When we make primer sequences for an assay, two characteristics we're concerned with are the specificity of the primers and the sensitivity. We can use blastn to evaluate whether or not our primers are likely to work. Specificity: The specificity of a primer set is related to whether the primers ...
An introduction to our Alaskan NSF Chautauqua course and a pre-course assignment. I don't know how well this will work, but I thought it might be interesting this year to experiment with blogging about our course and sharing some of our experiences with the rest of the world. Here's your ...
If we asked any biologist to pick the five most important techniques in biology, that list would certainly include PCR. PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction. It's used everywhere. We use it to amplify DNA for cloning, we use it for diagnostic tests, for DNA sequencing, for identifying pathogens, for ...
The first research assignment for our Alaska NSF Chautauqua course has been posted. Your task is to find a wound-inducible plant gene, learn something about it, and post a description in the comment section. We've already had one excellent answer, but I know there are at least 54 wound-inducible genes ...
