Archive for the ‘New Products’ Category
BNC Collaborators Author High-profile Paper in Nature Nanotechnology
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2008 02:28 Written by admin Thursday, 23 October 2008 02:28
London, UK – 17 October 2008: Research by scientists collaborating with specialist product development consultancy, Bio Nano Consulting (BNC), into the workings of vancomycin – one of the few antibiotics that can be used to combat increasingly resistant infections such as MRSA – has been published in Nature Nanotechnology (October 2008). The researchers, led by Dr Rachel McKendry and Professor Gabriel Aeppli at the London Centre for Nanotechnology, developed novel, ultra-sensitive nanomechanical probes capable of providing new insight into how antibiotics work, paving the way for the development of more effective new drugs.
Commenting on the new research, Bio Nano Consulting CEO, Dr David Sarphie said “BNC was set up specifically to help companies apply nanotechnology tools to address real-world biomedical problems such as antimicrobial resistance. Working with the BNC allows companies access scientists who have expertise in numerous ground-breaking nanotech-related research areas, and this paper in Nature Nanotechnology is a great example of the highest quality research that they are undertaking.â€
During the study Dr McKendry, Joseph Ndieyira, Moyu Watari and coworkers used cantilever arrays – tiny levers no wider than a human hair – to examine the process which ordinarily takes place in the body when vancomycin binds itself to the surface of the bacteria. They coated the cantilever array with mucopeptides from bacterial cell walls and found that as the antibiotic attaches itself, it generates a surface stress on the bacteria which can be detected by a tiny bending of the levers. The team suggests that this stress contributes to the disruption of the cell walls and the breakdown of the bacteria.
The interdisciplinary team went on to compare how vancomycin interacts with both non-resistant and resistant strains of bacteria. The ‘superbugs’ are resistant to antibiotics because of a simple mutation which deletes a single hydrogen bond from the structure of their cell walls. This small change makes it approximately 1,000 times harder for the antibiotic to attach itself to the bug, leaving it much less able to disrupt the cells’ structure, and therefore therapeutically ineffective.
“There has been an alarming growth in antibiotic-resistant hospital ‘superbugs’ such as MRSA and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE),†said Dr McKendry. “This is a major global health problem and is driving the development of new technologies to investigate antibiotics and how they work.
“The cell wall of these bugs is weakened by the antibiotic, ultimately killing the bacteria,†she continued. “Our research on cantilever sensors suggests that the cell wall is disrupted by a combination of local antibiotic-mucopeptide binding and the spatial mechanical connectivity of these events. Investigating both these binding and mechanical influences on the cells’ structure could lead to the development of more powerful and effective antibiotics in future.â€
Established in late 2007, BNC provides a seamless concept-to-market route for the bio-nanotechnology sector.
Image caption:
A schematic representation to show the nanomechanical detection of antibiotic-peptide interactions on multiple cantilever arrays. The blue and white structures show chemical binding interaction between vancomycin and the bacterial mucopeptide analogue, DAla. The red line represents the mechanical connectivity of the chemically reacted regions on the cantilever.
For more information please visit www.bio-nano-consulting.com
Editors’ notes
About the paper and authors:
The article ‘Nanomechanical Detection of Antibiotic Mucopeptide Binding in a Model for Superbug Drug Resistance’ by J. W. Ndieyira et al., was published in Nature Nanotechnology, October 12 2008.
About Bio Nano Consulting
The BNC is a specialist research and development consultancy operating in the convergent field of bionanotechnology. A joint venture of Imperial College London and University College London, the BNC is funded through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) with additional support from the London Development Agency (LDA).
Along with its partner organisation, the National Physical Laboratory, the BNC offers a service to the biomedical and healthcare industries in microsystems and nanotechnology. This encompasses design, 3-D modelling and visualisation, rapid prototyping, and characterisation.
Posted under Collaborations, Drug Development, Europe, Medicinal Chemistry, Nanotechnology, New Products, Peptide Research, Press Releases | Comments Off
It shouldn’t be that difficult to stick a label to a frozen vial!
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2008 01:19 Written by admin Thursday, 23 October 2008 01:11
Brady Freezerbondz labels overcome the virtually impossible task of labelling already frozen samples. Gone are the days where a sample needs to be thawed before a tracking and identification label can be applied. Now with Freezerbondz labels, you can quickly and easily identify samples in their frozen state.
The specially formulated permanent adhesive on Freezerbondz labels will stick and stay to samples that are taken from a cryogenically frozen state to a hot water bath without the loss of any sample information. As well as staying power Freezerbondz also withstand contact with chemicals such as DMSP and Xylene.
* Easy to identify frosted, frozen, or room temperature samples without the need to overlap the label
* Superb resilience in common laboratory environments such as liquid nitrogen -196ºC, Freezer -80ºC, Autoclave, 100ºC, hot water and room temperature baths.
* Extreme chemical resistance
* HIPAA compliant
* Especially designed for use on curved surfaces
* Easy to handle and remove from the liner
www.bradylab.com
Posted under Equipment & Supplies, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
Bibby Scientific’s latest personal thermal cycler takes more samples, but no more space
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2008 01:20 Written by admin Thursday, 23 October 2008 01:08
Bibby Scientific announces an addition to the Techne range of personal thermal cyclers – the expanded capacity TC-3000X. With a highly successful half-century track record in the design and manufacture of temperature control equipment, Bibby Scientific’s world-leading Techne brand is synonymous with robust, reliable, reproducible DNA amplification.
The new TC-3000X has two interchangeable block options. The 6 x 8 format 48-well block can be used with 0.2 ml microtubes or, for greater ease of handling when higher throughput is required, Techne has introduced 24 and 48-well plates and 8-tube strips. Alternatively, the 30 x 0.5 ml block offers significantly greater capacity than the usual 12 or 20 tubes of this size. The defined pressure, heated lid of the TC-3000X is fully height-adjustable, giving researchers the widest possible choice of consumables.
Rob Skehens, Marketing Director, Bibby Scientific, puts the new Techne thermal cycler in context: ‘With the increased use of PCR techniques, demand for higher throughput has grown and the traditional 25-tube capacity of personal thermal cyclers is no longer sufficient for many users. The TC-3000X not only fits a 48-well block for 0.2 ml tubes within the same small footprint as our lower capacity TC-3000 model, it is also unique among personal thermal cyclers in accommodating as many as 30 x 0.5 ml tubes. With two block types which are easily interchangeable, plus an adjustable lid enabling a multitude of different consumables to be used, the TC-3000X offers unrivalled versatility – and at low cost.’
The TC-3000X has exceptional block uniformity of less than ±0.2 °C at 50 °C, as well as the fastest heating rate of all 48-well cyclers in the market at 3.3 °C per second. Intuitive software with speed dial functionality facilitates fast program location and, utilising the USB connection, one standalone unit or up to 32 cyclers linked together can be controlled by Techne’s free Gensoft PC software.
www.bibby-scientific.com
Posted under Equipment & Supplies, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
Thermo Fisher Scientific Introduces New Low Binding Surface for Cell Culture
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2008 01:01 Written by admin Thursday, 23 October 2008 01:01
ROSKILDE, Denmark (October 21, 2008) - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has introduced the new Nuncâ„¢ HydroCellâ„¢ Surface for the cultivation of single cells and cell clusters in suspension. Designed to prevent cell attachment, the Nunc HydroCell Surface allows scientists to grow in suspension cells that are sensitive to unwanted activation and differentiation signals arising from cell adhesion. Furthermore, the adsorption of culture medium-derived proteins and cell-secreted proteins to the Nunc HydroCell Surface is minimal.
With the Nunc HydroCell Surface, more homogenous suspension cultures and higher yields of cells and cell-secreted proteins can be achieved across many cell culture applications, including those involving monocytes/macrophages and different types of stem cells. The Nunc HydroCell Surface is a thin layer of a covalently-immobilized super hydrophilic polymer and is available as sterile MicroWellâ„¢ plates, dishes and multi-dishes, all with a certificate-stating conformance to functional, sterility, non-pyrogenic and toxicity tests.
For more information on the new Nunc HydroCell, please visit www.thermo.com/hydrocell
HydroCell Surface is licensed from CellSeed Inc. in Japan.
Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.
Posted under Cell-based Assays, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
Thermo Fisher Scientific Introduces Novel Temperature-Responsive Cell Culture Surface
Last Updated on Thursday, 23 October 2008 12:58 Written by admin Thursday, 23 October 2008 12:58
ROSKILDE, Denmark (October 21, 2008) - Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, has introduced the new Nuncâ„¢ UpCellâ„¢ Surface for temperature-induced cell harvesting. Designed to enable quick dissociation of cells from the culture surface upon a simple change in temperature, the Nunc UpCell Surface negates the need for enzymatic treatment (trypsinization) and cell scraping, while maintaining cell viability and the integrity of surface receptors and antigens. Even cell types that are difficult to detach by other methods and contiguous cell sheets can be harvested from the Nunc UpCell Surface, and harvested cell sheets can be stacked on top of each other in order to create 3-D tissue models and co-cultures. The Nunc UpCell Surface is available as sterile MicroWellâ„¢ plates, dishes and multi-dishes, all with a certificate stating conformance to functional, sterility, non-pyrogenic and toxicity tests.
The novel Nunc UpCell surface consists of a covalently-immobilized polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide), or PIPAAm, which forms a thin, even layer on the culture dish or plate. Slightly hydrophobic at 37°C, the surface allows cells to attach and grow, but hydrophilic when the temperature is reduced to below 32°C, the surface will bind water and swell, resulting in the release of adherent cells with their underlying extracellular matrix (ECM). The retention of the ECM under the cells enables the harvesting of contiguous cell sheets with preserved cell polarization and cell-cell junctions and the attachment of one cell sheet to another cell sheet or a graft site without the use of fibrin glue or sutures. 3-D tissue models and co-cultures can thus be created without scaffolds and exogenous materials, greatly simplifying cell culture for tissue engineering.
For more information on the benefits of the new Thermo Scientific Nunc UpCell Surface and to see how this could transform cultures, please visit www.thermo.com/UpCell.
UpCell Surface is licensed from CellSeed Inc. in Japan.
Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With annual revenues of $10 billion, we have more than 30,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and
biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.
Posted under Cell-based Assays, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
TimTec and Collaborative Drug Discovery Team Up to Provide Chemically Searchable Natural Products and Derivatives Available to the Scientific Community
Last Updated on Wednesday, 22 October 2008 04:52 Written by admin Wednesday, 22 October 2008 04:50
TimTec LLC., the international distributor of synthetic organic and natural compounds, and Collaborative Drug Discovery, Inc. (CDD), the community based research information management enterprise, announced today that the CDD web-based software now hosts TimTec’s Natural Product Library and Natural Derivatives Library. The TimTec natural product and derivative compounds are now available as a structure searchable database in the CDD Web2.0 collaborative research information system.
The CDD-TimTec Natural Products Library (NPL-480) and Natural Derivatives Library (NDL-3000) databases comprise almost 3,500 compounds available from TimTec. NPL-480 is a new library of 480 natural compounds composed of pure natural products as lead identifying materials. NDL-3000 elaborates on structural variety of pure natural compounds and includes synthetic compounds and synthetically modified pure natural compounds including, but not limited to, alkaloids, natural phenols, nucleoside analogs, carbohydrates, purines, pyrimidines, flavonoids, steroidal compounds and natural amino acids.
“The growing number of research institutions world-wide now investigating natural products will buoy the discovery of novel chemistry leading to a wealth of therapeutic breakthroughs,†said Dr. Barry Bunin, President of Collaborative Drug Discovery. “It’s natural that TimTec’s laboratories complement CDD’s academic partners in natural products research with a unique commercial source of natural products and diverse derivatives.â€
“Beyond our successful compounds libraries, chemical software and drug discovery services, TimTec immediately appreciates the unique advantage and elegance of the CDD system to share our natural product compounds with the growing CDD community,†said Dr. Murat Niyazymbetov founder and President of TimTec.
The TimTec databases join 14 other publicly available data sources in the CDD system with chemical and biological data for over 42,000 agents including:
* 1,700 FDA approved drugs with indications and sponsors
* Over 15,000 compounds with Malaria assay data from 5 public data sources
* More than 850 compounds with Tuberculosis antibacterial activity information
* Over 47,000 Ki values against 699 GPCR targets from the NIMH Psychoactive Drug Screening Program (PDSP) Database
* 25,000 plus compounds available for purchase
About TimTec LLC.
TimTec LLC. – http://www.timtec.net – is a privately held company located in Newark Delaware, USA. It was founded in 1995 and began its work in the areas of acquisition and distribution of synthetic organic and natural compounds, custom synthesis, and laboratory equipment to become a full service partner for drug discovery. TimTec has established a global network of thousands of scientists from research centers around the world. The company has developed strong in-house expertise assembling general and targeted library collections for variety of research purposes. International customers include major pharmaceutical, biotech, agricultural, and educational companies and institutions, which use TimTec products for research and development programs.
For further information please contact:
Barry Bunin, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD)
1818 Gilbreth Road, Suite 220
Burlingame, CA 94010
650-204-3084
info(at)collaborativedrug.com
Kay Denisova
Business Development
TimTec LLC.
Harmony Business Park Building 301-A
Newark, DE 19711
Tel 302 292 8500
Fax 302 292 8520
info(at)timtec.net
http://www.timtec.net
Posted under Collaborations, Compound Libraries, Compound Screening, Drug-Like Compounds, Natural Products, New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
TARGET DETECTIVE CONNECTS BIOLOGICAL TARGETS TO MOLECULES
Last Updated on Thursday, 28 August 2008 08:42 Written by admin Thursday, 28 August 2008 08:42
Tocris Bioscience (Bristol, UK) announced today the official launch of Target Detective, www.targetdetective.com, a new search facility that connects biological targets to research molecules.
Target Detective represents a significant development for pre-clinical researchers working in the Life Sciences field because for the first time scientists can connect receptor, enzyme, protein and gene data to Tocris products, through comprehensive ‘Target files’.
A Target File consists of a concise summary of the biological target, together with links to external sources of genetic and pharmacological information. Tocris products with activity at each target are listed here allowing rapid identification of the most relevant research tools.
To use Target Detective, start with any of the following biological search terms: Receptor (e.g. CB2), Enzyme (e.g. MEK), Protein (e.g. p53), Gene Name (Human, mouse and rat genes are currently searchable)
The ability to rapidly identify research tools for biological targets in this way is already proving to be extremely popular and at Tocris we are delighted with the response. We will continue to add Target files and products and in the longer term we hope to make this the most useful resource for Life Science researchers on the internet.
Posted under BioInformatics, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
Seegene and Shimadzu Agree to Join Multi-Pathogen Tests and Platform for Combined Analytics Solution
Last Updated on Monday, 28 July 2008 05:19 Written by admin Monday, 28 July 2008 05:19
ROCKVILLE, MD and KYOTO, JAPAN–July 28, 2008 – Seegene, Inc. and Shimadzu Corporation today announced a strategic partnership to combine Seegene’s Seeplex(R) multi-pathogen tests with Shimadzu’s MultiNA (1) analytical platform. Under terms of the deal, Shimadzu and Seegene will collaborate on integrating the Seeplex polymerase chain reaction-based tests with Shimadzu’s MultiNA high-speed electrophoresis system to provide a highly sensitive, high-throughput multi-pathogen detection and analysis solution.
“This strategic agreement reinforces our plan to bring solutions, and not only products, to our customers,” said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Seegene. “Shimadzu’s MultiNA is outstanding in the market for electrophoresis analysis and a perfect match for the Seeplex family of multi-pathogen tests.”
“Seegene’s novel multi-pathogen detection test working with Shimadzu’s next-generation electrophoresis systems creates an unparalleled screening platform for laboratories around the world,” said Yoshiyuki Togawa, General Manager, Shimadzu. “Seeplex tests running on MultiNA is the fast, accurate and efficient way for laboratories to screen for the most rampant and debilitating pathogens infecting people around worldwide.”
Shimadzu’s MultiNA is a microchip electrophoresis system that quickly and easily performs DNA and RNA nucleic acid size confirmation and quantification. The system uses microchip technology to conduct fully automated high-speed electrophoresis separation, and fluorescence detection to perform high-sensitivity analysis.
Seeplex tests are based on a breakthrough multiplexing PCR technology capable of detecting multiple pathogens in a single tube. Seeplex-based tests deliver maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity and can be applied to a broad range of molecular diagnostics, including human, animal, plant and microorganism. Currently, Seegene’s Seeplex multi-pathogen detection tests offer labs worldwide simple, cost-effective and comprehensive screening for STDs, respiratory viruses, human papillomaviruses, sepsis and pneumonia.
(1) MultiNA is Research Use Only.
About Shimadzu
Founded in 1875, Shimadzu Corporation develops and manufactures analytical and monitoring equipment for science laboratories worldwide. Its products include imaging systems for medical diagnosis such as ultrasound systems and mobile X-ray systems, as well as spectrophotometers and chromatography systems for the life science sector. For more information about Shimadzu’s extensive line of laboratory offerings, please visit www.shimadzu.com.
About Seegene
Seegene, Inc. is pioneering the field of multi-pathogen testing. Seegene applies its novel and proprietary Seeplex system utilizing “DPO (Dual Priming Oligo)” and “ACP (Annealing Control Primer)” to create multi-pathogen tests delivering maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity. With over 360 citations and several patents and patents pending, Seegene has been offering advanced molecular diagnostics services to over 1,200 major global institutes in more than 30 countries. Seegene is actively working with both the scientific and OEM business community. Seegene’s mission is to integrate Seeplex with disease diagnostics to provide a new guideline for effectively treating patients. Seegene was founded in 2000 and is based in Rockville, MD and Seoul, Korea. For more information please visit www.seegene.com.
All trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Posted under Asia, Collaborations, New Products, North America, Press Releases, RNA Reasearch | Comments Off
CLC Genomics Workbench – CLC bio releases Next Generation Sequencing data analysis solution
Last Updated on Friday, 18 July 2008 07:00 Written by admin Friday, 18 July 2008 07:00
Aarhus, Denmark — June 12, 2008 — Today, CLC bio released their new Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) solution, CLC Genomics Workbench, which incorporates cutting-edge technology and algorithms, while also supporting and integrating with the rest of a typical NGS workflow.
CLC Genomics Workbench is the first comprehensive analysis package which can analyze and visualize data from all the major NGS platforms, such as SOLiD by Applied Biosystems, 454 GS flx by Roche Applied Science, Solexa by Illumina, and HeliScope by Helicos.
Director of Scientific Solutions at CLC bio, Dr. Roald Forsberg, PhD, states, “We set out to overcome two major challenges when analyzing Next Generation Sequencing data. One was to eliminate the analysis bottleneck by being able to analyze NGS data faster than it is produced. We overcame that by implementing an accelerated assembly algorithm in CLC Genomics Workbench which preliminary benchmark tests confirm is a very fast assembly algorithm. Secondly, we wanted to deliver user-friendly software which makes powerful NGS analysis software available to all biomedical researchers.â€
In benchmark tests, CLC bio has assembled half a million 454 reads against the full E.coli reference genome in around 2 minutes on a dual-core computer with 1 gigabyte RAM. This speed-up, based on integrated SIMD high-performance computing technology, increases even more when using a computer with more CPU-cores and RAM. CLC bio expects to release a benchmark white paper in the near future.
CLC Genomics Workbench 1.0 takes full advantage of “paired end†data, and supports a number of features and work-tasks, such as reference assembly of genomes, de novo assembly of genomes, SNP detection using advanced models, multiplexing, and high-throughput trimming.
Having completed the first version of CLC Genomics Workbench, CLC bio is already pursuing an ambitious development roadmap, which will enhance future softwares with features such as Digital Gene Expression, metagenomics, clustering and assembly of EST and cDNA sequences, large amounts of genomics and transcriptomics downstream analyses, and workflow support.
CLC Genomics Workbench has already been chosen as Next Generation Sequencing platform for all Danish universities. To read more about CLC Genomics Workbench go to: www.clcbio.com/genomics
About CLC bio
CLC bio is the world’s leading full-service bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms.
CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:
- Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
- User-friendly, integrated and intuitive cross-platform software solutions
- Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
- Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
- A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price
Posted under BioInformatics, ChemInformatics, Europe, Genomics & Pharmacogenomics, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
Seegene/Lab901 brings a New Detection Platform for Multiple Pathogens to European Hospitals
Last Updated on Friday, 18 July 2008 06:41 Written by admin Friday, 18 July 2008 06:41
Rockville, MD, and Edinburgh, Scotland, June 17, 2008:Â Seegene and Lab901 today announced the availability of a novel automated multi-pathogen walk-away detection platform for European hospitals. Based on the Seeplex(R) multiplexing PCR system and ScreenTape(R)Â gel electrophoresis detection system, this new Seeplex/ScreenTape detection platform will be introduced to clinical and research laboratories in 10 countries across Europe beginning this month.
Seegene and Lab901 have agreed to co-market the testing solutions in the European market. The two companies are responding to requests in Europe for a new automated testing technique to perform what is a routine, but not always consistent, test for biological agents in clinics. Hospital centers in The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Norway, Greece, Austria, France, Israel and Turkey have started demonstrations of the automated Seeplex/ScreenTape system.
“As active pathogenic surveillance becomes the norm for healthcare regimes worldwide, clinical research and reference labs will be placed under increased pressure to perform. It is essential that these labs gain the tools and systems that enable them to increase the speed and efficiency of pathogen detection,” said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Seegene. “The automated Seeplex/ScreenTape system sets a new standard for automated detection ease of use and performance.”Â
“The simplicity, speed and sample traceability of the Seeplex/ScreenTape system is clearly of real value to diagnostic microbiology and virology laboratories,” said Joel Fearnley, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lab901. “The ScreenTape system optimized for Seeplex multi-pathogen tests will help speed up discovery and diagnostic procedures.”
The automated Seeplex/ScreenTape tests are based on a Seeplex multiplexing PCR technology from Seegene, which is capable of detecting multiple pathogens in a single tube, and ScreenTape(R), an automated walk-away gel electrophoresis detection system from Lab901.
The Seeplex tests with the CE mark and ISO 13485 deliver maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity and can be applied to a broad range of molecular diagnostics, including human, animal, plant and microorganisms. The ScreenTape system will automate the simultaneous analysis of eight or sixteen Seeplex PCR samples. Processing speed for 8 samples is completed within 10 minutes; 16 samples within 18 minutes. ScreenTape displays results using an easy to interpret positive and negative read out. With no gel or buffer preparation and no system priming, even untrained operators can rapidly generate accurate and reproducible test data.
The automated Seeplex/ScreenTape tests are currently available for sexually transmitted diseases (STD), human papillomavirus (HPV), respiratory viruses (RV) and bacterial pneumonia (PB). In addition, further automated Seeplex tests are under development and will be available soon. Particularly, hospitals have showed high interest for the single tube Seeplex Sepsis test scheduled for July release.
About Seegene:
Seegene, Inc. is pioneering the field of multi-pathogen testing. Seegene applies its novel and proprietary Seeplex(R) system utilizing “DPO (Dual Priming Oligo)” and “ACP (Annealing Control Primer)” to create multi-pathogen tests delivering maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity. With over 260 citations and several patents and patents pending, Seegene has been offering advanced molecular diagnostics services to over 1,000 major global institutes in more than 25 countries. Seegene’s mission is to integrate Seeplex(R) with disease diagnostics to provide a new guideline for effectively treating patients. Seegene was founded in 2000 and is based in Rockville, MD and Seoul, Korea. For more information please visit www.seegene.com.
Â
About the Seeplex(R) System: Frontier of Multi-pathogen Detection:
Seeplex(R) is a breakthrough multiplexing PCR technology that enables a new standard in simultaneous multi-pathogen detection. Seeplex(R) works in combination with automatic detection systems such as ScreenTape(R) and delivers a benchmark in testing accuracy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Â
About Lab901:
Lab901 based in Edinburgh, UK, is a leading laboratory automation Company. The D800 ScreenTape(R) for DNA analysis was the first product from a pipeline of consumables that run on the company’s TapeStation(TM) instrument. The new DS12 ScreenTape(R) System, specifically developed for Seeplex(R) tests, automates the analysis of Seegene’s multi-pathogen PCR tests.
Â
Â
About ScreenTape(R) System:
The ScreenTape(R) system is the first automated, walk-away solution for gel electrophoresis. Customers simply load their samples and the ScreenTape(R) into the compact TapeStation(TM) instrument. In just under 10 minutes, fully analysed results for DNA, RNA and protein samples are presented in an easy-to-interpret format.
Posted under Clinical Trials, Collaborations, Europe, HIV Research, New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
Seegene Multi-Pathogen Detection Tests Now Compatible with Lab901 ScreenTape and Caliper LC90 Automated Detection Systems
Last Updated on Wednesday, 30 April 2008 05:36 Written by admin Wednesday, 30 April 2008 05:36
Rockville, MD, April 23, 2008: Seegene today announced that its Seeplex(R) multi-pathogen tests are now optimized for Lab 901′s ScreenTape(R) and Caliper LifeSciences’ LC90(R) automated detection systems. Compatibility with these two leading detection systems opens the way for Seeplex tests to be used throughout a wide spectrum of labs, from small to mid-sized labs to large commercial reference labs.
Seeplex tests are based on a breakthrough multiplexing PCR technology capable of detecting multiple pathogens in a single tube. Seeplex-based tests deliver maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity and can be applied to a broad range of molecular diagnostics, including human, animal, plant and microorganism. Currently, Seegene’s Seeplex multi-pathogen detection tests offer labs worldwide simple, cost-effective and comprehensive screening for STDs, respiratory viruses, human papillomaviruses, sepsis and pneumonia.
“Our broad portfolio of multi-pathogen detection tests being optimized for ScreenTape and the Caliper LC90 systems will make it easier for clinical and research labs of all sizes to take advantage of our technology,†said Dr. Jong-Yoon Chun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Seegene. “Both the Lab901 and Caliper LifeSciences systems represent the cutting edge of automated detection. Working in combination with these leading systems provides a powerful high-throughput method for analyzing test results.â€
The ScreenTape system is the first fully automated, walk-away solution for gel electrophoresis. ScreenTape will automate the simultaneous analysis of eight or sixteen Seeplex PCR samples. Processing speed for 8 samples is completed within 10 minutes;Â 16 samples within 15 minutes. ScreenTape displays results using easy to interpret color codes. The ScreenTape system comprises the TapeStation (that carries out liquid handling, electrophoresis and imaging), ScreenTape (a consumable that contains the pre-cast, pre-packaged gel and running buffer) and bespoke software. With no gel or buffer preparation and no system priming, even untrained operators can rapidly generate accurate and reproducible test data.
The LabChip 90 System performs fast, automated, 1-D electrophoretic separations of protein, DNA, and RNA samples directly from a 96 or 384 well plate. The LC90 can load and read 96 Seeplex samples within 45 minutes or 384 Seeplex samples in 4 hours in easy-to-interpret reports.
Seegene is currently working to optimize Seeplex tests for other automated capillary electrophoresis systems. Seeplex’s compatibility with a wide range of automated detection systems will provide end-users with the flexibility to use the platform best suited for their purposes.
About Seeplex(R) System: Frontier of Multi-pathogen Detection
Seeplex(R) is a breakthrough multiplexing PCR technology that enables a new standard in simultaneous multi-pathogen detection. Seeplex works in combination with automatic detection systems such as Capillary Electrophoresis and delivers a benchmark in testing accuracy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
About Seegene
Seegene, Inc. is pioneering the field of multi-pathogen testing. Seegene applies its novel and proprietary Seeplex system utilizing “DPO (Dual Priming Oligo)” and “ACP (Annealing Control Primer)†to create multi-pathogen tests delivering maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity. With over 260 citations and several patents and patents pending, Seegene has been offering advanced molecular diagnostics services to over 1,000 major global institutes in more than 25 countries. Seegene is actively working with both the scientific and OEM business community. Seegene’s mission is to integrate Seeplex with disease diagnostics to provide a new guideline for effectively treating patients. Seegene was founded in 2000 and is based in Rockville, MD and Seoul, Korea. For more information please visit www.seegene.com.
Posted under DNA Reasearch, Equipment & Supplies, New Products, North America, Press Releases, RNA Reasearch | Comments Off
BioServe Announces ControlMATCH for More Efficient Biomarker Validation
Last Updated on Monday, 7 January 2008 01:03 Written by admin Monday, 7 January 2008 01:03
New line of DNA and serum samples for Type II diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia provide researchers access to clinically defined controls to validate biomedical research results
Beltsville, MD, December 4, 2007 – BioServe today introduced ControlMATCH, a new line of fully annotated control DNA and serum samples designed to help biomedical researchers efficiently validate new biomarkers and early stage clinical trial drug candidates. Leveraging BioServe’s Global Repository of 600,000 human biological samples, ControlMATCH allows researchers to select and match control samples to the specific needs of their own DNA and/or serum-based studies.
ControlMATCH DNA and serum controls will initially cover type II diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and extend to other disease states in early 2008.
ControlMATCH normal samples for type II diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia are annotated with body mass index (BMI), confirmed normal blood glucose levels, confirmed normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and a family history of health status and ethnicity determined by data collected on three generations. ControlMATCH therefore permits researchers to identify one-to-one matched controls for extended criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, BMI, diet and a host of lifestyle factors. Furthermore, ControlMATCH includes clinically confirmed negative results enabling researchers to further confirm that their markers are valued against the correct set of controls.
Xin Li Wang, a professor and director in the cardiothoracic research laboratory in the division of cardiothoracic surgery of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine, commented, “We are engaged in landmark cardiothoracic studies that we hope will reveal the DNA aberrations in a few target genes responsible for thoracic aortic disease. Like any large epidemiological study, time is money and generating valid results as quickly as possible is a prerequisite for success.â€
“The faster a study is able to generate validated results, the higher the probability of achieving longer term program milestones. By providing us with ready made DNA samples stratified by age, ethnicity and smoking status, BioServe’s ControlMATCH has proven to be an indispensable tool in accelerating our research,†he added.
“ControlMATCH was developed to be a powerful validation tool for epidemiologists and researchers investigating a variety of major diseases,†said Kevin Krenitsky, Chief Executive Officer, BioServe. “DNA and serum control sets linked to extensive clinical, demographic and lifestyle data will enable researchers to both rapidly validate which markers are valuable and worth pursuing, and generally contribute to the genetic understanding of debilitating disease.â€
About BioServe
BioServe is a leader in the processing, development, and validation of diagnostic tests for the practice of personalized, predictive and preventive medicine. Leading pharma, biotech and diagnostic firms collaborate with BioServe to identify and validate markers that cause disease while correlating clinical and molecular data to develop new diagnostic tests promoting wellness around the world. BioServe offers the Global Repository®, a growing library of over 600,000 human DNA, tissue and serum samples linked to detailed clinical and demographic data from 140,000 consented and anonymized patients from four continents. Leveraging BioServe’s robust genomic analytical services, technology, Global Repository and CLIA-certified laboratory, collaborators gain a complete, highly efficient platform for processing diagnostic test results and identifying genomic markers for powerful new assays. BioServe has headquarters in Beltsville, MD and Hyderabad, India. For more information please visit www.bioserve.com or call 301-470-3362.
Posted under DNA Reasearch, New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
Genoway launches standardized genetically modified mousse and rat
Last Updated on Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:04 Written by admin Saturday, 1 December 2007 08:04
The biotechnology company continues its strong growth (+50% tendency) and
reinforces its international leadership in the development and supply of genetically
modified animal models. The products henceforth available from the catalogue
have already attracted Pfizer, GSK, BMS and Servier.
Lyon (France), 19 November 2007 – genOway, a biotechnology company specialized in
the development of genetically modified research models for the biopharmaceutical industry
today announces today the launching of its catalogue activity, based on the development
and supply of standardized tools.
This offer of animal models developed by genOway’s R&D teams or via the acquisition of
exclusive and non-exclusive licenses from prestigious academic laboratories such as Yale
University (Connecticut), the Hubrecht Institute (Netherlands), and the University of
Michigan is based on the supply of ready-for-use tools selectable from the catalogue.
The biological profile of these new animal models offers numerous advantages for biomedical
researchers: rapid availability, acquisition of biological predictability of the effects on the
human organism and a shortening the development cycle of the therapeutic solutions.
To date, genOway has elaborated a catalogue of standardized products – of which the
company retains the entire of intellectual property – spanning four major therapeutic axes:
- Inflammatory and metabolic pathologies (diabetes, obesity)
- Diseases of the central nervous system (depression, anxiety)
- Infectious diseases and allergy
- Gastroenterology.
In the area of metabolic illnesses, this offer has already attracted many major players in the
biopharmaceutical industry, such as Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squib and
Servier. genOway registed in mid-November 2007 an order sheet of over 0.8 million euros in
this domain.
Alexandre Fraichard, CEO of genOway, stated : “We are delighted to observe the success
achieved by our catalogue models. Recognition by many major pharmaceutical companies
validates our choices and our technical platform. Moreover, genOway benefits from
privileged links with the most cutting edge academic teams at international level, which
grant us exclusive and non-exclusive licenses on the animal models which we judge
pertinent. Thus our catalogue of standardized products will become richer in the coming
months with new proprietary models. We intend to continue our proactive license
acquisition policy, and have other licenses currently in negotiationâ€.
Kader Thiam, VP Transgenic Technologies at genOway added: “Through this new commercial
offer, genOway can now offer two distinct responses to the same demand from industrial
clients. The latter can now choose between customized development of genetically modified
animal models and the acquisition of standardized and more rapidly available animal models.
This approach reinforces our image as the reference point supplier for the entirety of
biomedical researchâ€.
To date, genOway makes its expertise available to over 40 major biopharmaceutical groups
and 160 academic institutions, either through customized development of genetically
modified research animal models or through its emerging activity of sale of proprietary
models.
About genOway:
genOway(ALTERNEXT-NYSE:ALGEN)is a biotechnology company dedicated to the
development of geneticallymodified animal models aimed at enhancing thesecurity and
relevancy ofin vivo research projects. Focusing its efforton the mouse and rat,genOway’s
expertise combined transgenesictechnologies such aspronuclear microinjection, Knockout,
Knock-in,Knock- down, pointmutation, humanization combined with innovative patented
technologiesadapted to target validation, in vivo drugscreening, drug efficacy andsafety
testing program. Collaborations withworldwide leaders (CharlesRiver Laboratories,
Invitrogen, Tet systems,etc..) enable genOway toprovide its customer with a complete
portfolioof products and servicesfor all aspects of model generation and characterization.
Operating in22 countries in Europe, North America and Asia, genOway has developed more
than 450 rat and mouse lines for 40 companies and 160 research institutions. Thanks to its
industrializedproduction facilities,genOway is involved in large-scale projects with several
academic centers (German National Genome Research Network, University College London,
King’s College London, Max Planck Institute) and with pharmaceutical companies
(BayerCorp, Boehringer Ingelheim,Johnson& Johnson).
For more information consult:www.genoway.com
Contacts:
Marie Norbert – genOway – norbert@genoway.com
Contact for investors:
Gilles de Poncins , CFO – genOway – finances@genoway.com
Milestones – Press & Investors Relation
Bruno Arabian
Tel. : +33 170 08 04 13
E-mail : milestones@milestones-fr.com
Warning: This press release expressly contains, in an implicit manner,certain prospective
statements concerning genOway and its activity.These statements rely on certain risks, known
or unknown, uncertainty or onother factors that may lead to actual results, financial
conditions,performance or achievements on the part of genOway that may differ significantly
from the results, financial conditions, performance or achievements expressed or implied in
these prospective statements.genOway is issuing this press release on the present date and is
not committed to update the prospective statements contained therein, either as a result of new
information, future events or other. For a description of the risks or uncertainty of
a nature to cause a difference between genOway’s actual results, financial conditions,
performance or achievements and those contained in the prospective statements, please refer to
the section on “Risk Factors”on the Prospectus available on the genOway website:
http://www.genoway.com
Posted under Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
Device Offers Pharmaceutical Makers A Fast, Cheap and Safe Way to Screen Potential Drug Compounds
Last Updated on Tuesday, 20 November 2007 02:44 Written by Fred Tuesday, 20 November 2007 02:44
A new device invented by researchers at the University of Virginia could save pharmaceutical companies significant time and money in screening potential new drug compounds.
“We want to help the pharmaceutical industry identify effective therapuetic compounds by allowing them to fail early, fail fast, and fail cheap before going to very expensive animal studies,†said Brett Blackman, an assistant professor in biomedical engineering.
Blackman and Brian Wamhoff, assistant professor in the department of medicine (cardiovascular division), have teamed up to create the novel system, HemoShear 2.0, which offers researchers for the first time the ability to observe the behavior patterns of human vascular cells under a variety of blood flow conditions that occur inside the body’s cardiovascular system.
HemoShear 2.0 models the early indicators of atherosclerosis — hardening or narrowing of the arteries — by placing actual human vascular cells (i.e., endothelial and smooth muscle cells) in an environment that mimics an artery with blood flowing through it. Data from the exposure can be measured and recorded.
HemoShear 2.0 can help test the efficacy of therapeutic compounds and aid in early stage toxicity studies. Instead of testing drug compounds on isolated cells, which can produce false negatives, drug companies can use the device to test compounds in a more realistic environment.
“What the pharmaceutical industry lacks is the ability to mimic an organ ex vivo,†Wamhoff said. “We know that as soon as we take an organ and disperse the cells, those cells are no longer like they were in the body. If you apply a novel compound to that cell, the response you get might be real but it’s not meaningful in the context of the disease. When you go to animal studies, that response may not carry over in the blood vessel. It is clear that human-based biomimetic models are needed to fill this gapâ€
Atherosclerosis is considered the most important underlying cause of heart attack or stroke. The disease tends to occur at locations in the arteries where blood flow is compromised, causing detrimental changes in both the cells lining the interior of blood vessels (endothelial cells) and the cells found in the wall of blood vessels (smooth muscle cells).
Using an MRI, the researchers determined the rhythmic pattern at which blood flows through different arteries in human subjects. “We are then able to simulate the same flow patterns in those areas that are more or less susceptible to atherosclerosis and observe how the cells respond to these flow patterns in HemoShear,†Blackman said.
According to Wamhoff, this kind of modeling offers unique opportunities to observe the cells and their interaction. “Research has been conducted wherein human cells are isolated to observe behavior patterns, but there are no available models that allow one to accurately study the intricate communication between endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells in a setting that mimics actual blood flow in the body.â€
This communication is important, the researchers say, because the cells lining the interior of the blood vessels, the endothelial cells, recognize different blood flow patterns imposed upon them and respond by expressing or repressing genes. This, in turn, influences their interactions with the cells found in the walls of blood vessels, the smooth muscle cells — interactions that, the researchers found, may lead to the onset of early-inflammation-associated atherosclerosis in certain arteries.
Using HemoShear 2.0, the researchers have been able to recreate blood flow patterns in bifurcating and bulbous areas like the internal carotid that are more susceptible to the disease (atheroprone areas) and the pipe-like arteries like the common carotid that are less susceptible to the disease (atheroprotective areas).
Using a synthetic elastic layer that is similar to a real blood vessel wall, endothelial cells are plated on the top surface and smooth muscle cells on the bottom surface. Then, the different blood flow patterns modeled from human circulation are applied to the endothelial cells through rotation of a motor-driven cone system. The findings: the blood flow can influence both endothelial and smooth muscle cell behaviors.
When subjected to atheroprotective blood flow patterns, the endothelial cells aligned with the direction of the blood flow, and the smooth muscle cells aligned perpendicularly to the flow as is true in a healthy blood vessel. In stark contrast, the atheroprone type of flow caused the endothelial cells to move away from their parallel structure while smooth muscle cells moved away from their perpendicular structure. This remodeling mimics the early phases of the diseased state of the artery; the blood flow pattern associated with atheroprone areas resulted in inflammation in both cells reminiscent of early hallmarks of atherosclerosis. This was confirmed through evaluating gene and protein expression profiles in both cell types.
“The results of this study validate the use of this novel co-culture system as a relevant biomimetic vascular model for studying early atherosclerotic events,” said Tom Skalak, professor and chair of the U.Va. Department of Biomedical Engineering. “The cells’ responses to these carefully controlled models of blood flow can now be used to develop therapeutic interventions for detection and treatment of vascular diseases — it has the potential to be revolutionary.”
Blackman,Wamhoff, and Dr. Norbert Leitinger (department of pharmacology) have formed a collaborative entity — the Laboratory of Atherogenesis — to begin using the HemoShear system to make these translatable discoveries in atherosclerosis.
A provisional patent has been filed for HemoShear 2.0. The research that HemoShear 2.0 made possible was spearheaded by a biomedical engineering graduate student, Nicole Hastings (’08), and is published in the American Journal of Physiology — Cell Physiology.
Posted under Compound Screening, Discoveries, Innovations and Patents, Equipment & Supplies, New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
Seegene Introduces Only Diagnostic Approach Capable of Detecting Most Prevalent Sexually Transmitted Diseases in a Single Test
Last Updated on Tuesday, 6 November 2007 08:39 Written by admin Tuesday, 6 November 2007 08:39
New Seeplex® STD/HPV Test Detects Chlamydia Trachomatis, Neisseria Gonorrhea, Human Papillomaviruses – High Risk and Low Risk – in a single tube, at the price point of a single pathogen test
Rockville, MD, November 06, 2007: More than half of all people will be infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) at some point in their lifetime. However, fewer than a third of these individuals are routinely screened for STDs. In an effort to encourage widespread STD screening to help slow the transmission of these infections and promote more responsive and effective patient care, Seegene today introduced a new STD/HPV diagnostic test capable of simultaneously detecting the most common bacteria and viruses causing STDs.
Seegene’s new Seeplex STD/HPV test screens for Chlamydia Trachomatis (CT), Neisseria Gonorrhea (NG), as well as 14 Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) high risk types and 5 HPV low risk types in a single reaction tube, at the price point of a single pathogen test using the same sample.
Current clinical STD and HPV screening procedures are not cost efficient, using a separate test to detect each indication for CT, NG, HPV High Risk, and HPV Low Risk. Since STD infections have a high co-infection rate (with afflicted individuals exhibiting more than one STD infection), and HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer, clinical healthcare systems need an effective and economical diagnostic tool, one capable of detecting the most prevalent STD and HPV pathogens with a single test.
The Seeplex STD/HPV test enables clinicians to test for:
•    Chlamydia trachomatis
•    Neisseria gonorrhoeae
•    Human Papillomavirus14 high risk subtypes screening
•    Human Papillomavirus 5 low risk subtypes screening
The new Seeplex STD/HPV diagnostic test enables healthcare providers to quickly, accurately and cost-effectively determine most prevalent STD/HPV infections in patients. Armed with this diagnostic information, physicians will be able to write better prescriptions, and clinicians can provide the best course of treatment.
“Since most STD and HPV cause no noticeable symptoms, they go undetected. These asymptomatic infections can be diagnosed only through testing. Therefore, the only way to slow the spread of STD/HPV along with their dangerous effects, like cervical cancer, is to provide routine and ubiquitous screening programs,†said Jong-Yoon Chun, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Seegene.
According to a study in the February 28, 2007 issue of JAMA, approximately one in four US females between the ages of 14 and 59 years is at risk for sexually transmitted infections, which typically exhibit no visible symptoms. High risk HPV types are detected in 99 percent of cervical cancers and over 70 percent of cervical cancers are caused by HPV types 16 and 18. Alarmingly, individuals diagnosed positive for HPV are on average infected with up to five different types of HPVs.
These extremely high STD infection rates among the general population place an enormous financial burden upon healthcare systems and on patient point of care systems. Supporting this assertion, The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) computer model of the cost of STD infections estimates that the 9.1 million new STD infections among 15-to-24-year-olds in the United States in the year 2000 cost $6.5 billion in direct medical costs.
About Seeplex® System: Frontier of Multi-pathogen Detection
Seeplex® is a breakthrough multiplexing PCR technology that enables a new standard in simultaneous multi-pathogen detection. Seeplex works in combination with automatic detection systems such as Capillary Electrophoresis and delivers a benchmark in testing accuracy, efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
About Seegene
Seegene, Inc. is pioneering the field of multi-pathogen testing. Seegene applies its novel and proprietary Seeplex system utilizing “DPO (Dual Priming Oligo)” and “ACP (Annealing Control Primer)†to create multi-pathogen tests delivering maximum specificity, reproducibility and sensitivity. With over 260 citations and several patents and patents pending, Seegene has been offering advanced molecular diagnostics services to over 1,000 major global institutes in more than 25 countries. Seegene is actively working with both the scientific and OEM business community. Seegene’s mission is to integrate Seeplex with disease diagnostics to provide a new guideline for effectively treating patients. Seegene was founded in 2000 and is based in Rockville, MD and Seoul, Korea. For more information please visit www.seegene.com.
Posted under New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
New Clinical Trial Code break System ‘Safecode’
Last Updated on Thursday, 25 October 2007 01:33 Written by admin Thursday, 25 October 2007 01:11
‘Safecode’ is a new system for clinical trials represents a significant enhancement over traditional CODEBREAK product identification
methods.
Our system allows confidential information to be printed using industry standard inkjet technology.
The printed information is illegible unless a tamper evident strip is removed. This ensures that any effort to compromise the security of data is immediately apparent.
http://www.acs-labels.co.uk/Safecode.htm
Posted under Clinical Trials, Equipment & Supplies, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off
New Forensic Toxicology Application from Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX Improves Accuracy of Screening for Drugs of Abuse
Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 October 2007 03:06 Written by Fred Tuesday, 23 October 2007 03:06
FOSTER CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Applied Biosystems (NYSE: ABI), an Applera Corporation business, and its joint venture partner, Sciex, a division of MDS Inc.’s Analytical Technologies business, (NYSE: MDZ, TSX: MDS), today introduced a new, automated toxicology testing application designed to better identify drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, heroin and date rape drugs for forensic investigations.
The new Cliquidâ„¢ Drug Screen and Quant Software for Routine Forensic Toxicology application equips toxicology laboratories for the first time with a built-in library of 1,200 compounds and a search reporting function designed to screen hundreds of drugs in less than 20 minutes. This software application is an advancement over existing toxicology testing methods. It enables faster delivery of results, more thorough screening and, ultimately, more accurate analysis to be used as evidence in criminal court cases.
Toxicology laboratories are relied upon for the testing of narcotics and other substances in a variety of cases such as impaired driving, homicides and sexual assaults. For example, if a person dies in a car accident, investigators turn to toxicology laboratories to ascertain whether or not the driver was impaired. In sexual assault cases, toxicology testing can help investigators determine if the victim was unknowingly drugged to facilitate the crime.
Identifying an expanding array of ‘street’ drugs has created new challenges for toxicologists, necessitating widespread re-evaluations of testing and analysis techniques to help prevent emerging derivatives of substances from slipping through the process undetected.
Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) are among the toxicology scientists at laboratories around the world who are increasingly expected to deliver accurate results in detecting a broader range of drugs of abuse. Toxicology laboratory personnel at UCSF have evaluated this new Cliquid software application.
“The accuracy of the test results is critical in toxicology analysis and interpretation,†said Dr. Alan Wu, chief of the chemistry and toxicology laboratories at San Francisco General Hospital, and professor of laboratory medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. “The new Cliquid software application for drug screening promises to make interpretation of toxicology results more efficient.â€
Cliquid Drug Screen and Quant Software for Routine Forensic Toxicology is the first dedicated application that utilizes liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), an advanced analytical technique for screening compounds. The high degree of sensitivity, minimum sample preparation and short run times of this technique result in being able to analyze more sample per unit time at a lower cost than other techniques, such as LC or gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Traditional toxicology testing technology, which uses UV-based liquid chromatography, has been limited to detecting high concentrations of a narrow range of drugs because of the limited sensitivity of that technology.
The Cliquid software application reduces the complexity for routine testing to support greater confidence and throughput. The 1,200 compounds in the application’s built-in library consist of drugs of abuse, pharmaceuticals, poisons and metabolites to provide a complete analysis of what may have been ingested. The automatic LC/MS/MS-based library then simply searches for each of those substances through a simple, turnkey workflow.
“Results obtained from a toxicology laboratory can make or break an entire forensic investigation,†said Laura Lauman, president for Applied Biosystems’ proteomics and small molecules division. “Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX is responding to our customers’ requests for advanced tools that eliminate the complexity and limitations of traditional techniques and more quickly deliver irrefutable results.â€
The Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX Instruments joint venture has a 20-year history of innovation and a broad portfolio of mass spectrometry-based technologies and systems that enable advancements in research laboratories in biotechnology, biomedical and pharmaceutical fields. Applied Biosystems Global Services offers professional consulting services specifically designed to help toxicology laboratories maximize their investments in new systems and software.
“The innovative Cliquid software application has the potential to have a significant impact on the rapidly evolving field of toxicology,†said Andy Boorn, president for MDS Analytical Technologies. “The incredible precision of our mass spectrometry technology can help toxicologists meet the challenges they face today in their analysis for forensic cases.â€
For more information about Cliquid Drug Screen and Quant Software for Routine Forensic Toxicology, please visit info.appliedbiosystems.com/cliquiddrug
About Applera Corporation and Applied Biosystems
Applera Corporation consists of two operating groups. The Applied Biosystems Group serves the life science industry and research community by developing and marketing instrument-based systems, consumables, software, and services. Its customers use these tools to analyze nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), small molecules, and proteins to make scientific discoveries and develop new pharmaceuticals. The Applied Biosystems’ products also serve the needs of some markets outside of life science research, which we refer to as “applied markets.†These include the fields of human identity testing (forensic and paternity testing); biosecurity, which refers to products needed in response to the threat of biological terrorism and other malicious, accidental, and natural biological dangers; and quality and safety testing, such as testing required for food and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Applied Biosystems is headquartered in Foster City, CA, and reported sales of approximately $2.1 billion during fiscal 2007. The Celera Group is primarily a molecular diagnostics business that is using proprietary genomics and proteomics discovery platforms to identify and validate novel diagnostic markers, and is developing diagnostic products based on these markers as well as other known markers. Celera maintains a strategic alliance with Abbott for the development and commercialization of molecular, or nucleic acid-based, diagnostic products, and it is also developing new diagnostic products outside of this alliance. Through its genomics and proteomics research efforts, Celera is also discovering and validating therapeutic targets, and it is seeking strategic partnerships to develop therapeutic products based on these discovered targets. Information about Applera Corporation, including reports and other information filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, is available at www.applera.com, or by telephoning 800.762.6923. Information about Applied Biosystems is available at www.appliedbiosystems.com
About MDS Inc.
MDS Inc. (TSX: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is a global life sciences company that provides market-leading products and services that our customers need for the development of drugs and diagnosis and treatment of disease. We are a leading global provider of pharmaceutical contract research, medical isotopes for molecular imaging, radiotherapeutics, and analytical instruments. MDS has more than 6,200 highly skilled people in 28 countries. Find out more at www.mdsinc.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.
About Sciex
Sciex is a division of MDS Analytical Technologies. The Sciex product portfolio offers proven market leadership in mass spectrometry through its joint ventures with two of the world’s leading analytical instrumentation and life sciences companies, Applied Biosystems, a business of the Applera Corporation and PerkinElmer Inc. Find out more at www.mdssciex.com
Applied Biosystems Forward Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking. These may be identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as “should,†“expect,†and “planned,†among others. These forward-looking statements are based on Applera Corporation’s current expectations. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a “safe harbor†for such forward-looking statements. In order to comply with the terms of the safe harbor, Applera Corporation notes that a variety of factors could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include but are not limited to: (1) rapidly changing technology and dependence on the development and customer acceptance of new products; (2) sales dependent on customers’ capital spending policies and government-sponsored research; and (3) other factors that might be described from time to time in Applera Corporation’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and Applera does not undertake any duty to update this information, including any forward-looking statements, unless required by law.
©.Copyright 2007. Applera Corporation. All rights reserved. Applied Biosystems, AB (Design), Applera and Celera are registered trademarks of Applera Corporation or its subsidiaries in the US and/or certain other countries. Cliquid is a trademark of Applied Biosystems/MDS SCIEX, a joint venture between Applera Corporation and MDS Inc.
Posted under Equipment & Supplies, New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
Gossypol Biological Properties
Last Updated on Monday, 22 October 2007 11:34 Written by admin Monday, 22 October 2007 11:33
Gossypol:
- is a polyphenolic aldehyde that permeates cells and acts as an inhibitor for several dehydrogenase enzymes.
- is antimalarial being the selective inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum (pfLDH over hLDHs), an essential enzyme for energy generation within malarial parasite.
- posesses proapoptotic properties, probably due to the regulation of the Bax and Bcl2.
- reversibly inhibits Calcineurin and binds to calmodulin.
- inhibits replication of the HIV-1 virus.
- an effective protein kinase C inhibitor.
Posted under Cancer Research, HIV Research, Medicinal Chemistry, Natural Products, New Products, Reagents, Veterinary Research | Comments Off
Thermo Fisher Scientific Extends its GC/MS Product Portfolio with Introduction of Highly Sensitive and Versatile GC Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer
Last Updated on Wednesday, 9 April 2008 01:06 Written by Fred Thursday, 9 August 2007 12:27
Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, announces the launch of the ultra-sensitive TSQ Quantum(TM) GC gas chromatograph triple quadrupole mass spectrometer. Developed for use in environmental, food, toxicology, pharmaceutical and clinical research laboratories, the system allows industry leading levels of sensitivity, selectivity and simultaneous quantification and structural confirmation through its innovative scan function, Quantitation-Enhanced Data-Dependent MS/MS (QED-MS/MS), at the lowest limits of quantitation. The system offers the ability to switch between GC and LC modes, offering an extremely flexible system. This system will be displayed at the downtown Marriott Ballroom 5, June 3-7, 2007 from 7:00-10:00 PM during the 55th Annual ASMS Conference on Mass Spectrometry in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum GC is the most sensitive and versatile GC triple quadrupole mass spectrometer instrument available on the market. The GC-MS/MS extends the TSQ Quantum portfolio, achieving higher sensitivity and lower detection limits making it ideally suited for regulated environments. The TSQ Quantum GC delivers high sensitivity with Highly Selective Reaction Monitoring (H-SRM) and lowest limits of quantitation. The H-SRM capability allows the quantitation of hundreds of compounds in a single run for multi-residue screening, while the zero cross-talk collision cell helps in the elimination of false positives.
The system consists of a TSQ Quantum triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, TRACE GC Ultra(TM) and TriPlus autosampler, and is configured with Thermo Scientific Xcalibur(TM) software. Xcalibur is the most powerful and robust data system available, delivering a unique combination of functionality, system control and ease of use. It also contains a built-in audit trail to ensure compliance with laboratory SOPs and quality programs.
In addition, the TSQ Quantum GC includes application-specific software such as Thermo Scientific LCQUAN software, designed to offer scientists workflow-oriented approaches to GC-MS/MS analyses.
The TSQ Quantum GC completes the company’s GC/MS product line by offering a new level of selectivity and performance between the PolarisQ(TM) ion trap GC/MS and the DFS High Resolution Magnetic sector GC/MS.
For more information on the Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantum GC, please call 1-800-532-4752, e-mail analyze@thermofisher.com or visit www.thermo.com/ms.
Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With an annual revenue rate of more than $9 billion, we employ 30,000 people and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com.
Posted under Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, Equipment & Supplies, New Products, North America, Press Releases | Comments Off
Pan-South American biological database project under way
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:17 Written by Fred Thursday, 19 July 2007 02:17
Aarhus Denmark, June 27, 2007 — The project of creating a South American biological database – with the official name Patrimonio Genómico y Saberes Locales (PGSL) which roughly translates to “Genomic Heritage and Local Wisdom” – manifested itself with a recent inaugural meeting in Ecuador, where universities and government agencies from various South American countries, as well as bioinformatics solution providers CLC bio, participated and agreed to move to the next phase of the project.
Ecuador’s Deputy Secretary of State, Dr. Gonzalo Salvador, stated at the inaugural meeting:
It is a milestone for South America to start the PGSL project, in order to recognize and ensure the unique cultural and natural heritage of South America, through modern and highly advanced science.
The overall goal of the PGSL project is to harvest and preserve nucleotide sequence data from the vast biodiversity throughout the continent and make a database, much like DDBJ in Japan, EMBL in Europe, and GenBank in North America. In addition, the project will scientifically investigate and preserve the ancient and traditional therapeutic healthcare substances – knowledge protected for thousands of years by native civilizations in South America. Another important issue for PGSL is to minimize “bio-piracy” – the act of non-native scientists harvesting and using genetic materials from South America for copyrighted products.
Via live video conference from Denmark, CLC bio’s Vice President, Jan Lomholdt, stated at the meeting:
Creating a biological database in South America, based on the profound biodiversity throughout the region, is of utmost importance – not only to South America, but to the whole world. It is vital to gain a deeper understanding of the unique species in Amazonia, Patagonia, and the Galápagos Islands, to name a few exceptional areas in the region. It is also essential to develop and maintain the scientific knowledge in South America, and to help increase the overall level of understanding of genetics and bioinformatics.
A fundamental part of the process is the education and training of leaders of the indigenous organizations, scientists, and postgraduate students, under the common agenda of PGSL. CLC bio will support this academic program with their new Educational Package (www.clceducation.com) as well as bioinformatics solutions, and consultancy services throughout the project.
The South American countries have started the project with Mr. Pablo Morales Males from Pontificia Universidad Católica of Ecuador (PUCE) as the Project Director, and PUCE as the central coordinating hub for the project.
Founding partners of PGSL
- Pontificia Universidad Católica of Ecuador (PUCE)
- Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Ecuador
- Instituto de Biomedicina of Universidad Central del Ecuador
- Pontificia Universidad Javieriana, Colombia
- Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, Peru
- Universidad Católica Andres Bello, Venezuela
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Ecuador’s Foreign Trade Affairs and Integration Ministry
- Ecuador’s Intellectual Property Institute
- Departamento Nacional de Recursos Fitogenéticos y BiotecnologÃa, Ecuador
- Asociación de Shamanes IndÃgenas del Napo-ASHIN, Ecuador
- Asociación de Mujeres Parteras Kichwas del Napo – AMUPAKIN, Ecuador
- CLC bio, Brazil and Denmark
About CLC bio
CLC bio is the world’s leading bioinformatics solution provider, solely focusing on the development of bioinformatics: software, hardware, data analysis, and custom-designed bioinformatics algorithms. CLC bio is an Apple solution provider and value added reseller.
CLC bio’s mission is to be among the most innovative bioinformatics companies in the 21st century. This is realized through:
- Development of bioinformatics software and hardware based on the latest scientific findings
- User-friendly, integrated and intuitive software solutions
- Continuous focus on customer needs and superior customer service
- Frequent product updates including the latest IT technologies and bioinformatics algorithms
- A flexible IT architecture, enabling customers to buy or develop individualized solutions at a reasonable price
Posted under ChemInformatics, Europe, New Products, Press Releases | Comments Off