MIT adopts Agilent's Bioanalyzer to enhance bioengineering laboratory course

Agilent Technologies Inc today announced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has integrated the Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer into its biological engineering department’s undergraduate laboratory course. The Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer is a microfluidics-based platform for sizing, quantification and quality control of DNA, RNA, proteins and cells on a single platform.

Managing vital documents during the drug development

Regulatory compliance service and product provider GxPi announced today that its x-docs CAPA Module has been selected by Renovo as a hosted system to manage vital documents for the company's drug development process. Renovo uses the GxPi Corrective Action and Preventive Action (CAPA) Module, which is part of the x-docs portfolio, to electronically track and manage its Corrective and Preventative management programme. Used in a hosted system environment, the CAPA Module minimises installation costs thereby reducing the overall implementation and licensing costs of the product for the customer.

Durable yet removable labels for laboratories

Computer Imprintable Label Systems (CILS), the manufacturer of high-performance labels, has launched its new CIL-9100R range of peelable laboratory labels, suitable for labelling re-usable glassware; reducing time and the inconvenience of removing conventional labels.

Manufactured using an adhesive construction, the CIL-9100R label series provides initial tack and superior removability, allowing the labels to cleanly remove at any time without leaving any adhesive residue.

CIL-9100 durable label range can withstand the harshest laboratory conditions including autoclaving, extreme temperatures (-196°C to +388°C), cryo-stoage, chemicals and solvents, ensuring maximum durability of critical data. Sample and specimen variable data can be added ‘in-lab’, ‘on-demand’ using an existing PC and Laser or Thermal Transfer printer offering excellent label production flexibility.

CILS International

Assay to identify Paracetamol overdose

The Roche Acetaminophen (Paracetamol) 10 minutes-to-result assay is an easy to use and effective low-cost method for laboratories to incorporate into their routine testing menu.

The assay is easily incorporated onto a Roche platform, which combined with ready-to-use reagents, ensures time and labour savings. Additionally, the 2-shot assay has no interference with the Paracetemol Antidode N-Acetylcysteine, making it extremely reliable for consistent patient follow-up.

Dionex Chromeleon CDS interfaces to Nexxis ELN

Labtronics Inc has released a new interface connector between Chromeleon CDS from Dionex  and Labtronics' Nexxis ELN.

This new interface connector links Chromeleon CDS and Nexxis ELN transparently, so that information is automatically exchanged between the two systems. Nexxis ELN can collect sample weights and all of the metadata for the sample prep process. The weights can then be sent to Chromeleon, allowing it to complete the concentration calculations. Results are then sent back to Nexxis ELN where they are automatically added to the same worksheet used for sample prep.

New BioVyon porous plastics

Porvair Filtration Group announces the expansion of its range of BioVyon porous polymeric, composite and functionalised materials, designed for use in the healthcare industries.

Manufactured in an ISO accredited clean room environment - the new USP Class VI BioVyon sintered porous plastics offer the high degree of biocompatibility and bio-safety required by many healthcare applications.

AiCuris announces AIC246 to be successful in treatment of Multiorgan HCMV disease

AiCuris announced today that its novel HCMV inhibitor AIC246 has been used successfully to treat a patient with multi-organ HCMV disease caused by multi-resistant virus. Details will be presented at the 48th IDSA meeting on October 23.

“This is the first case, where HCMV disease has been treated and resolved the infection of the lung, the colon and the eyes under AIC246 therapy,” says Susanne Stoelben, the responsible AiCuris physician for the drug.

Low profile 96-well microplate

Porvair Sciences Ltd, specialists in applications optimised microplates, has announced a low profile 96-well microplate designed to minimise the space required for compound storage.

In an environment where space costs money the low profile 96-well plate achieves a storage volume of 1.1ml/well in a height of just 27mm. This allows more plates to be stored or stacked in a give space.

B.I.G. Talents celebrates innovation in biotech, IT and greentech

B.I.G. Talents 2010 is the first national event combining biotechnology, information technology and green technology. This unique event includes a trade fair and a business centre dedicated to cutting-edge technologies for project leaders or managers of innovative businesses. B.I.G. Talents takes place on 17-18 November in the Exhibition Centre, Rouen (France) in the Haute-Normandie region, which is a dynamic area at the heart of innovation.

Roche and Fluidigm Corporation enter co-promotion agreement

454 Life Sciences, a Roche Company, and Fluidigm Corporation have announced that they have entered a worldwide co-promotional agreement for the companies’ complementary amplicon sample preparation and high-throughput sequencing platforms.

Fluidigm’s Access Array System enables automated processing of 48 unique samples against 48 unique amplicons, resulting in PCR products which are ready for emPCR amplification and sequencing with 454 Life Sciences’ GS Junior or GS FLX System. The partnership offers users a robust and streamlined workflow that minimizes the number of manual steps required for targeted sequencing applications, including genotyping and rare variant detection.

Strategies for translational research in the UK

A commentary published in the journal, Science Translational Medicine, examines the structures of translational research investment in the UK.

The commentary has been written by researchers from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London. The authors consider the results of substantial Government and charitable investment in translational research taking place within the NHS.

Label-free assay technology garners second successive endorsement

PharmaDiagnostics NV, a company developing and marketing a broadly-enabling, label-free screening technology that uniquely does not require specialized equipment, announces today that it has again won first prize for the most innovative technology at a highly-focussed gathering of industry and academic drug discovery experts.

Guide to good microplate washing practice

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc today announced the availability of its ‘guide to good washing practice.’

The online guide is designed as a step-by-step tool, providing detailed guidance on obtaining secure and reliable performance with every use of the Thermo Scientific Wellwash microplate washers. It also links to an online game, challenging users to score points by washing wells effectively. To view the guide and play the game, visit www.thermoscientific.com/wellwashguide.

The easy to navigate, carousel-style, guide provides a host of information to ensure reliable ELISA results are obtained. It includes details on set-up, operation, performance optimization, maintenance and troubleshooting.

As an easy-to-use platform, the Wellwash and Wellwash Versa strip washers feature a large, icon-based graphical user-interface, available in eight languages, as well as a context-sensitive help feature. As a result, protocols can be quickly developed with minimal training to ensure excellent ELISA results are obtained.

Thermo Scientific

Test detects and quantifies enterococci bacteria in 24 hours

IDEXX Laboratories Inc has launched Enterolert*-DW for the detection of enterococci bacteria in drinking water in Europe. The new test exceeds both the speed and the accuracy of conventional testing methods.

European regulations require testing for enterococci in drinking water, as well as for coliforms and E. coli. All are indicators of possible water contamination that could pose a health risk to humans.

Four in 10 men with prostate cancer may avoid radical treatment

Hundreds of men in the UK are opting to delay aggressive treatment for prostate cancer in favour of being closely monitored, according to the first figures on the groundbreaking new care approach published in the British Journal of Urology.

Dr Chris Parker from The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and The Royal Marsden pioneered the technique of Active Surveillance, which since 2008 has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as an option for patients with low-risk, localised prostate cancer.

Symposium on cell factories of the future

Rentschler Biotechnologie GmbH launched the first “Laupheimer Zelltage” with a symposium on Cell Factories of the Future. Henceforth, the conference will take place every two years. The event took place on October 14 and 15 at the facilities of Rentschler Biotechnologie in Laupheim, Germany, and was supported by the biotech cluster BioRegion Ulm and the Industry and Commerce (IHK) of Ulm.

Cell Factories of the Future was not only the motto of this year’s conference but also reflected the focus of the three-part lecture series on cells, factories, and the future of recombinant protein production.

Study to investigate whether exhausting HIV reservoir and ultimately obtaining virus eradication is feasible

Cytheris SA, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on research and development of new therapies for immune modulation, today announced the initiation of Phase II clinical trial of the company’s investigative immunomodulatory agent, CYT107 (rhIL-7), in combination with two potent antiretroviral drugs represented by the integrase inhibitor raltegravir (ISENTRESS - Merck & Co) and the CCR5 inhibitor, maraviroc (SELZENTRYTM - ViiV Healthcare).

The main hypothesis of this study is that by combining the most potent and synergistic antiretroviral drugs, coupled with an immunomodulating agent capable of targeting or inducing activation of latently infected cells, the reservoirs of HIV can be decreased and, in the best case scenario, eradication of the virus may be feasible.

MorphoSys opts for second pre-development program within strategic antibody alliance

MorphoSys AG announced today that within its collaboration with Novartis it has nominated the second therapeutic antibody program for joint pre-development. The pre-development agreement provides MorphoSys with the option to enter a formal co-development for the respective program with Novartis. Until the program reaches formal co-development status, Novartis carries all “project-related” costs. MorphoSys’s share of the funded research will add to revenues in its Proprietary Development segment.

High throughput evaporation system

The Genevac HT-4X centrifugal evaporation system provides the ideal solution for overcoming evaporation bottlenecks in high throughput and production laboratories.

Built to the highest specifications - the HT-4X makes demanding applications routine. Corrosive vapours such as trifluoroacetic acid may be removed by the standard system, an inert purge option allows high safety evaporation of flammable solvents and optional facility is provided for fast sample lyophilisation.

Collaboration in rational selection of patients for clinical trials

Horizon Discovery Ltd and Cylene Pharmaceuticals Inchave entered into a collaboration to maximize potential patient benefit from Cylene’s novel anticancer agent, the companies announced today.

The collaboration will utilize Horizon’s X-MANTM proprietary human isogenic cancer cell-lines, which represent accurate models of defined cancer patient populations and their matched normal genetic backgrounds. These cell-lines will be used to pinpoint patients who will respond best to Cylene’s first-in-class CK2 inhibitor, CX-4945. This partnership between two leaders in their respective fields could result in a significant reduction in research costs and acceleration of timelines for regulatory approval.

Advances in Protein Crystallography: mosquito LCP showcased

TTP LabTech will be showcasing mosquito Crystal and its new mosquito LCP liquid handler on the 9-10 November at the annual Advances in Protein Crystallography conference and exhibition 2010, Florence, Italy.

mosquito LCP is a dedicated liquid handler designed to facilitate the crystallisation of membrane proteins, such as G-protein coupled receptors, by offering a fully automated solution to lipid cubic phase (LCP) screening.

Researchers increase understanding of genetic susceptibility to psoriasis

Genetic variants associated with increased susceptibility to psoriasis are reported in five papers published online this week in Nature Genetics. Psoriasis is a chronic and recurrent skin disease, and one of the most prevalent autoimmune diseases, with a global prevalence of 2-3%.

One of the studies was led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and King’s College London and the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics at Oxford University, and involved multiple UK institutions.

Research newsletter for biochip user community

Fluidigm Corporation has announced that the Fall 2010 edition of its community newsletter is now available free to download from www.fluidigm.com/newsletters/Q3%20newsletter-rev2-FINAL.html.

The Fluidigm Community Newsletter is a quarterly publication dedicated to providing you with the most recent research, product updates, and news featuring Fluidigm Integrated Fluidic Circuit (IFC) technology.

Reagent offers highly sensitive, stable detection of small protein quantities

GE Healthcare has introduced Amersham ECL Prime, a highly sensitive reagent characterized by stable signal emission up to three hours after addition of the reagent, allowing for the possibility of repeated exposures and making it easier to process several blots in the same experimental run.

High signal intensity means that proteins may be detected using more dilute primary and secondary antibodies, which reduces background noise and reagent consumption.