Regulatory methods such as USEPA 1664, Rev B, Standard Methods 5520 and ISO11349:2010 can be performed more reliably with the market-leading automated system from Horizon Technology

Users decide between dedicated and multipurpose systems

Whether to employ central washing stations or point-of-use washers located under a lab bench or in a corner is also something that has to be addressed with regards to laboratory glassware washers. The former provide an economy of scale and are popular with lab workers who, almost universally, hate to “wash the dishes.” The downside for central washing stations is that glassware tends to disappear over time, due to breakage and operator error.

"More laboratories are opting to generate their own gas, on-site," said John Speranza, Vice President of Global Sales at Proton OnSite.  "For Gas Chromatographers (GC) who are struggling to source inexpensive helium gas, hydrogen is the superior carrier gas alternative..."

Combinatorial chemistry can be traced back to the 1960's, but didn't gain popularity until 1990 when pharmaceutical companies started compounding large amounts of potential new drugs into libraries.  Now, combinatorial chemistry has moved into other disciplines such as materials science, biotechnology and even semiconductors

Almost every piece of equipment—from a computer to an oscilloscope and beyond—uses a power supply. Scientists expect power supplies to keep going and going. Luckily, most of them do. Those power plants inside devices, though, come in a wide assortment.

Problem: With unrelenting need for accurate sample analysis at lower and lower detection limits, there is pressure on modern laboratories for sample prep instruments that can provide automated, accurate reagent additions to previously prepared liquid samples or for preparing several aliquots of these samples with multiple dilution factors. The catch-all phrase that identifies these devices is “liquid handling systems” and they perform absolutely essential tasks that have a direct and large effect on the ultimate measurement accuracy of both inorganic and organic sample analysis.

Glove boxes are containment systems for protecting samples, processes, and products from operators and the environment—or the other way around

Louis Scampavia, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Molecular Therapeutics at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida, talks to contributing editor Tanuja Koppal, PhD, about how automation has been a critical part of their high-throughput screening activities. He goes into the details of what can and should be automated and the due diligence that needs to be performed before these decisions are made—decisions that have a long-standing impact on the workings of a lab.

Helium is commonly used as the makeup gas for flame ionization detection in gas chromatography;
however, dramatic increases in cost and limited availability in recent years have led many chromatographers to use nitrogen in its place.

Join Tecan on booth #405 at this year’s SLAS Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, California, to discover the latest developments in automated liquid handling. From the 18th to 22nd of January, this annual event will once again play host to the very best in laboratory equipment from around the world, together with a wide range of presentations, seminars and workshops designed to ignite imaginations and push the boundaries of laboratory automation.

Philip Schwartz, PhD, supervisor and senior scientist and director of the National Human Neural Stem Cell Resource at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Research Institute, talks to Contributing Editor Tanuja Koppal, PhD, about the subtle particulars and expertise needed to design and maintain a laboratory dedicated to culturing stem cells.