HUM-MOLGEN archive: BIOT, NEWS: various febr 1997

New BIOT messages, and some NEWS, too! The BIOT TOPIC is open for help, questions, announcements and remarks concerning new and latest developments in BIOTechnology and Molecular biology. Also you may want to offer or seek (technically oriented) collaboration. NEWS relates to recent, new developments. Sponsoring companies, which cover part of the costs made by HUM-MOLGEN, are welcome to participate, too, but only if their message is of primary interest to our subscribers. Please be sure to thank these companies for sponsoring HUM-MOLGEN. Please send high quality messages only, fully stating your name, address and purpose of your message. Please state only non-trivial questions. Other messages may be refused without further notification. Please, help yourself by helping your colleagues. This BIOT message contains: 1) Elsevier Trend Journals announces: Technical Tips Online. (sponsored message) 2) Info asked for article in The Scientist 3) Question about DNA extraction 4) Question of restriction analysis of BAC clones 5) Collaboration offered: unique model for pituitary cell transplantation model 6) Question about screening lambda gt11 cDNA library Edward Wilcox Arthur Bergen (BIOT editors) ************************************************************************* Call for papers for Technical Tips Online Technical Tips Online is a new electronic journal from Elsevier Trends Journals. Technical Tips Online publishes short peer-reviewed molecular biology techniques papers in a WWW-based environment. The papers describe novel methods or significant improvements to existing methods in any aspect of molecular biology. Readers may contribute comments on existing articles, and can access a range of product and company information. You can access the Technical Tips Online web site at the following addresses: In the US - http://www.elsevier.com/locate/tto In Europe - http://www.elsevier.nl/locate/tto If you have developed a useful or innovative molecular biology protocol, we invite you to submit a manuscript to Technical Tips Online. Instructions to authors and further information can be found at the Technical Tips Online website. Best wishes, Adrian Bird University of Edinburgh (Editor, Technical Tips Online) and Mark Patterson Elsevier Trends Journals ***************************************************************************** This message was originally submitted by 76715.3517@COMPUSERVE.COM to the HUM-MOLGEN list at NIC.SURFNET.NL. I am writing an article for The Scientist on RNA extraction/purification. I am looking for researchers for comments on: Why you must extract/purify RNA in your research? Challenges/difficulties in protocols? Any particular protocols or products that you use? What cell types are particularly difficult to extract RNA from? (I've read that this is so for breast cancer cells.) Why? How to solve problems? Any experiences/opinions/anecdotes will be much appreciated! Please include name, title, institution. Ricki Lewis, Ph.D. 76715.3517@compuserve.com ********************************************************************** This message was originally submitted by Vilma.Konradova@LF1.CUNI.CZ to the HUM-MOLGEN list at NIC.SURFNET.NL. Dear colleagues, i am starting with genomic DNA isolation with a "Wizard" kit. What happens: DNA often doesn't dissolve in the "DNA Rehydration Solution" (TE), the white peel remains. It is independent on the time I let the DNA dry before. Please, have you got any (successfull) experience with it? Yours sincerely mgr. Vilma Konradova Laboratory for Diagnostics of Mitochondrial Diseases 1st Medical Faculty Charles University, Prague - Czech Republic e-mail: vkonr@1lf.cuni.cz ************************************************************************** This message was originally submitted by gxq@SS10.IGTP.AC.CN to the HUM-MOLGEN list at NIC.SURFNET.NL. Dear colleagues: I isolated a clone that contains 150 kb insert from a BAC(bacteria artificial chromosome) library.I want to construct the restriction enzyme digestion map of this clone. Would you please tell me the technology routine? Thank you. Xueqian Gong Institute of Genetics Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China E-mail:gxq@ss10.igtp.ac.cn ************************************************************************** Dear Sir/Madam: I have established a pituitary cell transplantation model utilizing immunoisolation technique-microencapsulation.I am planning further study on genetic engineering pituitary hormone secrating cell transplantation and looking for a suitable Lab. for cooperation. Dr. Z.P. Chen McGill Univ. ************************************************************************** end. This message was originally submitted by rmital@IMB.OEAW.AC.AT to the HUM-MOLGEN list at NIC.SURFNET.NL. Dear Colleagues I have recently tried to screen a lambda gt11 cDNA library, with monoclonal antibody to a specific and abundant protein. In the first screen I got positive signals for nearly all plaques. Is this possible?. when I rescreened some of the positives, I had high background, so the whole blot was dark, but the plaques were white spots. this was confusing. Then I repeated the ECL procedure, changing conditions where I had no background, but good dark spot for all the plaques. I am still confused if this result is real, or I am looking at a kind of artifact. At this point it might be worth screening again, this time using a nonspecific antibody. This will help me to determine if the signal I am seeing is in fact an artifact or not. Does anyone know if all plaques can ever be positive. I would like to hear from someone who has screened a library with antibodies. The other thing which is very noticeable is that the signal is not a black spot, but a small center which is colorless, and then a ring of black around it. please respond directly at the following address Dr. RENU MITAL INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AUSTRIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES BILLROTHSTRASSE 11 A-5020 SALZBURG; AUSTRIA tel 0662-63961-15 fax 0662-63961-40 email rmital@imb.oeaw.ac.at ************************************************************************ Dr. Arthur A.B. Bergen Department of Ophthalmogenetics The Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute (IOI) Royal Academy of Sciences of the Netherlands (KNAW) ** Snail-mail: ** ** FAX: ** ** E-mail: ** P.O.Box 12141 (+31)206916521 A.Bergen@IOI.KNAW.NL 1100 AC Amsterdam The Netherlands ************************************************************************