36 Small Tissue Processing Solutions


At Analytica 2010 in Munich, Germany, Seward Limited demonstrated its small tissue processing solutions. The Stomacher®


80 microBiomaster


ANALYTICA NEWS


provides flexible small tissue processing capabilities for clinical, life science and microbiology applications. Capable of processing samples


from 250µL to 80ml, the Biomaster range caters for the increased demand for smaller samples, without reducing sample quality to ensure maximal visible cell recovery.


Also at the Seward stand, the company’s other world-renowned Stomacher® paddle


blenders offering fast and reliable homogenization for a wide range of samples were on view. These include the Stomacher 400 Circulator for food safety sample preparation applications and Stomacher 3500 series for preparing samples for the new pathogen test protocols requiring jumbo sized samples.


The Stomacher® has been proven in laboratories around the world to be a valuable tool in industry, research, education and healthcare.


In scientific procedures the quality of the sample and its preparation are critical to accurate results, Stomacher has been and continues to be developed to achieve this.


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LABORATORY PRODUCTS


Gold Standard for the Production of Organic and Inorganic Certified Reference Materials


LGC Standards is pleased to announce that Ultra Scientific, one of its key suppliers, has gained ISO Guide 34 accreditation for the production of organic and inorganic certified reference materials (CRMs). ISO Guide 34 requires an extensive protocol for homogeneity, short-term stability, long-term stability, quality control and statistical analysis.


LGC Standards has partnered with some of the world’s most prestigious reference material producers, in order to give our customers the widest choice of materials appropriate to their needs. LGC Standards recognises the increasing emphasis on CRM accuracy and the importance of selecting a material that is fit for purpose, and so welcomes this increased level of accreditation for Ultra Scientific.


New Low Cost Parallel Synthesizer


The new DrySyn™ Parallel Synthesizer allows the chemist to heat and stir up to 12 small-scale reactions in parallel using any standard hotplate stirrer. At around £200 this provides a convenient, low cost solution for chemists wishing to conduct simple synthetic reactions with temperature control and magnetic stirring, but without the complications of reflux or inerting. It is ideal for producing small, focused libraries of compounds.


The DrySyn Parallel Synthesizer accommodates a range of standard reaction tubes and vials, of different diameters. It can also be upgraded to a parallel reaction station using standard round-bottom flasks, by using the appropriate DrySyn MULTI inserts. In this configuration, facilities like reflux and gas control can be added, it also can be upgraded further with directly driven stirring with the Asynt Vortex stirrer system.


DrySyn systems can heat reactions to over 300°C and are available for single or multiple reaction vessels with volumes from 1ml to 5000ml. Compatible with any standard hotplate stirrer, they combine a small footprint with excellent reaction visibility. According to Asynt Managing Director Martyn Fordham, over 25,000 DrySyn laboratory heating and cooling blocks have now been supplied worldwide.


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Jane Firth, Sector Manager for Food and Environmental Reference Materials, LGC Standards, is positive about this achievement: “Our customers have long relied on standards from Ultra Scientific with the expectation that they are of the high quality required. All laboratories strive to ensure the standards they use are sourced from a competent provider, and for laboratories with ISO 17025 accreditation, this is a requirement.Ultra’s ISO Guide 34 accreditation provides laboratories with that assurance.”


John Russo, Vice President and General Manager, Ultra Scientific, said: “With 25 years of experience operating under ISO9001 and regular audits by our accrediting bodies and customers, Ultra has been well positioned to implement ISO Guide 34. Every day we look for new ways to improve our operations and produce products of the highest quality.”


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New Thermal Cyclers Offer Speed, Flexibility and Ease of Use


March 2010 saw the launch of new Techne thermal cyclers. The feature-packed TC-PLUS can be combined with Satellite units giving complete flexibility to configure any multi-block format.


The new thermal cyclers have one of the fastest aluminium blocks on the market, delivering greater uniformity than a silver block and therefore more reproducible PCR results. The 5.7-inch VGA colour touchscreen with graphical display is intuitive and easy to use. All buttons are large enough for fingers – so no stylus, pen or spatula needed!


The TC-PLUS features a unique CD-type sample drawer (patent pending). The force used to push the drawer in also lowers the heated lid into position, applying the correct pressure onto the samples to prevent evaporation. This mechanism is entirely mechanical and doesn’t rely on motors. All consumable types can be accommodated, from 0.5ml tubes to 384-well plates, sealed with either heat or adhesive seals.


The stackable design and PC software enable multiple TC-PLUS cyclers and Satellites to be networked, for high throughput PCR, using 96-well or 384- well blocks. Satellite units can be controlled from the TC-PLUS server or a PC but have no user interface. The next generation PC software can be used with all current and previous generation Techne thermal cyclers.


There is a choice of easily interchangeable blocks – 96 x 0.2ml, 60 x 0.5ml and 384-well plate – all with gradient for efficient optimisation of PCR conditions. With over 20 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of thermal cyclers, Techne is established as a leading supplier and the TC-PLUS is covered by a 4-year warranty (4 years or 100,000 cycles for blocks).


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Optical pH Sensing Cuvettes Ideal for Non-intrusive pH Monitoring


Proprietary sol gel coating materials developed by Ocean Optics have enabled new technology for convenient, non-intrusive monitoring of biological samples. By encapsulating pH indicator dyes into coatings applied to its new Smart pH Cuvettes, Ocean Optics miniature fibre optic spectrometers and accessories can be used for optical pH sensing of 5.0-9.0 pH range samples. With Smart pH Cuvettes, pH readings can be taken quickly and accurately using existing spectrometer setups, negating the need for a dedicated pH meter. pH measurements are critical in applications ranging from DNA analysis, drug discovery, and blood analysis, to environmental monitoring and food and beverage production.


The Smart pH Cuvettes’ immobilised indicator dye is encapsulated into a robust sol gel matrix, allowing for the diffusion of ions while preventing leaching of the dye. Unlike traditional pH electrode meters, Smart pH Cuvettes can be used for monitoring low conductivity samples such as boiler water. In addition, fully integrated Smart Cuvette pH systems provide full spectral analysis to help eliminate errors from changes in turbidity, temperature and ionic strength. The physical properties of the immobilised indicator dye eliminate the need for frequent calibration.


Smart pH Cuvettes are 1cm square, come in plastic Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) or quartz and are coated on their inner walls with a sol gel embedded with Bromocresol Green pH indicator dye. The cuvettes are available separately (in 8-, 50- and 100-cuvette packs) or as part of a fully integrated desktop or handheld spectrometer-based pH system.


The PMMA Cuvettes have a temperature range of -5°C to 70°C, while quartz is available for high-temperature applications. The PMMA Cuvettes are compatible with aqueous solutions, ethanol/methanol solutions, ammonia, peroxides and sodium hypochlorite solutions. The quartz cuvettes also can be used in acetone and concentrated acids (including nitric, sulfuric and acetic). Although PMMA cuvettes are designed to be disposable, they can be used multiple times depending on sample environments.


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INTERNATIONAL LABMATE - APRIL/MAY 2010 - LABORATORY PRODUCTS


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