What is Herpetic Simplex Keratitis? Herpetic Simplex Keratitis (HSK) is an eye infection of the cornea, the clear dome that covers the front of the iris and pupil. It is also known as Herpes Simplex Keratitis. What are the symptoms of Herpetic Simplex Keratitis? Some common symptoms include: Eye pain Tearing Redness Blurry vision Sensitivity to light Sensation of foreign objects What causes this infection? HSV-1 causes Herpetic Simplex Keratitis Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) causes this infection. There are two types of HSV; HSV-1 and HSV-2. Herpes Simplex Keratitis is usually caused by HSV-1 which can also cause cold sores

Human Influenza A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) Virus What is the history of Influenza? Records show that the flu has been around for at least 1,500 years. The history of influenza begins with Hippocrates (5th century BC) who first reported that an influenza-like illness spread from Northern Greece to the islands south and elsewhere. In the 1300s, a flu epidemic hit Florence, Italy, which they called influenza di freddo (“cold influence”), no doubt a reference to what they thought caused the disease (viruses weren’t discovered until 1892). History records various flu epidemics, from one in 1580 that spread from Asia to Europe and

Viral pneumonia in kids? Most people don’t realize it, but this disease is one of the leading killers of children under the age of five around the world.  People often think of malaria, diarrhea, birth asphyxia, or preterm birth complications as early childhood killers.  And they are. But so is viral pneumonia, often caused by the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). “Of the more than 30 million childhood cases worldwide, RSV causes 1.4 million hospitalizations in the first 6 months of life and 120,000 deaths before five years of age worldwide each year. Severe complications include pneumonia and bronchiolitis.” 1 The problem

Come along with me today while I broaden my knowledge of one of our newest products, an HIV RNA quantitative PCR control. I’ll be chatting with Thomas Parks, the lead molecular scientist on the development team for this highly innovative material. First, I’ll fill you in at rapid speed with what I know already. Advanced Biotechnologies released HIV-1 (IIIB Strain) Quantitative Viral RNA as a new product in 2018. This HIV RNA quantitative PCR molecular standard is especially helpful for validation of clinical laboratory tests and verification and validation of diagnostic laboratory tests because: – It contains the entire viral

How effective is UV sterilization? Does it work for bacteria and viruses? What are the pros and cons? These are questions I hear a lot working in the microbiology field, especially when people think about how dirty their cell phone gets. With more and more UV sterilization products coming on the market, you might be wondering if they are worth trying. So, let’s dig in! UV light has been used for sterilization and disinfection as early as the mid-20th century. With advancements in technology, and specifically in the UV bulbs themselves, its reliable long lifespan (thousands-of-hours) and smaller size (e.g.

Since RNA is so chemically fragile, working with the molecule can feel a bit like skydiving without a parachute. While we’ve previously discussed protecting RNA using ribonuclease inhibitor proteins (RIs), RIs have very limited utility and use due to their own fragility. So, are there other more robust measures that can be implemented to guard the safety and integrity of RNA during routine manipulation? Fortunately, the answer is yes. Protection of RNA begins with protection of the biological sample itself. The sample containing your RNA of interest is usually chock full of RNases. One way to protect your RNA is

RNase Inhibitor proteins (RI) by their very nature have an unusual dichotomy. Although they can be quite effective in binding RNases and preventing RNA degradation, they can also be the cause of RNA degradation if they are mis-handled. Although this at first seems counter-intuitive, the explanation is very straight-forward. Some RNases (RNase A and RNase T1, for example) are extremely heat resistant. These proteins can be heated to 100°C and still retain most or at least some of their activity upon cooling. They consist of multiple disulfide bonds which provide conformational stability and catalytic activity. It is these bonds that

As noted in our previous post, RNases are the number one enemy of RNA stability. So how do you keep your RNA intact when these ubiquitous molecules infiltrate your precious sample? Enter the Ribonuclease inhibitors (RI). These proteins are offered commercially under names like RNaseOUT and RNasin. They originate from different animal sources (mouse, pig, and human are among the most common) and are sold as recombinant proteins.  They are fairly large in size and structure but with a fairly average molecular weight (around 50kDa). This is much larger than that of the RNAses to which they bind (e.g., RNase

RNA Hygiene Microblog Series Introduction Novel techniques are being developed every day for use with RNA to help achieve more insightful results. This monthly microblog series will share an array of tips and techniques for hygienically working with RNA that the molecular lab newbie, as well as the 30-year RNA veteran researcher, will find helpful. Here at Advanced Biotechnologies we are cheering you on as you work to take extra care and precaution to ensure correct RNA experimentation outcomes. We hope you enjoy this series. RNA Hygiene (Part I) – RNases and Your RNA Hygiene (Cleaning Solutions) The primary enemies

You may have heard about the link between Epstein-Barr virus and Burkitt’s lymphoma. Did you know that it is associated with a lot of other malignancies as well? In today’s blog we look at the history of EBV, its link with cancer, and a hopeful new treatment that may curb the spread of the virus. At some point in our lives, we have all had a friend, classmate, coworker or family member that has had to stay home for a few weeks due to the “kissing disease” mononucleosis, or, if you don’t want to say that mouthful (pun intended), just