Pharmaceutical
Clinical
Chemical
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w w w. l a b o r a t o r y f o c u s . c a
Gene Expression Studies Live Cells with RNA Detection Reagents
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environment
September 2013 Volume 17, Number 5
The vital role of assessors
in ensuring quality laboratory results
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R&D News.......................... 1 Pharma Notes..................... 5 Appointments..................... 6 New Products................... 15 Calendar........................... 17 App Reviews...................... 18
Construction begins on new Servier Canada Centre of Excellence in Clinical Research
From L to R: Members of St. Rose and Chomedey, Laval Mayor Martine Beaugrand, Servier Canada Inc. CEO Frédéric Fasano and Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau. Photo: Russell Proux
Servier Canada, the Canadian subsidiary of the Servier Research Group, with the support of Montréal International (MI), Laval Technopole, the Biotech City, Montréal
Publications Mail Registration Number: 40052410
InVivo and Investissement Québec are together committing $16.3 million to construct a new Centre of Excellence in Clinical Research into cardiovascular disease, cancer and
neuropsychiatry in Laval, QC. The announcement was made in the presence of Nicolas Marceau, Québec Minister of Finance and the Economy, who confirmed the awarding of a $1-million nonrefundable financial contribution to launch the project. The new 30,000 square-foot complex will enable the company to hire forty or so new employees over the next few months. “The Servier Research Group, the second largest French pharmaceutical company, decided to bolster its research endeavours in Canada,
particularly in Québec, since the level of excellence in the research sector make it an ideal location to advance therapeutic innovation,” stated Emmanuel Canet, president of Servier R&D. “Health is a priority issue. Our mission is to make available to the medical profession and Canadian patients the best possible therapeutic solutions. In order to achieve this, we must not only bolster our research efforts, but also benefit from a health policy that supports innovation,” added Frédéric Fasano, CEO of Servier Canada. The Biotech City, site of the new centre of clinical research, is already home to a university (INRS), research laboratories, a business incubator and major biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies. “We have supported this leading Biotech City company throughout the entire project. Servier Canada is part of a dynamic business centre that houses, within a four-kilometre radius, basic research, clinical trials, production and marketing,” commented Pierre Desroches, president and executive director of Laval Technopole and the Biotech City of Laval. The centre will house activities for the Canadian International Centre for Therapeutic Research (ICTR) and the Servier Canada National Centre for Professional Training. Its mandate will be to help further the design and development of ICTR clinical research in major therapeutic areas including cardiovascular disease, cancer and neuropsychiatry. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1692
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September 2013 Laboratory Focus www.laboratoryfocus.ca
news
New funding enhances health research at SFU A 2012 Simon Fraser University doctoral graduate in chemistry who made a name for herself researching diabetes is now applying her powers of analysis to understanding Alzheimer’s disease at SFU, thanks to a major grant. Razieh Eskandari is among
seven post-doctoral researchers receiving $37,000 annually in new Research Trainee awards from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (MSFHR) to undertake research on a variety of health issues. The MSFHR is a provincially funded agency mandated to
build health research capacity in British Columbia. Its Research Trainee awards, annually renewable for a maximum of three years, enable doctoral graduates to further their training by working in the research program of an established university scholar.
This round of grants will foster a broad scope of potential health breakthroughs. They include identifying new drugs that protect the brain from Alzheimer’s disease, curbing the rising epidemic of prescription-opioid abuse Continued on page 3
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Terri Pavelic staff writers Shawn Lawrence Daniela Fisher Interns Anan Rahman Kayla Sippel CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Don Weldon Gene Shematek Grace Johnston NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER Marcello Sukhdeo GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elena Pankova CONTROLLER John R. Jones MARKETING MANAGER Mary Malofy CIRCULATION DIRECTOR James Watson circulation@promotive.net OFFICE: 24-4 Vata Court Aurora, ON L4G 4B6 Phone: 905-727-3875 Fax: 905-727-4428 E-mail: laboratory_focus@ promotive.net SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES circulation@promotive.net Fax: 905-727-4428 Laboratory Focus is published 6 times per year by Promotive Communications Inc. Legal Depository: National Library of Canada ISSN 40052410 Subscription rate in Canada $35/year; USA $60/year; other countries $100/year. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Publications Mail Registration Number: 40052410 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to circulation dept: 24-4 Vata Court Aurora, ON L4G 4B6 E-mail: circulation@promotive.net All opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or any person or organization associated with the magazine. If you would like to order hard copy or electronic reprints of articles, contact Sandra Service 905-727-3875 x228 reprints@promotive.net www.laboratoryfocus.ca
www.laboratoryfocus.ca Laboratory Focus Continued from page 2 and clarifying mechanisms that can control HIV infection. Eskandari, an Iranian Canadian living in Burnaby, will work under the supervision of SFU chemistry professor David Vocadlo to improve the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by identifying compounds that protect the brain from neurodegeneration. The protein tau can act abnormally in Alzheimer’s disease and cause neuronal death. However, the toxicity of tau can be significantly reduced by altering the levels of a sugar modification in cells known as O-GlcNAc. Eskandari’s research focuses on synthesizing compounds that will help increase levels of O-GlcNAc in brains, which in turn will protect neurons from the damaging effects of abnormal tau. By identifying new molecules and validating this target, her study has the potential to improve outcomes for the estimated 500,000 Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease. Eskandari’s doctoral research under SFU chemistry professor Mario Pinto was what led her to synthesizing compounds that could be helpful in type 2 diabetes treatment. Eskandari isolated the compounds in a rare South Asian plant to synthesize the compounds. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1695
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September 2013
new global resource for sharing genomic datA LAUNCHED
Since the sequencing of the human genome, the cost of sequencing an individual’s genome has fallen rapidly and there has been a torrent of genomic data generated for biomedical research. In an attempt to help govern the sharing of this data across the international research community and to better encourage collaboration, a group of innovation leaders have formed a new organization with this in mind. IPAC, the International Policy interoperability and data Access Clearinghouse, was recently launched as
an international resource for policy interoperability and for sharing data to accelerate genomic medicine. The new resource was launched by the Public Population Project in Genomics and Society (P3G), in partnership with the Centre of Genomics and Policy (CGP) at McGill University and the Génome Québec Innovation Centre. Building on P3G and the CGP, IPAC will offer a “one-stop” service for national and international collaborative research projects. It will provide standardizing tools and frameworks that
news
respect the laws and regulations of each country while facilitating access to clinical and research data. “As a policy interoperability tool provider and a data access broker, the IPAC will harmonize projects to ensure successful ethics, privacy and access review, thereby reducing unnecessary bureaucracy and delays,” said professor Bartha Maria Knoppers, co-founder of P3G, Canada Research chair in Law and Medicine and director of the Centre of Genomics and Policy. Located in Montréal at the McGill University and Génome Québec Innovation Centre, the IPAC will provide the global scientific community with the expertise and ethical frameworks needed to create an information clearinghouse and support structure. “Génome Québec has always encouraged international collaborations, since they are critical to the advancement of genomic research. This confirms just how important it is to support projects like P3G, the driving force behind the IPAC resource. We are pleased to be able to leverage its activities of recent years in support of the scientific community,” said Continued on page 4
Scientists reveal how organic mercury can interfere with vision
Canadian Light Source Staff Scientist Gosia Korbas displays a cross section of a zebrafish head. Photo: Mark Ferguson. More than one billion people worldwide rely on fish as an important source of animal protein, states the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. And while fish provide slightly over seven per cent of animal protein in North America, in Asia they represent about 23 per cent of consumption. Humans consume low levels of methylmercury by eating fish and seafood. Methylmercury com-
pounds specifically target the central nervous system, and among the many effects of their exposure are visual disturbances, which were previously thought to be solely due to methylmercury-induced damage to the brain visual cortex. However, after combining powerful synchrotron X-rays and methylmercury-poisoned zebrafish larvae, scientists have found that methylmercury may also directly affect vision by accumulating in the retinal photoreceptors, i.e. the cells
that respond to light in our eyes. Dr. Gosia Korbas, BioXAS staff scientist at the Canadian Light Source (CLS), says the results of this experiment show quite clearly that methylmercury localizes in the part of the photoreceptor cell called the outer segment, where the visual pigments that absorb light reside. “There are many reports of people affected by methylmercury claiming a constricted field of vision or abnormal colour vision,” said Korbas. “Now we know that one of the reasons for their symptoms may be that methylmercury directly targets photoreceptors in the retina.” Korbas and a team of researchers from the University of Saskatchewan including professors Graham George, Patrick Krone and Ingrid Pickering conducted their experiments using three X-ray fluorescence imaging beamlines (2-ID-D, 2-ID-E and 20-ID-B) at the Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, IL, as well as the scanning X-ray transmission beamline (STXM) at the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon. After exposing zebrafish larvae to methylmercury chloride in water, the team was able to obtain highresolution maps of elemental distributions, and pinpoint the localization of mercury in the outer segments of
photoreceptor cells in both the retina and pineal gland of zebrafish specimens. The results of the research were published in ACS Chemical Biology under the title “Methylmercury Targets Photoreceptor Outer Segments”. Korbas said zebrafish are an excellent model for investigating the mechanisms of heavy metal toxicity in developing vertebrates. One of the reasons for that is their high degree of correlation with mammals. Recent studies have demonstrated that about 70 per cent of proteincoding human genes have their counterparts in zebrafish, and 84 per cent of genes linked to human diseases can be found in zebrafish. “Researchers are studying the potential effects of low level chronic exposure to methylmercury, which is of global concern due to methylmercury presence in fish, but the message that I want to get across is that such exposures may negatively affect vision. Our study clearly shows that we need more research into the direct effects of methylmercury on the eye,” Korbas concluded. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1699
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September 2013 Laboratory Focus www.laboratoryfocus.ca
news ChipCare’s handheld analyzer attracts one of Canada’s largest healthcare angel investments University of Toronto spinoff ChipCare Corporation has secured one of the largest healthcare angel investments in Canada’s history for its point-of-care analyzer. The innovative handheld device can test for a number of different diseases using a single drop of blood. Currently in development, the device has the potential to significantly improve HIV diagnostics in the developing world. It has also secured one
of the largest angel investments in Canada’s healthcare industry, with a Phase 2 financing that closed recently for $2.05 million. This investment came from a collaboration of angel investors including Maple Leaf Angels, MaRS Innovation and the University of Toronto, and was led by the federal government and Grand Challenges Canada. In a sector where angel investments have typically been few and far between, the funding is a welcome recognition of the potential of Canada’s health research sector according to Minister of International Development Christian Paradis. “This project will make a difference by saving lives in developing countries and creating jobs here in Canada,” he said. The lab-on-a-chip device runs a number of diagnostic blood tests, including HIV testing. Instead of getting the sick to travel to distant labs, it’s possible to carry out analysis on-the-spot. “This technology has the potential to save and improve the lives of millions around the world by bringing state-
of-the-art blood testing to patients, instead of asking the sick to travel to labs that are often difficult to reach,” said James Dou, ChipCare’s co-founder and CTO. “The impact on in-the-field HIV diagnostics alone could be revolutionary; this financing is critical to our commercialization roadmap.” The $2.05 million investment will support the development and commercialization of the device over the next three years, as it goes through its ‘valley of death’ period of development. ChipCare’s Phase 2 project plan
Neurosurgeons can image, treat patients within three-room suite without moving patients
First IMRIS VISIUS Surgical Theatre in Canada featuring both intraoperative MRI and angio opens at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg. “Raises the bar in bringing together neurosurgical research and improved patient outcomes,” said Dr. Neil Berrington. Photo: HSC Winnipeg,CNW Group/IMRIS Inc.
The first VISIUS® Surgical Theatre in Canada that features both intraoperative MRI (iMRI) and angiography capability together in a three-room suite has officially opened at Health Sciences Centre Winnipeg. “As Manitoba’s center for trauma and neurosciences, the IMRIS suite enhances our surgical and diagnostic expertise and gives us an important technology platform that is an integral part of emerging therapies and procedures that advance patient care,” said Dr. Neil Berrington, head
of Neurosurgery at HSC Winnipeg. “It’s a powerful part of the Centre for Surgical Innovation in our new Kleysen Institute for Advanced Medicine and raises the bar in bringing together neurosurgical research and improved patient outcomes.” The VISIUS Surgical Theatre features an MR scanner and an interventional bi-plane angiography system. Mounted on ceiling rails for on-demand movement, the MR scanner can be deployed into any of three rooms - permitting rapid and
efficient transitions between MR imaging and surgery or intervention without transporting the patient between modalities. MR images can be taken before and during procedures to assess tissue condition, and can also be used in conjunction with fluoroscopic images during neurovascular procedures. When not in use for intraoperative imaging, both the MR and fluoroscopic system are available for diagnostic use as well. The largest hospital in Winnipeg, HSC Winnipeg is the fourth Canadian institution to install a VISIUS Surgical Theatre and one of five in North America with a combined iMRI and angiography suite, providing multi-modality image guidance capabilities to assist clinicians in improving outcomes for patients during neurosurgical and interventional procedures. The angiography capability will assist surgeons with neurovascular procedures such as stroke management. IMRIS CEO Jay Miller said this is a big step for healthcare in Manitoba and Canada. “The combined benefits of the IMRIS solution will assist in addressing a broad range of neurological disorders. As a company founded in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are delighted that our solutions will be contributing to proven reductions in re-operation rates,” he said. To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1702
involves a three-year development of the device, to develop a more robust prototype and reduce costs as part of the move to scale. The company hopes the handheld analyzer will transform the way in which point-of-care diagnostics are delivered in the field for both developed and developing world populations. The handheld analyzer is a unique tool because of its low-cost (lower than similar devices currently on the market), a tech platform that gives test results quicker and more accurately, and its ability to run multiple diagnostic tests simultaneously. The device has caught the eye of some major investors, who with their combined funding have made this the second-largest healthcare angel investment in Canada. “To the best of our knowledge, this is at least the second largest healthcare angel investment in Canada’s history and it might well be the largest by the time the project reaches full maturity,” said Adrian Schauer of Maple Leaf Angels. “The diagnostic potential of this device can hardly be overstated. We are investing heavily in its commercialization because we see the potential to revolutionize bedside testing for many conditions, from HIV and malaria in the developing world, to sepsis, heart disease and cancers here at home.” To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1701 Continued from page 3 Marc LePage, president and CEO of Génome Québec. “McGill University is proud to be a founding partner of IPAC, and we thank P3G, CGP, and professor Knoppers for their leadership on this important initiative,” said Dr. Rose Goldstein, McGill’s vice-principal (Research and International Relations). “International partnerships and interdisciplinary research are fundamental to McGill’s research enterprise. We believe that by helping world-class researchers to work more collaboratively, regardless of discipline or country, we ensure that the strongest ideas will be applied to the transformative field of genomics.” To see this story online visit http://www.laboratoryfocus. ca/?p=1697
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Laboratory Focus September 2013
Pharma noteS Health Canada has approved KADCYLA (trastuzumabemtansine or T-DM1), under priority review, as a single agent for the treatment of people with HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) who received both prior treatment with HERCEPTIN® (trastuzumab) and a taxane, separately or in combination. Developed by F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd./ Roche Canada (Mississauga, ON) KADCYLA is a first in class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) and is made up of three components, an approved monoclonal antibody known as HERCEPTIN (trastuzumab), a stable linker and a potent cytotoxic agent known as DM1. KADCYLA targets cancer cells that overexpress the HER2 receptor and, via two distinct mechanisms, results in cell cycle arrest or death of cancer cells. The Health Canada approval of KADCYLA is based on results from the EMILIA Study, an open-label, international, and randomized Phase 3 study comparing KADCYLA to lapatinib in combination with XELODA® (capecitabine), one of the standard treatment options in this setting. EMILIA assessed 991 randomly assigned patients with HER2positive locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer who had previously been treated with HERCEPTIN and a taxane chemotherapy. Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (Calgary, AB) has released final tumour response data from its U.S. Phase 2 single arm clinical trial in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCLC) using intravenous administration of REOLYSIN in combination with carboplatin and paclitaxel (REO 021). The analysis examined per cent best overall tumour responses between pre-treatment and up to six treatment cycles. Of 25 evaluable patients who had more than one cycle of therapy, 23 (92%) exhibited overall tumour shrinkage (mean shrinkage was 32.7%). Of the 25
evaluable patients, 10 (40%) had partial responses (PRs), while a further 13 (52%) showed stable disease (SD) and two (8%), had progressive disease (PD), for a disease control rate (complete response (CR) + PR + SD) of 92%. The study enrolled patients with metastatic stage IIIB or stage IV, or recurrent, squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, who were chemotherapynaïve for their metastatic or recurrent cancer. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the patients’ tumour response. The secondary objectives are to assess progression-free survival and overall survival for the treatment regimen in the study population; to determine the proportion of patients receiving the above treatment who were alive and free of disease progression at six months; and to assess the safety and tolerability of the treatment regimen in the study population. Final progression-free survival and safety data for the study will be reported later in 2013. Almirall, a pharmaceutical company based in Barcelona, Spain, has launched a new affiliate in Canada. The Canadian affiliate will focus primarily on the respiratory and dermatology therapeutic areas. Based in Mississauga, the
new affiliate will support the Canadian launches of new Almirall products including an innovative new treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Tudorza™/Genuair™, which will launch in the fall. Almirall Canada is the company’s 13th affiliate joining affiliates across Europe and Mexico Transition Therapeutics Inc. (Toronto, ON) has dosed its first patient in its Phase 2a study of ELND005 in Down syndrome. Study ELND005-DS201 will evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetics of two doses of ELND005 and placebo in young adults with Down syndrome without dementia, and will also include select cognitive and behavioural measures. Information on the study design and protocol for ELND005-DS201 can be found at http://clinicaltrials.gov/. The first person was dosed at the site of Dr. Ira Lott, professor of Neurology and Pediatrics and Down syndrome expert at the University of California, Irvine. DelMar Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Vancouver, BC) and Guangxi Wuzhou PharmaceuticalCo. Ltd. have established a clinical advisory board to oversee new clinical studies aimed at expanding the market
opportunity for VAL-083, known as “DAG for Injection” in China. DelMar and Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical established a collaboration and exclusive supply agreement in 2012. Under the terms of the collaboration, the companies are working together to ensure the product specifications meet global standards in order to accelerate international development and regulatory approval for VAL-083 on a worldwide basis. VAL-083 is approved as a cancer chemotherapeutic in China for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and lung cancer. DelMar is currently conducting a Phase 1/2 doseescalation study in the U.S. designed to assess the safety and efficacy of VAL-083 as a potential treatment for patients suffering from refractory glioblastomamultiforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer, who have failed standard therapies and have no viable treatment options. DelMar and Guangxi Wuzhou Pharmaceutical have nominated physicians as an initial advisory board to provide oversight and design of clinical trials to be conducted in accordance with the terms of the collaboration agreement.
ticals, Inc. (Vancouver, BC) has completed enrollment in its Borealis-1™ randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2 trial of OGX-427 in combination with first-line gemcitabine and cisplatin in patients with metastatic bladder cancer. Approximately 180 patients have been randomized into Borealis-1 at 55 clinical sites throughout North America and Europe. The three-arm trial randomized patients to receive gemcitabine, cisplatin, and OGX-427 at two dose-levels (600 mg or 1000 mg) vs. gemcitabine, cisplatin, and placebo. The primary endpoint of the trial is overall survival. Additional analyses will be conducted to evaluate benefit/ risk of the two dosing levels using clinical benefit, safety and tolerability outcomes for each dose level. Borealis-1 is one of two ongoing clinical trials of OGX-427 in metastatic bladder cancer. The Borealis-2™ trial is an investigator-sponsored, randomized Phase 2 trial evaluating OGX-427 in combination with docetaxel in patients with advanced or metastatic bladder cancer who have disease progression following first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. This trial is sponsored by the Hoosier Oncology Group and currently enrolling patients.
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aPPointmentS
Zymeworks announces the addition of Dr. Leonard Presta to its scientific advisory board. Dr. Presta has spent more than 20 years working in the biotechnology industry, and is known for his work in the fields of antibody and protein engineering. Most recently, Presta served as a Distinguished Fellow at Merck & Co., Inc. where he was responsible for the protein engineering of all internal therapeutic antibodies. Prior to this he worked at Genentech, Inc., including as director of the Antibody Technology Group where he was responsible for or led the protein engineering of notable antibody therapeutics including Herceptin®, Perjeta® Raptiva®, Xolair®, Avastin®, and Lucentis®. He is an inventor on more than 130 U.S. patents and has served on the editorial boards of notable journals including the Journal of Biological Chemistry, PROTEINS, and MABS. Dr. Presta received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Texas A&M University in the computational modeling of proteinligand interactions. Dr. Michael Raymont has accepted the permanent role as president and CEO of AVAC Ltd. Dr. Ray-
mont is a long serving director of AVAC who has acted as the interim president and CEO of AVAC since November of 2012. His commercial experience includes five years in the U.S. as chairman and CEO of a Boston-based capital assets solution provider to Fortune 1000 companies. Prior to that assignment, Raymont was president and CEO of two Canadian-based technology companies and CEO of the non-regulated subsidiaries of Telus Corporation where he managed its venture investments as well as its U.S. and international operations.
Raymont also brings extensive expertise with early and later-stage financial investments including his role as chairman of Borderline Asia and as director of Arzaq Power Investments LLC. of Qatar. Dr. Raymont has assisted in bringing two Chinese companies to list on the Toronto Venture Exchange and now serves as a corporate director of both companies. He has also served at the assistant Deputy Minister and Deputy Minister levels of the federal government where he was initially vice president, Technology and Industry Support of the National Research Council of Canada which included NRC’s successful IRAP programme and then acting president of NRC.
Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
The Proof of Principle Program Committee at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has appointed Dr. Clermont Beaulieu, director, Business Development in Life Sciences, at Univalor to its committee. Proof of principle is a funding tool designed to help Canadian health researchers share their academic findings with the marketplace. The goal is to advance discoveries or inventions to attract new investment, create new businesses, organizations and scientific initiatives and ultimately, improve the health of Canadians. The committee on which Beaulieu will sit evaluates grant applications submitted to the program. After studying life sciences with a specialization in neuroscience at leading universities, including Oxford, Mr. Beaulieu began his career at the Université de Montréal as a researcher in the department of pathology and cell biology. He then served as vice president, Research and Development, in a large private company, while also serving as the general manager in a biotechnology spinoff company. He joined Univalor in 2009.
The University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) announces the appointment of Dr. Thierry Mesana, cardiac surgeon and former chief
LifeSciences BC is announces the appointment of Paul V. Drohan as its new president and CEO. Drohan has over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, and has recently returned from the United Kingdom where he lived and worked for the past eight years. Most recently, Drohan was with Genzyme (a Sanofi Company) as senior Global vice president, leading the organizations’ strategic, financial and sales and marketing operations performance for the U.K., Republic of Ireland, South
Xenon Pharmaceuticals Inc. has named Ian Mortimer as its new chief financial officer. Mortimer has over 15 years experience in the biotechnology sector and is currently executive vice president and CFO at Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Prior to his most recent position at Tekmira, he was CFO at Inex Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Mortimer has an MBA from Queen’s University, a B.Sc. in Microbiology from the University of British Columbia and is a Certified Management Accountant. He will join Xenon as CFO full time by November 1, 2013.
of the Division of Cardiac Surgery, as its new president and CEO. Dr. Mesana will begin his five-year term on April 1, 2014. Previously, he was a visiting professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, MA. He worked as a full professor of Cardiac Surgery and was the chair of Adult Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in Marseille, France. After that, he was appointed chief of Cardiac Surgery at UOHI. Dr. Mesana got his medical degree at the Université de la Méditerranée, Marseille, France, where he trained in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. He got his PhD in biophysics from the same university after extensive experimental work on artificial heart and ventricular assist devices. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
STI CEO Steve Nicolle has been appointed to the BioNova board of directors. The executive of the Halifax-based company joined the local life sciences organization in late August, bringing with him ten years of CEO and board-level experience at New England venture-backed technology companies, in addition to his knowledge and experience in his CEO role at STI since 2010. Prior to joining STI he was CEO of Tatara Systems and Sigma Systems, COO at March Networks, chairman of Searidge Technologies, and president of Nortel’s Service Provider eBusiness Solutions Group.Nicolle is a computer science graduate of the University of Western Ontario and started his career at Bell Northern Research as a software developer. The Board of Directors of the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) announces the appointment of Rick Blickstead as president and CEO, effective October 1, 2013. He joins the CDA after almost 11 years as CEO of the Wellesley Institute, a Toronto-based population health research and policy institute. He has experience working with multiple stakeholders in this role and previously in executive leadership roles with Peoples Jewellers, Wal-Mart, Dylex, Holt Renfrew and RONA. Currently he is an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto, a Fellow of the Social Innovation Generation at MaRS and has been the operational team leader for Seeing is Believing, an initiative of the Prince’s Trust (UK) and Prince’s Charities Canada. He is also a member of several boards, including the Toronto Central LHIN, Young Presidents/World Presidents Organization, and Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Policy and Advocacy Committee.
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Laboratory Focus September 2013
feature
By Gene Shematek
Psychological Health & Safety at Work A new Canadian standard was published by the Canadian Standards Association and the Bureau de normalization du Québec in January 2013. The standard, Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation1, was commissioned by the Mental Health Commission of Canada to assist organizations to strive towards attaining and maintaining psychologically healthy and safe workplaces. The importance of psychological health and safety at work has been the focus of considerable research, most of which indicates strong parallels between a healthy and safe workplace and increased productivity, improved employee retention, and reductions in absenteeism and associated costs. In 2008, Health Canada released a report that studied the increasing levels of workplace stress associated with work-life imbalance and what could be done to reduce this source of stress. In this study (available at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ewhsemt/pubs/occup-travail/balancingequilibre/index-eng.php), more than 50 per cent of the 31,000 respondents reported high levels of stress and more than one in three suffered burnout. Many laboratory workers would not find this surprising. While the focus in occupational health and safety in laboratories is most often on biological, chemical and physical hazards of work, psychological hazards are being increasingly recognized as impacting the health, safety and well-being of workers. A variety of situations, events, conditions and personalities contribute to psychological hazards. Workplace stress spills into home life, often creating additional stress. Similarly, stress outside of work can greatly impact our ability to function effectively and efficiently at work.
Assessing and Controlling Psychological Hazards Figure 1 shows examples of potential psychological hazards with suggested controls to reduce the likelihood or impact of the hazard.2
Figure 1 Potential hazard
Control strategies
Abuse by members of the public or by co-workers or workplace clients
• Isolating workers from the general, public; • Restricted access to work areas; • “Panic buttons” in reception areas; • “No abuse” policies; • Worker education on recognition and management of potential violent behaviour; • Administrative policies and procedures related to harassment, bullying and violence; • Reporting, investigation and follow-up procedures for incidents to prevent recurrence
Technostress related to the introduction of new technologies
• Selection of equipment with user-friendly features; • Provision of sufficient training; • Back-up plans in case of failures; • Change management strategies; • Realistic expectations for the use of communication technology; • Time management strategies; • Provision of support resources “help desk”
Hazards related to shiftwork and hours of work
• Work environment designed to improve alertness; • Appropriate temperature and lighting levels; • Limit hours of work and overtime; • Shift design; • Quality breaks; • Individual strategies to obtain appropriate sleep through healthy lifestyle choices; • Plan for the safe commute to and from work
Stress related to work-life conflict
• Management policies to support healthy work-life balance; • Work assignments to reduce heavy workloads; • Appropriate staffing; • Alternative working arrangements
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September 2013 Laboratory Focus www.laboratoryfocus.ca
Feature Accreditation Requirements Relating to Workplace Violence Given the increased risk of violence in healthcare, Accreditation Canada introduced a new Required Organizational Practice on Workplace Violence Prevention in 2010 that incorporates a requirement to consider various types of violence and develop a program to prevent and manage incidents of violence. Major requirements include a violence prevention policy, designated responsibility for the program, employee participation, risk assessment processes, education and training, reporting and investigation of incidents, and data collection and reporting to senior management.
Bullying While workplace violence perpetrated by patients or clients is often discussed, a more insidious hazard of co-worker abuse is present in many workplaces. In recent years, workplace bullying has become an important topic in occupational health and safety. Recognizing the serious impacts of workplace bullying on productivity, employee satisfaction, staff turnover and health costs has led to the introduction of legislation in many jurisdictions to address the issue. According to the CCOHS article “Bullying in the Workplace” , bullying is seen as “acts or verbal comments that could ‘mentally’ hurt or isolate a person in the workplace; …it usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviours that is intended to intimidate, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people.” Bullying is a very difficult issue to tackle, as the bully often displays different characteristics when communicating with different people. People may find it very difficult to believe that this “reasonable person” they know could be a bully. As a result, the victim of the bully is often seen as the problem. There is sometimes reluctance on the part of the organization to recognize bullying and it tries to approach it as inter-personal conflict that can be resolved with mediation. This complicates the approach to dealing with a bully. Several resources are available to assist workers if they believe they are being bullied.3,4
Technostress New equipment, new diagnostic techniques, new quality control processes and increased use of clinical information systems are common in laboratories. Peter Brillhart defined technostress as “personal stress generated by reliance on technological devices, a panicky feeling when they fail, and a state of near-constant stimulation or being constantly “plugged in.”5 There are often great expectations
Figure 2 Examples of Bullying Behaviours: • Ispreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo that is not true • excluding or isolating someone socially • intimidating a person • undermining or deliberately impeding a person’s work • physically abusing or threatening abuse • removing areas of responsibilities without cause • constantly changing work guidelines • establishing impossible deadlines that will set up the individual to fail • withholding necessary information or purposefully giving the wrong information • making jokes that are ‘obviously offensive’ by spoken word or e-mail • intruding on a person’s privacy by pestering, spying or stalking • assigning unreasonable duties or workload which are unfavourable to one person (in a way that creates unnecessary pressure) • underwork - creating a feeling of uselessness • yelling or using profanity • criticizing a person persistently or constantly • belittling a person’s opinions • unwarranted (or undeserved) punishment • blocking applications for training, leave or promotion • tampering with a person’s personal belongings or work equipment.
Figure 3 Good Practice Guidelines for Shift Work Schedule Design6 • Plan a workload that is appropriate to the length and timing of the shift. • Avoid scheduling demanding, dangerous, safety-critical or monotonous tasks during the night shift, particularly during the early morning hours when alertness is at its lowest. • Engage workers in the design and planning of shift schedules. • Avoid scheduling workers on permanent night shifts. • Use a forward-rotating schedule for rotating shifts, when possible. • Avoid early morning shift starts before 7AM, if possible. • Limit shifts to a maximum of 12 hours (including overtime) and consider the needs of vulnerable workers. • Limit night shift to 8 hours for work that is demanding, dangerous, safety critical or monotonous. • Avoid split shifts unless absolutely necessary. • Encourage and promote the benefit of regular breaks away from the workstation. • Where possible, allow workers some discretion over the timing of breaks but discourage workers from saving up break time for the end of the workday. • In general, limit consecutive working days to a maximum of 5-7 days. • For long work shifts (>8 hours), for night shifts and for shifts with early morning starts, consider limiting consecutive shifts to 2-3 days. • When switching from day to night shifts (or vice versa), allow workers a minimum of 2 nights’ full sleep. • Build regular free weekends into the shift schedule.
of increased productivity and efficiency with the introduction of new technology. More tests per hour, better accuracy, improved time management, quicker access to results and health records are all widely advertised benefits of new technology. One often overlooked factor is employee confidence in using the new technology. Enabling a successful introduction of new technologies requires training for workers and enough time for workers to feel competent in their use.
Shiftwork and Work Hours Long work hours and shiftwork may be stressors for many workers, however, it is not always possible to eliminate them. The guidelines in Figure 3 will assist in reducing the psychological impacts of shift work.
Work-Life Imbalance We often hear that workers find it difficult to balance the demands of work with those of outside-of-work activities. This work-life imbalance may be very stressful and ultimately impact productivity and employee well-being. An employer should strive to develop policies and programs that support work-life balance. The following is a list of general work-life balance policies and programs to consider: • Flexible time arrangements including alternative work schedules, compressed work week, voluntary reduced hours / part-time work and phased in retirement • Flexible work locations through the use of technology such as telecommuting and satellite offices, where possible • Flexible job design through job re-
design, job sharing • Wellness programs • Flexible benefits including paid and unpaid leaves for maternity, parental care giving, educational and sabbatical leaves • Employer sponsored childcare and eldercare practice and referral services Managers should strive to be effective at planning the work to be done, make themselves available to answer worker questions, set clear expectations, listen to worker concerns and give recognition for a job well done.
Reacting to Workplace Stressors In addition to the stressors in the work environment, hazards are also created by the way people react to
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stress. These hazards impact not only the individual worker who is reacting to stress, but also co-workers and family members. Examples of the impacts of stress on individuals that can contribute to workplace safety are shown in Figure 4.
Communication and Respect Communication and respectful relationships between workers and management are key determinants in the psychological well-being of workers. Many workers may be facing a variety of issues outside of work, including financial problems, family problems, and health issues that may seriously impact their ability to focus on work or constructively interact with others. Supervisors, managers and workers should learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stress-related behaviours and address them promptly. Workers should be encouraged to communicate concerns to management and work together to control workplace psychological hazards.
Additional resources 1. Accreditation Canada, http:// www.accreditation.ca/en/content.aspx?pageid=66 2. Alberta Human Services, Handbook of Hazards and Controls for Laboratory Workers, available at http://humanservices.alberta.ca/ documents/OHS-WSA-handbooklaboratory-workers.pdf 3. ASIS International Healthcare Security Council; Managing Disruptive Behavior and Workplace Violence in Healthcare; ASIS International; 2011. available at http://www.g4s.us/~/media/Files/ USA/PDF-Articles/Hospitals%20 and%20Healthcare/Council_ Healthcare_WorkplaceViolence. ashx 4. Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety; OSH Answers – Working Alone – General; available at http://www.ccohs. ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/ workingalone.html 5. Canadian Initiative on Workplace Violence; http://www.work-
placeviolence.ca/legislation/index.html#top 6. CSA & BNQ, Psychological health and safety in the workplace – Prevention, promotion, and guidance to staged implementation CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700803/2013; http://shop.csa.ca/ en/canada/occupational-healthand-safety-management/cancsa-z1003-13bnq-9700-8032013/ invt/z10032013 7. Government of Alberta; Best Practice Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety in the Healthcare Industry, Volume 5 – Best Practices for the Assessment and Control of Psychological Hazards; 2011; available at http://humanservices.alberta.ca/ documents/bp013-bestpracticesvolume5.pdf 8. Newman, Jennifer and Grigg, Darryl; Recognize the Signs of a Toxic Workplace; Vancouver Sun; April 21, 2007; available at http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/archives/story. html?id=f3852087-2632-45b4ba36-399617115c00 9. Ontario Safety Association for Community & Healthcare (Public Services Health & Safety Association) , A guide to the development of a Workplace Violence Prevention Program – Implementing the Program in Your Organization, Resource Manual, 3rd Edition, 2006 10. Richards, Jon; Management of Workplace Violence Victims; Joint Programme on Workplace Violence in the Health Sector; International Labour Office (ILO), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Public Services International (PSI); available at http://www.who.int/ violence_injury_prevention/violence/interpersonal/en/WVmanagementvictimspaper.pdf 11. U.S. Department of Labor – Occupational Health and Safety Administration; OSHA Fact Sheet – Workplace Violence 2002; available at http://www.osha.
feature
Supervisors, managers and workers should learn to recognize the signs and symptoms of stressrelated behaviours and address them promptly. Workers should be encouraged to communicate concerns to management and work together to control workplace psychological hazards. gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/ factsheet-workplace-violence.pdf 12. WorkSafe BC, Preventing Violence in Health Care – Five steps to an effective program; Workers’ Compensation Board of BC; 2005 ISSN 1718-1909; http://www. worksafebc.com/publications/ health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/violhealthcare.pdf 13. WorkSafe Victoria, Prevention and management of aggression in health services, 2009, available at http://www.commerce.wa.gov.au/WorkSafe/PDF/ Guides/Aggression_in_health_ web.pdf
2.
3.
4.
References: 1.
Standards Council of Canada, CAN/CSA-Z1003-13/BNQ 9700-803/2013, available for download at no charge from
5.
figure 4 effect of workplace stress on some workers
Suggestions for managing impacts
Depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, other mental illness as a response to excessive workplace stressors
• Worker education about symptoms; • Investigation and elimination of underlying workplace stressors; • Support services for those impacted; • Benefit plans and return to work programs that support rehabilitation; • For individuals, communication with personal physicians, development of a support system, and coping skills
Substance abuse
• Policies and procedures related to substance abuse; • Worker education about the signs and symptoms of substance abuse; • Provision of counselling services; • Treatment plans
6.
http://shop.csa.ca/en/canada/ occupational-health-and-safety-management/cancsa-z100313bnq-9700-8032013/invt/ z10032013 Modified from the Handbook of Hazards and Controls for Laboratory Workers, Alberta Human Services, accessible at http:// humanservices.alberta.ca/documents/OHS-WSA-handbook-laboratory-workers.pdf Available at http://www.ccohs.ca/ oshanswers/psychosocial/bullying.html Public Services Health & Safety Association; Bullying in the Workplace: A Handbook for the Workplace; 2010; ISBN 978-1926937-07-6 Brillhart, Pater “Technostress in the Workplace – Managing Stress in the Electronic Workplace”, The Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge, September 2004. Adapted from Government of the U.K; Health and Safety Executive; Managing shift work HSG256; 2006; www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ priced/hsg256.pdf
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September 2013 Laboratory Focus www.laboratoryfocus.ca
feature
b y: don weldon and g ra ce JohnSton
Gene Expression Studies
in Live Cells with
RNA Detection Reagents
Detecting RNAs in individual, live cells can help researchers assess gene expression changes that occur in direct response to specified perturbations.
figure 1
Molecular mechanism of SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probe.
Example of QC plots of Pre-and Post-Cleanup Library Preparations for Tumor/Benign pair A.
These studies allow scientists to discover cells that express particular genes at particular levels in real time, providing valuable insights into the relationships between gene expression networks and cell functions. Despite the benefits of working with live cells, however, traditional technologies have limited gene expression studies to lysed or fixed cell populations. EMD Millipore’s SmartFlare™ detection probes offer a novel solution, with their ability to detect specific mRNAs and miRNAs in live, intact cells. The technology allows for carrier-free cellular endocytosis of the reagent, followed by detection and relative quantitative analysis of RNA levels. The reagent then leaves the cell, meaning the same sample can be used for any additional analyses, such as the assessment of multiple biomarkers or downstream functionalities. The structure of the SmartFlare™ probe and its mechanism of action are shown in Figure 1. Each probe
continued on page 12
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feature consists of a gold nanoparticle conjugated to many copies of the same double-stranded oligonucleotide encoding the target sequence. One strand of the oligonucleotide bears a fluorophore that is quenched by its proximity to the gold core. When the nanoparticle comes into contact with its target, the target RNA displaces the fluorophore. The reporter strand, now unquenched, fluoresces and can be detected using any fluorescence detection platform. The many potential uses of this technology include the sorting of cells based on gene expression, allowing even higher levels of enrichment using additional intracellular markers, single cell detection of RNA, and detection of multiple types of biomolecules (such as protein + RNA) in the same sample. The probes can also be used for multiplexed detection of up to two different RNAs (using different fluorophores), enabling the normalization of gene expression levels to “housekeeping” or “control” genes within individual cells. In addition, currently used methods for RNA interrogation involve examination of non-native, amplified RNA targets, making it difficult to correlate results to in vivo observations. In vivo, most cells reside in heterogeneous tissues, and cell-to-cell variation in gene expression can be subtle yet crucial for tissue function. However, gene expression information that distinguishes one heterogeneous cell population from another with high resolution is not obtainable using conventional methods. In contrast, SmartFlare™ probes can quantitate RNAs in individual cells to provide this higher level of gene expression detail.
SmartFlare™ Protocol SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probes require no upfront sample preparation, and have no toxic effects on cellular fate and no known nonspecific, off-target effects. The following general protocol is used for the probes; however, concentrations of probe, incubation times and detection methods can vary depending on the specific cell types and probes used. 1. Culture cells to 60-80%
The many potential uses of this technology include the sorting of cells based on gene expression, allowing even higher levels of enrichment using additional intracellular markers, single cell detection of RNA.
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Feature Figure 2
Probe detection of mRNA levels correlates to RT-PCR data.
mRNA levels of EGFR RNA (A) in HeLa and MCF-7 cells and FGF2 mRNA (B) in HUVEC and HT1376 cells as quantitated using SmartFlare™; both sets of results correlate to their RT-PCR levels. Flow cytometry provides added information at the single cell level as well as how the expression is distributed within the population.
Continued from page 10
confluency 2. Add SmartFlare™ probe 3. Incubate overnight (16 hours) 4. Detect via flow cytometry, microscopy, or any other fluorescent detection platform A typical SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probe exhibits specificity for its target, as evidenced by the increase in fluorescence upon addition of the target sequence compared to a background control containing nontarget sequence.
Confirming Expression Levels with qPCR Results We treated cells with SmartFlare™ probes and measured subsequent fluorescence with flow cytometry to
measure the levels of two mRNA targets, EGFR and FGF2, in cell types that express of each of these targets differently (Figure 2, left). To confirm expression levels, we used reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to quantitate the same RNAs in these cells. Because SmartFlare™ technology allows for downstream analysis following detection and analysis, RT-PCR was performed on the same cells to compare the relative amounts of target RNA in each cell type (Figure 2). The cells which show lower Ct values indeed correlate to the higher expression by flow cytometry, indicating that the higher level of RNA target present is reflected in the histogram as having a higher mean fluorescence intensity. The histograms revealed additional information on the variation of the expression within each cell population. For example, the HeLa cells (sharp yellow peak) showed much more uniform expression of EGFR than MCF-7 cells (wider orange peak). Fluorescence microscopy was performed on HeLa and MCF-7 cells following addition of either an EGFR probe or a scrambled sequence. The HeLa cells showed a dramatic increase in fluorescence with the EGFR probe compared to the MCF7 cells. Both cell types showed low levels of fluorescence with scrambled sequence. The results correlate with our flow cytometry and RT PCR data (data not shown).
Distinguishing Cell Types via miRNA Quantitation miRNAs can be effective biomarkers for disease states because they are powerful regulators of gene expression and frequently determine cell fate. Cell types can often be distinguished comparing relative levels of specific miRNAs. A probe to miR-21 was developed to test the ability of SmartFlare™ technology, in conjunction with flow cytometry, to detect differences in expression between two cell types: HEK-293 cells (expressing low levels of miR-21) and DU-145 cells (expressing high levels of mIR-21). As expected, low expression was seen in the HEK-293 cells (Figure 3, far left section of the his-
miRNAs can be effective biomarkers for disease states because they are powerful regulators of gene expression and frequently determine cell fate.
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feature figure 3
Target-specific miRNA detection using flow cytometry.
Detection of a micro RNA target miR-21 in both HEK-293 cells (typically used as a low expresser of miR-21) and in DU-145 (a prostate cancer cell line known to express high levels of miR-212) using flow cytometry. The histogram showing the HEK-293 cell population is shown overlaid with the histogram of the DU-145 cell population, reflecting two distinct populations of cells based on their gene expression profile.
togram), while DU-145 cells showed distinctly higher expression (Figure 3, far right of the histogram).
Conclusion These results demonstrate that the SmartFlare™ reagent is sensitive and specific. In addition, it can detect both micro and messenger RNA in the cytosol of living cells and has shown good correlation to qRT-PCR. Furthermore, the probes are platform agnostic, enabling relative quantitation via flow cytometry or via microscopy, without amplification. SmartFlare™ technology is easy to use and robust. Importantly, it allows cells to be reused following analysis and after cell sorting for additional downstream experiments on those same cells. By allowing researchers to study gene expression in real time and determine which genes are up- or down-regulated in stimulated cells, this technology can boost the significance of observed links between genotype and phenotype in heterogeneous cell populations, truly enhancing the value of data obtained for RNA analysis.
Don Weldon holds a Bachelor’s degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from San Diego State University. He has worked in the
Biotech industry as a research scientist for over 10 years with a focus on new emerging technologies including gene targeting in mice, molecular analysis of transgenes using GFP variants at the single cell level. His current focus involves working on a novel technology for RNA detection in live cells. Grace Johnston is a Marketing Manager at Merck Millipore currently overseeing the product development and commercialization of SmartFlare™ RNA Detection Probes. With more than 10 years of experience in Life Science, R&D and Marketing, she has commercialized products in fields ranging from filtration to cell biology. She received her PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from the University of Rochester, NY, USA.
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feature
by the StandardS council of canada
Assessors play vital role in ensuring quality laboratory results
A growing number of government regulations. Encouragement by industry peers and customers. A fiercely competitive global trade arena. These are a few of the reasons behind Canadian testing laboratories’ increasing efforts to comply with international standards. Assessors greatly contribute to the ongoing implementation of the Standards Council of Canada’s (SCC’s) Laboratory Accreditation Program. SCC accredits conformity assessment bodies, such as testing laboratories, to internationally recognized standards. “Having an accredited laboratory increases the assurance of the public and other regulatory authorities – including regulatory authorities of other countries – that the test results are reliable, competent and valuable,” says Chantal Guay, SCC’s vice-president, Accreditation Services. “In addition to the benefits SCC brings to Canadians’ health and safety, SCC is a member of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and
the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC),” she says. “Both IAF and ILAC promote the mutual recognition of accreditations and certifications worldwide.”
Two key international standards Two key international standards that have a direct impact on citizens’ health and safety, and that testing laboratories comply with, are ISO/IEC 17025 General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories and ISO 15189 Medical laboratories — Particular requirements for quality and competence. ISO/IEC 17025 provides a globally accepted basis for laboratory accreditation. The implementation of this international standard demonstrates an organization’s competence to perform specific, vital testing methods and to meet the general requirements for the quality system of a testing laboratory. The implementation of ISO 15189 provides greater accuracy of test results generated by clinical and
Yvon-Louis Trottier has been the Regional Microbiology Laboratory supervisor for Health Canada’s Regional Food Laboratory (based in Longueuil, Quebec), and has worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for a combined total of some 20 years.
medical testing laboratories. “Accredited organizations, including laboratories, are distinguished from those that are not,” says Guay. “More and more, both public- and private-sector laboratories around the world are requesting that their suppliers have gone through accredited testing, inspection or certification, in order for them to do business together.”
The vital role of assessors In carrying out conformity assessment activities to determine that a process, product or service meets relevant technical standards and fulfills relevant requirements, SCC recognizes the important ways in which assessors assist the organization’s work. Yvon-Louis Trottier exemplifies the important role that assessors play. Trottier has been the Regional Microbiology Laboratory supervisor for Health Canada’s Regional Food Laboratory (based in Longueuil, Québec, near Montréal), and has worked for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, for a combined total of some 20 years. The team he has managed inspects laboratories testing food safety and natural health products. As well, the team assesses inspectorate programs for drugs and medications and supports the water testing program for Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. In describing the nature of the team’s work, Trottier says, “We look at (a laboratory’s) analytical methods, at the measure of uncertainty of (its test) results, at the management of (an organization’s) whole testing program and at the confidence level of the results delivered to the client. We (also) look at how closely the lab is conforming to a standard.” Trottier maintains that the confidence level of laboratory test results is very important. “For instance, a false positive (test result) could end up in recalls of massive amounts of food, which would be detrimental for
commerce,” he says. “Canada is recognized as a leader in terms of ensuring a high level of confidence in (its laboratory test) results, to ensure food safety for all Canadians, and also for imported products, to be sure that we’re protected from any kinds of disease or fraud.” Having more than 30 years of experience in the field, Trottier recently retired. He says he is extremely proud of the work he and his team have carried out and has enjoyed sharing knowledge and experience with other lead assessors. “Every time you do a technical assessment, it’s a new world, new people, new fields. It’s constantly changing. It’s a new adventure every time.”
Learn more at World Standards Day 2013 SCC invites you to join us, and the international community, in celebrating our World Standards Day (WSD) 2013 event in Vancouver, British Columbia, on October 16. SCC’s presentations and panel discussion will underscore how conforming to international standards ensures quality laboratory results. As well, SCC will screen its new video entitled Assessors Wanted. The video highlights the vital role Canadian assessors play in ensuring organizations’ adherence to international standards. To learn more about opportunities for becoming an assessor, please visit www.scc. ca/assessors.
This article is reprinted with permission from SCC’s website feature article (August 2013).
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New Products
Software Bio Rad Laboratories, Inc. KnowItAll® Informatics System 2013 spectroscopy software offers solutions for spectral analysis, identification, search, data management, and reporting. It supports multiple instrument vendor file formats and techniques (IR, Raman, NIR, NMR, MS, UV-Vis). The software can be used by chemists in combination with the company’s spectral reference collections data (over 1.4 million spectra). The system also includesAdditions to ATR-IR, IR, Raman, NMR, and MS reference spectral collections, enhanced Raman spectrum management, performance optimizations and workflow simplifications as well as advanced GC-MS database building and linking capabilities.
Web: www.bio-rad.com/en-us/spectroscopy
Liquid Handling Mettler Toledo subsidiary Rainin Instrument has released Liquidator 96, a bench-scale, 96-channel high through manual pipette. The Liquidator 96 allows pipetting in 96- and 384-well plates, PCR plates, 8- and 12-channel reservoirs as well as 96-deepwell plates. Its handling speed represents a critical pipetting benefit, particularly when working with time-critical ELISA test procedures. Also, because Liquidator 96 works just like a manual pipette, it can be used by lab technicians at any experience level. The Liquidator 96 fits any bench-top or laminar-flow cabinet making it suitable for cleanroom conditions.
Web: www.mt.com/liquidator
Centrifuges The Allegra X-5 air-cooled benchtop centrifuge from Beckman Coulter Life Sciences is designed specifically for clinical sample preparation.Bundled packages, which include swinging bucket rotors and common adapters, enable fast and convenient setup, are offered for a range of clinical sample prep applications, and make it easy to order these energy efficient units.Throughput and productivity are enhanced through seamless integration with the Beckman Coulter Automate 2500 family of sample processing systems. Furthermore, Beckman Coulter UniCelDxC and UniCelDxI sample racks can be spun directly in the centrifuge, eliminating transfer steps. A small footprint allows the unit to fit comfortably on the benchtop, while still providing capacity for up to 140 blood collection tubes. Maximum speed of 4700 rpm and centrifugal force of up to 4470 x g shortens run times.
Web: www.BeckmanCoulter.com
Meters AALBORG® Instruments’ announces the launch of its new ACRU line of Acrylic Flow Meters. These unique meters are being offered with any one of the interchangeable direct reading scales for Air, Water, Argon, Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Helium or Hydrogen.Dual scales display flow rates in both metric and English units. Optional scales can be developed for diverse flow conditions facilitating OEM applications. The yellow colored Back Plate enhances scale readability and minimizes eye fatigue. The meters are configured for “in-line ¼” Female NPT connections.
Web: www.Aalborg.com
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New Products Titrator JM Science’s AQUACOUNTER® Volumetric Karl Fischer Titrator (AQV-300)is rugged, reliable, easy-to-use andhas performance features which allows measure of moisture content from low to high concentrations quickly and accurately. Measurements are simple and routine with calculation functions that include concentration, factor standardization, statistics, and recalculation. The AQV-300 has six built-in calculation modes to accommodate solid, liquid and gas samples. Four files with preset conditions can be stored in memory and allows instant recall of data for up to 20 samples. This unit comes with a small footprint with integrated magnetic stirrer. A newly designed buret tip ensures precise titration. Two RS-232C ports are convenient for balance and computer interfaces for GLP and ISO documentation. It is CE approved. The titrator comes with DVD training movie, plasticized quick-start guide for use in the lab, paper and pdf manual. Also included, complete accessories, download software for transferring results to a laptop or PC, and RS-232 cable.
Web: www.jmscience.com
Pumps Thenew Legato 110 Dual Rate Syringe Pump System (Legato 110 DRS) from KD Scientific offers researchers complete flexibility to start two pumps simultaneously for delivery of two independent flow rates. The pumps are synchronized through a special input/output cable included with the system. It comes complete with two programmable infuse/withdraw syringe pumps along with an input/ output communications cable to synchronously operate the pumps.All control is set through the innovative Legato touch screen user interface. No external programming or computer is required.Both syringe pumps in the system have a wide flow rate range from 1.28 pl/min to 88.28 ml/ min. Each pump can be individually set for whatever the experiment requires.
Web: www.kdscientific.com
Columns Roche cOmplete His-Tag Purification Column is designed for researchers performing histidine-tagged protein purification from lysates. The new column uses Roche’s proprietary nickel-chelate chemistry and is compatible with commonly used reducing agents (DTT), metalloproteinase inhibiting reagents such as EDTA, and different buffer and salt environments. This allows researchers to choose optimal buffer conditions for the target protein in a convenient pre-packed format.Following the purification step, the column does not require buffer exchange or resin recharging therefore avoiding a costly and time consuming process. In addition, the resin’s minimized nickel ion leakage not only reduces toxic nickel waste, but also stabilizes the target protein by preventing nickel ions from catalyzing protein oxidation. Thanks to the additional format, researchers can choose their preferred method of purification. The cOmplete His-Tag Purification Resin can be used for batch purification as well as on automated systems based on FPLC. Pre-packed cOmplete His-Tag Purification Columns are available in two sizes (1 ml and 5 ml) and are compatible with standard instruments for protein purification.
Web:www.complete.roche.com.
September 2013 Laboratory Focus www.laboratoryfocus.ca
Titrator The HI 904 Karl Fischer CoulometricTitrator for moisture analysis is an extension of Hanna’s titrator platform. The HI 904 combines a precision dosing system with optically-regulated magnetic stirring, endpoint determination, dosing and background drift correction algorithms. The result is an extremely adaptable titrator. The titrator measures 1ppm to 5 per cent, requires no titrant, instead using a generator electrode and can be used for liquids or solids. A pulsed DC current is applied to the generator electrode and results in oxidation of free iodide to iodine (the titrant) at the platinum anode. Alcohol, sulfur dioxide and base (pyridine or imidazole) present in the reagents react to form a salt that is oxidized by the generated iodine. This reaction consumes water present in the cell in a 1:1 ratio (iodine:water). Once all of the water is consumed, the excess iodine is detected using a bilvoltammetric detector electrode and signals the end of the titration. The result is calculated from the amount of current applied to complete the reaction and the length of time that the generator electrode is active.
Web: www.hannainst.com.
NMR Spectrometry Academic and industrial laboratories can collect routine highresolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data on molecules in solution using the Thermo Scientific picoSpin 80, a portable NMR spectrometer built for benchtop operation. The instrument’s magnet, rated at 2 Tesla, is designed to provide superior resolution of chemical and structural characteristics not available using lower magnetic field strengths.ThepicoSpin 80 spectrometer features include its lightweight, portable design intended to make it easy to share the instrument across multiple laboratories and easy-to-operate fluid capillary system that does not require NMR tubes or other consumables.
Web: www.picospin.com.
DNA-Sequencing The NEXTflex™ Rapid DNASeq Kit from Bioo Scientific enables construction of sequencing-ready libraries in less than 2 hours, with a flexible input range from 1 ng to 1 µg of DNA. A beadbased, gel-free size selection protocol and the availability of up to 96 unique adapter barcodes facilitate highthroughput applications. The NEXTflex Rapid DNA-Seq Kit is ideal for use with genomic DNA, FFPE samples, ChIP DNA and low input clinical samples. This kit also features Enhanced Adapter Ligation Technology, offering improved ligation efficiency and resulting in library preps with a larger number of unique sequencing reads.
Web: www.biooscientific.com
www.laboratoryfocus.ca Laboratory Focus
SEPTEMBER 2013
September 2013
Calendar
November 13-14
12th Annual Market Access Summit, Canada Sherbrooke International Life Venue: Toronto, ON Sciences Summit Tel: 1-866-298-9343 Venue: Sherbrooke, QC Fax: 1-866-298-9344 Tel: +1-819-821-5577 Email: customercare@ RC_lab_new:Layout 1 12/19/2012 10:01 AM Page 1 Email: meduchaine@ strategyinstitute.com sherbrooke-innopole.com Web: www.marketaccesscanada.ca Web: http://sils-sherbrooke.com/
September 26-27
Email: healthinnovation@ivey.ca Web: http://sites.ivey.ca/ healthinnovation/
DECEMBER 2013 December 1-6
November 26, 2013
OCTOBER 2013 October 2-3
2013 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit Venue: Boston, MA Tel: 724-779-3003 Fax: 724-779-8313
Global Health Conference Venue: Toronto, ON Tel: 519-661-2111
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Email: info@mrs.org Web: www.mrs.org
December 2-4 10th Annual Canadian Renewable Fuels Summit Venue: Montréal, QC Tel: 613-594-5528 Email: a.kent@greenfuels.org Web: www.greenfuels.org/en/ industry-information/summit.aspx
BioContact Québec Venue: Québec, QC Tel : 418-694-8778 Fax : 418-694-0614 Email: lysbeth@biocontact.ca Web: www.biocontact.qc.ca
SRC103
October 12-16 Combined Meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Societies Venue: Venice, Italy Tel: 847-823-5770 Fax: 847-823-5772 Email: info@cors2013.org Web: http://www.cors2013.org/
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Biofibe 2013 Venue: Winnipeg, MB Tel: 204-272-5095 Fax: 204-272-2961 E-mail: biofibe@lsam.ca Web: www.biofibe.com/ 2013 Award Recipients’ Symposium
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October 24 2013 Gairdner Awards Receptients’ Symposium Venue: Toronto, ON Email: sheila.robinson@gairdner.org Web: www.gairdner.org/content/ about-our-events
October 27-31 Materials Science & Technology Conference and Exhibition combined with ACerS 115th Annual Meeting Venue: Montreal, QC Tel: 614-794-5894 Fax: 614-899-6109 Web: http://www.matscitech.org/
NOVEMBER 2013 November 3-8 AIChE 2013 Annual Meeting Venue: San Francisco, CA Tel: 800-242-4363 Fax: 203-775-5177 Email: jeffw@aiche.org Web: http://www.aiche.org/ conferences/aiche-annualmeeting/2013
November 4-6 HealthAchieve 2013 Venue: Toronto, ON Tel: 416-205-1434 Email: mromero@healthachieve.com Web: www.healthachieve.com
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Laboratory Focus September 2013 www.laboratoryfocus.ca
ICSB 2013:
Discovering in Denmark From August 30 to September 3, the international systems biology community gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark for the 14th International Conference on Systems Biology (ICSB). Known as the number one event for systems biology scientists and researchers, the event is an annual series of conferences that attracts tops scientists from across the globe. It was first launched in 2000, by the International Society of Systems Biology (ISSB) in Tokyo.The ICSB conference brings together interdisciplinary researchers, in order to advance biomedical research, health care and drug development. The hope is that by stimulating new interactions at the interfaces of biology, chemistry, engineering and computer science, we can develop and apply new technologies to advance biomedical research. Systems biology is a continually growing science, with new technologies and techniques being developed to push our understanding of complex biological systems further. This year, speakers delivered presentations on diverse topics, including metagenomics, the industrial applications of systems biology, metabolomics, precision medicine, systems biology for healthcare data, modeling, protein interaction, drug discovery, genetic networks, signaling networks, imaging, synthetic biology and many others. In addition to the main conference, workshops and tutorials took place prior to the main conference (August 29 to 30) and just after the main conference (September 3 to 4). While the event was held at the Tivoli Congress Center in Copenhagen, the workshops were held at the Technical University of Denmark. Both the Technical University of Denmark and Copenhagen University are leaders in systems biology and biomedical research. During a workshop at ICSB 2013, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced its partnership with the Department of Systems Biology at the Technical University of Denmark. Together they hope to further our understanding of how cellular protein networks drive important diseases. The most touching element of the conference was the fact that it was held in honour of Dr. Tony Pawson, one of Canada’s greatest scientists and medical researchers, who passed away earlier this year. Considered one of Canada’s most respected scientists, Dr. Pawson was both a talented researcher and leader at Mount Sinai’s Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute. His research reshaped our understanding of how cells communicate, and his work helped develop treatments for many diseases. The fact that this international conference was offered as a tribute to Dr. Pawson is a great testament to both his lifetime of work and his accomplishments. Moreover it reflects the high esteem his international peers held for him as a true pioneer in the field. The next ICSB conference will run from September 14 to 18, 2014 in Melbourne, Australia. For more info on this conference, go to www.icsb.com.
app review QIAGEN App
From QIAGEN GmbH https://itunes.apple.com/ke/app/qiagen-app/id392583246?mt=8 This free-to-install app for iOS devices is meant to alleviate some of the tedium sometimes found in daily lab work. Its main features are multiple conversion and dilution calculators and tables of common lab buffers. As an added bonus, the app also sports more than 20 tutorial videos on technologies in a variety of application areas such as automation and genotyping. Both functionally and design-wise, this app is simple and clean and that’s just fine because, this app is meant to be a tool not a toy. In this respect it accomplishes this goal admirably and should be something that scientists check out.
Molecules
From Sunset LakeSoftware https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/molecules/id284943090?mt=8 Created by Sunset Lake Software, Molecules is a free app for iOS devices that allows users to view 3D renderings of molecules with the ability to zoom in and out or move the camera vertically or horizontally using your fingers in order to get a better look at the models. The app comes pre-loaded with a ton of molecules to look at but you can get more for the app by visiting the RCSB Protein Data Bank (http://www.rcsb.org/pdb), an international repository of biological molecules, and/or NCBI’s PubChem (http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov), a public database of compounds. This app is a fantastic resource and anyone who works in chemistry or biology should consider downloading it.
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New: For samples up to 5.0 mL
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