. Some techniques used in IIR   IIR makes use of a large range of modern biotechnological methods, some of which are listed below*: DNA/RNA techniques   GeneChip technology gel-electrophoresis HPLC DNA/RNA purification PCR, RT-PCR, XL-PCR, PCR/MAPPing quantitative PCR primer design searching databases for particular genes/proteins and searching for homologous DNA sequences PCbased DNA sequence related programs restriction enzyme analyses various DNA modifying enzyme reactions Southern- and Northern blotting DNA sequencing - automated and manual construction of cDNA libraries screening gene libraries with antibodies and DNA probes transformation/transfection of pro- and eukaryotes plasmid purification purification of lambda bacteriophages molecular cloning in plasmids and lambda bacteriophages ribonuclease protection assays nuclear run-off assays hybridisation, incl. in situ hybridisation and intracellular visualisation of specific mRNAs differential display technique differential screening production and purification of recombinant proteins Protein techniques HPLC and other chromatographic procedures electrophoretic techniques (including Western blotting) ELISA, ELIspot and RIA techniques plaque-forming cell assays (Ig producing single cells) receptor-binding kinetics, incl. radioreceptor analyses flow cytometry (FACS) Cytometric Bead Array (CBA) and Luminex techniques magnetic bead separation techniques immunofluorescense in situ hybridisation (including cytoplasmic and nuclear visualisation of peptides) bioassays for cytokines and other bioresponse modifiers Cell biology techniques in vitro culturing of tissues, cells and cell lines immortalisation techniques lymphocyte and monocyte isolation, -characterisation and -activation T-lymphocyte cloning immuno-, cyto-, and histochemistry bioassays for cytokines and other bioresponse modifiers cytotoxicity assays and apoptosis techniques (TUNEL etc) cryopreservation cell population analysis by immunofluorescence and magnetic bead technology cell sorting by flow cytometry * see also The Osteoarthritis Research Unit at IIR.