Deben, a leading provider of in-situ testing stages together with innovative accessories and components for microscopy, reports on how amateur arachnologist Jeremy Poole uses the Deben Back-Scattered Electron Detector to image Britain’s spiders. There are approximately 700 species of spider in Britain, these can be divided into 34 families and categorised further into separate genera...

Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, is pleased to announce it has entered a sponsorship agreement with Tufts Launchpad | BioLabs developed by Tufts University to be Boston’s premier fully equipped, co-working and shared lab space for biotech start-ups. Under the terms of the sponsorship, scientists working in biotech and life science companies located at Tufts Launchpad | BioLabs will have access to a G:BOX mini multi-application imaging system....

For once we can’t blame Brexit! There is a world shortage of Helium, the shortage of Helium is a natural phenomenon. Helium forms below the earth’s surface, formed from the slow radioactive alpha decay that occurs in rocks. Helium is a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas and is the first of the noble gas group on the periodic table of the elements. After Hydrogen, Helium has the second lowest atomic number # 2, it has the lowest boiling point of all the elements....

A new case study has been published by Autoscribe Informatics which shows how the Culligan Analytical Lab in Illinois, USA has made significant improvements in laboratory efficiency by using the Matrix Gemini LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System). Culligan Water provides innovative water treatment solutions to domestic, commercial and industrial markets. Laboratory testing to provide an accurate analysis of a customer’s water quality....

Agilent Technologies, Inc. has announced that Saeed Hassanpour, Ph.D., has received the 2019 Agilent Early Career Professor Award (AECPA). Dr. Hassanpour is a member at the Dartmouth- Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center (NCCC) and an associate professor in the Departments of Biomedical Data Science and Epidemiology at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, with an adjunct appointment in Computer Science.

The American scientist Lauren Orefice, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School has won the 2019 Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology for her work on the causes and potential therapies for autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Dr. Orefice found that peripheral somatosensory neurons – neurons outside the brain that control the sense of touch – are key areas where autism-associated gene mutations have a critical impact....

As a leading manufacturer and supplier of antibodies, viral antigens, innovative diagnostic components and critical assay reagents, Creative Diagnostics now launches Publication Reward Program for its customers to further support life science community. The program provides all bio-researchers with a $ 50 coupon for the mid-year purchase. Researchers who purchase and use products from Creative Diagnostics are encouraged to apply....

Merck, a leading science and technology company, has announced an RMB 100 million (€ 13 million) seed fund targeted at startups in China. The company also officially opened its innovation hub in Shanghai and announced plans to officially open a second innovation hub in Guangzhou in November. “Our RMB 100 million China seed fund underlines our commitment to invest in the Chinese market,” said Stefan Oschmann, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Merck....

Gilson, renown experts in liquid handling, are hosting a series of seminars across Europe on “How to Enhance your Manual and Automated Liquid Handling”. Liquid handling is at the heart of most laboratory practices. From manual pipetting, transferring simple solutions, through to complex extractions and purifications, they all present unique challenges that can affect the reproducibility, accuracy and productivity of experiments....

The region of DNA associated with Huntington’s disease has been shown to grow throughout life and contribute towards disease progression. New research, published in EBioMedicine, reveals that the DNA responsible for Huntington’s disease is not stable throughout life, and that older individuals carry longer versions of the genetic mutation than younger individuals....

Chlorine and caustic soda are produced together in large quantities primarily through the chlor-alkali process, mainly via the membrane cell electrolysis method. This white paper describes the key focal points of membrane electrolysis and shows how real-time monitoring of critical chemical parameters can help improve robustness and increase efficiency of the chlor-alkali production process....

IdentiGEN TraceBack provides ‘tamper proof’ trust for food brands. The efficacy of DNA traceability to deliver trust and confidence to the Pork Industry has been confirmed in a recent analysis commissioned by global food traceability company IdentiGEN. IdentiGEN, together with a leading Retailer, has highlighted the efficacy of DNA based traceability and in particular the benefits it brings to the complex challenge of pork production....

The agreement grants QIAGEN non-exclusive rights to develop and globally commercialize IVD kits to be used together with Illumina’s MiSeq™ Dx and NextSeq™ 550Dx Systems. The agreement also includes rights for expansion of the partnership on future Illumina diagnostic (Dx) systems. Both partners are also exploring opportunities for QIAGEN to develop and market companion diagnostics based on Illumina’s TruSight Oncology (TSO) assays that enable comprehensive genomic profiling of tumor samples in immunotherapy...

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 60–80 million couples worldwide currently suffer from infertility. It varies across regions of the world and is estimated to affect 8–12 percent of couples worldwide. This has led to more than just personal strife and big business for fertility clinics; it has led to a wave of biological research on the causes, diagnoses, and treatment of infertility...

Postnova Analytics has published a new applications study that reports on how Asymmetric Flow Field Flow Fractionation (AF4) coupled with multi-angle light scattering (MALS) and Ultraviolet (UV) detectors can be used to quantify Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) aggregation. Adeno-associated viruses are gaining widespread popularity as vehicles for gene therapy due to their versatility and safety...

SP Scientific report that AstraZeneca BioPharmaceuticals R&D (Gothenburg, Sweden) has invested in a LyoConstellation™ S10 freeze dryer intended to help drive research and development of small scale GMP production. The SP Scientific LyoConstellation system is planned for use on multiple projects to support early to late phase development including GMP production of small batches for Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials....

"We're delighted and proud that we could transition our long-standing collaboration with the group of Professor Hans Clevers into a commercial proposition," says MIMETAS CEO Paul Vulto. "The adult stem cell biology and Organoid technology of HUB is the very best in the world. By combining it with our OrganoPlate technology in an assay-ready format, the technology becomes available to researchers from any laboratory in the world.”...

Free Lonza webinar to discuss the benefits of working with serum-free cell culture media and provide guidance on how to get the best results. On 15 October, Lonza will host a free 60-minute webinar that will address current concerns regarding the use of serum in cell culture media, explore viable alternatives and provide guidance on how to adapt cells to a serum-free environment...

A new study has shown the power of genetic testing to pick out the best drugs for children with cancer to extend and improve their lives – signalling a new era of precision medicine for young patients. The pilot including more than 200 children found that half had gene mutations that are targetable by adult cancer drugs that are either available as standard treatment or via clinical trials....