A new application note from Malvern Instruments explores the role of particle size and the importance of particle size measurement in optimizing the formulation of drilling muds used in oil extraction processes.

TissueMark software automatically marks and detects potentially cancerous sections in tissue samples with unprecedented levels of speed and accuracy. 

Leap in precision equates to the shift from a freehand outline sketch of a country’s border to a high resolution map of the whole country. New technology, developed in Belfast, will soon enable pathologists to automate the process of marking tissue samples with unprecedented accuracy. TissueMark, developed by Belfast-based digital pathology specialists PathXL, is being launched today at the Association for Molecular Pathology conference in Phoenix, Arizona. TissueMark analyses the detailed structural patterns in tissue samples and marks the boundaries of potentially cancerous sections for more detailed analysis. The new software will help accelerate cancer research and discovery, reduce time in drug development and identify new markers of the disease...

This internal promotion strengthens the business unit and enhances the Executive Committee (COMEX)

Novasep, a leading supplier of manufacturing solutions to the life sciences industry, today announces the appointment ofNadege Laborde as the new president of its Industrial Biotech business unit. This internal promotion strengthens the business unit and is a key addition to the Executive Committee (COMEX). The nomination recognizes and rewards all of the commitment and skill that Nadege has demonstrated within the business. Nadege joined Novasep in 2000 after qualifying as an engineer from Ecole Centrale, Paris...

Sanofi Pasteur Initiates Phase III Study of Investigational Clostridium Difficile Vaccine

Cdiffense trial to evaluate vaccine against a leading cause of life-threatening, healthcare-associated infections worldwide. Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today the initiation of its Phase III clinical program called Cdiffense to evaluate the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of an investigational vaccine for the prevention of primary symptomatic Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a potentially life-threatening, spore-forming bacterium that causes intestinal disease....

Modeling Interactions Could Further Research of Treatments for Chronic Muscular Diseases

“Current drug development processes take anywhere from 10-15 years and cost somewhere in the region of $1.2 billion.” Neuromuscular junction studies are mainly concerned with understanding the connection between the nervous system and the muscular system, specifically with the synapses that transmits information across and back. By modelling this interaction in the lab, scientists hope to investigate subtle changes in muscle functional outputs in response to treatment with novel modulatory and inhibitory compounds. Such a system may prove invaluable in furthering research efforts aimed at the development of effective treatments and reducing the overall cost of clinical trials...

New customer feedback points up benefits of the Mastersizer 3000

A recent webinar showcasing new software features for the Mastersizer 3000 proved an opportunity for Malvern Instruments’ customers to reflect on how, two years on from its launch, this groundbreaking instrument is delivering valuable benefits. Customers cite its small footprint, truly intuitive and intelligent software interface, as well as the ease of transferring from an existing system to the new instrument, as the most popular features. The new software further enhances these elements of performance and was demonstrated during the webinar...

MediCity, a collaboration between Boots, the UK’s leading pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer and BioCity, the UK’s leading life sciences incubation company officially opens for business this week.

Over 300 guests, including experts in health, beauty and wellness technology, are expected to attend events during MediCity Innovators’ Week 18-22 November 2013, with the official opening taking place on Thursday 21 November 2013. Boots UK will be recognised by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for its pioneering work, headed-up by Dr Stewart Adams, which led to the discovery of ibuprofen in the 1980s and which is now used by millions worldwide for pain relief. The conferring of the RSC Chemical Landmark plaques by Boots UK and BioCity symbolises the foundations of innovation that underpin both businesses...

Bruker has released an application note on the evaluation of matrix effects on the analysis of carbendazim in orange juice and wine using the EVOQ Elite liquid chromatography mass spectrometer (LC-MS/MS).

Carbendazim is a fungicide and a known endocrine with potentially harmful effects on human health. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has limited the concentration of carbendazim in imports to 10 ppb. Using the EVOQ, Bruker has developed a quantitative Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) method for carbendazim analysis in orange juice and wine matrices. The EVOQ’s sensitivity was demonstrated as detections of 0.005 ppb were made, far below the FDA limit. The application note is available to download...

Magritek, a leading provider of compact NMR and MRI instruments, has added fluorine measurement capability to their Spinsolve benchtop NMR spectrometers to meet applications needs in the pharmaceutical industry.

The Magritek Spinsolve™ NMR Spectrometer; a cryogen-free benchtop NMR system, has been designed to provide an upgradable platform for versatile NMR spectroscopy applications. The latest upgrade enables users to perform both fluorine and proton measurements on the same sample without the need for complicated retuning of the probe as may be required in alternative commercial systems...

OGT’s ASHG 2013 workshop highlights the need for comprehensive genomic analysis

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), provider of innovative genetics research and biomarker solutions to advance molecular medicine, has made a recording of its recent American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) workshop available to watch online. The oversubscribed workshop, titled “Complementing next generation sequencing experiments with high-resolution copy number variation detection”, was recorded at the meeting in Boston (US) on the 25^th of October 2013...

Genevac has developed a protocol using its SuperCool 75 condenser

Genevac has developed a protocol using its SuperCool 75 condenser that, in conjunction with the Genevac HT-12 High Throughput Evaporator, has been proven to set a new benchmark for enhanced evaporation and lyophilisation results. The SuperCool 75 chills to -75C and operates at higher power than any other commercially available condenser, opening the door to greatly improved results with the Genevac LyoSpeed fast lyophilisation process for preparing powdered samples from HPLC fractions...

Telstar has successfully developed two high containment barrier systems for the Korean Komipharm Pharmaceuticals Co Ltd, one of the largest producers of products from anti-cancer drugs in human oral dosage form to veterinary medicines in Asia

• Specially orientated to the manufacture of oncological pharmaceutical products and research in the Biotechnology field 

• Developed with in-house containment technology, the systems have been designed and manufactured by the Technology Centre for Barrier Isolation Systems of Telstar, located in UK....

Autoscribe has published a new case study that shows how Thornton & Ross has improved its QC laboratory efficiency using the Matrix Gemini Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).

Thornton & Ross Ltd is the largest independent pharmaceutical manufacturer in the UK. Its QC laboratory has an important function in both raw material evaluation and in production and this can significantly impact overall manufacturing performance. Thornton and Ross identified the need for a LIMS capable of controlling, managing, organising, documenting, analysing and reporting information, since increasing volumes of laboratory test data were overwhelming existing practices. Matrix Gemini was installed to manage data for a wide range of analytical techniques for both the raw materials and finished products teams...

Until the end of March 2014, purchasers can save £1,200 (€1,755) on a ³Prime and £1,900 (€2,635) on a Techne Prime gradient thermal cycler from Bibby Scientific.

PCR machines throughout the Prime range are being offered at their lowest ever prices – a ³Prime 48 x 0.2ml personal cycler is only £1,995 (€2,395) and a full size 96 x 0.2ml model is just £2,495 (€2,995). Techne’s extensive range of Prime Thermal Cyclers delivers rapid, effective PCR solutions for institutions of every size and type, from small single laboratories to multi-user organisations....

Phenom World has launched a new software – ParticleMetric, for the visualization and analysis of particles and powders.

The combination of ease of use and superb imaging quality of the Phenom desktop SEM with the imaging and particle analysis of ParticleMetric creates a powerful tool for inspecting a wide range of particle and powder samples. The Phenom desktop SEM with ParticleMetric software allows easy generation and analysis of SEM images. The integrated ParticleMetric software allows the user to gather morphology and particle size data for many submicron particle applications. The fully automated measurements of ParticleMetric allow a level of visual exploration beyond optical microscopy that can lead to new discoveries and innovations in powder design, development, and quality control.....

Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed a reliable method for determining levels of dithiocarbamate fungicides (DTCs) with high precision using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

The complex extraction and identification of DTCs is performed on various food samples after a thorough method validation. Application Note 10333, Analysis of Dithocarbamate Pesticides by GC-MS, compares DTC levels in various food samples to matrix-matched calibration standards. SIM mode analysis provides high selectivity with easy-to-integrate chromatograms. The analysis uses a Thermo Scientific™ TRACE GC Ultra™ gas chromatograph equipped with a Thermo Scientific™ TriPlus™ RSH liquid autosampler coupled to a Thermo Scientific™ ITQ™ 900 ion trap mass spectrometer...

Recognising both the importance and complexity of specifying a Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) prior to purchase, Autoscribe has published a comprehensive (29 page) User Requirements

Check List to help with the assessment of each LIMS vendor and to fully understand how each vendor meets the specific user requirements.  Equally suitable for first time buyers and those looking for a replacement LIMS, this free document is available on request. The check list ranges from commercial to system support issues. Consideration is given to programming and coding responsibilities, system configuration/customisation and user access and security. There is a thorough review of functionality, including: sample/work registration, sample receipt, sample preparation, work scheduling and result entry. There are sections concerning static data tables, reporting, and options...

The new 5th edition of BCPC’s Manual of Biocontrol Agents – a toolbox for biocontrol and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – was launched as an online resource at the Annual Biocontrol Industry Meeting (ABIM), in Basel, Switzerland in October.

“In my lifetime the world population has doubled and it is forecast to double again by 2050,” explains editor, Dr Roma Gwynn. “Alongside many other issues, this increase puts tremendous pressure on farmable land, requiring a doubling in output per unit area. If we are to conserve biological resources and ensure food security in a sustainable way, we need to use the best crop protection technology and methods available. Integrated Pest Management – including the use of biological control agents such as macro-organisms, micro-organisms, botanicals and semiochemicals – will play an important part, and it is encouraging that demand for and availability of these technologies is increasing rapidly...

Updated Clinical Chemistry and Toxicology Document on Measurement Procedures for the Determination of Lead Concentrations in Blood and Urine

The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has published a new version of C40-A2—Measurement Procedures for the Determination of Lead Concentrations in Blood and Urine; Approved Guideline—Second Edition. C40-A2 is intended for members of the clinical laboratory testing community involved in the collection and measurement of lead in blood and urine. C40-A2 provides direction for specimen collection, measurement by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, anodic stripping voltammetry, and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It includes guidelines for quality assurance and quality control, as well as information on proficiency testing programs and laboratory certification. This edition of the document addresses the clinical significance of lead concentrations < 10 μg/dL (0.48 μmol/L)...

CleveXel and Dynamix to develop a dual mechanism SYK/JAK small molecule inhibitor to clinical proof-of-concept

Clevexel Pharma, a pharmaceutical company specialized in investing in the development of new molecules between proof-of-concept in animal and proof-of-concept in humans announces today they have entered into a partnering agreement with Dynamix Pharmaceuticals, a venture-backed Israeli biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel, targeted, small-molecule drugs for cancer and autoimmune disorders...

Synexus has formed a partnership with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to establish a clinical research facility at Hexham General Hospital, in North East England.

Synexus, a world leader in the engagement of patients and the running of clinical trials at its own dedicated research centres, has formed a partnership with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust to establish a clinical research facility at Hexham General Hospital, in North East England. Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest and top performing NHS foundation trusts in the country and is now the first NHS hospital and community health services provider to forge such a unique clinical trials partnership – with the potential to improve treatment for thousands of patients across the NHS...

Specialised Imaging reports on how its SIM-D8 ultra high-speed framing camera is being used by Sorlox Corporation (Irvine, CA, USA) to look at the behaviour of plasma generated by a compact Magnetised Target Fusion (MTF) system.

Sorlox Corporation is a pioneer in the development of compact pulsed-plasma devices for use as highly efficient, environmentally friendly power production or for medical isotope production. Using Deuterium as its fuel source - the Sorlox Nautilus Compressor employs an electric field to generate a hot plasma.  Using a magnetic field,  the Nautilus system compresses the plasma to a high energy state, facilitating fusion and releasing heat that can be used for power generation...