict is a skill in and of itself. Conflict can also be categorized as either “personal...

...relies on heat resistant DNA polymerase from the thermophilic bacterium, Thermos aquaticus (Taq). Taq polymerase...extension is repeated 25-35 times to exponentially replicate the target DNA of interest. This entire reaction...have been developed for different scientific applications. These PCR methods all use the same basic PCR...the quantity of DNA after a PCR reaction as the amplicon doubles every reaction cycle. However, it is common...goal is to amplify a specific target of DNA. This amplicon can be used in molecular cloning to create a plasmid...quantified by qPCR. qPCR is used in a variety of applications including gene expression profiling, studying...concentration, unlike qPCR where results can vary across replicates. ddPCR can be used to quantify DNA sequences ...

... science policy, there is often discussion of “big P” and “little p” policy.  “Big P” policy is what you...about where science policy happens.  When do you do science policy? Many science policy training programs... is science policy?”  I have been asked this many times throughout my short science policy career and ...importantly, how, of a science policy career.  Who does science policy? I’ve intentionally started with... many science policy professionals that entered the field from a more traditional policy background, learning...to start. What is science policy? THE IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION. Science policy is the work you do to creatively... the National Science Policy Network to connect with early career science policy groups, attend webinars...

...resistance cassette, and the R6K origin of replication to allow replication only in hosts carrying the bacteriophage... an allelic exchange experiment? Find the pTOX plasmids here! Continued development of new allelic exchange...modification. This technique is frequently called allelic exchange. Here, a mutated allele introduced from...to off-target mutations. Ultimately, successful allelic exchange requires two sequential homologous recombination...counterselection vector is the pDS132 sacB-based allelic exchange vector. This vector contains sacB, an ...recipient of interest. Because pDS132 cannot be replicated in the recipient, the only antibiotic resistant...resistant colonies isolated are those where the allelic exchange vector has undergone single crossover and ...

...complex loads the helicase onto the replication forks at either end of the origin. The helicase proceedes to...Plasmids utilize their host cell's replication machinery in order to replicate. As described in our previous...previous Origin of Replication post, DNA replication is initiated at the ORI and may be synchronized with the... for initiation of replication as the bacterial chromosome. Chromosomal replication in bacteria is carefully...the entire round of replication). Since the primary control point of DNA replication in bacteria is initiation...the DNA strands. Two replication forks are created by the action of the helicase and move in opposite ...once the replication forks reach each other on the opposite end of the chromosome, the helicases are released...

...to breathe!)   Public speaking as a transferable skill The worst thing about doing public speaking as a...Public speaking is not just one of the most common phobias–it’s a key part of being a scientist and an...turned science communicator, I’ve done a lot of public speaking, and I'm happy to share what I've learned...would let me accomplish my goal.   As a scientist, public speaking isn't a performance art. You’re (usually...goal. Yay!   You’re only human When it comes to public speaking, Murphy’s law definitely applies: what...who do are very likely to be sympathetic because public speaking is hard. Aside from the diving board charades... and I've had multiple jobs where all I did was public speaking. If you're also nervous, try taking a ...

...their use in other clinical applications. In the last decade, viral applications in cancer treatment and ...s unpack the myriad number of emerging viral applications and give you some recommendations for putting...putting viruses to work. Viral applications Viruses work by infecting a host cell (the target of viral infection...expressed. It’s important to note that for all the applications we discuss, there is more than one type of virus...retrovirus, AAV, etc.). When you’ve decided on an application, our Viruses as Biological Tools blog can help...viruses and pick one for your experiment. Research applications Gene expression control Researchers are always...becoming increasingly popular tools with many applications. These libraries include sgRNAs targeting the...

...ligation-independent cloning (SLIC), eliminates many of LIC’s constraints. Key to SLIC is the power of homologous...- and ligation-independent cloning: A SLIC makeover In 2007, LIC received an important update, courtesy...Ligation-independent cloning Ligation-independent cloning (LIC) was first developed in the 1990s. While traditional...restriction enzyme cloning used short sticky ends, LIC employed the exonuclease activity of T4 DNA polymerase...repairable by the bacteria after transformation. LIC is a reliable cloning method, but it is limited by...back the entire 10-12 bases. As such, the use of LIC is often limited to specially-designed plasmids. ...requirement for carefully designed DNA overhangs used in LIC.  As long as there was enough sequence homology (...

... not need to be run in triplicates. ddPCR is an extremely accurate application, even in areas of the genome...blog post, we're going to focus on PCR-based applications (qPCR and ddPCR.) qPCR Quantitative/real-time...standard curves, and normal controls must be run in triplicate.  The nice thing about qPCR is that since it ...fluorescent probe and quencher to quantify specific amplicons.  Sybr has high background noise, due to the large... affected by AT-rich DNA and the length of the amplicon and it has a higher rate of false positives (Colborn...is not affected by AT content or length of the amplicon. As the probes can have several different markers...range of RQ values as noted above.   In both applications, results can be affected by DNA quality and ...

...genetic underpinnings of these processes has been complicated by the lack of precise genetic tools for modulating...recent advancements and offer commentary on their application to neuroscience research. What is CRISPR-based...accessible to neuroscientists, not all neuroscience applications require such optimized tools. This is elegantly...necessitates such molecular gymnastics for sensitive applications such as CRISPR screening. The plasmids used ...used by the Qi Lab for this particular application can be found here.  Why CRISPRa? Although cDNA overexpression...gene activation in select in vitro and in vivo applications, the tools described above make CRISPRa in the...relatively easy and accessible. There are also other applications for which CRISPRa is well-suited, including ...

...few principles that will help you resolve most conflicts, even with difficult people. If I had to use one...strategies to become more assertive & resolve conflicts What Is Assertiveness? An assertive person is ... side-tracked, and you might create even more conflicts. 4) Define in advance how you would like the problem...in writing One of the most frequent sources of conflict is miscommunication. For example, you might misunderstand...you to resolve both personal and professional conflicts. At the workplace, these strategies will help ...miscommunication, which can lead to even more conflicts. If your supervisor is a difficult person, the...an inexperienced manager, you can resolve most conflicts if you communicate your ideas assertively, listen...

...species or metabolic pathways. A new study takes us one step closer to the vision of metabolic biofactories...s vision of ‘biofactories’, most successes in metabolic engineering have been limited to the overexpression...be host-independent, beyond the oft published metabolic engineering realm of S. cerevisiae and E. coli...control via scRNA design is readily apparent in metabolic engineering. The authors elegantly demonstrated...demonstrated the potential of this to control a metabolic network in S. cerevisiae by using three RNA programs ...programs, the authors sequentially rerouted the metabolic flux to generate differently pigmented derivatives...regulatory switch. By no means limited to the field of metabolic engineering, this is such a powerful and flexible...

...Sharing Policy Discussion PLOS’ New Data Policy: Public Access to Data PLOS’ New Data Policy: Part Two...supporting the research reported in PLOS publications. The policy was not an overnight revelation, rather...advice about the scope of the policy. End of story? Not quite. The PLOS policy on data access is a formal...Data Sharing Policies, etc.) and is founded on the principle that scientific publications must contain...clarified what the policy intent was and provided an FAQ list to further explain the policy. The fact that...This post was contributed by Jim Woodgett. Public Library of Science (PLOS) created a stir earlier this...year when it announced its data access and sharing policy. Since early March, the open access publisher has...

... : Kwabena's public health research, the HEAD outreach program, and educating the public about dietary...awarded plasmids from Addgene as a successful applicant to the Addgene, Seeding Labs Plasmid Grant. For...bring new opportunities to Ghanaian scientists Click here to listen! Podcast breakdown (Time : Topic)... public health...

...Initiative. Endy's team made news in March with a publication in Science describing the development of “transcriptors...are now available at Addgene through the Biobrick Public Agreement (BPA) Plasmid Collection along with a...It's wonderful to have Addgene as a professional public-benefit partner who shares our core values." Addgene...BIOFAB and BIL gates plasmid kits, the Biobricks Public Agreement, and the future of the bioeconomy. Addgene...work, and it begins with the central dogma - replication of DNA, transcription of DNA to make RNA, translation...

...research. This year, we put out another call for applications. We had an overwhelming response and were excited...sensor with proof-of-principle experiments that replicate current knowledge, but the sensor can also kinetically...  Michal Bernach: Developing an artificial leaf replica system to study plant-bacteria and bacteria-bacteria..., Bernach sought to develop an artificial leaf replica system. “This bottom-up approach will allow me ...Bernach explains. Developing an artificial leaf replica means creating a “leaf” with similar permeability...fluorescent proteins are made. As the bacterial replicate, fluorescent proteins will be diluted out and ...

... bacterial expression system such as the pET GFP LIC cloning vector and the pOKD plasmids. The recombinant...bacteria. Learn more about the different CRISPR applications in plants.     Transgenic yeast as source of...

...bacterial expression vectors are inducible (e.g. pBAD LIC cloning vector (8A)) and have an epitope tag (6xHis...types of yeast expression vectors. Consider your applications and experimental design. You can create a new...more traditional approach of an autonomously replicating vector that carries either a wild-type version...a variety of other types of vectors for most applications used to study gene function. From making transgenic...