A nuclear scientist at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) had an affliction with a kidney stone and just like any curious scientist it got him wondering…

Senior ANSTO research scientist Vladimir Levchenko found himself as part of a startling statistic when he was told he had one of Australia’s most common disorders. Kidney stones affect 1 in 10 Australian men, and 1 in 35 Australian women during their lifetime, however it turns out that very little is known about their growth cycle and longevity. Like so many other scientists before him, a personal question has identified a gap in...

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a new type of materials with nanoscale pores.

Bioscience engineers from KU Leuven, Belgium, have developed an alternative method that produces these materials in the form of very thin films, so that they can easily be used for high-tech applications such as microchips. The study was published in Nature Materials. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are a recently developed type of materials that consist of a nanoporous grid of both organic molecules and metal ions. MOFs take...

Infection rates in hospitals significantly reduced by using hydrogen peroxide vapour technology, reports latest scientific study.

A marked decrease was observed for C difficile, MRSA, VRE and EBSL following the room/environmental disinfection treatment and ongoing improvements in hand hygiene. Published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the paper by Kim Horn MPH and Jonathan A. Otter PhD shows the result of a before-after study conducted from October 2010 to September 2013. The impact of the implementation of HPV room disinfection...

The University of Nottingham, a long-standing customer of UK flowmeter specialist Litre Meter, has ordered further Smart-Trak high-performance digital mass flow controllers to measure the flow of gases used in biomolecular research.

The latest order forms part of a supply relationship between Litre Meter and the Centre for Biomolecular Sciences at the University of Nottingham (CBS) dating back more than 20 years. During that time Litre Meter has supplied various flowmeters for a number of research applications and undertaken calibration services as required. Litre Meter has most recently supplied a range of Smart-Trak? 100 Series instruments designed to measure flow ranges...

230 Medals for 115 primary and secondary schools.

Throughout December, the home of applied science in Sydney is helping school Principals reward their students for efforts in subjects that will shape the future for Australia. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) Science Medals are given out to celebrate and encourage success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects (STEM). Some 230 medals will be awarded to 115 primary and...

Axilum Robotics, specializing in the development of medical robots and Localite, specializing in medical navigation and planning systems, today announced the installation of a robotized system for image-guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark. 

The Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), headed by Pr. Hartwig Siebner, is one of the leading research centres in Europe within the field of biomedical MRI. A highly profiled international research team translates the latest advances in MRI to examine the brain's function, metabolism and structure. The Centre has developed a strong expertise in TMS and is organizing each year workshops to educate researchers...

Autoscribe Informatics has published a new case study on the use of the Matrix Gemini LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) at a multi-site veterinary diagnostic and clinical pathology laboratory.

Matrix Gemini is being used by NationWide Laboratory Services to co-ordinate sample tracking, management and reporting across laboratories in four different UK locations. NationWide Laboratory Services is a UKAS accredited independent multi–disciplinary veterinary laboratory providing diagnostic and clinical pathology services for veterinary surgeons throughout the UK, Europe and...

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has published a new document titled Management of Critical and Significant-Risk Results (GP47-Ed1). 

This guideline provides current best practice recommendations for developing and implementing a policy and procedures for the identification, reporting, and management of critical- and significant-risk laboratory results. Emphasis is placed on management responsibilities such as development of the policy, the process, procedures, job descriptions, and monitoring systems that ensure effective reporting and compliance with regulatory...

EU study to build on Phase I trial of Videregen product & generate approval application

The pan-European TETRA consortium, led by Videregen Limited, has been awarded EUR 6.8 million under the Horizon 2020 programme[1] for a pivotal Phase II clinical trial of the company's tissue engineered replacement trachea. The project will start at the beginning of 2016 with the first patients to be treated in 2017, building on the results of the four-patient UK INSPIRE Phase I study[2] The study will focus on the orphan indication...

Treeway is pleased to announce a collaboration with the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute for the development of AAV5-GDNF (TW002) gene therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Treeway, a biotech company founded by two ALS patients, obtained an exclusive license agreement from uniQure for the use of AAV5-GDNF earlier this year. GDNF has a promising clinical potential in ALS, but optimization of delivery to the site of action is required. AAV5-GDNF is a gene therapy with a novel administration modality for clinical use and is Treeway’s second product in development (TW002). To advance the development of...

Optical Surfaces Ltd. has supplied the Laboratoire d'astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) with polished substrates to manufacture the high precision grisms that lie at the heart of a Near Infrared Spectrophotometer designed to perform red shift measurements in the forthcoming Euclid space mission by the European Space Agency (ESA).

LAM is one of the largest astrophysics public research institutes in France. It combines fundamental research in Astrophysics and the development of instrumentation for space and ground-based telescopes. The ESA's Euclid space mission will study the dark universe. One of the on-board probes will be a Baryonic Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) device which will measure the red shift of millions of galaxies through their Near Infrared spectra. The Near Infrared...

EUCAST’s unheralded, but vital work, is helping to ensure responsible use by defining common standards for antimicrobial resistance globally

The European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease (ESCMID) – an organization that pursues science, explores risk assessment, knowledge sharing and best practices in the fight against infectious disease – is currently researching the new critical breakpoints for antimicrobial agents in clinical development through its European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST). The group is highly respected...

Dry Fog 2 demonstration video available to view online

Cherwell Laboratories, specialists in cleanroom microbiology solutions for the pharmaceutical and related industries, has once again supported Pharmig’s Annual Conference. This conference allowed individuals within pharmaceutical, healthcare and NHS Industries, to keep up to date with current topics and The Cherwell Laboratories’ stand featured a variety of its microbiology solutions portfolio, including a video displaying the...

In his latest report issued in December 2015 Lord O’Neill highlights that the use of antibiotics in agriculture around the world represents a threat to public health, promoting the development and spread of so-called drug-resistant infections (‘superbugs’).

Given the world uses far more antibiotics in animals than it does in humans, agricultural use must be reduced globally, according to the new report published today (8th December 2015) by the independent Review on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), chaired by Jim O’Neill. The report recommends stricter rules on the type of drugs used in agriculture depending on their importance to humans. Antibiotic Research UK the world’s first...

INTEGRA reports on how researchers at the Health Innovation Research Institute at RMIT University (Bundoora, Australia) are using VIAFLO II electronic pipettes in conjunction with a VIAFLO ASSIST to scale-up their screening of venoms and small compounds. 

The Health Innovations Research Institute (HIRi) is an RMIT University initiative that seeks to address key health issues facing Australia in the 21st century, with research programs that examine how the human body functions at a molecular and cellular level. This research is targeted to provide innovative therapeutic strategies to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Australia and around the world. Bill Darby, a Researcher at HIRi, commented "We approached...

The company aims to advance NOSO-95179, a promising antibacterial compound, to clinical stage for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Gram-negative infections

Nosopharm, a biotechnology company specialized in the research and development of new antibacterial molecules, today announces it has been selected to join ENABLE (European Gram-negative Antibacterial Engine), a project working to advance the development of potential antibiotics against multidrug resistant Gram-negative infections. ENABLE is one of seven projects in the New Drugs For Bad Bugs (ND4BB) consortium, part of the Innovative Medicines...

University of Leicester researchers evaluate effects of GLP-1RAs

Once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) differ in their efficacy and safety profiles, according to new research by the University of Leicester. Compared to other once-weekly GLP-1RAs which are licensed and available, dulaglutide 1.5mg and once weekly exenatide showed the greatest reduction of HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose. GLP-1RAs are a relatively new class of drugs that stimulate insulin and...

NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership, on behalf of Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board, contracted with Leica Biosystems for its Aperio digital pathology solutions.

This partnership has enabled the merging of three sites: Glan Clwyd, Wrexham & Bangor to form the new trust: North Wales. Digital pathology enables rapid distribution, eliminating slide shipping costs and travel time. Additionally, the digital slides can be annotated to facilitate a more efficient and accurate review from one pathologist to another. The use of digital pathology is leveraging NHS Wales as a pioneering healthcare organization...

Protagen AG, a company concerned with the development of advanced diagnostic tools to address some of the most severe autoimmune diseases, has today announced that it will join the MATURA Consortium.

The overarching mission of the MATURA Consortium is to improve patient care in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) by rationalizing therapy decisions through a stratified medicine approach.

MATURA (MAximising Therapeutic Utility for Rheumatoid Arthritis) aims to identify treatment response predictors which will allow the allocation of patients to subgroups defined by the therapy they are most likely to respond to, early in the disease process. RA provides the ideal setting for the introduction of a stratified medicine approach as the treatment is standardized, there is a significant non-responder rate to each marketed and commonly used drug, and early and effective therapy has consistently been shown to improve long-term outcomes, including joint damage, disability and employment.

SP Scientific has announced their next series of educational events to be held during 2016 for scientists involved with lyophilization.

Information and registration details for these upcoming events which include LyoLearn webinars, seminars and hands-on training courses is available through the SP LyoTech Center**. In addition to upcoming events, the LyoTech Center offers a comprehensive repository of previously recorded webinars; informative articles and technical papers; and a variety of free tools and programs to assist freeze dryer users. LyoLearn webinars...

New data paves way for adoption of sTNFR1 as a routine test for Diabetic Nephropathy management

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces that new data has been presented in support of soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 (sTNFR1) as a biomarker to predict progression of Diabetic Nephropathy (also referred to as Diabetic Kidney Disease). This new data [1] was recently presented at Kidney Week, the world’s premier nephrology meeting, organised by the American Society for Nephrology (ASN) and is...

Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found a way to make swallowable cameras more effective at detecting cancers of the throat and gut. 

In recent years, tiny sensing systems small enough for patients to swallow have proven to be a valuable clinical alternative to more intrusive imaging methods such as endoscopes. Until now, the systems, often known as video-pill, have relied on illuminating patients’ innards using a small light source, restricting clinicians to conclusions based on what they can see in the spectrum of visible light. In a new paper published in the...