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Protein LoBind Influence of vessel surface on the recovery rate of proteins
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ENVIRONMENT
JULY 2010 Volume 14, Number 4
The right analytical technique to meet your biomolecule needs: A basic primer
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R&D News.......................... 1 Appointments..................... 6 Pharma Notes..................... 7 New Products................... 14 Calendar........................... 17 Career Spotlight............... 18
TEAM ONTARIO WINS BEST IN FAIR AT CANADA-WIDE SCIENCE FAIR
Youth Science Ontario’s Executive Director, Carolyn Rayfield, with Canada-Wide Science Fair Platinum winners, Justin Whitaker, Sandro Young, and Mikaela Preston. Team Ontario led the pack, bringing home the Encana Platinum Awards for Best Junior, Intermediate and Senior Projects, 13 Golds , 19 Silvers, 20 Bronzes and 22 Honourable Mentions. Nearly 500 students in grades seven to 12 from across the country, along with 250 chaperones, provincial and national organization representatives, and approximately 625 judges and volunteers converged on Trent University in Peterborough, ON for the 2010
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Canada-Wide Science Fair. The nine day annual event brought together winners from over 100 Regional Science Fairs across Canada to compete for national honours. More than 300 awards, scholarships and prizes totaling nearly $1 million was awarded to finalists
competing in a field of young Canadian scientists. Members of Team Ontario took many of the highest honours including Best in Fair, Platinum Awards in each of the Junior, Intermediate and Senior levels, along with 13 Gold Awards. Honourary chair of the 2010 CWSF, renowned space scientist, neurologist, author, astronaut, photographer, and former Trent University chancellor, Dr. Roberta Bondar, along with local dignitaries including Trent University president Dr. Steven E. Franklin, Peterborough MP Dean Del Mastro, MPP Jeff Leal, Mayor Paul Ayotte, and Curve Lake First Nations Chief Keith Knott, got
things started with the Opening Ceremonies. Platinum, gold, silver and bronze awards were handed out in nine divisions that included: Automotive, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals, Computing & Information Technology, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Innovation, Health Sciences, Life Sciences, and Physical & Mathematical Sciences. An important goal of the event is to promote youth education as well as the passion and enthusiasm of science, and shine the spotlight on the next generation of innovators. This year marked the 49th anniversary for the event, the largest ever, organizers said.
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NEWS SOCIETY FOR BIOMOLECULAR SCIENCES AND ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY AUTOMATION SET TO MERGE LATER THIS YEAR For most of the past two years, the leaders of the Society for Biomolecular Sciences (SBS) and the Association for Laboratory Automation (ALA) have been
strategizing a merger to unite their scientific societies as one inclusive organization - the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS). As of Wednesday,
May 5, both memberships officially authorized the merger with more than 95 per cent of the votes cast in favour. SBS and ALA will now unite as individual sections of
SLAS. The organizations say that each section will continue to pursue their current mission while collectively adContinued on page 3
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July 2010
NEWS Continued from page 2 dressing the SLAS mission, which is to provide forums for education and information exchange to encourage the study of and improve the science and practice of laboratory automation and screening. Under the SLAS umbrella, the SBS and ALA sections each will preserve SBS’s and ALA’s former identities and specialized educational pursuits. In addition, both will benefit from the expanded scope, international influence, and enhanced program and service offerings that the unified organization, SLAS, will provide. Inaugural SLAS president Michelle Palmer, PhD, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard said, “SLAS will become the premier international community dedicated to advancing scientific research and discovery through laboratory automation and screening technology.”
TRENT PROFESSOR HONOURED BY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
Dr. Peter Dillon In recognition of his pioneering research in chemical limnology, Dr. Peter Dillon, Chemistry and Environmental and Resource Studies professor at Trent University, has been awarded the prestigious G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award from the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO).
Dr. Dillon has been a professor at Trent University since the early 1980s. A renowned researcher in the field of environmental biogeochemistry, he is also the director of the Worsfold Water Quality Center, a world-class analytical chemistry facility at the university. Previously, he held the position of Industrial
GENOME SEQUENCE BREAKTHROUGH TO IDENTIFY GENETIC DISORDERS IN LESSER TIME
A research team led by Dr. Nada Jabado at the McGill University Health Centre Research Institute (RI MUHC) and Dr Jacek Majewski at McGill University has proven that it is possible to identify
any genetic disease in record time thanks to a powerful and reliable exome sequencing method. The exome, a small part of the genome (< 2 per cent), is of crucial interest with re-
gard to research on genetic diseases as it accounts for 85 per cent of mutations. The results of the team’s research have just been published in the journal Human Mutation. “With this new approach,
Research Chair in Watershed Biogeochemistry at Trent. His research explores the chemistry of lakes, rivers and watersheds and how pollutants and stresses like acid rain and climate change affect the environment. The ASLO award, named in honour of limnologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson, has been presented annually since 1982 to recognize excellence in the fields of limnology (the study of inland waters) or oceanography. Dr. Dillon was presented with the award at the 2010 ASLO Summer Meeting held from June 6 to 11 in Santa Fe, New Mexico for his innovative research on eutrophication in lakes (the response of lakes to excessive nutrient inputs, usually from sewage or agriculture) and for his long-term studies that have significantly
advanced the understanding how of lakes and wetlands respond to acid deposition and climate change. The G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award is the most recent in a long list of honours presented to Dr. Dillon over the years. In 2003, he was awarded the Miroslaw Romanowski Medal from the Royal Society of Canada for making significant contributions in the field of environmental science. Other awards and honours include: Trent University’s Distinguished Research Award, F. H. Rigler Memorial Award, Society of Canadian Limnologists, and the Ontario Ministry of Environment (First) Excellence in Research Award. Dr. Dillon is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Rawson Academy of Aquatic Science.
we no longer need to access patients who share the same altered gene pools to be able to identify the gene responsible for a disease. All we require are two persons affected by the disease not necessarily from the same family,” explains Dr. Jabado, associate professor of pediatrics at MUHC’s Montreal Children’s Hospital. Dr. Jabado added that in the method all that is required is time of two weeks and two patients for identifying any particular gene, better than the previous six or seven months time in the earlier process. This can be termed as a “positive breakthrough in genetic analysis,” he stated. In their study, the researchers focused on isolating the mutation responsible for a rare and deadly genetic syndrome, Fowler ’s Syndrome, which is involved in the anarchic proliferation of brain vessels that hinder the brain’s development. Their results have revealed - between two patients with no family ties - a rare case
of four mutations in the same gene. This illustrates well the effectiveness of this sequencing technique, the goal of which is to isolate genetic alterations in cases of hereditary diseases among children, regardless of how prevalent they are in society (e.g. mucoviscidosis, sickle-cell anemia). “These results are very promising. There is now hope that in the near future we can treat a patient presenting a rare, unknown genetic disease in our laboratory, and within a few days be able to sequence his or her DNA to find the mutation that caused the disease,” says Dr. Jacek Majewski, assistant professor at McGill University’s Department of Human Genetics. Thanks to this new, rapid and effective genome sequencing process, within one or two years a ‘full catalogue’ of mutations that are responsible for most hereditary diseases are expected to be revealed, in addition to further advances in many other more complex diseases, such as cancer in children.
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NEWS OGI AWARDS SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS TO SIX ONTARIO STUDENTS
The Ontario Genomics Institute (OGI) has announced the recipients of its 2010 OGI Summer Research Fellowship Program. The program offers undergraduate students at Ontario universities a unique opportunity to engage in leading-edge genomics and proteomics research, gain familiarity with associated enabling technologies, or explore the societal outcomes, impacts and issues associated with the research.
Through their fellowship experience, students acquire a deeper understanding of the impact genomics is having and will have across the spectrum of human and animal health, agriculture, biosurveillance, natural resource management and sustainable energy. This year’s fellows include: Tian Tian (Phoebe) Bao, from London, studying at the University of Toronto (U of T), will undertake research at St. Michael’s Hospital under the
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he Chemical Institute of Canada and the Canadian Society for Chemical technology are presenting a two-day course designed to enhance the knowledge and working experience of chemical technologists and chemists. All course participants receive the CIC’s Laboratory Health and Safety Guidelines, 4th edition. This course is intended for those whose responsibilities include improving the operational safety of chemical laboratories, managing laboratories, chemical plants or research facilities, conducting safety audits of laboratories and chemical plants. During the course, participants are provided with an integrated overview of current best practices in laboratory safety.
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supervision of Dr. George Yousef. Her project is focused on microRNAs, which play an important role in regulating gene expression – turning specific genes on and off – and, thus, have the potential to increase the likelihood of developing diseases like cancer. Improved understanding of these mechanisms could prove useful for the development of novel biomarkers or drugs for improved diagnostics or therapies. Bao will be focusing on the role of microRNAs in kidney cancer development, exploring whether or not they could be useful as biomarkers for diagnosing kidney cancer. Kevin Chen, from Markham, studying at The University of Western Ontario (Western), will work with Dr. Gregory Gloor at Western. Chen is carrying out research in the field of metagenomics, which involves analytically sampling the genomes of a community of organisms without isolating the organisms individually. He is examining the error rates associated with different sequencing technologies to improve detection of rare microbial species in metagenomic sampling experiments. There is great interest in identifying all, including rare, species in microbial communities for their reflection of the overall complexity of and complementarity within the community, but also for their potential as a source of new tools and products at the molecular, pathway or whole organism level. Alan Jiao, also from Markham, studying at U of T, will work with Dr. Alberto Martin at U of T. He will be using genome-wide screening with interfering RNAs (RNAi) to identify novel factors involved in the human immune system’s adaptive response to infection, which shuffles parts of the genome to create new antibodies that might better contribute to the immune response. This could generalize to a deeper understanding of DNA repair mechanisms and other cellular
processes involving cutting and putting back together the genome. This could, in turn, provide the basis for new drugs or other therapeutic approaches for treating defects in these mechanisms. Sabrina Nurmohamed, from North York, studying at Western, will work with Dr. Philip Marsden at U of T. She will be focused on epigenetics and characterizing patterns of DNA methylation – which controls the expression of genes as cellular proteins in different cells at different times – of the genomes of endothelial cells. These cells provide the inner lining of the human vascular system. A better understanding of how DNA replication and methylation are timed and coordinated during cell division could lead to new approaches to prevent or treat blood vessel diseases such as atherosclerosis. Nathan Putnam, from Kingston, studying at Queen’s University, will work with Dr. Sharon Regan at Queen’s University. His work will focus on identifying regions of the poplar tree genome that code for microRNAs that, in turn, control plant traits. He will take advantage of several unique genomics resources for poplar research that have been established by Dr. Regan and her colleagues. A better understanding of these control mechanisms could lead to new strains of poplar that are optimized for production in the context of creating biomass that can be used as a renewable energy source in the production of biofuels. Lauren Wallace, from Hamilton, studying at the University of Guelph (U of G), will work with Dr. Mehrdad Hajibabaei at the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario at U of G. She will be using DNA barcoding – an approach originally conceived and validated at U of G – to create a genomics resource allowing researchers to rapidly identify and verify animal and plant species in natural health product ingredients. She will also use a combination of literature search and agency interviews to better understand how DNA barcoding can be used for quality control in the production of natural health products. The program, in its eighth year, provides $5,000 to the students to assist them with living expenses while they conduct original research projects and benefit from an on-going exchange of ideas and insights with each other and OGI staff through peer-to-peer meetings, journal clubs and roundtable discussions. The Fellows will participate in a poster session at the program culmination event in late August where they present and discuss their research with other fellows, host research groups and other interested members of the research community.
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Laboratory Focus July 2010
NEWS MOUNT SINAI HOSPITAL CANCER RESEARCHER NAMED ONE OF CANADA’S TOP 40 UNDER 40 accomplishments, and his impact on Canada’s biomedical community. An internationally renowned cancer researcher from Varennes, QC, Dr. Durocher has made a series of high-impact discoveries through his investigations into how normal cells become cancerous, and how healthy cells detect and repair damage to their DNA. Recent findings from his lab in understanding DNA damage and natural repair systems, has given scientists a deeper understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying cancer and other human illnesses. “Since joining the Lunenfeld in 2001, Dr. Durocher has contributed immensely to the Institute’s success and impact on a global scale, and he represents Mount Sinai Hospital’s commitment to leading-edge research that improves the care and health of Canadians,” said Joseph Mapa, president and CEO of Mount Sinai Hospital. In 2007 Dr. Durocher and his team discovered that a gene
known as RNF8 helps guide BRCA1, a protein that repairs DNA damage and, when mutated, is known to cause breast cancer. By guiding BRCA1 to the sites of damaged DNA, RNF8 helps ensure that the necessary repairs can be made. The finding, published in the top journal Science, will significantly advance breast cancer research and, in turn, potential treatments. In February 2009, Dr. Durocher discovered that a gene known as RNF168 is mutated in RIDDLE syndrome, a rare and genetic immunodeficiency disorder characterized by developmental abnormalities and hypersensitivity to treatments such as radiation therapy. The findings were published in the prestigious journal Cell, and have given insight into the genetic changes that lead to immune disorders, as well as enabled more effective diagnoses of this disease. More recently, Dr. Durocher found an enzyme that counteracts the RNF8 and RNF168 proteins, which gives
researchers new targets for the treatment of RIDDLE syndrome and other diseases. “It’s fantastic that Dan is being recognized as one of Canada’s top young researchers,” said Dr. Jim Woodgett, the Lunenfeld’s director of research. “He’s already accomplished more in cancer research than most scientists would hope to achieve in a lifetime — and he’s on a roll!” An acknowledged expert in his field, Dr. Durocher’s achievements have been recognized through many awards including the 2009 Lloyd S.D. Fogler QC Award of Excellence, an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, and the 2006 Canadian Institutes of Health Research Maud Menten New Principal Investigator Prize. Dr. Durocher holds a Canada Research chair in proteomics, bioinformatics and functional genomics, and he is an associate professor at the University of Toronto.
FIGHTING DISEASE, ONE MOLECULE AT A TIME
gained fundamental insight into the molecular mechanisms that underpin the elasticity of skin and blood vessels, the mode of action of a new Alzheimer’s drug candidate, and the battle between immune systems and the bac-
teria that make us sick. Their findings were reported at the High Performance Computing Symposium (HPCS), Canada’s foremost supercomputing conference, by PhD students Grace Li, Chris Neale and Sarah Rauscher.
Dr. Daniel Durocher Dr. Daniel Durocher, Lunenfeld senior investigator and the Thomas Kierans Research chair in mechanisms of cancer development, has been named one of Canada’s Top
40 Under 40, an award presented annually to young leaders of today and tomorrow. The award is in recognition of Dr. Durocher’s research
We are no longer making incremental progress; instead, we are implementing new approaches we weren’t even
Scientists at the Hospital for Sick Children are working to improve your health -- and they’re doing it on a computer. The world-class computing power of SciNet, Canada’s newest supercomputer, has allowed Dr. Régis Pomés and his team to conduct fundamental health research. “In order to study biological systems at the molecular level, we use SciNet to perform simulations on thousands of computers simultaneously,” says Dr. Pomés. “SciNet has completely changed our perspective on our own work.
dreaming of before.” Case in point: over the past six months, these theory-based biochemists have
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APPOINTMENTS
YM BioSciences Inc. announces the appointment of Dr. Nick Glover to the newly created position of president and chief operating officer. Dr. Glover will provide broad leader-
Dr. Nick Glover
into global registration clinical trials, with a specific focus in oncology. In addition to his operational experience, Dr. Glover has a significant background in business development, concluding numerous licensing and partnering agreements in both academia and industry, with organizations such as the University of Cambridge, Micromet AG and Merck KGaA. Prior to joining Viventia, Dr. Glover was an investment manager for a leading venture capital firm. Dr. Glover holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from the University of East Anglia, U.K., a M.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of British Columbia, Canada, and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Simon Fraser University, Canada.
ship to the company and have primary responsibility for its operations and infrastructure, in particular the development and commercialization of YM’s pipeline. Dr. Glover was formerly the president and chief executive officer at Viventia Biotech Inc., a biopharmaceutical company involved in the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodybased technologies for the treatment of cancer. While at Viventia, Dr. Glover led the strategic development of a novel monoclonal antibody discovery platform, advancing three clinical products including a Phase III antibody for the treatment of advanced head and neck cancer. He has been responsible for all aspects of biotherapeutic development, including GMP manufacturing, and has taken products from discovery, through preclinical development and
Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. announces that it has appointed Dr. Tarek S. Mansour as executive vice president, Research and Development. “We are delighted to welcome Tarek to the Xenon team,” commented Simon Pimstone, Xenon’s president and CEO. “Tarek is a world-class R&D executive whose experience in discovering products, a number of which are now on the market, will further enhance Xenon’s capabilities. Tarek has had the unique experience of holding senior leadership positions within both biotech and more traditional pharmaceutical companies. His successful careers at Biochem Pharma and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer) have armed Tarek with best-in-class drug discovery and development practice and we are confident that Tarek will make a major contribution to Xenon’s
future innovative R&D efforts.” Dr. Mansour has spent nearly 25 years in the life sciences industry with positions at Biochem Pharma, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (now Pfizer). His most recent position at Wyeth Research was as VP, Chemical Sciences Head over multiple research sites. Dr. Mansour received his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Allostera Pharma Inc. has appointed Dr. Christopher Henney, as chairman of its Board of Directors. Dr. Henney began his professional career as an academic immunologist and has published over 200 papers in the peer reviewed literature. Dr. Henney has held professorships at the Johns Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore and at the University of Washington in Seattle. He held the first chair in Basic Immunology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. In 1980, together with Steven Gillis, he co-founded Immunex Corporation in Seattle, where he served as executive vice president, scientific director and vice chairman of the Board of Directors. Immunex developed two FDA approved drugs, one of which, Enbrel® (etanercept), is one of the leading products by sales produced by the biotechnology industry. In 1989, together with George Rathmann (co-founder of Amgen), Henney co-founded Icos Corporation. He served as a director and chief scientific officer of the company until 1995. The company was subsequently acquired by Eli Lilly in 2005 for over $2 billion. In 1995,
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Henney became the first CEO and Chairman of Dendreon Corporation. The company became publicly listed on the Nasdaq National Market in 2000 and Henney remained as CEO until 2003 and as Executive Chairman until 2005. Immunovaccine Inc. announces Paul Kirkconnell has been appointed to its Board of Directors. With extensive experience in global business development strategies for biopharmaceutical companies, Mr. Kirkconnell will also serve on the Board’s Audit Committee. Most recently, Mr. Kirkconnell was managing director of DRI Capital, a $1 billion healthcare investment company. Prior to this, Mr. Kirkconnell was president of Aventis Capital, the predecessor investment arm of Sanofi-Aventis and responsible for the management of Aventis’ $750 million global capital fund. He also served as corporate vice president of Business Development of Aventis Pasteur where he led their worldwide vaccine business development programs, evaluating corporate acquisitions, and was responsible for deal structures and terms with respect to licensing opportunities. Dr. Alain Beaudet, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), along with CIHR’s governing council; announce the appointment of Dr. Paul Lasko as scientific director of CIHR’s Institute of Genetics. Dr. Lasko is currently the chair of the Department of Biology at McGill University; he holds the James McGill professorship and was Molson chair of Genetics from 2001 to 2007. He has been highly active in research grant adjudication and has served on CIHR or Canadian Cancer Society grant panels continuously since 1995. He is also a member of the Institute of Genetics Priority and Planning Committee for Developmental Genetics and Birth Defects. In addition to this academic work, Dr. Lasko is the President of the Genetics Society of Canada and has also worked extensively with the Human Frontiers of Science Program Organization (HFSP) over the past ten years, serving on its program grant panel from 20012005, and since then as one of two Canadian representatives on the council of scientists. He has chaired the HFSP council of scientists since 2007.
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Laboratory Focus July 2010
PHARMA NOTES
Cytochroma (Markham, ON) announces the publication of new data from studies in a preclinical model indicating that chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with markedly increased expression of the vitamin D catabolic enzyme, CYP24, which contributes to vitamin D insufficiency and resistance to vitamin D therapy. Parallel analysis of kidney biopsies obtained from CKD patients confirmed abnormal CYP24 expression in human disease as well. The findings were published in Kidney International’s advance online publication, and will appear in a forthcoming print edition of Kidney International. This newly published research examined CYP24 regulation in relation to vitamin D status in normal rats and in adenine-treated uremic rats, a preclinical model of CKD. As expected, when normal rats were fed a vitamin D deficient diet, CYP24 expression decreased in order to preserve existing vitamin D stores. In contrast, CYP24 expression increased in rats with renal impairment and remained elevated when these rats were fed a vitamin D deficient diet, demonstrating that kidney damage significantly altered the regulation of CYP24 expression. Increased CYP24 expression was separately confirmed in kidney biopsies obtained from CKD patients, suggesting that CYP24 is similarly dysregulated in human renal disease. Cangene Corporation (Toronto, ON) announces that it is developing an Immune Globulin Intravenous product, commonly known as IGIV. IGIV is a widely used anti-infective with a variety of indications including treating primary immune deficiency, immune thrombocytopenic purpura and other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. A number of competitors share an estimated annualized global market of $4.5 billion and industry forecasts are for continued growth based on expanded applications. This is the product included but unidentified in Cangene’s pipeline for the last two years. Cangene is increasing its R&D activities on this product as it moves toward clinical development. Helix BioPharma Corp. (Aurora, ON) announces results from the Phase II clinical trial assessing the efficacy and safety of Topical Interferon Alpha-2b cream for the treatment of ano-genital warts (AGW). Analysis of the primary study endpoint, that is, the proportion of patients with complete clearance
of their baseline lesions during the eight week treatment period, as well as the secondary efficacy endpoints, showed no statistically significant treatment effects between the treatment and the placebo groups. Topical Interferon Alpha-2b was very well tolerated. Local skin reactions (e.g., itching, burning or pain) in both groups were mostly absent or mild, and there were no treatmentrelated serious adverse events, which is consistent with previous clinical findings with Topical Interferon Alpha-2b. Cyplasin Biomedical (Edmonton, AB) had previously announced the successful negotiation and signing of a binding term sheet agreement for the exclusive sales/marketing and distribution by Minapharm SAE of Cyplasin’s vaccine product C-Virin for use with chronically infected Hepatitis C patients within the Middle East and MENA regions. The signed agreement now also includes the right for Cyplasin to distribute and market Minapharm’s version of pegylated interferon-alpha (PEGIFN) within the North American, South American markets as well as Korea, Russia, China and other BRIC countries. The approved pegylated interferon product is currently sold in the Middle East and MENA region by Minapharm. Medicago Inc. (Québec, QC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PT BIO FARMA to identify and develop select vaccine targets of mutual interest with the final goal being to establish a partnership to build a Medicago plant-based manufacturing facility in The Republic of Indonesia. Initially Medicago and BIO FARMA will collaborate in design and conduct a proof of concept evaluation on Medicago’s plant-based VLP technology for a selected vaccine target. “This agreement confirms the suitability of our technology to support vaccine development in countries where manufacturing capacity is limited. Our offering of scalable, plant-based vaccines has the potential to provide an effective and economical solution within The Republic of Indonesia, a country of 232 million inhabitants,” said Andy Sheldon, president and CEO of Medicago. “In addition, this collaboration will demonstrate the versatility of our technology as we expand our vaccine manufacturing platform to include other vaccine targets.” The Superior Court has autho-
rized PriceWaterhouseCoopers Inc., in its capacity as interim receiver, to accept the offer submitted by Piramal Healthcare Limited for the purchase of BioSyntech Inc.’s assets. Following the BioSyntech Inc. announcement on May 12, 2010 that it would be seeking protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, PWC was appointed interim receiver. PWC sought offers for the purchase of the company’s assets. Pursuant to Piramal’s offer, BioSyntech will sell substantially all of its assets for consideration of $3,900,000.00 plus the assumption of certain of the Company’s liabilities up to a maximum amount of $558,080. The sale proceeds will be distributed in accordance with the Court Order. The closing of the asset sale is expected to take place within fifteen business days of the date hereof. The Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) (Vancouver, BC) and the Vancouver Prostate Centre (Vancouver, BC) have signed a preferred collaboration agreement as the two organizations jointly strive to accelerate the discovery, development and commercialization of anti-cancer therapeutics. As previously announced on April 30, 2010, the Vancouver Prostate Centre and CDRD are working together on an international collaboration with Griffith University’s Eskitis Institute in Queensland, AUS. Service and repair company Carmichael Engineering (Ottawa ON) announces the opening of its new pipette service centre in Mississauga, ON. “This centre is the next stage in the ongoing development of our pipette maintenance, repair and calibration business which we entered into last year with the purchase of Pipette Pro, Inc,” said company owner Ray Carmichael. As part of the opening of the new centre, Pipette Pro has also added another experienced technician to its team. Canadian-based global nonclinical contract research organization LAB Research Inc. (Laval, QC) announces that it has completed development of a novel drug investigation model focused on biodistribution and pharmacokinetic of biologics. The new drug investigation model was created with the specific goal of meeting the early non-clinical research needs of pharmaceutical companies developing therapeutic proteins and to facilitate lead compound selection. The new model is
being offered for regulatory driven studies complying with Good Laboratory Practices.
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July 2010 Laboratory Focus www.bioscienceworld.ca
FEATURE
BY: NATASCHA WEISS, WOLF WENTE AND PHILIP MÜLLER
Protein LoBind INFLUENCE OF VESSEL SURFACE ON THE RECOVERY RATE OF PROTEINS Eppendorf consumables were created specifically to minimize sample loss caused by adsorption to the reaction tube wall.
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Laboratory Focus July 2010
FEATURE Figure 1
Schematic drawing of a globular protein.
Hydrophobic chains bind to a solid surface, leading to a change in protein conformation.
The experiments described here demonstrate that a larger amount of sample is recovered with the help of Protein LoBind products compared to vessels made of standard materials. Higher protein recovery, in turn, leads to better results in downstream applications, such as MALDI-TOF. Therefore, Protein LoBind Tubes and Deepwell Plates are ideal for use with proteins, especially when the sample amount is limited.
Introduction: The preparation and storage of samples (i.e., cells and tissues, as well as DNA, RNA and proteins) are often the basis for successful experiments. Apart from the purity of the sample, recovery after preparation is most important. In cases where biological sample preparation is difficult; labour-intensive; or expensive, most often the amount of sample concentration available is quite small.
Figure 2
Recovery rate of proteins after incubation in 96-well deepwell plates with a total volume of 1,000 μl.
Proteins consist of hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic domains, the latter being located on the inside of the globular protein structure in an aqueous environment. In these cases especially, losses are critical, leading to faulty or ambivalent analytical results, or none at all. Since cost must not be underestimated when it comes to the use of expensive reagents, products whose surfaces have been optimized to guarantee low affinity binding of biological samples will provide an obvious advantage, both from a financial and scientific perspective. In this context, working with proteins presents a special challenge. Proteins consist of hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic domains, the latter being located on the inside of the globular protein structure in an aqueous environment. When the protein comes into contact with a solid surface, the three-dimensional protein structure can become modified such that the hydrophobic regions move to the surface of the molecule and seek contact with the hydrophobic surface of the container 1, 2 (Fig. 1). As a result, proteins in contact with the vessel may denature, leading to the loss of valuable sample, or, in the case of enzyme solutions, to a reduc-
tion in enzyme activity. The effect on the sample increases with decreasing sample concentration. Apart from specialized applications in the medical/pharmaceutical field where protein binding to surfaces (such as polypropylene) plays a role 3, 4, 5, the following methods are employed in the laboratory to minimize adsorption of protein sample material: (1) the use of coated (i.e., siliconized) reaction vessels. This may result in leaching of the coating and interference with the sample, possibly influencing downstream applications. (2) A further possibility is the addition of BSA that will bind primarily to the vessel surface and thus protect the protein sample. However, the high BSA concentrations necessary will have an adverse effect on the precision of pipetting and may also influence further analyses. For these reasons, Eppendorf is focusing on manufacturing consumables featuring protein-repelling surface characteristics without a potentially contaminating coating. The tubes and plates in Eppendorf Pro-
Figure 3
Recovery rate of proteins after incubation in 384-well deepwell plates with a total volume of 200 μl.
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July 2010 Laboratory Focus www.bioscienceworld.ca
FEATURE loss. The Eppendorf Protein LoBind products are exceptionally well suited for this purpose. The advantageous proteinrepelling features of this product line become evident during other applications, such as the purification of viruses whose surface is protein-rich. A recent publication describes a test in which viruses were incubated in nine different types of tubes for up to 120 hours. During the course of this experiment, eight of the tubes led to considerable sample loss due to adsorption, whereas almost complete recovery of viruses was achieved only with Eppendorf Protein LoBind tubes 8.
Figure 4
Conclusion
MALDI-TOF Mass spectrometry following storage of two different concentrations of peptide at 4 °C. (Source: Dr. S. Seeber and Dr. A. Humeny, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen). The arrows identify the signals in each experiment.
tein LoBind quality consist of high quality polypropylene, manufactured by a special process. Hence, protein binding to the wall of the tube/plate will be minimized, leaving a high proportion of the sample available for analysis. The following experiments compare the Eppendorf Deepwell Plate in Protein LoBind quality with deepwell plates produced by other manufacturers, thereby focusing on sample recovery. Another experiment involving mass spectrometry analysis will illustrate the effects of different sample recovery rates on downstream applications.
Materials and Methods Determination of sample recovery via fluorescence measurement Protein binding to polypropylene plates was tested using fluoresceinlabeled BSA. The plates evaluated were the Eppendorf Deepwell Plate 96/1000 μl and 384/200 μl as well as competitors’ products of the same format. Four wells of each plate were filled with a protein solution (fluorescein-BSA, 1 μg/ml) and incubated in the dark at room temperature for 24 hours. At several time points during this incubation, samples were transferred from two wells of one plate to a black 96-well flat bottom plate (Greiner Bio-One). Measurement readings
were performed in the Synergy™ HT Multi-Detection Microplate Reader (BioTek).
MALDI-TOF analysis of peptides 1.3 μg/ml (10 pmol) and 130 ng/ml (1 pmol) of the peptide angiotensin I were dissolved in 10 μl H2O each and refrigerated for one week in either Protein LoBind tubes or in standard tubes. Following this incubation 1 μl of each sample was subjected to MALDI-TOF spectral analysis.
Results and Discussion The following two figures illustrate the results of the protein incubation experiments performed in deepwell plates. It is obvious that significantly less protein adsorbed to the wells of the Eppendorf Deepwell Plate Protein LoBind (Figs. 2 and 3) than to the wells of other manufacturers’ plates made from standard materials. For instance, loss of sample after 24 hour incubation in Eppendorf Deepwell Plate 96/1000 μl is less than five per cent, whereas sample loss after incubation in the competitors’ plates can be as high as 85 per cent. This large proportion of the protein sample is lost due to binding to the wall of the container and, therefore, is not available for the actual experiment. In contrast, the optimized surface of the
Protein LoBind plates achieves very high sample recovery, which is subsequently available for all downstream applications. The effects of sample loss on the analysis of proteins and peptides are demonstrated using different mass spectrometric detection methods; during sample preparation and storage either Eppendorf standard tubes or Eppendorf Protein LoBind tubes were used for comparison 6. Please refer to Fig. 4 for a representative experiment. The use of Eppendorf Protein LoBind tubes will yield a significantly higher signal during MALDI-TOF analysis of the peptide angiotensin I than the use of tubes made from standard materials. When the amount of incubated peptide is reduced to 1 pmol, analysis becomes impossible if standard tubes are used. In addition, Kersten and Halder investigated the influence of the tube surface on peptide binding. MALDITOF analysis of a tryptic digest of various proteins yielded a higher coverage of sequences along with a better signal-to-noise ratio of the samples that had been prepared in Eppendorf LoBind tubes compared to preparations in conventional tubes 7. The data shows that it is advisable to employ surface optimized vessels in order to prevent critical sample
The analyses presented here show unequivocally that the material of the vessel surface has a tremendous influence on sample recovery. The use of Eppendorf Protein LoBind plates and tubes leads to drastically improved sample recovery rates over standard vessels, especially under conditions of limited sample amounts, thus allowing these experiments to be performed with confidence for the first time. Furthermore, efficient use of limited sample material will allow the user to save precious time and money in the laboratory.
References 1. Andrade JD. Principles of protein adsorption. In: Andrade JD (ed). Surface and interfacial aspects of biomedical polymers. Vol. 2. New York: Plenum Press; 1985; 1–80. 2. Norde W, Haynes CA. ACS Symposium Series. 1995; 602:26–40. 3. Johnston TP. PDA J Pharm Sci Technol 1996; 50 (4):238–245. 4. Duncan MR, Lee JM, Warchol MP. Int J Pharm 1995; 120:179– 188. 5. Ding YS, Qin C, Rabinow BE. Med Plastics Biomate Mag 1996 July; 42. 6. Eppendorf Tubes – Technical Data – Application Notes for LoBind tubes (Order no. 0012 566.093). 7. Kersten M, Halder T. Bioscience Technology September 2004. 8. Triliski EI, Lenhoff AM. Journal of Chromatography 2007; 1142:2–13.
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FEATURE
BY MICHAEL HOFFMAN, STEVEN JENKINS, MONA RAITA, PAUL TRESSEL AND KATIE MOYER
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUE TO MEET YOUR
Biomolecule needs – A basic primer STEP 1: SO, YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED THE BIOMOLECULE YOU NEED TO TEST. STEP 2: NOW WHAT? There are many options available for the analysis of biomolecules for quality control and R&D of diagnostic reagents, biopharmaceuticals, and Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). The list of applications goes on. With all the options now available, how is a consumer supposed to select the right test? The tests differ in a number of ways, including the cost, the time needed to develop the assay, the technical expertise needed to develop the assay, but most importantly, the type of information provided by the test itself. The following article will compare and contrast various technologies that can be used to analyze biomolecules and will focus on the analysis of the purity, quantity and identity of biomolecules. As each customer requires different information from the analysis to best meet their specific needs, it is important to understand the differences between each. The following techniques are some of the most common approaches used for the analysis of proteins, peptides, RNA, DNA and oligonucleotides: SDS PAGE is a widely utilized, sensitive technique for the separation of proteins (or peptides) by size, based on proportional charge of SDS loading. This form of gel electrophoresis is used to separate native or denatured proteins by the length of the polypeptide (denaturing conditions) or by the 3-D structure of the protein (native/ non-denaturing conditions). Once the sample is run on a gel, proteins can then be visualized using a number of different stains including: Coomassie® brilliant blue R (detection limit ~ 50 ng) or Silver Stain (at least 10 times more sensitive). SDS PAGE is a relatively inexpensive and easy means of determining purity. Combined with densitometry analysis, it can also provide quantitative information regarding analyte purity. The limitations of this approach
include: low mass resolution of the separation (ie ± 1-3 kDa) making it unsuitable for the identification of your analyte of interest and the densitometry analysis is a low resolution method of determining protein purity and thus the percentage purity would have a relatively large uncertainty. SDS PAGE can provide information regarding protein purity and semiquantitative information, at best, for protein quantitation. Agarose Gel Electrophoresis is similar to SDS PAGE, but is usually used for the separation of DNA and RNA. It makes use of an electric field applied to a gel matrix to separate the molecules by size, based on matrix resistance instead of charge. Post separation, the analytes can be visualized in the gel using a variety of stains (including Ethidium bromide, SYBER green, GelStar, etc). This process is also relatively inexpensive and simple to perform, resulting in the determination of the purity of your ana-
lyte; however mass resolution is low and cannot therefore distinguish between impurities of similar mass. The technique can provide information regarding DNA/RNA purity and semiquantitative information, at best, for DNA/RNA quantitation. HPLC is another widely utilized technique for the separation of both proteins, peptides, DNA, RNA and oligonucleotides. There are a number of different types of stationary phases that can be used for the separation/purification of proteins/peptides including reverse phase, cation exchange, hydrophilic interaction, size exclusion and affinity chromatography. The most commonly used chromatographies for proteins and peptides are: (1) reverse phase (generally, C18 for peptides, C8 or C4 proteins) which separates molecules based on molecule polarity and (2) ion exchange which separates molecules based on their charge. Although there are stationary phases that are generally pre-
ferred (ie C18 for peptides), there are a number of specialty columns available that can achieve higher resolution separations for particular groups of molecules. There are a number of types of detection commonly used in HPLC including: absorbance, fluorescence, refractive index, conductivity, and mass spectrometry. HPLC, in general, is a more expensive method of separation, but can have higher resolution compared to SDS PAGE. HPLC can provide information on a number of different types of biomolecules including: protein, peptide, DNA, RNA, and oligonucleotides for both purity and quantity; however, the resolution of most HPLC separations is not high enough to definitively determine analyte identity alone. Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) has historically been less commonly used for peptide/protein separation compared to HPLC; however, its use has been increasing in the last decade. Capillary electrophoresis can be a
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Laboratory Focus July 2010
high resolution technique where it separates molecules based on their charge, size and shape. Detection is performed using absorbance or fluorescence spectroscopy. In circumstances where HPLC has been known to struggle with achieving the needed resolution (including large biomolecules and chiral compound separation), capillary electrophoresis can succeed. Advantages of CE over HPLC include faster analysis and development time and lower consumable
formation on both protein purity and quantity. It can provide higher resolution separations than HPLC; however, the ultimate specificity of the technique would have to be investigated to determine if it could be used for identification purposes. Along with proteins and peptides, CE can be used to assess oligonucleotides and DNA up to 15,000 base pairs for purity, size and concentration. Capillary electrophoresis is being utilized in microfluidic devices,
quantitative PCR, microarrays and LC/MS/MS, saving downstream troubleshooting time and reducing costs by virtually eliminating concerns about template quality and sample purity. Under both reducing and nonreducing conditions, proteins ranging in size from 5-250 kDa can be detected at very low concentrations (>10 pg/µL), superior to silver staining of SDS PAGE gels. Disadvantages include expensive instrumentation and reagents, and the inability to recover DNA samples for further sequencing processes and limited sensitivity compared to absorption spectroscopy using fluorescent detection kits (such as PicoGreen®). ELISA (specifically the sandwich format ELISA) is a ligand binding assay and it can be a highly sensitive and specific immunoassay in which the analyte of interest is bound between the capture and detection antibody forming a sandwich. For proteins, this is the best method of definitive identification, provided the antibodies used are highly specific for the analyte. Advantages of ELISAs, and other similar ligand binding assays (ie multiplexed immunoassays such as Luminex and
expense. The disadvantages include fewer technicians are trained on CE and poorer injection precision (requiring the use of an internal standard). CE would be overall similar in price to HPLC and can provide in-
such as the Agilent Bioanalyzer, to size, separate and analyze DNA, RNA and proteins. Commonly used for assessing the quantity, purity and integrity of total RNA, this quality control step precedes techniques including
MSD), is that they are highly sensitive, being able to detect the analyte of interest to the low or even sub pg/ml level; relatively cost effective; quantitative; simple to run if commercial kits are available and can be highly specific.
Table 1
Summary of Key features of common protein/peptide methods of analysis
Techniques Type of information Cost
Technical expertise
Time for development
LC/MS/MS
Identity/Quantity/Purity
***
Difficult
Moderate
ELISA – kit available
Identity/Quantity
*
Easy
Short
ELISA – build from scratch
Identity/Quantity
****
Difficult
Long
HPLC
Purity/Quantity
**
Moderate
Moderate
CE
Purity/Quantity
**
Moderate
Moderate
Western Blotting
Identity
*
Easy
Short
SDS-PAGE
Purity
*
Easy
Short
Absorption Spectroscopy
Quantity
*
Easy
Short
FEATURE Disadvantages of ELISA include: reagent quality is very important for assay performance and commercial kit quality can be suspect, developing an ELISA from scratch can be very complex, time consuming and expensive. ELISA can be used to both definitively identify the analyte of interest as well as quantify that analyte; however, as it specifically targets the analyte or interest, it cannot provide any information regarding the purity of the sample. Western Blot analysis makes use of the SDS PAGE gel described earlier, but rather than staining the gel for visualization, the protein bands are transferred electrophoretically to a membrane (usually nitrocellulose or PVDF), where they are then probed with antibodies specific to the analyte of interest. Advantages of this technique include that, provided the primary antibody used is highly specific for the analyte of interest, the western blot will be highly specific as well as it will have similar sensitivity to ELISA or other similar ligand binding assays. Disadvantages of western blot analysis include that the technique is semi-quantitative at best, time consuming, and assay performance can be very dependent on the parameters of the assay. Western blot analysis can be used to definitively identify the analyte of interest; however, it should not be used for quantitation as the approach specifically targets the analyte or interest, it cannot provide information regarding the purity of the sample. Southern blot analysis, is similar to a Western blot analysis, except is for DNA rather than proteins. It makes use of the agarose gel described earlier, but rather than staining the gel for visualization, DNA fragments are transferred to a filter membrane electrophoretically and subsequent detection by probe hybridization. It is a routine method used in molecular biology for detection of a specific DNA sequence in DNA samples and thus identity of that sequence. LC/MS/MS is the best method of definitive identification for peptides. An MS analysis of a peptide can provide an accurate mass for the peptide with much higher accuracy than a SDS PAGE. As well, this can be combined with an MS/MS analysis that will be used to sequence the peptide, thus definitively identifying the analyte of interest. Depending on the resolution of the mass spectrometer used, accurate mass information can be obtained regarding the intact protein as well as MS/MS fragmentation studies can partially sequence the protein, identifying the protein. Tryptic digestion of the protein followed by LC/ MS/MS is also a common approach that is used for protein identification by sequencing the tryptic peptide
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July 2010 Laboratory Focus www.bioscienceworld.ca
FEATURE fragments. Limitations of LC/ MS/MS are that the instrument is expensive, operation of the instrument is complex and even when operated in a highly targeted manner, it is not as sensitive as ligand binding assays. LC/MS/MS can be set up to accomplish a number of different activi-
ties at once such as provide impurity information, identity and quantitation all within a single experiment. LC/MS/MS can also be used to identify oligonucleotides by providing both the mass and sequencing the oligonucleotide. Absorption Spectroscopy
is a very quick and inexpensive approach to monitoring total protein concentration. Prior to putting the sample on the spectrophotometer, there are a variety of sample treatment approaches (including the Bradford assay, Lowry assay, BCA assay) that when these reagents are
combined with peptides/proteins, it leads to a change in the absorption of the sample and the intensity of the absorbance at the measured wavelength provides quantitative information. Advantages of this approach include that it is a quick and cost effective measure of determining pro-
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tein quantity. Disadvantages include that the approach lacks specificity and cannot differentiate between proteins, and thus require the sample to be very pure to be able to determine the concentration of the protein of interest. The technique provides no information regarding the identity of the protein or peptide, and measures total protein concentration, not specifically the analyte of interest. Although absorption ratios of different wavelengths can provide some insight into the purity of DNA or RNA sample, this approach cannot provide close to the same level of purity information as gel electrophoresis, HPLC or CE.
Activation Laboratories Ltd is a contract analytical laboratory that specializes in analytical testing services and analytical method development services of metals, small molecules and large biomolecules. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Michael Hoffman PhD MBA is director of biotechnology and bioanalytical services for Activation Laboratories Ltd and has extensive experience in protein based analytical techniques; Steven Jenkins PhD, is a senior R&D scientist at Activation Laboratories Ltd and has extensive experience in separations strategies and mass spectrometry; Paul Tressel PhD, is a senior R&D scientist and has extensive experience in biomolecule analysis; Mona Raita MSc is a Senior Research Scientist at Activation Laboratories Ltd and specializes in ligand binding assays and oligonucleotide assays; and Katie Moyer PhD is a Senior Research Scientist at Activation Laboratories Ltd and specializes in oligonucleotide and DNA based techniques.
visit .. or email sales@wyvernsci.com
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NEW PRODUCTS
Simplette Straws Seward Limited new universal fit Simplette Straws are designed for use with fixed or variable-volume pipette handsets and provide an alternative to graduated pipettes for sample handling applications. With their increased wall thickness and extended length, the Simplette Straw has been designed specifically to reach the bottom of all Stomacher® bags. This means that a homogenised sample can be readily recovered for microbiological inoculations without risk of cross contamination via the pipette handsets, since they have no contact with the bag. They come packaged, irradiated and are available in two lengths, 170mm and 250mm.
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Nexxis ST Labtronics Inc. announces the release of Nexxis ST (Sample Tracker) 5.0, a sample management module used with Nexxis iLAB. Nexxis ST 5.0 meets the needs of customers who have a requirement for sample management but don’t require a full blown LIMS. It is an affordable out of the box system for storing and tracking test results. The sample tracker is highly integrated with other Nexxis iLAB components. Sample information and test results can be automatically exchanged with instruments. As samples are logged into Sample Tracker they can automatically initiate and schedule Nexxis ELN worksheets for their analysis. Raw data can be stored in an SDMS such as Nexxis SDMS, and each sample can be provided with a direct link back to the raw data. An analyst can now review the test results and instantly open a viewer to examine the raw data. Nexxis ST uses ReDITM technology to provide user configurable sample login screens. Each sample type can have a different login screen allowing you to track different information for each type of sample. Nexxis ST 5.0 is a zero foot print web application that can be run from any PC, including wireless devices.
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Automated Synthesis Systems Syrris has developed optional upgrades to its range of Atlas automated synthesis systems. The introduction of new stainless steel reactors and a high temperature upgrade kit has increased system flexibility, making the Atlas product range suitable for a broader spectrum of applications.Using the same jacketed vessel clamp, oil drain unit and fluid pipe connectors as the Atlas Potassium system, the standard glass vessel can be effortlessly exchanged for the stainless steel version in under a minute. Available in a range of sizes from 100 ml to 5 L, an integrated bottom outlet valve compensates for any thermal expansion, while the torispherical profile and consistent length to diameter ratio mimic the dimensions of largescale plant reactors. Ideal for use with sodium hydroxide and other highly basic substances that would etch glass, the incorporation of the stainless steel vessel further increases the flexibility and usability of the Atlas range. The development of a new temperature upgrade kit has also enabled the Atlas glass or stainless steel jacketed reactors to increase the existing temperature range of -80 to +200 °C, to allow a limit of +250 °C, making it suitable for high temperature applications. All upgrade parts are easily installed by the user, without the need for any tools.
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Connector System Dolomite introduces its new Mitos In-line Connector System. This innovative connector provides a single, fast and reliable multi-way connection, which offers extensive time savings when compared to traditional connections between individual pipes. In addition to being quick and easy to use, the Mitos In-line Connector provides in-line sealing and highly accurate alignment between the tubes, enabling uninterrupted liquid flow. Available in three standard sizes 4-, 8- and 12-way, the Mitos In-line Connector operates over a wide temperature (-15 0C to 250 0C) and pressure range (up to 10bar), providing excellent chemical compatibility. Furthermore, a low dead volume reduces the risk of cross-contamination between fluid samples, thereby maintaining experimental integrity. It is compatible with a variety of polymeric tubes including PTFE, FEP and PEEK. Custom sizes and geometries are also available upon request.
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Meter Scanner Omega has launched the wi-8 series, a new wireless meter scanner and controller. This new series of wireless monitoring and control system is highly compatible with a wide range of Omega wireless sensors including the UWTC, UWRTD, and z series. Compact in size and simple to configure, this product can monitor up to 8 wireless sensors. Wireless inputs for this product include thermocouple, RTD, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. The wi-8 series comes standard with a choice of either two form c relays, or two SSR’s (solid state relays) that can be used for control functions or alarms. Monitoring can be done locally or through an embedded Ethernet or Internet connection without any additional software other than a web browser.
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Volumetric JM Science’s AQUACOUNTER® Volumetric Karl Fischer Titrator (AQV-300) is reliable, easy-to-use and has performance features allowing measurement of moisture content from low to high concentrations quickly and accurately. Measurements are simple and routine with unsurpassed precision. The AQV-300 has six built-in calculation modes to accommodate solid, liquid and gas samples. It includes a statistics package with one-touch calculations. Four files with preset conditions can be stored in memory and allows instant recall of data for up to 20 samples. A built-in detector monitors titration status and a direct key access allows entry of titration parameters. This compact unit with a very small footprint has balance and computer interfaces for GLP and ISO documentation. Includes download software for transferring results to a laptop or PC. Choice of thermal printer or impact printer is also available.
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NEW PRODUCTS Ultra High-mass Applications Shimadzu Scientific Instruments has partnered with CovalX to offer the AXIMA MegaTOF™, an integrated MALDI solution for ultra high-mass applications, including protein complex characterization, therapeutic protein aggregates, antibody-antigen interactions, polymer analysis and high mass bioimaging. The high-sensitivity MegaTOF,
combines a high-performance Shimadzu linear MALDI TOF mass spectrometer with a CovalX high-mass detection system and detects macromolecules up to 1,500 kDa. When analyzing intact protein complexes by high-mass MALDI TOF, it is crucial to stabilize the complexes with highly efficient crosslinking reagents. In addition, existing Shimadzu AXIMA MALDI systems (Assurance, Confidence and Performance)
can be retrofitted with CovalX’s HM2 or HM2 TUVO high-mass system.
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Mass Spectrometers Waters Corporation introduces two new mass spectrometers for its Xevo MS platform – the Xevo TQ-S and Xevo G2 QTof – that bring a step change in performance to benchtop mass spectrometry. Combined with
Waters® ACQUITY® UltraPerformance LC® (UPLC®) systems these mass spectrometers offer scientists a combination of separation power with highest levels of sensitivity whether for compound identification, quantification, and screening, or for extracting the most information from the smallest sample volumes all in a single analysis.
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July 2010 July 8-9 AgriGenomics World Congress 2010 Venue: Brussels, Belgium Email: k.shah@ selectbiosciences.com Web: www. selectbiosciences.com
July 25-29 AACC Annual Meeting Venue: Anaheim, CA Tel: 1-800-892-1400 Fax: 202-887-5093 Email: custserv@aacc.org Web: www.aacc.org
Laboratory Focus July 2010
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October 5-7
September 30-October 3 BCSLS Annual Congress Venue: Vancouver, BC Tel: 604-714-1760 Fax: 604-738-4080 Email: bcsls@telus.net Web: www.bcsls.net
October 2010
CanBio National Conference Venue: Vancouver, BC Tel: (705) 472-2280 Email: info@canbio.ca Web: www.canbio.ca
CALENDAR Email :lysbeth@ biocontact.qc.ca Web: www.biocontact.ca
October 20-22
October 6-7 BioContact Venue: Quebec City, QC Tel: (418) 694-8778 Fax : (418) 694-0614
Canadian Science Policy Conference 2010 Venue: Montréal, Québec
Tel: (613) 276-3274 Fax: (613) 746-3274 Email: dsiele@ sciencepolicy.ca & Melissa@sciencepolicy.ca Web: http://sciencepolicy. ca/cspc2010
August 2010 August 1-5 Microscopy & Microanalysis 2010 Venue: Portland, OR Tel: 703-234-4115 Fax: 703-435-4390 Email: Association Management@ microscopy.org Web: www.microscopy.org
August 15-19 International IUPAC Conference on Green Chemistry Venue: Ottawa, ON Email: info@icgc2010.ca Web: http://www. icgc2010.ca/
September 2010 September 12-15 ABIC Saskatoon Venue: Saskatoon, SK Tel: 306-975-1939 Fax: 306-955-0545 Email: abicfoundation@ abic.ca Web: www.abic.ca/ abic2010
September 15-17 BioPharm America Venue: Boston, MA Tel: 760 930 0500 Email: hmersy@ebdgroup. com Web: www.ebdgroup.com/ bpa
September 17-24 IMAGENENATION-National Biotechnology Week www.biotech.ca
September 21-22 BIO India International Partnering Conference Venue: Hyderabad, India Email: tdalal@bio.org Web: http://bioindia.
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National forum on science policy back for another year
BUT IN A NEW VENUE Building on the immense success and positive impact of the Canadian Science Policy Conference held last fall in Toronto, the Canadian Science Policy Centre has announced the date and themes of its second annual conference. This year’s event will be held in the heart of downtown Montréal, QC on October 20-22, 2010. It is expected to draw 500 people including scientists, executives, government officials, academics and industry leaders, for an exchange of ideas on how to best steer science policy in this country. Spurred on by a belief that Canada deserves an annual forum dedicated to science policy issues, the 2010 Conference’s motto is “Building Bridges for the Future of Science Policy.” As such, the two main objectives of CSPC 2010 is to identify and discuss current Canadian science policy and secondly to forge stronger links between stakeholders and policymakers. “With this year’s conference we continue our collective efforts to build a robust science policy network in Canada,” says Dr. Mehrdad Hariri, CSPC chair. “There is a need for new organizations within the area of science policy. We have to renovate our science policy landscape and make it advanced and progressive. What we hope to achieve is to continue this energy that has built up in the science community, to discuss the issues, most importantly to provide a solution oriented conference.” Additionally, the conference is designed to facilitate collaboration and networking amongst diverse groups including scientists and researchers from academia; senior representatives from industry, government, research granting agencies and funding bodies, and NGOs; science policy-makers; science writers and journalists; communications and government relations professionals; CEOs; R&D managers; heads of scientific associations; science studies scholars; students and trainees; and others with an interest in the intersection of policy with science and technology. All stakeholders in the Canadian science policy community are encouraged to attend. Likewise they are encouraged to submit proposals for presentations under the program themes: • Increasing the productivity of Canada’s economy using science and technology • Global perspectives on science and technology • Creating and retaining scientific talent in Canada • A glance at bioscience in Canada • Major issues in Canadian science policy For information on CSPC 2010, please visit www.sciencepolicy.ca. We hope to see you there!
CAREER SPOTLIGHT Bio-economy Career Profile Position: Senior Biostatistician Name: Anona Thorne Company: Canadian HIV Trials Network Salary Range: $60,000 to $80,000 per year
What I do:
I am a statistician. I work at the Canadian HIV Trials Network, where we run studies of HIV and AIDS treatments and treatment strategies. These studies, called clinical, are the result of ideas from researchers in the network. For example, someone might hypothesize that drug A might work better than drug B for a certain condition, so we set up a trial with two groups of patients in order to test this hypothesis. I take the results of these clinical trials and analyze them. Then, with my colleagues, I write up the results and present them at conferences, post them to our website, and publish them in scientific journals. I also assist with organizing the study teams for the clinical trials that we conduct. My workday varies. Since I am in charge of the study team structure, a certain amount of time is spent on organizational matters, such as arranging meetings or updating the internal study-team website. Often, I will have consultations with other statisticians or staff regarding particular studies and topics. Depending on the stage of the trials that I’m working on, I may work on the plan for a new trail, the statistical analysis of one which has been completed, the revision of a trial report or on producing plots for slides or posters used to present trial results at an upcoming conference.
What education and skills do candidates need for this position?
You require a Master’s degree in Statistics. If you do not have a Master’s degree, but sufficient experience with statistical data analysis, it is conceivable that you could start in a junior analytical position and work your way up, given the right environment. However, this depends on conditions in the job market and this sort of opportunity may not be easy to find. For this position, you require organizational skills, written and oral communication skills, mathematical and statistical skills, and analytical ability. Before I came to this job, I spent several years working in computer science in both educational and business environments. I then returned to university to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Statistics. Several organizations contacted our department for graduates’names, and my present job was one of them; the job sounded ideal to me.
What are the best parts of your job?
The best thing about my job is that I get to work on a variety of intellectually challenging and socially beneficial projects. There are so many interesting possibilities. Statisticians are essential in so many areas that you have an opportunity to work in many different fields. And as statistical techniques evolve, you always keep learning. Most people have such a limited idea of what a biostatistician does, if they have any idea at all, that when they find out about all the possibilities, it’s a revelation to them.
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