RECENT PRODUCT NEWS

It is now possible to perform the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) directly from whole blood samples with the new KAPA Biosystems’ blood PCR kits, available in the UK and Ireland from Anachem. For the first time, direct amplification can be performed from fresh or frozen whole blood, blood collected in EDTA tubes or on FTA elute cards (Guthrie cards) or filter paper.

Agilent Technologies has introduced its next-generation Agilent 7100 capillary electrophoresis (CE) system. It offers the industry’s widest selection of detectors for flexibility and sensitivity, and the new instrument is reverse-compatible to the previous Agilent CE platform, so existing methods can continue to be used.

Preston-based Image Solutions has added the ONIX dynamic cell culture platform to its suite of scientific and industrial digital imaging technology. The move follows a partnership agreement signed between Image Solutions and ONIX developer CellASIC.

The new Redipor barrier pack range from Cherwell Laboratories has been specifically developed and fully validated in response to the increasing use of vaporised hydrogen peroxide (VHP) decontamination methods. This new line of gas impermeable packaging for the Redipor range of irradiated prepared microbiological media ensures that there is no risk of false negatives following the use of VHP for sterilising isolators, clean rooms and pharmaceutical processing equipment.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced availability of the new Macherey-Nagel Protino glutathione agarose 4B kit in the UK. Protino glutathione agarose 4B and Protino GST/4B columns enable fast and convenient purification of recombinant GST-tagged proteins from whole-cell extracts by affinity chromatography.

Sartorius has launched Cubis, a modular and future-proof laboratory balance that can be fully custom-built, configured and adapted for almost any weighing application.

According to the UK’s Food Standards Agency, since 2000 the reported number of illnesses from Listeria in the UK has doubled, particularly in people aged over 60. Consequently, its isolation and identification remains of prime concern, especially in the production of chilled food.

Binding Site’s new VaccZyme VZV glycoprotein IgG low-level enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a sensitive and specific quantitative assay for use in the accurate determination of immune status to varicella zoster virus (VZV), an important test for immunocompromised patients and pregnant women.

Beckman Coulter has announced US Federal Drug Administration approval for the Access soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) assay and the sTfR/log ferritin index (sTfR index) as an aid in the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) and the differential diagnosis of anaemia of chronic disease (ACD) from IDA, with or without ACD.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced the new Thermo Scientific MaxQ 8000 series of stackable shakers. Offering the highest levels of performance, reliability and space savings, the MaxQ 8000 stackable orbital shaker is an ideal choice for laboratories shaking large quantities of flasks in a minimal space.

Time is of the essence in fertility testing and Randox biochips provide rapid and accurate diagnosis of disorders associated with the reproductive system. The fertility biochip array allows simultaneous quantitative measurement of six fertility hormones from a single patient sample.

With routine testing of milk and milk products vital to consumer safety and product quality, detecting potential pathogens as quickly and easily as possible is of paramount importance. The ability to enumerate presumptive Escherichia coli from presumptive coliforms, for instance, rapidly flags up any contamination problems.

Eksigent, a developer of advanced low-flow fluid delivery technologies for life science applications, has introduced the ExpressHT-Ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system, providing short cycle times and high throughput for LC/MS studies. With cycle times as short as 60 seconds, the ExpressHT-Ultra can run six 96-well sample plates overnight.

The new anti-C1q from Binding Site is an important addition to the panel of assays for diagnosis and monitoring of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and especially lupus nephritis, a renal complication of SLE. Recent studies indicate that there is a high specificity of anti-C1q antibodies in these conditions and laboratories testing samples from lupus patients will find the BINDAZYME Anti-C1q assay is easy to use and easy to automate.

Phenomenex has added six new offerings to its Onyx monolithic HPLC column line, including a 150 x 0.05 mm ID choice for proteomics research. This column is optimised for the low-flow-rate systems commonly used for LC/MS proteomics analysis and delivers high sensitivity for biomarker discovery.

In response to international guidelines and customer requirements, weighing specialist Mettler Toledo has developed an integrated 100 mL evaporation trap for use with its XP and XS balance ranges.

GE Healthcare has extended its range of PreDictor 96-well plates for high-throughput process development (HTPD) and parallel screening of chromatographic conditions with new Assist software and additional prefilled 96-well plates.

Lab21 is expanding its clinical diagnostics portfolio with the introduction of a new service to identify the two most common causes of fungal pneumonia. The CE-marked FXGTM:RESP (ASP+) test, developed by UK diagnostics company Myconostica, will identify infections caused by Aspergillus and Pneumocystis, which account for over 95% of cases of fungal pneumonia and could radically alter the diagnosis of fungal disease.

GE Healthcare has introduced illustra triplePrep, a kit for the rapid and simultaneous isolation of genomic DNA, RNA and total denatured protein from a single undivided sample in less than one hour.

Oxford Gene Technology (OGT) has launched the latest versions of its CytoSure family of high-resolution oligonucleotide arrays, offering even more coverage than before for cytogenetic syndromes and accurate whole genome aberration detection.