Bioscience Technology articles from July 2007

Bioscience Technology archives from July 2007

PCR: the amplifier heard 'round the world: as PCR approaches its 25th birthday, researchers continue to improve it and adapt it to new uses, but users still need to pay attention to the technique's peculiarities.(Cover story)
July 1, 2007... One night in 1983, the story goes, a scientist named Kary Mullis was taking the scenic drive from Berkeley to Mendocino, California, when he had a flash of inspiration: under the right conditions, purified DNA polymerase might catalyze a chain...

Techniques used in Signal Transduction Research.(SNAPSHOT)
July 1, 2007... Techniques used in Signal Transduction Research % Respondents Fluorescene 77.3% Microscopy 55.7% Microarray 52.6% RNAi 50.5% Luminescence 46.4% AB-Binding ...

The earth is flat.(Editor's Note)
July 1, 2007... There are those among us who hold any number of beliefs that fly in the face of the most well-researched science, beliefs that are supported by an overwhelming majority of scientists. Some of the people holding these beliefs occupy the White...

Microfluidic live cell imaging platform.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... The ONIX microfluidic platform for live cell imaging of yeast samples allows continuous cell culture imaging with flow switching control. It is used with any inverted microscope to provide excellent flow control, image clarity, and time lapse...

Cuvette family.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... A family of disposable, micro-volume cuvettes with short path lengths and UV and IR transparency can be used in standard laboratory instrumentation such as spectrometers and microscopes. Flexible bio-microfluidic manufacturing technology and...

Antibodies for neurological research.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... BIOCARE MEDICAL has announced the launch of a new line of neurological antibody markers for brain research. The antibodies art: to be used on paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed tissues: Alpha/Beta-Synuclein, CREB, PGP9.5, Tau and Ubiquitin. (The...

Disposable plastic hemocytometer.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... The C-Chip disposable plastic cytometer is offered for manual cell and particle counting. Lightweight scratch-proof and unbreakable quartz-grade optical plastic features an embedded Neubauer Improved (NI) grid pattern. Each grid pattern has...

Mitotic assay kits.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... Mitotic Assay Kits enable determination of the percentage of cells undergoing mitosis within a specific population. The kits are available in fluorescent, chemiluminescent and colorimetric formats. * Active Motif, Inc. 877-222-9543 ...

Peristaltic dispenser eliminates edge effects.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... The UltraSpense 2000 eliminates edge effects and uniformly delivers viable cells to 384-well microplates when compared to conventional peristaltic dispensers. By simply recovering the perimeter row of a 384 well plate, a 25% gain in usable...

Incubator, temperature to 180 C.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... The BINDER C 150 C[O.sub.2] incubator provides standard hot-air sterilization at 180 C. Temperature precision, an interior that is condensation-free even at high humidity levels and an FPI infrared measuring system without drift error ensure...

Micro-electroporation.(July's Innovations)
July 1, 2007... Microporation enables the transfection of small sample volumes. Transfection takes place in a pipette tip. This non-viral method is also used for transfecting a range of hard-to-transfect cells (including primary cells, human stem cells and...

ArrayStar software compatible with Affymetrix array program.(Research News)
July 1, 2007... ArrayStar microarray data analysis software (DNASTAR, Inc., Madison, WI) has been designated GeneChip-compatible with the Affymetrix GeneChip microarray platform (Affymetrix, Inc., Santa Clara, CA). The agreement is intended to provide DNASTAR,...

Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing studies.(Research News)
July 1, 2007... Researchers from the California Institute of Technology and Stanford University School of Medicine, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, have used the Solexa Sequencing technology (Illumina,...

Roche Diagnostics acquires NimbleGen Systems Inc.(Research News)
July 1, 2007... Roche and NimbleGen Systems Inc. today announced that they have signed a definitive agreement under which Roche will acquire 100% of NimbleGen, a privately held, Madison, Wisconsin, USA-based company active in high-density DNA microarrays....

Cell culture card.(Research News)(Brief article)
July 1, 2007... This custom cell culture card (ALine Inc., Redondo Beach, CA) supported the zero-G bacterial growth experiment on the NASA Ames' GeneSat-1 mission that was launched on December 16, 2006. Once the satellite was in orbit, the autonomous...

Thermo Fisher Scientific acquires OptiCell line.(Research News)
July 1, 2007... Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (Waltham,/VIA) has acquired all assets of the OptiCell product line from BioCrystal Ltd. of Westerville, OH. Included in the transaction were trademarks, production equipment, inventory, and 12 patents related to...

IgG antibody quantification assay.(Immunochemicals Focus)
July 1, 2007... RapidQuant IgG Antibody Quantification Assay quantifies secreted IgG antibodies, and is available for both human and mouse antibodies. The mix-and-read, bead-based protocol offers a novel approach. Undiluted hybridoma supernatant is added to...

IsoStrip Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Isotyping Kit.(Immunochemicals Focus)
July 1, 2007... IsoStrip Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Isotyping Kit provides three-step kit identification of class, subclass, and light chain types of mouse monoclonal antibodies. With a total assay time of just five minutes, the kit can detect antibody...

Detect DNA damage.(Immunochemicals Focus)
July 1, 2007... DNA damage caused by oxidative radicals is associated with aging, inflammation, carcinogenesis, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. When exposed to oxidative radicals, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG) is formed and can serve as a...

Lipid droplet and metabolism antibodies.(Immunochemicals Focus)
July 1, 2007... Novus has recently released several new lipid droplet and metabolism antibodies. Included in this list are antibodies to ATGL, ADFP, CGI58, DGAT1, GLUT1, Gpihbpl, HD lipoprotein-binding protein 1, Insig 1, Perilipin, PON1, TIP47, and TREK 1....

Applying RNAi technology--opportunities and pitfalls: the methods used at one company optimize each step of the experimental process.(Biochemicals & Kits)
July 1, 2007... The revolution that the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) brought to functional genomics and drug research was marked last year when its discoverers, Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine....

DNA dephosphorylation and ligation kit.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Rapid DNA Dephos & Ligation Kit provides dephosphorylation and ligation of sticky- or blunt-end DNA fragments, enabling ligation of DNA in 5 minutes and dephosphorylation in 10 minutes. The kit contains recombinant rAPid Alkaline Phosphatase,...

Universal Class III PI3-K ELISA kit.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Universal Class III PI3-K ELISA kit offers activity level determination of Class I, Class II and Class III enzymes. A simple and sensitive method is provided for PI(3)P quantification in a 96-well format. It is a competitive ELISA, in which the...

Western Blot Stripping Buffer.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Pierce Restore Plus Western Blot Stripping Buffer removes high-affinity antibodies from Western blots without damaging the transferred proteins, allowing multiple re-probes for the target protein. The buffer is stored at room temperature and...

Protein markers.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... A broad range protein molecular weight markers are offered unstained and prestained for SDS-PAGE analysis. The newest addition to this line or products, the ColorPlus Prestained Protein Marker, contains bands in the range of 6.5-175 kDa, and...

Scaffolding culture matrix.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... AlgiMatrix animal-origin free bio-scaffold product for three-dimensional cell culture mimics in vivo conditions with fidelity and provides excellent cell loading, nutrient delivery and potential for cell-cell interaction. The macroporous...

Microorganism cultures.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Authenticult Genuine Cultures (ATCC, Manassas, VA) are offered in self-contained packages that include a lyophilized microorganism pellet, a reservoir of hydrating fluid and an inoculating swab. The initial launch of the Authenticult...

Transgenic, knock-out and knock-in mice.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... TransnetYX's technologies for automated genetic testing and Internet biopsy submission and results reporting speeds the process while ensuring quality and accuracy of test results for transgenic, knock-out and knock-in mutant mice. The use of...

Reductase assay kit.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... This High Throughput Glutathione Reductase Assay measures cellular levels of glutathione reductase, an enzyme which catalyzes the reduction of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) to reduced glutathione (GSH). The kit is a spectrophotometric assay...

Histone acetyltransferase assay.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... With this histone acetyltransferase (HAT) assay kit users can assay for HAT activity or screen potential inhibitors. The fluorescent assay includes recombinant human p300 as a control. It can also be used to screen a full 96-well plate of...

Antibody conjugates, substrates, for AP detection.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... ReserveAP Alkaline Phosphatase-labeled Antibody Conjugates (KPL, Inc.), for the detection of alkaline phosphatase (AP), produce a high signal and low background while meeting KPL's standards for stability and reproducibility. They are offered...

Room temperature biological sample storage.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Ship, store and manage lab samples at room temperature using SampleMatrix dissolvable storage medium, SampleGard sample storage and transportation system, and SampleWare organization and retrieval software. The medium is used with DNA, RNA,...

Discovery, analysis of biomarkers in tissue.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Proteomic analysis of formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue is performed using Liquid Tissue MS protocols and reagents and DIRECTOR laser microdissection slides. Services include tissue sourcing and qualification, laser microdissection,...

Protein assays.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... LifeMarker protein assays quantify proteins from complex biological samples without the need for an antibody. The assays can be multiplexed to monitor a panel of protein markers. The assays are currently available for research use only on...

Human STR primer set.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... For use with Beckman Coulter's CEQ Series and GenomeLab GeXP genetic analysis systems, GenomeLab STR Primer Set is used to determine the purity and quality of DNA, for sample tracking and contamination monitoring. It is offered for CEQ and GeXP...

Antibody microarray.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... XPRESS Profiler725 contains 725 antibodies that are arrayed in duplicate on nitrocellulose slides and compatible with the majority of available DNA array scanners. The arrays detect human, mouse, and rat proteins associated with various cell...

Peroxidase substrate.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... ImmPACT DAB diaminobenzidine-based peroxidase substrate., allows a dark, crisp, brown precipitate to be generated. For use with immunohistochemical staining and membrane-based blot detection with any horseradish peroxidase-based detection...

PCR enzyme mix.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... TaqMan Gene Expression Master Mix and Genotyping Master Mix reagents are formulated for use in both routine and challenging real-time PCR applications. Used in quantitative real-time PCR protocols, the product helps researchers to detect low...

Transfection reagents.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Lipofectamine LTX delivers DNA into cells, the first critical step in characterizing gene function, and demonstrates transfection efficiency and high levels of protein expression with more than 90 percent viability for a wide range of cells,...

Phosphodiesterase assay.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... With Transcreener PDE (phosphodiesterase) Assay, BellBrook Labs extends its nucleotide detection capabilities to include AMP and GMR Phosphodiesterases control various cellular processes by hydrolyzing the second messenger signaling molecules...

Fluorescent acrylamide solution.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... NEXT GEL ready-to-pour acrylamide contains a fluorescent protein stain for band visualization following SDS-PAGE. The matrix eliminates the need for stacking gels and provides high band resolution over a broad molecular weight range. NEXT GEL...

Mutation detection kit.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Surveyor mutation detection kit digests target DNA amplified with two Universal Fluorescent Primers labeled with either fluorescein or TAMP, A, for analysis by fluorescent capillary electrophoresis. Surveyor Nuclease, a mismatch-specific...

Kinase assay platform.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... HTRF KinEASE TK, a universal assay for high-throughput screening of Tyrosine (Tyr) kinases, combines a peptide substrate called $4 and a single, proprietary monoclonal antibody with HTRF (homogeneous time resolved fluorescence) technology, a...

Organ, tissue perfusion.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Aedesta organ and tissue medium is used for perfusion or static storage of animal organs and tissues. Organ or tissue cells are continuously nourished through the medium's oxygen and nutrient carrying properties, extending their life while...

Assay nuclear receptor activation.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... PathHunter Nuclear Translocation Assays measure the effect of compounds on nuclear hormone receptor translocation in vivo using a homogeneous microplate-based test. After signaling pathway activation, two [beta]-galactosidase...

Horizontal electrophoresis system.(Electrophoresis Focus)
July 1, 2007... Electrophoresis systems are offered for applications ranging from quick screens for recombinant products to the separation of genomic products. High throughput 96-well formats are also available with multichannel pipette-compatible combs, for...

Electrophoresis mini-gel system.(Electrophoresis Focus)
July 1, 2007... The Mini PROTEAN Tetra Cell 1-D electrophoresis minigel system is offered for both hand-cast and pre-cast gel users and features a clamping frame. Using two running modules, the system accommodates from one to four hand-cast or Ready Gel...

Fractionate proteins, peptides by isoelectric point.(Electrophoresis Focus)
July 1, 2007... The 3100 OFFGEL Fractionator fractionates intact proteins or peptides by isoelectric point (pI) in liquid phase. Sample complexity is reduced, while the sensitivity of LC/MS analysis is greatly increased. Fractionation is pI-based, with 0.1-0.6...

2D protein gel analysis software.(Electrophoresis Focus)
July 1, 2007... Dymension software for automated 2D protein gel analysis includes the Common Spot Outlines algorithm for automatic detection of the presence or absence of proteins in large data sets. This generates data that, with minimal manual post-editing,...

Assessment of microarray technology using MAQC samples: signals that might otherwise have been lost due to scanner saturation are captured by scanning at high and low gain settings.(Instruments & Systems)
July 1, 2007... Introduction Tecently the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) consortium published the most comprehensive study to date assessing the performance and cross platform comparability of microarray data (MAQC Consortium. Nat. Biotechnol....

Molecular imaging software.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Three syngo software packages are offered for molecular imaging in radiology, neurology, radiation oncology and general molecular imaging. For diagnosing, staging and assessment of cancer treatment response, syngo TrueD software provides...

Case-control whole genome database.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... iControlDB genotyping control repository is offered for researchers conducting case-control whole-genome association studies. Case-control studies compare groups of patients who already have a disease (case) with a group of patients without the...

Electronic lab notebook.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Composed of E-WorkBook, BioBook and ChemBook, this configurable lab notebook supports the capture of data, information and knowledge in a secure, compliant infrastructure. The latest version offers enhanced meta data capture and searching....

GMP protein analysis services.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Protagen AG (Chester, NJ) has been awarded Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification and provides a flexible service program, including protein analysis and identification, differential protein display, antibody validation and...

Automated pipetting system for Pancreatic Elastase 1.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... The ScheBo Pancreatic Elastase 1 Stool Test can be performed in semi- or fully automated mode using the Eppendorf epMotion 5070 or 5075 workstation. The ELISA is based on monoclonal antibodies and is applied in the diagnosis of pancreatic...

Tabletop scanning electron microscope.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Phenom desktop imaging tool (total size 11" x 22" x 19") features an optical camera for reliable navigation and an electron microscope for detailed imaging. Touch screen control allows for the production of quality images with minimal operator...

Programming library.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Knowledge Application Programming Interface (KAPI) from Active Motif, for their latest text mining system, AKS2, enables developers to have high-level access to AKS2 information in a structured and direct way. The interface facilitates...

Single quadrupole mass spectrometers.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Enhancements to the Agilent Technologies 6100 Series of single quadrupole mass spectrometers help researchers obtain high-quality mass spectrometer (MS) data across very narrow chromatographic peaks (in the range of one second in peak width)....

Monochromator-based multi-detection microplate reader.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Tanable SpectraMax M5e monochromator-based microplate reader is certified to run HTRF assays. Users can choose any wavelength between 250 nm and 850 nm and select the best-suited parameters for their assays. The reader has primary applications...

Microarray analysis.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... ArrayStar v2.0 provides visualization and statistical analysis tools to permit researchers to more rapidly and easily track changes in gene expression levels and the association of genes during experimental research. Its ease of use and ability...

Silica-based columns.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... TurboFlow columns (Thermo Fisher Scientific), for use with the company's Transcend chromatography systems, provide the capability to integrate online sample preparation with LC-MS analysis. TurboFlow XL are available in chemistries including...

Phosphopeptide enrichment kit.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... The MassPREP Kit enables scientists selective and efficient enrichment of phosphopeptides for liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis. The Kit includes a robust, easy-to-use 96-well micro-scale solid-phase extraction (SPE) plate...

Single-sample cytometer.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Equipped with a blue laser and 3-color detection, the Guava EasyCyte Mini (Guava Technologies, Hayward, CA) has all of the functionality of the company's EasyCyte 96-well platform in a single sample format, making the system accessible to...

Multiplex quantitative protein expression profiling software.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... PerkinElmer Life and Analytical Sciences offers a software upgrade for its ExacTag technology, an innovative, multiplex platform for quantitative protein expression profiling by mass spectrometry (MS). V 2.0 incorporates new data visualization...

On-line services for instrument-to-LIMS interface deployment.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Fixed-cost on-line service utilizes WebEx to speed up development and deployment of instrument to LIMS interfaces. The 2-hour Installation and Training package includes installation of LimsLink or LimsLink Express on one computer at the user's...

Confocal microscope.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... The light path design of the Swept Field Confocal Microscope (SFC) reduces the crosstalk and noise inherent in live cell confocal instrumentation. The SFC can scan very rapidly for very short excitation durations to prevent phototoxicity. It...

Ion-exchange columns.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... ProSwift Monolith ion exchange columns SAX-1S and WCX-1S are offered for protein separations. Low backpressure allows high flow rates. The structure is an uninterrupted, interconnected network of channels and pores of controlled sizes. *...

Software automates LC-MS/MS assays.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... QuickQuan 2.0 automates high-throughput LC-MS/MS assays. Rapid LC-MS/MS optimization through an automated on-line infusion mode and valve switching design allows sensitive auto-tuning and automates quantification of chemically diverse...

Laser combiner.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... M-COMB Laser Combiner (Olympus America Corp.) simplifies the integration of multiple laser sources on the company's FV1000 laser scanning confocal microscope. It can be used with laser diodes at 405, 440, 473, 559 or 635 nm, the green Helium...

Multi-angle light scattering detectors.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... This application note details how the DAWN HELEOS Multi-Angle Light Scattering (MALS) instrument (Wyatt Technology, Santa Barbara, CA) tracks changes in proteins as salt concentrations and buffer solutions are modified. The instrument was...

Evaporative light scattering detector.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... ELSD-LTII evaporative light scattering detector utilizes an LED and digital signal treatment to minimize noise and provide sensitive trace analysis. Cell design reduces band broadening and brings sensitivity levels below 200 picograms. The...

Metabolite indentification software.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... MassHunter Metabolite ID software, a new member of Agilent Technology's MassHunter Workstation suite, features an interface that displays all information at a glance and an integrated workflow, from acquisition through reporting. Multiple...

Compound library storage and retrieval.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... The comPOUND system consists of a high-density, self-contained, automated sample storage unit and a suite of specialized delivery modules. It offers flexible storage capacity with cherry-picking to select library subsets, capable of delivering...

Glassware washer.(Washers Focus)
July 1, 2007... The 1400 LXP laboratory glassware washer has a large chamber that allows users to wash on one, two or three levels. The unit features a HEPA filtered chamber; spindle drying; microprocessor control; an ergonomic, top-loading chemical storage...

Large capacity washers.(Washers Focus)
July 1, 2007... Hotpack large capacity glassware washers incorporate a spray arch water delivery system for wall-to-wall washing capability. An energy saving water management system provides optimal resource usage, and a dual piping system eliminates detergent...

Cage, rack washer/dryer.(Washers Focus)
July 1, 2007... GEW Series cage and rack washer-dryers feature a tempered, laminated full-glass door that automatically opens and closes at the touch of a button, while making visual inspection easy throughout the entire process. To facilitate cleaning cages,...

Glassware washing system.(Washers Focus)
July 1, 2007... The Miele G 7827 Glassware Washing System cleans both large volumes of small items and difficult to clean large items. Eleven standard wash programs handle a variety of cleaning challenges. Eight utility programs are offered, plus the ability...

Guidelines for conversion of TaqMan[R] genotyping assays to unlabeled probe assays.
July 1, 2007... LunaProbes[TM], an extension of the high-resolution DNA melting technique, provide a simple alternative for genotyping. With LunaProbes, all three possible genotypes that result from a given polymorphism can be detected with a single unlabeled...

Slides allow cultivation of heart or retina cells.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Elastic supported surfaces (ESS Slide) allow the cultivation of heart or retina cells as well as microscopic evaluation via fluorescence microscopy. Cell types such as smooth muscle cells, some primary cells and cardiac fibroblasts are...

Temperature transmitters.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... TX33 temperature transmitter, with loop-powered RTD input, is an analog, non-isolated unit with a two-wire head-mount that converts RTD into a proportional, linear output current. Model TX31 is an analog, isolated miniature transmitter with...

Absorbent disposable gloves inserts.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Absorbent disposable glove inserts are worn inside rubber, synthetic and other protective gloves. Non-woven material absorbs sweat, preventing bacterial contamination and skin illnesses. * Parker Technology Corp. 585-385-4945 ...

Level sensing probes.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... These probes notifying system software when processing fluid bottles have reached full or empty. The fluoropolymer lined aspirate and dispense probes provide an inert, consistent fluid path with no possibility of leaks from tip to pump. The...

Deepwell plates.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... Eppendorf Plates Deepwell 96 and 384 feature the RecoverMax well design, which maximizes sample recovery and minimizes contamination risk. OptiTrack alphanumeric coding makes it easy to identify individual wells. The raw materials and...

Beamsplitting filters.(Product News)
July 1, 2007... RazorEdge Dichroic Beamsplitters reflect a standard laser wavelength incident at 45 degrees while passing a broad band of longer Raman-shifted wavelengths, and feature an ultrasteep transition from reflection to transmission. The filters are...