A NEW arrangement with Agilent Technologies sees Analytik become the sole reseller of Agilent’s portable FTIR spectrometers in the UK and Ireland. Analytik says it will use its position as a specialist in portable spectroscopy to drive applications of the…
Radiometer photometers have interchangeable sensors
THE SPECTROLINE AccuMax range of digital radiometers/photometers provide accurate readouts for UV irradiance, visible illuminance and luminance light readings, says UK distributor UVman. The company says that, when fitted with a sensor detector, the AccuMax readout satisfies multiple laboratory and…
NO2 analyser measures parts per trillion
THE LATEST portable gas analyser from Los Gatos Research can measure nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels directly from ambient air samples, delivering parts-per-trillion (ppt) accuracy in seconds, the company says. The LGR NO2 Analyzer makes a measurement to 50ppt accuracy within…
Easier detection and purification of recombinant proteins
A RANGE of anti-tag antibodies from Amsbio, for the detection and purification of recombinant tagged proteins, are mainly mouse monoclonal antibodies which have been screened and validated applications including Western blot, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescent staining,and flow cytometry. The anti-DDK clone 4C5…
Twelve protein samples purified in 15 minutes
ANACHEM says its Rainin PureSpeed pipette tips offer a simpler way to purify native and recombinant proteins, thanks to the affinity resin incorporated in the base of the pipette tip. This captures, purifies, and enriches the protein of interest through…
Rotational viscometers determine dynamic viscosity
THE THREE models in Cole-Parmer’s new range of rotational viscometers are each designed to offer maximum chemical resistance, making them suitable for use with corrosive materials. Using spindles made of 316 stainless steel and sealed keypads, these instruments have a…
LabHomepage weekly news, 24 February 2012
WELCOME to the first weekly newsletter from LabHomepage, the new web resource for everybody involved with laboratory technology and operations. Each edition will bring a summary of the week’s most interesting lab-related news, direct to your inbox. We will report…
Faster aflatoxin analysis in milk
THE LATEST kits in Bioo Scientific’s range of MaxSignal elisas (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) are used for the detection of aflatoxin M1 in milk and dairy products, and offer a choice of greater analysis speed or greater sensitivity depending on the…
Lab-on-a-truck makes US tour
YOU’VE heard of lab-on-a-chip, the incorporation of microfluidic circuitry into a sliver of silicon or plastic that promises to do to chemistry what transistors and integrated circuits did for electronics. At the other end of the scale we now have…
Getting in on the ‘what they think’ meme
IN THE last week or so, we’ve seen versions of the latest internet meme all over the place – a panel of images, each labelled with ‘What [somebody] thinks I do’. We haven’t seen any for scientists or lab technicians,…
Ductless fume hoods have ‘sophisticated’ airflow
A RANGE of ductless fume cupboards from Air Science USA are said to provide maximum operator protection thanks to a high face velocity of 0.5m/sec (100fpm) and an alarm system that creates an alert if this falls below a preset…
Nanoscale measuring with a standard optical microscope
A NOVEL form of microscope slide that can turn any light microscope into a nanometre measuring device has been introduced by Nanolane. The company says its Sarfus Mapping Lite system uses novel ‘Surfs’ in place of conventional glass slides, and…
Triple isotope analyser is ‘world first’
THE DIRECT simultaneous measurement of three isotopes in water and water vapour is now possible in a single instrument, says Los Gatos Research, with its world-first IWA-46EP triple isotope analyser. The instrument offers levels of sensitivity and precision comparable to…
Automated imaging of DNA, RNA, and protein gels
GEL IMAGING has become a routine and highly automated process in many modern laboratories, helped along by rapid equipment innovation. The latest development from Syngene is a gel imaging system called G:Box F3, which automatically captures and analyses images of…
Multiplex 96 genomic samples per run
A NEW barcode library from Fluidigm, said to be compatible with all next-generation sequencers on the market, allows multiplexing of up to 96 different samples in a single sequencing run. The AccessArray barcode library for the Ion Torrent personal genome…
Measure temperature in a billionth of a second
THE RECORDING of high-speed events has become something of a competition in recent years, as different equipment manufacturers vie for ever faster video frame rates with which to film transient phenomena. Now Specialised Imaging is taking the chase in a…
Gas hose is phthalate-free
AN ALTERNATIVE product to conventional PVC tubing for the delivery of medical gases has been introduced by Medline Scientific. Its phthalate-free Purehose is said to overcome the health risks associated with plasticisers in traditional hosing, making it a safer alternative…
Microplates suit diagnostic and immunological research
A NEW range of 96-well microplates from Porvair Sciences is aimed at research laboratories and diagnostic procedures. Made of Class VI crystal polystyrene, the Elisa (enzyme-linked immunsorbet assay) microplates are said to ensure excellent results with microplate readers. This is…
Towards a future of personalised medicine
SPECIAL REPORT: LabHomepage attended the 9th Planet xMap conference and symposium, held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. With nearly 500 delegates and almost 40 papers presented in 12 sessions over two days, Planet xMap is a significant scientific…
Clearing the lysis bottleneck in forensic labs
HAMILTON Robotics reckons that a major bottleneck in today’s forensic laboratories is the manual lysis step, which is time consuming and creates a gap in workflows and traceability which opens the door to potential contamination and errors. The company also…
Preparing purple moor grass for elemental analysis
PURPLE Moor Grass, Molinia caerulea, is a common plant in northern Europe and is of scientific interest for the ratios of carbon and nitrogen in contains. The analysis of the material is itself straightforward, but preparing samples for analysis has…
Greenhouse gas analyser fits in small case
PORTABLE gas analysers are nothing new, but Los Gatos Research reckons its latest instrument is the word’s first greenhouse gas analyser to qualify for the label ‘ultraportable’. Able to detect the three major greenhouse gases – CO2 (carbon dioxide), CH4…
Miniature NMR spectrometer is ‘world first’
A NUCLEAR magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer weighing just 5kg and requiring only 20 microlitres of sample for analysis has been unveiled by Cole-Parmer. The PicoSpin-45L is aimed at academic and chemistry labs, where it should provide a low-cost way of…
Hide your centrifuge under the lab bench
SPACE on the lab bench always seems to be at a premium, and equipment manufacturers regularly roll-out new products that are intended to occupy less of this precious commodity. In Eppendorf’s case, the roll-out is quite literal. Its latest product…
Better stilbene detection with these reference materials
THE OESTROGENIC hormones diethylstilbestrol (DES), hexestrol (HEX), and dienestrol (DE), are banned worldwide from livestock raised for food production. They are prohibited from use as growth promotion agents in veal and calf farming, and they form part of the UK’s…
Online audit trail makes pipette calibration verifiable
LABORATORIES working to any external quality standard – and these days, that is most of them – will routinely have to provide evidence of the regular calibration checks performed on their instruments and other lab equipment. Not only do the…
Bioreactor will grow stem cell lines at Georgia Tech
TAP Biosystems reports that Georgia Institute of Technology, USA, has selected its Ambr bioreactor system to conduct research aimed at determining the optimum process conditions for economical manufacturing of stem cells. Ambr will be used at the university’s new Stem…
Innovation prize for lung-on-a-chip
A PODIUM presentation describing a ‘Human breathing Lung-on-a-chip for drug screening and nanotoxicity’ has been named as the winner of the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS)’s 2012 innovation award. The presentation, by Dan Dongeun Huh of Harvard University,…
Laboratories go live at Analytica 2012
A NEW development at Analytica 2012 will be the creation of ‘genuine’ laboratory spaces within the exhibition halls. Daily experiment presentations will be held in which exhibiting companies will be able to demonstrate their equipment and instruments. The Live Labs…
UHPLC columns enable reversed-phase biomolecule separations
THE BENEFITS of reversed-phase biomolecule separations can now be experienced in ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC), says Agilent, thanks to its new Zorbax 300SB-C3 and 300-Diphenyl chromatography columns. This range of columns has particles smaller than 2um and pores of 300 Angstrom,…