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InVivo Biosystems Blog

Employee Spotlight: Technical Applications Scientist Ben Jussila

Employee Spotlight: Lab Manager LeAnn Bowers

Employee Spotlight: Project Manager Kalyn Hubbard

Employee Spotlight: Senior Software Developer Kolt McBride

How do we use Machine Learning to Automatically Measure C.elegans Lifespan?

Testing the efficacy of JadeAging®, a Chinese Medicine based longevity formulation, using InVivo Biosystems’ suite of in vivo platforms

Temperature & C. elegans Part Two: How does Temperature affect development?

Summary: We recently published a piece on the importance of temperature in C.elegans which got the whole InVivio Biosystems team thinking about C. elegans’ development,

The Benefits of Standardizing Zebrafish Diets

We recently were asked to procure a special zebrafish diet, which got us thinking about zebrafish diets overall. Once we started researching this custom diet,

A Day in the Life: Lab Tech I

Summary: Marilee joined InVivo Biosystems in 2021 after graduating with a BSc in Environmental Science from OSU, in this article she chronicles a day in

Mistakes and Lessons Learned Part 5: Maintaining Homozygous Cultures/Male Identification

Summary: In this five part series we are exploring some common mishaps when working with C. elegans, so you can hopefully avoid them too! Especially since

Mistakes and Lessons Learned Part 3: Worms Over the Edge

In this article we will discuss the issues that arise with worms burrowing or crawling over the edge of the plate.

Mistakes and Lessons Learned Part 2: Fungal and Bacterial Contamination

What can I do if I accidentally left a plate of worms uncovered on my bench and now there is a spot of contamination?

Mistakes and Lessons Learned Part 1: Mistakes That Lead to Stress or Death

In this blog we will discuss ways worms may be stressed or killed unintentionally, such as being too rough or slow during worm transferring.

Zebrafish 101: A White Paper

In this white paper we will discuss the advantages and limitations of zebrafish and ask: is a zebrafish model right for my research?

C. elegans 101: A White Paper

In this whitepaper we discuss the advantages and limitations of C. elegans, and ask the question: is a C. elegans model right for my research?

How does Cre/loxP recombination work?

In this blog, we discuss the basics of the Cre/Lox technique which is used in conditionally controlling gene manipulation in zebrafish.

Why is temperature important for C. elegans?

In this article we discuss the effect temperature has on our favorite worms, and how we can exploit these effects when designing studies.

Tips and Tricks for Successful Worm Picking

When working with C. elegans it is vital that you can deftly handle them. Worm picking, however, is a skill where practice makes perfect. At

What is the new Split hygromycin method? How does it differ from MosSCI? How can we use it to help you?

In 2020 a new method of inserting transgenes into the genome of C, elegans was introduced to the field, and was quickly adopted by InVivo

Which Popular Live Food is Best for Your Zebrafish? A Head-to-Head Comparison of Rotifers and Artemia

When choosing the right food for a Danio rerio colony there are a number of factors to consider. This guide will help navigate the roadblocks

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Crossing Basics

This video provides a brief overview of the zebrafish crossing process that we utilize in-house at InVivo Biosystems

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Embryo Injections

Learn how to perform a zebrafish embryo injection and some tips and tricks so you can ace your next injections too.

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Maintaining Water Quality

Maintaining water quality is crucial for successful zebrafish maintenance and husbandry, especially during the startup of a fish rack. This video discusses how to keep

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Tracking Fish Health

This video discusses the daily maintenance and upkeep of zebrafish, including keeping track of population health, our daily zebrafish rack checklist (water flow, buffer fills,

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Live Food vs. Dry Food

Have you ever wondered what type of food to feed your zebrafish? This video highlights what we choose to feed our fish and why

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Cleaning and Disinfecting the Tanks

An important, but time-consuming, aspect of zebrafish maintenance and husbandry is the proper cleaning and disinfecting of lab equipment. Tanks should be cleaned every 5-6

Validating Expression of Humanizations – What We’ve Done so Far

In an effort to create better research models for epilepsy, we’ve been working on a grant-funded project to humanize numerous C. elegans genes. Learn more

Zebrafish Husbandry 101: Processing & Fluorescent Screening

How can you better study your gene of interest? Fluorescent tagging! This video showcases InVivo Biosystems’ fluorescent screening process using zebrafish. Watch the video

Problem Solved: Using a new technique to solve a problem

Two main lessons learned: 1. stay current with a broad variety of literature and 2. always be willing to try new methods

Check it before you wreck it

Mistakes can happen, various design issues can be overlooked, or maybe just a less than optimal design was used, so how do we at InVivo

Zebrafish husbandry resources

Visual learners rejoice! We’ve compiled a list of great resources for you to learn everything you want to know about zebrafish husbandry.

Zebrafish Husbandry Basics: Breeding and Sexing [Video]

Are you wanting to learn more about zebrafish breeding? Have you ever wondered how to tell the males from the females when they’re all swimming

Key Considerations When Designing a Lifespan Assay

Developing an analysis strategy up front in parallel with experimental design is key to avoiding costly errors down the road.

Zebrafish Husbandry Basics: Breeding [Video]

Are you wanting to learn more about zebrafish husbandry? Have you ever wondered how we do our zebrafish crosses? Our zebrafish team put together this

4 Key Steps to Quality C. elegans Strain Confirmation

How do we ensure that we deliver high quality C. elegans strains to our clients so that they are confident in the transgenic animals they

Egg Viability Assay – A View From The Bench

The main purpose of this assay is to find the potential humanized LMNA worm variants that have a fecundity defect.

Zebrafish Genome Editing: CRISPR vs. Tol2

One of our scientists compares two popular genome editing tools, CRISPR and Tol2 to better understand the pros and cons of each technology

Microfluidic EPG Recordings From Diverse Nematode Species

The InVivo Biosystem ScreenChip platform was developed for C. elegans, which is a free-living (non-parasitic) species that feeds on bacteria and has both hermaphroditic and

OP50 Vs. HB101: Which Food Should I Choose?

Nematode worms such as Caenorhabditis elegans feed on bacteria as a food source. In the wild, C. elegans obtain various bacteria from rotting plants, fruit,

A Spotlight on Recent Zebrafish Research

We’ve compiled some of the most recent informative and influential research being done using the zebrafish model

How do I get rid of this pesky protein? The Hows and Whys of Protein Degradation

Being able to understand how a protein acts in specific tissues and times can be key for the general understanding of a protein’s function.

How to identify a successful transgenic edit in C. elegans Part 1

In this blog, we will discuss key factors to consider when choosing a screening method, introduce various editing techniques, and discuss the pros & cons

90 Mutations with 1 Gene: Functional Analysis of Variants Using C. elegans

We created over 90 point mutations in the STXBP1 gene via CRISPR. A map of these point mutations can be seen above. Clinical variants

Worms on drugs: How well can C. elegans predict drug toxicity in mammals?

One can kill nematodes by feeding them any number of noxious chemicals, but how effectively can worms predict potential human toxicity of drug leads?

The Need for Animal Models in COVID-19 Research

Our CSO recently helped write a letter expressing the need for animal models in COVID-19 research

PCR Vs. HRMA For Genotyping: When To Use What?

Research Spotlight: Summer Sun Safety Month

C. elegans and Zebrafish have been used to study the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) for decades. August is Summer Sun Safety Month so in

Worms, They’re Just Like Us! [Infographic]

Fluorescent Tagging Capability Demonstration

At InVivo Biosystems, we have been working with fluorescent tags in C. elegans for over five years, and we have made over 600 fluorescent transgenic lines.

A View From the Bench: Roadblocks and Frustrations When Expectation Meets Reality.

In an effort to create better models for epilepsy, we’ve been working on a grant-funded project to humanize important synaptic machinery by replacing endogenous coding

Research Spotlight: Alzheimer’s Disease

June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month. We wanted to take a few moments to spotlight some of the awe-inspiring research on Alzheimer’s disease taking

We Used CRISPR To Make 15 Point Mutations In 5 Genes. Here’s What We Learned.

Zebrafish Injection Mix: Buy verses DIY, what are the real costs? [Infographic]

Make sure you understand all of the costs associated with DIY-ing a zebrafish CRISPR project verses outsourcing it to a team with years of experience.

Why Validating Your Plasmids is Key to a Successful Transgenic, and How You Can Do It Too.

Plasmids are a key tool in molecular biology. These circular pieces of DNA, also called “vectors” or “constructs”,  can be engineered to contain large made-to-order

Seventeen Minutes of Science: From Zebrafish to Electric Fish, the Evolution of a PhD Student’s Research

Tune in weekly to our virtual series “Seventeen Minutes of Science” every Tuesday at 11am PST / 2pm ET where we go live on Facebook

Precise Knock-Outs For Precise Research

5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Injection Success

We do injections everyday. While we’ve gotten pretty good at them, they don’t always go as planned. What does it mean if an injection has

A New School of Thought: Using Zebrafish to Understand Genetics of Group Behavior

As we all spend time isolating ourselves for social distancing purposes, group behavior is on the forefront of our minds in new and unforeseen ways.

Seventeen Minutes of Science: Worming our way into Machine Learning (Episode 9)

Stuck at home with nothing to do during this quarantine? Restless to still be learning and interacting with other scientists? You’re in luck! You can

When Details Matter: Bacterial Inactivation in Compound Associated Longevity Testing

One of our lab techs gives us an inside look at the development process of our automated Lifespan Analysis Platform and the importance of UV-inactivated

Seventeen Minutes of Science: What it Takes to Support Zebrafish Research (Episode 8)

Stuck at home with nothing to do during this quarantine? Restless to still be learning and interacting with other scientists? You’re in luck! You can

The Importance of COVID-19 Environmental Testing

Originally posted on the Enviral Tech website. Read it on their site here. Why you should start testing your facilities for COVID-19 now As COVID-19

11 Steps to a Successful CRISPR Knock-in

Knock-ins are hard, for a long time people even said they were impossible, but we are nearing an 80% success rate for CRISPR knock-ins in

6 Key Steps to a Successful Zebrafish Knock-in [Infographic]

[Webinar] A Shortcut To Understanding Longevity: A Rapid In Vivo Analysis Of A Compound’s Effect On Health And Aging

Zebrafish Acute Toxicity Study Demonstrates Concordance With Rat Fetal Embryotoxicity

The Challenge of Getting CRISPR-based Knock-ins to Work in Zebrafish

We take a look into why so many zebrafish groups struggle to achieve knock-in transgenesis and what makes knock-ins so difficult.

Seventeen Minutes of Science: The More Models the Merrier – Zebrafish & C. elegans Working Together (Episode 3)

6 Things That Can Go Wrong While Making Your Zebrafish CRISPR Knock-In

Seventeen Minutes of Science: Ben Loves Zebrafish & CRISPR (Episode 1)

To truly validate your sgRNAs, go In Vivo

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing for Zebrafish is a rapidly growing molecular biology toolset with diverse applications, but is not without its technological barriers. Reagent sourcing, design

Intro to CRISPR: Zebrafish Mutations [Infographic]

Where the Lead Leads: Seeking Mechanisms of Action in C. elegans for Neurotoxic Effects of Lead

Neurotoxin exposure is implicated in the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). Traditionally, vertebrate animals such as

Featured Scientist: Ben Jussila (NemaMetrix)

Ben Jussila graduated from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities/Minneapolis) with a major in Genetics, Cell Biology & Development. Ben is currently an R&D Scientist

The Evolution of Drug Resistance; an Issue of “When, not if”

Drug resistance in many pathogens — viruses, bacteria, protozoa, parasitic worms and more — presents a growing and potentially catastrophic challenge to human and animal

Total Domination – Uncovering the Phenomenon of 1:2 Dominant vs Recessive ratio for Variation in the Genome

Our CSO revisits his Veritas Genomic Sequencing report for a closer look at how significant some of the discovered variants are

Using Zebrafish for Rapid Genetic Analysis

Article Review: The Caenorhabditis elegans Transgenic Toolbox

We reviewed a recent article that discusses the best techniques available for C. elegans transgenics, as well as experimental concerns that should be considered.

A Look Inside the CRISPR Toolbox

This visual quick-guide offers a look inside the control possible through CRISPR genome edited transgenics, and will offer guidance as to which method would be

C. elegans New Lab Checklist

Are you starting a new C. elegans lab and feeling overwhelmed with starting from scratch? We want to help make this process as smooth as

Ask An Expert: The importance of experimental assay or analysis temperatures in C. elegans studies

Note: We no longer sell the Arena Instrument, so please check out our updated article on the importance of temperature in C. elegans here to

Featured Scientist: Adrian Wolstenholme (University of Georgia)

Dr. Adrian Wolstenholme graduated from the University of London with a BSc in Biochemistry and has since spent almost 43 years working in the lab.

Conditional mutagenesis by loxP insertion in zebrafish – outfoxing the unfloxable

CRISPR/Cas9-mediated integration of loxP sequences for conditional mutagenesis in zebrafish has recently made its way into the toolkit of zebrafish researchers. In particular, CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis

C. elegans showing its weight in neuro-toxicology research

Featured Scientist: Anne Hart (Brown University)

Anne Hart’s research focuses on fundamental problems in neuroscience using tools available in the nematode C. elegans. She received her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCLA,

The Unnecessary Procedure – A Problem with False Positives in Genomic Testing

There is a significant pressure to increase diagnostic yield and it has its consequences. BRCA testing is probably the most developed ecosystem for genetic tests

Meet Janis Weeks: A Neuroscientist Turned Global Health Advocate

Using C. elegans to study parasitism

C. elegans is one of the most powerful model organisms and has been used to unravel several key genetic pathways. The C. elegans nematode has been used

Ask an expert: What is the difference between the Worminator and the wMicroTracker?

Buying a product is no longer as easy as looking it up and purchasing it. Instead, we spend additional time “price-shopping” and comparing the features

Featured Scientist: Sangeetha Iyer (Perlara PBC)

Sangeetha Iyer is the director of preclinical development at Perlara. In her work, she is interested in demonstrating that nematodes can be used as model

A New Era of Transgenics in Parasitic Nematodes

One of the most commonly known nematodes in the scientific community is Caenorhabditis elegans. Ever since Sydney Brenner introduced it as a model organism to

Dealing with Uncertain Significance of the Genome

“Risky Business” Most of us are wired to be risk averse. Yet, I have been giving serious contemplation to the “risky business” of having my whole

Featured Scientist: Shawn Lockery (University of Oregon, NemaMetrix)

    My academic research at the University of Oregon concerns the neuronal basis of behavior in one of the smallest brains known to science,

CRISPR/Cas9 off target effects: Hyperactive cutting or media hype?

There has been a lot of media coverage in recent months surrounding CRISPR/Cas9 and the potentially life changing impact the gene-editing technology could have. More

wMicroTracker Applications: Mutant and Toxicity Screening

The wMicroTracker is an essential tool to add to your mutant and toxicity screening work. Check out the application sheet below to see how easy

wMicroTracker Applications: Oxidative Stress Assays

The wMicroTracker is an essential tool to add to your oxidative stress assays. Check out the application sheet below to see how easy it is
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