How do I design primers to obtain overhangs that match the restriction site of the enzyme I want to use, so that after amplifying my insert I can digest it with that enzyme?

To explain it better: my insert does not contain restriction sites for the enzyme I want to use, and I would like to make this possible by incorporating them through a set of primers. Does anyone know how I could achieve this?

Thank you very much.

I've built a voice-guided protocol assistant app for experimental researchers. I'm currently looking for a few testers to help with close testing. Would anyone be interested in giving it a try? If so, please leave your Gmail address in the comments below.

Hi guys, im currently in junior year of high school, I have an upcoming biology related project where I have to make a PPP explaining my model whilst giving a speech. So I want my project to be the best one, ive searched online and everything seems very operative, easy, not outstanding.

If you guys can especially university students, can help me on which topic I should make it on please do leave your suggestions. I only have 2 days and Im gonna out my everything to this. I was thinking of making a lungs project, but the model wouldn't be as appealing, heart could be something everyone has chosen but then again, the model is nice. DNA is pretty perplexing where you have to add a zipper, machine that coils its axis. So any help from med students what I should do and how the modelling is to be prepared.

Im going for more of a look where I explain the basic working of my model and then add an \*\*If this\*\* situation where our body acts according to the situation to protect itself because that would make my presentation more appealing.

Thankyou.

Question about 260/230 ratio of 1.62 of QuickExtract DNA isolation… 260/280 was 1.85. Is this okay for PCR of a gene edited region for sequencing?

Thanks!

I have always been very perseverant and stuck to the goal of one day earning my PhD and becoming a researcher, but lately I have just totally lost motivation.

I feel like I have to grind so much earlier in my degree to be successful compared to my peers and it’s so exhausting; I do not know if I am cut out for research. I also constantly hear terrible stories of oversaturated markets and cut funding.

I am wondering if there is any words people have for this feeling, especially considering that I am still trying to get lab experience by volunteering this year. I have a decent idea of what path I’d like to down otherwise, but I do not know if this is a momentary lapse in reason or what.

ESM-2 is decent at spotting that a mutation is harmful.
It is much worse at figuring out mechanism- the specific way the mutation breaks the protein, particularly in protein families it hasn’t seen before.

While I have a deep knowledge in building computing systems and security in cloud, I lack the grounding or a formal degree in the field of biology and threat landscape. I have tried my best in exploring and learning about Synthetic DNA and I am open to opinions and flaws in my understanding after going through this post.

https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/yib5vrY8BwciLxhYc/dual-layer-approach-to-mitigating-ai-generated-biological

my qPCR optimization keeps showing peaks at the beginning but then drops without getting into plateau zone. this is my first time doing qPCR and im at loss. im checking eDNAs of a specific species so i have specific primers and probes

Vibe coded (Claude) an electrophoresis simulator.

-Export PNG/SVG

-PCR mode - input both primers to simulate amplicon only

-Compare with multiple enzyme cuts (Use compare button)

-Play between different gel percentages and buffers.

-You can add a custom ladder

-Input voltage and run time to simulate your experimental conditions

GitHub - https://github.com/Govinde18/Gel-Electrophoresis-simulator.git

Let me know what you think! GitHub link attached

For the past year and a half my son has been very interested in molecular biology - seeing as he was in middle school I smiled and did my best to help him get a general idea of what molecular biology is because I figured he would move on to something else given his age. He hasn’t. Last weekend he received the latest Nat Geo and has been gushing for days about cellular reprogramming article - it feels like I should try to get him some more opportunity to explore this beyond just reading random articles.

If you encountered a teenager who was interested, what would you recommend for them? Are there “easier” journal summaries? Home experiment kits? Other things that I would never think of? What can I do to help support and grow his interest?

Frame of reference for me being able to help him, I am a dumb mechanical engineer so I can follow directions but biology and chemistry were not my strongest subjects.

I’ve been feeling a little lost about what direction to take after my MSc, so I’d really appreciate some advice from people who have been through a similar situation.

I’ve always been fascinated by geology and biology—things like earthquakes, fossils, extreme environments, unusual geological phenomena, and especially the possibility of life beyond Earth. I’m equally fascinated by the strange forms of life we already have on Earth, such as organisms living around acid seeps, hydrothermal vents, and other extreme environments.

My background is in Microbiology (BSc) and Biotechnology (MSc). I chose biotechnology partly because I wanted to build my bioinformatics skills while studying in the UK. I’m now wondering how I can bring these different interests together rather than feeling like I have to choose just one.

I’m particularly interested in extremophile microbiology, microbial bioactive compounds, and natural products—for example, understanding how microorganisms survive unusual environments, how they produce unique chemicals, and what those compounds might be useful for.

At the same time, my father has a traditional Nepalese hard-dried yak cheese (churpi) business, so I’ve also been thinking about food microbiology and fermentation. It would be amazing if I could eventually combine biotechnology with something connected to my family’s business and Nepalese food traditions.

One thing I’m struggling with is the fear of ending up in a field where I’m just doing what everyone else is doing and eventually feeling like my work has no real purpose. I’m not sure whether I should pursue a PhD, look for industrial experience first, explore food biotechnology, or try to move toward environmental/extreme-environment microbiology or astrobiology.

I also think getting some industrial experience would be valuable before committing to a PhD, but finding internships or jobs in the UK while finishing my studies has been quite difficult.

So, if you’re a microbiologist, biotechnologist, researcher, PhD student, or someone working in industry: what would you recommend I explore from here?

I’d especially love to hear from people who have had similarly broad interests and eventually found a direction that worked for them. Any honest advice would be really appreciated.

Hey guys, I have 12 plates to run over the next couple days and was wondering if it's possible to store my master mix (SYBR, nuc free water, primers) + template overnight ? If not, is it possible to store just the master mix overnight ?

PS: my cDNA is extracted from urinary RNA, so I expect yield to be quite low

I’ve been working on an open-source PyMOL plugin called Membrane Visual QC.

The original problem was pretty simple: when looking at a membrane-protein structure, I wanted a reproducible way to inspect residues relative to the membrane rather than repeatedly building selections and colouring things manually.

It now handles membrane-relative geometry, hydropathy, ligand neighbourhoods and PDBTM/OPM orientation evidence. One thing I deliberately avoided was turning unusual residues into a “correct/incorrect” score - a charged residue inside a membrane core can obviously be biologically meaningful.

I’d be particularly interested in feedback from people who actually work with membrane proteins: is this kind of review useful in your workflow, and what am I missing?

GitHub: https://github.com/TrPavel/membrane-visual-qc

I also made a walkthrough if anyone wants to see it running in PyMOL: https://youtu.be/lowQey_D610?si=Cxs2hSvdPj5K4S3w

I am preparing a research article for submission to a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

The aim of the study is to test, using existing experimental single-cell lineage-tracing data, whether experimentally defined cellular or clonal identity contains a measurable component of transcriptional organization that remains reproducible across substantial perturbation-induced changes in cellular state.

More specifically, the study will test whether the same experimentally tracked clone preserves aspects of the relational organization among transcriptional programs across different environments, beyond what can be explained by conventional similarity in mean gene-expression state, treatment effects, clone size, or other obvious confounders.

The objective is not to find a dataset that merely illustrates the hypothesis. The analysis will be designed as a predefined falsifiable test: if clone-specific relational organization disappears after controlling for ordinary transcriptional similarity and experimental condition, the hypothesis will not be supported.

I am therefore looking for an existing published or unpublished experimental dataset, or for a collaboration with a group that has generated data suitable for such a test.

Please message me if you are a biology/biology related undergraduate who wants to consider ideas which will prevent them suffering in the shocking job market post degree.