Breaking News on Laboratory Equipment

Plexera inks DNA-based protein chip deal

Plexera Biosciences is hoping to leave its rivals in its wake following an exclusive option agreement for Auguron Biosciences' DNA-based protein chips.

Administrators attempting to sell UK's Jaycare

Administrators are now trying to sell Jaycare, a UK custom manufacturer and supplier of rigid plastic packaging, medical devices and technical componentry to the pharma and healthcare industries, which has gone bust.

Even proteins can have a popularity contest

Disease treatments could be developed faster thanks to a new mathematical model that calculates how popular a protein is in terms of how likely another protein will want to associate with it.

BD on the up after impressive Q1 results

Becton Dickinson has reported first quarter earnings that nearly doubled year-on-year - with sales driven on by the weak American currency and outweighing increased operating costs.

Clontech Labs fine tune cell protein levels

Clontech Laboratories is about to release its ProteoTuner System which can regulate the amount of protein in a cell and ought to be a powerful tool to analyse a protein's function.

New Alzheimer's theory gains NASA backing

A controversial new theory on the origins of Alzheimer's has divided opinion in the medical world, but if proved right could 'revolutionise' treatment.

PerkinElmer 4Q profit sees CEO leave on high

PerkinElmer post a 26 per cent rise in its Q4 profits, boosted by its laboratory and diagnostic equipment sales and confounding Wall Street expectations in the process. The company also expect 2008 first-quarter profit to top analyst estimates.

SOS: save our solvent!

In any laboratory, or indeed in any pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, one of the major expenses will be solvents. And just like the price of petrol and diesel it just keeps going up and up. Huw Kidwell examines how a new recycling approach could keep costs down and help protect the environment to boot.

Laboratory Corp to buy drug discovery services firm

Laboratory Corp has announced its intention to buy fellow US lab services firm Tandem Labs for an undisclosed sum.

WaferGen pushes PCR research with Malaysian subsidiary

WaferGen has launched a new subsidiary in Kedah, Malaysia, with the express purpose of overseeing research and development of its real-time PCR system.

Labcyte, Deerac Fluidics merge for improved liquid handling

Labcyte and Deerac Fluidics, which both make liquid handling devices, albeit for different low-volume ranges, have decided to merge and combine their technologies.

Thermo and FANUC unveil new robot for drug discovery

Thermo Fisher Scientific aims to make automation in the drug discovery lab a whole lot easier through the development of an articulated robot specifically designed for pharmaceutical applications.

23andMe genetic analysis launches in Europe

Google funded start up, 23andme, has now launched its gene tests and web-based analysis in Canada and Europe.

Applied Biosystems and Mettler Toledo team up to tackle lab management

Applied Biosystems has initiated a collaboration with Mettler Toledo with the intention of integrating their lab management software applications.

Heavyweights step up to the plate at LabAutomation 2008

Tecan and PerkinElmer have taken the opportunity to showcase new plate reader products at LabAutomation 2008, firmly re-establishing themselves as major players in this popular and lucrative sector.

US team put right the 'hidden dirty secret' of quantum dots

US scientists have found a way of stopping quantum dots from 'blinking'. The resultant increase in light intensity could make them more useful in medical research.

Invetech commits to tackle US market

Australia-based Invetech has committed itself to tackling the US market, opening up its first facility in the country - home of the world's largest drug industry.

Vapourtec add-ons put spotlight on Flow Chemistry

Vapourtec has made two new additions to its Flow Chemistry platform available as the company make headway in an emerging field, which aims to speed up laboratory processes in drug discovery.

1000 Genomes Project launched

An international consortium has begun an ambitious project to sequence the complete genomes of at least 1,000 people in order to learn more about the effect of genetics on disease.

'World's best microscope' up and running

The world's most powerful transmission electron microscope has been turned on in the US, with single-atom resolution bringing within reach the ability to analyse chemicals simply by looking at them.

Beckman Coulter pens molecular diagnostics alliance

Beckman Coulter has launched a four-year collaboration with Irish University NUI Galway in the hope of speeding up molecular diagnostic tests.

Fluorotechnics signs up Wako for Japan push

Australian firm Fluorotechnics wants to bolster the sales of its proteomics products in Japan and so has signed up Osaka firm Wako Pure Chemical Industries to help.

Ventana gives in to Roche merger following increased offer

After seven months of offers, refusals and heated exchanges, it seems an increased offer from Roche has finally persuaded the powers that be at Ventana to sell up.

GE rattled in Q4 as X-ray business suffers

GE Healthcare has reported its fourth quarter and full year financial results in a tough 12 months that have seen the laboratory imaging and diagnostics company feel the full force of US Government regulatory pressure.

Industry news in brief - 3

LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of recent industry news, with developments at Activotec, Protagen, Caprotec Bioanalytics and PANalytical.

Preclinical news in brief

In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving Galapagos, Argenta Discovery and ChemDiv.

Product news in brief - week 3

LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of the latest product news and releases from Lonza, MIP Technologies and Supelco, Illumina, Cisbio, Bookham and Tecan.

Buffer cocktail maintains pH when freezing

Scientists have discovered a technique that can ensure lab samples stay at the right pH, even when frozen and the discovery could bring into doubt previously published research.

Weekly comment

UK Government plans will stifle innovation, say biotechs

New UK Government proposals to scrap Capital Gains Tax (CGT) relief will stifle life science innovation, according to a group of biotech small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

EC launches major pharma industry probe

The European Commission has launched an investigation into the entire European pharmaceutical sector, with surprise raids on a number of manufacturers in a bid to unearth any evidence of foul-play hampering the launch of new medicines on the market.

Wyeth site rescued by new start-up firm

Wyeth's manufacturing facility in Rouses Point, New York, has been spared the scrap heap, with yesterday's announcement that new pharma player Akrimax has bought up the beleaguered site.

Pfizer Japan cleaning out its closet

Pfizer Japan is cleaning out its closet, selling a range of its "surplus" biotech and pharmaceutical lab equipment via an online auction, a method that is slowly catching on in the country.

Sarkozy slammed for GM crop ban

The Biotechnology Industry Organization has fired a broadside at French President Nicolas Sarkozy after he banned a GM corn crop without, it says, 'any scientific basis'.

Invitrogen acquires liver test experts CellzDirect

Invitrogen has splashed the cash on a manufacturer of liver cell products that can be used to test a drug's potential toxicity and so avoid costly clinical failures.

US bid approaches for Whatman send share price sky high

UK separation technology specialists Whatman has confirmed it has received a number of preliminary approaches for the firm, sending its shares rocketing up.

Thousands of rodents saved from drug testing

Thousands of rodents lives will be saved each year after a specific animal test is being scrapped following a review by 18 pharmaceutical companies.

Industry news in brief week 2

LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of recent industry news, with developments at Advanced Cell Technology and Qiagen, Gene Bridges, Evotec and BioTek Instruments.

bioMerieux shifts to France

Diagnostics firm bioMérieux has announced plans to shift activities at its facility in the Netherlands to France, shutting down the Dutch site as it continues to haemorrhage cash.

Affymetrix prep new genotyping tools

How do you build on what has been dubbed the 'scientific breakthrough of 2007'? Affymetrix believes it has the answer with its next-gen arrays.

Multispan, Promega team up on GPCRs

US firms Multispan and Promega have paired up to develop assay tools for G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) screening, in the hope of speeding up drug discovery on these, the most popular protein targets in pharma.

DermTech, Stiefel Labs try to spot acne genes

Skin cancer detection specialists DermTech have decided to turn their hand to acne after signing an agreement with Stiefel Laboratories to identify spot-causing genes.

Product News in Brief - week 2

LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of the latest product news and releases from Millipore, Gen-Probe, WaferGen, Beckman Coulter, Lab M, Labcyte, NuGen Technologies and PerkinElmer.

ABI service programme for SOLiD genome analysis

Applied Biosystems (ABI) has teamed up with several service providers to increase scientists' access to its SOLiD genome analysis system and hopefully save them some money.

Pharma machinery key to India's growth

Equipment manufacturing is one of the keys to helping India swell its portion of the global pharma pie, according to a new report from KPMG, so long as the sector does not remain so fragmented.

Animal activists hamper Dutch science park construction

A Dutch developer has pulled out of a €60m project to build a science park in the country after it was "continually confronted" by animal rights extremists.

Two new preclinical partnerships formed

UK's NextGen Sciences and US firm Paragon Bioservices have heralded the formation of a new alliance to jointly offer each others services, as have Argenta Discovery and NeuroSolutions who are also now working together in the preclinical arena.

Superbug test approved, cuts days off MRSA diagnosis

Numerous lives could be saved by a new blood test that can identify MRSA within two hours, instead of as many days, following its approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

WuXi PharmaTech makes its first acquisition

WuXi PharmaTech, China's contract research titan, has orchestrated its first acquisition, gaining biologics capabilities and a base in the US.

New plan of action for US nanotechnology

Barriers to innovation and technology transfer must be lowered if the US is to continue being a global leader in nanotechnology research and development in the future.

Model checks out how biosensors shape up

A group of US researchers have developed a new computer model to study and design miniature biosensors, which could help life scientists perfect lab-on-a-chip technology.

Visualising protein dynamics

A new technique that allows scientists to visualise protein dynamics in live cell cultures could help scientists fish out specific rare cells out of a sea of clones.

Galapagos scores first oncology contract

Galapagos' services arm has scored another lucrative contract from big pharma - its first in the field of oncology - as it continues to broaden its experience.