Product news in brief
releases, with new offerings from ADInstruments,Corning, FEI,
Supelco, Tecan, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Waters.
ADInstruments has launched a new software module for its Chart program, dubbed Peak Analysis. The module, for use with the PowerLab data acquisition system, enhances the speed and analysis of peaks in waveform data for life science researchers. The Peak Analysis module fast tracks peak waveform analysis and is ideal fro examining specific signals such as action potentials, evoked responses, population spikes, synaptic potentials. Corning has launched a new range of digital hot plates, stirrers and stirring hot plates in Europe. The new products contain digital displays that can display temperature, set temperature and stir speed as well as being compatible with an external temperature controller for precision accuracy. "Through our ongoing conversations with customers, we recognized the need to introduce a digital display feature and temperature controller to ensure a safer environment for easy, repeatable and accurate lab testing," said Jill Veilleux, worldwide product line manager for Corning Life Sciences. FEI has introduced a new version of its cryogenic sample preparation tool, the Vitrobot Mark IV. The Vitrobot is a high-throughput tool designed to enable the physical fixation of biological structures within ultra-thin vitrified ice layers so samples can withstand the high voltages used in TEMs (Transmission Electron Microscope) long enough to acquire 3D images. Supelco, part of the Sigma-Aldrich group, has launched a new range of HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) columns that exceed 120,000 plates per column under moderate operating conditions using commercial instrumentation. The new Ascentis Express HPLC columns provide higher-resolution chromatography than previously attainable by making use of the low back-pressure attainable using the sub-2 micrometre Fused-Core particles in the column. Tecan has integrated its REMP small-size store with the Freedom EVO liquid handling system to create a fully automated liquid handling and sample handling platform that can handle a variety of formats and allow unmanned sample retrieval and processing steps. Sample volumes, concentrations and identification numbers can be fully tracked by the system making it ideal for compound dissolution and reformatting or genomic applications. Thermo Fisher Scientific has acquired the assets of the OptiCell product line from BioCrystal including trademarks, production equipment, inventory and 12 patents. OptiCell provides a gas permeable membrane to provide a cell culture growth surface enclosed within a sealed environment that provides researchers with a device that reduces time and labour required for imaging, cell separation, transfection, cloning and shipping of live cells. "We decided to purchase the product line because we had very positive customer feedback during its launch phase," said Steve Silverman, vice president and general manager, labware and specialty plastics at Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We believe OptiCell film technology holds great promise for improving the effectiveness and productivity of cell culture work." Waters has received FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) clearance for its MassTrak Immunosuppressant kit for monitoring tacrolimus levels in kidney and liver transplant patients. In combination with Waters LC/MS (liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry) systems and Waters clinical service and support the new kit provides a complete validated test for monitoring tacrolimus therapeutic drug monitoring ion transplant centres. "At Waters, we understand and recognize that for customers to realize the benefits of LC/MS/MS based assays, we needed to provide validated robust methodologies with FDA cleared kits," said Michael Yelle, senior director of Clinical Operations at Waters. "We believe OptiCell film technology holds great promise for improving the effectiveness and productivity of cell culture work." Waters has received FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) clearance for its MassTrak Immunosuppressant kit for monitoring tacrolimus levels in kidney and liver transplant patients. In combination with Waters LC/MS (liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry) systems and Waters clinical service and support the new kit provides a complete validated test for monitoring tacrolimus therapeutic drug monitoring ion transplant centres. "At Waters, we understand and recognize that for customers to realize the benefits of LC/MS/MS based assays, we needed to provide validated robust methodologies with FDA cleared kits," said Michael Yelle, senior director of Clinical Operations at Waters.
