JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, reports on the research studies of Dr Ioan Notingher, associate professor in the faculty of science at the University of Nottingham.
With a research interest in the development of new optical and spectroscopic methods for studying biomaterials, he is applying JPK's atomic force microscope (AFM) system, the NanoWizard®, and tip assisted optics module (TAO). The research programmes of the Nottingham Nanoscience group span a range of exciting and topical themes in state-of-the-art nanoscale science.
Panasonic Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) freezers are making a real impact on sample security at the LifeLines project, a large-scale genetic study of healthy aging being run in the Dutch provinces of Groningen, Friesland en Drenthe.
The project was set up in 2006 and involves approximately 165,000 participants across three generations. Keeping potentially irreplaceable material secure and viable for future analysis is critical, and storage at the LifeLines project involves millions of biological samples, all of which must be maintained for long periods. The innovative technology in Panasonic ULT freezers, supported by Panasonic’s dedicated customer service, is ensuring the excellent storage reliability and efficiency required for the smooth running of the study...
NanoSight reports on how Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, NTA, is being used in the development of a method to estimate the purity of vesicle preparations by comparing the ratio of nano-vesicle counts to protein concentration. This work is reported by Dr Aled Clayton of the School of Medicine at Cardiff University in an original research article published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles.
The School of Medicine at Cardiff University is one of the largest medical schools in the United Kingdom, home to over 3000 students and staff. It is a major international center for teaching and research providing a vibrant community of medical endeavor. The School is based at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, but is also embedded at other hospital sites in Cardiff including Velindre Cancer Centre...
Read MoreHORIBA Introduces New Quality Slide Programme (QSP) ServiceMay 2, 2013
Unique QC and training software to help standardise blood film review
Haematology specialists, HORIBA UK Ltd – Medical, has introduced a new innovative service, The Quality Slide Program (QSP). Launched in France in 2012 to meet ISO guidelines for laboratory accreditation in blood film review and already used by over 40 laboratories, this program is now available in the UK. QSP is a digital blood cell morphology QC and training program. With the software, 6 digital blood films are published for download each month
Unite, Britain's biggest union, meet senior bosses at AstraZeneca on to urge the pharmaceutical giant to reconsider its plans to transfer 1,600 jobs from Cheshire to Cambridge by 2016.
Alderley Park in Cheshire is the company's largest research and development site. AstraZeneca is also moving its head office, currently based in London, to Cambridge. Alderley Park has a 40 year history and has been responsible for the discovery and development of hugely important medical treatments, as well as being a leading centre for cancer research in Europe...
Following impressive results using OEM pumps from Watson-Marlow Pumps Group on an automated batch cell culture system, a Hertfordshire-based company specialising in automated life science applications has now adopted the pumps on additional products – with equal success.
Roche and Hamilton Robotics jointly announced the introduction of a new, integrated platform enabling automated DNA sample enrichment for Roche’s 454 GS Junior sequencer.
The platform builds on the integration of Roche’s REM e System with Hamilton’s Microlab® NIMBUS NGS workstation, resulting in reduced hands-on time, minimized operational variability and more consistent results. “This new integrated platform will replace about four hours of laborious manual work,” said Thomas Schinecker, head of 454 Life Sciences “It is a true walkaway solution, offering an economical, convenient, compact enrichment procedure for all our GS Junior customers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Hamilton to develop more innovative, automated solutions for our GS Junior System.”....
Centre Dedicated to Diagnosis and Treatment Derived from Single-Cell Exploration
Government officials, academic, and industry leaders gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Single-Cell Omics Centre (SCOC) in Singapore on April 12, 2013. It is the first research centre in Asia exclusively dedicated to accelerating the understanding of how individual cells work, and how diagnosis and treatment might be enhanced through insight derived from single cells....
Read MoreUniversity of Glasgow receives funding for world-leading stratified medicine Innovation CentreApr 29, 2013
The University of Glasgow is set to boost its contribution to global medical research and the Scottish economy following the announcement of funding to build a major research centre.
The Scottish Funding Council is providing £8m over five years to back the creation of the £20m Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre (SMS-IC) at the new South Glasgow Hospitals Campus. The SMS-IC will also involve a consortium of other universities, NHS Scotland, and industry partners. Construction work is expected to begin in November this year, with a fully-operational centre due to open in September 2015....
BioCity CEO to deliver key address at BioScotland on 30th April
Scottish ambitions to double the life sciences sector by 2020 could be realised if the ‘perfect storm’ of prevailing conditions are grasped and built on, according to CEO of the BioCity Group Dr Glenn Crocker. Commenting ahead of his address to the gathering of sector experts at BioScotland on 30 April, Dr Crocker identifies several factors working together to have a profound impact on the long term future of the life sciences sector in Scotland....
Analytik, leading suppliers of innovative analytical solutions to the UK and Ireland, is pleased to report on the use of AgriSpec portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer from ASD Inc. at Rothamsted Research Ltd, the longest running agricultural research station in the world. The spectrometer is used for nitrogen measurements in grain
The AgriSpec line of NIR instruments is portable and precise. They use an improved optical design providing a faster speed of analysis while yielding the best possible analytical results on a wide range of materials, including solids, powders and liquids. Improvements to the AgriSpec line provide the user with higher quality measurements that identify and quantify materials in real time with minimal sample preparation. These non-destructive measurements result in minimal or zero sample waste. Users enjoy the ability to measure multiple properties simultaneously...
Read MoreCreative Biogene has Announced Stable Cell Line Generation ServiceApr 25, 2013
Creative Biogene has announced a rapid and cost-effective stable cell line service for cellular function assays, trafficking, protein production, target validation, and other research purposes using an innovative and unique platform that allows one to go from gene to stable cell line
The service includes commercial and research cell line based on its proprietary expression vector, for example, ″Lenti-Stable″ (stable cell line using lentivector) and ″Select-Stable″ (stable cell line using selection system) , high throughput cell screening technologies and serum, animal components free process without any adaptation issue in a significantly reduced timeline....
Read MoreShort Guide to 3D Cell CultureApr 25, 2013
A new informative booklet entitled ‘Short Guide to 3D Cell Culture’ has been produced by AMSBIO
Drawing upon a wealth of experience of working with a wide range of 3D cell culture procedures and formats the guide is aimed at assisting research scientists looking to culture cells in more physiologically relevant environments. Traditional monolayer cell culture on plastic dishes or in flasks, rarely recreates the conditions cells experience in vivo. Over the past 20 years, many researchers have actively sought ways to culture cells in 3D...
Read MoreNovasep discovers explosive properties of Togni reagent IIApr 23, 2013
Novasep reclassifies reagent and informs market about new safety measures required
Novasep, a leading supplier of purification and global manufacturing solutions of synthetic molecules and biomolecules, today announces its R&D team has discovered and characterised the explosive properties of the Togni reagent II and intermediates at the Novasep Leverkusen site in Germany. The findings have been published in the March edition of the journal Organic Process Research and Development....
Read MoreApr 22, 2013
A two day symposium focussing on today’s challenges to Separation Science posed by Complex Matrices to be held at the Bat Research Labs on 22nd & 23rd May 2013
Chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis in vegetable matter, smoke aerosols, particulates and products of combustion will be explored by specialists from a variety of industries. An exhibition of analytical instrumentation by leading manufacturers will also form an important element of the symposium....
Curie-Cancer, the body responsible for developing Institut Curie’s industry partnership activities, today announces a strong increase in the number of early stage clinical trials (phase I) from three in 2010 to ten in 2012. The studies are being conducted with industry partners
The rise in the number of studies is a direct result of the changes in strategic direction put in place by professor Pierre Teillac, director of the Institut Curie Hospital Group and the recent launch of the Clinical Research Department, headed by Veronique Dieras, in response to the needs of industry partners...
Read MoreExtended Mass Spec Imaging Services Now AvailableApr 18, 2013
Protea Biosciences, a leading developer of innovative bioanalytical products and services, announced today the release of an extended mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) service offering from the Mass Spec Imaging Center (MSIC™).
This new service portfolio offers advanced MSI services using Protea’s proprietary LAESI DP-1000 Direct Ionization System as well as MALDI (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) mass spectrometry for a wide variety of sample types and applications. “This new portfolio of services offers researchers an opportunity to ‘detect’ where their molecules of interest reside in a biological matrix,” said Alessandro Baldi PhD, Protea’s Vice President and General Manager. “This spatial information offers critical insight for researchers working in the fields like metabolomics, biomarker discovery, drug discovery, and histopathology.”....
Wyatt Technology is pleased to report the success of the Calypso® composition-gradient multi-angle light scattering (CG-MALS) system in a study conducting by the Molecular Interactions Research Group (MIRG) of the Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities (ABRF). The conclusions of the 2012 MIRG study were announced at the ABRF 2013 annual meeting in Palm Springs earlier this month.
In the study, a pair of unknown proteins, prepared and characterized by the ABRF, was sent out to multiple labs to determine binding affinity and stoichiometry. In a single afternoon consisting of 2 CG-MALS runs, the Wyatt Calypso system correctly determined that Protein Y (26.3 kDa) contains two binding sites for Protein X (11.9 kDa). The first X binds with KD of 10 nM and the second X binds with 14 μM. This analysis agreed perfectly with extensive analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements performed by ABRF prior to distributing the samples....
Structural Proteomics Laboratory Directed by Prof. Dr. Amit Kumar Mandal Recognized for Global Disease Research
At a ceremony at St. John’s Research Institute (Bangalore, India) Waters announced the selection of the St. John’s Research Institute for its Centers of Innovation Program for research in the field of structural proteomics. It is the first institution in India to receive the designation of a Waters® Center of Innovation. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Amit Kumar Mandal, a Professor of Molecular Medicine and Clinical Proteomics, St. John’s has earned a reputation for its research in blood disorders and other diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations...
The German Society for Cell Biology (DGZ) in Heidelberg has recognized outstanding research in the field of basic cell biology this year with the BINDER Innovation Prize with a 4,000 Euro endowment
Among the many scientific papers, the work from Dr. Stephan Grill of the Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems (MPI-PKS) and Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBF) in Dresden, Germany stood above the rest. The scientist impressed the independent jury with his article on the interaction of mechanical and biochemical signals for the biological process of cell polarization....
Researchers at the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht, the Netherlands, have identified a novel gene mutation that predisposes to seminoma, the most common form of testicular cancer in young men
The newly identified mutation, in the LRRC50 gene, can be considered as a new risk factor for testicular cancer and may be useful for screening purposes. The finding was published this week in PLoS Genetics. In preclinical research in zebrafish, it was found that mutation in the LRRC50 gene predisposes to testicular tumor formation and that zebrafish LRRC50 tumors are similar to human seminoma. These unique findings make zebrafish a useful animal model for human seminoma associated with mutation of the LRRC50 gene...
METTLER TOLEDO’s new on-demand webinar, “Methods to Improve Chemical Process Development,” takes on the challenges of today’s pharmaceutical market
The free webinar lays out the pressures currently being faced by the industry—including cost and regulatory pressures—and explores the chemistry workflows and emerging technologies that are helping industry participants address these challenges, remain competitive, and protect profits. With the reality of patent cliffs, regulatory standards, attrition, and globalization, companies are learning to work fast and “lean” without sacrificing effectiveness and safety...
With a research interest in the development of new optical and spectroscopic methods for studying biomaterials, he is applying JPK's atomic force microscope (AFM) system, the NanoWizard®, and tip assisted optics module (TAO). The research programmes of the Nottingham Nanoscience group span a range of exciting and topical themes in state-of-the-art nanoscale science.
The project was set up in 2006 and involves approximately 165,000 participants across three generations. Keeping potentially irreplaceable material secure and viable for future analysis is critical, and storage at the LifeLines project involves millions of biological samples, all of which must be maintained for long periods. The innovative technology in Panasonic ULT freezers, supported by Panasonic’s dedicated customer service, is ensuring the excellent storage reliability and efficiency required for the smooth running of the study...
The School of Medicine at Cardiff University is one of the largest medical schools in the United Kingdom, home to over 3000 students and staff. It is a major international center for teaching and research providing a vibrant community of medical endeavor. The School is based at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, but is also embedded at other hospital sites in Cardiff including Velindre Cancer Centre...
Haematology specialists, HORIBA UK Ltd – Medical, has introduced a new innovative service, The Quality Slide Program (QSP). Launched in France in 2012 to meet ISO guidelines for laboratory accreditation in blood film review and already used by over 40 laboratories, this program is now available in the UK. QSP is a digital blood cell morphology QC and training program. With the software, 6 digital blood films are published for download each month
Alderley Park in Cheshire is the company's largest research and development site. AstraZeneca is also moving its head office, currently based in London, to Cambridge. Alderley Park has a 40 year history and has been responsible for the discovery and development of hugely important medical treatments, as well as being a leading centre for cancer research in Europe...
314D OEM pumpheads vital in fully automated batch cell culture solution
The platform builds on the integration of Roche’s REM e System with Hamilton’s Microlab® NIMBUS NGS workstation, resulting in reduced hands-on time, minimized operational variability and more consistent results. “This new integrated platform will replace about four hours of laborious manual work,” said Thomas Schinecker, head of 454 Life Sciences “It is a true walkaway solution, offering an economical, convenient, compact enrichment procedure for all our GS Junior customers. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Hamilton to develop more innovative, automated solutions for our GS Junior System.”....
Government officials, academic, and industry leaders gathered to celebrate the official opening of the Single-Cell Omics Centre (SCOC) in Singapore on April 12, 2013. It is the first research centre in Asia exclusively dedicated to accelerating the understanding of how individual cells work, and how diagnosis and treatment might be enhanced through insight derived from single cells....
The Scottish Funding Council is providing £8m over five years to back the creation of the £20m Stratified Medicine Scotland Innovation Centre (SMS-IC) at the new South Glasgow Hospitals Campus. The SMS-IC will also involve a consortium of other universities, NHS Scotland, and industry partners. Construction work is expected to begin in November this year, with a fully-operational centre due to open in September 2015....
Scottish ambitions to double the life sciences sector by 2020 could be realised if the ‘perfect storm’ of prevailing conditions are grasped and built on, according to CEO of the BioCity Group Dr Glenn Crocker. Commenting ahead of his address to the gathering of sector experts at BioScotland on 30 April, Dr Crocker identifies several factors working together to have a profound impact on the long term future of the life sciences sector in Scotland....
The AgriSpec line of NIR instruments is portable and precise. They use an improved optical design providing a faster speed of analysis while yielding the best possible analytical results on a wide range of materials, including solids, powders and liquids. Improvements to the AgriSpec line provide the user with higher quality measurements that identify and quantify materials in real time with minimal sample preparation. These non-destructive measurements result in minimal or zero sample waste. Users enjoy the ability to measure multiple properties simultaneously...
The service includes commercial and research cell line based on its proprietary expression vector, for example, ″Lenti-Stable″ (stable cell line using lentivector) and ″Select-Stable″ (stable cell line using selection system) , high throughput cell screening technologies and serum, animal components free process without any adaptation issue in a significantly reduced timeline....
Drawing upon a wealth of experience of working with a wide range of 3D cell culture procedures and formats the guide is aimed at assisting research scientists looking to culture cells in more physiologically relevant environments. Traditional monolayer cell culture on plastic dishes or in flasks, rarely recreates the conditions cells experience in vivo. Over the past 20 years, many researchers have actively sought ways to culture cells in 3D...
Novasep, a leading supplier of purification and global manufacturing solutions of synthetic molecules and biomolecules, today announces its R&D team has discovered and characterised the explosive properties of the Togni reagent II and intermediates at the Novasep Leverkusen site in Germany. The findings have been published in the March edition of the journal Organic Process Research and Development....
Chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis in vegetable matter, smoke aerosols, particulates and products of combustion will be explored by specialists from a variety of industries. An exhibition of analytical instrumentation by leading manufacturers will also form an important element of the symposium....
The rise in the number of studies is a direct result of the changes in strategic direction put in place by professor Pierre Teillac, director of the Institut Curie Hospital Group and the recent launch of the Clinical Research Department, headed by Veronique Dieras, in response to the needs of industry partners...
This new service portfolio offers advanced MSI services using Protea’s proprietary LAESI DP-1000 Direct Ionization System as well as MALDI (Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) mass spectrometry for a wide variety of sample types and applications. “This new portfolio of services offers researchers an opportunity to ‘detect’ where their molecules of interest reside in a biological matrix,” said Alessandro Baldi PhD, Protea’s Vice President and General Manager. “This spatial information offers critical insight for researchers working in the fields like metabolomics, biomarker discovery, drug discovery, and histopathology.”....
In the study, a pair of unknown proteins, prepared and characterized by the ABRF, was sent out to multiple labs to determine binding affinity and stoichiometry. In a single afternoon consisting of 2 CG-MALS runs, the Wyatt Calypso system correctly determined that Protein Y (26.3 kDa) contains two binding sites for Protein X (11.9 kDa). The first X binds with KD of 10 nM and the second X binds with 14 μM. This analysis agreed perfectly with extensive analytical ultracentrifugation (AUC) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) measurements performed by ABRF prior to distributing the samples....
At a ceremony at St. John’s Research Institute (Bangalore, India) Waters announced the selection of the St. John’s Research Institute for its Centers of Innovation Program for research in the field of structural proteomics. It is the first institution in India to receive the designation of a Waters® Center of Innovation. Under the direction of Prof. Dr. Amit Kumar Mandal, a Professor of Molecular Medicine and Clinical Proteomics, St. John’s has earned a reputation for its research in blood disorders and other diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations...
Among the many scientific papers, the work from Dr. Stephan Grill of the Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems (MPI-PKS) and Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBF) in Dresden, Germany stood above the rest. The scientist impressed the independent jury with his article on the interaction of mechanical and biochemical signals for the biological process of cell polarization....
The newly identified mutation, in the LRRC50 gene, can be considered as a new risk factor for testicular cancer and may be useful for screening purposes. The finding was published this week in PLoS Genetics. In preclinical research in zebrafish, it was found that mutation in the LRRC50 gene predisposes to testicular tumor formation and that zebrafish LRRC50 tumors are similar to human seminoma. These unique findings make zebrafish a useful animal model for human seminoma associated with mutation of the LRRC50 gene...
The free webinar lays out the pressures currently being faced by the industry—including cost and regulatory pressures—and explores the chemistry workflows and emerging technologies that are helping industry participants address these challenges, remain competitive, and protect profits. With the reality of patent cliffs, regulatory standards, attrition, and globalization, companies are learning to work fast and “lean” without sacrificing effectiveness and safety...