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The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research & SINAPSE Sign Cooperation Agreement
The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research and Carestream Molecular Imaging have signed a 5-year partnership agreement to support the development of novel preclinical imaging approaches in oncology using the Carestream Albira trimodal imaging system. The Albira was purchased by the Beatson Institute with support from funds raised by researchers in SINAPSE, a medical imaging consortium involving six premier Scottish Universities. The Albira combines PET, SPECT, and CT modalities in one platform, w...
Thermal Imaging of High Speed Events
The FLIR SC7000 Series of Infrared Cameras from FLIR Advanced Thermal Solutions (ATS) provide the high performance and facilities for thermal imaging of high speed events. These high-speed, highresolution research grade cameras provide Gigabit Ethernet, Camera Link and USB interfaces for maximum flexibility and performance. They also feature simultaneous digital and analogue outputs, and are available in multiple wavebands, detector resolutions, and lens configurations. Their fast frame rates, p...
New Handbook of Accessories for SPM
JPK Instruments has released a new handbook of accessories for its family of SPM systems. JPK's family of SPM solutions have been available for over ten years. To keep these functioning and still useful and being able to add new capabilities has always figured prominently in the design process of the newest systems. The latest range of accessories is described in a new 20-page handbook available in both digital and print form. It provides users with unlimited possibilities for their NanoWizard®...
Researchers develop lab technique that traps microRNA targets
Researchers from Sanford-Bunham Medical Research Institute have developed a new technique that traps microRNA targets, which could help researchers discover miRNA targets in any number of disease models. The simple technique, called miR-TRAP, captures the RNA-induced silencing complex which is joined when MicroRNAs suppress gene expression. Human bodies are thought to produce thousands of these MicroRNAs which help determine which genes are turned on or off at a given time. In this way, MicroR...
Touch the Future of Gel and Blot Imaging
New ChemiDoc-It®TS2 Imager from UVP, enables quick and simple image capture with a touch of the screen. Easily select preview, capture and save functions from the control panel. Integrated computer, large touch screen and capture software simplify workflow for chemiluminescent blots and fluorescent/colorimetric gel imaging. System optimises images with the high sensitivity, high resolution cooled CCD camera. The built-in computer creates a networkable, stand-alone system. Save images to USB sti...
Human blood vessels grown in a lab
Scientists have managed to grow human blood vessels in laboratories, which could revolutionise heart bypass surgery. The researchers made laboratory news by making the veins in just a few weeks from skin cells removed from the hand. These tubes could be used to help kidney patients on dialysis and babies with deficient heart valves, as well as making significant strides on how we perform bypass operations. US scientists revealed the results at the Experimental Biology conference in San Diego, de...
Researchers look to slow HIV progression to AIDS
Researchers are looking to harness the protective mechanism in the protein SAMHD1 in order to slow HIV progression to AIDS. Researchers from New York University are exploring the molecular material of cells, called deoxynucleotide triphosphates (dNTPs), which is attacked by HIV in order to replicate. They found that cells containing SAMHD1 are protected from hijacking, and can protect the cell by destroying the pool of dNTPs, which essential means that the virus has no building blocks to make i...
RMS Vice Presidents Fund 2012
Apply now for the 2012 RMS Vice President's Fund and help fund your outreach project The Vice-President's Fund was founded in January 2008 to support worthy projects using microscopy to contribute to the public understanding of science or benefit the developing world. The maximum award available is £5000 and the funding can only be used to support the recipient's participation in the project. Next deadline for application is 31st July 2012. Applications will be reviewed by the Vice-President an...
Emc2012 –open and active
Welcome to emc2012 “Our aim is to make the 15th European Microscopy Congress the most inclusive event yet in the history of the series.” The UK microscopy community looks forward to welcoming you to Manchester in September 2012. With an international conference of the highest quality sitting alongside Europe's largest exhibition dedicated to microscopy, it promises to be a truly memorable event. Added to this will be great training opportunities, a programme of technical workshops, and a full s...
Microtechnique used for DNA manipulation
A new device has made microtechnique news owing to its ability to manipulate and measure DNA. The novel microfluidic technology, called the nanoslinky, has been developed by researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and could be used for measuring DNA and nonoscale technologies. It measures at around ten million times smaller than the popular spring-shaped toy currently in use. Nanoslinky uses a staircase-shaped nanoscale fluidic channel that is able to control...
Genetic sequencing different in hereditary breast cancers
The genetic code of two hereditary breast cancer tumors has recently made science news, as researchers discover that both of them looked entirely different. Researchers from the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Research Centre at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) found that breast cancers caused by a faulty BRCA1 gene have a completely different genetic makeup. The study also revealed results of three previously undiscovered breast cancer genes. Professor Jorge Reis-Filho of the ICR said: "This r...
Urinary drug screening receives a little 'micro-magic'
Urinary drug screening may be set to enter a new era as researchers have successfully combined two miniaturisation techniques to provide rapid screening that has the potential for automation. Microextraction and microfluidic techniques have been combined for the extraction of drugs from urine and their transfer to an electrospray mass spec. Although both techniques are well founded, the combination of the two provides a novel way of urinary drug screening. Raimo Ketola and Teemu Nissila from H...
Biological clue to male baldness
Studies in US laboratories may have found a biological clue to male baldness, suggesting that testosterone and genetic factors play a key role. The new discovery could make room for future treatments that could reverse hair thinning altogether. The results were attributed to the discovery of a protein that triggers hair loss, with drugs that target the pathway already in development; it has been reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Male sex hormone testosterone and genetic f...
TB 'Goldilocks' gene discovered
A gene which dictates the right level of response to tuberculosis has been identified in laboratories as being a potential treatment for the disease. The international team of researchers have identified the LTA4H as being the gene that dictates the levels of immune response people have to tuberculosis (TB). This could dictate the type of treatment people receive in the future, with studies showing that people responded best to treatment that was tailored to them. Dr Sarah Dunstan, head of hum...
Temperature Controlled Probe Stage used in Conjunction with Raman Microscopy
Market leaders in temperature controlled microscopy, Linkam Scientific Instruments, report on the work of Dr Sharath Sriram, a Research Fellow at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. He uses Linkam specialist temperature stages with micro-Raman spectroscopy systems to investigate temperature dependent spectral measurements. Dr Sriram's interests in characterising piezoelectric thin films led him to choose temperature controlled stages from Linkam for use in combination with a Renishaw inVia...
Temperature Controlled Stage Used to Examine Atmospheric and Vacuum Frying of Starch Granules in Oil and Water
Linkam Scientific Instruments, have been chosen by Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile to supply a THMS350V stage to understand the frying of starch in oil and water. At the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a research team headed by Pedro Bouchon PhD in the Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering Department are using a Linkam THMS350V stage to examine atmospheric and vacuum frying miniaturisation of starch granules in oil and water. The chemical and structural aspects of vacuum frying...
New Automated Gel Imaging System
Syngene is delighted to introduce the G:BOX F3, a new gel imaging system, designed for scientists that want a rapid, versatile method of automatically imaging and analysing DNA, RNA and proteins in gels. The G:BOX F3 features a high-resolution 3.8 million pixel CCD camera with a motor driven lens and built in filter wheel contained in a compact darkroom. This automated system is controlled by Syngene’s intuitive GeneSys imaging software. The software saves time and effort by automatically settin...
Innovative Radiometers/Photometers with Interchangeable Sensors
UVMAN are proud to announce the Spectroline AccuMAX™ Series of digital radiometers/photometers, which provide accurate readouts for UV irradiance, visible illuminance and luminance light readings. The readout units are specially calibrated for use with a full line of interchangeable sensor detectors. When equipped with a sensor detector, the AccuMAX readout unit can satisfy nearly any laboratory or life science application, including fluorescent inspection and UV dosing. Single-wavelength senso...
Imaging Systems for Every Application
With its European headquarters in Hamburg, Olympus is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of professional optical and opto-electronic digital products for research, clinical and industrial applications. From microscopes for training and routine tasks to high-end imaging system solutions in the fields of life- and materials science, there is a system for every need. This is embodied by the fully customisable BX3 systems, which can truly be ‘built by your needs’. A recent addition to the prod...
Increased Reliability and Accuracy in Optical Metrology
The Olympus LEXT OLS4000 is being used for the development of good practice guidelines and new calibration standards in optical metrology. These reference standards are being developed by a team led by Professor Richard Leach, Principal Research Scientist at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). Preliminary data, presented by Professor Leach at the 10th International Symposium on Measurement Technology and Intelligent Instruments (ISMTII) demonstrated that these calibration standards will help...
Providing Intuitive Workflows for Applications in Metallography
The Olympus Stream Solutions enable users to easily capture and analyse any image for their niche applications quickly, precisely and in compliance with common international standards. Detailed in an educational demo video, the Grain Sizing Solutions are easy to use for beginners and experienced users alike, enabling you to accurately determine the quality of your steel. The Solutions are optional component to the Olympus Stream software, which provides users with a completely intuitive workflow...
Parasitic worms 'could offer solution' for modern illnesses
New research from the University of Edinburgh, UK, has found that parasites could be used as a cure for modern illnesses. Countries that have largely eliminated parasites are seeing a rise in health conditions such as allergies, multiple sclerosis and asthma. Researchers are attempting to isolate the component within these parasitic worms that would be the most effective on reducing allergies and turn it into a drug using genetic engineering. The scientists have found that a large proportion o...
New family of compounds could treat numerous cancers
Researchers from CNRS and Inserm have discovered a new family of compounds that could make it possible to treat numerous cancers, particularly brain tumors and skin cancers. The French-Italian team found that the substances block a chain of molecular reactions known as the Hedgehog signalling pathway. This disruption could be involved in several cancers. The Hedgehog signalling pathway is a cascade of complex biochemical reactions, and the compounds could become new medicines in the long term....
Pioneering fertility study alters perceptions of egg reproduction
A pioneering study conducted by a scientist in Massachusetts has found that women continuously replenish eggs in the ovary, which sweeps away the belief that women only have a limited stock of eggs. The experiment, conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital, found that eggs in a women's womb are continuously replenished from precursor cells in the ovary. This challenges the long term 'bank account' doctrine, which suggests that women are given a set amount of eggs at birth which is not renewabl...
AFM Used to Better Characterise Graphenes Properties
JPK Instruments reports on a keynote paper in Nano Letters where Dr Nikolai Severin and his co-workers from the group of Professor Jürgen P. Rabe have applied JPK's NanoWizard®II Ultra system to improve their understanding of the properties of graphene. Within this group is Dr Nikolai Severin, recently the lead author of a paper in Nano Letters, which shows the use of AFM in the study of graphenes. The electronic properties of graphenes depend sensitively on their deformation, and therefore stra...
Temperature Controlled Stage Employed in Freeze Drying Characterisation
The University of Iowa Pharmaceuticals (UIP) has been developing formulations, manufacturing products, and conducting analytical testing in compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for over 30 years. The facility is the only one of its kind offering the range and scope of services needed by commercial clients. One area of interest is the understanding of lyophilisation processes. Key to this is the characterisation instrumentation from Biopharma Technology Limited. Two system...
Razor-sharp High Definition Thermal Imaging
The FLIR™ SC660 thermal imaging camera offers superior thermal and visual image quality, spot size resolution and temperature measurement accuracy. It is ideal for all types of engineering, laboratory or field application that may benefit from thermal analysis. The SC660 infrared camera is a science-grade infrared camera with a host of advanced features. The SC660's high definition 640 x 480 pixel infrared detector delivers exceptional sensitivity, resolution and the image quality allowing it to...
Research Into Expanding the use of AFM for Cell Biological Applications
Dr Clemens Franz leads a group of researchers at the DFG-Centre for Functional Nanostructures at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology where he works on expanding the use of AFM for cell biological applications. Given that AFM cantilevers are ultrasoft springs, they can be used to measure inter- and even intramolecular bonds. To study cell adhesion, Dr Franz and his team often employ AFM-based single-cell force spectroscopy (SCFS). Here, a living cell is attached to the AFM cantilever and brought in...
Space superbugs may offer energy solution
Researchers at Newcastle University in the UK have identified bacteria usually found 30 km above the earth as being efficient generators of electricity. Bacillus stratosphericus is a microbe commonly found in high concentrations in the stratosphere, and is the main component of a recently created 'super' biofilm that has been engineered by the scientists. By isolating 75 different species of bacteria from the Wear Estuary in North East England, the power-generation of each on was tested using...
The test-tube hamburger
Scientists from the Maastricht University have succeeded in growing meat in a laboratory by extracting stem cells from cows and producing strips of muscle tissue in containers. The Frankenburger will become the world’s first test-tube beefburger, and could be ready just in time for the last barbeques of the season in October. Professor Mark Post has grown small strips of beef muscle tissue using a cow’s stem cells and serum taken from a horse foetus. The tissue is being held together by Velcro a...
SuperSTEM Consortium Launches EPSRC National Facility
A new facility that allows scientists to study properties of materials more clearly at the atomic level, was officially launched on January 11 at STFC Daresbury. The EPSRC National Facility for Aberration-Corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy will provide easier access to electron microscopes tuned to take account of lens distortions. The new facility will build on the work already carried out at Daresbury which has, for example, enabled international researchers to examine ne...
FEI Buys Aspex Corporation
FEI has acquired Aspex Corporation which provides rugged scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) and related services for environmentally demanding military, industrial and factory floor applications. “The Aspex EXtreme™ SEM is an integral part of our QEMSCAN® WellSite™ solution for on-site oil and gas solutions,” noted Don Kania, President and CEO of FEI. “With this acquisition, FEI now owns the essential hardware and software that has been part of our rapid growth and expanding potential in th...
Modular Upright Research Microscopes for Bioscience and Medical Research
The Nikon evolution in upright biological microscopes has advanced with the new Eclipse Ni series. Using core technology from Nikon’s renowned Eclipse Ti inverted research microscope, the Eclipse Ni series offers multi-mode system expandability to meet the imaging needs of bioscience and medical research on one platform. The new Ni range also provides superior optical performance with new CFI Plan Apochromat Lambda series objectives, and the flexibility of assisted observation by motorisatio...
Low dose carbon monoxide therapy found to prevent miscarriage
New research has found that low dose carbon monoxide therapy is able to restore placental functional and prevent miscarriages in mice, without any detrimental effects. The study, conducted by researchers at the Otto-von-Guericke University, Germany and recently published in BioMed Central's open access journal Medical Gas Research, progressed on established research on Heme oxygenase-1, which is essential for the growth of blood vessels in the placenta and in establishing blood flow in the umbil...
New Generation of Portable Soil Moisture Measurement System
Campbell Scientific are pleased to announce the Hydrosense II portable soil moisture measurement system. The new hand-held display unit features a 3" LCD display and four simple-to-use navigation buttons. An integrated GPS geotags each reading and measurements can be grouped together allowing average soil moisture to be calculated for a defined area. On-board data storage for up to 1500 measurements has been added, with Bluetooth connectivity for downloading to a PC. The new soil moisture pro...
Enhanced Range of Water Purification Systems
Merck Millipore recently announced the availability of its new range of Direct-Q® water purification systems. First launched in 2005, the Direct-Q® systems met with immediate and continuing success. Over the years, the systems have acquired a dedicated user base of scientists who rely on the all-in-one systems to produce high quality pure and ultrapure water - directly from tap water - for a wide variety of applications. Using the feedback of Direct-Q® users, Merck Millipore has now increased th...
Calibrated Infrared Analysers Provide Rapid On-Site Oil in Water or Soil Measurements
Wilks Enterprise is pleased to announce the availability of factory-calibrated portable infrared analysers for determining the concentration level of oil in water or soil. The InfraCal TOG/TPH Analysers provide easy, on-site measurements in 10-15 minutes and eliminate the need to wait for off-site results. The InfraCal Analysers are ideal for use by non-technical personnel, in refineries or industrial manufacturing facilities and at soil remediation sites. Factory-calibrated InfraCal TOG/TPH An...
Automated Water Analysis
The AP 3800 multi laboratory robot carries out total water analysis procedures, including sample preparation. Even when a digestion step is needed. The basic version incorporates the pre-programmed Lange cuvette tests for COD, Total Phosphorus, Total Nitrogen, Ammonium, Nitrate and Nitrite. The method directory can be extended by additional parameters as required. Total wastewater analysis including sample preparation and digestion, Several parameters in a single run: COD, Ptot, TNb, NO2, NO3, N...
Qdots use viruses to fool cancer cells
New nanotechnology has exploited virus mechanisms that fool cancer cells in order to transport Quantum Dots (Qdots) into brain cancer cells and bind them to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Previously, there have been difficulties getting the Qdots into cells without them clumping, or being packaged in to endosomes, and excreted from the cells as waste. However, researchers from the City College of New York overcame this problem by coating the Qdots in lipid and protein coats based on Se...
Direct link found between telomeres and heart attacks
A large scale study involving nearly 20,000 people in Denmark has confirmed that there is a direct link between the shortening of telomeres and the risk of a heart attack and early death. The new research provides physicians with a future way to test the actual cellular health of a person. This was achieved by isolating each individual's DNA to analyse their specific telomere length, which is a measurement of cellular aging. Clinical Professor of Genetic Epidemiology Borge Nordestgaard from the...
RNA substances found in cancer communication signal
Researchers from the University of London have found RNA substances in communication signals that are sent around the body by cancer cells, which are essential for the growth of the cells. The RNA are pieces of genetic code that instruct cells, and ultimately, the body, how to form, acting in a similar way to DNA. The study has also found early indications that these genetic instructions can be intercepted and modified by chemotherapy to help prevent cancer cells growing. This study adds to a...
Stem cell re-growth achieved in heart attack patients
New research has shown positive signs for the reversal of damaged stem cells after a heart attack by infusing heart-derived cells to help damaged hearts re-grow healthy muscle. The study, conducted by Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, found that patients who underwent the stem cell procedure showed considerable reduction in the size of the scar left on the heart muscle after an attack. The patients also experienced a healthy increase in healthy heart muscle following the experimental treatments. Edu...
Nerve sparing developments for prostate cancer patients
American researchers have documented the outcomes of 408 prostate cancer patients in an attempt to test the effect of nerve sparing on the ability to orgasm after surgery. The researchers from Cornell University found that many men can retain their ability to orgasm if the surgery is carried out without removing the nerves that surround the prostate gland like a hammock, according to a study in the February issue of the urology journal BJUI. They tested 408 patients 408 patients who received rob...
Genetic switches could hold clues to a cell`s developmental history
A new study has revealed that genetic switches (or enhancers) and the molecules that activate these switches (transcription factors) can be used to trace a cell's development history. Scientists in the groups of Eileen Furlong at EMBL and Ewan Birney at EMBL’s European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), looked at fruit fly embryos to find that enhancers in heart muscle cells are not alone in having transcription factors attached. Enhancers in the gut muscle were also occupied by transcription...
Multiple DNA repair defect in monocytes
Scientists have found that monocytes are extremely sensitive to reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are aggressive forms of oxygen generated during states of oxidative stress. Scientists at the University Medical Center in Mainz looked to address the undesirable effects of ionizing radiation and drugs used to treat cancer on the impairment of the immune system. The immune system ceases to function properly during treatment, however, which immune system cells respond most sensitively following r...
Quantitative Imaging Mode for the Most Challenging of AFM Samples
JPK Instruments announce exciting new quantitative imaging capabilities for the recently launched NanoWizard®3 AFM system. QI™ is the new quantitative imaging mode from JPK. It has been developed to make AFM imaging easier than ever before. With QI™, a force curve-based imaging mode, the user has the full control over the tipsample force at every pixel of the image. There is no need for setpoint or gain adjustment while scanning. Applying JPK's ForceWatch™ technology, QI™ delivers outstanding re...
Tomato nutrient lycopene could be used for cancer treatment
Lycopene, a nutrient found in cooked tomatoes, has been found to slow the growth of prostate cancer cells, and has even been found to kill it in some cases. The nutrient is widely known for giving tomatoes their red colour, but researchers at the University of Portsmouth have found that it can intercept cancer growth by blocking its ability to make the connections it needs to attach to a healthy blood supply. Director of the research Dr Chopra said: “This simple chemical reaction was shown to oc...
Pannexin1 found to restore tight binding of cells
A novel 'scaffold-free' 3-D system has been used to determine the role of Pannexin1 in binding cells, a process that is lost in cancer. The researchers, from Brown University, found that protein Pannexin1 could have an important biomechanical role in binding tissues together. The protein is already known to have tumour-suppressive properties, and this new research suggest that it could have a decisive role in the progression of the disease. First author and Brown University M.D./Ph.D. student Br...
Bronchoalveolar lavage and lung clearance index detect CF
The lung clearance index (LCI) has been found to be a sensitive and non-invasive marker of early lung disease by researchers studying early cystic fibrosis (CF) in Australia. The findings, published ahead of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, show that LCI could also be useful as an objective outcome measure in future studies of young children with CF. Some 47 pre-symptomatic or minimally symptomatic infants and young children with CF an...
Camera with High Sensitivity, High Resolution and Fast Readout for Every Fluorescence Application
Engineered around a new second-generation sCMOS detector, the ORCA-Flash4.0 is the first camera that challenges the performance of all EM-CCD, CCD and firstgeneration sCMOS cameras for every fluorescence application. Hamamatsu Photonics introduces the new ORCA-Flash4.0 sCMOS camera. In recent years, trying to detect low level or fast fluorescence signals has proved challenging and an EM-CCD camera was commonly used, however, with the arrival of the ORCA-Flash4.0 that situation has now changed. T...