Every technique at a glance
11 branches, 51 groups, 169 techniques and 475 sub-techniques, grouped by what each method works on. It opens at group level: click a branch or group to unfold it, or show everything down to sub-techniques with the buttons below.
- Buffer & media preparationpH · molarity
Make buffers, stock solutions and growth media at a defined concentration and pH.
- Pipetting & serial dilutionµL accuracy
Transfer precise volumes and build dilution series for standards and titrations.
- Filtration & sterilization0.22 µm
Remove microbes or particles from media and reagents.
- Centrifugationg-force · pellet
Pellet cells, debris or precipitates, or separate components by density.
Remove salts or small molecules and move a sample into a new buffer.
- Precipitationpellet
Concentrate nucleic acids or proteins out of solution.
- UV-Vis spectrophotometryabsorbance
Measure concentration, turbidity or reaction progress by light absorbance.
- Plate readers & fluorometryRFU · RLU
Read fluorescence, luminescence or absorbance across 96- or 384-well plates.
- Lab safety & biosafetyBSL level
Handle biological, chemical and sharp hazards with the right containment.
- Experimental design & controlsn · controls
Plan replicates and positive and negative controls so results can be interpreted.
- Record keeping & sample trackingELN entry
Record protocols, reagent lots and results so work can be reproduced.
Purify DNA from cells, tissue, blood or plants.
- Plasmid preparationµg plasmid
Purify plasmid DNA from bacterial culture.
- DNA quantification & QCng/µL · A260/280
Measure concentration and purity before downstream steps.
- PCRamplicon
Amplify a specific DNA region from a small amount of template.
Measure how much of a DNA target is present, in real time.
- Digital PCRcopies/µL
Count target molecules absolutely by splitting the reaction into thousands of partitions.
- Isothermal amplificationamplicon
Amplify DNA at one temperature, often for field or point-of-care tests.
- Agarose gel electrophoresisbands vs ladder
Separate DNA fragments by size to check PCR products, digests and integrity.
- Southern blotprobe band
Detect a specific sequence in genomic DNA with a labelled probe; largely replaced by PCR.
- Genotypingallele calls
Determine which alleles a sample carries at known positions.
- DNA methylation analysis% methylation
Measure cytosine methylation at specific sites or genome-wide.
- Restriction digestionfragment sizes
Cut DNA at defined recognition sites for cloning or diagnostic mapping.
- Ligation-based cloningcolonies
Join an insert into a cut vector with DNA ligase.
- Seamless assemblycolonies
Join several fragments in one reaction without leftover scar sequences.
- Bacterial transformationcolonies
Introduce plasmids into competent E. coli to propagate them.
- Site-directed mutagenesisverified clone
Introduce a defined point mutation, insertion or deletion into a plasmid.
- CRISPR-Cas9 editingindel %
Knock out, knock in or correct a gene at a chosen locus.
- Base & prime editing% edited
Make precise single-base or small edits without a double-strand break.
- CRISPR screensguide enrichment
Test thousands of gene perturbations at once to find hits for a phenotype.
- Other editing & transgenesisintegration
Older or complementary ways to modify genomes.
- RNA extractionng/µL
Isolate total RNA while keeping RNases out.
- RNA integrity checkRIN · 28S/18S
Confirm RNA is intact before reverse transcription or sequencing.
Copy RNA into cDNA so it can be amplified or sequenced.
- RT-qPCRCt · ΔΔCt
Quantify expression of specific genes relative to a reference gene.
- Northern blotband size
Check the size and abundance of a specific transcript.
- Expression microarrayssignal intensity
Measure thousands of transcripts by hybridization; largely replaced by RNA-seq.
- In situ hybridizationspots per cell
Localize transcripts inside fixed cells or tissue sections.
- Spatial transcriptomicsspatial expression map
Measure gene expression while keeping each transcript's position in the tissue.
- Antisense oligonucleotides% knockdown
Degrade a specific RNA or change how it is spliced.
- In vitro transcriptionRNA yield
Make RNA from a DNA template for probes, guide RNAs or mRNA.
Break open cells and solubilize proteins without degrading them.
- Subcellular fractionationfractions
Separate nuclei, cytoplasm, membranes or organelles before analysis.
- SDS-PAGEkDa
Separate denatured proteins by molecular weight.
- 2D gel electrophoresisspot map
Separate proteins by isoelectric point, then by size.
- Western blotband intensity
Detect a specific protein with antibodies and compare its level across samples.
- ELISAOD450 · std curve
Quantify a protein or antigen in a liquid sample such as serum or supernatant.
- Multiplex immunoassayspg/mL panel
Measure many cytokines or proteins in one small sample.
- Recombinant expressionmg/L yield
Produce a protein in a host organism from an expression construct.
- Affinity purificationpurity
Capture a tagged protein on a matching resin.
- Chromatography polishingA280 trace
Separate proteins further by size, charge or hydrophobicity.
- Antibody productiontiter
Generate antibodies against a target antigen.
- Immunoprecipitationpartners on blot
Pull a protein out of lysate with an antibody to find what binds it.
- Pull-down assaysbound partners
Use a tagged bait protein to capture interaction partners.
- Proximity labellinglabelled neighbours
Tag proteins near a bait inside living cells for later identification.
- Proximity ligation assayspots per cell
Visualize two proteins sitting within about 40 nm of each other in cells.
- Enzyme activity assaysKm · Vmax
Measure how fast an enzyme converts its substrate.
- Mass spectrometry proteomicsm/z spectra
Identify and quantify proteins across a sample.
- Post-translational modification analysissite occupancy
Map phosphorylation, glycosylation and other modifications.
- Edman degradationN-terminal sequence
Read a protein's N-terminal sequence one residue at a time.
- X-ray crystallographyÅ resolution
Solve atomic structures from X-ray diffraction by protein crystals.
- Cryo-EMÅ resolution
Determine 3D structures of large proteins and complexes from frozen particles.
- NMR spectroscopychemical shifts
Determine structure and dynamics of small proteins in solution.
- Small-angle X-ray scatteringshape envelope
Get the overall size and shape of molecules in solution.
- Circular dichroism% helix / sheet
Estimate secondary structure and follow unfolding.
Measure protein melting temperature and how much a ligand stabilizes it.
Measure the heat absorbed as a protein unfolds.
- Intrinsic fluorescenceλmax shift
Track folding and binding through tryptophan fluorescence.
- Isothermal titration calorimetryKD · ΔH · n
Measure affinity, stoichiometry and binding thermodynamics directly.
- SPR & BLIKD · kon · koff
Measure real-time binding kinetics to an immobilized partner.
Measure binding in solution using very little sample.
Detect a small labelled ligand binding to a larger partner.
- EMSA (gel shift)shifted band
Show that a protein binds a DNA or RNA probe.
- Dynamic light scatteringRh · PDI
Measure particle size and detect aggregation in solution.
- SEC-MALSmolar mass
Determine absolute molecular weight and oligomeric state.
Characterize size, shape and complexes by how they sediment.
- Aseptic technique & passagingpassage no.
Maintain cell lines in a biosafety cabinet and split them before confluence.
- Media & supplementsformulation
Choose and prepare media that keep a cell type healthy.
- Cell counting & viabilitycells/mL · % viable
Count cells and check viability to seed at a known density.
- Cryopreservation & bankingcell bank
Freeze cells in DMSO-containing medium and store them long term.
- Contamination controlpos / neg
Catch mycoplasma, microbial contamination and misidentified lines.
Isolate cells directly from tissue or blood.
- Stem cell culturepluripotency markers
Grow and differentiate embryonic, induced pluripotent or adult stem cells.
- 3D culture & organoidsorganoid size
Grow cells in structures that model real tissue more closely than a monolayer.
- Co-cultureinteraction readout
Grow two or more cell types together to study how they interact.
- Transfection% transfected
Deliver DNA or RNA into cells for transient expression.
- Viral transductionMOI · titer
Deliver genes efficiently, including into primary cells.
- Stable cell line generationclonal line
Select and expand clones that permanently carry a construct.
Measure how a treatment affects cell survival.
- Proliferation & cell cycle% S-phase
Measure how fast cells divide and where they sit in the cycle.
- Reporter assaysRLU fold change
Read out promoter or pathway activity through a reporter gene.
- Migration & invasion% wound closure
Measure how cells move or invade through a barrier.
- Flow cytometry & FACS% positive
Measure markers on thousands of single cells and sort the populations you want.
- Plating & streakingisolated colonies
Grow bacteria or yeast on agar and isolate single colonies.
- CFU countingCFU/mL
Count viable microbes by plating serial dilutions.
- Growth curvesOD600 · doubling time
Follow microbial growth over time by optical density.
Grow cultures for experiments and keep strains long term.
- Gram stainingGram + / −
Classify bacteria by cell-wall type under the microscope.
- Selective & differential mediacolony phenotype
Isolate or tell apart organisms by what they grow on.
- Biochemical identificationID profile
Identify species from their metabolic traits or protein fingerprint.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility (MIC)MIC µg/mL
Find the lowest drug concentration that stops growth.
- Microbial geneticsmutant strains
Build knockouts and engineered strains in bacteria and yeast.
- Yeast two-hybridgrowth on selective media
Screen for protein–protein interactions inside yeast.
- Biofilm assayscrystal violet OD
Quantify how well microbes form biofilms on surfaces.
- Sanger sequencing~800 bp read
Verify a plasmid insert or PCR product base by base.
- Library constructioninsert size
Fragment, adapter-tag and index DNA or cDNA for a sequencer.
- Library QC & poolingbp · nM
Check size and concentration, then pool libraries at equal molarity.
- Short-read sequencingFASTQ · Q30
Sequence millions of short fragments in parallel for most genomic assays.
- Long-read sequencingkb-scale reads
Read through repeats, structural variants and full-length transcripts.
Sequence only protein-coding regions or chosen genes.
- Amplicon & microbiome sequencingASV table
Deep-sequence targeted regions or profile a microbial community.
- Methylation sequencing% methylation
Map DNA methylation base by base.
- RNA-seqcounts · log2FC
Profile the whole transcriptome to find differentially expressed genes.
- Single-cell RNA-seqUMAP clusters
Measure expression cell by cell to identify cell types and states.
- Specialized RNA sequencingisoforms
Resolve full-length isoforms, translation or RNA modifications.
- Read processing & analysisresults tables
Turn raw reads into biological results.
- Brightfield & phase contrast% confluence
Check cell morphology and confluence during routine culture.
- Widefield fluorescencechannel images
Visualize fluorescent proteins or dyes in cells.
- Confocal microscopyz-stack
Take optical sections that reject out-of-focus light and build 3D stacks.
- Light-sheet microscopy3D volume
Image cleared tissues or live embryos quickly with little photodamage.
- Super-resolution~20–120 nm
Resolve structures below the ~200 nm diffraction limit.
- Immunofluorescenceco-localization
Localize proteins inside cells with labelled antibodies.
Tag proteins, organelles or DNA in cells.
- Live-cell & time-lapsetime series
Follow division, migration and other processes over time.
- FRET, FRAP & FLIMefficiency · t½
Probe molecular proximity, mobility or local environment.
- TEM & SEMnm scale
Image internal ultrastructure (TEM) or surfaces (SEM) at nanometre scale.
- Gel & blot imagingband intensity
Capture and quantify gels and blots.
- Image analysisquantified features
Measure intensity, cell counts and co-localization from images.
- Fixation & processingtissue blocks
Preserve tissue and embed it for sectioning.
- H&E stainingmorphology
Show general tissue architecture, with nuclei blue and cytoplasm pink.
- Special stainsstained features
Highlight specific components such as collagen, glycogen, mucins or mineral.
- ImmunohistochemistryH-score
Detect proteins in tissue sections.
- Patch clamppA · mV
Record ion currents or membrane voltage from single cells.
- Extracellular recordingspike rate
Record electrical activity from many cells at once.
- Handling & dosingmg/kg
Give treatments under an approved animal protocol.
- Animal genotypinggenotype
Confirm the genetic status of transgenic or knockout animals.
- Tissue & blood collectionsamples
Harvest organs, blood or serum for downstream analysis.
- Disease & implant modelsphenotype
Model a disease or test an implant in a living animal.
- In vivo imagingphoton flux
Track labelled cells, tumours or implants in live animals.
- Hydrogel synthesisswelling ratio
Make crosslinked water-swollen networks for cell culture or delivery.
- Scaffold fabricationpore size
Build porous 3D structures that support tissue growth.
- Surface modificationcontact angle
Change a surface to control cell attachment or fouling.
- Material characterizationspectra · morphology
Check the chemistry and structure of a biomaterial.
- RheologyG′ · G″
Measure viscoelastic properties of gels and bioinks.
- Tensile & compression testingYoung's modulus
Measure stiffness and strength of materials and tissues.
- Cell seeding on scaffoldsseeding efficiency
Load cells into scaffolds and check their distribution and viability.
- Bioreactor cultureviable cell density
Grow cells at scale or under controlled mechanical conditions.
- Fermentationg/L product
Grow microbes in controlled vessels to make proteins or metabolites.
- Downstream processingyield · purity
Recover and purify product from large cultures.
- Microfluidic fabricationchannel µm
Make microfluidic chips for cell culture and assays.
- Organ-on-chipTEER · function
Culture cells under flow to model organ-level function.
- Droplet microfluidicsdroplets/s
Encapsulate single cells or reactions in picolitre droplets.
- Biosensorslimit of detection
Turn a biological binding event into a measurable signal.
- Nanoparticle formulationsize · PDI · EE%
Package drugs or nucleic acids into nanoparticles.
- Release & degradation studies% released
Measure how fast a material releases its cargo or breaks down.
- Directed evolutionimproved variants
Improve a protein through rounds of mutation and selection.
- Phage & yeast displayenrichment
Select binders from large peptide or antibody libraries.
- Synthetic gene circuitscircuit output
Engineer genetic parts that sense and respond inside cells.
Readout tags are typical outputs, not the only ones. Some methods sit across branches: cryo-EM is filed under Structure but is also imaging, flow cytometry is as much analysis as culture, and phage display is protein engineering as well as screening.