Anasys Instruments continues to expand the capabilities of their nanoscale materials characterization techniques with the Lorentz Contact Resonance (LCR) imaging mode. This is now available for their afm+® and nanoIR™ systems
The Lorentz Contact Resonance imaging mode further enhances the capabilities of the afm+ and nanoIR systems from Anasys. LCR allows rapid broadband nanomechanical measurements over a range of temperatures. LCR imaging differentiates between multiple components of a sample and allows precise location of the probe for subsequent chemical or thermal analysis with nanoscale resolution...
Read MoreZEISS SIGMA used to analyze Russian meteorite that fell in Chelyabinsk regionApr 15, 2013
Carl Zeiss Microscopy announces that it provided equipment used in the analysis of a meteorite that recently fell in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia
Russian News Agencies said on 18 February that scientists have confirmed the extra-terrestrial origin of dozens of tiny fragments found near Chebarkul Lake. The analysis was performed by the Research-Educational Centre “Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies" in Urals Federal University. The Ural Federal University (UrFU) is a state-owned university and one of nine in Russia which have the ‘Federal’ status....
New services to provide early go/no go data decisions to reduce drug discovery costs
Cellectricon, a leading provider of advanced cell-based screening technologies, today announced the launch of its Discovery Services division. The new services offer pharma/biotech companies and CROs cutting-edge phenotypic screening support, accelerating drug discovery and cell-based assay research into cytoskeletal disturbances – especially for chronic pain...
Majority of SelectScience members voted for ZEISS light sheet microscope system
At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2013 in Washington, D.C., USA, SelectScience announced that ZEISS Lightsheet Z.1 has been awarded with the Best New Life Science Product of 2012 by members of SelectScience. The winning product is recognized as having significantly contributed towards laboratory efforts in 2012...
Read MoreRoche and BioLamina Start Collaboration to Develop Novel Cell Culture SystemsApr 12, 2013
Roche and BioLamina, Stockholm, Sweden today announced the signing of a research and development agreement to jointly develop new cell culture systems for various applications, including stem cell research
The collaboration will focus on assessing laminin-based in-vitro cell culture matrices offering highly physiological microenvironments for living cells. Under the terms of the agreement Roche will provide R&D funding and scientific expertise to BioLamina. Financial details were not disclosed. Laminins are proteins located in the extracellular matrix providing the stability essential for cell growth and behaviour. They are the only protein group in this environment that have a tissue-specific distribution, including expression of specific laminins during embryonic development. This makes them a very interesting target for new biologically relevant cell culturing techniques...
Market leaders in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments report on the use of the popular THMS600 heating stage for liquid crystal research at the University of the Free State, Republic of South Africa
Researchers in the physical chemistry department of the University of the Orange Free State (UFS) have examined the discotic liquid crystal properties of a number of long chain metal free and zinc phthalocyanines using the Linkam THMS600 hot stage. Phthalocyanines are aromatic compounds, with a variable length carbon chain, produced when the phthalocyanine molecule reacts with metals to form brightly colored complexes. These metal and non-metal derivatives are used for many applications, with new uses being continuously developed. They are found in dyes, chemical sensors, catalysts, non-linear optical materials and have been used for photodynamic cancer treatments....
Read MoreNew centre to focus on harvest and storage of solar energyApr 11, 2013
Sustainable Chemistry
Imagine a car coated with a surface that can simultaneously capture and store energy from the sun’s rays. It would solve one of the main problems associated with solar cells – they don’t work at night or in foul weather. Paint which combines the properties of both solar cells and batteries is the ultimate goal for chemist Morten Brønsted Nielsen, who has just been promoted as a so-called ”fyrtårnsprofessor” (lighthouse professor) at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Chemistry....
Read MoreNew Oxford Biotech Launches Cloning Platform that Promises to Transform Synthetic Biology and Genetic EngineeringApr 11, 2013
Oxfordshire’s newest biotechnology company, Oxford Genetics Ltd, has developed an innovative range of synthetic DNA products that are set to revolutionise the genetic research sector
The new technology, called SnapFastTM, provides a fully interchangeable module based genetic engineering platform that offers research scientists unrivalled efficiency and flexibility. Managing Director of Oxford Genetics, Dr Ryan Cawood who invented the system describes the cloning platform as “Lego for DNA”. Dr Cawood explains how it works, “Historically, most genetic engineering has been performed with pieces of DNA, gathered from a variety of sources that were never intended to fit together. This can often make genetic engineering time-consuming and frustrating. What we are doing at Oxford Genetics is providing all of the standard DNA components that researchers use on a regular basis, and putting them into a compatible and ‘easy to clone’ format.”....
Read MoreJPK announces the 5th NanoBioVIEWS International Symposium on the application of Optical Tweezers in Life SciencesApr 11, 2013
JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, are happy to announce that registration is now open for the fifth international symposium on the applications of optical tweezers and related technologies in the life sciences
The symposium will be held on the 18th June 2013 in Berlin at the popular venue of the Palisa De/Umspannwerk Ost. This series of meetings continue to be highly regarded on the international life sciences meetings calendar with more than 100 scientists from around the world expected to come to Berlin to discuss their results and share scientific knowledge in a relaxed and informal atmosphere....
Read MoreIdentical twinsApr 10, 2013
A unique study sequencing the entire genomes of identical twins with leukaemia has identified the first mutations sparking the disease in the mother’s womb
The research, largely funded by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and conducted at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has uncovered clues to the origins of childhood leukaemia in two pairs of identical twins. Scientists believe these early genetic origins of childhood leukaemia could be ideal targets for new cancer drugs, because they represent mutations present in every single cancer cell, playing a major role in the development of the disease....
HiSeq and Biomek platforms support a complete RNA-Seq solution
High throughput end-to-end RNA-Seq Service from Beckman Coulter Genomics includes customized project design, automated Illumina* TruSeq* RNA-Seq library construction and flexible, multiplexed sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq platform. Downstream bioinformatics analysis options include primary data analysis, differential gene expression, splice variant analysis, gene fusion identi?cation and rare transcript identi?cation...
Greater proof for functional food claims on the horizon
Health and functional claims made for foods such as probiotics still need to prove their effectiveness ? an important part of the answer rests in our small intestines and their role in digestion, and immunity. NIZO food research and biotech pioneer Medimetrics are bringing this a step nearer, using the latest micro-electronics. They have joined forces to create a means of sampling and mapping content from the small intestine to identify its microbiological composition, in a non-invasive way. The mapping process will provide novel insights into how certain foods and ingredients might react in our gut and so affect our health....
Read MoreUndergraduate studies enter a whole new world with TecanApr 8, 2013
Tecan’s Infinite® M200 PRO multimode microplate readers are helping McMaster University to introduce chemical biology undergraduates to some of the most advanced techniques routinely used in today’s laboratories
John Brennan, Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry and Biointerfaces, explained: “We wanted to introduce the students to the concept of high throughput bioassays and, as we already had a lot of Tecan equipment – two Freedom EVO® liquid handling platforms, a Safire™ and an Ultra Evolution™, as well as a couple of Infinite M1000s – the Infinite M200 PRO was an obvious choice.”...
Read MoreWillettsApr 8, 2013
Frances Buck, Director of Researchfish, responds to Science and Universities Minister David Willetts’ announcement of £85 million for research in new technologies
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Government’s commitment to promoting scientific research - a crucial priority for securing the UK’s high-tech future. At the same time, in the context of increasingly tight and competing budgets, the pressure for accountability in research continues to grow....
The only thing better than our 405™ Touch Microplate Washer with Verify™ Technology is winning a FREE one! Enter to win from April 1 to June 30, 2013 by visiting the Biotek website. Only one entry per person will be accepted, and the winner will be randomly drawn from all global entries
The 405 Touch Microplate Washer offers flexible microplate washing with a high-resolution color touch screen interface for fast, easy protocol creation. 405 Touch is compatible with 96- and 384 well microplates, and features automated internal buffer switching and flow rates from aggressive to gentle – ideal for loosely adherent cell monolayers. Two integrated USB ports allow multiple users to create, store and transfer their specific washing protocols....
A Scottish-based company is reaping the rewards of being in the front line of the UK's defences against food contamination following a period of unprecedented demand during the ongoing horsemeat scandal
R-Biopharm Rhône, the manufacturer and Scotland's biggest exporter of diagnostic test kits, has seen both the number of tests it carries out and the number of kits it sells to other laboratories increase dramatically as companies scrambled to make sure their meat products were safe...
Read MoreSeraCare Introduces New Seroconversion Panels for Hepatitis B and HIVApr 5, 2013
SeraCare Life Sciences, a portfolio company of Linden Capital Partners serving the in vitro diagnostics and clinical laboratory markets, today announced it has launched three new seroconversion panels that provide difficult-to-find patient samples for Hepatitis B and HIV. The company’s newest offerings expand its robust line of seroconversion panels focusing on infectious disease
“SeraCare recognizes the challenges our customers face in testing their assays rigorously while meeting complex and evolving regulatory requirements,” said John Wyatt, Director, Research Business Unit at SeraCare. “To provide our customers with the most innovative solutions, SeraCare continually enhances our infectious disease panels to deliver the unique patient samples they need to thoroughly challenge their assays.” The company’s unrivaled global sourcing network places it in a unique position to find and source these distinct patient samples....
Read MoreWork starts on major Liverpool Knowledge Quarter development Apr 2, 2013
Construction of Liverpool Science Park’s (LSP) £8m third building at the heart of Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter is underway
Innovation Centre 3 (ic3) will provide 42,000 sq ft of additional office and laboratory space to accompany the two buildings already at the park, which are now more than 90 per cent occupied. The state-of-the-art, four floor building will be constructed over the existing car park of Innovation Centre 1 (ic1) off Mount Pleasant and a double storey-bridge will link it to the ic1 building. It will include flexible office space, fully serviced biology and chemistry laboratories, meeting rooms and under-croft car parking...
SMi’s event promises to bring together world-renowned experts to present the hottest topics and key challenges faced within the Generics industry today.
With presentations and interactive panel discussions, the event will provide attendees with the latest updates on increasing profitability in a highly competitive market, how to overcome some of the IP issues faced when challenging patents and a detailed look at the pricing pressures surrounding an already saturated marketplace...
A class of cutting-edge cancer drugs could keep patients alive for much longer than they do now following a major new discovery about exactly how they attack tumours. Scientists have hailed the finding “unexpected and exciting”
The drugs, known as kinase inhibitors, are some of the most heralded of the new kind of targeted therapies, with 25 already in use and around 400 under development. They treat 5,000-10,000 patients in the UK each year, with that number set to grow as more are approved for use...
Read MoreTecan microarray solutions transform functional proteomics workflows at ASUMar 20, 2013
Researchers at The Virginia G. Piper Center for Personalized Diagnostics at the Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, have invested in an HS 4800™ Pro automated hybridization station and two PowerScanner™ units from Tecan for processing protein microarrays
Dr Joshua LaBaer, Director of the Center, explained: “We have adopted a unique approach to functional proteomics which involves printing the gene for the proteins on the slide and adding a cell-free extract that synthesizes the proteins in situ. The proteins are made literally an hour before we test them.” Dr LaBaer continued: “These instruments, our newest pieces of Tecan equipment, are real workhorses. The HS 4800 Pro runs by itself overnight and allows us to produce proteins in situ on the glass, wash them off, and even incubate them with samples, all in a single run, without any manual intervention at all...
Unite, Britain's biggest union, has accused AstraZeneca of creating a skills crisis in the north west by draining the region of highly skilled research and development jobs in the middle of an economic downturn
The pharmaceutical company has today (18 March) announced 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 lead for cancer research in Europe...
The Lorentz Contact Resonance imaging mode further enhances the capabilities of the afm+ and nanoIR systems from Anasys. LCR allows rapid broadband nanomechanical measurements over a range of temperatures. LCR imaging differentiates between multiple components of a sample and allows precise location of the probe for subsequent chemical or thermal analysis with nanoscale resolution...
Cellectricon, a leading provider of advanced cell-based screening technologies, today announced the launch of its Discovery Services division. The new services offer pharma/biotech companies and CROs cutting-edge phenotypic screening support, accelerating drug discovery and cell-based assay research into cytoskeletal disturbances – especially for chronic pain...
At the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2013 in Washington, D.C., USA, SelectScience announced that ZEISS Lightsheet Z.1 has been awarded with the Best New Life Science Product of 2012 by members of SelectScience. The winning product is recognized as having significantly contributed towards laboratory efforts in 2012...
The collaboration will focus on assessing laminin-based in-vitro cell culture matrices offering highly physiological microenvironments for living cells. Under the terms of the agreement Roche will provide R&D funding and scientific expertise to BioLamina. Financial details were not disclosed. Laminins are proteins located in the extracellular matrix providing the stability essential for cell growth and behaviour. They are the only protein group in this environment that have a tissue-specific distribution, including expression of specific laminins during embryonic development. This makes them a very interesting target for new biologically relevant cell culturing techniques...
Researchers in the physical chemistry department of the University of the Orange Free State (UFS) have examined the discotic liquid crystal properties of a number of long chain metal free and zinc phthalocyanines using the Linkam THMS600 hot stage. Phthalocyanines are aromatic compounds, with a variable length carbon chain, produced when the phthalocyanine molecule reacts with metals to form brightly colored complexes. These metal and non-metal derivatives are used for many applications, with new uses being continuously developed. They are found in dyes, chemical sensors, catalysts, non-linear optical materials and have been used for photodynamic cancer treatments....
Imagine a car coated with a surface that can simultaneously capture and store energy from the sun’s rays. It would solve one of the main problems associated with solar cells – they don’t work at night or in foul weather. Paint which combines the properties of both solar cells and batteries is the ultimate goal for chemist Morten Brønsted Nielsen, who has just been promoted as a so-called ”fyrtårnsprofessor” (lighthouse professor) at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Chemistry....
The new technology, called SnapFastTM, provides a fully interchangeable module based genetic engineering platform that offers research scientists unrivalled efficiency and flexibility. Managing Director of Oxford Genetics, Dr Ryan Cawood who invented the system describes the cloning platform as “Lego for DNA”. Dr Cawood explains how it works, “Historically, most genetic engineering has been performed with pieces of DNA, gathered from a variety of sources that were never intended to fit together. This can often make genetic engineering time-consuming and frustrating. What we are doing at Oxford Genetics is providing all of the standard DNA components that researchers use on a regular basis, and putting them into a compatible and ‘easy to clone’ format.”....
The symposium will be held on the 18th June 2013 in Berlin at the popular venue of the Palisa De/Umspannwerk Ost. This series of meetings continue to be highly regarded on the international life sciences meetings calendar with more than 100 scientists from around the world expected to come to Berlin to discuss their results and share scientific knowledge in a relaxed and informal atmosphere....
The research, largely funded by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research and conducted at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has uncovered clues to the origins of childhood leukaemia in two pairs of identical twins. Scientists believe these early genetic origins of childhood leukaemia could be ideal targets for new cancer drugs, because they represent mutations present in every single cancer cell, playing a major role in the development of the disease....
High throughput end-to-end RNA-Seq Service from Beckman Coulter Genomics includes customized project design, automated Illumina* TruSeq* RNA-Seq library construction and flexible, multiplexed sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq platform. Downstream bioinformatics analysis options include primary data analysis, differential gene expression, splice variant analysis, gene fusion identi?cation and rare transcript identi?cation...
Health and functional claims made for foods such as probiotics still need to prove their effectiveness ? an important part of the answer rests in our small intestines and their role in digestion, and immunity. NIZO food research and biotech pioneer Medimetrics are bringing this a step nearer, using the latest micro-electronics. They have joined forces to create a means of sampling and mapping content from the small intestine to identify its microbiological composition, in a non-invasive way. The mapping process will provide novel insights into how certain foods and ingredients might react in our gut and so affect our health....
John Brennan, Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry and Biointerfaces, explained: “We wanted to introduce the students to the concept of high throughput bioassays and, as we already had a lot of Tecan equipment – two Freedom EVO® liquid handling platforms, a Safire™ and an Ultra Evolution™, as well as a couple of Infinite M1000s – the Infinite M200 PRO was an obvious choice.”...
“Today’s announcement demonstrates the Government’s commitment to promoting scientific research - a crucial priority for securing the UK’s high-tech future. At the same time, in the context of increasingly tight and competing budgets, the pressure for accountability in research continues to grow....
The 405 Touch Microplate Washer offers flexible microplate washing with a high-resolution color touch screen interface for fast, easy protocol creation. 405 Touch is compatible with 96- and 384 well microplates, and features automated internal buffer switching and flow rates from aggressive to gentle – ideal for loosely adherent cell monolayers. Two integrated USB ports allow multiple users to create, store and transfer their specific washing protocols....
R-Biopharm Rhône, the manufacturer and Scotland's biggest exporter of diagnostic test kits, has seen both the number of tests it carries out and the number of kits it sells to other laboratories increase dramatically as companies scrambled to make sure their meat products were safe...
“SeraCare recognizes the challenges our customers face in testing their assays rigorously while meeting complex and evolving regulatory requirements,” said John Wyatt, Director, Research Business Unit at SeraCare. “To provide our customers with the most innovative solutions, SeraCare continually enhances our infectious disease panels to deliver the unique patient samples they need to thoroughly challenge their assays.” The company’s unrivaled global sourcing network places it in a unique position to find and source these distinct patient samples....
Innovation Centre 3 (ic3) will provide 42,000 sq ft of additional office and laboratory space to accompany the two buildings already at the park, which are now more than 90 per cent occupied. The state-of-the-art, four floor building will be constructed over the existing car park of Innovation Centre 1 (ic1) off Mount Pleasant and a double storey-bridge will link it to the ic1 building. It will include flexible office space, fully serviced biology and chemistry laboratories, meeting rooms and under-croft car parking...
With presentations and interactive panel discussions, the event will provide attendees with the latest updates on increasing profitability in a highly competitive market, how to overcome some of the IP issues faced when challenging patents and a detailed look at the pricing pressures surrounding an already saturated marketplace...
The drugs, known as kinase inhibitors, are some of the most heralded of the new kind of targeted therapies, with 25 already in use and around 400 under development. They treat 5,000-10,000 patients in the UK each year, with that number set to grow as more are approved for use...
Dr Joshua LaBaer, Director of the Center, explained: “We have adopted a unique approach to functional proteomics which involves printing the gene for the proteins on the slide and adding a cell-free extract that synthesizes the proteins in situ. The proteins are made literally an hour before we test them.” Dr LaBaer continued: “These instruments, our newest pieces of Tecan equipment, are real workhorses. The HS 4800 Pro runs by itself overnight and allows us to produce proteins in situ on the glass, wash them off, and even incubate them with samples, all in a single run, without any manual intervention at all...
The pharmaceutical company has today (18 March) announced 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 lead for cancer research in Europe...