Spotlight Luminescence, UV & Image Analysis


Macro to Micro Fluorescence In Vivo Imaging UVP announces the release of the new iBox®


Explorer™ Fluorescence Microscope. The Explorer system combines the technology from its macro imager, the iBox Scientia™


Imaging system, with new micro imaging technology that incorporates imaging of tissues, tissue margins and individual cells. The Explorer provides breakthrough advances with its dual lighting system and software controlled objectives. The Explorer system supplies the benefit of using one complete system for macro and micro in vivo animal fluorescent imaging.


"The iBox Explorer is significant for its speed and versatility," according to Sean Gallagher (VP and CTO UVP). "Enabling the rapid and multiplexed fluorescence detection of tumour margins and micro metastasis, the Explorer cleanly separates normal from cancer tissues via the cell's fluorescent signature. Operating in the visible and NIR wavelengths, the Explorer yields detailed images of tissues and cells or, using the joy stick, 'flies' across an area such as the open abdominal region or skin flap of a mouse for rapid screening." In addition to imaging both the whole organ and cells of small animals, the Explorer delivers optical configurations that are parcentered and parfocal, allowing seamless imaging through the magnification ranges. The leading edge cooled colour camera enables quick detection, image capture and high throughput. The software automates research with total system control and allows easy creation of templates for reproducible and consistent results. Alex Waluszko, VP for Marketing/Sales, reports "Our market research identifies the requirement for quick viewing of fluorescent markers from whole organ to single cell was an unmet need. The iBox Explorer supplies an economical solution for even the smallest labs and budgets in the cancer research field."


One key component of the Explorer system is the new BioLite™ Xe excitation light source, which provides a bright illumination source for fluorescent, visible, and NIR ranges. The BioLite Xe source houses a xenon lamp that allows brilliant excitation of fluorescent probes in a variety of applications. The BioLite Xe includes a motorised filter wheel for the addition of up to eight independent excitation filters for convenient switching between experiments and multiplexing applications.


The iBox Explorer Fluorescence Microscope is the ideal system for applications including: tumour shedding and angiogenesis; Micro/Macro metastases; tumour/host margins and interactions; tumour micro environment; primary tumour growth; Hematogenous and Intralymphatic trafficking; and extravasation.


Circle no. 181


Automated Colony Counter at Major Yeast Genetics Lab


Synbiosis is delighted to announce its innovative ProtoCOL 2 automated colony counter is being utilised at the prestigious Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA to rapidly and accurately count colonies of yeast, used as a model system for human DNA repair


research.


Geneticists in the Department of Biology at Emory University are using ProtoCOL 2 to count colonies of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to accurately assess how many yeast cells can repair their DNA after they have been


subjected to various types of mutagenesis. In general, repair systems in S. cerevisiae are good models for human repair. Therefore, scientists at Emory believe that showing why and how cells repair their DNA in this yeast could help better understand and treat human diseases such as colorectal cancer associated with DNA mismatch repair defects.


Gray Crouse, Professor of Biology at Emory University, commented: “Since we need sufficient data points for statistical analysis, we spent a lot of time manually counting hundreds of plates. This was a task our trained staff did not find enjoyable or easy. We tried image analysis software to automate the process but found it couldn’t discriminate different colonies if they were clumped together, as well as being very time consuming to use. We were shown a ProtoCOL 2 and were so impressed by its price and utility, that we installed one.”


Professor Crouse continued: “ProtoCOL 2 can count colonies according to size or colour. To have a segregated count of different sizes or colours is an amazingly useful feature for us. Most importantly, ProtoCOL 2 indicates every colony it has counted with a dot so we can manually review tricky areas. Overall, we have been very pleased to have ProtoCOL 2 and it is proving to be an invaluable addition to our lab.”


Paula Maia of Synbiosis said: “Many academic scientists want to rapidly count colonies with inexpensive automation to improve the accuracy of their results and we are pleased that geneticists at Emory University believe our ProtoCOL 2 delivers this. Their work indicates that if your lab wants a colony counter to detect small colonies, or analyse colonies of varying sizes and distinguish different coloured colonies, yet you don’t have a huge budget for equipment, then you have to have a ProtoCOL 2.”


Circle no. 183


The Smart Way to Determine the Refractive Index of Glass Trace Evidence


Craic Technologies, Inc joins with Laboratory Imaging, sro to introduce rIQ™: the intelligent solution for the analysis of glass trace evidence. rIQ™, which stands for Refractive Index Quantification, is the result of a collaboration between Craic Technologies and Laboratory Imaging. rIQ™ combines sophisticated image analysis software, advanced optical design and electronics to enable criminalists in modern forensic laboratories to measure the refractive index of multiple glass fragments simultaneously, quickly and with the highest accuracy.


“The partnership between Craic Technologies and Laboratory Imaging is yielding great success. Craic Technologies expertise in optics combined with Laboratory Imaging's decades of experience with microscope imaging software is advancing the state-of-the-art in several fields. rIQ™ is the first result of this partnership and it promises to take the technique of forensic refractive index determination to the next level," stated Dr Paul Martin, President of Craic Technologies. “Glass fragments are common at crimes scenes. rIQ™ enables the forensic scientist to measure and compare the refractive index of the smallest fragments of glass with an incredibly high degree of accuracy. And when combined with Craic Technologies microscope spectrophotometers and microcolorimeters, the transmission and fluorescence spectral characteristics of glass evidence can also be determined quickly, accurately and all with the same instrument."


rIQ™ is an automated system that uses the thermal immersion method, as defined by the standard ASTM E1967-98, to measure the refractive index of microscopic glass fragments. The system, which incorporates many years of experience with the analysis of glass, allows the user to analyse the refractive index of multiple glass fragments simultaneously and with sophisticated analytical techniques. Statistical analysis methods can also be applied but the instrument is also designed to be user friendly with a short learning curve.


rIQ™ is offered as a standalone package, as an add-on package to Craic Technologies microspectrophotometers and as an upgrade package for older units already in the field. A standalone package consists of a phase contrast microscope, a high resolution digital camera, the optical interface, a thermal stage, the controlling electronics and the rIQ™ software. The add-on package can be integrated with many Craic Technologies microspectrophotometers models, both past and present, to allow them to measure the colour, absorbance microspectra™, fluorescence microspectra™ and the refractive index of the smallest of glass fragments.


Circle no. 182 New Accreditation Strengthens Position


Lovibond Tintometer has recently been awarded two new ISO/IEC 17025 accreditations. This extends the company’s unique position with accreditation now formally including the Gardner Colour Scale and the Platinum-Cobalt Colour Scale.


With ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, customers can be confident that the Lovibond® range of


instruments, liquid reference standards and glass reference standards enable them to ensure conformance with these internationally accepted standards. Guaranteed conformance with standards is critical to the success of any business.


The Platinum-Cobalt and Gardner Colour scales are both commonly utilised across a wide range of industries, often in conjunction. The lower resolution of the Gardner Scale is ideal for use in the petrochemical and paints and varnishes industries. It is complemented by the Platinum Cobalt Scale when higher resolution is required or very lightly coloured liquids are being analysed such as in the Environmental Water industry.


Circle no. 184


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