November 2014 Technology News
Our two highlighted tradeshows this month include the Materials Research Society Fall Meeting and Exhibit (MRS) and the American Society for Cell Biology’s annual meeting (2014 ASCB/IFCB). The 2014 MRS Fall Meeting takes place November 30-December 5, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts, featuring over 6,000 presentations. Not long after, the 2014 ASCB/IFCB Meeting–a premier biomedical research conference–runs December 6-10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its Keynote Talks will span the origin of life to the cosmos. Remember that the companies highlighted here in Tech News will be exhibiting, but these specific products may not be at the shows.
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Analytical
Q-TOF GC/MS System
7200B
Replaces the 7200A, with new capabilities that will significantly boost laboratory performance- Features improved hardware performance, newly upgraded software features, and exact mass databases
- Provides improved mass accuracy specification of less than 3 ppm and an extended mass range, optimizing its capabilities for the most challenging problems
- Includes chemical ionization source and backflush capabilities as standard
Agilent www.agilent.com
Particle Size & Zeta Potential Analyzers
Nicomp N3000
BOOTH 710
Measure particle size from 0.3 nm – 10 μm and zeta potential in aqueous and organic solvents- New capabilities include expanded size and concentration dynamic ranges
- Touch panel display allows for easy viewing of count rate
- Zeta potential is now measured using a proprietary DSP-based phase analysis light scattering module which is more sensitive, stable, and works at higher concentrations
Particle Sizing Systems www.pssnicomp.com
Benchtop Spectrofluorometer
FluoroMax Plus
BOOTH 917
Expands on the capabilities of the FluoroMax series with the option of a second detector and two position grating turret, providing an extended range out to 1650 nm, and TCSPC performance down to 25 ps- Enables faster measurement of weaker and smaller samples
- Convenient and easy to use
HORIBA www.horiba.com/scientific
Two-Dimensional Liquid Chromatograph
Nexera-e Comprehensive
Offers a powerful separation method for the most complex sample matrices- Combines two independent separation modes orthogonally in combination with a dual-loop/ dual-valve alternate switching system to increase separation efficiency
- Enables the separation of peaks that are difficult to separate using conventional LC
- Achieves the highest possible theoretical plates for LC separation
Shimadzu www.ssi.shimadzu.com
Core-Shell Column Line
Aeris® PEPTIDE
Now includes a 5 μm particle size for smallscale purifications- Enables higher efficiencies and higher loading capability for small-scale peptide purification in 10 mm ID semi-prep columns and 21.2 mm ID Axia™-packed prep columns
- Fully scalable over four particle sizes–1.7 μm, 2.6 μm, 3.6 μm, and 5 μm–enabling easy method transfer
Phenomenex www.phenomenex.com
Triple Quadrupole GC-MS/MS
TSQ Duo
BOOTH 422
Designed specifically for labs needing to maintain their current GC or single quadrupole GC-MS workflows while adding triple quadrupole capabilities with minimal disruption- Allows users to run their current methods and then easily move over to MS/MS analysis when the time is right for them, on a familiar system using the Chromeleon chromatography data system
Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com
Basic Lab
Mini-Peristaltic Pump
ImprovedModel TPT
Provides low cost, reliable service- Flow rates are user-selectable from 7 mL/min to 28 mL/ min by selecting from a choice of four different RPM drives (8, 12, 17, or 25) and tubing sizes
- Simple to load and operate
- Two plastic slide on/off plastic tubing holders accommodate easy tubing replacements or tubing size changes
Aalborg Instruments www.aalborg.com
Thermoelectric Sample Conditioner
TESC System
Incorporates a Brookfield® DV2T digital viscometer and thermoelectrically controlled sample chamber- Automates the entire conditioning and testing process, including preheating, room temperature stabilization, cooling of the sample to test temperature, and testing the final viscosity of the conditioned sample
- Lessens the hands-on time needed to prepare and run a D2983 viscosity test and improves test precision
CANNON Instrument Company www.cannoninstrument.com
Integrated Vacuum Controller
CVC3000 detect
Combines the CVC3000 vacuum controller and a solenoid valve, to provide advanced two-point control for any standalone diaphragm vacuum pump from VACUUBRAND® or competitive units- New “detect” feature allows the CVC3000 to automatically find the first boiling point with a rotary evaporator
- Allows the preprogramming of up to ten multi-step programs, bi-directional communication via RS232 serial port, and more
BrandTech Scientific www.brandtech.com
Rheometer Application Packages
HAAKE™ Viscotester™ iQ
BOOTH 422
Include a DIN package for liquids with medium viscosities; a yield point determination package for difficult to measure samples, and an educational package for beginners- DIN package features a liquid temperature control module and coaxial cylinder geometry accessory
- Yield point determination package includes a universal container holder and vane rotor
- Educational package includes a Peltier temperature control module, coaxial cylinders and parallel plates geometry accessories, and RheoWin™ software
Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com
Temperature Controller
Meros TCU-100
Offers advanced temperature control from 1 to 100°C for microfluidic chips, microscope slides and other third party devices- Chemically resistant, robust, reliable, and only 11cm (4 ¼ inches) wide
- Enables cooling, heating and thermocycling with an accuracy of 0.5°C, stability and target temperature resolution of 0.1°C, and rapid ramp rates up to 1°C/s
Dolomite www.dolomite-microfluidics.com
Industrial Variable Speed Metering Pump
IVSP
Suited for viscous fluids- Features a rugged 1/4 HP variable speed drive motor and available with sanitary quick-disconnect fittings
- Speed is controlled via a DIN mountable controller for both manual and electronic speed control
- Valveless function is accomplished by the synchronous rotation and reciprocation of the ceramic piston within a precisely mated ceramic liner
Fluid Metering www.fmipump.com
Movable MS Bench
Features solidly-built lockable casters- Provides noise reduction performance of - 15 db(A) (75% reduction in noise perception)
- Can house either one or two vacuum pumps
- Allows easy access to the rear of the instruments
- Noise reduction cabinet integrates an audible & visual (red LED) overheating temperature alarm (on battery backup) for an increased vacuum pump lifetime
IONBENCH www.ionbench.com
Analog Hotplate Stirrer
AccuPlate
Full range of products offers heat, stir, and a heat/ stir combination model, making them suited for the science and education or research markets- The 7”x7” ceramic coated hot plate has a maximum temperature surface rating of 380°C, with stirring speeds that can be precisely controlled between 100- 1500rpm with a maximum capacity of 5 liters
- Features a large control panel
Labnet International www.labnetinternational.com
Gas Sorption Analyzers
Autosorb iQ3
Gives users the choice to use up to 3 physisorption analysis stations- Provides up to 200% higher capacity and throughput for larger, busy material characterization labs
- Features up to four on-board degassing ports providing cold-trap, PCcontrolled ramp, hold and test protocols
- Three samples can be analyzed simultaneously while the degas ports are used for sample preparation
Quantachrome www.quantachrome.com
N2 Gas Bubblers
Enable chemists to visibly confirm that their reaction system is being flushed with an inert gas such as nitrogen- Provide a one-way valve through which nitrogen, evolved gases or solvent vapors from the inlet will bubble through the fluid before being vented to the atmosphere
- Affordably priced
Asynt www.asynt.com
Laboratory Gas Burners
Fuego SCS Series
Offers more convenience through the new graphic display and comfort functions- The animated, self-explanatory and wordless symbol display facilitates a rapid and easy selection of all functions
- Streamlined design reduces air flow disturbances in laminar flow hoods
- Safety Control System SCS demonstrates state-of-the-art safety technology which constantly analyzes potential hazards and, if necessary, initiates safety measures
WLD-TEC www.wld-tec.com
Cell Culture
Aspiration Controller for Cell Culture
VACUUBRAND® VHC PRO
Ergonomic design accommodates several different hand positions for comfortable fluid aspiration using Pasteur pipettes or pipette tips- All aspirated liquid is contained in the tubing for easy decontamination and minimizing air leakage
- Optional 8-channel manifold with tip ejector is available
- Supplied with the VACUUBRAND® BVC line of fluid aspiration systems and can easily be fitted to aspiration systems from major manufacturers
BrandTech www.brandtech.com
Automated Cell Culture System
CompacT SelecT
Allows researchers to set up their cell culture seeding, feeding, expansion, plating and maintenance protocols to automatically produce consistent quality cells for extended periods of time- Includes a unique SelFeeder liquid handling unit that allows scheduled feeds and media changes and also has a gentle liquid addition and removal action
- Helps reduce damage to cell layers
TAP Biosystems www.tapbiosystems.com
Chemicals, Kits & Reagents
Dicer siRNA Generation Kit
Mimics the natural RNA interference process by using recombinant human dicer enzyme, a double-stranded RNA-specific endonuclease, to cleave in vitro transcribed dsRNA templates into a pool of 22 bp siRNAs- Allows easy and cost-effective generation of a large number of small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) from full-length target genes
- Contains everything required for preparing double stranded RNA, RNA cleavage, siRNA cleanup and transfection
AMSBIO www.amsbio.com
Gamma H2AX Pharmacodynamic Assay Kit
Designed for the study of double strand DNA breaks through the detection of gamma H2AX- Developed for anti-cancer drug screening, basic research and upcoming clinical trials providing one of many needed tools to support hypothesis-driven drug design strategies
- Documents differences in gamma H2AX levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, cultured cells, and tissue biopsies
AMSBIO www.amsbio.com
Multiplexing Reagent System
AlphaPlex™
Designed to extract more information from each assay by simultaneously quantifying multiple analytes in a single well- Utilize PerkinElmer’s AlphaLISA® technology to quantify multiple analytes in a single well
- Can reduce total assay time from one or two days to as little as two hours
PerkinElmer www.perkinelmer.com
Informatics
Operating Software for HR-CS AAS Instruments
ASpect CS V 2.0
Designed for the contra® series of instruments- Main new features include simultaneous multielement analysis of any number of analytical wavelengths within the spectrum window
- Integration ranges for each line can be selected freely, for increased sensitivity
- A new background correction method and an improved spectral correction of interferences allow simple and automatic correction of complex structured spectral background and overlapping matrix lines
Analytik Jena www.analytik-jena.com
Laboratory Information Management System
Matrix Gemini
Supplied complete with three separate databases- Since each database can have its own independent design, this arrangement means that widely varying requirements can be accommodated on the same system
- Matrix Gemini is an ODBC (Open Database Connectivity) compliant system which will operate with a number and mixture of commercial databases to suit either corporate standards or user preferences
Autoscribe www.autoscribeinformatics.com
Protein Analysis Software
OmniSEC 5.1
Makes it easy to integrate any of the Viscotek SEC detectors with Waters Empower® -driven SEC systems, for powerful, efficient protein characterization- Features the ability to directly interrogate analytical sequences within the Waters Empower® software
- Eliminates the need to input sequences in duplicate, making an integrated system easier to use, quicker to set-up and less prone to errors
Malvern www.malvern.com
Lab Automation
NGS Workstation
Freedom EVO®
Simplifies next-generation sequencing (NGS) sample preparation and PCR set-up- Offering user-friendly, walkaway automation of library preparation at the touch of a button, it eliminates the need for extensive manual processing
- Designed to offer robust and reliable automation–including library preparation, quantification, qPCR set-up, normalization, pooling and capture–even for inexperienced users
Tecan www.tecan.com
Life Science
Cardio System
xCELLigence RTCA CardioECR
BOOTH 409
Combines impedance and multi electrode array (MEA) technology with a pacing function- The first platform to allow simultaneous cardiomyocyte contractility and field potential measurement
- Designed to be placed in a standard tissue culture incubator with physiological temperature, CO2 level and humidity, allowing better controlled assays with both shortterm and long-term measurements in real-time
ACEA Biosciences www.aceabio.com
Modular Real-Time PCR System
AriaMx
Can multiplex up to six channels and deliver higher optical resolution for crisp and clear data capture in each channel- Features rapid cycle time and ultra-fast brilliant qPCR reagents that enable rapid, comprehensive workflow
- An onboard diagnostic system provides two modes: a quick pre-test, which covers over 60 performance attributes, and a comprehensive 30-minute test, which covers more than 120 attributes
Agilent www.agilent.com
Solution for In-Vitro CRISPR/Cas9 Research
SureGuide
- Complete workflow includes a SureGuide Cas9 nuclease kit, SureGuide gRNA synthesis kit and SureGuide gRNA control kit, all designed to work together for any lab interested in quickly enabling next-generation genome engineering
- Series of tools will enable in-vitro cloning of large genes or complex DNA mixtures without the limitations imposed by common restriction enzymes or PCR fidelity
Agilent www.agilent.com
Chemiluminescent Imaging System
ChemiDoc Touch
BOOTH 224
Surpasses the performance of film in terms of quantitation and sensitivity- Improves the user performance of other digital imagers with more intuitive and efficient image capture, review and export
- Allows detection of faint bands missed by film and produces publication-quality images
- Wide dynamic range permits easy and reliable quantification even of highly abundant proteins
Bio-Rad www.bio-rad.com
Atmospheric Control Unit
Designed for the CLARIOstar® microplate reader- Fully regulates and independently controls both O2 and CO2 within the microplate reader chamber
- Provides the optimal environment for any live cell assay
- Makes it unnecessary to change gas cylinders or piped gas supplies to reproduce the specific physiological conditions needed for cell-based assays
BMG LABTECH www.bmglabtech.com
Product Spotlight |
Vanquishing Variability
Last month, GE Healthcare Life Sciences launched its new Amersham WB system, a fully integrated system for quantitative SDS-PAGE and Western blotting of proteins using fluorescence detection. The system aims to reduce the variability seen with conventional Western blotting by standardizing and monitoring each stage of the Western blotting process, including electrophoresis, transfer, probing, and scanning. That means more consistent, quantitative protein analysis. “The value of the insights provided by Western blotting has kept it relevant for more than 30 years, but its shortcomings are well-recognized,” said Eric Roman, general manager of research and applied markets at GE Healthcare Life Sciences. “Building on GE’s heritage and expertise in protein analysis, what we have developed is a system that is set to shift how scientists see and use Western blotting from now on, with a clear focus on reliability and quantification of results, regardless of user.” Western blotting requires a complex combination of analytical knowledge, extensive manual handling, dexterity and strict adherence to protocols in order to achieve reliable results. According to GE, failure rates, however, can be as high as 25 percent and data variations between different users can be as high as 35-40 percent. The Amersham WB’s standardized Western blotting workflow typically achieves a variability of less than 10 percent between users. “The publication landscape has changed dramatically over the past year, and the need for quantified blots and data is of significant importance for peer-reviewed journals,” said Martin Teichert, a research scientist at DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center) in Heidelberg, Germany. “I think that the Amersham WB system fits perfectly into this niche, and solves this problem of having quantifiable data that can be relied upon. It has arrived at just the right time.” For more information, visit https://promo.gelifesciences.com/gl/artofwesternblotting/ |
Centrifugal Vacuum Concentrator
miVac Quattro
Rapidly removes a wide range of solvents, from volatile organic solvents through to DMF, including water- Especially suited for concentrating precious samples in applications including oligonucleotide synthesis, RNA/DNA preparation, peptide preparation, sequencing, molecular biology and ADME / toxicology research
- Capable of removing water and organic solvents from biological samples in a range of formats including tubes, microplates, and vials
Genevac www.genevac.com
Transcriptome Solution
Ion AmpliSeq
BOOTH 201 AND 219
Provides access to a wealth of valuable RNA data- Draws gene expression profiles from just 10ng of RNA sets
- Compatible with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples
- Provides a faster and more cost-effective workflow without the sample manipulation required for microarrays or analytical complexity normally associated with whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing
Life Technologies www.lifetechnologies.com
Collagenase/Neutral Protease Blends
STEMxyme®
BOOTH 800
Available for primary and stem cell isolation, regenerative medicine, biopharmaceutical and cell bioprocessing applications- Animal origin free (AOF)
- New, specialized combinations of AOF Clostridium histolyticum collagenase and AOF Bacillus polymyxa neutral protease (Dispase®) offer a minimum of 250 CLS units and 1,000 or 2,000 caseinase units per mg dry weight, respectively
Worthington Biochemical www.worthington-biochem.com
Scanning Electron Microscope
Teneo VS™
BOOTH 323
Integrates FEI’s latest-generation SEM with VolumeScope, an in-chamber microtome and proprietary analytical software to provide fully-automated, large-volume reconstructions with dramatically improved z-axis resolution- Ensures fast, easy analysis, while the combination of ThruSight™ and MAPS™ software delivers unprecedented resolution over large sample volumes
- Switching between volume imaging and normal SEM operation is fast and easy
FEI www.fei.com
Horizontal Gel Electrophoresis Units
MultiSUB™
Each unit provides an easy to use, versatile and flexible system that can evolve and adapt with the changing needs of today’s laboratory researcher- All five units in the MultiSUB range deliver a combination of economy of gel and buffer volume, with gel size and sample number versatility
- Gel size and sample number requirements can be exactly matched in each unit, with the option of additional gel tray sizes
Cleaver Scientific www.cleaverscientific.com
Supplies & Consumables
Custom Specified Laboratory Apparatus
Exactly meet the demands of the user’s application or project- Company also offers a totally bespoke solution for pressure reactors ranging from just a few millilitres to 50 litres capacity and different construction materials for corrosive and caustic materials
- Custom versions of DrySyn range of heating and cooling blocks, glassware, and PTFE components and apparatus also available
Asynt www.asynt.com
Pipette Tips
BRAND
Include sterile, non-sterile, filtered and ultra-low retention tips- Feature a new, environmentally-friendly box and insert system with lids that can hinge or lift off
- Manufactured in BRAND’s new state-of-the art clean room and packaged DNA-, RNase-, ATP- and endotoxin-free
- Fit pipettes from all major manufacturers
BrandTech www.brandtech.com
Microplates
inertGrade™
For the cultivation of non-adherent cell lines, spheroids, and stem cells in a 96- well plate format- Treated with a proprietary hydrogel that creates a hydrophobic interface between the surface of the plastic and cellular material to inhibit cell and protein attachment
- Microplate surface successfully suppresses the adhesion of a wide variety of adherent cell lines, and more
BrandTech Scientific www.brandtech.com
Solid Phase Extraction Microplate Development
Microlute™
Offers scientists a choice of up to 12 different phases and sorbent loadings (10 -100mg) in a standard format 96-well plate- Allows users to simply and rapidly screen for the optimal retention and selectivity required to achieve their sample preparation objectives
- Delivers considerable savings in valuable laboratory time
- Constructed from a single piece of molded high quality polypropylene
Porvair Sciences www.porvair-sciences.com