November 2011 Technology News

ANALYTICAL

Raman Spectrometer
i-Raman®

• Provides exceptional laser stabilization and narrow linewidth with patented CleanLaze® technology
• Features a spectral resolution as fine as 3cm-1, wide Raman shift coverage up to 4000cm-1, and a TE cooled 2048 pixel CCD array
• Now offers an 830nm excitation wavelength option in addition to the current 785nm and 532nm configurations

B&W Tek, Inc.
www.bwtek.com

Miniature Spectrometer Heating Device
USB-TC

• Compatible with Ocean Optics’ USB2000+ and USB4000 miniature spectrometers
• Attaches directly to the spectrometer and maintains wavelength thermal stability to within +/-0.025 pixels/ ºC
• Available with pre-selected setpoint temperatures between 25-55ºC and comes with a 12 VDC, 3A power supply
• Operates in temperatures ranging from 5-40ºC below the setpoint temperature

Ocean Optics
www.oceanoptics.com

Fourier-Transform Near-Infrared (FT-NIR) analyzer
AntarisTM II

• Pre-calibrated system offers a turn-key solution giving customers insight into the quality of the entire food and feed production process
• Includes Integrating Sphere Module with a 5 or 12cm sample cup spinner accessory, Thermo Scientific RESULT and TQ Analyst software packages
• Systems also come with either the INGOT Level 4 Flour and Milling or Feed and Ingredient calibration package
• Provides internal, automatic sample collection, eliminating operator error and sampling variability

Thermo Fisher Scientific
www.thermofisher.com

Basic lab

Mobile Ductless Fume Hood
Mobile EDU

• Provides all-around visibility and is totally self-contained
• Height of 77.5” allows easy passage through standard doors
• Boasts 99.9% filtration efficiency, based on independent tests
• Exceeds OSHA, ANSI, BSI and AFNOR safety standards

Air Science USA
www.airscience.com

Ultrasonic Processor
Qsonica Q55 Sonicator

• Measures only eight inches wide and less than eight inches deep
• 55-watt, 20 kHz unit effectively handles most small-volume applications
• Easy to use, with thumb-switch or continuous operation
• Choose from 110 VAC to 220 VAC models
• Includes 1/8” diameter probe; additional probes are available in three sizes

Cole-Parmer
www.coleparmer.com

Product Spotlight

Sleek Design, Proven Technology
New incubator answers need for hypoxic conditions

Caron has added a new benchtop CO2/O2 incubator (model 6404) to its Oasis line, designed specifically for hypoxic applications. The new incubator creates ultrastable conditions for cell culture and also precisely suppresses and controls oxygen concentration down to one percent.

“Many of our customers require hypoxic conditions for their studies and can now take advantage of the technological advances and conveniences offered by the new Oasis incubator,” said Joyce Abicht, Caron customer service manager.

The Oasis series features a 6 cu. ft. capacity in a new compact, lightweight benchtop or stackable format. This affordable unit is available in either 115V, 60Hz or 230V 50/60 Hz models.

Oxygen levels are controlled in hypoxic culture incubators by introducing nitrogen into the chamber. However, injecting nitrogen will drive humidity levels down and further create sluggish humidity recovery after door openings; but, Caron’s advanced design provides exceptional recovery times.

The Oasis™ maintains high relative humidity and precisely controls temperature and CO2. Some standard features include: an Infrared (IR) Sensor; tri-zone heating design; rapid, overnight decontamination cycle with a drying phase that eliminates messy cabinet wipe-down; polished stainless steel interior with coved corners; an intuitive, easy-to-operate, intelligent control panel; and ISOCIDE antimicrobial powder-coated exterior paint.

Users also have many options for additional accessories.

“One popular option is the inner door kit and shelving; it allows the customer to compartmentalize the interior into four sections, allowing for tighter control of environmental conditions,” said Leah Harris, Caron’s director of marketing communications. “Users that frequently need access to cultures inside especially benefit from this feature.”

For more information, visit http://caronproducts.com/94/prodcat/CO/ prod/6400#details

High Pressure Chemical Reactors
HPR Series

• Range in size from 50 ml to 4 liters and may be operated up to 10,000 psi and 350°C
• High pressure components are ASME rated and protected by a rupture disc for safe operation
• All sizes are supplied as ready-to-use instruments requiring only utility connections prior to operation
• Functions are controlled by choices of three integrated RxTrol™ processors

Supercritical Fluid Technologies
www.supercriticalfluids.com

CHEMICALS, KITS & REAGENTS

Synthetic Retinoid
ec23®

• Induces and controls stem cell differentiation
• Remains chemically and physically stable under normal laboratory conditions
• Enables the reproducible differentiation of stem cells and progenitor cells
• Produces down regulation of markers associated with the pluripotent stem cell phenotype and increased expression of differentiation markers

AMSBIO
www.amsbio.com

Magnetic Bead-Based Multiplex Immunoassays
Bio-Plex ProTM

• Simplify assay preparation and reduces variability in results
• Compatible with both vacuum and magnetic wash stations as well as other Luminex xMAP platforms
• Detect 25 rat cytokines and five rat diabetes biomarkers respectively as well as the three isoforms of the transforming growth factor beta: TGF- β1, TGF- β2, and TGF- β3
• Yield results in three hours

Bio-Rad
www.bio-rad.com

Cell Invasion Assays
QCM™

• Enables time-course visualization and quantification of matrix degradation by normal and cancerous cell types
• Provides simplified and standardized method for invadopodia and podosome degradation studies
• Includes fluorescently-labelled gelatin and reagents for co-localizing the actin cytoskeleton and nuclei with degradation sites

EMD Millipore
www.millpore.com

Affinity Chromatography Medium
Capto™ Blue

• Used for capture of human serum albumin (HSA), as well as purification of HSA fusion proteins, blood coagulation factors, enzymes, and recombinant proteins at laboratory and process scales
• More chemically stable and has a more rigid agarose base matrix than Blue Sepharose™ 6 Fast Flow
• Ligand functionality may be modified through the use of appropriate buffer salts and buffer conductivity to increase selectivity for desired targets

GE Healthcare
www.gelifesciences.com

Lab Automation

Product Spotlight

Tall Labware? No Problem
BioTek’s deep well microplate washer an easy solution

BioTek has responded to researchers’ need for more aspiration options for tall labware with the recent release of its ELx405™ Select deep well washer.

The system is a robot-compatible, full plate washer for automated aspirate and dispense steps in 96- and 384-well plates up to 50 mm high and can also accommodate standard 15 mm microplates.

“Before the ELx405™ Select Deep Well Washer, choices for aspiration were handheld or homemade solutions or an expensive, slow and complicated pipetting system that was more than they likely needed,” said Jason Greene, product manager at BioTek.

He added the washer is also useful for BioTek’s robotic partners who need a device to empty plates before they’re thrown out at the end of a run on their robotic system decks. Doing so keeps waste down at the system’s side.

Greene said setup for the system is also very easy and no different than setting up a washer for standard ANSI/SBS-height plates.

“We include pre-programmed default wash parameters to automate the process; however, all software selections are open and customizable by users for further optimization through an adjustment utility software tool,” he said.

Typical applications that can now be automated include: plasmid DNA purification, serum/plasma sample preparation, hematopoietic progenitor cell enumeration, and cell proliferation assays.

Additionally, optional Ultrasonic Advantage™ integrated ultrasonic cleaners provide manifold selfmaintenance, and optional automatic 1-to-4 wash buffer switching further enhances efficiency.

The ELx405 also features BioTek’s patented Dual-Action™ manifold for independent and precise aspirate/dispense control, and variable flow rates and angled dispensing for optimized cell washing.

For more information, visit www.biotek.com

Life Science

DMPK Sample Collection Cards
Whatman™ FTA™

• Enable simple & effective collection of colorless biosample fluids, such as plasma, urine, & CSF
• Allow room temperature storage of dried biosample spots and only require a low sample volume (10-20 μl)
• Lets researchers collect and store clear biosamples without the need to freeze-thaw, which can save time and help prevent sample degradation.

GE Healthcare Life Sciences
www.gelifesciences.com

Colony Counter
aCOLade

• Provides quick and simple operation; makes a bleeping sound and automatically adds and displays the count when users touch pen to Petri dish’s lid
• Can be connected to any computer and comes with software that allows automatic transfer of counts to a spreadsheet
• Plate ring holds plates as small as 50 mm in diameter and can be altered for 90 and 120 mm plates

Synbiosis
www.synbiosis.com

Powder Containment Cleanroom
BioSafeTM

• Draws air away from operators through HEPA/ULPA filters above the work area to create a Class 100 (ISO 5) processing/packaging zone
• Rear manifold recirculates air through inlet HEPA filters to ensure a continuous wash of particle-free air to work station
• Air handlers allow the user to configure the working space to their requirements
• Easy to clean and disinfect

Terra Universal
www.terrauniversal.com

Solid Supported Liquid/Liquid Extraction Range
HyperSep™

• Offers a fast, effective method to reduce sample background and concentrate the desired analytes
• Gives greater reproducibility and reliability in sample preparation compared to liquid/liquid extraction (LLE)
• Provides a platform for greater automation and analyte purity
• Reduces solvent requirements and can prevent complications

Thermo Fisher Scientific
www.thermofisher.com

LIMS & Software

Nuclear Magnetic Spectroscopy Software
VnmrJ 3.2

• Enables users to analyze NMR data anywhere in offline mode with new data station version that runs on Windows®, Mac OS, and Linux
• Allows users to easily design experiments as simple or complex as needed through a simplified sample-centric workflow interface
• Offers seamless integration with NMR Pipe
• Supports a wide range of Agilent and Varian NMR systems and accessories

Agilent
www.agilent.com

Particle Analysis Software
VisualSpreadsheet V3.0

• Features new custom graphing functionality that allows users to create custom scattergrams and histograms
• Allows users to choose the variables on the x and y axes from a menu of the system’s 32 different measurement parameters without rerunning the sample
• Permits numerous parameters to be quickly switched both during and after processing
• Provides access to more than 1,000 different combinations for segmenting and evaluating data

Fluid Imaging Technologies
www.fluidimaging.com

Web Client Software 1.0
Exemplar

• Configures quickly to each specific lab’s requirements
• Presents a clean and intuitive user interface experience for LIMS users
• Can be used with most modern web browsers including: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari
• Allows access to LIMS data on iPad 2 and Android tablets as well as outside an organizations network

Sapio Sciences
www.SapioSciences.com

Supplies & Consumables

Hydrophobic Pipette Tips
CO-RE

• For use with the MICROLAB® STAR and NIMBUS lines of automated liquid handling workstations
• Feature a special surface treatment that repels water-based fluids
• Offer higher pipetting precision and accuracy and lower residual volumes than conventional untreated or lowretention polypropylene tips
• Reduce waste of reagents and enzymes and conserve samples

Hamilton Robotics
www.hamiltonrobotics.com

Storage Tube Refill Packs

• Provide a fast, easy-to-use solution to refill your storage racks with 2D coded, alphanumeric, or plain storage tubes
• Reduce non-renewable plastic waste
• Available in a range of tube volumes (0.75ml and 1.40ml) for the complete range of Micronic storage racks: Loborack-96, Comorack-96 and Roborack-96 as well as other brands
• Exhibit absolute product consistency and near zero contaminants

Micronic
www.micronic.com