Breaking News on Laboratory Equipment

Bio-Rad takes the stress out of protein purification

Bio-Rad has published several application notes describing the use of its Profinity eXact protein expression system to obtain tag-free native proteins from a cell lysate in less than an hour.

Syrris to tailor-make reactor systems

In response to high customer demand, leading automated chemistry systems manufacturer Syrris is now offering to build custom-made laboratory reactor systems designed to meet individual customer needs.

PerkinElmer goes from strength to strength

Robert Friel’s tenure as CEO of PerkinElmer continued its strong start with the firm reporting a 21 per cent increase in second quarter revenues compared to the same period last year.

Affymetrix slumps as pharma sales fall

Affymetrix slumped to an operating loss in the second quarter of 2008, reporting flat revenues and blaming a 30 per cent reduction in sales to the pharmaceutical sector.

Nanotubes threaten to replace the mass spectrometer

US physicists have built the world's most sensitive 'nanomechanical mass spectrometer' that can accurately determine the mass of objects lighter than a single gold atom.

Thermo buys Affinity BioReagents

Thermo Fisher Scientific has followed up its acquisition of Open Biosystems with the purchase of antibody experts Affinity BioReagents to further bolster its protein research offering.

Millipore tech unravels neural degeneration

UK researchers have used the ReNcell VM stem cell line, licensed by Millipore from UK stem cell therapy experts ReNeuron, to model neural degeneration observed in Parkinson's disease.

Lab suppliers post solid Q2 growth despite the credit crisis

With fears of a global recession riding on the back of the credit crisis, many laboratory suppliers have managed to weather the storm and still achieve double digit sales growth in the second quarter of 2008.

ESA's CAD improves detection of API impurities

UK-headquartered ESA Biosciences has unveiled a new system for the identification of low levels organic impurities during the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).

Medtox sees dip in clinical lab services, but profits rise

Laboratory services and diagnostics company Medtox Scientific has posted a healthy hike in operating profits for the second quarter, despite a challenging operating environment that pegged back sales growth.

ESA’s CAD improves detection of API impurities

UK-headquartered ESA Biosciences has unveiled a new technique for the identification of low levels organic impurities during the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).

Caliper introduces updated LabChip systems

Caliper Life Sciences has launched two new microfluidic-based electrophoresis instruments designed to address the separation needs of proteomic and genomic researchers.

Sequencing to illuminate disease pathways

Scientists have completed the most comprehensive mammalian transcriptome analysis to date and believe the results should further our understanding of disease pathways.

Thermo Fisher and Genedata to accelerate metabolomics research

Thermo Fisher Scientific has integrated Genedata's Expressionist software with its high resolution mass spectrometry (MS) offering to enable high-throughput metabolomics data processing.

Nanopoint images the future of live cell experiments

Nanopoint has launched the 'world's most advanced' on-microscope cell containment device that offers complete environmental control for time-lapse cell imaging applications.

Bio-Rad keeps your genes silenced for longer

Bio-Rad has launched a new web-based search tool to give researchers easier access to its validated siLentMer gene silencing product line, which offers up to twice the silencing longevity.

Weekly comment

Globalisation of advanced R&D services 'on the rise'

Pharmaceutical companies in the developed world have already shifted substantial manufacturing and clinical trial work to emerging economies such as China and India, but a new study suggest they are increasingly counting on these countries for advanced research and development services as well.

FDA launches QbD pilot programme

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is launching a quality-by-design (QbD) pilot programme for biotechnology submissions.

PerkinElmer forms stem cell research centre

PerkinElmer has created the ViaCord Research Institute (VRI) to investigate new uses of stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood.

Agilent buys Particle Sizing Systems

Agilent has continued its summer spending spree with the acquisition of US-based Particle Sizing Systems that will further bolster the firm's Materials Science Services Unit (MSSU).

FEI launches extreme high-resolution SEM

Electron microscopy expert FEI has launched a new range of scanning electron microscopes (SEM) that enables sub-nanometre 3D surface imaging.

Roche licenses zinc finger tech to aid its discovery programmes

Sangamo Biosciences and Sigma-Aldrich have licensed their zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) technology to Roche to enable the pharma giant to develop cell lines and transgenic animals.

Affymetrix tech to save pharma 'billions'

Researchers from Germany's Fraunhofer Institute are using Affymetrix' assay technology to develop tests that detect drug induced liver injury (DILI).

MDS Analytical buys Blueshift Biotechnologies

MDS Analytical Technologies has followed its acquisition of Molecular Devices last year by snapping up high content screening (HCS) experts Blueshift for $15m (€9.45m).

New technique unravels the structures of cell surface receptors

High throughput (HT) screening expert Cisbio Bioassays and the Institute of Functional Genomics (IGF), Montpellier, have developed a method of analysing the receptor complexes that govern cell-cell communications.

Preclinical services news in brief

In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving Charles River Laboratories, Galapagos and AstraZeneca.

Agilent buys Nano Instruments to bolster materials science unit

Agilent Technologies has continued its push into the materials science market with the acquisition of nanoindentation instrument manufacturer Nano Instruments.

Thermo expands RNAi offering with Open Bio purchase

Laboratory industry heavyweight, Thermo Fisher Scientific has acquired shRNA expert Open Biosystems to expand its gene silencing offering.

Qiagen acquires rotary RT-PCR cycler inventor

Dutch sample and assay expert, Qiagen has bought Australia-based Corbett Life Science Pty in a deal that could be worth up to $135m (€86m).