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Featured Articles
Meet the Newest Addition to the Aurora Scientific Sales Team!
Aurora Scientific sales team is growing to better meet the needs of our researchers, and we are very excited to announce the arrival of our newest Product Consultant, Katherine Athaide!
Scent-sational Developments in Neuroscience
In anticipation for ISOT 2024, taking place every 4 years, June's publication review encompasses a proof-of-concept for a novel biological sensor and novel insights into odour perception in the piriform cortex. Together, these studies underscore the widespread contributions of olfaction research, with profound implications on technological developments and our understanding of cognitive functions.
Women’s Health Month: Strides in Muscle Physiology
In honour of Women's Health Month, May’s publication review covers recent advances in female-focused muscle physiology research. These investigations into gradual ovarian failure, the impact of non-sugar sweeteners during the reproductive stage, and the effects of partial glycogen synthase kinase 3 knockdown, collectively advance our understanding of how sex differences can impact muscle physiology.
News & Events
Meet the Newest Addition to the Aurora Scientific Sales Team!
Aurora Scientific sales team is growing to better meet the needs of our researchers, and we are very excited to announce the arrival of our newest Product Consultant, Katherine Athaide!
Out of This World Research at Brock University: Post Mission Insights into Alterations of Soleus Muscle Function in Space-Flown Mice
Hear Dr. Val Fajardo, Jessica Braun, and Briana Hockey on their experience working on NASA's Rodent Research-20 (RR-20) mission at the Roskamp Institute, the data collected utilizing Aurora Scientific equipment, and future directions of the lab.
WEBINAR: Molecular Signals Mediating Increases in Muscle Size and Function
In this webinar, Dr. Bert Blaauw elucidates skeletal muscle regulatory pathways and offers approaches to tackle muscle deficits for therapy.
Muscle Physiology
Women’s Health Month: Strides in Muscle Physiology
In honour of Women's Health Month, May’s publication review covers recent advances in female-focused muscle physiology research. These investigations into gradual ovarian failure, the impact of non-sugar sweeteners during the reproductive stage, and the effects of partial glycogen synthase kinase 3 knockdown, collectively advance our understanding of how sex differences can impact muscle physiology.
Out of This World Research at Brock University: Post Mission Insights into Alterations of Soleus Muscle Function in Space-Flown Mice
Hear Dr. Val Fajardo, Jessica Braun, and Briana Hockey on their experience working on NASA's Rodent Research-20 (RR-20) mission at the Roskamp Institute, the data collected utilizing Aurora Scientific equipment, and future directions of the lab.
Spring into Action: Proteins of the Myofilament
In anticipation of the upcoming Myofilament Meeting, April’s publication review covers recent advances in the myofilament field. From the effects of inotropic agents on cardiac myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, protein kinase D’s role in cardiac homeostasis, and the contribution of specific myosin-binding protein C domains in muscle contraction, the following studies usher in a promising trend of exciting breakthroughs.
WEBINAR: Molecular Signals Mediating Increases in Muscle Size and Function
In this webinar, Dr. Bert Blaauw elucidates skeletal muscle regulatory pathways and offers approaches to tackle muscle deficits for therapy.
Step-by-Step: Analyzing Experiments in DMA
This blog will provide a walkthrough of how to analyze an experiment in our Dynamic Muscle Analysis (DMA) LabBook software.
Moving Mountains: Recent Feats in Muscle Physiology
As we March towards the 2024 American Physiology Summit, this month’s publication review covers recent advancements in the realm of muscle physiology, including the development of an improved resistance training method, the long-term musculoskeletal consequences of chemotherapy, and the characterization of crossbridge kinetics in cardiac trabeculae. Taken together, these studies reveal a promising trend of breakthroughs in muscle physiology.
Tackling the Heart of the Issue: Advances in Cardiovascular Research
February notably marks “Heart Month”, aiming to highlight the importance of cardiovascular health and its critical implications on our overall wellbeing. Tackling the heart of the issue, several cardiovascular studies stand out as key players within the preclinical research landscape. The following publication review covers recent advancements in the field, including a promising therapeutic drug candidate for heart failure as well as novel insights into the cardiovascular biology of Marfan syndrome and muscle contraction regulation.
Molecular Deep Dives in Force Production
As we launch full force into 2024, studies exploring the molecular underpinnings of force production in mice have blazed the trail of functional muscular research. From calcium dynamics during muscle contraction, to muscle impairments in myotonic dystrophy, and the effects of running on muscle mass in a dystrophic mouse model, January's novel insights into muscle function and regulation have important implications on our understanding of muscle physiology and health.
Olfaction & Plume Tracking
Scent-sational Developments in Neuroscience
In anticipation for ISOT 2024, taking place every 4 years, June's publication review encompasses a proof-of-concept for a novel biological sensor and novel insights into odour perception in the piriform cortex. Together, these studies underscore the widespread contributions of olfaction research, with profound implications on technological developments and our understanding of cognitive functions.
Best of 2023: Across Countries and Applications
2023 has proved to be a particularly fruitful year for scientific discovery, with a multitude of pioneering studies spanning continents and disciplines. From the intricate workings of muscle physiology in Switzerland to the nuanced understanding of migraine mechanisms in the USA, the discernment of mosquito olfactory processing in India, and the innovative strides in sustainable materials science in Germany and Austria, this year's research highlights embody the spirit of global collaboration and scientific ingenuity. We hope that, by highlighting the multitude of ways our instruments provide precise and reliable data, future and current researchers can draw inspiration for new and innovative ways to collaborate across borders.
Scents of Security: Emerging Olfaction Applications with Biorobots
The following publication review showcases several new and exciting findings in the olfactory sciences, highlighting how our instruments helped these researchers stir up the lab. The natural world often serves as inspiration for innovation, and insects – specifically their olfactory systems – have become a recent research topic of interest. Given the remarkable sensitivity of insect odor detection systems, the potential applications of this budding field are numerous.
Pain & Nociception
Unravelling the Intricacies of Somatosensation
Somatosensation, the process responsible for our perception of the world, is more mechanistically complex than it may seem. Pressure, temperature, and pain are just a few of the various parameters that most organisms use to situate and navigate themselves throughout the world. While these phenomena are well described at a functional level (i.e. the five senses), this sort of communication at the cellular level is much more involved1. Nonetheless, recent publications utilizing our systems have made considerable strides in this field, unveiling some of the mechanisms and cellular basis behind mechano- and somatosensation.
CNS Integration of Tactile Stimulation
Aurora Scientific offers instruments that facilitate the study of these primary sensory neurons, which have been highlighted in this publication review.
300C-I Dual Mode Indenter: How to Perform Force Control Experiments
In this technical blog, we explain how to perform force control experiments with our 300C-I Dual Mode Indenter.
Materials Science
Best of 2023: Across Countries and Applications
2023 has proved to be a particularly fruitful year for scientific discovery, with a multitude of pioneering studies spanning continents and disciplines. From the intricate workings of muscle physiology in Switzerland to the nuanced understanding of migraine mechanisms in the USA, the discernment of mosquito olfactory processing in India, and the innovative strides in sustainable materials science in Germany and Austria, this year's research highlights embody the spirit of global collaboration and scientific ingenuity. We hope that, by highlighting the multitude of ways our instruments provide precise and reliable data, future and current researchers can draw inspiration for new and innovative ways to collaborate across borders.
Renewed Interests: Harnessing Engineered Constructs to Explore Novel Strategies in Regenerative Medicine
Tissue engineering is at the forefront of regenerative medicine, offering immense promise for restoring or enhancing the function of impaired tissues and organs. While tissue constructs remain costly in clinical settings, their use as a research tool holds vast potential for drug discovery, aiding and expediting the screening of drug candidates. In this publication review, we will discuss three recent publications leveraging specialized equipment from Aurora Scientific to advance the innovative field of engineered tissue constructs.
Unique and Interesting Animal Models
At Aurora Scientific, we provide instrumentation to help assess muscle biomechanics in a variety of animal models from flies to octopuses, and highlight some recent examples in this publication review.