INSTEAD of having several devices to cope with the various liquid handling operations seen in a typical laboratory, Integra Biosciences offers the Viafill to perform several different tasks. The machine will cope with dispensing bulk reagents, offers multichannel pipetting, and…
The right tubing for the right peristaltic pump
COLE-Parmer offers peristaltic pumps tubing for many laboratory and life science applications. For use with the company’s Masterflex pumps, C-Flex Ultra tubing promises clean delivery, long life, and high reproducibility. The tubing is weldable and heat-sealable for applications demanding a…
Software makes sense of microscope images
EVEN the best cameras with the highest quality optics and sensors are limited by the dynamic range of what they can record, and this feature is especially noticeable in high-contrast images. This can be a problem in microscopy applications where…
Store big samples at low temperature
A REUSABLE sample storage rack from Micronic enables large-volume samples to be stored for long periods at cryogenic temperatures, and promises complete sample integrity and security. The Arctic Rack-24 is made of thick-walled plastic and can be autoclaved several times,…
Gel imaging for the budget-conscious
DESCRIBING it as ‘the most cost-effective gel doc system currently available’, Syngene is targetting its new U:Genius3 squarely at laboratories that are keeping a close eye on costs in these difficult economic times. Despite its budget price tage, Syngene says…
Signal/noise ‘no longer appropriate’ in mass spec
AGILENT Technologies has dropped the measure of signal-to-noise rario (S/N) from some instrument descriptions, saying that the measure is no longer meaningful. From now on, the company will cite the ‘ instrument detection limit’ specification for the 7000B triple quadrupole…
Print lab labels from your Android phone
ADDING labels to laboratory samples is a vital job, where the competing needs of speed and legibility do not always work together. Automated label printing systems can solve many of the problems, but the machinery can be cumbersome and is…
IBM enters microfluidic chip market
A MICROFLUIDIC chip aimed at pathology laboratories promises to ease the tedium of tissue staining by allowing the use of multiple stains on a single biopsy sample. Developed by IBM, better known of course as a microelectronics and computer specialist,…
Teaching microscopes upgraded
OLYMPUS has refreshed its CX range of routine and educational microscopes with the launch of the CX22 series, offering some significant improvements over the outgoing CX21 range. The new scopes give a wider field of view and more adjustment of…
Solid phase extraction, without the frits
SUPERIOR reproducibility and higher sensitivity, combined with lower levels of contaminants and extractables in the eluate, are promised by Thermo Fisher Scientific for its new range of Sola solid phase extraction cartridges and plates. The so-called ‘fritless’ technology combines polyethylene…
Microsite answers cryopreservation FAQs
THE CRYOPRESERVATION of biological specimens is standard practice in many modern laboratories, but is still an area where scientists and technicians might benefit from a dedicated source of product information and technical tips. Wheaton hopes to satisfy this need with…
Coded tubes will remain readable
THE LABELLING of sample tubes presents a regular challenge in the laboratory, particularly where lab automation systems are used. Micronic says the most reliable of all methods for long-term sample identification and tracking is to have a unique 2D barcode…
PCR, now with added email
FLEXIBILITY and ease of use for busy laboratories are the key factors behind the Mastercycler range of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines from Eppendorf. Promising low noise and low energy consumption with high reliability and highly reproducible results, up to…
Kinetic spectroscopy adds a new dimension
CRAIC Technologies says the addition of ‘kinetic spectroscopy’ capabilities to its 20/20 Perfect Vision microspectrophotometer gives the instrument numerous new applications. Kinetic spectroscopy allows the device to monitor a broad spectral range by absorbance, reflectance, and optical emission, over a…
Automated storage for at-risk samples
A THIRD-generation automated sample storage system specifically designed for the storage of sensitive biological samples at ultra-low temperatures has been launched by Hamilton Storage Technologies. The BiOS store can cope with anything from 250,000 to ten million sample tubes stored…
Flow-based sequencing assembler uses cheaper resources
A GENOMIC assembly technology using a flow-based detector promises a cheaper approach to DNA sequencing, as the instruments and reagents required are much less expensive, says SoftGenetics. Its Ion Torrent PGM sequencer is based around a silicon chip made up…
Colony counter speeds food pathogen research
MICROBIOLOGISTS at the Robert Mondavi Research Institute (RMI), an important food and wine research centre at the University of California, USA, are using a ProtoCol colony counter from Synbiosis in their research on the growth of bacterial pathogens including E Coli…
Solving the solvent bumping problem
LABORATORY scientists, especially those working in purification and synthesis, may find advantages in using the Dri-Pure system which facilitates solvent removal without cross-contamination or sample loss due to bumping. Genevac says that other methods of removing solvent are difficult and…
Easier direct measurement of LDL cholesterol
A HIGHLY accurate new assay method for the determination of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol overcomes many of the shortcomings of existing techniques, says Randox. Its new direct clearance LDL assay promises excellent correlation with the ultracentrifugation method, which is accurate…
Lens for deep imaging of thick biological samples
NEED to look deep into a biological sample, without resorting to sectioning it first? Olympus says it has the answer with its new Scaleview 25x microscope objective lens. Developed in conjunction with the Riken Institute in Japan, the lens makes…
Automated analysis of VOCs in canister samples
AN INVALUABLE tool for the measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air samples contained in canisters, well suited to EPA Method TO-15, is how Markes International describes its new instrument, the CIA Advantage. Sample canisters are widely used in…
PCR plates optimised for cyclers and sequencers
PORVAIR Sciences polypropylene PCR plates, which are compatible with most 96- and 384-well block instruments, are summarised in a handy selection guide available from the company. Both standard and low profile 96-well plates are available with full, half, or no…
Christmas diversion from OGT
A LITTLE distraction from the lab bench is offered by Oxford Gene Technology with its online Santa catapult game. Instead of sending Christmas cards, OGT has made an electronic card with this playable game, and will reward the winner with…
Automated one-step chromogen detection
SAID to be the the first automated one-step system allowing the detection and co-visualisation of mouse and rabbit antibodies on a single slide, Leica Microsystems’s ChromoPlex 1 delivers intense staining and a clear background. Suitable for use with commercial and…
Computational chemistry can bought by the day
A SERVICE to enable researchers to outsource computational chemistry has been introduced by Cresset, a software company. Its CompChem on Demand offering supplies computational chemistry services on a day-by-day basis, without long-term commitment. Users of the service can purchase service…
Atomic force imaging made easier than ever
NEW QUANTITATIVE imaging (QI) capabilities for the NanoWizard3 atomic force microscope (AFM) are said to make AFM imaging easier than ever before. JPK says the QI system gives the operator full control over the tip-sample force at each pixel on…
Agilent scores Virginia Tech deal
A MAJOR investment at the chemistry department of Virginia Tech will see several new Agilent instruments being installed in the university’s undergraduate teaching laboratories. Among the new tools are seven Agilent 5975C gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) systems, six 240FS atomic…
Peristaltic lab pumps are ‘intuitive’
SAID to be the most intuitive dispensing pumps available, Wheaton’s new UniSpense Pro and OmniSpense Elite have a graphical icon-based interface and a large 5-inch display to make operation simple and straightforward. These peristaltic pumps promise precise dispensing performance to…
Image Petri dishes inside the workstation
A NEW Petri dish imaging system which fits inside a workstation has been launched by Don Whitley Scientific. Enabling plates to be photographed while incubation continues, and without having to remove them from the workstation, the Whitley Petrifoto uses a…
Intelligent particle sizing supports R+D
COMBINING the highest optical performance with intelligent software enables the new Mastersizer 3000 to bring expert measurement and analysis capabilities to experienced and novice users alike, says Malvern Instruments. This laser diffraction particle size analyser measures particles from 10nm to…