RNA isolation / purification Cells Cancer cell lines Leukemia cancer cell lines

TUNEL assay is the cell death detection method where the biochemical marker of apoptosis is DNA fragmentation. The assay involves the microscopical detection of generated DNA fragments with free 3'-hydroxyl residues. in apoptotic cells using enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) which adds biotinylated nucleotides at the site of DNA breaks. Major challenges of this method involve proper access of the enzyme which could be hampered by poor permeabilization and/or excessive fixation with cross-linking fixative (common with archival tissue). This issue can be resolved by optimizing the incubation time with Proteinase K or CytoninTM.

Transfection is a powerful technique that enables the study of the function of genes and gene products in cells. Based on the nature of experiments, we may need a stable DNA transfection in cells for persistent gain-of-function or loss-of-function of the target gene. For stable transfection, integration of a DNA vector into the chromosome is crucial which requires selective screening and clonal isolation. By carefully selecting a viral delivery system and related reagents we can ensure safe and highly-efficient delivery of expression constructs for high-level constitutive or inducible expression in any mammalian cell type.