Big Picture

Running a modern lab is no easy task. Because it demands such a wide breadth of knowledge and experience, many labs don't all have the in-house expertise needed to successfully carry out every required task. This is where service providers step in.

This seven-part series explores common service options, along with the benefits of outsourcing certain activities, tips for selecting the right service provider, and more. By the end of the series, readers will be fully equipped to know why and how they should take full advantage of the myriad lab services options available.

Today’s synthesis planning for drug discovery relies on connecting the wisdom and practical expertise of an experienced organic chemist with the automation and advanced algorithms found in modern retrosynthesis software. This five-part series, sponsored by MilliporeSigma, will enable you to pioneer a pathway to more efficient, sustainable drug discovery. The articles featured here emphasize the importance of retrosynthesis software to help mitigate risk and augment your lab staff's expertise, offer tips to implement 'greener' chemistry, outline the steps to scale-up a synthesis reaction, and more.

Liquid chromatography, a vital workhorse analytical instrument, provides important safety, quality, and risk management data throughout the drug development process. Chromatography and separations help to identify the key compounds to explore and enable greater purity during scale up, especially a biopharmaceutical product that is produced through a biological process rather than a chemical synthesis. 

This series discusses the importance of maintaining the highest level of lab quality throughout the drug discovery and manufacturing processes, steps to mitigate risk, and how ongoing LC innovations can contribute to these efforts to assure safety and efficacy of new drugs.

At the lab bench or in an executive office, effective communication is one of the most vital skills to develop for a successful career. It can make or break opportunities and collaborations.

This six-part series illustrates what effective communication looks like in a variety of scenarios and offers best practices for those who may find themselves in those situations.

Biotechnology labs face many challenges, such as operations and process issues, taking risks when pursuing innovative ideas, constantly changing and advancing technologies, and data and security challenges. However, both labs and companies involved in the biotech field seem up to these challenges and are equipped to carry out a variety of solutions.

Host cell proteins (HCPs) are process-related impurities that are produced by the host organism during biologic manufacturing and production. A purification process is necessary to reduce the levels of HCPs in any biopharmaceutical product to ensure it is safe for patients. Analysis techniques like the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are conducted to quantify the remaining levels of HCPs after purification. This is a complex process that requires the right tools, expertise, and strategies. This series explains the process of HCP analysis in biologics development, the benefits of using ELISA kits, how to ensure security of supply for HCP reagents, and solutions for validating HCP ELISAs.  

The food safety and testing industry is booming with new innovations. These developments help to ensure that everything on our dining tables—from the orange juice we drink in the morning to the vegetables on our dinner plates—are safe, authentic, and of good quality. In this series, we discuss some of the latest advances in food safety testing and technology, as well as the challenges of detecting food fraud, and the important role filtration plays in ensuring food quality.

With everchanging or non-existent regulations and standards, achieving quality and consistency has been a challenge for US cannabis and hemp testing labs. However, recent signals indicate that various industry stakeholders are slowly achieving consensus on such oversight, meaning better, more accurate test results. We explore recent trends in the industry, the keys to starting a successful testing lab, and what to consider when doing proficiency testing or getting your cannabis or hemp lab certified.

Is outsourcing right for your lab? What services are available and which are the best choice for your facility? How do you determine which contract lab or service provider is the right one to outsource your lab’s work to? Get the answers to these questions and more in our series on laboratory services outsourcing.

Managing the purchase, use, and maintenance of laboratory equipment is a significant undertaking for any lab manager. Each phase of an instrument’s life cycle requires investment, informed decision making, and pre-planning. This web series guides readers through the various stages of asset management—from buying new (or used) equipment and navigating service contracts to maximizing equipment life cycles and finding new uses for unneeded instruments and tools.