Pharmacopoeias are collections of recognized and binding quality regulations that specify, among other things, test requirements and methods for the analysis of drugs. Both the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) contain specific chapters that deal with the use of laboratory balances. The chapters emphasize the criticality of weighing samples accurately in pharmaceutical analytical processes...

A unique type of tiny antibody produced by llamas could provide a new frontline treatment against Covid-19 that can be taken by patients as a simple nasal spray. Research led by scientists at the Rosalind Franklin Institute has shown that nanobodies – a smaller, simple form of antibody generated by llamas and camels – can effectively target the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes Covid-19....

With the emergence of quality by design in the pharmaceutical industry, it becomes imperative to gain a deeper mechanistic understanding of factors impacting the flow of a formulation into tableting dies. Many flow characterization techniques exist but only a few can mimic the die filling process successfully. One of the challenges in mimicking the die filling process is understanding the rheological powder behaviour and the differences in flow field in the feeding frame...

Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced Dr. David R. Liu has been selected to receive a prestigious Agilent Thought Leader Award. A prominent researcher in the field of genome editing, Dr. Liu is Professor and Director of the Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Vice-Chair of the Faculty at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Professor of Natural Sciences and Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator....

When wanting to transition into biotech startup, it’s important to consider your strategy to succeed. Biotech companies need to address an unmet medical/technological need in the market.  Without careful evaluation of market potential, there is a risk of failure. Here, Dr. Khoa Nguyen, freelance biotechnology consultant at freelance platform for scientists, Kolabtree, offers some advice on biotech startup strategy....

This year’s Aminoff Prize is awarded to researchers Elena Conti and Patrick Cramer in Germany and Seth Darst in the US, who have investigated cellular systems for the production, transport and quality control of RNA. RNA, a macromolecule found in all living organisms, reads and interprets the information in the genome. It is vital that this process works properly...

Twist Bioscience Corporation, a company enabling customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, have announced a broad-based research collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH to use Twist’s proprietary antibody libraries to discover therapeutic antibodies against multiple targets provided by Boehringer Ingelheim....

INTEGRA is aiding scientists in the vital task of tackling antibiotic resistance by providing the liquid handling tools to help increase throughput and reproducibility in drug development workflows. The company’s ASSIST PLUS pipetting robot, and VIAFLO 96, VIAFLO 384 and MINI 96 handheld electronic pipettes, meet the needs of early phase drug discovery by offering high throughput processing of routine pipetting tasks – such as serial dilutions and plate inoculation – without compromising on precision and reproducibility....

Watch two scientists with two different research focus areas read their love letters, where they will share the details of their aspirations, admiration and of course, their very similar love for their cells. “Soon, we will develop artificial cells capable of defending the body from viral or bacterial infections” Dr. Vivek A. Kamat, Postdoctoral Associate has a particular focus on understanding how cells respond to electrical impulses in order to help develop implantable or variable sensors. Dr. Marietta Hartl, Postdoctoral Researcher...

ERS Genomics Limited, which was formed to provide broad access to the foundational CRISPR/Cas9 intellectual property co-owned by Dr. Emmanuelle Charpentier, and Cellular Engineering Technologies (CET), a biotechnology company specializing in cell manufacturing and contract research services, have announced a non-exclusive license agreement granting CET access to ERS Genomics’ CRISPR/Cas9 patent portfolio....

For decades, fluorescence microscopy has been an invaluable tool in life sciences research, with new variations and implementations emerging almost every year. Laser scanning microscopy, airyscanning, structured illumination, light field and light sheet microscopy are among the many methods that have been developed through the years to overcome the limitations of the original widefield microscopy setups...

In Gas Chromatography there are three gases that are commonly used as a carrier gas: nitrogen, helium and hydrogen. The importance of carrier gas selection has been a discussion point amongst the users of Gas Chromatography for many years. When selecting the right carrier gas the user has to consider different parameters such as; price, performance, speed, analytical compatibility or just availability....

BioChromato report how their ionRocket sample preparation device, used in combination with Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART®-MS) provides a powerful new method capable of identifying and discriminating between different sources of plastic films used for food processing and packaging. Food wrap film, also known as cling film or plastic wrap, is widely used for food processing and packaging, leading to the risk that plastic might be introduced as a foreign matter into food items...

Was there life on Mars? Amongst the excitement of space missions to the Red Planet, successful landings and the deployment of the Mars Rover, it’s easy to forget that the vital analysis of samples retrieved from the surface will take place here, on our Blue Planet. In preparation for the return of soil samples, the University of Leicester has designed a new double-walled isolator to provide a super-sterile research and analysis environment, protecting the invaluable Martian material from earthly contaminants...

Graphene represents incredible opportunities for advancement in many fields, including medical science. With so much interest in graphene-enabled medical technologies, can 2D materials live up to the hype? Here, Cinzia Spinato, business developer for biomedical applications at the Graphene Flagship discusses the clinical applications of graphene, and why it is on track to fulfil its promises...

Sartorius Stedim Biotech, a leading international partner of the biopharmaceutical industry, has entered into a partnership with McMaster University to improve manufacturing processes of antibody and virus-based treatments for diseases such as COVID-19, cancers, and genetic disorders. Using a state-of-the-art multi-column chromatography system provided by Sartorius Stedim Biotech, the McMaster team will “perfect” a process for the purification of therapeutic viruses...

Agilent Technologies Inc. announces that researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in India and the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia have developed a rapid method for differentiating COVID-19-positive patients expected to show severe symptoms from those likely to experience only mild symptoms. The classification algorithm, published in the journal Analytical Chemistry, is based on infrared spectra of blood plasma, acquired on an Agilent Cary 630 FTIR Spectrometer....

One of the UK’s leading technology educators and innovators CREDERSI have teamed up with Covid testing solutions company DAM Health  to create the world’s first virtual reality Covid-19 lab training syllabus.  The move is aimed at increasing the number of lab technicians being trained in the UK to meet a mass skills shortage and crisis. Research carried out by the Gatsby Foundation prior to COVID-19 indicated that, by 2030, the UK will require a further 700,000 Lab Technicians...

Life science and drug discovery researchers interested in bioluminescent tools will have the opportunity to hear from global thought leaders on the possibilities and applications of luciferase technologies during the upcoming Discover Glo 2021 virtual seminar series. Hosted by Promega and held September 13-16, the series will advance understanding in important therapeutic areas such as Targeted Protein Degradation and Kinase Biology...