PCR
oracknows | December 1, 2014
Every so often there's an article that starts making the rounds on social media, in particular Facebook and Twitter, that cries out for a treatment by yours truly. Actually, there are more such articles that are constantly circulating on social media that I could work full time blogging and still not cover them all. So I'm stuck picking and choosing ones that either (1) particularly pique my interest; (2) irritate me enough to goad me into action; or (3) reach a level of ubiquity that I can no longer ignore them. I don't think this one's hit #3 yet, but it certainly scores on #1 and #2.…
oracknows | January 8, 2013Remember Dr. Sin Hang Lee?
If you don't remember Lee, maybe you remember a while back, when the antivaccine group SaneVax touted findings that it claimed were devastating to Gardasil. Specifically, they claimed that there was vaccine-derived human papilloma virus DNA in Gardasi. Ring any bells yet? And it turns out that the guy who made this apparently horrific "discovery" was—you guessed it!—Dr. Sin Hang Lee. Back in 2011, Lee, apparently either funded by or working with SaneVax, "discovered" that there was DNA in his Gardasil. As I explained at the time, there was a lot less to this claim…
oracknows | January 14, 2011I'm tired.
Well, not exactly. I think I'm just suffering a case of what I like to call "anti-vax burnout." It's been a busy couple of weeks on the antivaccine front, given the new set of revelations about Andrew Wakefield, including even more detail about the nature of the scientific fraud he committed and previously untold information regarding just how extensive his business plans were to profit from the MMR scare that his fraudulent science was instrumental in launching in the U.K. Regular readers know that, from time to time, when the news about the anti-vaccine movement is coming fast…
grrlscientist | March 2, 2010tags: handheld thermal cycler, LavaAmp, PCR, Polymerase Chain Reaction, DNA, molecular biology, Unreasonable Insitute, DIY, technology, Guido Núñez-Mujica, streaming video
Millions of people in the Global South suffer from neglected diseases, many of which could be treated, even cured, if they were detected early enough. But reliable, low cost diagnosis hasn't been available, as drug companies have no incentive to invest in the diseases of the poor. New pandemics can go undetected until they have spread out of control, like HIV, and treatable ailments can cripple impoverished communities…
grrlscientist | April 17, 2008tags: The Hamster, The Popcorn and The Piano, pets, humor, comedy, streaming video
After I ran across the recent news story about the murderous hamster, I couldn't resist sharing this video of a pet Siberian dwarf hamster with you to nullify any bad impressions that you might have about hamsters. This hamster is either a white phase animal or it is in its winter pellage (it's hard to know the difference unless the owner tells you what the animal's light cycle is) [1:15].
grrlscientist | April 16, 2008tags: An Engineer's Guide to Cats, pets, humor, comedy, streaming video
In this streaming video, two professional engineers illustrate the proper care and practical benefits of cats. None of the cats, humans, or engineers were mistreated in the making of this film. They were however, slightly annoyed. Song on ending credits is called "Sparky's New Bike" from Shockwave-sound.com royalty free music website. [6:57].
grrlscientist | April 15, 2008tags: politics, electoral system explained, humor, comedy, streaming video
A lot of my readers are from overseas, and at times, they have expressed their overall confusion regarding the process used by Americans to elect our president. I have decided to link to this easy little tutorial where the entire process is explained in a nutshell, including a cute little flow chart graphic, too. [1:25].
grrlscientist | March 6, 2008tags: Scientists for Better PCR, humor, viral marketing, streaming video
I am a scientist who does a lot of PCR, and so I found this example of viral marketing to be really amusing. "Scientists for Better PCR" a Bio-Rad Music Video for the all new 1000-Series Thermal Cyclers [2:13].
"The PCR Song" by "Scientists for a Better PCR" was done by the good folks at Bio-Rad to promote their 1000 Series Thermal Cyclers (a PCR machine). This is probably the best geek ad I've ever seen and will provide laughs to all (especially those who remember when PCR meant dipping your DNA samples into individual…
sporte | January 11, 2008Yesterday, I posted a memorial for Ron Mardigian, an enthusiastic champion of science education at Bio-Rad. Today, I scanned RPM's blog and what do I see?
A choir! Bio-Rad has produced a really funny music video. It reminds me of the music video from "We are the World," except some members of the choir are holding PCR machines and singing about the wonders of PCR!
Scientists for Better PCR is a really cute video, with a catchy tune, and it's fun to watch. If you're teaching about PCR, I highly recommend showing it to your class.
grrlscientist | November 29, 2007tags: birds, bird sex chromosomes, ZZ, ZW, parrots, sex identification, molecular biology
Evolution of Avian and Mammalian sex chromosomes.
Image: E.R.S. Roldan and Montserrat Gomendio "The Y chromosome as a battle ground for sexual selection" Trends in Ecology & Evolution 1999, 14:58-62.
You all are probably curious to know what is happening with my birds these days, so I shall tell you about how sex is identified in birds, such as parrots, where the sexes look the same. But wait a minute, you ask, what does an update about my birds have to do with identifying sex in parrots?
You…