HORIBA UK Ltd, Medical Division’s on-going partnership with Spire Healthcare, the UK’s second largest group of private hospitals, continues to go from strength to strength, as demonstrated by a new case study. 

It highlights last summer’s London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, during which, an ABX Pentra 80 haematology analyser was used within the Olympic Village Polyclinic by Spire who managed the on-site pathology services. These provided 24-hour healthcare support to an extremely diverse temporary community the size of a large town! The new case study outlining how HORIBA UK and Spire Healthcare supported the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Since the London 2012 Olympics were heralded as one of the most sustainable, Spire was required to reflect this ethos when setting-up its laboratory and to not purchase new equipment when kitting it out...

Biobank Uppsala, a leading Scandinavian biobank, has reported on its use of 2D-coded sample storage tubes, racks and caps from Micronic to provide traceable, high integrity storage of blood fraction samples (mainly serum and plasma).

Uppsala Biobank began its operations in September 2008 and is a collaboration between Uppsala County Council, as represented by Uppsala University Hospital, and Uppsala University (Faculty of Medicine).  Uppsala Biobank was founded to provide an organised central collection of samples that are gathered, stored and registered for the purpose of being conserved for scientific studies, treatment, and investigations... 

The global pharmaceutical industry is facing many challenges and uncertainties as companies strive to align their businesses with the key trends shaping the global marketplace.

Revenues are coming under increasing pressure as a consequence of pricing controls caused by healthcare reforms and austerity measures, increased competition, and challenges in bringing new drugs and other products to market. So, what are the most important decisions senior management will need to make to respond to these pressures?..

Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed an accurate and reproducible high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the single-injection determination of tolterodine and tartrate—the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and its counterion—in an encapsulated drug product containing tolterodine tartrate.

Application Note 1047: Simultaneous Determination of Tartaric Acid and Tolterodine in Tolterodine Tartrate demonstrates that this method requires only 13 minutes per analysis. This new approach uses a trimode silica-based column and a detector that is ideal for the determination of counterions, many of which lack a chromophore. Pharmaceutical companies must ensure that a drug product contains the appropriate amount of its API. This is typically validated with an HPLC-based assay...

£3.8M investment in global R&D pays off as product sales grow over 20% 

TTP Labtech, global developer and manufacturer of innovative automated laboratory equipment, has today reported details of its success in 2012, as well as its growth plans for 2013.Continuing its track record of pioneering automation drug discovery products, TTP Labtech’s £3.8M investment in R&D and entrance into new markets paid off as product sales for 2012 were up over 20 percent compared to the year previous, despite the challenging economy. This progress was driven by launching products into new markets, including biological sample storage and liquid handling for molecular biology applications, as well as continued growth in the sale of established products...

STEM CELLBANKER® from AMSBIO is a chemically defined freezing medium with optimised formulation for stem cells and iPS cells storage as well as other valuable cells.

In a recent study to determine the best cryopreservation solution to maintain induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, a team of researchers from the Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine (Japan) compared 12 kinds of commercially prepared cryopreservation solutions and found that STEM CELLBANKER** outperformed the other 11 solutions. The researchers concluded that STEM CELLBANKER** showed the highest cell viability and proliferation of all the solutions tested and can be widely used as it does not require any special skills to use...

Dr Andrzej Kulik is a research associate in the Laboratory of the Physics of Living Matter at the EPFL in Switzerland.

Under the leadership of Professor Giovanni Dietler, the research activity of the laboratory of physics of living matter is mainly devoted to the study of DNA topology, cellular machines, protein mechanics and high-resolution low temperature Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Through internal and external collaborations, a certain number of other research activities are carried out in particular on knots hydrodynamics, DNA gel electrophoresis, cell elasticity, cell motility, etc. Kulik and his colleagues are measuring the mechanical properties of proteins, cells and tissues. To date, AFM has been the main tool but is now complemented with the arrival of a nanoIR™ AFM-IR system from Anasys...

BioTek congratulates Holly Smith and the Dodge County Dairy Testing Association in Juneau, Wisconsin for winning a new 405™ Touch Microplate Washer with Verify™ Technology! Ms. Smith was randomly selected from all qualified contest entrants.

"I entered the contest because we are looking into offering a variety of ELISA-based assays, and could use another plate washer to push us into that direction," noted Ms. Smith. "And we're a cooperative, so anything that helps the lab also helps our customers, which is the best part!" Ms. Smith is a lab manager for a DHIA-certified component and diagnostic lab, testing for butterfat, proteins, and other milk components, and also running diagnostic tests such as the Johne's test, mastitis PCR, and more. The 405 Touch will be used for ELISA assays, and allow additional tests to be added to their services...

Thermo Fisher Scientific has developed a new GC-MS method for the analysis of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in accordance with U S. EPA Method 8270 using hydrogen carrier gas.

Key modifications to both GC and MS hardware and methods are necessary for successfully switching to hydrogen. Fast GC-MS Analysis of Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds: Migrating from Helium to Hydrogen as a Carrier Gas in US EPA Method 8270, featuresthe Thermo Scientific™ TRACE™ 1310 GC coupled to a Thermo Scientific™ ISQ™ single quadrupole mass spectrometer using hydrogen as a carrier gas. The final, optimized EPA Method 8270 is fully migrated to hydrogen carrier gas with improved peak shape, resolution, and run time...

Xmark Media the organisers of Photonex, the UK's showcase photonics event dedicated to applied optical equipment, biophotonics, fibre optics, lasers, sensing, vision & LIGHT announces the 2013 event. This will be held on the 16 & 17^th October at the visitor-friendly Ricoh Arena in Coventry.

Photonics finds ever more uses in research, industry and the consumer environment. Photonics technologies are of increasing importance to scientific research and for industry. Its use is growing by the day as is the Photonex 2013 conference and exhibition. Photonex organisers, Xmark Media, report that there will be a larger exhibit this year featuring an increasingly diverse range of products & services which will ensure the event continues to attract visitors from around the world...

A series of  new application notes posted on the Malvern Instruments website describes the quick and easy measurement of surface zeta potential using the zeta potential planar cell for the Zetasizer Nano particle characterization system.

Widely used as an indicator of the stability of particle suspensions and colloidal samples, surface zeta potential is traditionally measured using the specialist technique of streaming potential. Malvern’s Surface Zeta Potential Cell eliminates the need for a dedicated solution, allowing users to measure the zeta potential of surfaces in an aqueous medium on a standard instrument. The application note ‘Determination of the zeta potential of the surface of PTFE’, and others relating to different aspects of the measurement, can now be downloaded from Malvern’s online knowledge center...

Whitehouse Scientific’s Sieve Aperture Size Calculator, for use with the company’s NIST-traceable sieve calibration standards, is now provided in a convenient flash drive  format and is free of charge to purchasers of sieve standards.

With standards available in a variety of different sizes, Whitehouse Scientific’s unique microsphere method of sieve calibration enables sieve users to quickly and easily calibrate on-site rather than having to send sieves away for third party analysis. Now topping more than 1000 views, a two-minute sieve calibration video on the Whitehouse Scientific website is proving to be a popular learning tool taking viewers through each step of the procedure...

NanoSight reports on how Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, NTA, is being implemented for the further characterization of natural colloids (inorganic and organic) at the Institute of Water Resources and Water Supply at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg in Germany.

Inorganic and organic colloids are widespread in aquatic systems, where they influence many water quality treatment processes. Until recently there was a lack of an adequate analysis technique to measure the size fraction below 1000 nm. The research group of Professor Mathias Ernst of the Institute of Water Resources and Water Supply at the Technical University Hamburg-Harburg has adopted the use of NanoSight's NTA technique to provide new insights into water quality...

New research, published today in The Lancet, highlights important information for health professionals and parents about the factors which may increase the likelihood of a baby being born with a birth defect.

The findings, from researchers at the Universities of Bradford and Leeds, funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), confirm that the two main factors associated with an increased risk of babies being born with a birth defect are being born to an older mother or to parents who are blood relations. In addition, the research team was also able to confirm that socio-economic status (levels of deprivation)  had no effect on the relative risk of birth defects, despite two-thirds of the mothers participating in the study coming from the most deprived fifth of the British population...

JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, report on the success of the fifth international symposium on the applications of optical tweezers and related technologies in the life sciences.

Held in Berlin, over 60 delegates enjoyed excellent presentations for an international group of speakers. This year's symposium was held on the 18^th June in Berlin at the excellent Palisa De/Umspannwerk Ost. A sweltering Berlin welcomed over sixty scientists from around the world to discuss their results and share scientific knowledge in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. NanoBioVIEWS™ is the name of a series of international meetings initiated by JPK Instruments to further the scientific knowledge exchange on instrumentation and applications of nanotechnology in the life sciences... 

Malvern Instruments has published ‘Static Light Scattering Technologies For GPC/SEC Explained’, a valuable guide for anyone assessing the value of a light scattering detector for gel permeation/size exclusion chromatography (GPC/SEC).

Statement by Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, on the conclusion of negotiations on Horizon 2020      

After many hours of intense talks, the Irish Presidency, the European Parliament's negotiators and the European Commission have concluded negotiations on the Horizon 2020 package. The package will now be submitted to both the Council and to the European Parliament, where it will be brought forward to a plenary session of the European Parliament...

Diagnosis of Parvovirus B19 enhanced with launch of unique highly sensitive molecular assay

The molecular division of DiaSorin has launched the unique, highly sensitive Iam Parvo assay, a rapid quantitative molecular assay for use on the Liaison^® Iam instrument. DiaSorin are the global leader in Parvovirus B19 serology testing, and the addition of this molecular assay expands its diagnostic portfolio for this potentially life-threatening virus. Parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is common and occurs worldwide, with epidemics following a 3-4 year cycle...

Greenphire, the industry-leading provider of payment technologies for the clinical trials industry, today announced a relationship with Oracle Health Sciences. 

Oracle and Greenphire are integrating their respective product suites to enable their clients to streamline and automate processes from trial planning and budgeting, all the way through data capture to executing payments to clinical sites and patients, while providing real-time, strategically valuable reporting and analytics. The first initiative will be the integration of Greenphire’s global payment platform, eClinicalGPS, with Oracle’s electronic data capture (EDC) solutions, Oracle Health Sciences InForm and Oracle Remote Data Capture (RDC)...

At Field Based Chemistry Europe, Dr Tim Cheeseright presented a pre-release of Cresset’s new Activity Miner module. The groundbreaking new science in Activity Miner helps researchers optimize their leads by identifying the key 3D structural and electrostatic changes that impact molecular activity. 

Activity Miner explores the structure activity landscape of a set of molecules. For each pair of molecules, the difference between them in electrostatics, shape and structure is compared to the difference in activity. A small change in structure or electrostatics that results in a large change in activity is known as an activity cliff. Conversely, large structural changes resulting in little or no change in activity indicate bioisosteres. In each case, the comparison indicates an area of interest that merits further research...

Kinesis has published a new Application Note: Extraction of Metaldehyde, Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol from Water

The latest TELOS^® SPE Application Note from Kinesis highlights the extraction of Metaldehyde, Geosmin and 2-Methylisoborneol from Water. Metaldehyde is a molluscicide whose use has markedly increased in recent years as a result of changing agricultural practices. Geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol (MIB) are naturally occurring alicyclic alcohols which possess potent earthy/musty taste and odour tainting properties. They can occur in raw and potable waters as metabolites derived from various micro-organisms...

Twelve-strong array of ground-based telescopes equipped with specially built red-sensitive cameras to survey the sky to find transiting Neptunes and super-Earths

As the worldwide race to discover Earth-like exoplanets accelerates, Andor's expertise in high-performance digital camera design and manufacture is proving crucial for many of the leading groups in the field. SuperWASP (Wide Angle Search for Planets) has proven to be one of the most successful projects, finding more than a third of all confirmed transiting planetary systems through its two telescopes, each equipped with eight Andor iKon-L cameras. Its successor, the Next Generation Transit Survey (NGTS), aims to build on those successes through a twelve-strong array of telescopes at the European Southern Observatory in Chile, equipped with custom-designed, red-sensitive CCD cameras from Andor...