In this article, the characterization of lactose powders for use in DPI applications is discussed. We present new results obtained from state-of-the-art characterization methods allowing us to gather insightful information on the powder behavior. Moreover, electrostatic properties which are of great interest for DPI applications in particular with respect to drug release from the lactose carrier are investigated....

AMSBIO reports upon a publication that cites how its STEM-CELLBANKER® animal-free cryopreservation media has played a role in the development of a cell therapy for Parkinson’s Disease that will soon be going into clinical trials. Parkinson’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases worldwide. Its main features include motor symptoms such as bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, and postural instability, though non-motor symptoms are often also present....

The very high use of antibiotics in patients hospitalised with COVID-19 is often not necessary, and risks worsening global antimicrobial resistance. New research led by the University of Glasgow as part of the ISARIC (International Severe Acute Respiratory and emerging Infections Consortium) WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol UK (CCP-UK), found that antibiotic use was very high in hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the UK during the first wave despite confirmed bacterial infection being uncommon....

A unique electron microscope, set to break new ground in biological imaging, is being installed at the Franklin’s new building on the Harwell campus. The machine is able to image biological samples at up to a million frames a second, a thousand times faster than the current standard. It is the first of three instruments being developed jointly with electron microscope manufacturer, JEOL Ltd, and has been shipped to the UK from the company’s headquarters in Japan....

While the cultured meat industry is gaining momentum, scaling up the production process and reducing the cost remain key challenges. The primary focus of the collaboration between Merck and the two universities will be the development of next generation, scalable bioreactor designs that can support meat and seafood manufacture on a commercial scale....

The first study of its kind reports on the enhancement of skin permeability of risperidone (RIS) using eutectic systems. A recent study undertaken at the University of Petra in Jordan describes for the first time the formation of room temperature therapeutic deep eutectic solvent (THEDES) of RIS, an antipsychotic drug that is used in the treatment of schizophrenia, mixed and manic states associated with bipolar disorder and irritability in children and adolescents with autism....

A new eBook from Freeman Technology, a Micromeritics company and global leader in powder characterisation, explores the application of powder flow measurements for monitoring and optimising granulation processes. Granulation is a vital unit operation for many industries, notably the pharmaceutical sector, but endpoint detection and scale-up remain a challenge. ‘Powder Flow Testing for Granulation Processes’ focuses on the value of bulk powder characterisation...

The Archaeology Department of the University of Liverpool has carried out two ground-breaking projects that have improved our understanding of how human culture developed in ancient times. Playing a key role in that research has been the Keyence VHX-7000 Series Digital Microscope, the world's first 4K ultra high accuracy microscope. Elizabeth Thomas, an Archaeology PhD student at the university, had the opportunity to use the Keyence digital microscope when conducting research...

Due to the corona crisis hand sanitizer became part of our daily routine.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60 to 95% alcohol is recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO), with the main components being ethanol, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and/or n-propanol. To determine the effectiveness and impurities of the hand sanitizer a GC analysis can be performed. This analysis faces many challenges since hand sanitizer is made in a water matrix, which is a difficult matrix for Gas Chromatography....

A team of international scientists have identified key cellular factors that are crucial for the infection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The study – led by the Universities of Glasgow and Oxford and the Rosalind Franklin Institute and published in Molecular Cell – provides crucial new insights into the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle, revealing new pathways to target the virus within host cells and leading the way for potential new treatment options as we move into the next phase of the pandemic....

Collaboration between scientists and technologists helps to advance cryo-electron microscopy and life sciences research. TESCAN ORSAY HOLDING a.s. announces a joint research collaboration agreement between the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (IMG AS CR) and leading scientific instrumentation companies in Europe. Observing viruses or proteins in detail has been the dream of scientists world-wide for years....

Method of choice: The combination of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and light scattering detection (LS) determines molecular weight, especially for higher molecular species such as aggregates or oligomers. As an additional plus sample size and topology can also be revealed. Special attention needs to be turned to the quality of SEC columns in order to provide signals unaffected by spikes. YMC’s SEC columns support LS-detection perfectly due to a high level of inertness...

The addition of the new NovaSeq 6000 to Macrogen Europe’s range of industry-leading NGS and Sanger sequencing platforms comes at time of growing demand for its DNA sequencing services, for example from biomarker and drug discovery applications in oncology, immunology and metagenomics. The increased sequencing capacity helps clients in industry, academia and research institutes keep their projects on track....

BioChromato Inc. has published a report describing how their ionRocket sample preparation device, used in combination with Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS) and Kendrick Mass Defect (KMD) analysis, provides a valuable new tool for chain analysis of fluoroelastomers. Because of their excellent heat, chemical and abrasion resistance - fluoropolymers are widely used in automotive parts and many other industrial products....

Look at every stage of the development of COVID-19 vaccines and you will find a commonality — automation. From genome sequencing to clinical trials and mass production, the development speed was made possible using highly repeatable automated processes. Here Matthew Dean, sales engineer for medical applications at precision motor and drives specialist maxon UK and Ireland, discusses how improvements in motors and drive systems have enabled the development of the automated technology needed to address today’s challenges....

At Edwards, beyond a broad range of pumps, we also offer other vacuum solutions which contribute to an effective and safe vacuum configuration. To make sure you operate, configure and maintain your vacuum set-up in the best way possible you should ask yourself 5 quick questions. Run through the checklist here...

NovAliX, a drug discovery-focused Contract Research Organization (CRO), announces the expansion of its cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) technology capability. NovAliX will benefit from the implementation at its premises of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s high-resolution microscope, the Thermo Scientific Glacios Cryo-TEM, with additional micro-electron diffraction (microED) capabilities for solving protein and small molecule structures using nanoscale crystals....

Researchers from the School of Chemistry at the University of St Andrews (UK) are using a DrySyn Spiral Evaporator from Asynt to help synthesize novel reactive colloidal nanoparticles that present an exciting tool to create a new generation of 'smart' nanomaterials. The unique properties of nanomaterials mean that potential applications extend from use in smart drug delivery systems through to new catalysts and helping to deliver greater efficiency in solar cells....

Avacta Group plc., the developer of diagnostics and innovative cancer therapies based on its proprietary Affimer® and pre|CISION™ platforms, is pleased to announce positive data from the clinical validation of its AffiDX® SARS-CoV-2 antigen lateral flow test. Data from the clinical study conducted in Europe on 98 positive COVID-19 samples demonstrate excellent performance in identifying the SARS-CoV-2 virus across a broad range of viral loads....