Lab Expectations

You've just finished running your lysate sample by SDS-PAGE, so you're pretty confident your protein should have migrated at the right molecular weight and is ready to transfer to a membrane for detection by Western Blot. But what if it's not?

The preparation of a cell lysate is crucial to the success of many assays, including techniques that use antibodies to characterize protein expression. Ideally, throughout the whole process of sample preparation, from lysate collection to analysis, your protein of interest would be well-preserved and protected from the activities of proteases and phosphatases. Proper storage and handling of the lysate are crucial to avoiding degradation and maintaining the ability to detect your protein.

Culturing cells in the lab? Following these tips will add to your success and help you avoid wasted time or the dreaded cell contamination!

In collaboration with Cell Press, we are excited to announce a new educational resource that will make it easier for biology students and researchers to navigate their careers, get published, and strengthen their laboratory skills to enable experimental success. That new resource is called Cell Mentor™.

It's time to check out another video from the CST Tech Tips playlist! In this edition of Tech Tips, we'll tackle a common protocol question customers ask our ChIP team: how much antibody to use for chromatin immunoprecipitaion (ChIP) experiments. Adding more antibody isn't always better - watch the video to learn why. 

Can't see the embedded video above? Click the link below to play: 

Don't forget to subscribe to CST's YouTube channel for more videos to help your research!

• CST Tech Tips
• In-depth protocol videos
• Research presentations and webinars 

So you've set the timer to five minutes for the first of three TBST washes for your western blot membrane. Now what? Sure, you could check your email or social media for the 30th time before lunch. Or you could do something informative, like check out a CST Tech Tips video! This is a new short video series featuring the same scientists who develop and validate CST antibodies, here to offer insights and protocol tips.