AN EASY, flexible, and non-biased method to generate directional single, paired-end, and multiplexed libraries from mRNA- or rRNA-depleted total RNA is promised by Bioo Scientific for its NextFlex kits. Bi-directional sequencing, in both the 5′-3′ and the 3’5′ directions, means…
Measuring total sulphur quickly and reliably
INDUCTIVELY Coupled Plasma – Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES) is a powerful and sensitive technique employed by Warwick Analytical Service to determine total sulphur in both organic and inorganic samples. The method can be used across a broad range of sample…
Piezo micromanipulator is ‘world’s smallest’
A NEW 3D piezo-operated micromanipulator from Warner has a fully-featured controller to facilitate high precision positioning. The company says the Sensapex manipulator is the world’s smallest, and can help to maximise results in electrophysiological research. Offering a full 20mm of…
Heated stage plays vital role in flycatcher reproductive study
A STUDY into bird hybridisation at Uppsala University, Sweden, has been able to make progress only because of its use of TH60-6 warm stage from Linkam Scientific Instruments, which maintains the temperature of the gametes under observation. PhD student Murielle…
PCR plates promise faster more accurate reactions
RAININ says the thin-walled polypropylene used in the construction of its FrameStar PCR plates gives better heat transfer and makes for faster and more efficient thermal cycling when using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A rigid, thermally-stable polycarbonate plate frame supports…
Evaporators optimised for environmental research
MONITORING substances that are potentially harmful to health is a core activity for many organisations, including government agencies and private firms checking they are not harming their staff or the environment. Atmospheric, water, soil, and vegetable samples are routinely monitored…
Weekly news: Is synthetic biology the new bogeyman?
THE SCIENTIFIC community is well used to being the bogeyman, whenever a new development in human knowledge creates the possibility in somebody’s imagination that something could go terribly wrong. Now there is a new area of scientific research to defend,…
Image analysis system delivers ‘perfect’ chemi blots
SYNGENE says its new PXi multi-application image analysis system is currently the best in its class for scientists imaging chemiluminescent and fluorescent blots, as well as 1D fluorescent stained gels. The high resolution 6.3 megapixel camera and large fixed aperture…
RDML format recommended for quantitative PCR data
CONDUCTING a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) experiment is a routine operation these days, but like many aspects of modern laboratory science the bottleneck comes in the analysis of the large quantities of data generated. Now a researcher at the Academic…
Beetle video wins prize
PROFESSOR Javier Alba Tercedor, of the department of zoology at the University of Granada, Spain, has been awarded the Best Film of the Year at the SkyScan Micro CT Meeting in Brussels, Belgium. His one-minute film, ‘Micro-CT anatomical study of…
Colony counter proves its worth at piemaker’s lab
THE ABSENCE of background glare proved a decisive factor when pie manufacturer Pukka Pies sought an improved colony counter for use at its microbiological laboratory in Leicester, UK. The Acolade colony counter from Synbiosis is used to count mixed colonies…
Delivering RNAi agents into myeloid and neuronal cells
TWO NEW proprietary transduction reagents offer the directed delivery of RNAi agents into myeloid cells and neuronal cell, both primary and in cell lines. MyeloAim and NeuroAim, available from Bioo Scientific, can transduce siRNA to targeted cells for efficient gene…
150,000 inorganic crystal structures this database
CLAIMING to be the world’s largest database of fully determined inorganic crystal structures, the ICSD (Inorganic Crystal Structure Database) now includes over 150,000 evaluated records. Produced by Fiz Karlsruhe in Germany and NIST (National Institute for Standards and Technology) in…
HPV panel streamlines assay qualification
THE NEW HPV Genotype Qualification Panel from Seracare has been launched in response to rising demand for HPV (human papillomavirus) assay qualification. “Increased awareness of the risks of human papillomavirus (HPV) has generated a need for accurate testing,” said Chris…
Portable NIR analysers promise more non-destructive power
THREE models of the ASD LabSpec 4 line of portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometers are now available in the UK and Ireland, via distributor Analytik. These new instruments for the non-destructive analysis of materials feature improved optical design to give a…
Machine engineering at the genetic level
WE THINK of engineering as the creation of machines, while genetic engineering is the manipulation of genomes. These two disciplines come together in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGem) competition, which encourages students to exploit the growing power of biotechnology…
Assays promise a new approach to leukemia research
THE HIGH sensitivity detection of genetic variation in leukemia samples, made possible by the use of 454 sequencing via newly-released sequence-based assays, offers a new direction for cancer researchers says Roche. The company’s new GS GType Primer Sets allow the…
Faster access to pure chiral compounds with screening kits
ORGANIC chemists can expect fast and easy access to optically-pure chiral compounds from their racemic mixtures when using the new Maybridge Chiral Resolution Screening and Purification Kits, says Thermo Fisher. Under normal circumstance, it can take days or even weeks…
Antibodies for Ureaplasma parvum
Ureaplasma are very small free-living bacteria that, like the mycoplasmas, have no cell walls. Named for its metabolic utilisation of urea, it possesses a small simple genome. Ureaplasma parvum is the genus found in the human urogenital tract. Its presence has been associated with several conditions including urethritis, pelvic inflammatory disease, congenital pneumonia and neonatal meningitis. ViroStat introduces a set of new monoclonal antibodies to U parvum that have applications in Elisa and IFA.
Scientists stifled by Canadian government
ENACTING a policy that might seem more at home in North Korea, or in the darkest days of Soviet oppression, the Canadian government agency Environment Canada has issued instructions to its scientists attending an international polar research conference not to…
London Olympics dope lab given all-clear
THE ISSUE of sports doping gains importance with each new major international event, as athletes strive to gain the maximum performance from their bodies while remaining on the ‘legal’ side of the allowable limits for substances. The organisers of London…
Forensic imaging in both visible and UV
ANYBODY who has watched the various ‘crime scene’ television serials will have probably have seen the use of ultraviolet (UV) light to disclose trace evidence. While the dramatic representations are not exactly true to the procedures in real-life forensic evidence…
Preparing samples of selenium for analysis
SELENIUM, element 34, presents a sample preparation challenge, as outlined below by certified chemist Wieland Hopfe, application consultant for Fritsch. Selenium is one of the less commonly known elements, appearing on the periodic table immediately below sulphur. It is an…
C8 column offers lower hydrophobic retention
THE NEWEST member of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Accucore range of HPLC columns, the C8, has a shorter alkyl length bonded phase than the equivalent C18 phase. This gives lower hydrophobic retention and, says Thermo, enhances chromatographic performance without generating excessive…
Electrochemistry meter handles four channels at once
THE NEW Versa Star meter, made by Thermo Scientific and available from Cole-Parmer, offers versatility for multiple uses in advanced electrochemistry metering. Fully modular to be configured as needed, and with up to five parameter modules available, the Thermo Scientific…
Analysing Analytica: show weathers tough conditions
ANALYTICA 2012, the 23rd trade fair for the laboratory sector, closed today in Munich, Germany, having attracted 30,000 visitors. While the organiser is determined to put a positive spin on the figures, this represents a 10% drop from the last…
Data analysis package covers NGS, qPCR, and microarrays
INTEGROMICS says its new OmicsOffice platform is the first software bundle able to analyse data from NGS (next-generation sequencing), qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) and microarray experiments. OmicsOffice completes ‘Click And Go’ automatic workflows for RNAseq, ChipSeq, qPCR and microarray…
Weekly news: Deciphering the acronyms
WE MAKE it a point, whenever we can, to find out a little more about the stories we publish on the LabHomepage. One of the routine ways we do this is to decipher the acronyms and abbreviations that pepper the…
Ultraviolet laser is half size for smaller instruments
SUITABLE for life science applications, the newest Genesis lasers from Coherent is aimed at instruments where space is at a premium. Measuring just 250 x 51 x 138mm, the Genesis CX 355 STM Compact is only half the size of…
Mononuclear cells are suitable for biomarker research
HIGH survival and recovery rates are said to be assured with Amsbio’s new ImmunoPure range of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which are supplied in proprietary reagents. The range includes seven types of immune cells derived, from the peripheral blood…