In any laboratory, having key lab supplies is almost as important as having the major equipment. Choosing a reputable supplier of these necessary supplies is as important as having quality laboratory supplies when you need them. WPI wants to be your partner in early drug discovery, and we stock a wide variety of lab supplies, many of which can ship the same business day. Having a variety of lab supplies ready to ship makes us a dependable research partner. Here are some of the popular supplies that we keep on hand to meet your needs for your upcoming experiment

In vitro models have employed two common methods to quantify changes in endothelial barrier integrity: transepithelial/transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and tracer compound permeability.1  TEER is a non-invasive method that quantifies changes in electrical conductance to measure confluency and barrier integrity. Tracer compound permeability uses molecules of defined molecular weights to measure the size exclusion capacity of cell barriers (e.g., 4 kDa FITC-dextran or FD4).1  Using the EVOM™ Manual (EVOM-MT-03-01) with the EndOhm TEER electrode and cell culture permeable supports, this application note describes how to non-invasively evaluate endothelial barrier integrity after cytokine treatment and provides a method to identify vasoactive compounds that have the potential to induce vascular injury.  Tracer compound permeability studies are combined with TEER evaluation to elucidate treatment-induced impacts on both intercellular junctions and paracellular transport (Fig. 1).

In the process of ‘cell cycle’, cells grow and divide into two genetically identical daughter cells. It is regulated by a complex signaling pathway which keeps cell homeostasis by regulating cell division and DNA duplication1. On the other hand, because cancer cells grow and divide indefinitely out of cell cycle control, anti-mitotic drugs are used to suppress abnormal proliferation of cancer cells2. In particular, Nocodazole is known to be a representative anti-mitotic drug for cancer treatment, and it has the characteristics of disturbing microtubule dynamics during cytoplasmic and nuclear division3,4.

Cytotoxicity refers to the degree of damage to cells.   caused by chemical substances or physical factors. Measuring it through cytotoxicity assay is essential for drug development and biological research. Cells undergo complex signaling pathways that causes various cell death processes such as apoptosis, necrosis, and necroptosis. However, most cytotoxicity assays are measured at the endpoint that makes it difficult to study the dynamic response of cells to drugs.

As white blood cells responsible for immune function are suspension cells that travel along blood vessels, immunology studies often use various suspension cell lines originating from white blood cells. Dealing with suspension cells, unlike adherent cells, slight movement of a plate when locating it on the microscope causes the cells to float. Aside from the problems caused by temperature and CO2 instability, it is in fact not possible to use a traditional microscope to monitor cells in real time. Therefore, in order to stably monitor suspension cells, a live cell imaging device such as Celloger® Mini Plus that operates inside an incubator is essential1. In addition, with Celloger® Mini Plus, the camera inside the system moves to capture the images of cells in multiple positions to keep the cell sample in a steady state instead of having a movable stage with a plate on it. When the suspension cells were monitored both by Celloger® Mini Plus and microscope, imaging with Celloger® Mini Plus was more stable compared to using a microscope in which several cells were out of focus (Figure 1).

Are you looking for a microliter or sub-microliter and high precision syringe that holds needles as small as 36 gauge (G), in addition to having the capability to connect to quartz tubing?

WPI’s NanoFil is the answer. We offer NanoFil syringes with NanoFil needles or the option to connect the NanoFil syringe to quartz tubing to use in research studies, mainly involving sub-microliter volume injections into animal tissues.