What’s New in LAB & Life Sciences Jun/Jul 2012 by Westwick-Farrow Media

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WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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We are in big trouble If science holds the key to our future, we are in big trouble with barely a lifeguard in sight. In his address to the Press Club last year, Australia’s Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, asserted that science “is the key to understanding and tackling the big issues we face as a nation and as a world … And as the challenges we face become increasingly complex, the importance of science, and the understandings derived from good and properly conducted science, will become ever more important. “If we want to be a scientifically literate nation - we simply must inculcate the coming generations with an enthusiasm for the wonder, beauty and endless potential of science.” Twelve months later, Professor Chubb was speaking to the Press Club again, just as he released the Health of Australian Science (HAS) report. “The statistics about students’ perceptions of science, and, indeed, their choices of subjects at school, are quite alarming. “Since the 1990s these choices have translated into a decline in the popularity of a major in mathematics, physics and chemistry (the enabling sciences). By 2010, for students enrolled in a BSc or similar degree, only 13% of teaching at the second- and third-year levels was in mathematics, 10% was in chemistry and 5% was in physics. “…Time and again during our work we were told about the importance of inspirational teaching and its influence on student choices. “…That brings us to the training and support for teachers. With respect to initial teacher training, there were approximately 73,000 students enrolled in 2010. Of those, 550 were enrolled in Diplomas of Education after a science degree. I have made the argument before that we need more science graduates in teaching, that we should have tailored programs in which the scientists teach the science and the education staff the pedagogy - and the government has now funded a program to encourage universities to develop the programs that would suit - bringing the disciplines together. And we need a change in scale, not an extra few here and there. “To be effective, the programs will need incentives. We should aim to get more high achieving science students into teaching using the new programs as the magnet. Some 39% of science offers nationally in 2011 went to students with an ATAR over 90. For education offers, it was 5.8%. I know that ATAR isn’t everything - but it is not nothing either. “…Australia has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, number of researchers employed in business enterprises. We have 2.1 per 1000 workers, whereas Finland has 9.6, Sweden has 6.2 and Canada has 5.1. We have around eight doctorate level people per 1000 in the overall workforce; Switzerland has 28, Germany has 20. Just 4% of our doctorate holders work in manufacturing. Why do we exclude some of our best educated and most creative minds from where they could do a lot of good?” What can I say?

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Janette Woodhouse Chief Editor What’s New in LAB & Life Sciences www.labonline.com.au

www.LabOnline.com.au

Cross section of a Large Hadron Collider (LHC) dipole in the tunnel. Photograph: Maximilien Brice ©CERN

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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CERN really does data Exascale IT challenges for science The world’s largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), was built by the CERN from 1998 to 2008, with the aim of allowing physicists to test the predictions of different theories of particle physics and high-energy physics, and particularly for the existence of the hypothesized Higgs boson and of the large family of new particles predicted by supersymmetry.

he LHC lies in a tunnel 27 kilometres in circumference, as deep as 175 m beneath the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland. The LHC will operate at 4 TeV per beam until the end of 2012, 0.5 TeV higher than 2010 and 2011. It will then go into shutdown for 20 months for upgrades to allow full energy operation (7 TeV per beam), with reopening planned for late 2014. The LHC generates hundreds of millions of particle collisions each second. Recording, storing and analysing these vast numbers of collisions presents a massive data challenge: the LHC produces roughly 20 million GB of data each year. To handle all this data, CERN openlab was created more than 10 years ago, to develop the innovative IT systems required to cope with the unprecedented computing challenges of the LHC. It is a public-private partnership between CERN and leading information technology companies HP, Intel, Oracle, Siemens, with contribution from Huawei for the latest phase. This collaborative framework offers a neutral ground for companies to work together on common projects and develop synergies. It brings together the efforts of science and industry, working at the cutting edge of research to expand technological boundaries.

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Explaining the success of the collaboration, Bob Jones, Head of CERN openlab, said: “For CERN’s interest, it brings forward leading technologies that are cutting edge and not yet on the open market. For the companies, the interest is they get access to CERN’s expertise and a really gruelling environment for their new products and services. As a result, it’s likely that these products and services will be more productive, more reliable, better at scaling and hence open to bigger markets. “We run it in three-year cycles. Every time we come back we look for new technologies, and we can look for new ways and new areas in which we can deploy those technologies.” The third phase of CERN openlab was officially closed - and the fourth opened during the meeting of partners at CERN in May. The assembly reviewed key achievements of the projects carried out, and agreed on their positive impact on the development of the grid and computing services, which underpin the LHC. The work was organised into four competence centres: Automation and Controls with Siemens, Database with Oracle, Networking with HP, and Platform with Intel. The fourth phase of CERN openlab’s mission is to accelerate the development of solutions to be used by the worldwide

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

IN SUCH A DEMANDING ENVIRONMENT, AGILITY IS A KEY REQUIREMENT FOR THE COMPUTING INFRASTRUCTURE BUT ALSO A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF.

The LHC is the last ring (dark grey line) in a complex chain of particle accelerators. The smaller machines are used in a chain to help boost the particles to their final energies and provide beams to a whole set of smaller experiments, which also aim to uncover the mysteries of the universe. Photograph: Christiane Lefèvre ©CERN

community working on LHC data. Huawei has joined the consortium and has filled up three racks with its equipment, and CERN is actively testing solutions with it. “During the next three years, CERN is preparing the LHC for operating at higher energy and luminosity. This fourth phase will be instrumental in addressing the increased computing challenges in an innovative way,” explained Rolf Heuer, CERN Director General. The fourth phase will address new topics crucial to the CERN scientific program, such as cloud computing, business analytics, the next generation of hardware and security for the myriad network devices. Frédéric Hemmer, Head of the IT Department at CERN, added: “In 2011, the LHC experiments took data at rates and volumes exceeding the most optimistic forecasts. In such a demanding environment, agility is a key requirement for the computing infrastructure but also a challenge in itself. In this context, the

collaboration with the IT industry in the CERN openlab framework is an outstanding catalyst to sustain a steady stream of innovative solutions.” The four partner companies summarised the work they had been conducting through CERN openlab. Bill Johnson, Senior Director of Research and Development for HP Networking, said CERN is “one of the world’s most demanding and sophisticated IT infrastructures”, making it “an ideal environment” for the company’s current openlab projects - the first involving optimising resource management and the second intending to develop network virtualisation solutions. Monica Marinucci, EMEA Director for Research at Oracle, said, “We are proud to renew our commitment to openlab, particularly this year in which Oracle and CERN celebrate their 30th year of fruitful collaboration. “As we increase and strengthen our focus in the Research Industry segment,

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

with our new Research Industry solutions, CERN openlab IV will offer Oracle the opportunity to continue to develop, test and validate our technology.” According to Thomas Hahn from Siemens Corporate Technology, “Recent CERN openlab contributions over the past three years successfully focused on improving security as well as handling huge amounts of data. Cooperation in the fourth phase will address the aggregation of this data into business intelligence and business analytics, and thus lead to further improvements in the area of high-performance industrial control.” Huawei’s representative, James Hughes, Cloud Storage Chief Architect, stated, “I am proud Huawei and CERN are jointly working on innovative cloud storage system solutions allowing scaling and providing high performance.” CERN openlab has established itself as a reference thanks to the excellent relationship and ongoing commitment of all partners and

www.LabOnline.com.au

Class 2 Microbiological Safety Cabinets Lowest energy consumption and heat output in class The ultimate cabinets for safety and protection

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Freeze Dryers A complete range of laboratory freeze dryers with capacities from 4-15 L & temperatures down to -110 oC as well as large capacity 80 L pilot/process models

Vacuum Concentration MaxiVac & MiniVac systems or modular components enable concentration of a wide range of samples

THE LHC PRODUCES ENOUGH DATA EVERY YEAR TO FILL A STACK OF CDS 20 KM TALL. TO HANDLE THIS HUGE AMOUNT OF DATA, CERN HAS ALSO DEVELOPED THE GRID, ALLOWING PROCESSING POWER TO BE SHARED BETWEEN COMPUTER CENTRES AROUND THE WORLD.

Aerial View of the CERN

Photograph: Maximilien Brice ©CERN contributors during the past 11 years. The combined knowledge and dedication of the engineers from CERN and the companies have produced remarkable results.

Housed in the CERN Computer Centre, these banks of computers process and store data produced on the CERN systems. Photograph: Claudia Marcelloni; Maximilien Brice ©CERN

state-of-the-art capabilities to connect CERN and Wigner,” added David Foster, Deputy Head of the CERN IT Department.

Computer infrastructure

Worldwide LHC Computing Grid

In May, the Wigner Research Centre for Physics in Budapest signed a contract with CERN for an extension to the CERN data centre. Under the new agreement, the Wigner Centre will host CERN equipment that will substantially extend the capabilities of the LHC Computing Grid Tier-0 activities and provide the opportunity for business continuity solutions to be implemented. This contract is initially until 31 December 2015, with the possibility of up to four one-year extensions thereafter. “Installing computing capacity at the Wigner Centre allows us to power additional equipment as well as secure our operations due to the remote nature of the resources,” said Frédéric Hemmer, Head of CERN’s IT Department. “For example, should we suffer a prolonged power cut at CERN, we will be able to transfer critical functions to the Wigner Centre, mitigating the risk of having all of Tier-0 in one location.” “Having a remote site and operations places a lot of requirements on the networking solutions. Together with our commercial, research and education partners, we will be looking for

The LHC produces enough data every year to fill a stack of CDs 20 km tall. To handle this huge amount of data, CERN has also developed the Grid, allowing processing power to be shared between computer centres around the world. The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) is a global system organised in tiers, with the central hub being Tier-0 at CERN. Eleven major Tier-1 centres around the world are linked to CERN via dedicated high-bandwidth links. Smaller Tier-2 and Tier-3 centres linked over the internet bring the total number of computer centres involved to over 140 in 35 countries. The WLCG serves a community of some 8000 scientists working on LHC experiments, allowing them to access distributed computing and data-storage facilities seamlessly. The CERN Tier-0 currently provides some 30 petabytes of data storage on disk and includes the majority of the 65,000 processing cores in the CERN computer centre. Under the new agreement, the Wigner Centre will extend this capacity with 20,000 cores and 5.5 PB of disk data, and will see this doubling after three years.

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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FIND DECIDE BUY DISCOVER

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lifetechnologies.com For research use only. Not intended for any animal or human therapeutic or diagnostic use. ©2012 Life Technologies Corporation. All rights reserved. The trademarks mentioned herein are the property of Life Technologies Corporation or their respective owners. TaqMan® is a registered trademark of Roche Molecular Systems, Inc., used under permission and license. CO25484 0512

SAXS cameras with highthroughout nanoparticle analysis Bruker has announced the strategic expan-

Electronic pipette

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series of SAXS cameras. A gain factor of 2-3 x over the best conventional instruments is said to have occurred, opening up fields of applications where either measurement speed or primary beam flux density are es-

Generic rapid assay device Rapid Assays has developed the generic rapid assay device (gRAD) with the aim of providing a simplified lateral flow assay system, to enable users to develop their own rapid point of sample assay, without the need for investing in production equipment. The device is said to allow assay results in under 15 min. The researcher supplies the antibodies specific to their test and Rapid Assays provides the gRADs, gold colloid conjugation kits and buffers required to produce the finished assay. Rapid Assays also provides the ReaderLess Quantification (RLQ) system, which is a free website-based software program that automatically quantifies the gRAD images supplied via a scanner, without the need for investing in a reader. Rapid Assays also has a number of reader options available for the gRAD system, allowing for the development of a more mobile point of sample assay.

sential to collect data from weakly scattering materials or solutions. The MicroCalix system enables researchers in chemistry and drug discovery to simultaneously execute SAXS and calorimetric investigations. The MicroPix system is suitable for high-throughput analysis of protein size, shape and size distributions in 10 min, requiring less than 10 µL quantities of diluted sample. Bruker Biosciences Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N563

United Bioresearch Products Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N179

Stirring hot plates and stirrers Torrey Pines Scientific has announced its latest line of multi-position analog stirring hot plates and stirrers featuring five or nine stirring positions. The large 30.48 cm2 ceramic heater tops have a temperature range to 400°C. The five-position stirring units can stir 5-800 mL beakers, and the nine-position units can stir 9-500 mL beakers of aqueous solutions. Stirring range is from 100 to 1500 rpm. The Models ST15 Stirrer and the HS15 Stirring Hot Plate can stir five vessels. The ST19 Stirrer and HS19 Stirring Hot Plate can stir nine vessels. The units measure 43.2 x 31.75 x 13.4 cm. All controls are mounted well in front of the heater surface to protect against accidental burns and they are designed to keep spills out of the chassis. They are fused for safety and are supplied with user’s manual and detachable line cord for the country of use. The units are available in 100 VAC/50 Hz, 115 VAC/60 Hz, 220 VAC/60 Hz and 230 VAC/50 Hz, and are UL, CSA and CE or equivalent agency certified. They are available with voltages and agency certifications for use all over the world. Edwards Group Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q008

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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Benchtop conductivity meter Hanna Instruments has released the HI2315 Benchtop Conductivity Meter. With four user-selectable measurement ranges (0.0 to 199.9 µS/cm; 0 to 1999 µS/cm; 0.00 to 19.99 mS/cm; 0.0 to 199.9 ms/cm), these meters are robust and easy to use. Manual calibration means the user is not constrained by preset calibration points and can use any of the company’s conductivity calibration solutions provided it is within the range of the instrument. Just choose the solution with the closest value to that of the expected sample. Temperature compensation is automatic, from 0 to 50°C with β adjustable from 0 to 2.5%/°C. The instrument uses a 4-ring potentiometric probe with platinum sensor. The probe works on the principle

Portable autoclaves

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conductivity levels without the need to change probes. The product is supplied with a HI76303 conductivity

Australian Standards for pressure vessels.

probe, 12 VDC adapter and instruction manual.

VWR International Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N499

Hanna Instruments Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q067

Freeze dryers LaboGene has released its range of ScanVac CoolSafe Freeze Dryers. Three benchtop models offer condenser temperatures of -55, -95, -100 or -110°C. With condenser capacities of 4, 9 and 15 L, these flexible freeze dryers cover a wide application range, from water-based samples (-55°C) to samples containing organic solvents, strong acids and other volatiles (-110°C). Two floorstanding models with 80 L condensers feature condenser temperatures of -55 or -90°C. Three controllers - Basic, PRO or Superior - are designed to meet user requirements, from digital temperature readout only, through to full microprocessor programming of time, temperature and pressure, with optional pressure regulation or documentation and control by computer. A diverse range of accessories, including shelving systems and manifolds, is also available. Bio-Strategy Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q026

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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Revolutionize your pipetting. New Picus electronic pipette. The smallest, the lightest, the most precise.

Innovator Lab Innov The Biohit Picus defines a new level of ergonomics, accuracy and reliability: - Helps you prevent repetitive strain injury due to light weight design and electronic tip ejection. - Achieve better and more reliable results with new generation technology and error control system. - Save time with an extremely fast one-handed volume adjustment, easy programming and a unique built-in microplate tracker.

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Merck Millipore has added Elix Essential systems to its range of Elix water purification equipment. The systems integrate Elix electrodeionisation (EDI) technology along with several other complementary water purification techniques (eg, pretreatment, reverse osmosis and UV lamp treatment) in order to produce Type 2 pure water with consistently pure and reliable quality. The range includes models with flow rates of 3, 5, 10 and 15 L of pure water per hour, and daily production possibilities of up to 300 L. The high-quality pure water produced by the systems has resistivity values exceeding 5 MΩ•cm at 25°C (typically 10-15 MΩ•cm at 25°C) and less than 30 ppb of total oxidisable carbon (TOC). Product water is recommended for a variety of uses: feed to laboratory equipment; preparation of microbiological media, buffer and pH solutions; histology; chemical reactions run in water; and manual glassware rinsing. Users have full control over pure water quality, due to the systems’ high-precision monitoring equipment that measures key water quality parameters. RFID technology provides traceability for the Progard pretreatment cartridges. A range of high-quality polyethylene reservoirs (30-100 L) is available to match users’ required water volumes. Operation of the product is simple: the display shows the information required, and the backlit LCD screen changes colour to show the importance of system messages. Self-maintenance is provided by an ergonomic purification pack locking system and other automatic functions. The systems have a small footprint and can be installed on or under the bench, as well as on a wall. The EDI technology requires no costly resin regeneration or replacement, and the systems’ overall reduced water and electricity use enables additional savings. Merck Pty Limited Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N833

CASE STUDY

Water purification systems

Characterising ‘nanoconstructs’ for biomedical applications At Duke University, Professor Tuan Vo-Dinh and his research group have been characterising metal nanoparticle construct materials for use in biosensing, imaging and cancer therapy. This has been made possible through nanoparticle charcterisation technology manufacturer NanoSight and the company’s Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). The Vo-Dinh Lab is a part of the Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry of Duke University. The lab is also a part of the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, of which Professor Vo-Dinh is the director. The main research goal of the group is to develop advanced techniques and methods to protect the environment (environmental sensors) and improve human health (medical diagnostics and therapy). As a part of these research goals, Dr Hsiangkuo Yuan and other members of Professor Vo-Dinh’s group design and fabricate metal nanoparticle constructs, such as gold nanostar platforms. These are characterised with UV-VIS, TEM, Raman microscope, fluorometers and other techniques. However, to design nanoconstructs for in vivo applications, the particle size needs to be in the range from 10 to 100 nm for lower clearance from the kidney and reticuloendothelial system (RES). It is important that the construct is in the right size range and is physiologically stable (non-aggregated) for biomedical applications in, for example, optical imaging or nanodrug delivery, where it is also critical that the nanoparticle dose administered can be determined. To compare plasmonic properties, ie, the enhanced electromagnetic properties of nanoparticles, they need to determine the effect of different sizes and to understand, in detail, the profile of the particle size distribution of similar concentrations, which can be obtained using NanoSight’s NTA system. Prior to NTA, the group mostly used TEM to look at particle shape and to measure particle size. The surface coating or the aggregation state cannot be easily investigated using just TEM. NanoSight provides a significant complementary role in providing hydrodynamic size distribution and zeta potential. Moreover, because NanoSight gives concentration information, it allows them to normalise their comparison by individual particle counting, which was quite difficult to obtain previously. Commenting on the benefits of using the NanoSight alongside TEM (for size) and atomic absorption spectroscopy (for mass), Professor Vo-Dinh said the ability to make characterisations, particle by particle, provides complementary information to the ensemble characterisation (eg, DLS). The group has published nanoconstruct data, specifically gold nanostars, in the journal Nanotechnology, with another paper currently in press, in Nanomedicine. They report the determination of particle hydrodynamic size distribution, zeta potential and concentration, using NTA. Particle & Surface Sciences Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N982

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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Adjustable-volume bottle-top dispensers DOSILab is a series of six adjustablevolume bottle-top dispensers from Kartell, designed for dispensing chemicals with precision and accuracy. Using the analog slider, the volume of each dose can be adjusted. The range has a capacity of 0.25-100 mL and a subdivision of 0.05-2 mL. Each dispenser features a PTFE piston with silicone O-ring to ensure a high degree of accuracy. The internal cylinder is formed from borosilicate glass and protected by a polypropylene sheath for a long working life. The valve housing is a single piece, made from PTFE for high chemical resistance. As such, the performance of the range is good with all reagents (including organic solvents and concentrated acids) except hydrofluoric acid. Every appliance in the range is individually calibrated according to ISO 8655 standards and is supplied with its own calibration certificate. Using the supplied tool, each device can be recalibrated, conforming to the requirements of the GLO/ISO standards. Each dispenser is also supplied with five adaptors for use with the most common reagent bottles: 28, 32, 36, 40 and 45 mm. The models can be easily disassembled for cleaning and maintenance. They can also be autoclaved at 121°C without being disassembled. Sieper & Co Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N561

Faecal swab Part of Copan’s Liquid Based Microbiology range is the fecalSwab, an advanced system for the collection, transport and preservation of

UV-vis spectrophotometers

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VWR UV-vis spectrophotometers are suit-

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placed into the media and transported to

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the tube and ‘capture cap’ allow for easier

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access to the specimen and adequate elution

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cap can facilitate direct streaking into culture

multi-cell holder, full scanning, good ac-

plates or an aliquot can be transferred to a

curacy and precision, in-built memory and application software that allows full PC control.

selective enrichment broth.

Modes include Basic, Quantitative, Wavelength Scan, Kinetics, Multi wavelength and

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as electronic thermostated cell holders and sipper units to suit the user’s application. VWR International Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N500

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Interpath Services Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N922

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CASE STUDY

Improving IVF by implanting euploid embryos

BlueGnome is pleased to announce the results of the first randomised prospective IVF study of pre-implantation chromosome analysis using its 24sure array platform. The study, published in The Journal of Molecular Cytogenetics by Yang et al (Pacific Reproductive Center, Torrance, USA), has demonstrated that selectively implanting euploid embryos, with a normal number of chromosomes, significantly increases pregnancy rates. The study blindly randomised 103 IVF cycles. In the treatment group of 55 cycles, 24sure analysis of day five biopsies was used to selectively implant a single euploid embryo (as recommended by IVF regulatory bodies such as the HFEA); while in the control group of 48 cycles, single embryos were selected using existing morphological scorecard approaches. The ongoing pregnancy rate, after 20 weeks, per cycle started was 69.1% in the 24sure treatment group vs 41.7% in the control group. This extremely promising result provides direct evidence that 24sure analysis can deliver a 65% increase in pregnancy rates, even in younger patients with more favourable IVF outcomes. Further randomised studies are needed and are underway. “This study provides crucial evidence that 24 chromosome aneuploidy screening, using 24sure, can offer a dramatic benefit to IVF success rates. While further studies are still needed, this result is incredibly exciting because it indicates for the first time that 24 chromosome screening and single embryo transfer has the potential to become the default standard of care for all IVF cycles worldwide,” said Nick Haan, CEO of BlueGnome.

Several key opinion leaders have had positive reactions to the study. Dr Jamie A Grifo, Program Director of NYU Fertility Center, USA, said, “This well-designed study supports what many of us have expected for a long time; aneuploidy is responsible for most IVF failure. Assessment of an embryo’s ability to create a pregnancy is best done not by morphologic examination, rather it is best done by assessing all 24 chromosomes ... Choosing a single high potential embryo will result in fewer multiple pregnancies, fewer miscarriages and will also help us define the population of patients who make few or no euploid embryos.” Dr Leeanda Wilton, Scientific Director of Preimplantation Genetics, Melbourne IVF, was “not at all surprised” by the results of the study. “They mirror our success at Melbourne IVF using BlueGnome’s 24sure technology. We’ve provided this service to our patients for just over a year and already about 20 babies have been born and another 50 are on the way. It’s a significant breakthrough for patients who are struggling to become pregnant,” she said. Others have provided assurance that the small size of the study would not have affected the results. Dr Jacques Cohen, Director of Tyho-Galileo Research Laboratories, Livingston, USA, said, “Although the study was relatively modest in size, the results were blinded to observers and embryos were randomised to avoid bias. It opens up the exciting possibility to perform PGS not just in complicated patients such as those with poor ovarian reserve, but also egg donors and young women as abnormal embryos are common at any age.” Professor Mark Hughes, Genesis Genetics Institute, Detroit, USA, added, “While this is a small pilot study, it underscores clearly that even younger infertile couples undergoing IVF will benefit significantly by this powerful technology advance. Since nearly half of a patient’s embryos are chromosomally abnormal, the ability to reliably detect the normal ones for uterine transfer will impressively improve the chances that these rather desperate couples can finally have a healthy family - and one baby at a time, which is the ultimate goal for all involved.” For more on 24sure and its prevention of aneuploidy, visit http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=U38IjDFHQd8. BlueGnome Ltd http://www.cambridgebluegnome.com/

Magnetic stirrer IKA has a complete range of magnetic stirrers to handle various

for very fast heating times while maintaining a high level of safety.

quantities, either with or without heating capabilities. Used with open

The product includes a hot top indicator and protection cover H 100.

or closed vessels, the stirrers precisely and effectively regulate the

The safety magnetic stirrer with heating is suitable for unsupervised

set temperature with the help of a contact thermometer. They also

operation. The set safety temperature limit is displayed digitally, as

enable multiple syntheses in up to 36 vessels simultaneously.

is the error code. Adjustable safety circuits allow for the

The RET basic has a wide speed range, from 0/50-1700 rpm,

(50-380°C), and even when the product is

It includes high magnetic adhesion and is said to require 25% less

switched off, the temperature and speed

energy than other products. An enclosed assembly (IP 42) ensures

setting will continue to display.

long service life.

IKA Works Guangzhou

The product’s heat control technology, including integrated temperature control and the PT 1000 temperature sensor, allows

users to determine the heating plate temperature

with electronic speed control and a very broad temperature range.

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N770

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Understanding water molecules Water is the most abundant and one of the most frequently studied substances on Earth, yet its geometry at the molecular level - the simple two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and how they interact with other molecules, including other water - has remained somewhat of a mystery to chemists.

ost understanding at that level is theoretical, requiring the use of supercomputers to make innumerable calculations over periods of weeks to make educated guesses as to the arrangements and structure of water clusters before they form into liquid water or ice. But a new study, using experimentation with a highly advanced spectrometer for molecular rotational spectroscopy, has removed some of the mystery and validates some very complex theory involving the way water molecules bond. “We set out to determine quantitatively the structure that small assemblies of water adopt, and then compare them to theory to see how well current quantum chemistry predicts the properties of molecules,” said Brooks Pate, a chemist in the University of Virginia’s College of Arts & Sciences, who led the study. “We found experimentally that modern quantum chemistry has reached the point where its theories are proving out in the lab regarding the unusual directional bonding properties of water clusters.” The properties of water, and how it interacts with itself and other molecules, is the basis for many processes in biology, and

likely played a major role in the development of life on Earth. But understanding how those bonds form at the molecular level has been largely guesswork. “For the first time, now we have an actual physical picture of what water’s molecules put together look like, and it turns out they adopt three different geometries,” Pate said. “This is in agreement with theory.” Pate and his U.Va. team identified and imaged a three-dimensional geometry that a water molecule takes on that is the likely precursor structure for forming liquid water and ice. “We found that the bonding strengths of liquid water actually begin to emerge even in a tiny cluster,” Pate said. “The challenge is figuring out how it interacts with other molecules and how the forces between two molecules of water can be described quantitatively, because the orientation of how the waters come at each other makes a big difference in the binding.” There are innumerable possibilities for how this happens, and theorists, including Pate’s colleague on the paper, quantum chemist George Shields of Bucknell University, have been working on the details for years without direct validation from experiments.

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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… A NEW STUDY, USING EXPERIMENTATION WITH A HIGHLY ADVANCED SPECTROMETER FOR MOLECULAR ROTATIONAL SPECTROSCOPY… VALIDATES SOME VERY COMPLEX THEORY INVOLVING THE WAY WATER MOLECULES BOND.

Prism

Cage

Book

The water hexamer is the smallest assembly of water molecules that adopts a threedimensional structure displaying hydrogen bonding patterns characteristic of liquid water and ice. The solid red spheres depict the positions for the oxygen atoms in the water hexamer structure from Pate’s experiments. The full molecular structure, superimposed on the experimental positions, is obtained directly from quantum chemistry calculations. Photo credit: University of Virginia.

The difficulty has been in developing techniques that are sensitive enough to image the tiny water molecules and how they orient themselves when interacting with other water molecules. The breakthrough came earlier this year when Pate’s U.Va. team used a new tool, a molecular rotational spectrometer developed during the last two years, to make precise measurements that ultimately validated what theory has expressed. The improved sensitivity of the instrument comes from advances in high-speed digital electronics that provide unprecedented data throughput in the measurement. This core technology is being commercialised for applications in chemical analysis by a Charlottesville start-up venture, BrightSpec. “This will allow chemists to transfer what we’ve learned to larger systems,” Pate said. “We are checking to see if theory can get right the structures of the arrangements of water molecules so that that information can be used to see how water interacts in larger systems.” The larger systems could include biomolecules, such as protein in DNA, and how surrounding water molecules might interact with those molecules through hydrogen bonds.

www.LabOnline.com.au

“It is very satisfying to see that the experimental work we did, completely independently of theory, came together so perfectly with the theory,” Pate noted. He said his research is the behind-the-scenes workings of chemistry that ultimately makes up the big picture of how things come together at much larger scales. “You may not want to know how a bridge was designed, but you sure want to know it was done right,” he said. “Likewise, if a theory is used to predict, for example, how a medicine might work, you ideally would want to be able to test the theory to make sure it’s right before making the medicine. That would be the ultimate goal - to have theory and experimentation in sync.” The research has been published in the 18 May issue of the journal Science.

University of Virginia www.virginia.edu

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Just add water Adding trace amounts of water has been found to dramatically speed up chemical reactions - such as hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis - in which hydrogen is one of the reactants, or starting materials.

ydrogenation and hydrogenolysis reactions have huge applications in many key industrial sectors, including the petrochemical, pharmaceutical, food and agricultural industries. “In the petrochemical industry, for example, upgrading of oil to petrol, and in making various biomass-derived products, you need to hydrogenate molecules - to add hydrogen - and all this happens through catalytic transformations,” says Manos Mavrikakis, the Paul A Elfers Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A chemical reaction transforms a set of molecules (the reactants) into another set of molecules (the products), and a catalyst is a substance that accelerates that chemical reaction, while not itself being consumed in the process. In industrial applications, the speed of catalytic transformations is important, says Mavrikakis. “The rate at which the hydrogen atoms diffuse on the surfaces of the catalyst determines, to a large extent, the rate of the chemical reaction - the rate at which we produce the products we want to produce,” he says. While many researchers have observed that water can accelerate chemical reactions in which hydrogen is a reactant or a product, until now, they lacked a fundamental grasp of how that effect was taking place, says Mavrikakis. “Nobody had appreciated the importance of water, even at the parts per million level,” he says. In their research, Mavrikakis and Flemming Besenbacher, a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, drew on their respective theoretical and experimental expertise to study metal oxides, a class of materials often used as catalysts or catalyst supports. They found that the presence of

even the most minute amounts of water - on the order of those in an outer-space vacuum - can accelerate the diffusion of hydrogen atoms on iron oxide by 16 orders of magnitude at room temperature. In other words, water makes hydrogen diffuse 10,000 trillion times faster on metal oxides than it would have diffused in the absence of water. Without water, heat is needed to speed up that motion. Besenbacher and his colleagues have one of the world’s fastest scanning tunnelling microscopes, which has atomic-scale resolution. With it, they could see how quickly hydrogen atoms diffused across iron oxide in the presence of water. To explain the fundamental mechanisms of how that happened, Mavrikakis and his team used quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that explains the behaviour of matter on the atomic scale, and massively parallel computing. Essentially, when water is present, hydrogen diffuses via a proton transfer, or proton ‘hopping’, mechanism, in which hydrogen atoms from the oxide surface jump onto nearby water molecules and make hydronium ions, which then deliver their extra proton to the oxide surface and liberate a water molecule. That repeated process leads to rapid hydrogen atom diffusion on the oxide surface. It’s a process that doesn’t happen willy-nilly, either. The researchers also showed that when they roll out the proverbial red carpet - a nanoscale ‘path’ templated with hydrogen atoms - on iron oxide, the water will find that path, stay on it and keep moving. The discovery could be relevant in nanoscale precision applications mediated by water, such as nanofluidics, nanotube sensors and transfer across biological membranes, among others. University of Wisconsin-Madison http://www.wisc.edu

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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NEW White Papers

Test instruments catalogue Emona Instruments has released the 2012 Emona Test Instruments Catalogue. The

now available online!

Eliminate impulse piping, heat trace and purge lines on DP level measurements Measuring level with differential pressure is a well understood and reliable method, although accurately measuring differential pressure on tall towers and tanks has always been challenging. For information on a possible solution to better enable operators to control tank level and pressure, download this paper.

covers

equipment for the electronics industry, industrial service and plant maintenance, industrial electrical and

50+ FDA acronyms that matter most to your business If you work in the pharmaceutical, biotech or medical device industries, you know the importance of complying with Food and Drug Administration regulations. Read this paper to gain an understanding of the FDA acronyms that matter most to your business.

catalogue

80 pages of instrumentation and

electrical contracting, and science and life sciences laboratories. The 2012 edition features new products including digital oscilloscopes from Rigol, spectrum analysers from Rigol and GW, arbitrary generators from Rigol and GW, PC-based oscilloscopes from Pico and biomedical test equipment, including infusion pump analyser and defibrillator analyser, from Rigel Medical. The catalogueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Solar Installation Testing section includes the Seaward PV100 PV installation tester, and a range on I-V curve analysers from the Mini-KLA from IMT Solar through to the professional PVPM series from PV Engineering that can measure PV generation systems up to 1000 V, 100 A. The Electrical Safety section covers workplace health and safety equipment. It features the PAC3760 plus combined appliance and RCD tester with optional PAC-TPL three-phase

Alarm rationalisation Alarm rationalisation is a systematic process to evaluate potential or existing alarms, qualify which are legitimate, specify their design and capture rationales which can be used to guide operator response. This paper describes the SILAlarm solution and other tips for setting up and sustaining an effective alarm rationalisation process.

Oxygen measurement on air separation plants

leakage tester. PC-based and data acquisition sections for life sciences laboratories, as well as traditional electronic test and measurement areas covering oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, function generators and counters are also included. Emona Instruments Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M531

Automated colony counter

Industry consumes vast quantities of oxygen and nitrogen annually, all of which is obtained from the air around us. There are two main techniques used to separate these two primary gases from air. These processes are cryogenic separation and pressure swing adsorption (PSA).

The Schuett ColonyQuant Automated Colony Counter system enables image acquisition and simultaneous evaluation within seconds. The system features a light-proof sample chamber with colour camera for live images and circular LED illumination. The system is capable of analysing mixed cultures and can separate up to eight colours simultaneously using the included software. The images and results can then be conveniently

For these and more White Paper downloads, visit www.labonline.com.au/white_papers

stored digitally. Crea Laboratory Technologies Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M851

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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PCR mycoplasma detection kit The MycoTool PCR Mycoplasma Detection Kit from Roche can be used to obtain results in hours by using PCR instead of culture-based testing. Mycoplasma is a known cause of contamination in biopharmaceutical production, cell therapy and tissue engineering. Traditional detection methods, required by pharmacopoeias and drug-regulating agencies, use growth on culture media to detect contaminating organisms. This traditional method is difficult to interpret and time-consuming, requiring as much as 28 days to complete.

Toxicity libraries

Rapid product-release testing using the MycoTool PCR test is

Screen-Well Libraries from Enzo Life Sciences for cardiotoxicity,

approved by the European Medicines Agency for several phar-

hepatotoxicity and hematopoietic toxicity contain compounds

maceutical products. The limit of detection is <1 CFU/mL for all

with defined and diverse organ-associated toxicity profiles. A variety of structurally and mechanistically different com-

validated species. Purified reagents avoid false positives and carryover contamina-

pound classes are included, as well as non-toxic controls. The

tion. The assay is accurate and sensitive with protein-rich media,

compounds are dissolved in DMSO at 10 mM and supplied

high cell densities and cell-free matrices. Positive and negative

in 96-well plates so they are ready to screen. These libraries are useful for predictive toxicology screen-

controls are provided. Universal primer designs enable the detection of over 90 Mollicute

ing, including high-content protocols using cell-based assays

species, including Spiroplasma and Acholeplasma.

for early safety assessment.

Lonza Australia Pty Ltd

Sapphire Bioscience

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N182

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N737

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WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Information management and next-generation sequencing In 2009, when the Queensland Centre for Medical Genomics (QCMG) received the two largest grants in Australian history for sequencing research, it knew it would have to get serious about managing data. It responded by implementing the GenoLogics LIMS, a system specifically designed to manage data associated with genomics, proteomics and next-generation sequencing.

LIMS was a natural addition to QCMG, which runs a fleet of 10 SOLiD 4 Genome Sequencers, five 5500xL Next-Generation Sequencers and a suite of Ion Torrent PGMs. “We had built various informatics tentacles to support all of our lab activities, but we needed a centralised brain that could track everything and serve as a hub for us to monitor the work we were doing,” said Peter Wilson, Executive Officer at QCMG. “The LIMS serves as the brain.” The LIMS has enabled QCMG to take control of previously unstructured data stored in scattered spreadsheets, enabling them to reduce pipeline stalling errors and measure lab progress to improve efficiency. David Miller, QCMG’s Sequencing Manager, noted that the system is particularly important given the necessary interaction between three groups of scientists at QCMG: sequencing, informatics and analysis. “The time saved because of the LIMS is allowing our teams to look at the data in more depth, gain greater insight in the research and development experiments we run and spend less time on menial tasks like data entry and tracking and more on molecular biology,” he said. The GenoLogics LIMS offered powerful functionality that provided the adaptability and flexibility QCMG demanded. “Even within the

same platform, in two to three years we’re working with a totally different workflow,” said Conrad Leonard, Bioinformatics Engineer. “We need to be able to adapt and not have to send out for customisation or build out integrations ourselves. The GenoLogics LIMS offers the flexibility, through its Rapid Scripting API, to allow us to adopt the systems we need knowing that within the core LIMS we’ll be able to model pretty much any kind of workflow we need to use.” Leonard described LIMS as an enabling technology. “Without a LIMS, there’s no way to automate anything; and with the amount of work we’re doing, it’s inconceivable to enter data at the command line, look up data scattered in half a dozen spreadsheets, and do this over and over for every single run,” he said. Miller concurred. “Having worked in centres previously that lacked a true LIMS for next-gen sequencing, I can safely say that the benefits of this cannot be underestimated,” he said. “The sheer amounts of data, time and effort required to generate and analyse these datasets necessitate the use of a quality, well-maintained and well-utilised LIMS.” OnQ Software Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M735

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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UHPLC gradient grade solvents

Phospholipid removal plate

Thermo Fisher Scientific has in-

lipid Removal Plates for fast clean-up of plasma

troduced a range of Fisher

samples in pharmaceutical and clinical research

Chemical UHPLC Gradient

laboratories.

Phenomenex has introduced Phree Phospho-

Grade Solvents that minimise

Successful chromatographic analysis of plasma

baseline noise and reduce pump

samples requires the removal of both proteins

blockages, even at high pressures.

and phospholipids, which can clog HPLC/UH-

The solvents, comprising acetonitrile, methanol and water, have

PLC columns. Phospholipids can also cause ion

been designed for use with the Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chroma-

suppression and over time will reduce sensitivity

tography (UHPLC) pump to ensure maximum sensitivity and resolution

due to build-up on the mass spec source. The

for high-speed, high-throughput applications.

product removes both proteins and phospholipids

Filtered to a low level of just 0.1 µm, this removes even the finest

in one step, eliminating time-consuming method

particles that may block the pump and valve under high pressure,

development, and delivers the prepared plasma

thereby saving time, money and effort, as well as syringe filters.

to a collection plate.

Low filtration also ensures an interference-free, low baseline noise, at 210 and 254 nm.

The high-capacity Phree sorbent can process up to 400 µL per well and removes 99-100% of

The UHPLC solvents display a high UV transmission rate, making

lysophosphatidyl and phosphatidyl cholines, which

them suitable for all UHPLC applications using UV detection. Other

are not removed when a simple protein precipita-

features include guaranteed lot-to-lot consistency and low acidity and

tion is performed. The plate format enables the

alkalinity levels. These are important for quality control and research

simultaneous processing of 96 samples.

labs working in UV detection.

Phenomenex Australia

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q061

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N958

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WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

CASE STUDY

Enhancing long read sequencing capabilities for genome and transcriptome research

Centrifuges Rowe Scientific has introduced the Centurion range of centrifuges. The desktop centrifuges are suitable for many applications, ranging from micro through to 3 L capacities.

Genomics organisation BGI has announced that a Roche GS FLX+ System has been successfully installed at its facility in Shenzhen, China. It is hoped that the system will complement the existing array of short read sequencing technologies and enhance BGI’s long read sequencing capability. The system, developed by 454 Life Sciences, a Roche company, features a combination of long reads, good accuracy and high throughput. This makes it suitable for larger genome projects. “We’re excited that BGI has implemented our GS FLX+ System in their Shenzhen facility,” said Thomas Schinecker, President of 454 Life Sciences. “This again demonstrates the continued importance of the GS FLX+ platform and its utility as a powerful replacement for Sanger sequencing applications.” “We are very pleased to have Roche’s GS FLX+ System,” said Meifang Tang, Director of the NGS Department at BGI. “So far, the system has been operated successfully with a stable performance. We can achieve the read lengths of up to 1000 bp reads in our laboratory. With the implementation of this system, we hope assemblies will be greatly improved with fewer gaps, longer contigs and scaffolds in de novo genomics and transcriptomic research.” Roche and BGI have worked closely together over the years, making collaborative efforts to develop methodologies and tools to assist scientists pursuing genomics research. Last November, Roche NimbleGen and BGI developed a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region capture technology that will help advance research and development of new medicines for human diseases. “In the future, I hope we can cooperate even more closely, and make more breakthroughs in life science,” added Tang.

The units bring together good technology and design. Features include induction (brushless) motor, stainless steel bowl, alloy and steel main frame and rotor recognition technology (select models). Rowe Scientific Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q072

Optical tachometer RheinTacho, through its Australian distributor, SI Instruments, has released the EchoTach handheld, non-contact optical tachometer for checking rotational speeds quickly and accurately. This pocket-sized product is very durable and lightweight (147 g including batteries) and features a measuring range of 1-60,000 rpm. The red LED light beam is reflected by a reflection mark fixed on the equipment to be measured. The result can be read from up to 450 mm distance and at a very wide angle. The device is very resistant to extraneous light due to the use of a very bright LED and matching optical system. The large LCD makes the measurement easy to read. The last measurement is stored for 30 seconds, giving plenty of time to note the rpm results. The device then shuts down, conserving batteries. SI Instruments Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N973

www.aktivlab.com.au

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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pH mV(ORP) ION Conductivity

Resistivity Salinity TDS

Imaging microscope The iBox Explorer Imaging Microscope can be used for the micro detection of fluorescence markers in small animals. The product has the ability to micro image cells and organs subcutaneously and within the body cavity of living mice. The upright optics provide a long working distance and high numerical aperture (NA) for animal fluorescent imaging. The product enables researchers to visualise micro injection of cancer cells in vivo. Optical configurations are parcentered and parfocal, allowing seamless imaging through the magnification ranges. A high frame rate, cooled colour camera enables quick detection, image capture and high throughput. The bright illumination of samples produces an intense fluorescent signal and fast exposure times, while an unlimited selection of filters enables users to image in the fluorescent, visible and NIR ranges for multiple applications (RFP/GFP included, others optional). The product’s easy-to-use software automates research with templates for reproducible, consistent results, with VisionWorkLS software generating accurate data. Bio-Strategy Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N307

F-70 Series Benchtop Meters HORIBA popular ToupH electrode is now tougher and responds faster. Enhanced stability and minimised drift. Intergrating two new technologies for faster response and optimal performance. NEW TECHNOLOGY 01 pH fast response glass membrane

NMR software tool CMC(Complete Molecular Confidence)-assist is claimed to be the first NMR software tool to enable seamless, integrated routine workflow from acquisition to molecular structure report generation. Delivering support where it’s needed, the product assigns the NMR signals to structural characteristics, conducts a structural consistency assessment and completes the spectral analysis. Results are collated into compact reports for easy transfer of information into publications, lab journals or patent applications. Bruker Biosciences Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N999

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The membrane contains HORIBA’s unique combination of rare earth metals to improve response time and increase durability. NEW TECHNOLOGY 02 Reference electrode with increased stability (patent pending) Liquid Junction clogging by silver ions and silver complex ions is reduced to 1/1000 of conventional technology. Maintaining internal solution concentration ensures a stable standard electrical potential. ToupH electrodes are now even stronger HORIBA’s glass membrane moulding technology achieves strengths more than 10 times the Japanese Industrial Standards (stress tests) Australian Scientific Pty Ltd PO Box 335 Kotara, NSW 2289

Tel: 1800 021 083 Fax: 02 4956 2525

Email: horiba@austscientific.com.au www.austscientific.com.au

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Laser particle counter The LasPaC II from STAUFF is an eight-channel, double laser particle counter that records the dirt content in mineral oil-based hydraulic fluids in the pressure range of between 2 and 420 bar. With the aid of an additional ‘bottle sampler’, it is also possible to analyse previously taken samples with this equipment. The LasPaC II-P comes in a robust plastic case with wheels and holds everything needed for measuring, as well as components for control of the test, and is suitable for mobile or field analysis. The same functions are provided by the more economical LasPaC Type M, which does not require a printer or keyboard; an external power-pack is optionally available. These two devices come in a storm case - an extra-strong industrial case made of special plastic. An added advantage is that the oil samples can be processed in the field rather than sending them to a lab. Results can be retrieved from the product inline by computer via an RS 232 interface. The devices have an internal data memory for around 600 tests. STAUFF also supplies the relevant software for selectively analysing the measurements. The software facilitates trending for owners of multiple units. STAUFF Corporation Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N560

Vacuum leak detector Pfeiffer Vacuum and Scitek have introduced the MiniTest 300, which is claimed to be the first vacuum leak detector with quartz window technology. What makes this device different is the helium through a quartz window sensor rather than a mass spectrometer. Weighing only 5 kg, the product is suitable for mobile leak detection, eg, as part of service jobs. In combination with the wireless remote control operation of the RC 500 WL, even large facilities and vacuum systems can be tested for leakages by just one person. The detection limit of 5x10e-7 mbar L/s enables its use for leak detection in industrial and scientific applications such as vacuum coating, vacuum furnaces, freeze dryers, industrial valve and chamber products, as well as basic high vacuum systems. The unit operates at a working pressure of up to 200 mbar, while a traditional leak detector with a mass spectrometer as a helium sensor commonly requires working pressures below 20 mbar. The product does not require a vacuum pumping system, making it virtually maintenance free. The device is equipped with two different leak detection functions. An existing leak is located as quickly as possible when in search mode. If the size of the leak needs to be measured, the measuring mode is used. All measurement data can be saved in the device’s remote-control system and stored on a USB stick for further use. Scitek Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N897

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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Automatic solvent monitoring device The aequus from TTP Labtech addresses the problem of manu-

Mass spectrometry

ally monitoring solvent usage and

The AB SCIEX TripleTOF 5600 mass spectrometry system

waste levels. Its safe, automated

integrates comprehensive qualitative exploration, rapid profil-

system means analytical chem-

ing and high-resolution quantitation workflows on a single

ists can easily keep track of both

platform. It combines high-sensitivity detection, high resolution

solvent use and waste overflow

with at least a claimed 5x better acquisition speed and stable

during the everyday running of

~1 ppm mass accuracy over days of acquisition. Benefits include: up to 40,000 FWHM with 10 ms accumula-

their analytical equipment. The device is an easy-to-fit, non-

tion time; EasyMass accuracy without continuous recalibra-

contact, sensor-based instrument.

tion - over 50 h of continuous LC/MS operation provides

The ability to connect it to remote

<2 ppm RMS; SmartSpeed 100 Hz acquisition provides high

user alarms enables round-the-

resolution for high-speed chromatography - up to 100 spectra/s

clock monitoring, helping to protect expensive analytical equip-

or 50 spectra/s while maintaining intelligent real-time data

ment, as well as the results of valuable chemical analyses.

filtering (IDA); claimed lowest limits of quantitation (LOQ) for

Providing up to 12 channels, each unit is capable of moni-

a high-resolution system and equivalent to high-performance

toring a maximum of six bottles in both solvent supply and

triple quads.

waste trays. Its compact sensor fits securely to the outside

Its AcceleratorTOF analyser was designed to add high resolu-

of even difficult-to-reach vessels, regardless of size, and the

tion at the speed and sensitivity needed to give equivalent CVs

non-contact sensor ensures zero contamination of supply

and limits of quantitation (LOQ) to high-end triple quadrupoles.

and waste fluids during level monitoring. The easy-to-read,

Suitable for pharmaceutical, academic and analytical test-

compact display provides real-time information with clear

ing, it allows users to integrate comprehensive qualitative

warnings of fluid level limits, alerting users to the action

exploration, rapid profiling and high-resolution quantitation of

they need to take.

low abundance analytes in very complex matrices.

Millennium Science Pty Ltd

AB SCIEX Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M772

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N456

! it eTeoolk Furality

Measure, MoniTor and ValidaTe in ConTrolled PharMaCeuTiCal enVironMenTs huMidiTY | TeMPeraTure | Co2 | dP | More...

Download Vaisala’s Quality Toolkit: • Calibration Handbook • Humidity Formulas • Mapping Guidelines • Humidity Calculator • Thermal Validation Article

www.vaisala.com/toolkit

www.LabOnline.com.au

neW - smartphone enabled access

Tel. 03 9815 6700

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Flying turtles Researchers have found genetic evidence that turtles are more closely related to birds than lizards and snakes.

he evolutionary origin of turtles is one of the last unanswered questions in vertebrate evolution. Paleontological and morphological studies place turtles as either evolving from the ancestor of all reptiles or as evolving from the ancestor of snakes, lizards and tuataras. Conflictingly, genetic studies place turtles as evolving from the ancestor of crocodilians and birds. Having recently looked at more than a thousand of the leastchanged regions in the genomes of turtles and their closest relatives, a team of Boston University researchers has confirmed that turtles are most closely related to crocodilians and birds rather than to lizards, snakes and tuataras. The researchers published their findings in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters. By showing that turtles are closer relatives to crocodiles and birds (archosaurs) than lizards, snakes and tuatara (lepidosaurs), the study challenges previous anatomical and paleontological assessments. Nick Crawford, a postgraduate researcher in biology in BU’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and lead author of the study, achieved these findings by using computational analysis to examine regions of the different animals’ genomes. The study is the first genomic-scale analysis addressing the phylogenetic position of turtles, using over 1000 loci from representatives of all major reptile lineages including tuatara (lizard-like reptiles found only in New Zealand). Earlier studies of morphological traits positioned turtles at the base of the

reptile tree with lizards, snakes and tuatara, whereas molecular analyses typically allied turtles with crocodiles and birds. The BU researchers challenged a recent analysis of shared microRNA families that suggested turtles are more closely related to lepidosaurs. They did this with data from many single-copy nuclear loci dispersed throughout the genome, using sequence capture, high-throughput sequencing and published genomes to obtain sequences from 1145 ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and their variable flanking DNA. The resulting phylogeny provides overwhelming support for the hypothesis that turtles evolved from a common ancestor of birds and crocodilians, rejecting the hypothesised relationship between turtles and lepidosaurs. The BU study is the first to produce a well-resolved reptile tree that includes the tuatara and multiple loci, and also is the first to investigate the placement of turtles within reptiles using a genomic-scale analysis of single-copy DNA sequences and a complete sampling of the major relevant evolutionary lineages. Because UCEs are conserved across most vertebrate groups and found in groups including yeast and insects, this framework is generalisable beyond this study and relevant to resolving ancient phylogenetic enigmas throughout the tree of life. This approach to high-throughput phylogenomics - based on thousands of loci - is likely to fundamentally change the way that systematists gather and analyse data. Boston University www.bu.edu

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Method for mapping modified cytosines Imagine reading an entire book, but then realising that your glasses did not allow you to distinguish ‘g’ from ‘q’. What details did you miss?

eneticists faced a similar problem with the recent discovery of a ‘sixth nucleotide’ in the DNA alphabet. Two modifications of cytosine, one of the four bases that make up DNA, look almost the same but mean different things. But scientists lacked a way of reading DNA, letter by letter, and detecting precisely where these modifications are found in particular tissues or cell types. Now, a team of scientists from the University of Chicago, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, the University of California, San Diego and Emory University has developed and tested a technique to accomplish this task. The team used the technique to map 5-methylcytosine (5-mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) in DNA from human and mouse embryonic stem cells, revealing new information about their patterns of distribution. These studies have revealed that these DNA modifications play major roles in fundamental life processes such as cell differentiation, cancer and brain function. “They regulate gene expression and have a broad impact on stem cell development, various human diseases such as cancer and potentially on neurodegenerative disease. They may even shape the development of the human brain,” said Chuan He, professor in chemistry at UChicago. Scientists have been examining the patterns of 5-mC for decades, as part of the field of epigenetics: the study of the information that lies ‘on top’ of the DNA sequence. However, researchers only recognised that 5-hmC was present at significant levels in our DNA a few years ago. 5-mC is generally found on genes that are turned off and helps silence genes that aren’t supposed to be turned on. In contrast, 5-hmC appears to be enriched on active genes, especially in brain cells. Also, defects in the Tet enzymes that convert 5-mC

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into 5-hmC can drive leukaemia formation, hinting that changes in 5-hmC are important in cancer. A recent paper in the journal Cell describes a method called TABSeq that directly measures 5-hmC and presents the first map of the entire genome of 5-hmC at single-base resolution. He and three of his students conceived and developed the technique at UChicago. A patent is pending on their invention; UChicago is working with Chicago-based Wisegene to further develop the technology.

Researchers in epigenetics expect TAB-Seq to have a major impact on their work “This is a major breakthrough in that TAB-Seq allows precise mapping of all 5-hydroxymethylcytosine sites in a mammalian genome using well-established, next-generation DNA sequencing methods,” said Joseph Ecker, a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, who was not involved in the Cell study. “The study showed very clearly that deriving useful knowledge about this poorly understood epigenetic regulator requires determination of the exact locations of 5-hmC with base-level accuracy. I expect that their new method will immediately become widely adopted.” There were two other laboratories in the team: Bing Ren’s Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research/UCSD group applied TAB-Seq to human embryonic stem cells, while Peng Jin’s group at Emory University applied the method to mouse embryonic stem cells. Previous studies had shown that 5-hmC was found on genes that are turned on. Now, the additional resolution and subsequent research on mouse and human embryonic stem cells reveals that it is found most often on the stretches of DNA that control a gene’s activity, called enhancers, in comparison with the parts of genes that are actually read out into RNA.

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

5-MC IS GENERALLY FOUND ON GENES THAT ARE TURNED OFF AND HELPS SILENCE GENES THAT AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE TURNED ON. IN CONTRAST, 5-HMC APPEARS TO BE ENRICHED ON ACTIVE GENES, ESPECIALLY IN BRAIN CELLS.

A multi-institutional research team has used a new technique to map 5-methylcytosine and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in DNA from human and mouse embryonic stem cells, revealing new information about their patterns of distribution. These DNA modifications play major roles in fundamental life processes.

“We learned using this new technique that this modification is most abundant in the areas of the genome known as enhancers, which regulate the expression of genes. This potential regulatory role of hmC may explain its importance in embryonic stem cells, and why its disruption may result in the development of leukaemia,” said Gary Hon, a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Bing Ren, who carried out the genome-wide analysis of 5-hmC in the human embryonic stem cells at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at UCSD. Another difference with 5-mC is that 5-hmC is usually on only one side of the DNA. In contrast, 5-mC is most often found symmetrically. Overall, 5-hmC is around 14 times less abundant than 5-mC. Even at sites where 5-hmC is the most abundant, it is still

present at about one-fifth the frequency as 5-mC, the team found using the new technique. Previous research has found that 5-hmC is 10 times more abundant in brain than in stem cells, so it may have an especially important role there. Jin’s laboratory is using the new technique to finely map 5-hmC in the developing brain. “To really see the kinds of functions 5-hmC can have, we need to look at how it appears and disappears over time, during processes like brain development. This technique will allow us, and other investigators, to dive in and get that information at high resolution,” said Jin, an associate professor of human genetics at Emory.

Ultrasonic bath The German-made S50-R ultrasonic bath by Elma is suitable for effective cleaning of 200 mm analytical sieves. The bath is designed for fast and effective degassing of analytical solutions and HPLC solvents. These liquids are degassed in Erlenmeyer flasks or in 1 L solvent bottles. The rear side of the Elmasonic S50-R is fitted with a rack for a laboratory holder. The flask or bottle fixed to the holder is immersed into the tank filled with water and a surface-active agent. The degas mode degasses the liquid reliably within approx 30 min. The gas is ‘collected’ to form large bubbles which are taken to the surface and then out of the liquid in short operating breaks. The degas mode can also be used for the degassing of samples in the food sector, eg, for the removal of carbon dioxide. In addition to smart use of ultrasound technology, these units offer a good level of quality. Aktivlab Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N762

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Modular safe The Rittal Extend Modular Safe provides protection against physical threats to IT applications, with direct free cooling. It allows medium-sized users to accommodate their information technology securely and within a small space, as well as save energy. The safe offers sensitive IT hardware system-tested protection against fire, smoke gases, fire extinguisher water, dust and unauthorised access. Alongside the servers and storage solutions, other components such as system controls, fire alarm and extinguisher system, busbars, etc, supplement this security safe and make up a fully equipped compact data centre. As with all the Modular Safe cooling units, the horizontal air flow and the separation between the cold and the hot side in the safe is ensured - even when direct free cooling is employed inside. The cooled air is guided in front of the 482.6 mm level of the IT system. Cooling by means of outside air alone is sufficient for a predefined temperature range. If the outside air temperatures are too low, some of the warm exhaust air is mixed with the incoming supply air, so that suitable process conditions are established for the IT. At higher external temperatures, the cooling system integrated in the device is used, cooling the outside air to the desired air inlet temperature. If the outside temperature is warmer than the exhaust air, cooling takes place exclusively in air-recirculation mode. The cooling unit is installed between the side panel of the safe and the outer wall on site, which increases cooling efficiency. This area is shielded off to help maintain the productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characteristics. Air exchange with the environment is usually via fire dampers, which close immediately if smoke is detected. This means the system is protected from fire. Rittal Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/M538

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WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

Analyser for air toxics Designed for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air and gas that is sampled using canisters, the CIA Advantage allows analytical chemists to analyse a wide range of analyte concentrations without the need for dilution. Due to the in-built sorbent tube functionality, the instrument has the capacity to analyse an extended range of compounds while improving workflow productivity. Systems are fully compliant with the US Environmental Protection Agency Method TO-15, allowing users to have confidence in results. The product is a single system that can handle component concentrations ranging from ppt to low-percent levels using a combination of loop sampling, large-volume sampling and the ability to split sample flows. With cryogen-free operation, the product avoids the cost of liquid cryogen while the heated internal lines and efficient purge steps combine to avoid the problem of carryover, even with less volatile analytes. This negligible carryover means that canister analysis can be confidently undertaken on samples of unknown concentration, facilitating automation and therefore increasing productivity. The product is equipped to prevent ice formation, creating a robust system and minimising downtime. Agilent Technologies Australia Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N304

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Real-time PCR system The Thermo Scientific PikoReal Real-Time PCR System provides good qPCR performance, with both 24- and 96-well instruments offering five optical detection channels and multiple intuitive software modules. The system also has a small footprint, delivering high-quality qPCR results with fewer reagents, less plastic waste and less energy. The optical system of the instrument contains five channels, precalibrated for many commonly used dyes. New dyes can also

Incubators, Ovens and Water Baths

be calibrated by using the Colour Calibration Utility of the software. Multiplexing can be performed with up to four dyes; the fifth channel is dedicated to SYBR Green and HRM experiments. Technological advances enable a dynamic range of 11 logs. The productâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s software offers an intuitive experience, from programming protocols and defining plate layouts to assessing experimental results. It features familiar Windows operating system-based functionality, preloaded protocols, visual step list, Virtual Pipetting Tool Mode, import and export functions, and more. Thermo Fisher Scientific Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q077

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Tissue microarray Tissue microarrays allow users to process a great amount of patient sample data in a fast and reliable way. The TMA Grand Master from 3DHistech can be used as a high-throughput diagnostic technique by being able to place up to several hundred different samples into one paraffin block. This brings savings in time and costs of tissue preparation, staining and slide preparation. With its 72 block (60 donor/12 recipient) capacity, high speed, 4 core diameter punching, and other features, the product can simultaneously load, image, drill and punch, whilst continuously loading blocks. SciTech Pty Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N806

Microbial air sampler Coriolis Âľ from Coriolis is a light and compact air sampler, manufactured by Bertin Technologies, for quick and reliable air control. The cyclonic technology draws air into a cone prefilled with specific collection liquid using a whirling motion that forms a vortex. Particles are concentrated into the liquid ready for rapid analysis by culture, PCR, cytometry, ATP-luminescence, etc, to detect air polluters such as bacteria, fungi, moulds, pollens and more. Applications include: process monitoring in aseptic conditioning zones; laminar flow cabinet control; decontamination procedure evaluation; pathogen and contamination detection in cleanrooms; prevention of nosocomial infections; control of operating rooms. Sterile consumables, autoclavable parts, adjustable air flow rate (up to 300 L/min) and collection time, delayed start and battery operation options allow for ease of use and flexible monitoring. Sapphire Bioscience Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/Q034

Beta-lactam antibiotics test kit Rapid testing for the presence of beta-lactam antibiotics is a requirement for dairies of all sizes in Australia. The Milk Guard Residue Kit for beta-lactams provides a result in 10 minutes and does not require any equipment. The test is done at room temperature and read visually; therefore an incubator or a reader is not required. The kit contains everything needed to perform the test, including test wells and disposable pipettes. The Milk Guard Combo test is also available, which detects the presence of tetracyclines as well as beta-lactams. Australasian Medical & Scientific Ltd Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/N550

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WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

my lab 42

No bad blood at Melbourne Processing Centre Erin Lagoudakis and Lauren Davis

On 30 April 2012, the Australian Red Cross Blood Service opened the Melbourne Processing Centre - the largest blood processing facility in the Southern Hemisphere. Redesigned from a one-time car factory, the centre now processes all of Victoria’s and Tasmania’s blood; about 1500 blood donations per day. Rebecca Dalton, Laboratory Manager for Nucleic Acid Testing and Central Sample Reception, describes what it’s like to work in the centre. “The typical day of someone in Laboratory Services starts with the receipt, reconciliation and preparation of samples from collection centres around Victoria/Tasmania and external clients such as hospitals and cord blood banks. Samples are passed onto the mandatory testing laboratories. “All the testing occurs concurrently on mostly fully automated platforms at the same time as the blood components are processed. Staff members work to tight deadlines to meet the release requirements of the products to ensure the availability of a safe blood supply. Lab staff routinely prepare testing reagents, maintain equipment, process samples, monitor results and quality controls, and manage testing consumables.” It’s a busy job, but Manufacturing Manager Shane Winzar says the centre is firmly on track, as it is “designed to allow for increased demand over the next 30 years”. “The new facility has provided a more efficient laboratory workflow and the ability to adapt and accommodate new technologies and processes as they arise,” he said. “In addition to housing the Blood Service labs, the facility also houses, for the first time under the same roof, the Victorian Transplant Immunogenetics Service, which makes for more efficient servicing of the increased testing associated with organ transplantation.” Dalton agrees: “One big change for my labs is now we’re co-located, which has led to more efficient workflow … we’re also experiencing benefits of having the Supply department on-site.” The facility contains a variety of cutting-edge features. It can withstand an earthquake of seven on the Richter Scale and operate for four days without external water, gas, electricity and sewerage. It is also environmentally responsible, boasting sun shading, double glazing, a 55,000 L rainwater tank, a solar hot water system, water-efficient plumbing system, indoor plants, a waste management system and sensor-operated blinds and lighting. The idea for the facility began one afternoon in 2008 at a meeting between the architect, the Blood Service and service engineers. “We all got the dream. The innovation and creative energy that existed that afternoon has never wavered. The MPC is an alignment of everyone’s passion who worked on the project. It’s a really great example of what people can achieve if they work together,” said James Bargh, Blood Service’s National Property Manager. Dalton, for one, believes the dream has paid off. “The new building is fantastic; it’s great to work in an architecturally designed space that was developed for our needs,” she said.

WHAT’S NEW IN LAB & LIFE SCIENCES - June/July 2012

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