IT WAS one of the most anticipated announcements about one of the worst-kept secrets in science, and it dealt with discoveries that few of us genuinely understand. Screeds have already been written about the news of the new boson –…
Month: July 2012
Nanoparticle tracking analysis to characterise exosomes
NANOPARTICLE Tracking Analysis (NTA) is being used to characterise exosomes for use in delivering therapeutic moieties to specific tissues in vivo at the Science and Engineering Institutes (SCE) in Singapore. In the Molecular Engineering Laboratory, established in 2009 by Nobel…
Microplate reader measures luminescence, fluorescence, and absorbance
A SECOND-generation microplate reader from Berthold Technologies, the TriStar2, employs a new ‘all-4-one’ optical arrangement which enables luminescence, fluorescence and absorbance measurements with high sensitivity. The reader also handles fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET)…
Sensor electrodes use silver but no mercury
A NEW series of pH and reference electrodes from Sensorex promise the performance of mercury chloride (calomel) electrodes but without the mercury and its associated hazards. The new ‘calomel-free’ electrodes are available in a glass or thermoplastic body, and feature…
Lab seeks long term answers to foot and mouth
THE WORLD reference laboratory for foot and mouth disease (FMD) at Pirbright has won funding of £2million to boost its status as the global centre of expertise on the disease. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)…
Freeze drying course goes back to basics
A NEW four-part online training course to help scientists acquire a basic understanding of freeze drying – a prerequisite for those working on lyophilisation processes – has been announced by SP Scientific. The training course is presented by industry expert…
Cern video confirms ‘new boson’ has been found
IN AN apparently accidental leak on the Cern website, the discovery of a new boson has been revealed. The scientific community is widely expecting an announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson, sometimes referred to as the God particle,…
High pressure reactions in parallel
DESIGNED to be used in conjunction with a simple benchtop magnetic stirrer or stirrer/hotplate, the Asynt Parallel High Pressure Reactor is described as a cost-effective lightweight unit suitable for stirred or non-stirred applications. The reactor can be configured to suit…
Field-of-view calculations on an iPhone
A PAIR of new iPhone apps from Resolve Optics simplify lens field of view (FOV) calculations. Suitable for optics professionals and camera enthusiasts alike, the apps eliminate a lot of time consuming arithmetic. They allow users to quickly work out…
Protein crystallisation studies rely on temperature stage
TRADITIONAL methods for growing protein crystals are by microplate sitting-drop crystallisation, or hanging-drop methods based on vapour diffusion. These yield a limited number of crystals, but usually enough for biological research. At the Institute for Particle Science and Engineering at…