Apologies ...

... for the lack of a post yesterday, but I was travelling back from Euroanalysis and couldn't get an Internet connection. Normal service has now been resumed :-)

NEW Flow Cytometer for Gentle Sorting of Large Libraries of 10-1,500µ Particles

Union Biometrica has introduced the NEW COPAS™ HTS Option for Gentle Sorting of large libraries of 10-1,500μ Particles

COPAS large particle flow cytometers can analyze and sort objects that are too large or too fragile for traditional flow cytometers.

Lower operating pressures and soft-touch air-jet diverter technology means even delicate samples like adipocytes or stem cell clusters are dispensed intact and viable.

The new HTS Option package is designed for High Throughput Screening applications involving large numbers of objects to be sorted into large numbers of microtiter output plates.

This option can be added to any new COPAS or BioSorter® model and includes liquid level sensors, leak & clog detectors as well as automatic sample pressure control for walk-away operation. The system stops and activates status lights to notify an operator when reservoirs need refilling or other attention is required. A software option can “slave” the system to a robotic plate handler.

Typical samples include:

·         Bead-based cellular or combi-chem libraries

·         Large cells / clusters (adipocytes, embryoid bodies, pancreatic islets, duct cells, hepatocytes)

·         Small multicellular model organisms (C.elegans, D.melanogaster, Zebrafish)

·         Seeds (Arabidopsis, tobacco)

For additional information email sales@unionbio.com, call 1-(508)-893-3115 (+34 687 859 190 in Europe ) or visit the Union Biometrica website at: http://www.unionbio.com/ .

Strengthening the Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology Executive team

Responding to demand for its leading etch, deposition and growth equipment, Oxford Instruments has invested in many key areas of the business recently and expanded its workforce by over 30% in the past 12 months. The company now announces the appointment of two Directors to the Executive team, Steve Chittock and Neil Perry, who will further contribute to strengthening the company as it moves into its next stage of growth.

Steve Chittock, has been appointed Operations Director (Supply Chain and Manufacturing). A Chartered Engineer, Steve has 20 years operations experience in market leading, multi-national engineering companies operating in aerospace, defence and automotive markets. Steve’s previous employers include Morgan Crucible, SKF & Bostrom. He brings experience in applying advanced manufacturing technology, techniques and software to improve business performance, aligning company and customer needs.

Neil Perry, Finance Director, brings a wealth of experience to Oxford Instruments. This has been gained in a number of industries, including telecommunications, aerospace and automotive. Neil’s previous employers have included Wireless International and Matra Marconi Space (incorporating BAe Space Systems) in commercial, interim and Finance Director roles.

“These two appointments give us considerable strength to meet the needs of our customers and to develop the competencies and resources that support our future growth”, comments Andy Matthews, Managing Director of Oxford Instruments. “In order to remain competitive and produce world leading products, it is imperative that we bring the skills and experience into the Company that meet the needs of the 21^st century, and I believe that these two new appointments will help to achieve this.”

Speed-Up Your Daily Liquid Handling Applications

INTEGRA has produced two new informative videos that demonstrate how its new generation of innovative electronic pipetting tools bridge the gap between traditional handheld pipettes and large robotic systems. The VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO Voyager deliver to you a higher level of productivity without the cost or training associated with fully automated liquid handling systems.

The VIAFLO 96* is the first handheld electronic pipette which allows simultaneous transfers of 96 samples; there is no easier or faster tool for liquid transfers between 96- and 384-well microplates. The intuitive user interface allows you to dispense to well plates in only seconds without needing to set up complex programs. The VIAFLO 96 is as simple to use as any other pipette in your lab. With the choice of four interchangeable pipetting heads, it allows you to accurately pipette volumes from 0.5 to 1250 microlitres. Typical applications include replication of plates, compressing 96-well plates into a 384-well format, dispensing buffers / master mixes, exchanging culture media and simultaneously starting / stopping 96 reactions.

The VIAFLO Voyager** is the first electronic pipette featuring an automatic mechanism to alter the tip spacing with the press of a button. The VIAFLO Voyager allows you to transfer multiple samples in one go instead of going back and forth with your single channel pipette repeatedly. This not only saves time, but also minimizes the risk of pipetting errors. The tip spacing is freely adjustable and thus helps you to accelerate sample transfers between virtually any lab ware formats including 24-, 48-, 96- and 384- well plates as well as tube racks and SDS / agarose gels. Simply customize the tip spacing to optimally fit your applications needs.

For further information please watch the videos or contact INTEGRA on +41-81-286-9530 / info@integra-biosciences.com (Europe / Asia Pacific) or +1-603-578-5800 / contact@viaflo.com (North / South America).

How Product Resistance Impacts Primary Freeze Drying

SP Scientific, a world leader in freeze drying technology, has released an informative new technical article authored by Dr. Margit Gieseler, GILYOS GmbH and Dr. Henning Gieseler, Freeze Drying Focus Group, University of Erlangen which discusses the impact of product resistance on primary freeze drying.

Freeze drying is known to be a time consuming process with primary drying phases ranging from several hours up to weeks, depending on the product. During primary drying the product temperature at the ice sublimation interface (Tp) must not exceed the critical formulation temperature (collapse or eutectic temperature, respectively) to prevent impairment of final product quality by collapse or meltback. Tp is determined by several factors like chamber pressure, shelf temperature, vial heat transfer coefficient and resistance of the dried layer.

The new technical article** discusses how product resistance (Rp) has been recently suggested as a critical product parameter (CPtP) in freeze drying because it instantaneously draws a picture of the (already dried) inner cake morphology at the point of measurement. From a physical point of view, Rp of the dried product layer impacts the resistance to water vapour flow and thus indirectly determines the maximally allowable shelf temperature and primary drying time.

Further to providing an informative introduction to product resistance behaviour the article summarises the results of trials investigating the product resistance of sucrose based on different experimental conditions and using the Auto-MTM feature of the SP Scientific SMART Freeze Dryer software. The authors conclude resistance of the product to vapour flow during primary drying is a critical product parameter that impacts several process parameters. Lack of information about product performance during primary drying can lead to sub-optimal product quality and/or problems during scale-up. The use of MTM allows an easy and reliable assessment of product resistance data.

To access a copy of 'The relevance of product resistance in freeze drying' please visit the SP Scientific website** or contact the company on telephone +1-845-255-5000 (+44-1473-240000 in Europe).

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New Wireless Data Recorder for J, K, S & T Thermocouples

T&D Corporation has introduced its NEW "Wireless Data Recorder RTR-505TC" which can measure and record temperatures from -199°C to +1,300°C

These new data recorders are compatible with J, K, S & T type thermocouples and accept industry standard miniature connectors.

The RTR-505TC has 15 recording intervals from 1 second to 60 minutes and a capacity to store 16,000 readings.

Additional features include a large LCD display, IP64 water resistance and battery life up to 4 years with "L" version.

The units have a communication range up to 500 ft. which is extendable with a repeater. They are compatible with all TandD RTR-500 Series Wireless Data Collectors which allow for data retrieval to a PC, over a network or the Internet, or through a cellular phone system.

For additional information on these NEW units contact:

TandD CorporationPO Box 321 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 USA Phone: 518-669-9227 E-mail: inquiries@tandd.com Web: http://www.tandd.com/