Problem: Reliably quantifying proteins in western blot analyses can be challenging even for
seasoned researchers.

Companies are introducing column-free antibody labeling kits that can be used in place of traditional, labor-intensive column-based methods

Problem: Nearly 40 years after its introduction, western blotting continues to be a powerful method for protein quantitation. Arguably, finding the right antibody to detect the protein of interest is the technique’s most critical and challenging step.

Problem: Scientists must typically rely on high-end cell sorters in core facilities to run their samples. These cell sorters—equipped with five or more lasers and double digit detection channels—were originally utilized to answer pressing questions arising in the immunology field. However, they are overly complex for the new breed of user who sorts cells today: cell biologists and biochemists who employ fluorescent proteins and require at most four colors and one-to-two population sorting. The challenge is that as demand increases, the number of staff available to operate these complex instruments remains the same. As a result, wait times at core facilities have ballooned, literally putting research on hold until capacity is available. For the more than half of today’s cell sorting users who require four colors or
fewer sorts, the elaborate equipment is becoming a bottleneck. 

Basic research and clinical research labs have long relied on real-time PCR (qPCR) for its speed, sensitivity, specificity and ease-of-use. Common applications include gene expression analysis, mutation detection and identification of copy number variation to better understand inherited disorders, cancer and infectious disease.

Problem: A mainstay in life science research, western blotting is commonly used to assess relative protein expression differences, such as when investigating cellular signaling pathways. Accurate quantification requires careful attention to procedural details and normalization.

Using small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to exploit the mechanism of RNA interference (RNAi) has become a powerful tool to study gene function in cell culture and in vivo.