BioTechniques Volume 68, Issue 4 is now online

The April issue of BioTechniques’ 68^th volume is now online, featuring a variety of topics including CRISPR, big data and western blotting, among others.

The issue begins with a Technology News feature from Managing Editor Joseph Martin, examining how data handling is trying to keep up with the increasing amount and complexity of data being generated.

Next, Xuanzhu Zhou (GenScript, NJ, USA) presents an expert’s opinion on the utility of CRISPR in chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy.

The issue then goes on to present various new methods and techniques:

DNA/RNA isolation

• An evaluation of the key factors involved in optimization of nucleic acid precipitation

CRISPR

• A method based on cellular thermal shift assays that can interrogate proteomic shifts generated by CRISPR-assisted dense mutagenesis
• A comparison of the indel detection capabilities of two techniques in mosquitoes

Bioanalysis

• An assay for screening the serum of multiple sclerosis patients treated with alemtuzumab for neutralizing antibodies
• A simple method to determine the optimum pH of an enzyme in a coupled enzyme assay
• Kinase activity-tagged western blotting

Sequencing

• An ultra-high-throughput next-generation sequencing library construction method using a nanoliter chip

PCR/Cloning

• A system to generate amiRNAs in agriculturally important dicots, to enable production od medically important proteins
• A new approach to estimate the species specificity of xenografts

The issue concludes with a review discussing methods to assess oxidative stress biomarkers in the clinic.

Catch up with our recent issues in our digital compilation, which also contains exclusive content and details of our cover competition.