Dear Engineering Biosensors Students, The first day of freshman year was the start of FIRE for many of us when a group of BioFIRE students went to the Smithsonian together. Knowing virtually nothing about our majors, let alone research, we were in for quite the ride. A few pipetting errors, many contaminated samples, and a... Continue Reading →
Blog Posts
So, How’s the Project Going?
With time left in the semester coming to a close and work slowing down a bit, it’s as good as a time as any to take a moment and reflect on what’s been accomplished this semester. We decided to go around the lab look into what everyone has managed to accomplish. The biosensor testing team... Continue Reading →
FIRE Looking Back and Moving Forward
As our time in FIRE at the University of Maryland comes to a close, we wanted to take a look at FIRE through eyes of three people who each play a key role in the program: Dr. Patrick Killion (Program Director), Dr. Catherine Spirito (Engineering Biosensors Research Educator), and Celine (Engineering Biosensors Peer Mentor) ... Continue Reading →
Playlists that Give Me Life
By. Kriti Pradhan and AJ Meka Do you ever feel like the lab is too quiet when you are doing your protocols? Well we got the solution for you! Introducing Engineering Biosensors playlist! We have two playlists: Playlist that Bind my Aptamers and Playlist that Express my Platforms. We understand that some of the protocols... Continue Reading →
Aptamers Vs. Antibodies
Aptamers, or single stranded oligonucleotides are an up and coming biotechnology that have been undergoing numerous clinical trials as of late. With the ability to bind strongly and specifically to pretty much any organic molecule, the use of these ligands has blossomed in the field of therapeutics. The potential effects they could have mirror those... Continue Reading →
Keeping An Organized Journal
One of the most helpful habits to have in any lab is the habit of keeping an organized journal. In our journals, we write down the progress we are continuously making throughout the weeks of research. However, it can get confusing and out of order if it not organized. A good start is … Continue Reading →
Why Bother With Mango?
While Spinach aptamers are the most prevalent, our current research focuses on determining an efficient way to connect Mango aptamers with another aptamer to create a biosensor and to work out an effective method to separate out sequences that bind to TO1-Biotin. So why bother with Mango? Read and find out! Spinach Aptamer The Spinach... Continue Reading →
Advice to New Aptamer Researchers
First of all, welcome to the Aptamer lab! Whether you have worked in a lab before or never even touched a lab bench before, being in a new lab takes some adjustment. So here are a few tips to ensure you start off strong: Read the protocol and background for your procedures before starting anything... Continue Reading →
Advice to New Aptamer Researchers!
I remember visiting the UT FRI aptamer lab during their open house and we got to see all of their equipment and open lab notebooks on the workbenches filled with writing and pictures of gels. Honestly, I had no idea what an aptamer even was and I still did not know until about two months... Continue Reading →
Aptamers for Medical Therapeutics?
Aptamers can be used for various applications, including medical diagnostics, molecular sensors and switches etc. But what about therapeutics? In this blog, I want to give an insight on my project that is aiming to use an aptamer as a therapeutic tool against familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. First off, What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and... Continue Reading →
Aptamers and Biosensors 