Dr. Catherine Shaffer

Feature Writer

Ph.D

Life Sciences, Cell Biology

Catherine Shaffer is a freelance science and health writer from Michigan. She has written for a wide variety of trade and consumer publications on life sciences topics, particularly in the area of drug discovery and development. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Chemistry and began her career as a laboratory researcher before transitioning to science writing. She also writes and publishes fiction, and in her free time enjoys yoga, biking, and taking care of her pets.

Articles from Catherine

Applications of Conditional Gene Knockout Technology

This article describes the process of conditional gene knockout technology, including Cre-LoxP and CRISPR-Cas9, and its applications in research.

14 Feb 2020

Gene Knockout Method

The methods used to carry out gene knockout are mutation, RNAi gene silencing, conditional knockout using Cre recombinase and gene editing using CRISPR.

14 Feb 2020

Microbes in Raw Meat

Contamination of food by microbes is a public health concern around the world. This article investigates the levels of microbes found in raw meat.

14 Feb 2020

Protein Production: Initiation, Elongation and Termination

A ribosome is the cellular machine that produces protein. It has two primary functional units, or subunits, known as the large subunit and the small subunit. Eukaryotic ribosomes are referred to as 80S ribosomes.

14 Feb 2020

T Cell Development

T cells are a type of lymphocyte, or white blood cell, that involved in the adaptive immune response and develop in response to stimuli in the thymus.

14 Feb 2020