Market leaders in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments report on the use of their popular THMS600 stage for polymer research at the Institute of Chemistry and Technology of Polymers (CNR), Italy.
A group of scientists from the CNR is investigating the melting kinetics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a natural thermoplastic polymer with mechanical properties comparable to synthetic polymers. PHB is now the focus of scientific interest as it has commercial potential as a fully biodegradable and biocompatible product. Potential uses include environmentally friendly packaging and films, pharmaceutical drug administration, and biocompatible resorbable medical implants. Small batches of PHB have been produced since 1925 by bacterial fermentation, but until now there is no large scale commercial production because it is more expensive than commonly used polymers...
Link Technologies’ solid-supported Cyanine 540 and 650 dyes increase workflow efficiency
Link Technologies Ltd, an ISO 9001:2008 certified specialist oligonucleotide reagent manufacturer, has launched a range of high quality cyanine dye products to support the continued increase in demand for fluorescent labelling in biological imaging and molecular diagnostics. As well as introducing a new range of 3’-CPG solid supports modified with Cyanine 540 and Cyanine 650, Link Technologies now also manufactures and supplies the commonly used phosphoramidites, so researchers can now source an extended range of cyanine reagents produced to Link Technologies’ exacting standards...
Nanounity announces the public launch of new characterization tools and techniques for the microscopy community. Products from Pemtron & Delmic will debut at the annual 2013 Microscopy & Microanalysis Conference & Exhibition to be held in Indianapolis, August 4-8. The company will be presenting exciting new products of manufacturers from the USA, Korea and Europe.
New instrumentation, tools and techniques, will be featured on the Nanounity booth, #828, at this year's annual M&M meeting being held in Indianapolis, August 4-8, 2013. The Pemtron SEMART™ PS-250 scanning electron microscope (SEM) will be making its Nanounity US debut. This intermediate microscope provides users with quick and easy operation offering high performance at a reasonable price, a level that a user might expect to pay at least twice to own. With the power of the PS-230, the PS250 allows users to work with larger samples up to 140 mm while retaining 3 nm spatial resolution. Users may add optional EBSD (Electron Detector Back Scattered) and EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer) for more comprehensive analytical performance...
The new MCS XY stage from PI miCos for industrial measurement technology combines high guiding and positioning accuracy with loads of up to 20 kg and high dynamics.
Its areas of applications include industrial surface measurement technologies such as topology measurements on workpieces and optics or structural measurements on semiconductor wafers. Its high load capacity of 20 kg allows further axes to be mounted on the platform, such as vertical, rotary or tilting stages. The MCS system achieves its performance characteristics through selective combination of mechanical and electronic precision components....
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...
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 & 17th 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...
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...
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 18th 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...
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...
FLIR Systems has announced the release of a new range of thermal imaging cameras optimised for industrial R&D applications including tyre / brake testing, on and through glass measurements, welding / soldering processes and fast moving process control applications.
FLIR A3500sc / A6500sc series thermal imaging cameras incorporate a cooled 3-5 micron MW-IR detector making R&D applications that need better image quality, more sensitivity and a higher frame rate routine. Achieving a high thermal sensitivity of <25 mK - FLIR A3500sc / A6500sc series cameras are able to capture the finest image details and temperature difference information...
Nanounity announces their appointment to distribute the Pemtron range of scanning electron microscopes. The compact Pemtron system has been designed to bridge the gap between tabletop and full size tungsten SEMs.
Tabletop SEMs are inexpensive and easy to use compared to standard size SEMs but have limited performance and capability such as small sample sizes, lower magnifications and lower resolution. Full size SEMs would normally provide better imaging performance and more analytical capability but generally require more knowledge to operate and have a higher cost of maintenance. The Pemtron PS-230 and PS-250 SEMs address the gap between these two types of SEM product, offering competitive prices compared with higher end tabletop SEMs, are easy to use and have a low cost of maintenance while equalling or exceeding the performance of a full size SEM...
Hitachi announces the SU8200 – a new type of cold field emitter SEM
Hitachi High-Technologies announces the worldwide release of the new SU8200 series FE-SEMs – a range of high-performance instruments which provides the perfect fusion of high resolution imaging and analysis. Employing a new type of cold field emission (CFE) gun the SU8200 combines the inherent high resolution and brightness of conventional CFE with previously unseen beam stability and probe currents...
UK-based MR Solutions, a world leader in the development and manufacture of pre clinical MRI scanners, has developed the world’s first range of high-performance, 3T, scanners using super-conducting magnets which eliminate the need for liquid helium cooling. This advance has significant benefits for the scientific community as the global shortage of helium has been risking research projects across the world with experts predicting that the second most common element in the universe may be depleted by the middle of the century[1][1]. MR Solutions Chief Executive Dr David Taylor commented: “At MR Solutions we have developed a range of pre clinical MRI scanners which eliminate the need for helium...
NanoSight reports on how Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, NTA, is being used in the research project "Engineering of Biomolecules" at the Lorraine University, based in Nancy.
Dr Jordane Jasniewski works at the Laboratory of Biomolecules Engineering (LIBio) at Lorraine University, Nancy, and teaches in Food Chemistry at ENSAIA, an engineering school. He is a member of the research team working on the engineering of biomolecules to understand their structure and function to help develop new molecular architectures, to be applied in the areas of foods & agrichemicals, nutrition, pharmacology and cosmetics...
New automated particle location and chemical characterization tool
HORIBA Scientific, a leading innovator in the manufacture of high performance scientific and analytical equipment, is announcing the launch of their new ParticleFinder module for the LabSpec 6 Spectroscopy Suite. In combination with the full range of HORIBA Raman microscopes ParticleFinderbrings a new level of automation and ease of use for particle analysts who require the unique chemical characterization tools that Raman can offer...
JPK Instruments, a world-leading manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation for research in life sciences and soft matter, reports on the Yan Jie single molecule biophysics research group at the Mechanobiology Institute of NUS and their use of optical tweezers.
The Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) was created through joint funding by the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Education with the goal of creating a new research center in mechanobiology to benefit both the discipline and Singapore. Its' primary focus is to identify, measure and describe how the forces for motility and morphogenesis are expressed at the molecular, cellular and tissue level...
Market leaders in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments, report on the use of their popular THMSG600 and TS1500 heating stages which are being used for geological research at the Institute of Earth Sciences, Taiwan.
Founded in 1982, the Institute of Earth Sciences (IES) conducts research in two major disciplines: geophysics and geochemistry. The mineral and rock physics laboratory in the IES is one of the most prominent labs in mineral physics in Taiwan. It is one of nearly 30 institutes and centres that form the Academia Sinica (AS), the main governmental organization for basic research in all academic disciplines in Taiwan. Recent research has included mantle dynamics modelling, heat flow and space remote sensing...
Artemis CCD Limited, a leading manufacturer of cooled CCD cameras for low-light applications today launches the FS92 featuring 9.19 million effective pixels in a Type 1 3388 x 2712 pixel array. A combination of high resolution and high sensitivity increases significantly the application options for the scientific user and OEM customer. As with all members of the FS range of cameras a typical read noise of 5 electrons makes the FS92 a perfect choice for low light applications including fluorescence and chemi-luminescence imaging and with the asymmetric pixel binning function, a highly effective detector in optical spectroscopy...
Resolve Optics has supplied a high performance 8-channel optical module to Specialised Imaging (Tring, UK) to enable researchers to undertake UV imaging experiments at ultra high speed using their SIM ultra high-speed framing camera.
Using the new UV optical module and UV ICCD enables the SIM camera to optimally operate inthe 230-400nm region allowing scientists to study phenomena that emit ultraviolet radiation during the initial phase, such as corona from a pre-streamer in electrical discharge studies. Resolve Optics has a proven track record of developing state-of-the-art optical solutions that meet the highest standards and solve the most challenging problems for its customers...
AMSBIO has introduced a new range of 96-well format 3D Spheroid Cell Proliferation / Viability Assays, providing a new tool to allow cell-based assays to be carried out in 3D.
The new AMSBIO 3D Spheroid Proliferation/Viability Assay provides a useful tool for modeling tumor response in vitro. The kit utilises a 3D Culture Qualified 96 Well Spheroid Formation Plate alongside a specialised Spheroid Formation Extracellular Matrix to drive aggregation and/or spheroid formation of cells. Upon completion of spheroid formation, the spheroid may be treated with pharmacological agents to evaluate tumor viability after drug treatment...
ChemiDoc-ItTS2 Imager for Genomics and Proteomics Research now with Multiple Language Interface
UVP, LLC now offers the ChemiDoc-It®TS2 Imager software with multiple language options. English is the standard language format of the software and users can select from Chinese (simplified), Turkish, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and Russian for all screen text and buttons. "The language offerings will assist researchers in expediting and simplifying the image acquisition capabilities of the system. The integrated touch screen with software interaction in local languages makes the system highly intuitive and friendly," says Myrna Espiritu, International Sales Manager for UVP...
Worldwide the Laser Particle Sizers ANALYSETTE 22 ensures precise determination of particle size distributions, by Static Laser Scattering – in production and quality control as well as in research and development. Benefit from their decisive advantages: extremely simple operation and short analysis times for consistently reproducible and reliable results. AutoSampler is ideal for automation of measurement series: 26 positions for 40 ml containers are available for complete sample feeding, automatic dispersion, measurement and cleaning...
A group of scientists from the CNR is investigating the melting kinetics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a natural thermoplastic polymer with mechanical properties comparable to synthetic polymers. PHB is now the focus of scientific interest as it has commercial potential as a fully biodegradable and biocompatible product. Potential uses include environmentally friendly packaging and films, pharmaceutical drug administration, and biocompatible resorbable medical implants. Small batches of PHB have been produced since 1925 by bacterial fermentation, but until now there is no large scale commercial production because it is more expensive than commonly used polymers...
Link Technologies Ltd, an ISO 9001:2008 certified specialist oligonucleotide reagent manufacturer, has launched a range of high quality cyanine dye products to support the continued increase in demand for fluorescent labelling in biological imaging and molecular diagnostics. As well as introducing a new range of 3’-CPG solid supports modified with Cyanine 540 and Cyanine 650, Link Technologies now also manufactures and supplies the commonly used phosphoramidites, so researchers can now source an extended range of cyanine reagents produced to Link Technologies’ exacting standards...
New instrumentation, tools and techniques, will be featured on the Nanounity booth, #828, at this year's annual M&M meeting being held in Indianapolis, August 4-8, 2013. The Pemtron SEMART™ PS-250 scanning electron microscope (SEM) will be making its Nanounity US debut. This intermediate microscope provides users with quick and easy operation offering high performance at a reasonable price, a level that a user might expect to pay at least twice to own. With the power of the PS-230, the PS250 allows users to work with larger samples up to 140 mm while retaining 3 nm spatial resolution. Users may add optional EBSD (Electron Detector Back Scattered) and EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer) for more comprehensive analytical performance...
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...
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...
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...
Held in Berlin, over 60 delegates enjoyed excellent presentations for an international group of speakers. This year's symposium was held on the 18th 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... 
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. 
Tabletop SEMs are inexpensive and easy to use compared to standard size SEMs but have limited performance and capability such as small sample sizes, lower magnifications and lower resolution. Full size SEMs would normally provide better imaging performance and more analytical capability but generally require more knowledge to operate and have a higher cost of maintenance. 
Hitachi High-Technologies announces the worldwide release of the new SU8200 series FE-SEMs – a range of high-performance instruments which provides the perfect fusion of high resolution imaging and analysis. Employing a new type of cold field emission (CFE) gun the SU8200 combines the inherent high resolution and brightness of conventional CFE with previously unseen beam stability and probe currents...
Dr Jordane Jasniewski works at the Laboratory of Biomolecules Engineering (LIBio) at Lorraine University, Nancy, and teaches in Food Chemistry at ENSAIA, an engineering school. He is a member of the research team working on the engineering of biomolecules to understand their structure and function to help develop new molecular architectures, to be applied in the areas of foods & agrichemicals, nutrition, pharmacology and cosmetics...
HORIBA Scientific, a leading innovator in the manufacture of high performance scientific and analytical equipment, is announcing the launch of their new ParticleFinder module for the LabSpec 6 Spectroscopy Suite. In combination with the full range of HORIBA Raman microscopes ParticleFinder brings a new level of automation and ease of use for particle analysts who require the unique chemical characterization tools that Raman can offer...
The Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) of the National University of Singapore (NUS) was created through joint funding by the National Research Foundation and the Ministry of Education with the goal of creating a new research center in mechanobiology to benefit both the discipline and Singapore. Its' primary focus is to identify, measure and describe how the forces for motility and morphogenesis are expressed at the molecular, cellular and tissue level...
Founded in 1982, the Institute of Earth Sciences (IES) conducts research in two major disciplines: geophysics and geochemistry. The mineral and rock physics laboratory in the IES is one of the most prominent labs in mineral physics in Taiwan. It is one of nearly 30 institutes and centres that form the Academia Sinica (AS), the main governmental organization for basic research in all academic disciplines in Taiwan. Recent research has included mantle dynamics modelling, heat flow and space remote sensing...
Artemis CCD Limited, a leading manufacturer of cooled CCD cameras for low-light applications today launches the FS92 featuring 9.19 million effective pixels in a Type 1 3388 x 2712 pixel array. A combination of high resolution and high sensitivity increases significantly the application options for the scientific user and OEM customer. As with all members of the FS range of cameras a typical read noise of 5 electrons makes the FS92 a perfect choice for low light applications including fluorescence and chemi-luminescence imaging and with the asymmetric pixel binning function, a highly effective detector in optical spectroscopy...
Using the new UV optical module and UV ICCD enables the SIM camera to optimally operate inthe 230-400nm region allowing scientists to study phenomena that emit ultraviolet radiation during the initial phase, such as corona from a pre-streamer in electrical discharge studies. Resolve Optics has a proven track record of developing state-of-the-art optical solutions that meet the highest standards and solve the most challenging problems for its customers...
The new AMSBIO 3D Spheroid Proliferation/Viability Assay provides a useful tool for modeling tumor response in vitro. The kit utilises a 3D Culture Qualified 96 Well Spheroid Formation Plate alongside a specialised Spheroid Formation Extracellular Matrix to drive aggregation and/or spheroid formation of cells. Upon completion of spheroid formation, the spheroid may be treated with pharmacological agents to evaluate tumor viability after drug treatment...
UVP, LLC now offers the ChemiDoc-It®TS2 Imager software with multiple language options. English is the standard language format of the software and users can select from Chinese (simplified), Turkish, Japanese, Spanish, Korean and Russian for all screen text and buttons. "The language offerings will assist researchers in expediting and simplifying the image acquisition capabilities of the system. The integrated touch screen with software interaction in local languages makes the system highly intuitive and friendly," says Myrna Espiritu, International Sales Manager for UVP...