Cells make decisions to differentiate. In an embryo, cells make a series of decisions about whether they will become neurons in one case or muscle cells in another. Cells make decisions.
Cells are being studied at Texas A&M University and North Carolina State University. They hope to measure the concentrations of vital signaling. Measurement will be used to develop mathematical models that can predict and control cellular growth.
The study was published in a journal.
The Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M has an associate professor who wants to understand differentiation decisions so that they can be harnessed. Engineering tools are used to understand and describe the processes of cell differentiation. We need to understand the concentrations of the proteins in the tissues.
It can be hard to determine the concentrations of key signaling proteins. The mix-and-read assays were developed by the researchers at North Carolina State University. Critical reagents are placed in combination with a lysed cell in a mix-and-read test.
In this case, lysozyme, the researchers created two proteins that bind to it. The bioluminescence you would see in a firefly is due to the fusion of the twoprotein binders.
bioluminescence can be created when the two halves of luciferase are combined to create a single molecule.
The researchers in the lab were able to determine the sensitivity of the test by analyzing a model of the method. Researchers will gain a deeper understanding of how and why cells make differentiated decisions.
This study uses this technique to detect the presence of targets in a cell lysate.
"Other applications, which we will use in my lab, include allowing us to measure some proteins that were not able to be measured in live tissues."
The researchers want to apply these methods to other classes of molecule that are difficult to detect in live tissues.
Dr. Carlos Cruz-Teran and Apoorva Thatavarty are from the department of chemical and biomolecular engineering at North Carolina State University.
More information: Nikki McArthur et al, Experimental and Analytical Framework for "Mix-and-Read" Assays Based on Split Luciferase, ACS Omega (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c02319 Journal information: ACS Omega
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