January 2010 Technology News

LAB AUTOMATION 

Microplate Washer
ELx405™

• Available with vacuum filtration and biomagnetic separation modules
• Features 96- and 384-well microplate washing for bead-based assays and standard ELISAs
• Processes polystyrene beads as well as micrometer- and nanometer-scale magnetic beads
• Features choice of keypad control or Liquid Handling Control™ PC software

BioTek
www.biotek.com

IFC Controller MX
BioMark™

• Designed to automatically prime and load proprietary integrated fluidic circuits (IFCs) one at a time
• Automates the setup of dynamic array or digital array chips
• Capable of setting up 2,304 reactions within minutes
• Features internal computer, touch screen control and internal air source

Fluidigm
www.fluidigm.com

Sample Volume and Precipitate Measurement
Tube Auditor

• Features unique vision technology that permits fast and accurate volume measurement
• Suitable for manual operation or integration into automated systems
• Allows a full 96-way SBS tube rack to be audited in less than two minutes
• No need to de-cap tubes during the auditing process

RTS Life Science
www.rtslifescience.com

Automated Zone Analysis System
ProtoCOL 2

• Allows scientists to determine an antibiotic’s potency in seconds
• LED lighting provides uniform illumination of antibiotic susceptibility testing plates
• Includes a high-resolution CCD camera that automatically generates zone images in seconds
• Suitable for use in any GMP antibiotic production facility or clinical microbiology lab

Synbiosis
www.synbiosis.com

ANALYTICAL

Mercury Analyzer
M-8000

• Features Cold Vapor Atomic Fluorescence Spectroscopy (CVAFS) for mercury determination
• Achieves an Instrument Detection Limit (IDL) of 0.05 parts per trillion or less
• Autosampler accommodates 7 mL, 14 mL, 20 mL, 30 mL and 50 ml tubes
• QuickTrace™ software ensures validity by EPA 1631 and 245.7 methods

CETAC Technologies
www.cetac.com

Elemental Analyzer
CE-440 CHN

• Determines organic carbon in sediment samples
• Features a horizontal furnace design for easy removal of filter and sample ash between each analysis
• One combustion tube can analyze more than 1,000 sediment samples without the need for cleaning
• Has capacity to process filters up to 47 mm in diameter in one analytical cycle

Exeter Analytical
www.exeteranalytical.com

Pressure Swing Adsorption
ASAP 2050 Xtended Pressure Sorption Analyzer (xPSA)

• Features a pressure transducer capable of operating from vacuum to 10 atmospheres
• May be used with a large variety of gases, including nitrogen, propane, butane and argon
• Includes two independent vacuum systems, allowing simultaneous preparation of two samples
• Sample prep and analysis can occur without interruption or cross-contamination

Micromeritics
www.micromeritics.com

Spectrometer for NIR Applications
NIRQuest

• Available in versions for 900-1,700 nm, 900-2,050 nm and 900-2,500 nm coverage
• Uses a high-performance Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs)-array detector
• Features grating and external triggering for high-resolution laser characterization
• Capable of integration times as rapid as 1 ms

Ocean Optics
www.oceanoptics.com

UV-Vis Spectrophotometers
GENESYS™ 10S and BioMate™ 3S

• GENESYS instruments are capable of producing scan data at speeds up to 4,200 nm per minute, and feature a unique optical design that reduces stray light
• No warm-up time is required with the BioMate 3S, and samples are not constantly exposed to UV light
• BioMate 3S includes pre-configured test methods for nucleic acid, protein and cell growth measurements

Thermo Fisher Scientific
www.thermofisher.com

www.ssi.shimadzu.com. Mark Taylor, GC product manager, can be reached at cmtaylor@shimadzu.com, or by phone at 800-477-1227 x.1896.

BASIC LAB

Water Testing for Heavy Metals
AND1000 Fluorimeter

• Uses a combination of a handheld fluorimeter and a DNA sensor, providing accurate readings in less than two minutes
• Meets U.S. EPA standards for accuracy and specificity of target contaminants such as lead
• No special skill or knowledge of chemistry is required to operate the device; no hazardous chemicals are used
• Reduces time, effort, cost and complexity of testing water samples for contaminants

ANDalyze
www.andalyze.com

Aspiration System
VACUSAFE

• Features a new design, without integrated vacuum pump
• Includes safety features, such as liquid level sensor and two hydrophobic filters to block potentially dangerous aerosols
• Includes low-noise pump, shatter-proof collection bottle and versatile hand operator
• Features a new handle, making carrying and emptying of waste bottle much easier

INTEGRA Biosciences
www.integra-biosciences.com

Glass Door Refrigerators
ArcticTemp

• Available in capacities of 19 cu. ft. up to 72 cu. ft.
• All standard shelves are epoxy coated wire (SS shelves available)
• Sliding doors or swing-out doors are available
• Includes one year parts and labor warranty with additional four year compressor warranty

MidSci
www.midsci.com

Equipment Enclosures
XPert TXE

• 42” interior height accommodates pill presses, grinders, crushers, sieves, etc.
• Features a zone-perforated rear baffle that creates horizontal laminar airflow
• Includes a 99.99% efficient HEPA exhaust filter to return clean air back into the lab
• Features a static-dissipative-epoxy-coated metal exterior

Labconco
www.labconco.com

Nitrogen Generators
NitroVap-1LV and NitroVap-2LV

• Produce more than 320 LPM of pure evaporationgrade nitrogen
• Require less than 1 square foot of bench space and can supply more than 100 evaporator nozzle positions
• Use a combination of filtration and membrane separation technologies
• High-efficiency coalescing filters remove all contaminants down to 0.01 micron

Parker Balston
www.labgasgenerators.com

Continuous Roll Microplate Heat Sealer
TriSeal Pro

• Includes a 610 meter film roll, enabling up to 5,000 plates to be sealed without intervention
• Features a turntable design, which allows simultaneous loading, unloading and sealing
• Capable of sealing three plates per minute
• Features adjustable temperature control from 50°C to 185°C

Porvair Sciences
www.porvair-sciences.com

UV Lamp
MiniMAX™ UV-5G

• Battery-operated, 5-watt, short-wave (254 nm) UV lamp
• Weighs 11 oz. (312 g) and includes a wrist strap to reduce hand fatigue
• Powered by four 1.5-volt AA alkaline batteries, providing four to six hours of use
• Includes an AC adapter and nylon travel pouch

Spectroline
www.spectroline.com

LIFE SCIENCE

Single Tube Reader
SampleScan Plus

• Scans one tube in less than one second
• Compatible with Matrix, Micronic, Nunc, Matrical and ABgene 2D barcoded tubes
• Also decodes 1D barcodes from vials and racks
• No power supply needed

BioMicroLab
www.biomicrolab.com

Immunoassay Plates
BRANDplates®

• Three different surfaces – immunoGrade™, hydroGrade™ and lipoGrade™ allow optimization of protein immobilization
• Available in a variety of well bottoms and colors in 96-, 384-, and 1,536-well formats
• Suitable for a broad range of applications, including ELISA, RIA and FIA
• 96-well plates feature blue alphanumeric embossing for easy well identification

BrandTech
www.brandtech.com

Isothermal DNA Amplification
Bst DNA Polymerase, Exonuclease Minus

• Suitable for sequencing DNA with high GC content and secondary structures
• Available in two concentrations of 8,000 U/mL and 50,000 U/mL and has optimal activity at 65°C
• Ideal for isothermal amplification, whole genome amplification and multiple displacement amplification
• Requires 0.1% Triton X-100 for long-term storage

Lucigen
www.lucigen.com

Lipidic Cubic Phase Screening
Mosquito® LCP

• Facilitates the automation and increased throughput of lipidic cubic phase (LCP) crystallization set-ups
• Uses a positive displacement syringe with automated tip positioning
• Provides accurate and repeatable dispensing of LCP drops
• Assists automated imaging of membrane protein crystals in a range of high-density plate types

TTP LabTech
www.ttplabtech.com

Light Efficient Imaging
VivaTome

• Designed for applications where temporal resolution is a priority
• Provides clear, quantifiable results for biological specimens, whether a cell structure, tissue section or living organism
• Using simple white light illumination, frame rates of up to 30 frames a second are achieved
• Can be attached to Axio Observer, Imager and Examiner systems using a c-mount

Carl Zeiss
www.zeiss.com

LIMS & SOFTWARE

Flow Cytometry Analysis Software
Kaluza

• Provides real-time analysis of high-content flow cytometry files
• Features automatic organization of plots, combining a zoom feature to provide an intuitive environment for data exploration
• Auto-Layout reconfigures the workspace and minimizes necessary clicks
• Radar plots provide a multi-dimensional view of data without drawing a single gate

Beckman Coulter
www.beckmancoulter.com

Radiochromatography Software
Laura 4.0.5

• Active Counting Mode is optimized, with better resolution, sensitivity and control
• Different log files for each day can be kept for up to a week
• Project Wizard is now resizeable, for managing a large number of users
• Measurement queue status bar indicates an estimate of solvent/scintillant usage

LabLogic
www.lablogic.com

OEM Driver Software
SeaBreeze

• Basic starting platform can be customized by developers for their own applications and instruments
• Delivers faster processing and is compact enough to be built directly into spectral libraries smaller than 500k
• Can be adapted to new platforms by providing a native implementation of bus interfaces for the target
• Supports most Ocean Optics’ USB spectrometers for Linux and Windows operating systems

Ocean Optics
www.oceanoptics.com

Professional SaaS-based LIMS
SciLIMS SSM: Professional Edition

• Eliminates restrictions in many areas (users, container types, storage units, etc)
• Customizable to the lab’s requirements, without costly administration services
• Eliminates the need to purchase servers and maintain software
• Includes a 30-day money-back guarantee

Sciformatix
www.sciformatix.com

Chemistry Data Cartridge
Symyx Direct 6.3

• Includes new capabilities in the handling of non-specific Markush chemical structures
• Markush structures enable generating and indexing possible permutations of a specific chemical entity without creating an unruly information repository
• Enables researchers to register, search and retrieve molecular structures and reactions stored in Oracle® relational databases
• Handles substructure and exact match queries using discrete and Markush structures

Symyx Technologies
www.symyx.com

www.biohit.com

Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) Cartridges
Strata® Melamine

• Simultaneously extracts both melamine and cyanuric acid, cutting sample prep time in half
• Produces injection-ready samples for LC/MS or GC/MS analysis
• Goes from sample suspension to sample injection with greater than 90% recovery
• Available in 200 mg/3 mL and 100 mg/3 mL SPE cartridges

Phenomenex
www.phenomenex.com

Reagent Reservoirs
Disposable Polystyrene

• Non-nested design makes it easy to separate a single reservoir from a pile
• A ridge on each reservoir allows users to remove drops from pipette tips for accurate pipetting
• Optional lids help prevent reagent contamination and spillage
• Available in different sizes (25-50mL) and formats (8 or 12 channels)

Porvair Sciences
www.porvair-sciences.com

Economy Laboratory Bottles
Nalgene Economy Bottles

• Ideal for light-duty lab applications such as storing daily working solutions like buffers and bench reagents
• Lightweight, cost-effective and guaranteed leak-proof
• Available in either high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or autoclavable polypropylene copolymer (PPCO)
• Lot-specific product certificates of compliance are available for quality assurance

Thermo Fisher Scientific
www.thermofisher.com

Permeation Tubes
Dynacal®

• Inert capsules containing a pure chemical compound in a two phase equilibrium between gas phase and liquid/solid phase
• At constant temperature, they emit the compound through their permeable portion at a constant rate
• Their purpose is to establish a reference point for verification of an analysis
• Accurate, stable concentrations range from PPB to high PPM

VICI Metronics
www.vicimetronics.com

www.anagnostics.com. CEO Christoph Reschreiter can be reached at c.reschreiter@anagnostics.com, or by phone at +43 7252 58193-0.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

GC-2010 PLUS CAPILLARY GAS CHROMATOGRAPH
FASTER ANALYSIS, REDUCED DOWNTIME AND SUPERIOR REPRODUCIBILITY

The new GC-2010 Plus Capillary gas chromatograph from Shimadzu Scientific Instruments meets the increased demands of trace-level analysis, ensuring data quality for a wide range of applications. With a redesigned collection of detectors that feature market-leading sensitivity and quick heating and cooling, the GC-2010 Plus improves separation performance, increases sample throughput and reduces operator time.

Third-generation Advanced Flow Controllers (AFC) support high-speed analysis at a maximum pressure of 970 kPa and 1,200 mL/minute maximum flow rate. Incorporating a double-jet cooling system and optimized air flow channels, the instrument enables a rapid cooling time of 450°C to 50°C in 3.4 minutes, allowing the next analysis to start sooner.

The unit’s detectors have been redesigned for greater compactness and higher sensitivity. The compact flame photometric detector (FPD) uses a condenser lens and total reflection system with mirrors for improved flame stability. Using clean detector gas flows and low-noise cables, the flame ionization detector (FID) achieves double the sensitivity of previous Shimadzu detectors, ensuring a minimum detected quantity of 1.5 pgC/s.

Reduced analysis time is achieved through the use of a backflushing system that reverses the flow of carrier gas. After all target compounds are detected, residual substances are backflushed from inside the column to the injection port.

For more information, visit

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

CYLINDER-BASED MICROARRAY TECHNOLOGY
DISCOVER INTRICATE OFF-RATE MEASUREMENT WITH HYBCELL TECHNOLOGY

Hybcell is the first DNA or protein microarray based on the use of cylinders instead of slides. These cylindrical microarrays yield robust hybridization and reproducible results by rotational sample agitation.

The hybcells are robotically processed by the hyborg—a fully automated, compact device that can hold up to 96 hybcells at a time. Hyborg integrates thermocycler, hybridization station and scanner all in one unit. Temperatures, buffers and multiple scans are freely configurable, providing the greatest flexibility and kinetic analysis.

In typical microbiology, where it can take 48 hours for a sample to produce results, hybcell technology provides results within ten minutes for a multiplexed ELISA, up to two hours for a compact sequencing application, all while delivering hundreds of results for a single sample (presence of bacteria, viruses, genes, antibodies, etc).

Hybcell technology offers selectivity (elimination of unspecific binding effects), measurement of binding kinetics, assay versatility, fully automated assay operation and minimum user intervention

Hybcells can be filled by either a pipette or automated robot. Each sample is then linked to a unique bar code. Once the hybcells are transferred to the hyborg, all further processes are automated, reducing the risk of user errors.

For more information, visit www.anagnostics.com. CEO Christoph Reschreiter can be reached at c.reschreiter@anagnostics.com, or by phone at +43 7435 58193-0. 

SUPPLIES & CONSUMABLES

Pipette Tips
SafetySpace™ Filter Tips

• Sample does not touch the filter due to extra space between them
• Suitable for reverse pipetting as well as for multiple dispensing with electronic pipettes
• Available in seven different sizes from 10 μL up to 1,200 μL
• Certified DNase, RNase and endotoxin free and made of polypropylene

Biohit