RNA interference (RNAi) and CRISPR-Cas9 technology are powerful tools for determining the functional consequences of specific genes' loss or gain by modulating target genes' expression levels. To investigate the effects of particular genes on cell growth and survival, researchers can utilize techniques such as RNA interference (RNAi) or CRISPR-Cas9 to inhibit or eliminate the expression of particular genes. Though these techniques are quite useful for identifying the functional implications of target genes, they are not as good for evaluating sudden alterations, especially when it comes to proteins that are essential for cell division and survival. Acute alterations in cells may not be instantly reflected by RNA interference and CRISPR-Cas9 technologies because cells may have complicated responses and regulatory systems to changes in protein levels and because these technologies may require some time to establish control or changes in gene expression.

The prevention and control of epidemics depend heavily on the early and prompt detection of infections. The practical implementation of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology is limited by the need for costly equipment control, specialized testing facilities, intricate solution handling stages, and professional operation. Strong specificity, high sensitivity, and user-friendliness characterize pathogen detection techniques based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR/Cas). These attributes make them more appropriate for real-world application.

CRISPR/Cas9 is a popular gene editing tool that cleaves DNA using Cas9's endonuclease activity. Cas9 becomes inactive due to mutations in its RuvC and HNH domains, yet it still binds DNA with guide RNA to generate dCas9. By combining inhibitory/activating proteins with dCas9, CRISPRa/CRISPRi is generated, which modifies the chromatin at target enhancers and promoters to control the transcription of genes.

At Creative Bioarray, all FFPE tissue specimens are collected by certified medical pathologists under the approval of IRB. Tissues are fixed in 10% neutral-buffered formalin for 30 to 60 minutes after surgical resection. Fixing agents and embedding media can be customized upon request. Standard-sized FFPE tissue can produce at least 500 x 4-5µm cuts. The collection of all samples is in full compliance with regulatory standards and best-practice guidelines. From resection to storage to shipment, each specimen is handled carefully and precisely to ensure the highest quality specimens are delivered to our customers.

Histological image analysis is performed by examining tissue sections under a light (optical) or electron microscope, based on which manual or automated analysis can be conducted to detect diseased tissues. Image analysis involves the computer-assisted quantification of various measurement parameters. Typical measurement parameters include object count, linear measurement, area measurement, and relative color intensity. Image analysis has proven to be valuable in identifying and documenting the subtle induced changes in tissues. Compared to the less precise or more laborious “manual” quantification methods, image analysis has numerous potential advantages including improved objectivity and consistency, enhanced sensitivity, and shorter turnaround times, especially for projects where measurements can be automated. In addition, image analysis provides a permanent record of the data, produces results that are highly amenable to statistical analysis, and allows user to collect data that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to obtain.

Creative Bioarray offers state-of-the-art molecular pathology services on multiple high-throughput test platforms, including DNA, RNA and protein preparation from a large number of samples for molecular assays, massive parallel sequencing, Sanger sequencing, gene expression analysis and quantitative PCR.

Frozen tissues samples have been widely used in medical research for cancer and other diseases to examine cell morphology, disease status, intracellular and intercellular communication, as well as biopsy tissue sections. Compared to FFPE sample preparation, freezing has the advantage of being fast, and the resulting samples are very suitable for molecular analysis. Frozen tissue samples are also preferred in analysis such as mass spectrometry, next generation sequencing, western blotting for post-translational protein modifications, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Therefore, frozen tissue samples are the gold standard for DNA and RNA sequencing, especially when the strands must be longer than 50 pairs. In immunohistochemistry, frozen tissue samples are also very useful as the proteins are preserved in a native state.