HORIBA UK Ltd, Medical Division, has introduced a new version of its Quality Slide Program (QSP) service specifically designed to readily meet new CPA guidelines for evaluating and reporting on staff competency and training for blood cell identification in line with ISO 15189. As a unique digital blood cell morphology QC and training program, HORIBA’s QSP also helps to standardise blood film review.
ISO 15189 Medical Laboratory Accreditation is a tool to demonstrate the quality and competence of medical laboratories and ensure delivery of timely and accurate results. Key to this is on-going assessment of laboratory staff technical skills. The new version of HORIBA’s QSP offers enhanced recording of staff competency and training in blood cell identification, where results may sometimes be subjective. Intuitive and easy-to-use, QSP can be fully customised to meet UK working practices...
Xylem’s OI Analytical brand is pleased to offer a new water/soil sample processor for purge-and-trap GC-MS analysis of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) in drinking water, wastewater, soils, and sediments.
Environmental laboratories performing VOC analysis of drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil and sediment samples require a versatile and reliable automation platform to transfer samples to purge-and-trap GC-MS systems. OI Analytical’s 4100 Water / Soil Sample Processor automates the handling and processing of samples in 40mL VOA vials for purge-and-trap analysis of VOCs in accordance with U.S. EPA methods....
The Département Environnement et Agro-biotechnologies (EVA), of the Centre de Recherche Public - Gabriel Lippmann, Luxembourg, employs NanoSight Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) method from Malvern Instruments to perform environmental analysis and toxicological testing of nanoparticles.
Researchers within the EVA department are using the technique of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) for the characterization of nanoparticles within their toxicological studies. A team led by toxicologist Dr. Arno Gutleb is working closely with colleagues in the Département Science et Analyse des Matériaux (SAM) both to characterize the particles that they produce and to investigate the environmental and toxicological impact of these and other nanomaterials.....
The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has published an updated version of H52-A2—Red Blood Cell Diagnostic Testing Using Flow Cytometry; Approved Guideline—Second Edition.
This standard addresses the diagnostic red blood cell (RBC) assays performed as fluorescence-based assays on a flow cytometry platform; including testing procedures for fetomaternal hemorrhage detection, paroxysmal nocturnal hematuria screening, membrane defect anemia testing for hereditary spherocytosis, and nucleated RBC counting. Points of validation and quality control, and caveats of interpretation are also discussed.
OHAUS, a leading worldwide manufacturer of scales and balances, has been extremely successful with the Explorer® Series. This line of ingenious balances offers advanced applications that simplify even the most complex laboratory measurements.
OHAUS Explorer® with its unmatched functionality and high-performance has received two prominent awards. One of them was granted by the American magazine Laboratory Equipment that gave Explorer® the 2013 “Readers' Choice” Award for best balance. The voters were focusing on products that lead the industry in technology...
The US Federal Drug Administration Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory has increased the efficiency of preparing its agar plates for microbiological research using an INTEGRA MEDIAJET vario automated petri dish filling system.
Located in Dauphin Island (AL), the FDA’s Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory (GCSL) site is used by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to conduct research programs related to seafood safety, especially seafood harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. The US FDA operates a mandatory safety program for all fish and fishery products under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and related regulations. The FDA program includes research, inspection, compliance, enforcement, outreach and the development of regulations and industry guidance...
JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, reports on the use of the Quantitative Imaging mode for tissue engineering studies at Niigata University.
Tomoyuki Kawase is an associate professor at the Institute of Medicine and Dentistry at Niigata University. His field of expertise is tissue engineering about which he has published several key papers. Professor Kawase is interested to determine the optimal stiffness or elasticity of cell scaffolding materials. In addition, it is also important to demonstrate dynamic changes in cytoskeletal fiber formation in response to the mechanical property of scaffolds...
Analytik, leading suppliers of innovative analytical instrumentation, are pleased to announce the availability of the TerraSpec Halo mineral identifier from PANalytical Boulder (formerly ASD Inc).
Analytik has announced the UK and Ireland release of the TerraSpec Halo, a lightweight, portable, full range near-infrared spectrometer designed to revolutionise the mineral exploration process. With a simple push of a button, the TerraSpec Halo delivers mineralogy results in a matter of seconds, a rapid method to identify minerals and decrease associated exploration costs...
TAP Biosystems is delighted to announce its ambr15 micro bioreactor system is being used at the leading US-based Contract Manufacturing Organisation (CMO), Gallus BioPharmaceuticals, LLC (“Gallus”) to optimise process development and clone selection of novel antibody therapeutics and biosimilars.
Gallus’ scientists are using the ambr15 micro bioreactor in their new, state-of-the-art Process Development facility in St. Louis, Missouri. The system is being used for clone selection programmes to determine which CHO cell lines are stable and produce the highest titre mAbs. They are also using the ambr system to optimise media selection and feed strategies for these mAbs, which are being developed as antibody therapeutics and biosimilars for some of the world’s top pharma and biotech firms...
XEI Scientific Inc, maker of the popular EVACTRON® De-Contaminator™ Plasma Cleaning System for electron microscopes and other vacuum chambers, has appointed remX GmbH, as distribution partners for their decontamination products in Germany.
XEI Scientific has appointed new distributors for Germany. remX GmbH is a company specializing in hardware and software solutions for Scanning Electron Microscopes for industry and universities. Their specialty is in microscopy-based techniques such as electron microscopy and detectors such as EDX and SDD. They will also cover other European countries, particularly those speaking German. These include Austria, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Switzerland (German speaking regions only) and the Netherlands...
Planning has been granted by Cambridge City Council for The Forum, an innovative £120 million mixed-use medical and education facility on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.
The Forum, designed by architects NBBJ, is the product of a pioneering joint venture between John Laing and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHT). Consisting of a post-graduate medical education centre, 900 delegate conference centre, 90-bed private hospital, and four-star hotel, The Forum will bring together local, national and international medical professionals, researchers and academics from around the world all focused on the development of life-changing treatments....
MoFlo Astrios EQ, a six-way jet-in-air sorter from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, delivers patent pending enhanced dual forward scatter (eFSC) technology for simultaneous sorting and detection of particles from 200 nm to 30 µm in diameter. The instrument sets a new standard for flow cytometry core facilities, delivering high-speed cell sorting and micro-particle detection in a single package. Featuring detailed and precise forward scatter resolution, beadless drop sample handling and increased biosafety, Astrios EQ meets a range of analysis needs...
Chromatrap®, the novel solid-based matrix for chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays, available from Porvair Sciences, has been successfully used to isolate high quality chromatin from difficult biopsy material.
Focusing on the precipitation of epigenetic marks from primary endometrial stromal cells, researchers have produced excellent enrichment of high abundant epigenetic marks from 1 million cells isolated from a tissue biopsy. The selective enrichment using Chromatrap was highlighted by the selective amplification of both positive and negative gene targets relative to negative IgG. Further the work described demonstrates how the Chromatrap ChIP Assay Kit is able to delineate the balance between active and repressive associated marks and also is compatible with human tissue...
This month laboratory autoclave manufacturer Priorclave announces the availability of a very much extended range of autoclave consumables.
The new products have been carefully selected by Priorclave to ensure that users of steam sterilisers have access to an extremely competitively priced range of the more frequently used items. In addition to current items such as deodorising capsules containing concentrated perfumed essential oils which come in a choice of three different fragrances and printer ribbons, the new consumable range includes more than eight new additions
Read MoreNew Technique Tracks Proteins in Single HIV ParticleMay 13, 2014
An interdisciplinary team of scientists from KU Leuven in Belgium has developed a new technique to examine how proteins interact with each other at the level of a single HIV viral particle.
The technique allows scientists to study the life-threatening virus in detail and makes screening potential anti-HIV drugs quicker and more efficient. The technique can also be used to study other diseases. Understanding how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reproduces itself is crucial in the effort to fight the disease. Upon entering the bloodstream, HIV viral particles, or virions, ‘highjack’ individual immune cells....
Exceptional Performance at a Low Investment Up to Fifteen Parameter Detection with Enhanced Sensitivity and Resolution
ACEA Biosciences, a pioneer in the development of high performance cell analysis platforms for life science research known for their xCELLigence® platform, introduces the NovoCyte flow cytometer. The NovoCyte system addresses a full range of multi-parameter cellular analysis research needs with high performance at a low investment cost, making it more attainable for researchers to have benchtop flow cytometers in their labs...
Over 70 scientists from 16 countries are due in Nottingham this week for the biennial Scientific Laboratory Show and Conference at the East Midlands Conference Centre on the University of Nottingham campus.
This is the largest gathering of leading academic and commercial scientific experts in the city for several years, for what has become an occasion of real scientific value for leading manufacturers and for visiting international delegates. The three-day event is organised by Nottingham-based Scientific Laboratory Supplies Ltd, in association with the Royal Society of Chemistry and is further recognition of the city’s growing influence in the UK’s life sciences business sector....
A new white paper from Copley Scientific provides expert guidance on how to use breathing simulators effectively when testing orally inhaled products (OIPs).
Breathing simulators are machines that mimic the inhalation and/or exhalation profile of a patient and are used increasingly in OIP testing. Copley Scientific’s white paper clearly explains where breathing simulators are specified by pharmacopoeial methods and also where their optional use is beneficial. This may be in improving understanding of product performance, for example, or to support a Quality by Design (QbD) approach...
Read MoreSeward Ramps Up Stomacher Bag ManufacturingMay 12, 2014
Seward Ltd., manufacturer of the world leading range of original Stomacher® paddle blenders and accessories used in sample preparation for microbiological analysis, has increased production capacity for Stomacher® blender bags with additional manufacturing in the UK.
By locally manufacturing its range of Stomacher® 400 and 3500 mL bags at its UK facility, Seward has now reduced delivery lead times for its European customers and also minimised its environmental footprint. Seward already ensures rapid supply of Stomacher products through local bag manufacture and stocking from regional sites in USA and Singapore to fully support its customers worldwide. In addition to reducing delivery times, this policy for local manufacture and stocking also helps to minimise the impact of...
For laboratories tired of having to constantly attend to multiple rotary evaporators, the Rocket™ Evaporator from Genevac sets the benchmark for productivity and ease-of-use.
Proven in hundreds of installations worldwide, the Rocket Evaporator provides truly unattended operation capability. Requiring no training even a beginner can competently use the system in less than 5 minutes. Simply load your flasks, highlight the desired evaporation method, and press start. Inbuilt monitoring and Automatic End of Run means users are able to focus on other tasks confident that they will achieve perfect, reproducible results every time...
Tim Freeman, Managing Director, and Dr Xiaowei Fu, Product Specialist at Freeman Technology, will deliver four oral presentations relating to aspects of powder characterisation and critical powder handling issues at the 7th World Congress on Particle Technology (WCPT7) taking place from 19-22 May 2014 in Beijing, China.
Tim Freeman is an invited speaker at the Particle Design: Formulation and Processing session, where he will present ‘A QbD Approach to Continuous Tablet Manufacture’. This talk will focus on the use of powder characterisation to measure material properties that directly correlate with the quality attributes of a finished product to support the development of continuous processes...
Two award-winning laboratory service providers have joined forces to create greater synergy for customers.
Cleanroom manufacturer Connect2Cleanrooms and specialist laboratory relocation provider Andrew Porter Limited have formed a partnership agreement, which is set to complement and enhance each firm’s service provision. Connect2Cleanrooms already provides disassembly, relocation and revalidation of its modular cleanrooms, but the new partnership with Andrew Porter Limited will enable it to offer a full relocation service to include all contents of the cleanroom, such as instrumentation and cold chain materials....
ISO 15189 Medical Laboratory Accreditation is a tool to demonstrate the quality and competence of medical laboratories and ensure delivery of timely and accurate results. Key to this is on-going assessment of laboratory staff technical skills. The new version of HORIBA’s QSP offers enhanced recording of staff competency and training in blood cell identification, where results may sometimes be subjective. Intuitive and easy-to-use, QSP can be fully customised to meet UK working practices...
Environmental laboratories performing VOC analysis of drinking water, wastewater, groundwater, soil and sediment samples require a versatile and reliable automation platform to transfer samples to purge-and-trap GC-MS systems. OI Analytical’s 4100 Water / Soil Sample Processor automates the handling and processing of samples in 40mL VOA vials for purge-and-trap analysis of VOCs in accordance with U.S. EPA methods....
Researchers within the EVA department are using the technique of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) for the characterization of nanoparticles within their toxicological studies. A team led by toxicologist Dr. Arno Gutleb is working closely with colleagues in the Département Science et Analyse des Matériaux (SAM) both to characterize the particles that they produce and to investigate the environmental and toxicological impact of these and other nanomaterials.....
OHAUS Explorer® with its unmatched functionality and high-performance has received two prominent awards. One of them was granted by the American magazine Laboratory Equipment that gave Explorer® the 2013 “Readers' Choice” Award for best balance. The voters were focusing on products that lead the industry in technology... 
Located in Dauphin Island (AL), the FDA’s Gulf Coast Seafood Laboratory (GCSL) site is used by the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) to conduct research programs related to seafood safety, especially seafood harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. The US FDA operates a mandatory safety program for all fish and fishery products under the provisions of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Public Health Service Act, and related regulations. The FDA program includes research, inspection, compliance, enforcement, outreach and the development of regulations and industry guidance...
Tomoyuki Kawase is an associate professor at the Institute of Medicine and Dentistry at Niigata University. His field of expertise is tissue engineering about which he has published several key papers. Professor Kawase is interested to determine the optimal stiffness or elasticity of cell scaffolding materials. In addition, it is also important to demonstrate dynamic changes in cytoskeletal fiber formation in response to the mechanical property of scaffolds... 
Analytik has announced the UK and Ireland release of the TerraSpec Halo, a lightweight, portable, full range near-infrared spectrometer designed to revolutionise the mineral exploration process. With a simple push of a button, the TerraSpec Halo delivers mineralogy results in a matter of seconds, a rapid method to identify minerals and decrease associated exploration costs... 
Gallus’ scientists are using the ambr15 micro bioreactor in their new, state-of-the-art Process Development facility in St. Louis, Missouri. The system is being used for clone selection programmes to determine which CHO cell lines are stable and produce the highest titre mAbs. They are also using the ambr system to optimise media selection and feed strategies for these mAbs, which are being developed as antibody therapeutics and biosimilars for some of the world’s top pharma and biotech firms...
XEI Scientific has appointed new distributors for Germany. remX GmbH is a company specializing in hardware and software solutions for Scanning Electron Microscopes for industry and universities. Their specialty is in microscopy-based techniques such as electron microscopy and detectors such as EDX and SDD. They will also cover other European countries, particularly those speaking German. These include Austria, Poland, Hungary, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Switzerland (German speaking regions only) and the Netherlands... 
The Forum, designed by architects NBBJ, is the product of a pioneering joint venture between John Laing and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUHT). Consisting of a post-graduate medical education centre, 900 delegate conference centre, 90-bed private hospital, and four-star hotel, The Forum will bring together local, national and international medical professionals, researchers and academics from around the world all focused on the development of life-changing treatments....
MoFlo Astrios EQ, a six-way jet-in-air sorter from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, delivers patent pending enhanced dual forward scatter (eFSC) technology for simultaneous sorting and detection of particles from 200 nm to 30 µm in diameter. The instrument sets a new standard for flow cytometry core facilities, delivering high-speed cell sorting and micro-particle detection in a single package. Featuring detailed and precise forward scatter resolution, beadless drop sample handling and increased biosafety, Astrios EQ meets a range of analysis needs...
Focusing on the precipitation of epigenetic marks from primary endometrial stromal cells, researchers have produced excellent enrichment of high abundant epigenetic marks from 1 million cells isolated from a tissue biopsy. The selective enrichment using Chromatrap was highlighted by the selective amplification of both positive and negative gene targets relative to negative IgG. Further the work described demonstrates how the Chromatrap ChIP Assay Kit is able to delineate the balance between active and repressive associated marks and also is compatible with human tissue...
The technique allows scientists to study the life-threatening virus in detail and makes screening potential anti-HIV drugs quicker and more efficient. The technique can also be used to study other diseases. Understanding how the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reproduces itself is crucial in the effort to fight the disease. Upon entering the bloodstream, HIV viral particles, or virions, ‘highjack’ individual immune cells....
ACEA Biosciences, a pioneer in the development of high performance cell analysis platforms for life science research known for their xCELLigence® platform, introduces the NovoCyte flow cytometer. The NovoCyte system addresses a full range of multi-parameter cellular analysis research needs with high performance at a low investment cost, making it more attainable for researchers to have benchtop flow cytometers in their labs...
Breathing simulators are machines that mimic the inhalation and/or exhalation profile of a patient and are used increasingly in OIP testing. Copley Scientific’s white paper clearly explains where breathing simulators are specified by pharmacopoeial methods and also where their optional use is beneficial. This may be in improving understanding of product performance, for example, or to support a Quality by Design (QbD) approach...
Proven in hundreds of installations worldwide, the Rocket Evaporator provides truly unattended operation capability. Requiring no training even a beginner can competently use the system in less than 5 minutes. Simply load your flasks, highlight the desired evaporation method, and press start. Inbuilt monitoring and Automatic End of Run means users are able to focus on other tasks confident that they will achieve perfect, reproducible results every time...
Tim Freeman is an invited speaker at the Particle Design: Formulation and Processing session, where he will present ‘A QbD Approach to Continuous Tablet Manufacture’. This talk will focus on the use of powder characterisation to measure material properties that directly correlate with the quality attributes of a finished product to support the development of continuous processes...
Cleanroom manufacturer Connect2Cleanrooms and specialist laboratory relocation provider Andrew Porter Limited have formed a partnership agreement, which is set to complement and enhance each firm’s service provision. Connect2Cleanrooms already provides disassembly, relocation and revalidation of its modular cleanrooms, but the new partnership with Andrew Porter Limited will enable it to offer a full relocation service to include all contents of the cleanroom, such as instrumentation and cold chain materials....