Western Blot – News and Features

This article explores the mechanism of ubiquitin-mediated proteasome-dependent degradation and how it has been employed to design novel therapeutics that can turn any class of human proteins into a therapeutic target.

Jagannath Swaminathan is the co-founder of Erisyon and a researcher at the Marcotte Lab at the University of Texas Austin. In this interview, we discuss the concept of next-generation protein sequencing, clinical proteomics and the critical role of protein sequencing in the fight against COVID-19.

Scientists explore proteomes to identify proteins, quantify their expression and analyze modifications. But proteome coverage and complexity are increasing, creating challenges for traditional profiling. Technologies based on high-resolution mass spectrometry, however, can overcome this, making them the method of choice in basic, translational and biopharmaceutical laboratories alike.

Researchers are developing biomarker tests to detect cancer early, monitor therapeutic efficacy and predict outcomes – making diagnosis and treatment more precise.

Here, we examine one common branch of cell death, apoptosis, and explain why studying aberrations in apoptotic signaling is important for understanding and addressing a range of human pathologies. We also highlight techniques that enable studies of apoptosis.

When it comes to testing for infectious diseases, it seems some companies are engaged in a “race to the bottom” to provide the cheapest test possible. Ever-lower price points might be attractive for cash-strapped governments, NGOs and charities engaged in the ongoing fight against infectious diseases, but are such practices putting us at risk of compromising quality?

Rapid diagnostic test for Lyme disease matches and outperforms standard testing approaches; could be used in a clinician’s office.

To keep pace with the burgeoning biopharma market, research has also advanced antibody characterization and quality assurance. Protein biotherapeutics are inherently heterogenous and complex but techniques within the mass spectrometry field are meeting these challenges head on.

Senescent cells may underlie clotting predisposition, suggest the findings from a recent study by researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

The predicted protein molecular weight (MW) is the sum of all protein amino acid MWs. The calculated MW may be different from that observed on the Western blot. In this article, we summarize common reasons as to why this may occur.