Breaking News on Laboratory Equipment

State 'should focus on translational medicine' to compete

The state of Massachusetts should invest become the 'new medicine capital' of the US, with a focus on translational medicine research, or risk losing out to rivals around the world.

Animal studies begin for Chikungunya virus

French scientists have found a suitable genetic variation of mice that can be used to study the way the Chikungunya virus develops and spreads in the human body.

AMRI stuck with stagnant sales

AMRI edged back into the red during the fourth quarter of 2007 after stagnant sales growth and higher costs, a scenario that is expected to continue.

Novartis vaccines institute sets sights on developing world diseases

Novartis has lent impetus to the growing trend towards philanthropic R&D in the pharmaceutical industry by opening a new research institute in Siena, Italy "with a non-profit mission to exclusively focus on the development of vaccines for diseases of the developing world".

European MIT rival to be operating by 2009

The prospect of Europe's very own institute of technology - dubbed the European equivalent of MIT - is looking increasingly likely.

Deal makes Sigma-Aldrich exclusive US antibody supplier

Sigma-Aldrich has struck a deal with Atlas Antibodies that grants it distribution rights to Atlas' library of 1,800 antibodies that is expected to grow by several thousand per year.

Scottish consortium start work on 3D cell-based assay

A new consortium in Scotland is to develop a new 3D cell assay for use in drug discovery and for safety evaluation prior to clinical trials, in the hope of cutting costs and reducing the use of animals for testing.

Systems biology approach identifies cancer proteins faster

A tool that more quickly identifies proteins present in cancer cells and identifies targets for immunological therapies and diagnostics has been reported by Austrian researchers.

Product news round-up

LabTechnologist presents its periodic round-up of new product introductions in the life sciences arena, with releases from Invitrogen, Genetix, Vapourtec and GE Healthcare.

Biotage increases environment technology presence

Biotage has announced plans to shift its business focus to the environmental analysis sector - an industry on the rise as soaring world population demands more efficient and safe laboratory technologies to deal with waste, hazardous materials and cleaning.

Covance triumphant in animal lab battle

Covance has emerged triumphant in the latest episode of a long-lasting saga over a new US animal testing lab that it is building in Chandler, Arizona.

Novel genetic technique 'creates' stem cells

Scientists can now transform adult cells to a stem cell-like state without using a cancer inducing gene. Researchers at Harvard University said they can now map the stages of the reprogramming which had thus far been a mystery.

Arr4 protein could make signal activation an inside job

A protein discovery that could open up a whole new pathway for drug development has been reported by scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US.

New device uses spectroscopy to speed up particle ID

Germany's rap.ID Particle Systems has launched a new lab-ready particle identification device capable of identifying around 400 particles an hour from 5µm and up. The company says the device is suited for development and quality assurance in the pharmaceutical industry.

Transplant deaths explained by new molecular method

A new laboratory technology that uses a genome sequencer system has discovered a new virus that is thought to be responsible for the deaths of three transplant recipients.

Lab-on-a-chip looks inside the brain

A lab on a chip method has been developed to mimic brain chemistry and so give a greater understanding of how neurons in the brain interact in the formation of a nervous system.

Need for speed in flow cytometry answered, claims AC

The UK's Applied Cytometry is gearing up to launch a new ultra high-speed software system for data analysis/processing in applications generating large data sets such as laser flow cytometry.

New map of protein interactions could direct future antiviral research

A new 'map' that depicts the interactions between proteins from pathogens and humans could help explain how viruses and bacteria manage to trick victim cells into carrying out their dirty work.

Charles River accelerates China plans; reports profit jump

Charles River Laboratories has reported another profit jump in its Q4 2007 financial results and has also stepped up its China plans as the demand for its preclinical services in the country are said to be "robust".

Evotec scores $37m contract expansion

Germany's Evotec has scored a three year contract extension with an existing US client worth up to $37m.

Agilent reports disappointing 1Q profit

Agilent Technologies report a 20 per cent drop in its first quarter profit as a healthy revenue growth is offset by restructuring, higher stock-based compensation costs and other expenses.

EU white paper urges competitive spirit in research

A leading medical research council has called for increased funding within the European medical research community to maintain high standards and attract and retain the brightest young researchers.

NIH-EPA toxicity agreement promises relief for lab animals

A cross-agency agreement that should ease reliance on laboratory animals in testing for environmental toxins and generate data more relevant to humans has been signed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the US.

Qiagen lifted by acquisitions in '07

Qiagen announced strong Q4 results and good overall growth for 2007, despite going through significant integration and acquisition efforts. The firm also gave guidance for a 40 per cent growth rate in 2008.

Quotient bolsters its drug development services

Quotient BioResearch, a European analytical and safety evaluation services firm, has bolstered its business with the acquisition of BioDynamics Research.

Scientists remove bottleneck in genetic sequencing

Researchers at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, USA, have successfully employed a new technique developed by Agilent that could potentially eliminate one of the biggest bottlenecks in the genetic sequencing process.

Sigma-Aldrich smashes $2bn mark in 2007 sales

Sigma-Aldrich has reported record annual revenues of $2.04bn in 2007, fuelled by strong growth in life science products and fine chemicals, favourable exchange rates and a $60m acquisition.

SfN outlines strategies to counter animal extremists

The threat of intimidation, harrassment and violence by animal extremist goups has prompted new recommendations detailing measures scientific institutions can take to protect laboratory researchers.

Single molecule sensor could advance on lab-on-a-chip tech

For the first time, US scientists have found a way of simultaneously performing optical and electrical measurements on the same single molecule, known as multimodal sensing.

Transparent zebrafish set to aid cancer studies

Researchers have created a transparent adult zebrafish that will allow scientists to observe disease processes in a laboratory environment and may explain the cancer life cycle and why its cells migrate to other parts of the body.

Weekly Comment

EC 'unlikely to support ban on primate testing'

The European Commission is unlikely to support an outright ban on the use of non-human primates in research, but has just published a new document which indicates that significant changes to current legislation are envisioned.

Beckman Coulter sees earnings drop in Q4

Beckman Coulter saw its fourth quarter earnings held back by the cost of acquiring NexGen Diagnostics, but the underlying business was strong with a near-11 per cent hike in revenues.

Invitrogen and Agilent settle differences

After several years, Invitrogen and Agilent have at last settled patent infringement court cases concerning tools used in complementary DNA synthesis, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and other molecular biology applications.

Gene technique identifies origin of inherited disease

Scientists have made use of a new method for analysing gene expression to interrogate the whole genome for the causes of familial combined hyperlipidemia - an inherited disease that can contribute to high cholesterol and early heart attacks.

DNA extraction for all, says Mole Genetics

Mole Genetics has launched its low cost, benchtop personal DNA extraction/purification system to the European market.

Synthetic biology firm Geneart in the ascendency

Germany's Geneart, a specialist in synthetic biology, is expecting strong growth in 2008 on the back of strong demand for gene synthesis.

Pacific Biometrics creates dedicated biomarker arm

Pacific Biometrics has created a new arm of the business especially dedicated to the emerging field of biomarker development and testing.

Russian laser aids in defining nanoparticles

Russian scientists have created a device that determines micro- and nano-particle size using a laser technology that claims to be more accurate than methods currently used in the laboratory and could find a role in pharmaceutical quality control.

UK universities take aim at processing challenges

A new £2m chemical engineering laboratory at the University of Strathclyde in the UK will spearhead an expansion of its activities in biomolecular engineering, with a particular focus on human health, nutrition and finding new ways to generate energy.

New NMR technique keeps tabs on micro-scale reactions

NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance)/MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is a fairly mature technology but has limited sensitivity at the micro-scale, holding back its usefulness for analysing catalytic reactors and reactions in microfluidic devices.

Artel MVS add-on ups QC for liquid handing

Artel has introduced a new feature for its Multichannel Verification System (MVS), which includes an automation function that allows for time savings and reducing human error.

Analyse this! Molecular Profiles makes formulation easier

UK contract research specialist Molecular Profiles has introduced a suite of analytical techniques, collectively known as nanoPASS, that promises to help pharmaceutical scientists come up with the best formulations for their products.

New Bionanoscience dept launched at TU Delft

Delft Technology University (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, has decided to create a new bionanoscience department in a clear indication of what it feels is one of the key up and coming scientific fields.

Biomatrica storage solution keeps RNA fresh

Biomatrica has launched the RNAstable - a piece of kit that preserves RNA samples at ambient and elevated temperatures with minimal degradation.

Public backs human tissue research

Despite adverse publicity in the past, the UK public is becoming increasingly supportive of using human tissues in medical research, according to a new study.

IDT can link your lab to collaborators online

Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has launched LabLinker, a free online system for sharing genome sequence data and even share shipping costs of orders.

DNA flexibility reveals clues about gene expression

A new technique that analyses the structural characteristics, and not the sequence, of DNA has revealed previously unknown areas of the human genetic code responsible for gene expression.

GE strengthens healthcare with $718m Whatman buy

GE Healthcare has agreed to purchase UK laboratory equipment maker Whatman for £363m ($718m) in a move aimed at advancing GE's life sciences business.

LabAutomation 2008 - the best of the rest

LabTechnologist takes a final pick of new and updated equipment that formed the LabAutomation exhibition's showcase. Much of the technology featured was shown to the public for the first time.

Preclinical services news in brief

In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving HemoGenix, Chemdiv and AlgoNomics.

Bird flu testing on the cheep

Rapid identification of bird flu infection will be the key to controlling a pandemic should the virus learn how to transmit between humans. A new lab-on-a-chip could provide diagnosis in as little as 30 minutes.