Life Sciences


New Analyser Exceeds Classic Zeta Potential Measurement


Microtrac introduces the new STABINO ZETA, an analyser which provides fast, precise, and reproducible zeta potential measurements due to its high resolution and data point density. The STABINO ZETA measures the zeta potential of particles in a range of 0.3 nm to 300 µm, with a concentration range of up to 40% by volume. Due to the optimised measuring technology, 5 parameters can be determined simultaneously within a few seconds: zeta potential, streaming potential, conductivity, pH value, and temperature.


When used in combination with Microtrac’s unique NANOTRAC FLEX nanoparticle analyser, particle size can be measured simultaneously in the same sample


The STABINO ZETA has many advantages over classical zeta potential measurement, not least, the capability to perform very fast titrations. The built-in titration function allows for simultaneous determination of all parameters at every titration dosage step. Possibilities include the determination of the isoelectric point which can be identified within a few minutes.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/Bp0r Single-use Pharma Separator for Superior Cell Culture Processing


Research institutes and companies in the pharmaceutical industry from Europe, Asia and Europe have welcomed the kytero® Single-Use Pharma Separator from GEA following its launch in 2021. The system offers high separation efficiency, simple and gentle product handling and the elimination of costly cleaning procedures.


kytero® creates new ways for processing cell culture-based fermentations with a yield of 98% and more. This type of technology is in high demand for pilot plants, university laboratories, and small-scale production by biopharmaceutical manufacturers worldwide, as it relies on the well-established technology of disk separators. The use of filtration technology can thus be significantly reduced. The kytero® 500 was developed for a capacity of up to 150 l/h and is thus suitable for laboratories and small batches. For reliable scale-up, another model will follow in due course.


In centrifugation, unlike filtration, the separation of the medium is not achieved by filter media (filter plates and filter cloths), but by utilising the centrifugal force that occurs in conjunction with a disc stack for increased clarification efficiency. The mobile ‘Plug & Produce’ unit with a minimal footprint fits easily into any production room.


With the single-use separator, all product-contacting parts are replaced after use, preventing any cross-contamination without the need for cleaning and sterilisation. The frictionless drive system provides 100% biocontainment by eliminating the need for seals or mechanical bearings. Set-up and changeover time is minimal. No auxiliary equipment such as water, buffers, or tanks is required.


The noise level is very low at less than 69 dBA due to the newly developed breezeDrive® drive system. The temperature increase of the product, which is unavoidable during centrifugation, is minimal at less than two degrees. GEA kytero® inspires the pharmaceutical industry with its high separation efficiency, gentle product handling, easy and safe handling, and minimal set-up times. GEA provides test machines.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/zRvy 57229pr@reply-direct.com New Study Reveals the Role of Heparan Sulfate in Obesity


AMSBIO reports how researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine have used their 10E4 Heparan Sulfate (HS) antibody in pioneering obesity research to quantify the role of HS in the process of intercellular mitochondria transfer to macrophages.


In recent published research, researchers from the Brestoff and Teitelbaum Labs demonstrated that adipose-tissue resident macrophages acquire mitochondria from adjacent adipocytes using HS. This process occurs in healthy conditions but is impaired in obesity. Further they have shown that genetic disruption of mitochondria uptake by macrophages reduces energy expenditure and increases diet-induced obesity in mice, indicating that intercellular mitochondria transfer to macrophages mediates systemic metabolic homeostasis.


Head of the group, Professor Jonathan Brestoff commented: “Mitochondria are the power plants of cells, and it has long been assumed that they are made in one cell and never leave. We discovered that is not really the case and found that fat cells give some of their mitochondria to an immune cell type called macrophages. In obesity, this transferring of mitochondria between cells goes awry, contributing to faster weight gain and worse metabolism. Using a tool called CRISPR, we screened the entire genome and figured out that cells trade mitochondria using a special type of sugar called heparan sulfate, which we think acts like a loading dock for receiving cargo like mitochondria. When we delete heparan sulfates on macrophages, mice get fat. This suggests to us that it is probably good for cells to trade mitochondria with each other. Our team is now trying to figure out how this mysterious and surprising process of mitochondria transfer works because we believe we can harness this biology to treat some human diseases.”


Dr Wentong Jia, a postdoctoral fellow at the Brestoff lab added: “The cell surface expression of heparan sulfate, a glycosaminoglycan required for mitochondria uptake in macrophages, depends on a key glycosyltransferase named EXT1. The 10E4 antibody from AMSBIO has helped us verify that we’ve successfully prevented Heparan Sulfate from being synthesised in cells that lack EXT1.”


“I find it fascinating that cells use heparan sulfates to take up mitochondria,” said Rocky Giwa, a PhD candidate in the Brestoff Lab. “I wonder if there’s a correlation between the amount or composition of heparan sulfates and a cell’s ability to efficiently take up mitochondria from other cells. Since the various HS antibodies have unique specificities, the different clones can help us start to attack that question.”


AMSBIO offers a comprehensive range of high quality Heparan Sulfate (HS) antibodies from F69-3G10, F58-10E4 and JM403 clones, which are ideal for targeted binding of HS in Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPG) research.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/1pJM Effective Pipetting for Bacteriocin Testing Workfl ows


Integra’s VOYAGER adjustable tip spacing pipette is streamlining workflows for researchers at NOMAD Bioscience GmbH, a German R&D company specialising in plant biotechnology, in the preparation and dispensing of media and gels.


Research scientist Birgit Koch explained how she uses the VOYAGER in her work: “My research is focused on molecular cloning, to generate plant virus-based expression vectors that are transferred using agrobacteria into the host plants, and activity testing of the antimicrobial bacteriocins produced via transient transformation. The preparation and dispensing of samples, media and gels are everyday tasks in the lab, and this is where we benefit from the VOYAGER.


“The VOYAGER’s ability to automatically adjust the tip spacing at the press of a button was our main reason for choosing it. The electronic pipette allows the NOMAD team to efficiently pipette volumes between 5 and 125 µl for up to eight channels simultaneously, reducing the number of transfer steps required. Antimicrobial activity testing is where the VOYAGER has helped the most, to decrease the transfer steps. We do a ‘spot-on-lawn’ assay where we pipette drops of our peptide solutions onto bacteria grown on agar gel in square petri dishes (12 x 12 cm) and, if the bacteria are killed, then we know our bacteriocins are active. We also do it the other way around, pipetting bacteria onto an agar containing the bacteriocin, to see whether or not they grow. I used to work a lot with manual single and multichannel pipettes, and it would take me 40 minutes to finish a plate


for an activity assay. Now, with the VOYAGER, I’m done within 10 minutes.” More information online: ilmt.co/PL/MBp2


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