RECENT NEWS

Sterilin has announced the availability of handy ward/ shelf packs of its best-selling 30-mL universal containers, usually supplied in packs of 400. The new packs of 50 will contain an inner bag label with product code, lot number and expiry date, aiding product traceability.

Pronostics, a developer and manufacturer of nextgeneration multiplexed diagnostics, has signed a deal with Hannover Medical School to provide its proprietary platform for the diagnosis of autoimmune disease. The deal will see Hannover Medical School, one of the world’s leading medical centres, use UltraPlex hardware and ANA kits for the diagnosis of autoimmune disease.

The new Institute of Oncology at St James’s University Hospital, Leeds, has been equipped with refrigerators and freezers worth over £250,000 by Labcold, the specialist manufacturer of professional medical, scientific and laboratory refrigeration equipment.

Cambridge Research Biochemicals (CRB) has launched a new online shop, thus expanding its offerings to customers worldwide.

A new Health Protection Agency (HPA) Culture Collections website has been launched offering cell lines, bacteria, viruses, fungi, associated services and technical information. This follows the integration of four UK culture collections into one not-for-profit strategic business unit within the Health Protection Agency.

Olympus UK has announced that Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, which covers Hexham, Wansbeck and North Tyneside General Hospitals, has awarded a seven-year managed service contract (MSC) to Olympus Diagnostics. The MSC covers Olympus immunoassay, clinical chemistry and automation products, and process improvement analysis consultation and the refurbishment of new laboratory facilities. This MSC is the first order to include the new AU3000i immunoassay system – three of which have gone live at the trust.

Cellzome has been awarded a Medical Research Council Pilot Industry Collaboration Grant with Professor Christopher Buckley and Dr Karim Raza in the Department of Rheumatology and Medical Research Council Centre for Immune Regulation at the University of Birmingham Medical School to profile the expressed kinome in early inflammatory arthritis.

Eppendorf customers in Ireland now have more choice and expertise available for calibration and repair of their manual liquid-handling products from approved service partner Calibration Technology.

The letter ‘Who is a Clinician?’, published in the October issue (page 908), made reference to the Chief Scientific Officer.

An item published in the October issue of The Biomedical Scientist (‘Government Recognition to Boost Cord Blood Usage’ page 848) stated that Virgin Health Bank is “the UK’s only licensed and accredited cord blood bank”.

In vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) are often used in combination with other devices and equipment, and this needs to be planned and managed carefully so that the combination does not impair the performance of any of the individual devices, according to a Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) bulletin issued recently.

Research has shown that prion protein, a form of protein that triggers bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is associated with other brain diseases in cattle.

Teachers and lecturers across the UK now have new resources to help them inspire and develop the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians.

A recent report by the National Audit Office found that navigating complaints systems is not straightforward, particularly for health service users, and handling some complaints takes too long. There is little sharing of lessons learned from complaints or evidence that services are improving as a result.

Researchers at Aberystwyth University have licensed ground-breaking research to a nonprofit product development partnership working to develop new, more effective vaccines against TB.

The Royal College of Pathologists and other specialist organisations are holding the first National Pathology Week on 3–9 November to promote pathology. Over 150 events – including interactive workshops, laboratory tours, stands in shopping centres, art competitions, quizzes and even a touring pathology bus – are being held in hospitals and communities all around the UK.

An independent study published in the Journal of Hospital Infection (Hernández A et al, 2008) has confirmed the rapid efficacy of Tristel sporicidal wipes against Mycobacterium avium.

The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) has chosen the CYCLERtest MTAS validation system from Anachem for its thermal cycler and light cycler validation.

Motic has recently supplied an epi-fluorescence BA 400 microscope to King’s College, London, to assist in research into neurodegenerative diseases. The microscope is being used to identify very small structures in fruit fly brains, which are being tested to show how and why motor neuron diseases occur.

A new website – www.waterpurification.org.uk – has been launched to help health service managers and laboratory staff understand and specify water purification technology. The new site, developed by Purite, a leading European manufacturer of water purification systems, provides the detailed information needed by those in medical and healthcare laboratories.