weekly news: Loss of corporate memory in the laboratory

AMONG the many interesting observations this week at the Planet xMap symposium in Monaco was discussion of an industry trend by Tim Dehne, VP marketing for sponsoring company Luminex.

The company’s microbead-based assays are being exploited in many new and ingenious medical research and clinical diagnostics techniques, many of which were the subjects of presentations here (see our report at No 2 in this week’s top ten).

But the comment that really caught my attention was in a private discussion, rather than the conference chamber. We’ve all seen the growing importance of lab automation technologies over recent years, and we’ve also seen how pressures on lab throughput have led to simplified sample preparation techniques.

Dehne imparted that a recent survey had shown that the average age of a medical technician in the USA is now in the mid-50s. This means, of course, that many are approaching retirement each year – and it seems they are not being replaced.

This tells us that the trends towards automation and simplified protocols will certainly continue, but it also leaves me somewhat worried. With the loss of a generation of experienced lab practitioners will come the loss of a huge resource of knowledge and experience.

The youngsters who will, inevitably and eventually, replace the old timers may well have the inside track in the digital age, but there really is no substitute for experience. No amount of technology can properly encapsulate a lifetime at the bench, and the resourcefulness this provides for the times when things go wrong.

I hope you find the LabHomepage website, and this weekly newsletter, useful. Comments and feedback are always welcome: news@labhomepage.com Please help us build our circulation base by forwarding this to any friends that might like it, and suggest they subscribe at http://eepurl.com/itOV2

 

best wishes

Russ Swan

editor, LabHomepage.com

 

 

Latest top stories: 11 October 2012

 

1. Assessing the potential of next-generation sequencing

SINCE being introduced just seven years ago in 2005, next generation sequencing (NGS) has attracted much interest for providing a faster and more comprehensive method of genomic…

http://labhomepage.com/2863/genomics/assessing-the-potential-of-next-generation-sequencing/

 

2. xMap at 10: towards a future of precision medicine

THE TENTH annual Planet xMap conference, currently underway in Monaco, has addressed many of the topical issues in medical research and diagnostics including the outlook for the…

http://labhomepage.com/2855/research/xmap-at-10-towards-a-future-of-precision-medicine/

 

3. Winning micrograph image scores seal of approval

THE EUROPEAN Microscopy Congress, EMC22012, held last month in Manchester, UK, was used by Agar Scientific to host two microscopy imaging competitions. The company supported…

http://labhomepage.com/2846/microscope/winning-micrograph-image-scores-seal-of-approval/

 

4. An easier technique for large format vertical gel electrophoresis

THE LATEST innovation in large-format vertical gel electrophoresis from Cleaver Scientific, the VS20 Wave, promises to improve productivity in the lab thanks to its ergonomic…

http://labhomepage.com/2840/electrophoresis/an-easier-technique-for-large-format-vertical-gel-electrophoresis/

 

5. Cooled CCD camera gives fast images in low light

A NEW CCD camera which exploits thermoelectric cooling to give rapid imaging in low light conditions, for use in Raman spectroscopy, chemiluminescence, and microscopy…

http://labhomepage.com/2820/imaging/cooled-ccd-camera-gives-fast-images-in-low-light/

 

6. Instrument will ID complex particle problems

MALVERN Instruments has used a live webinar to complete the global roll-out of its Morphologi G3-ID particle characterisation system.   This online tutorial described the capabilities of…

http://labhomepage.com/2830/particle-characterisation/instrument-will-id-complex-particle-problems/

 

7. Well bottom elevation microplate standard now ANSI accredited

THE AMERICAN National Standards Institute (ANSI) has finalised accreditation of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) Microplate Standard 6 for Well Bottom Elevation…

http://labhomepage.com/2824/microplate/well-bottom-elevation-microplate-standard-now-ansi-accredited/

 

8. Cap a complete rack of tubes in seconds

A COMPLETE rack of 96 sample tubes can be capped in just 4-9 seconds, which is less than half the time of competitive systems, using the Univo CP480 electric capper…

http://labhomepage.com/2813/labware/cap-a-complete-rack-of-tubes-in-seconds/

 

9. Confocal microscope gives enhanced imaging of living specimens

RESEARCHERS seeking more sensitive live cell imaging along with high-speed measurement capability will find the Olympus FluoView FV1200 confocal laser scanning microscope meets…

http://labhomepage.com/2808/microscope/confocal-microscope-gives-enhanced-imaging-of-living-specimens/

 

10. Log CO2, temperature, and RH simultaneously

THE SIMULTANEOUS measurement and recording of three environmental factors – CO2 concentration, temperature, and humidity – can be performed automatically on the…

http://labhomepage.com/2724/temperature/log-co2-temperature-and-rh-simultaneously/

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *