Lab M adds Modified Giolitti and Cantoni Broth (ISO) to culture media range

Microbiological culture media specialists Lab M has introduced its new Modified Giolitti and Cantoni Broth (ISO) for the detection and enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci. This adds to Lab M’s range of dehydrated culture media formulated to meet the specific ISO requirements of the food industry.

Modified Giolitti and Cantoni Broth (ISO) is used for the detection and enumeration of coagulase-positive staphylococci, including Staphylococcus aureus, from food and animal feeding stuffs using the Most Probable Number technique according to ISO 6888-3:2003. This versatile medium can be used with or without an agar/paraffin plug on the surface, depending upon the testing regime employed.

Modified Giolitti and Cantoni Broth is optimised for samples where staphylococci may be stressed and/or present only in low numbers. Their growth is promoted by the inclusion of sodium pyruvate, glycine and high concentration mannitol. Potassium tellurite, which inhibits other Gram-positive organisms, and lithium chloride, inhibitory to Gram-negative bacilli, provide the necessary selectivity.Tellurite also serves as an indicator for coagulase-positive staphylococci, its reduction by these organisms resulting in a blackening of the broth or the presence of a black precipitate.

The introduction of this Modified Giolitti and Cantoni Broth (ISO) enhances Lab M’s range of media for the isolation of coagulase-positive staphylococci in accordance with ISO 6888-3:2003.

Lab M

Ion exchangers for high-throughput purification of recombinant proteins

GE Healthcare has announced that the capabilities of the Capto platform are now extended to include Capto ImpRes ion exchange chromatography media for late-stage purification of a wide range of biomolecules. The first Capto ImpRes products to be launched are Capto SP ImpRes and Capto Q ImpRes, strong cation and strong anion exchangers, respectively, that enable high throughput, high resolution polishing, and flexibility in process design.

Capto ImpRes media are based on a rigid high-flow agarose matrix that allows the use of high flow rates and higher bed heights, providing biopharmaceutical manufacturers with the possibility to reduce cycle times and maintain or reduce column equipment footprint, thus contributing to driving improvements in process economics.

“The extension of the Capto platform with Capto ImpRes ion exchangers demonstrates our commitment to supporting biopharmaceutical manufacturers with the most modern tools to improve their processes in terms of throughput, productivity, and economy,” said Dr Nigel Darby, Vice President, Biotechnologies, GE Healthcare. “Capto ImpRes media have been designed to meet the throughput and high resolution needs of intermediate purification and polishing.”

Capto ImpRes media are available in several convenient formats, including Predictor 96-well filter plates and prepacked HiTrap and HiScreen columns to support all stages of biopharmaceutical development and manufacture. As part of the GE Healthcare BioProcess media platform, Capto ImpRes ion exchangers are manufactured under validated production methods, backed up with Regulatory Support Files, and have Secure Supply routines in place.

GE Healthcare

New plastics for the medical sector

BASF is adding three new products from two classes of material to its medical-technology plastics portfolio identified by the suffix
“PRO”.

In the POM product line (POM: polyoxymethylene; polyacetal), these are the two new grades Ultraform N2320 003 PRO and Ultraform H4320 PRO. They are joined by Ultradur B4520 PRO, BASF’s first PBT (PBT: polybutylene terephthalate), which is optimized for applications in medical technology. These three new “PRO” grades will be available in commercial quantities starting in February 2011.

For several years now, BASF’s S and W grades in the Ultraform PRO portfolio have been the company’s only engineering plastics for
applications in medical technology. Ultraform N2320 003 PRO is a new injection-moulding grade with a higher viscosity. It is suited
for the production of thick-walled components that also make high requirements in terms of mechanical strength. Thanks to its high
impact resistance and stiffness, this new Ultraform N grade may just be right for the manufacture of highly stressed elements such as functional parts in insulin pens, atomizing devices and dry-powder inhalers.

In contrast, the likewise new Ultraform H4320 PRO has been tailored specifically for processing by extrusion at high ejection speeds. It has an even higher viscosity than the Ultraform N grade, it is more impactresistant while also being very stiff as well as strong, and it displays good thermal stability. Its target applications are plug-in connectors, handles of surgical instruments and other components in small production runs that are made from semi-finished parts.

With its Ultradur B4520 PRO, BASF is launching its first PBT for injection-moulded applications in medical technology. In the new Ultradur PRO, the well-known high dimensional stability of PBT has been combined with an optimized shrinkage behavior, so that this product now meets the stricter requirements made of the dimensional accuracy of components intended for medical devices.

Other advantages of this material are that it absorbs very little water, is highly resistant to many chemicals, can be easily printed on and sterilized with ionizing (gamma) radiation or ethylene oxide.

The combination of plastic parts made of Ultraform PRO and Ultradur PRO translates into additional synergisms: for instance, insulin pens with excellent sliding friction properties can be produced with these materials. Here, Ultraform PRO accounts for low friction between the individual functional parts while Ultradur PRO, as the sliding member, reliably prevents annoying noises during use.

BASF

Prototype drug targets metabolism, halts disease that limits bone marrow transplantation

A prototype drug already shown to hold promise for treating autoimmune disorders like lupus, arthritis and psoriasis halts established graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in mouse models of bone marrow transplantation, research at the University of Michigan and the University of Florida shows.

The research, published in the January 26 issue of Science Translational Medicine, also offers new insights into how the cells that cause GVHD and other immune disorders make adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP), the fuel cells use to survive and carry out their prescribed functions. These findings challenge a long-standing model of how activated cells of the immune system make ATP, opening the door for fundamentally new approaches to combat immune diseases.

Bone marrow is the soft tissue that helps form blood cells, including the white cells that fight disease and infection. Bone marrow transplantation is a life-saving procedure used to treat diseases once thought incurable, including leukemia, aplastic anemia, Hodgkin's disease, multiple myeloma, immune deficiency disorders, and some solid tumours. During what's known as allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, healthy bone marrow stem cells from a donor are transfused into a patient, replacing marrow that is either not working properly or has been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation.

Discovery of "probiotic transporters" unlocks secrets of infection-preventive bifidobacteria

Researchers at RIKEN, Yokohama City University and the University of Tokyo have uncovered how gut bifidobacteria protect the body against lethal infection by enhancing the defenses of colonic epithelium. Published in this week’s issue of Nature, the finding provides first-ever clues on the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of gut microbiota, promising more effective probiotic therapies for a variety of disorders and diseases.

In recent years, new metagenomics techniques have enabled scientists to delve ever-deeper into the world of gut microbiota, revealing the strong influence that intestinal bacteria exert on our health. Bifidobacteria, one of the most numerous such bacteria, confer to their hosts a range of beneficial health effects, aiding in digestion, boosting the immune system and even reducing cancer risk. The mechanism underlying these effects, however, has remained a mystery.