Development of a dehalogenase-based protein fusion tag capable of rapid, selective and covalent attachment to customizable ligands.

Our fundamental understanding of proteins and their biological significance has been enhanced by genetic fusion tags, as they provide a convenient method for introducing unique properties to proteins so that they can be examinedin isolation. Commonly used tags satisfy many of the requirements for applications relating to the detection and isolation of proteins from complex samples. However, their utility at low concentration becomes compromised if the binding affinity for a detection or capture reagent is not adequate to produce a stable interaction.

Derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells from human peripheral blood T lymphocytes.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold enormous potential for the development of personalized in vitro disease models, genomic health analyses, and autologous cell therapy. Here we describe the generation of T lymphocyte-derived iPSCs from small, clinically advantageous volumes of non-mobilized peripheral blood. These T-cell derived iPSCs ("TiPS") retain a normal karyotype and genetic identity to the donor.

Small-scale telomere repeat sequence content assay using pyrophosphorolysis coupled with ATP detection.

Studies of telomere length have been carried out in diverse areas of research. However, current methods to measure telomeres are cumbersome and not amenable to high-throughput analyses. Using a coupled pyrophosphorolysis/trans-phosphorylation reaction, we have developed a novel assay to quantitate telomere sequence content in a single tube or 96-well format.