Global IT spending will increase at a cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.6% to reach $40.8bn by 2017, predicts Ovum.

According to new figures from the global analyst firm, highest growth will be in the Asia-Pacific region, in the small to mid-sized enterprise subsector, and in the BI and analytics solution area. In its latest Global Life Sciences IT spending forecast* Ovum reveals that the increase in IT spending will be fuelled in large part by the growth in data analysis and related technologies, the acquisition of systems to comply with new regulatory requirements, and increased spending on applications that advance operating efficiency and automation. Asia-Pacific will continue to...

Titan Enterprises has produced an informative illustrated guide to help simplify the process of identifying and selecting the best type of small bore flowmeter (< 0.5-inch / 12.5mm bore) for a particular application.

Achieving optimal performance from small bore flowmeters has very different challenges to those faced when using larger diameter meters. As the flows are lower, less energy is available in the liquid to convert to mechanical movement. The liquid is often running in the laminar flow region and viscosity and boundary layer effects become very important....

Link Technologies provides key protocols for oligonucleotide synthesis and modification 

Link Technologies Ltd, an ISO 9001:2008 certified specialist oligonucleotide reagent manufacturer, is providing scientists with a complete resource for oligonucleotide synthesis and modification. Spanning the breadth of oligo chemistry, the Link Technologies 2013/14 Product Guide leads users through practical methods and application-based advice for total assurance in reagent selection and performance of the resulting oligos....

Asynt in conjunction with the Department of Chemistry, University of St Andrews (UK) and Advanced Chemical Safety Inc. (USA) have produced an 8-page illustrated document to provide laboratory staff with an IN BEST PRACTICE GUIDE to safe use of heating block systems.

Heating blocks provide a safe, convenient and productive alternative to heating mantles and oil baths for heating round bottomed flasks, tubes and vials. Used in combination with a standard hotplate stirrer - heating blocks such as the Asynt DrySyn range have proved themselves with their ability to outperform the heat-conducting properties of oil baths....

Harvard professor explains how to programme complex oligo structures for new applications 

The quarterly newsletter DECODED, from Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) explores the work of Dr Pen Yin, assistant professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School, who is harnessing the base pairing properties of DNA to create 3D structures of “DNA bricks”. This new nano-construction technique is based on short DNA oligos, which assemble at right-angles to interlocking sequences, forming 3D units. With such a heavy dependency on oligonucleotide quality, Dr Yin has relied on IDT. These DNA bricks are inspiring many future applications, such as catalysts and drug compounds, and can eventually be used to create electrical circuit boards on the nanometer scale...

Neutrophils are a vital part of the body’s immune system.

Recognized as the most abundant type of white blood cell present in human blood, neutrophils function primarily as the body’s first line of defense against infection and inflammation. Within minutes of stimulation, neutrophils migrate from the blood to tissue where they accumulate at sites of infection. One of the most common lab tests ordered on a regular basis is the counting of neutrophils in the blood (absolute neutrophil count)...

OGT provides insight on NGS enrichment optimisation

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT), provider of innovative genetics research and biomarker solutions to advance molecular medicine, has produced a free whitepaper titled ‘The importance of enrichment assay choice and optimisation for confident variant detection.’ The paper investigates the main strategies employed to optimise target enrichment for next generation sequencing (NGS) assays, assisting researchers to make informed decisions when designing studies...

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...

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...

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...

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)...

Unique web Resource Centre contains expanding reference paper guide  

Seward Ltd., manufacturers of the world leading range of Stomacher^® paddle blenders and Stomacher^® accessories used in sample preparation for microbiological analyses, has introduced a new application focused Resource Centre within its website. The Seward online Resource Centre contains a growing and unique database of reference papers to help users identify how Stomacher® laboratory paddle blenders may be used for different applications and protocols. All scientific papers referenced within the Resource Centre have been read and assessed by Seward’s technical experts...

A team of researchers from the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated new multimodal optical microscopy technology that when coupled with advanced image co-registration algorithms, can account for soft-tissue deformations that may occur over the time-course of weeks and months.

This technology can visualize cellular-level structural, functional, and biomechanical data and provide new insights into complex processes in living tissue, such as skin.  This technology not only offers a new tool for basic science and pre-clinical investigations, but also offers the potential for human clinical investigations into the dynamics of skin regeneration and repair, the incorporation of engineered skin constructs, the effectiveness of new therapies for treating skin conditions such as non-healing diabetic ulcers, and for skin cosmesis applications...

Gain the most from your modified oligo with Link Technologies’ new Product Guide

Link Technologies Ltd, a specialist oligonucleotide reagent manufacturer, has dedicated a section of its new, freely available 2013/14 Product Guide to ‘Modification Strategies in Oligonucleotide Synthesis’. Increasingly, modified oligos are playing an important role across a broad range of life science and clinical-based research groups and, for example, show significant promise as agents to optimise drug delivery. In the new Product Guide, Link Technologies has compiled a comprehensive resource for - scientists working with modified oligonucleotides, including educational references, detailed product information, established protocols and application notes, for assured oligo synthesis and use. This go-to guide for oligonucleotide chemistry can be downloaded for free...

Revised METTLER TOLEDO Sensor Product Guide Saves Time

METTLER TOLEDO is pleased to announce the launch of the latest version of its interactive, web-based Electrode ValueBox. This downloadable electrode identification and troubleshooting toolkit, which features a revised electronic Sensor ProductGuide, will help METTLER TOLEDO customers choose the right electrode in less time, enabling easy optimization of delicate values such as pH. Particularly for pH measurements, subtle electrode composition shifts capture electron transfer in various solution types...

Suffolk (UK) based Vapourtec has partnered up with Dr Nicholas Leadbeater and the New Synthetic Methods Group at the University of Connecticut (USA) to produce a new guide entitled “An Introduction to Flow Chemistry – A Practical Laboratory Course”.

Aimed principally at undergraduate teaching laboratories within colleges and universities but also a great asset to the research lab, the 100 page manual details a set of ten continuous-flow processing experiments, each of which can be easily delivered in conjunction with Vapourtec’s E-series flow unit during a regular lab period. Dr Leadbeater, Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut and widely recognised as one of the leading lights in the fields of flow chemistry and new educational initiatives, commented: “Flow chemistry offers a lot of exciting possibilities in terms of running reactions for a wide variety of industries and it’s vital that it is encouraged and nurtured in the field of education...

The role of women in science and their historic under-representation in the field are explored in a new short documentary film and book.

The book tells the story of how the University of Edinburgh's female scientists have fought for equality, beginning with street riots in the 1870s. Today, an Edinburgh professor is the first female president of the Royal Society of Chemistry. The film celebrates how much has been achieved, but warns that unconscious bias against women still persists, and that more needs to be done to achieve parity. The initiative, entitled A Chemical Imbalance, was funded by the Royal Society Rosalind Franklin Prize awarded to Professor Polly Arnold, Crum Brown Chair of Chemistry and Director of Research in chemistry at the University of Edinburgh...

Porvair Sciences has announced a new version of its Chemical Compatibility Chart that provides an easy-touse reference guide detailing the chemical resistance of membranes and matrices used in microplates to a wide range of common laboratory chemicals.

Employing tests performed at room temperature (25°C) - Porvair has compiled data as to the compatibility of different microplate matrices and membranes to a wide range of acids, alcohols, bases, esters, hydrocarbons /chlorinated hydrocarbons, ketones and other chemicals. In the tabulated chart - chemical compatibility data for each microplate material is listed as ‘suitable’, ‘ok for medium term use’ or ‘unsuitable’ thereby offering lab scientists the information to enable selection of just microplates constructed from materials optimised for their application...

Optical Surfaces Ltd. (OSL) has produced its ‘Practical Guide to Surface Quality’ – the  second in a series of practical guides for optics users.

The informative new 12-page guide is written to enable scientists and engineers better understand an optics quoted surface quality as surface imperfections are typically the most misunderstood, misinterpreted, and ambiguous of all optical specifications. Key reasons why surface quality is an important consideration in selecting optics are associated with cosmetic acceptability and often more importantly with the functionality / performance of the component. The presence of defects on the surface of an optical component can scatter light which in some circumstances may affect its performance...

The IDT newsletter DECODED features the latest research to rescue the CFTR functionality

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), the world leader in oligonucleotide synthesis, offers insight into recent research that has unearthed an miRNA-regulated network implicated in the pathogenesis of Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Described in the April edition of DECODED, the international IDT customer newsletter, optimized DIG-labeled DsiRNAs (IDT) were used to develop a novel, enhanced approach for oligonucleotide delivery....

Link Technologies’ new Product Guide is the ‘go-to’ resource for oligo chemistry 

Link Technologies Ltd, a specialist oligonucleotide reagent manufacturer, has used its 25 years of industry experience to produce the 2013/14 Product Guide, providing scientists with a wealth of application-orientated content for oligonucleotide chemistry. For easy navigation, the guide is broken into key topics and processes, including Oligonucleotide Labelling Strategies, and each section is supported by application notes and protocols, for easy product-to-practice transition...

Porvair Sciences has announced the first North American edition* of its internationally trusted ‘Catalog of Microplates and Microplate Equipment’.

Many scientists around the world have come to rely upon the Porvair Sciences catalog as a trusted source of information that enables them to choose the optimum microplate, microplate evaporator or sealer for their application. This new2013 edition brings together information on Porvair Sciences comprehensive microplate and microplate equipment product range that is available and supported by knowledgable local agents** through the USA and Canada. Reflecting Porvair's continuing commitment to continuous technological innovation, the North American catalog introduces a suite of exciting new products..

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