ArticlesDroplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)

Replication-Competent Virus Testing: A Critical Step in Cell and Gene Therapy Quality Control

Scientists commonly use lentiviruses and adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) as viral vectors in cell and gene therapy (CGT) production. However, therapies that use these viruses must undergo strict quality control measures, including testing for replication-competent viruses (RCV), to ensure that the treatment is safe. Cell culture-based methods are currently the gold standard for RCV testing, but it can take up to 45 days for results to be returned. Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) kits now offer an attractive orthogonal method.
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ArticlesBio-Plex Multiplex ImmunoassaysResearch Highlights

CAR T-Cell Therapy and the Cytokine Storm: The Balancing Act at the Center of Next-Generation Cancer Therapies

Recent advances in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy have opened exciting new avenues for the treatment of a variety of malignancies. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS), a powerful immune response to activated CAR T cells, is the primary side effect of CAR T-cell therapy, but existing CRS treatments can make CAR T-cell treatment less effective. In two recent studies, researchers used multiplexed cytokine immunoassays to better understand how CAR T-cell therapy triggers CRS and to identify strategies for early intervention in CRS development.
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BioRad.io Podcast Series

The BioRad.io podcast series is focused on R&D informatics, introducing you to people responsible for implementing systems and technologies to a diverse set of use-cases. Join us every month to see what you can learn.
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ArticlesCustomer StoriesReal-time qPCR/PCR

NalaGenetics Moves Pharmacogenomics from the Bench to the Clinic using qPCR: An Interview with Astrid Irwanto, Co-Founder and COO

Astrid Irwanto is the co-founder and COO of NalaGenetics, a company taking a novel, personalized approach to understanding genetic susceptibility to drug reactions in Southeast Asian populations. A PhD in human genetics and postdoctoral research in genetics disease, along with personal experiences, fuel Astrid’s pursuits. In this interview, we discuss NalaGenetics’ approach to pharmacogenomics and why Astrid decided to translate her academic research to a molecular diagnostics company.
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ArticlesCell BiologyDrug Discovery and Development

Developing Biotherapeutics for Lung Cancer Treatment

In recent years, biologics — drugs derived from living culture systems — have become increasingly significant in the fight against a plethora of conditions. Unfortunately, the efficiency of these drugs comes at a cost. A daily dose of a biologic drug costs, on average, 22 times more than conventional small-molecule drugs. Therefore, biosimilars are developed to make them more accessible. Lung cancer is an example where the development of biosimilars could increase treatment options available for patients.
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ArticlesDroplet Digital PCR (ddPCR)

Enhancing the Power of Microsatellite Instability Detection with ddPCR Technology

As the third most prevalent cancer worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC) is a significant global health burden. Biomarker identification and detection has proven a powerful strategy for improving CRC diagnosis and informing targeted treatment. Microsatellite instability (MSI) is a key biomarker in CRC, and with Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR), MSI can be accurately detected using a wider range of sample types.
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ArticlesProduct HighlightsReal-time qPCR/PCR

7 Ways Custom PCR Reagents and Plastics Fuel Product Development

One-size-fits-all solutions cannot address the full range of molecular biology needs in areas such as biotech, biopharma, or molecular diagnostics. When your requirements exceed the existing offerings of reagents and plastics on the market, Bio-Rad can partner with you and provide custom solutions. For a deeper look into these customization opportunities, we spoke with Anna Lai, manager of Bio-Rad’s custom reagents program, and Jennifer Placek, who manages the company’s custom plastics.
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ArticlesBreak RoomNext-Generation Sequencing

Sequenced — Comic Series

Join Terence, a motivated undergrad, as he experiences the ups and downs of research using next-generation sequencing, learning valuable tips for successful NGS experiments along the way
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ArticlesChromatographyProduct HighlightsTechnical Reports

Automated Multicolumn Monoclonal Antibody Purification

The current gold standard in monoclonal antibody purification for most researchers is affinity purification with Protein A or G followed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Although robust and highly effective, this workflow does have critical pain points and inefficiencies, leaving researchers to feel that they must oversee every step of their workflow, not leaving their chromatography system unattended for more than a few minutes.
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ArticlesCell BiologyResearch Highlights

Efficacy of a Novel Treatment for Multiple Myeloma Established by Flow Cytometry

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an effective treatment strategy for multiple myeloma (MM) but isolating enough hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) for transplantation can be challenging. The selective CXCR4 inhibitor motixafortide has been shown to be a safe and efficacious HSPC mobilization agent in a phase 2 trial when paired with G-CSF. Crees et al. (2023) report the results of the phase 3 trial, in which they used the ZE5 Cell Analyzer to explore motixafortide’s mobilizing effects.
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