Cold Spring Harbor Protocols, an online journal that publishes methods used in a wide range of biology laboratories, has added over 40 new peer-evaluated protocols to its archive today. The new collection highlights two techniques for characterizing protein interactions, which will aid a number of cell and molecular biologists--including those who seek to identify the molecular basis of human diseases. Both of these methods are freely accessible from the journal's website: www.cshprotocols.org
Given the importance of characterizing the molecular networks and signaling pathways that form the biological basis of all living organisms, techniques aimed at probing protein interactions have come to the forefront in recent years. The new methods published recently by CSH Protocols will be useful for scientists seeking to identify the molecular partners--such as other proteins or DNA--to which specific proteins bind.

The featured protocols describe how proteins of interest can be labeled with detectable markers and then used to probe thousands of different DNA and protein sequences. The protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions that are identified will eventually be useful for tracking down the causes of diseases, as well as for designing new drugs to aid in their prevention and therapy.

The latest issue of CSH Protocols also includes a variety of other standard and specialized techniques that will be useful to a number of researchers. These include methods for synchronizing cell growth, investigating embryonic development, and preparing specimens for immunostaining.


Posted by: Rose    Source

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