Laboratory techniques
Molecular Biology
- DNA/RNA and protein extraction from various matrices, biological fluids, and cell lines (using manual column-based and automated methods)
- PCR and Real-Time PCR (SYBR Green and TaqMan)
- Electrophoresis (agarose gel, two-dimensional SDS-PAGE, and Western blot)
- Sequence analysis
- Molecular cloning techniques (insertion of constructs/DNA fragments into plasmids)
- Sorting of mononuclear cells with magnetic beads
- Bacterial cultures in solid and liquid media – isolation and characterization of bacterial species
Cellular Biology
- Expansion and maintenance of primary and immortalized cell cultures
- Co-cultures for autologous lymphocyte stimulation
- Stable and transient transfections /infections of cell lines
- Use of reporter genes (luciferase) in immortalized cell lines
- Cell viability assays (MTT assay, LDH assay)
- Isolation and counting of mononuclear cells from peripheral blood using Ficoll technique
- Tubulogenesis assay on collagen matrix
- Immunomodulation assays, cytokine production (ELISA)
- Imaging techniques, immunofluorescence
Parasitology and Virology
- Long-term in vitro culture of P. falciparum and Leishmania spp.
- Production of P. falciparum gametocytes
- Chemosensitivity assays on P. falciparum (asexual stage and gametocytes) and Leishmania spp.
- Generation of transgenic Leishmania spp. strains
- Viral titration using molecular (qRT-PCR) and cellular methods (plaque assay and TCID)
- Isolation of viruses from human samples such as nasal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage
- Neutralization assays to evaluate the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of patient sera