Our expertise spans a comprehensive range of advanced techniques in biomedical research, enabling us to provide high-quality contract research services (CRO) for hospitals, research institutions, and biotech firms. With over 25 years of experience, we specialize in outsourced R&D, from cell-based experiments to data-driven insights, ensuring precise, reliable, and cost-effective solutions. Below, we outline our key areas of proficiency, including detailed descriptions of techniques and their applications in medical and biological studies.
- Cell Culture and Isolation Techniques
We excel in maintaining and manipulating cellular models for research, including primary cell isolation from tissues like ovarian endometrioma and establishing stable cell lines for long-term studies. These methods support investigations into stem cell properties, tumor invasiveness, and gene expression modulation.- Cell Transfection: Introduced foreign DNA/RNA into cells using chemical agents (e.g., Lipofectamine) or electroporation to study gene functions, such as Oct-4 overexpression in endometrial carcinoma cells for chemoresistance analysis.
- Cell Line Establishment: Created stable cell lines (e.g., RL95-2/Oct-4) via selection with antibiotics like G418, enabling consistent models for functional assays and drug testing.
- BC/Stem Cell Cultures: Cultured breast cancer (BC) and stem cells under sterile conditions, including mesenchymal stem cells from endometrioma, to evaluate self-renewal and differentiation in controlled environments.
- Advanced Cellular and Molecular Techniques
Our team employs cutting-edge methods for precise cellular engineering, ideal for genetic modification and cell fusion in therapeutic development or hybridoma production. These techniques accelerate research in embryology, regenerative medicine, and oncology.- Genetic Transfer: Utilized transfection or viral vectors to deliver genes into target cells, facilitating studies on pathways like estrogen receptor α in IL-33 expression.
- Micromanipulation: Applied micropipettes for single-cell injections or biopsies, supporting applications in stem cell reprogramming or embryo handling.
- Electrofusion: Used electric pulses to fuse cells, creating hybrids for research in immunology or tissue engineering, with high efficiency and minimal damage.
- Custom Biomedical Instrumentation & Device Design
We design and prototype specialized equipment tailored for medical research and clinical use, addressing gaps in instrumentation for hospitals and labs. This includes integrating microfluidics and automation to enhance precision in cell analysis and diagnostics, ensuring compliance with standards like ISO and FDA.- Devices for Medical Research/Use: Engineered custom tools such as automated pipetting systems or imaging platforms for real-time monitoring of cellular processes.
- Microfluidic Systems: Developed chip-based devices for single-cell manipulation, sample processing, and high-throughput screening in oncology or drug discovery.
- Sorters, Bioreactors: Created cell sorters for flow-based separation and bioreactors for scalable cell culture, optimizing yield in stem cell expansion or tissue engineering.
- Molecular Biology Techniques
Leveraging nucleic acid analysis tools, we provide in-depth genomic and transcriptomic insights for biomarker discovery, disease modeling, and personalized medicine. These methods are crucial for quantifying gene expression and detecting mutations in samples from endometriotic or carcinoma cells.- RT-PCR & qPCR: Performed reverse transcription and quantitative PCR to measure mRNA levels, e.g., IL-33 or MMP-9 in response to 17β-estradiol.
- DNA-Seq & RNA-Seq: Conducted next-generation sequencing for whole-genome or transcriptome profiling, identifying variants in tumor stem cells.
- ChIP-Seq: Analyzed chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing to map protein-DNA interactions, such as transcription factor binding in stemness regulation.
- High-Resolution Melt (HRM) Analysis: Used for rapid mutation detection via melting curve analysis, ideal for genotyping in clinical research.
- Cellular and Functional Assays
We assess cellular behaviors and responses through functional tests, supporting studies on invasiveness, stemness, and drug efficacy in models like ovarian endometrioma-derived MSCs. These assays provide quantitative data for research progression and validation.- Flow Cytometry: Analyzed cell markers (e.g., CD133, ALDH) to identify stem cell populations and quantify expression levels.
- Invasion/Migration Assays: Evaluated cell motility using Transwell systems with Matrigel, measuring invasiveness in response to factors like IL-33.
- Colony-Forming/Self-Renewal Assays: Assessed clonogenicity in soft agar or low-density plating to evaluate tumor stem cell properties.
- MTT Assay: Measured cell viability and proliferation via colorimetric readout, determining IC50 for chemoresistance studies with drugs like cisplatin.
- Protein Analysis Techniques
Our protein-focused methods enable detection and quantification of biomarkers, supporting pathway analysis in cellular responses, such as MAPK activation in endometriotic cells.- Western Blotting: Detected and quantified proteins (e.g., MMP-9, estrogen receptor α) via SDS-PAGE, transfer, and antibody probing with chemiluminescent visualization.
- ELISA: Performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for sensitive quantification of secreted proteins like IL-33 in cell supernatants.
- Data Analysis and Bioinformatics
We integrate computational tools with public databases for genomic data interpretation, aiding in hypothesis generation and validation for clients’ research. This includes statistical modeling and visualization to derive actionable insights from complex datasets.- CCLE (Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia): Analyzed multi-omics data from cancer cell lines to correlate gene expression (e.g., Oct-4) with phenotypes like chemoresistance.
- ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements): Utilized functional genomics data for annotating regulatory elements, supporting studies on gene regulation in stem cells or tumors.
專業領域
我們的專業涵蓋生物醫學研究的廣泛先進技術，使我們能夠為醫院、研究機構及生技公司提供高品質的合同研究組織（CRO）服務。擁有超過25年的經驗，我們專注於外包研發，從細胞實驗到數據驅動的洞察，確保精準、可靠且具成本效益的解決方案。以下為我們的主要專業領域，包含技術詳細描述及其在醫療與生物學研究中的應用。
- 細胞培養與分離技術
我們擅長維持與操作研究用細胞模型，包括從卵巢子宮內膜異位瘤等組織中分離原代細胞，以及建立長期研究的穩定細胞株。這些方法支持幹細胞特性、腫瘤侵襲性及基因表達調控的研究。- 細胞轉染：使用化學試劑（如Lipofectamine）或電穿孔技術將外源DNA/RNA導入細胞，研究基因功能，如子宮內膜癌細胞中Oct-4過表達對化療抗性的影響。
- 細胞株建立：透過抗生素（如G418）篩選，建立穩定細胞株（如RL95-2/Oct-4），為功能分析及藥物測試提供一致模型。
- 乳癌/幹細胞培養：在無菌條件下培養乳癌（BC）及幹細胞，包括來自子宮內膜異位瘤的間質幹細胞，評估控制環境中的自我更新與分化能力。
- 先進細胞與分子技術
我們的團隊採用尖端方法進行精準細胞工程，適用於治療開發或雜交瘤生成的基因修飾及細胞融合，加速胚胎學、再生醫學及腫瘤學研究。- 基因轉移：利用轉染或病毒載體將基因導入目標細胞，促進研究如IL-33表達中雌激素受體α路徑的機制。
- 顯微操作：應用微量吸管進行單細胞注射或活檢，支持幹細胞重編程或胚胎操作的應用。
- 細胞電融合：使用電脈衝融合細胞，生成用於免疫學或組織工程研究的雜交細胞，效率高且損傷小。
- 客製化生物醫學儀器與設備設計
我們為醫療研究與臨床應用設計並製作原型設備，解決醫院與實驗室的儀器短缺問題。包括整合微流控與自動化技術，提升細胞分析與診斷的精準度，確保符合ISO與FDA標準。- 醫療研究/應用設備：設計客製化工具，如自動化移液系統或即時監控細胞過程的成像平台。
- 微流控系統：開發基於晶片的設備，用於單細胞操作、樣本處理及腫瘤學或藥物發現中的高通量篩選。
- 細胞分選器與生物反應器：製作流式分選器及生物反應器，優化幹細胞擴增或組織工程的產量。
- 分子生物學技術
利用核酸分析工具，我們提供深入的基因組與轉錄組洞察，支援生物標記發現、疾病建模及個人化醫療。這些方法對於量化子宮內膜異位或癌細胞樣本中的基因表達及突變檢測至關重要。- RT-PCR與qPCR：執行逆轉錄及定量PCR，測量mRNA水平，如17β-雌二醇誘導的IL-33或MMP-9。
- DNA-Seq與RNA-Seq：進行次世代定序，分析全基因組或轉錄組，識別腫瘤幹細胞中的變異。
- ChIP-Seq：分析染色質免疫沉澱定序，繪製蛋白-DNA交互作用圖譜，如幹細胞調控中的轉錄因子結合。
- 高解析度熔解曲線（HRM）分析：用於快速突變檢測，通過熔解曲線分析，適合臨床研究中的基因分型。
- 細胞與功能分析
我們通過功能測試評估細胞行為與反應，支持卵巢子宮內膜異位瘤衍生間質幹細胞等模型中的侵襲性、幹細胞特性及藥效研究。這些分析提供研究進展與驗證的量化數據。- 流式細胞術：分析細胞標記（如CD133、ALDH），識別幹細胞群並量化表達水平。
- 侵襲/遷移分析：使用含Matrigel的Transwell系統評估細胞運動性，測量對IL-33等因子的侵襲反應。
- 集落形成/自我更新分析：在軟瓊脂或低密度培養中評估克隆形成能力，研究腫瘤幹細胞特性。
- MTT分析：通過比色法測量細胞存活率與增殖，確定化療抗性研究中順鉑等藥物的IC50。
- 蛋白質分析技術
我們的蛋白質分析方法支持細胞反應中的路徑分析，如子宮內膜異位細胞中的MAPK活化，實現生物標記的檢測與量化。- 西方墨點法：通過SDS-PAGE、轉膜及抗體探測，檢測並量化蛋白（如MMP-9、雌激素受體α），以化學發光顯現。
- ELISA：執行酶聯免疫吸附分析，精確量化細胞上清液中分泌蛋白，如IL-33。
- 數據分析與生物資訊學
我們整合計算工具與公開數據庫，進行基因組數據解釋，協助客戶研究的假設生成與驗證。包括統計建模與視覺化，提取複雜數據集中的實用洞見。- CCLE（癌症細胞系百科全書）：分析癌症細胞系的多組學數據，關聯基因表達（如Oct-4）與化療抗性等表型。
- ENCODE（DNA元件百科全書）：利用功能基因組數據，註解調控元件，支持幹細胞或腫瘤基因調控研究。