Bioscience Technology articles from June 2007

Bioscience Technology archives from June 2007

Live-cell imaging--the need for speed.(ENABLING LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH)(Cover story)
June 1, 2007... Although fixed tissues revealed many of nature's secrets, today's scientists want to observe nature under the most realistic conditions possible. "Throughout the history of microscopy, until about 15 years ago, scientists primarily dealt with...

Focus of researchers employing signal transduction.(SNAPSHOT)
June 1, 2007... Focus of Researchers Employing Signal Transduction % Respondents Basic research 72.9% Cell signaling 57.3% Molecular biology 49.0% Cancer/oncology 43.8% Apoptosis 36.5% Cell cycle 34.4%...

Stem cell stories multiply.(Editor's Note)
June 1, 2007... Is there anyting that is hotter? Type "stem cells" as a key word on the Yahoo search engine and you will find upwards of half a dozen reports on any given day. There are numerous stories about scientific breakthroughs, the occasional note...

Lab chip for multi-analyte diagnostics.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... The PhotonicFlow System is comprised of a multiwell chip, a handheld device controller and readout software. The system is based on the PhotonicLab Platform, which combines printed semiconductors with various lab-on-chip technologies. System...

Synthetic lysophospholipids.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... LysoFos Cholines, pure synthetic lysophosphatidylcholines for membrane protein and cell biology applications, are >99% pure by HPLC have low background absorbance ( * Anatrace 800-252-1280 www.anatrace.com [ILLUSTRATION...

Synthetic extracellular matrix kits.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... The Extracel family of hydrogel kits are offered for use in 3-D cell culture, primary and stem cell cultivation, tumor xenografts, and tissue engineering. Extracel is a synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) based on hyaluronic acid, a major...

Digital color gel, plate imaging.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... The compact PhotoDoc-It Imaging System, for basic documentation of gels and plates, is configured for limited laboratory space and budgets. A 6.0 mega pixel digital color camera attaches to the lightweight hood that sits on the...

Apoptosis detection kit.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... The ApoStrand ELISA provides sensitive, one-step and universal detection of apoptosis in a convenient 96-well format. It detects all forms of apoptosis including events that occur without DNA breaks or without activation of specific caspases....

Antibody conjugates for in vitro imaging.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... KODAK X-SIGHT Imaging Agent Antibody Conjugates are now offered for in vitro imaging applications. An extension of X-SIGHT agents for in vivo applications, these organic fluorescent nanoparticles can be used in Western blotting applications....

Sphingomyelinase assay kit.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... Sphingomyelinase assay kit offers a homogenous method to measure the activity of sphingomyelinase in vitro. Sphingomyelinase catalyzes the cleavage of sphingomyelin, a component of most animal cells located on the outer leaflet of the cell...

Nanofiber cell culture products.(June's Innovations)
June 1, 2007... Four new products from Corning Inc., Life Sciences, feature the firm's Ultra-Web synthetic surface technology. The 3-D nanofiber technology will be applied to two 96-well plates and two 100 mm tissue-culture dishes. The resulting products mimic...

Was Alzheimer right? Historical specimens at Carl Zeiss online.(Research News)
June 1, 2007... Alois Alzheimer's most well-known contribution to the history of medicine is the histological description of the disease named after him. 2007 marks the 100th anniversary of the pioneering neuropathological observations he made using a...

Software predicts spread of emerging infectious disease: open source community will have access.(Research News)
June 1, 2007... IBM is making available to the open source community software technology that can help predict the transmission of diseases across countries and around the globe. The tool will aid scientists and public health officials in understanding and...

Early-access program for sequencing platform.(Research News)(Applera Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Applied Biosystems, an Applera Corporation business, has announced an "early-access program" for its next-generation DNA sequencing system. The company said that it has shipped initial units of its SOLiD System to institutions that include...

Flow chemistry system contest.(Research News)
June 1, 2007... Syrris Inc. (Charlestown, MA) has launched a new competition for academics to test their reactions under flow conditions using its new flow chemistry experimental (FRX) system. The company is offering scientists the opportunity to win one...

Multiplexed ELISA arrays detect biomarkers.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... Multiplexed ELISA Arrays, for quantitative, simultaneous measurement of multiple biomarkers, utilize a pre-spotted plate with up to 25 different capture antibodies per well. A variety of arrays are offered, for the quantification of numerous...

Protein markers.(Protein Research Focus)
June 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...

Protein blotting system.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... Dip-N-Blots allow rapid screening, protein biomarker discovery, identification and analysis. Over 100 total protein lysates are offered, derived from cultured cells and mammalian tissues. The blots are made using supported PVDF membranes for...

Antibody microarray service expedites discovery.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... The Kinex antibody microarray service tracks the functional states of hundreds of diverse proteins in human and animal cell and tissue specimens, as a first step for the discovery of biomakers, protein-protein interactions, and the generation...

Western Blotting Reagents.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... Rodeo ECL Western Blotting Reagents, which utilize luminal-based chemiluminescence, detect nanogram levels of target protein. Acridan-based detection chemistry uses Lumigen APS-5 substrate. Sensitive results are provided at the picogram level...

Antibody Array, for protein expression profiling.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... Panorama Antibody Array XPRESS Profiler725, a high-throughput tool for multiplex protein expression profiling of serum, cell or tissue extracts, contains 725 highly specific antibodies, arrayed in duplicate on nitrocellulose slides compatible...

Protein Quantitation Kits.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... Pierce SILAC (Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture) Protein Quantitation Kits provide comprehensive identification, characterization and quantitation of proteins. Isotopic labeling of the proteome for the analysis of...

Phosphatase, protease inhibitors.(Protein Research Focus)
June 1, 2007... PhosSTOP is a blend of phosphatase inhibitors that act on a broad spectrum of acid and alkaline phosphatases, as well as serine/threonine (PP1, PP2A, and PP2B) and tyrosine protein phosphatases (PTP). Complete Protease Inhibitor Tablets inhibit...

Complementary plate-based, cell assays for apoptosis and cytotoxicity screening: the assays were used to screen a panel of 80 anti-inflammatory, anti-neoplastic and anti-infective compounds for their ability to cause cell death or apoptosis induction.(Biochemicals & Kits)
June 1, 2007... Introduction Bottlenecks in life science research often occur at the point where detailed information about cell behavior is required. Many cell-based assays report on analyses of only bulk populations. Few provide automated analysis of...

Kinase antibodies.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Phospho-MAPKAPK-2 and Phospho-STAT3 kinase antibodies are single-color flow cytometric reagents that measure kinase activation in the cytoplasm and are valuable for cell function research. By measuring the phosphorylation of specific...

K-RAS Mutation Detection Kit.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... K-RAS Mutation Detection Kit (DsX, Manchester, UK) detects seven key mutations in the K-RAS gene. Recent publications suggest that in lung cancer patients the K-RAS mutation status is a strong predictor of resistance to therapy with tyrosine...

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

GMP protein analysis services.(Product News)
June 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...

Drug screening antibodies.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Antibodies available for the pre-clinical drug development marketplace identify key enzymes and transcription factors important in drug metabolism and its regulation. This product platform enables safe drug compounds to be identified sooner and...

Scaffolding culture matrix.(Product News)
June 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...

Antibody microarray.(Product News)
June 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 array antibodies detect human, mouse, and rat proteins associated with a...

Antibodies for knockdown analysis.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Analysis of siRNA transfected cells requires high titer, high affinity antibodies. Rockland Immunochemicals, Inc. is currently offering over 2800 target-specific antibodies to validate knockdown protein expression in a broad variety of...

Antigen unmasking solution.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... TRIS-based formula reveals antigens in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections when used in combination with a high temperature treatment procedure. The solution is supplied as a concentrate stock, sufficient to prepare over 25 liters...

Genetic search engine.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... "Your Favorite Gene" Web-based search tool matches genes of interest against thousands of research products. The flexible search engine matches 150,000 shRNAs, 725,000 siRNAs, 4,000 antibodies, proteins and kits, and 1,000 bioactive small...

Animal-free cell culture ingredients.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Novozymes offers a range of animal-free recombinant ingredients developed specifically for industrial scale mammalian cell culture. Recombinant growth factors, albumins and transferrin deliver compliance and consistency to industrial cell...

PCR Purification System.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... The Agencourt AMPure PCR Purification System (Beckman Coulter, Inc., Fullerton, CA) has been validated for target preparation with the Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 5.0 by Affymetrix, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA). SNP Array 5.0, a comprehensive array...

Mutation detection kits.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Surveyor mutation detection kit for universal primer fluorescent capillary electrophoresis digests target DNA amplified with two Universal Fluorescent Primers (included), labeled with either fluorescein or TAMRA, for subsequent analysis by...

Gene expression profiling.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... DTEx is microarray-based technology for profiling the effects of drugs on the gene expression of key proteins involved in drug disposition. As "gatekeepers," drug transporters, along with metabolic enzymes, play a critical role in determining...

MAb to proteinase inhibitor PI-9.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Monoclonal antibody detects human intracellular serpin, PI-9 (SERPINB9), which is present in cytotoxic and dendritic cells to protect against the pro-apoptotic protease, granzyme B. PI-9 may be unregulated by tumors to evade the immune system....

Animal-free cell culture ingredients.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Animal-free recombinant ingredients for industrial scale mammalian cell culture include growth factors, albumins and transferrin. Proven to support growth in a variety of cell lines, the ingredients can be used individually or in combination....

Single size glass beads.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Single size glass beads are offered in a greater than 1 mm in diameter. Traditionally, sieve analysis has been used for such large sizes, which are also near the upper limit of some laser diffraction methods of analysis. As image analyzers now...

Media for freezing bacterial cultures.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Sterile, ready-to-use cryopreservation media for long-term storage of bacterial cultures is offered in a storage box with 25, 2 ml-cryotubes. Each cryotube contains a 0.5 ml aliquot of LB broth (Miller formulation) with 30% glycerol. The...

Multi-detection microplate reader.(Spectrophotometer Focus)
June 1, 2007... Synergy 4 multi-detection microplate reader can perform an unlimited number of microplate-based assays. It combines filter-based and quadruple monochromator-based fluorescence detection technology, and includes fluorescence intensity,...

Multi-function plate reader.(Spectrophotometer Focus)
June 1, 2007... FLUOstar Omega microplate reader is a true multi-function reader with a UV/Vis spectrometer. The spectrometer allows the capture of the entire UV/Vis spectra of a well, 200 nm to 8517 nm, in under 1 sec/per well, with resolution of 1 nm. The...

Imaging plate reader, cell suspension option.(Spectrophotometer Focus)
June 1, 2007... The aequorin option for the FLIPR Tetra fluorometric imaging plate reader includes a camera that can detect both fluorescence and aequorin luminescence--and a new cell suspension option. This option enables cell suspension assays, minimizing...

Spectrofluorometer, UV to near-IR wavelengths.(Spectrophotometer Focus)
June 1, 2007... FluoroMax-4 features a sensitivity of at least 400,000 cps for the water-Raman peak at 397 nm, and a signal-to-noise ratio of 3000:1 minimum. An ozone-free xenon arc lamp covers UV to near-IR wavelengths. Optional accessories include: automatic...

High throughput "direct" serial dilution: what if a solution could be found that would produce accurate, verifiable dilutions across an entire plate in less than 1 minute per target plate?(Instruments & Systems)
June 1, 2007... Dilution pitfalls Recent discussions of problems associated with serial dilution have highlighted the need to improve throughput and accuracy so that increased demands for better and more complete IC50 dose-response analyses and other...

GPC Clean-up System.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Automated GX-271 GPC Clean-up System, for lab performing residue analysis of complex matrices such animal and plant tissue, features a direct injection module and a fraction collection valve located on the Z-arm, increasing efficiency by...

DNA methylation analysis arrays.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Whole-genome DNA methylation arrays identify methylated regions in a high-throughput manner. The arrays can be used to correlate promoter and genic methylation with gene expression and/or phenotype and detect differential DNA methylation...

Infrared spectrometer.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Nicolet 8700 research Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer is capable of capturing details of ultra-fast chemical and biochemical reaction processes and probing the stereochemistry of biologicals. A new electronics and communication...

Laser capture microdissection.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... The Arcturus laser capture microdissection instrument is built upon the Nikon TE2000U inverted research grade microscope and combines infrared (IR) laser-enabled laser capture microdissection (LCM) and ultraviolet (UV) laser cutting in a single...

Cell dispensing system.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Cell Dispense accurately and reproducibly plates adherent or non-adherent cell suspensions. Using a standard viability assay, cell suspensions retained 99.2% of cell viability post-dispense. Manifold design allows even plating across the bottom...

Cell culture automation, imaging system.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... BioStation CT houses a microscope and camera within an incubator. It automatically captures the images of cells being cultured; there is no need to remove the vessel from the incubator and move it to the microscope. This minimizes stress on the...

Extracellular neural recordings.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Neuro Amp EX includes an amplifier and shielded headstage. Controlling amplification and filtering settings from within Chart or Scope enables managing the acquisition, recording and analysis Of neural signals from a single interface. The new...

Multiplexing system.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Comprised of cylindrical glass particles, VeraCode microbeads are inscribed with holographic elements that, when excited with a laser beam, diffract the beam to produce a unique code image. Bead glass provides a surface for numerous bioassays,...

Cell counting and analysis software.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Cellometer v3.0 cell counting and analysis software, incorporated in the Cellometer Auto T4 cell counter, provides automated cell counting from a dropdown menu while providing cell size, viability and morphology analysis. A library with over...

Validated automated DNA system.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... The HID EVOlution System (Tecan US, Durham, NC) is used for the automated analysis of forensic DNA casework samples. This system integrates a liquid handling workstation (Tecan) with a 7500 Real Time PCR System, 3130xl Genetic Analyzer and DNA...

FT-IR spectrometer.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... The ALPHA spectrometer takes up about the same amount of bench space as letter size sheet of paper. It is insensitive to vibration, and so can be placed almost anywhere or be moved, and be immediately operational without any need for alignment....

Microwave extraction.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... ExplorerQ performs extractions of solid and semi-solid materials in minutes and can process up to 48 samples at a time. Both 35 or 10 ml pressurized vials are accommodated, with snap-on caps. The unit is available with a 24-, 36- or 48-position...

LC-based reaction, sampling and analysis.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... ExpressRT-100, a liquid chromatography-based system for the sampling, quenching, diluting and monitoring of reaction kinetics, includes the capillary LC instrument along with a transfer module that automatically dilutes, quenches and transfers...

Gen5 plate reader software.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Gen5 Microplate Data Analysis Software, version 1.02 provides new data reduction tools, including a 5-parameter logistic fit, several weighting options and curve constraint definition. Curve metrics include 95% confidence intervals, sum of...

Fraction Collector.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... PREPFC Fraction Collector is controlled with a Pocket PC using Ethernet communication. Four adjustable settings for pan location accommodate tube or bottle heights to 200 mm and position the dispensing probe close to the tube/bottle. Up to four...

Image analysis system.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... G:BOX Chemi XL image analysis system features a 5.5 mega pixel, digital zoom, 16-bit CCD camera inside a darkroom fitted with a motor-driven sample stage. Optional 9-position filter wheel, lighting unit and Qdot filter allow imaging multiple...

Guard columns.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... VanGuard Pre-Columns (Waters Corp., Milford, MA) protect the company's UltraPerformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) columns from chemical and particulate contamination. The pre-columns are offered for use at pressures up to 15,000 psi (1.000...

Dispense live cells into plates.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... UltraSpense 2000 eliminates edge effects and provides uniform delivery of viable cells to 384 well microplates. Accuracy in seeding makes more wells usable for assays. By simply recovering the perimeter row of a 384 well plate, a 25% gain in...

SIP fermentor.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... BioFlo 415 benchtop fermentor provides automatic sterilization-in-place, with no need for an external steam supply. The system uses lab water and a built in heater to provide rapid heat up and cool down. The cGMP-compliant, validatable unit is...

Filter/fluorohore database.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Curv-o-matic interactive database contains spectral curves of filters, filter sets, and fluorophores. At the core of the web application is an offering of excitation, dichroic, and emission filters and filter sets for fluorescence detection...

TOF/TOF MS software, for proteomics.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Applied Biosystems (Foster City, CA) has updated the 4800 MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometer and enhanced ProteinPilot software, which augments system performance, for quantitative insight into proteomics. The 4800 Plus MALDI TOF/TOF analyzer...

Miniature UV imaging detector.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Using a capillary as a combined sample vessel and optical element, the ActiPix D100 detector provides inherent spatial separation of sample and reference beams, providing a self-referencing system in a miniature format. Allowing minute...

Software for hit-picking instrument.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Version 2.7 software for the mosquito X1 hit-picking system (TTP Labtech, Cambridge, MA) improves serial dilution set-ups and automates new applications for protein crystallographers. The software supports work lists by reading CSV files from...

NMR spectrometer.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Avance III spectrometer is offered for applications covering NMR frequencies from 300 to 950 MHz. A digital receiver delivers dynamic range, high resolution and large bandwidth filtering. The result is an instrument with 25 ns event timing...

Bead encapsulates PCR reagent mix.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... ReaX Mastermix Lab-in-a-Bead range encapsulates all reagents required to perform PCR in a single dose. This allows even untrained operators to set up PCR reactions in any thermal cycler system, and provides reproducible results. PCR reactions...

Microscope system.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Fully motorized, inverted Axio-Observer.Z1 microscope becomes a live cell imaging system when used in combination with an LSM 5 LIVE or LSM 510 META microscope, the LSM DuoScan optical manipulation scanner and incubation accessories. Additional...

Single-use temperature data logger.(Sample Storage Focus)
June 1, 2007... OM-CP-TRANSITEMP-EC low-cost temperature recorder allows users to monitor temperature fluctuations over time during shipment or storage of goods. Each unit can only be started once. and is used to monitor temperature during one application....

Low-profile flask.(Sample Storage Focus)
June 1, 2007... Low-profile flask from Corning is treated with CellBIND surface. It utilizes a similar footprint as the current T-75 flask but creates 100 [cm.sup.2] of surface area. One-half turn cap-closure improves efficiency. Sterile venting allows...

Ultra-low temperature freezer.(Sample Storage Focus)
June 1, 2007... MDF-C8V -80 C freezer uses VIP PLUS insulation technology to maximize storage capacity. The single-compressor system achieves higher energy efficiency and offers space saving construction. A filter-less structure makes filter cleaning...

Aluminum foil plate-sealing film.(Sample Storage Focus)
June 1, 2007... AlumaSeal CS features an adhesive that maintains function in long-term storage at temperatures down to -80 C. Aluminum foils have excellent barrier properties to retard evaporation AlumaSeal CS films have a single non-perforated end tab....

Disposable Cuvettes.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... UV-Cuvettes are made from a polymer that is transparent down to 220 nm. They eliminate the risk of sample carry-over, and are available individually wrapped and certified free of DNA, DNase and RNase. They are sorted by plastic-molding cavity...

Universal homogenizers.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... This line of hand-held, postmounted and programmable homogenizers offers the ability to homogenize various volumes (.03 mL to 40 L) at speeds of up to 30,000 rpm. Accessories include sealed systems, which allow users the safe, non-aerosoling...

Shaker can be stacked.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... MaxQ 6000 shakers can be stacked. Two adjustable stationary shelves are located above the 18" x 18" rotating platform. The shakers can be used for plasmid purification, protein expression studies, genetic research, growth of bacteria and yeast...

Bench-top tube cooler.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... The CoolCube, for use with for 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tubes and 96-well PCR plates, stores samples safely on the bench without degradation due to temperature increase or fluctuation. Constructed of a high strength polymer and a patented gel...

Automated Reactor Sampling System interface.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Kits from Croton Biosystems (Boxborough, MA) permit the company's ARS Automated Reactor Sampling System to connect through a sterile interface to a variety of analytical instruments. Nutrient monitor interface options include kits for the YSI...

Horizontal laminar flow station.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Filter/blower and filter/fan modules in the TerraFlo station provide back-to-front laminar flow of filtered air across the work surface. The adjustable multi-speed, direct-drive blower lets the user control air speed to meet requirements. Noise...

Digital dual microscope control.(Product News)
June 1, 2007... Dual digipot controller offers a feel that is close to the manual version, but with digital 'fly by wire' features. Selectable dynamic gain enables quick traverse of long distances without forfeiting precision. When used with the precision...