Cultivation of mammalian cells using a single-use pneumatic bioreactor system.

Recent advances in mammalian, insect, and stem cell cultivation and scale-up have created tremendous opportunities for new therapeutics and personalized medicine innovations. However, translating these advances into therapeutic applications will require in vitro systems that allow for robust, flexible, and cost effective bioreactor systems. There are several bioreactor systems currently utilized in research and commercial settings; however, many of these systems are not optimal for establishing, expanding, and monitoring the growth of different cell types.

Operation of a benchtop bioreactor.

Fermentation systems are used to provide an optimal growth environment for many different types of cell cultures. The ability afforded by fermentors to carefully control temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen concentrations in particular makes them essential to efficient large scale growth and expression of fermentation products. This video will briefly describe the advantages of the fermentor over the shake flask.

Pyrosequencing for microbial identification and characterization.

Pyrosequencing is a versatile technique that facilitates microbial genome sequencing that can be used to identify bacterial species, discriminate bacterial strains and detect genetic mutations that confer resistance to anti-microbial agents. The advantages of pyrosequencing for microbiology applications include rapid and reliable high-throughput screening and accurate identification of microbes and microbial genome mutations. Pyrosequencing involves sequencing of DNA by synthesizing the complementary strand a single base at a time, while determining the specific nucleotide being incorporated during the synthesis reaction.

Virtual lab demonstrations improve students' mastery of basic biology laboratory techniques.

Biology laboratory classes are designed to teach concepts and techniques through experiential learning. Students who have never performed a technique must be guided through the process, which is often difficult to standardize across multiple lab sections. Visual demonstration of laboratory procedures is a key element in teaching pedagogy.

Comparison of Online and Onsite Bioinformatics Instruction for a Fully Online Bioinformatics Master's Program.

The completely online Master of Science in Bioinformatics program differs from the onsite program only in the mode of content delivery. Analysis of student satisfaction indicates no statistically significant difference between most online and onsite student responses, however, online and onsite students do differ significantly in their responses to a few questions on the course evaluation queries. Analysis of student exam performance using three assessments indicates that there was no significant difference in grades earned by students in online and onsite courses.

Haemophilus somnus (Histophilus somni) in bighorn sheep.

Respiratory disease and poor lamb recruitment have been identified as limiting factors for bighorn-sheep populations. Haemophilus somnus (recently reclassified as Histophilus somni) is associated with respiratory disease in American bison, domestic sheep, and cattle. It is also harbored in their reproductive tracts and has been associated with reproductive failure in domestic sheep and cattle.