RECENT NEWS

The latest edition of The Biomedical Science Industry Handbook is now available, both in print and digital format (see link at the end of this feature), providing concise yet comprehensive information on the full range of products and services across the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry spectrum, from point -of-care testing (POCT) to the very latest advances in molecular biology.

Mobidiag, a molecular diagnostics company with complementary platforms that address antimicrobial resistance and other areas of unmet diagnostic need, has announced exclusive agreements with international partners for the distribution of its Amplidiag and Novodiag products in Europe and the Middle East.

Nonacus, a UK-based precision medicine company and manufacturer of ultra-sensitive next-generation sequencing (NGS) products, has announced the launch of ExomeCG, a new product to simplify the generation and interpretation of molecular and cytogenomic data.

Sphere Fluidics and Peak Analysis and Automation (PAA) have announced the optimisation of the Cyto-Mine Single Cell Analysis System through integration with PAA’s automated plate handler, S-LAB. The addition of S-LAB to the Cyto-Mine provides researchers with a further streamlined solution for single-cell analysis.

As part of National Pathology Week, G2 Speech and LogicNets forged a new partnership. The new development is set to extend the benefits of G2 Speech’s existing clinical workflow management solution with the intelligence platform provided by LogicNets, offering clinical decision support (CDS) to pathologists and other healthcare professionals across the UK and Ireland.

Pipette.com is an independent calibration facility with a passion for empowering scientific discovery. It is dedicated to providing the best solutions possible for customers while maintaining effective communication.

On International Pathology Day, Leica Biosystems announced the launch of The Future of Pathology – the catalyst for a conversation that brings together pathologists, hospital administrators and key stakeholders from across the care continuum to discuss the common goal of improving cancer diagnostics, today and into the future.

The National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) is one of the longest established collections of microorganisms in the world; its cultures reflect the history of clinical bacterial infections from the end of the 19th century to the present day. Set up in 1920 to “provide a trustworthy source of authentic bacteria for use in scientific studies”, the remit for NCTC has remained essentially unchanged, as Julie Russell explains.

Syrris has upgraded the touchscreen firmware for its popular Atlas HD jacketed reactor systems to offer many of the advanced automation features previously only available using the system’s PC-based control software. These enhanced automation options – such as pH-controlled and temperature-dependent dosing – add to the system’s existing functionality to offer even greater flexibility in protocol design.

Earlier this year, Pathology in Practice editor Brian Nation CSci FIBMS was awarded Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) Life Membership. The presentation was made by Institute President Alison Geddes at a ceremony held during the Biomedical Science Congress event in September.

PromoCell, a manufacturer of human primary cells and cell culture products, now offers cell disease models covering a wide range of diseases including diabetes (type 1 and 2), respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, as well as cardiomyopathy. Relevant models enable experiments under physiological conditions and are key to developing new therapies for chronic diseases. With its greater range of cell disease models, PromoCell underlines its role as a dedicated supporter of scientific research and innovation.

HORIBA UK, Medical showcased its approach to ‘hub and spoke’ laboratories at the IBMS Congress in September. On the stand was a wide range of instrumentation for central laboratory and near-patient use, and also a newly CE-marked benchtop instrument for rapid infectious disease detection.

Lab Innovations celebrated its eighth edition in October, trumping all records for the event. Attracting 3860 attendees, an impressive 24% increase on the previous year, this makes it the largest Lab Innovations to date. Over 160 exhibitors displayed a diverse and innovative product offering to visitors from more sectors than ever before, emphasising the event’s place as the UK’s largest annual trade exhibition dedicated to the entire laboratory industry.

The 35th British Society for Microbial Technology (BSMT) Annual Scientific Conference will be held on Thursday 14 May 2020 at the RAF Museum, Hendon, entitled The Genomic and Molecular Revolution in Microbiology: In Technology We Trust (or do we?). The theme of the meeting is designed to explore just how much the molecular revolution in microbiology has been useful in improving patient care, and the organisers have a great line up of speakers already confirmed.

The new edition of The Cancer Atlas has been launched. This publication is produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization, jointly with the American Cancer Society and the Union for International Cancer Control.

Cherwell, distributors of the ImpactAir range of microbial air samplers from Pinpoint Scientific, will be displaying the prototype of the new ImpactAir ISO-90 Monitoring Platform on its stand at Pharmig’s Annual Conference (13–14 November, Nottingham Belfry Hotel). ImpactAir is designed for continuous monitoring in high-grade areas, where in-process sampling of viable particles is often critical. The ImpactAir ISO is a modular system designed to integrate into isolators or RABS, using an external controller and remotely located air mover.

Uncontrolled diabetes is associated with serious health problems including cardiovascular disease, neuropathy, nephropathy and retinopathy, and, as such, is a significant burden to the NHS. It is estimated that 8.6% of the adult population in England have diabetes, with this figure expected to rise to 9.7% by 2035.

Oncimmune, a leading global immunodiagnostics group, has welcomed the publication of the Independent Review of Adult Screening Programmes in England, which makes recommendations on overhauling national cancer screening programmes to aid earlier diagnosis and treatment. Oncimmune's EarlyCDT Lung test, which uses a simple blood sample, can detect lung cancer on average four years or more before standard clinical diagnosis.

A laboratory instrument manufacturer is being helped to bring a new product to international markets thanks to the support of Teesside University. Martel Instruments, based in County Durham, is working with the university to trial a new smart device that connects and records data from instruments in a laboratory.

Lab Innovations will be opening its doors on Wednesday and Thursday, 30–31 October 2019, to a record number of visitors and exhibitors. With all exhibition space sold out at this award-winning laboratory exhibition showcase, visitors will have access to a huge range of the latest instruments and technologies, as well as learning about future-proofing and sustainable procurement of laboratory products.