Lab Bulletin

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has announced that it has commissioned on time its new mammalian cGMP Cell Banking Facility (CBF) at its Billingham, UK site.

The new CBF is available to the company’s customers either as part of a larger development and manufacturing programme, or as a stand-alone service. It forms the second stage of a major expansion of the company’s mammalian cell culture capabilities at the site, following installation last year of new process development and scale-up capabilities. The asset will support delivery of manufacturing programmes for both Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Billingham UK, and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA facilities....

Olympus enhances its core cellSens life science imaging and analysis software with the release of version 1.8. New customisable interface and improved support for multi well plates enhance the user experience.

Focusing on ease of use for routine applications, the latest cellSens software release, version 1.8, offers flexible and user-centric imaging, processing, analysing and reporting. New and enhanced functions include a fully customisable user interface, precise frame-by-frame sample navigation and easy one-button switching between wells. For a wide range of life science applications, cellSens provides easy control of the workflow. The software binds together Olympus frames, cameras and high-quality optics to form complete, highly precise and user-friendly microscopy systems....

DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the custom manufacturing and technology business of Royal DSM (NYSE, Euronext: DSM KON), announced today that their new cGMP custom biopharmaceutical manufacturing 'biologics plant of the future' will open in June 2013

Whitehouse Scientific’s Managing Director Jamie Storey will swap his office chair for a seat in the pace car of a very special rally for his latest expedition.

BIND Therapeutics and AstraZeneca announced today that they have entered into a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize an Accurin™, a targeted and programmable cancer nanomedicine from BIND’s Medicinal Nanoengineering platform, based on a molecularly targeted kinase inhibitor developed and owned by AstraZeneca.

The collaboration is based on emerging data suggesting that nanomedicines like Accurins selectively accumulate in diseased tissues and cells, leading to higher drug concentrations at the site of the tumor and reduced exposure to healthy tissues. Under the terms of the agreement, the companies will work together to complete Investigational New Drug (IND)-enabling studies of the lead Accurin identified from a previously-completed feasibility program. AstraZeneca will then have the exclusive right to lead development and commercialization and BIND will lead manufacturing during the development phase....

BioCity Nottingham has completed a major refurbishment of office suites and central communal areas worth in excess of £450,000.

The building reconfiguration and redecoration in the UK’s busiest bioscience business incubator began in December 2012 and was officially completed in March this year. BioCity’s position in the heart of Nottingham’s new Creative Quarter continues to attract ambitious life science start-up companies looking for the best facilities as well as on-site business advice....

Spinnovation Analytical B.V. and Pivot Park have entered into an agreement where Spinnovation will supply analytical services at the newly established life sciences park, while gaining access to Pivot Park’s advanced analytical platform.

Genevac, world leaders in solvent removal technology, has over 20 year’s experience of supplying evaporators for removal of solvents from oil, fat and fuel samples.