4th May 2018
Development of biosensors for the detection of small molecules is notoriously difficult due to the lack of suitable antibodies and the relatively small signals, which result upon small molecule binding to them. At Aptamer Group we select aptamers that bind to small molecules with high specificity and undergo a substantial conformational change that gives […]
25th August, 2017
Starting with the end in mind
The use of aptamers in point of care diagnostic devices, for monitoring drug dose levels or for use as therapeutics, requires functionality across a wide variety of conditions.
Aptamer selection starts in conditions optimised to promote aptamer/target interaction to identify the best target-binders. Subsequently, by introducing different pressures, we […]
10th May 2017
AptaBasics: ‘What is an Aptamer’?
An aptamer is a sequence of single strand nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) with a variable region of about 40 nucleotide bases. This variable sequence confers each aptamer with a unique 3 dimensional structure and potential ligand binding capability. These factors make aptamers high affinity and specific binding molecules, […]
01 December 2016
World AIDS Day is held on the 1st of December of each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV. Around 100,000 are currently living with HIV in the UK and an estimated 35 million people suffer from HIV globally.
Ever since AIDS was first recognized in […]
26 August 2016
Aptamers have emerged as an exciting and promising new means of treating neurological disease, with the potential to fundamentally change the way we approach CNS-targeted therapeutics. With the propensity to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), Aptamers can target specific cell or signalling systems, respond to endogenous stimuli, or act as vehicles for gene […]
19 August 2016
Aquaculture is the sustainable farming practice of raising aquatic organisms for the purpose of human consumption. Aquaculture has rapidly grown in popularity and is now poised to be a major food source for the global community over the next decade. Common species farmed by aquaculture include fish, crustaceans, molluscs, marine plants and to […]
18 July 2016
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. It accounts for approximately one third of all deaths globally (Shattat, 2016) and represents a massive financial burden on health services. Innovation and collaboration are required to develop improved therapeutics and diagnostic applications, in which aptamers may play a crucial role.
What […]
