Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Telomeres and Telomerase02:41

Telomeres and Telomerase

In eukaryotic DNA replication, a single-stranded DNA fragment remains at the end of a chromosome after the removal of the final primer. This section of DNA cannot be replicated in the same manner as the rest of the strand because there is no 3’ end to which the newly synthesized DNA can attach. This non-replicated fragment results in gradual loss of the chromosomal DNA during each cell duplication. Additionally, it can induce a DNA damage response by enzymes that recognize single-stranded DNA.
Real Time RT-PCR02:57

Real Time RT-PCR

Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, or Real-time RT-PCR, is an analytical tool used to determine the expression level of target genes. The method involves converting mRNA to complementary DNA with the help of an enzyme known as reverse transcriptase, followed by the PCR amplification of the cDNA. These two processes can be performed simultaneously in a single tube or separately as a two-step reaction.
The real-time quantification of the number of amplified products is...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Redox- and Photo-Responsive Fe<sup>3+/2+</sup>-Cross-Linked Carboxymethyl Cellulose Methacrylate Dissipative Gels: Synthesis and Applications.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2026
Same author

Intracellular logic computing with DNA tetrahedron processors enables precision cancer theranostics.

Signal transduction and targeted therapy·2026
Same author

Dictated cell adhesion and migration using microfluidic-controlled synthetic hydrogels exhibiting programmable viscoelasticities.

Journal of materials chemistry. B·2026
Same author

Photoactivated Signaling Networks using DNA-Based Synthetic Organelles as Biomimetic Protocells.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Dynamic Switchable and Transient DNA Condensates Driven by Aptamer-Ligand or Ion-Nucleobase Bridged Complexes.

Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany)·2026
Same author

Allosteric ligand-aptamer complexes orchestrate supramolecular or transient catalytic, transcription and fibrinogenesis processes.

Chemical science·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
12:08

Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence

Published on: May 22, 2013

Optical, electrical and surface plasmon resonance methods for detecting telomerase activity.

Etery Sharon, Ronit Freeman, Michael Riskin

    Analytical Chemistry
    |September 21, 2010
    PubMed
    Summary

    This study introduces three novel sensing platforms for detecting telomerase activity in human cells. These methods utilize field-effect transistors, quantum dots, and surface plasmon resonance for sensitive and specific telomerase analysis.

    More Related Videos

    Semi-quantitative Detection of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Activity of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein
    08:26

    Semi-quantitative Detection of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Activity of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein

    Published on: June 12, 2018

    Droplet Digital TRAP (ddTRAP): Adaptation of the Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol to Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction
    06:38

    Droplet Digital TRAP (ddTRAP): Adaptation of the Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol to Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction

    Published on: May 3, 2019

    Related Experiment Videos

    Last Updated: Jun 8, 2026

    Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence
    12:08

    Telomere Length and Telomerase Activity; A Yin and Yang of Cell Senescence

    Published on: May 22, 2013

    Semi-quantitative Detection of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Activity of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein
    08:26

    Semi-quantitative Detection of RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase Activity of Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Protein

    Published on: June 12, 2018

    Droplet Digital TRAP (ddTRAP): Adaptation of the Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol to Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction
    06:38

    Droplet Digital TRAP (ddTRAP): Adaptation of the Telomere Repeat Amplification Protocol to Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction

    Published on: May 3, 2019

    Area of Science:

    • Biomedical Engineering
    • Molecular Biology
    • Nanotechnology

    Background:

    • Telomerase is a crucial enzyme for maintaining telomere length and is implicated in cellular aging and cancer.
    • Accurate detection of telomerase activity is vital for cancer diagnostics and therapeutic monitoring.
    • Existing methods for telomerase detection can be complex and lack sensitivity.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To develop and evaluate three distinct, highly sensitive sensing platforms for analyzing telomerase activity in human cells.
    • To compare the performance and detection limits of field-effect transistor (FET), quantum dot (QD), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based biosensors.
    • To provide advanced tools for research in cellular senescence, cancer biology, and diagnostics.

    Main Methods:

    • Label-free detection using a field-effect transistor (FET) device monitoring changes in gate potential due to telomerase-induced primer extension.
    • Optical detection employing cadmium selenide/zinc sulfide (CdSe/ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) that exhibit fluorescence quenching upon telomere synthesis and hemin stacking.
    • Amplified surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensing utilizing gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) for enhanced detection of telomerase-driven telomere formation on functionalized gold surfaces.

    Main Results:

    • The FET-based sensor detected telomerase from 65 ± 10 293T cells/μL.
    • The QD-based optical sensor achieved detection of telomerase from 270 ± 20 293T cells/μL.
    • The amplified SPR sensor demonstrated the highest sensitivity, detecting telomerase from 18 ± 3 293T cells/μL.

    Conclusions:

    • The three developed sensing platforms offer distinct advantages for telomerase activity analysis.
    • The amplified SPR method provides superior sensitivity for detecting low levels of telomerase.
    • These biosensors represent significant advancements in tools for studying telomerase in biological and clinical research.