Kent Connects

Welcome to the KentConnects blog, where we provide tips, best practices, examples, and more helpful information to improve your processes, boost your efficiency, and make your lab work smarter and safer.

Blog
16 July Oct
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What Are Digital Lab Marketplaces and How Are They Impacting Equipment Procurement?

Digital marketplaces are just one of several ways a modern lab can buy gear, along with distributor catalogs and direct‐from‐manufacturer web stores like Kent’s.  A digital laboratory marketplace is an online hub—like Amazon—that aggregates listings from dozens (sometimes thousands) of sellers and lets buyers filter by spec, price, lead time, and warranty in a...
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24 June Oct
0

Skin Imaging for Non-Dermatology Researchers: What You Need to Know

If you’re working in immunology, oncology, or wound healing, skin is more than just a surface. It can serve as a biologically meaningful read-out, revealing insights into inflammation, healing, drug responses, and more. This shift may feel new. Many researchers weren’t trained to interpret skin-imaging data or evaluate devices, so below...
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6 May Oct
0

Advancing Research Animal Welfare Through Smarter Oxygen Control During Anesthesia

How Smart Oxygen Blending Impact Rodent Anesthesia Rodent research plays a critical role in driving scientific and medical breakthroughs. But along with this responsibility comes another — ensuring that research is conducted ethically, humanely, and in line with the highest standards of animal care. At the heart of that commitment are the...
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11 March Oct
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What Recent Cuts to NIH Grants Mean for the Research Community

On February 7, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced a sudden policy change to cap indirect cost reimbursements at 15% for all existing and new research grants. The decision sent shockwaves through the research community and prompted extensive and heated online discussions on the potential implications. Universities and research...
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6 January Oct
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The Role of Exercise in Health

If one of your New Year’s Resolutions is to exercise more, you’re on the right track. Recent research with mice has uncovered numerous benefits of exercise, including flushing out brain toxins, reversing age-related changes in the brain, preventing DNA damage, reversing fat buildup, and more. Here are some of the...
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13 December Oct
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New Research on Anxiety and Stress: The Harm it Does and How to Potentially Control It

The holidays can be a stressful time, but fortunately, new studies are bringing us closer to understanding all the underlying mechanisms of stress and anxiety, its effects on the body and brain, and new potential treatments. Effects of Stress It’s well known that stress has numerous negative physical and psychological effects, and...
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12 November Oct
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What Animal Research Can Tell Us About Fasting and Health

While many of us are looking forward to a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings, new studies show that fasting, not feasting, may be better for our health. The potential health benefits of fasting have long intrigued scientists, and new animal studies have shed light on how fasting impacts the...
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22 October Oct
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A Special Spooky Season Report: What Mice Studies Can Teach Us About Fear

As Halloween approaches, fear takes center stage in haunted houses, scary movies, and spooky stories. But fear isn’t just a seasonal thrill—it's a deeply ingrained response that scientists have been studying for decades. Mice and rats have become key subjects in fear research, helping us understand the science of fear...
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25 September Oct
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Using Research with Mice to Prolong Human Life

A significant percentage of preclinical research is devoted to finding treatments or cures, but several recent studies with mice have gone beyond finding a cure for a specific disease or condition, venturing into the realm of enabling humans to age better and live longer. While numerous studies have pointed to general...
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16 August Oct
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The Potential Healing Properties of Foods

In the quest for better health and wellness, the foods we consume play a pivotal role. While the benefits of a balanced diet are widely recognized, recent advancements in animal research are uncovering intriguing insights into how certain foods may offer more than just basic nutrition. Pomegranates More than 6 million Americans...
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16 July Oct
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Mice in Space: Rodent Research on the International Space Station

Scientists are taking animal research to new heights—literally. Since 2014, researchers have been conducting various experiments with rodents in outer space aboard the International Space Station. Living organisms experience various changes in the environment of space, including to the bones, muscles, heart, and circulatory and immune systems. Given their genetic similarities to...
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10 June Oct
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What Research with Animals Can Tell Us About the Senses of Sight, Hearing, and Smell

Animal studies provide invaluable insights into the senses of sight, hearing, and smell. By examining these senses in animals, researchers have made numerous important discoveries about the underlying mechanisms of sensory perception and what they reveal about human sensory experiences. Sight Optical Illusions Results from experiments on mice at the University of Tokyo...
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10 May Oct
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Animal Research Yields New Discoveries in Immunity and Autoimmune Diseases

Immunity is a complex area of research with wide-ranging applications in human health. From the discovery of the potentially immune-boosting properties of a common vitamin to the identification of a new connection between gender and immunity, the field of animal research has generated scientific discoveries providing valuable insights into immunity. Food...
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1 April Oct
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Research with Animals Sheds New Light on Issues Surrounding Fertility

Spring has arrived, and with it several new discoveries related to fertility and birth. Exploring the complexities of fertility and reproductive health has long been a focal point of scientific study, with researchers utilizing animal models to gain insights into the intricate mechanisms underlying fertility-related issues. From understanding the genetic processes...
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8 March Oct
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Animal Research Leads to New Discoveries Related to Liver Function

Animal research has long been a cornerstone of scientific exploration, providing invaluable insights into the intricate workings of various biological systems, including the complex roles the liver plays in metabolism, detoxification, and immune function. New studies have made some important discoveries related to liver function and its implications for biomedical...
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23 February Oct
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Animal Research Leads to New Advances in Alzheimer’s

As of 2023, an estimated 6.7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. Without a significant scientific breakthrough to cure or prevent the disease, that number is projected to double by 2050. Scientists all over the world are striving to achieve such breakthroughs, with animal research offering several promising avenues. Light...
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12 February Oct
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New Animal Studies Lead to Discoveries in Regeneration

Can we artificially regenerate things we’ve lost, like hearing, bone, brain function, or even memories? Several new studies have revealed different repair and regeneration mechanisms in mice, sparking hope that these findings might pave the way for humans to recover things they’ve lost. A Malaria Drug Rebuilds Bone Bone health is a...
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4 January Oct
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Unlocking the Mouse Brain with VR (iMRSIV)

The brain continues to be one of the richest areas of preclinical research, with experiments with mice helping researchers uncover a wide range of new insights into the intricate workings of the brain. From mapping the cell types in the mouse brain to developing virtual reality (VR) goggles for mice...
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27 October Oct
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New Research with Mice Could Lead to Treatment for Spinal Injuries and Paralysis Therapy

Paralysis and spinal injuries have long been among the most challenging and devastating conditions for patients and healthcare providers. However, recent preclinical research offers potential breakthroughs in the field of spinal injury treatment and paralysis management. Stem Cell Therapy One of the most exciting areas of preclinical research in the field of...
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28 September Oct
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New Mouse Studies May Point to a Cure for Baldness

While much animal research is devoted to understanding bodily functions and finding treatments and cures for serious diseases and conditions, sometimes the target is a more everyday concern. Recent mouse studies have shed new light on hair loss and may point to possible treatments. Prompting New Growth in Skin Follicles A research...
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