LabManager & BEVERAGE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION July 2015 Volume 10 • Number 6 LabManager.com...
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FOOD & BEVERAGE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION July 2015 Volume 10 • Number 6 LabManager.com Getting New Hires Up To Speed photo credit: Christopher Barnes Photography
Transcript of LabManager & BEVERAGE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION July 2015 Volume 10 • Number 6 LabManager.com...
FOOD & BEVERAGE MATERIAL CHARACTERIZATION
July 2015 Volume 10 • Number 6
LabManager.com
Getting New Hires Up To Speed
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contentsJuly 2015
LabManager.com
leadership & staffing22 Onboarding
Onboarding is a critical step in the employee lifecycle that has a ma-jor impact on the overall job satisfaction and retention of new hires.Donna Kridelbaugh
technology26 Social Science
Today’s scientists are more social than ever, driven by the impera-tive to collaborate in order to innovate.Gene Tetreault
health & safety30 Under Pressure
Cryogenic materials are used in a vast majority of laboratories, especially wet labs. Here’s how to use them safely.Vince McLeod
feature10 Future Labs
Labs have come a long way since Edison’s improvisations with fireplace chimneys to exhaust noxious fumes at research facilities in the late nineteenth century.Bernard Tulsi
business management18 Changing Lab Operations
What today’s lab managers need to consider when making plans for the future. Shanya Kane
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6 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
Lab Manager® (ISSN: 1931-3810) is published 11 times per year; monthly with combined issues in January/Feb-ruary, by LabX, P.O. Box 216, 478 Bay Street, Midland, ON Canada L4R 1K9. USPS 024-188 Periodical Postage Paid at Fulton, MO 65251 and at an additional mailing office. A requester publication, Lab Manager, is distributed to qualified subscribers. Non-qualified subscription rates in the U.S. and Canada: $120 per year. All other countries: $180 per year, payable in U.S. funds. Back issues may be purchased at a cost of $15 each in the U.S. and $20 else-where. While every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its employees cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of information supplied, advertisements or opinions ex-pressed. ©2013 Lab Manager® by Geocalm Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the publisher.
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HOW ARE WE DOING?What do you think of our editorial content? Do you have any suggestions for topics we don’t currently cover or areas you feel we should focus on more? We’re currently in the process of developing our editorial calendar for 2016 and would love to hear your thoughts on what we’re doing well and areas where we could improve. Feel free to send your comments and ideas regarding both our print and digital content to Pam Ahlberg at [email protected]
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laboratory product reportsJuly 2015
analytical tools & techniques
life science tools & techniques
laboratory tools & techniques
in every issue
LabManager.com
34 Ask The ExpertA discussion on troubleshooting chromatography systems.
Rachel Muenz
36 INSIGHTS on Material CharacterizationKeeping foods and beverages yummy and safe. Mike May
40 ICP-MS for Homeland Security Tracking danger precisely and at miniscule levels. Mike May
42 Thermal Analyzers SurveyFind out readers’ purchasing plans and more in our latest survey results. Trevor Henderson
44 Ask The ExpertA discussion of the latest trends in chro-matography use.
Tanuja Koppal
46 INSIGHTS on Drug DiscoveryA conversation with Pfizer chemistry VP Mark Noe, PhD. Angelo DePalma
52 Automated Liquid Handlers Upgrading stand-alone systems to workstations. Angelo DePalma
54 Electrophoresis SurveyLearn which components are most com-mon and more in our latest results. Trevor Henderson
56 Centrifuges Components of all blood bank operations. Angelo DePalma
58 Flexible CaseworkTurn your lab into a transformer. Mike May
59 Microwave Digesters SurveyFind out the top features readers look for and more in these results. Trevor Henderson
60 Balances SurveyLearn the most common types our read-ers use and more in the latest results. Trevor Henderson
16 Science Matters Why Rapid Onboarding Isn’t Always Right Mark Lanfear
62 How it Works A Platform for Addressing the Challenges of “Dead” Data
63 How it Works A Smart Multimode Microplate Reader
64 Technology News The latest equipment, instruments, and system introductions to the laboratory market. This month, we highlight companies exhibiting at AACC 2015 and ACS 2015.
81 Pre-owned Equipment Marketplace
81 Advertisers Index
82 Lab Manager Online
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editor-in-chief Pamela Ahlberg [email protected] 973.729.6538
associate editor Rachel Muenz [email protected] 888.781.0328 x233
technology editor Trevor Henderson [email protected] 888.781.0328 x291
contributors
Angelo DePalma, PhD Mark Lanfear Sara Goudarzi Tanuja Koppal, PhD F. Key Kidder Joe Liscouski Vince McLeod, CIH Ronald B. Pickett Bernard Tulsi Mike May, PhD
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editor’s note
Traditional laboratories—small, separate rooms with not much light and few amenities—began their transformation more than a decade ago. The consensus was that researchers working in isolation or within a single, narrow discipline fostered neither creativity nor innovation. So it’s not surprising that this month’s cover story showcases the continued trend toward open and more attractive research spaces, with more natural light and areas that invite social and collaborative encounters. Another consistent theme is the need for design flexibility, allowing the equipment and casework to be reconfigured as research goals demand. Anoth-er trend speaks to the need for greater improvements in lab safety. Mitch Goldman, principal architect, Goldman Reindorf Archi-tects, says, “Labs in the 1980s were horrendous. The management of chemicals and hazardous materials, including explosive gases, was really sloppy, constituting a huge safety hazard.” But the latest trend has to do with greater concern for security—from potential espionage to worse. “Design can help address the physical location of people who have access to results, and block the visibility of computer screens and whiteboards in conference rooms to visitors and potential competitors in hallways and waiting areas,” says Gary Shaw, principal, Perkins+Will.
But the lab of the future will be determined by more than just in-terior design. There are other changes afoot, including the signifi-cant role that social media will continue to play in lab operations. Turn to “Social Science (page 26), in which author Gene Tetreault
says that “the lab of the future promises to be both physical and virtual. Adjacent technologies such as augmented display, motion control, and automatic identification are sparking new strategies for scientific collaboration across disciplines, geographies, and organizations.” In addition, “The success of Google and the gene sequencing project in gathering information and knowledge, sim-ply through correlations using massive amounts of unfiltered data, might point to the way that science is done in the future.”
Lastly, to find out what the future role of the lab manager might be, “Changing Lab Operations” (page 18), might provide some an-swers. “The management role in the future organization may not be part of the lab and may have only cursory ties to it but it will still be its voice and director. The role will likely be almost entire-ly a business function that supports integration of technology to generate profits and administer the ancillary functions necessary to accomplish this,” predicts author Shanya Kane.
Add to this ever-smaller and smarter instruments and greater automation, labs of the future will certainly change again— sooner versus later.
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L abs have come a long way since Thomas Alva Edison’s improvisations with fireplace chimneys to exhaust noxious fumes at his Menlo Park, New Jersey,
research facilities in the late nineteenth century. Edison, whose name is on 1,093 United States patents, was a pio-neer in laboratory ventilation. Credited with the invention of the incandescent light bulb, he would be pleased with the stellar strides in both lighting and airflow control in today’s labs. He’d most likely be thrilled to see how lab facilities have embraced energy efficiency, sustainability, flexibility, and automation. And, if he were designing labs today, the prolific inventor would undoubtedly have been at the forefront of initiatives like the “paperless lab” while championing the “lab of the future.”
Just as Edison looked around the corner to see what was next for labs in his time, today’s lab designers must be acutely cognizant of emerging facility trends, as well as avoiding certain slippery slopes at all costs. Among other requirements, they must now be conversant with features like interoperability—how lab tools interact with each other—the costs, benefits, and disadvantages of integrating systems and processes, and, critically, how to design and build to meet current demands while ensuring that designs are ready for future needs.
To be sure, modern labs are now more than just safe, efficient facilities with the best tools to investigate breakthrough science. They have incorporated collabo-rative workspaces that smooth the progress of teamwork and promote a sense of community to drive research productivity and output, according to Robert Skolozdra, partner and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design specialist at Svigals + Partners, New Haven,
Connecticut. “Research, productivity, and output are en-hanced when people are in the open and outside of their isolated workspaces—and teamwork benefits.”
Mitch Goldman, principal architect, Goldman Rein-dorf Architects, agrees that today’s labs offer a “much better working environment” and notes that “labs in the 1980s were horrendous. The management of chemicals and hazardous materials, including explosive gases, was really sloppy, constituting a huge safety hazard.”
“There have been a lot of innovations in these areas, and labs are much safer than they used to be. Industries and universities have safety departments; they have specific safety protocols now, which are followed with greater discipline,” he says.
Part of the solution, Skolozdra says, is that lab space is more flexible now, and that “helps to make the envi-ronment more enlivening.” He says that work that once had to be done in messy lab environments can now be completed with automated equipment—such as digital photographic equipment, which led to the elimination of dark rooms in biomedical labs.
“Environments are now more flexible and geared toward people’s comfort. Safety can be addressed with systems we did not have in the past, such as occupancy sensors that ramp up ventilation and lighting when peo-ple are in the space and turn them down when no one is around. This creates a better, safer environment that uses less energy,” says Skolozdra.
Gary Shaw, principal, Perkins+Will, says that, histori-cally, junior researchers and postdocs sat and did all their work in their labs. He says that is changing now because, increasingly, writing and holding meetings, among other
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activities, are done in more comfortable spaces designed to be outside the immediate lab environment. “This gives people the opportunity to do things at a more casual level and reflect on their work collectively as a group—this is design promoting a collaborative culture.”
Anthony Paprocki, senior associate, Perkins+Will, who has been involved with lab design for about 10 years now, says that when he started in the field there was a veritable turning point at which time flexibility became very important. “There was a greater understanding of the value of creating lab space that could change quick-ly over time.” In addition, there was greater interest in enhanced usability of the lab space, he says. The turning point also involved physical characteristics—the addi-tion or removal of glass—and a trend toward making the lab space more social and collaborative.
Zeroing in on the origins of these ideas and trends, Pap-rocki says that a lot of them came from the design perspec-tive. “As architects, we have interests in areas that we believe can improve the lab space or increase the efficiency of a lab.”
He says, “There is a design-driven quality to this, and it is also a function of what people are asking for and
future labs
1. Yale University's West Campus Integrated Science & Technology Center (W-ISTC) contains highly collaborative workspaces to support interdisciplinary teamwork and encourage a community of research leaders. (Photo by Phil Handler/Fly on the Wall Productions, courtesy Whiting-Turner.) 2. A honeycomb branding scheme was developed by architect and design firm Svigals + Partners to enliven interior spaces and accentuate the highly collaborative research community of research leaders for Yale's W-ISTC expansion. (Photo by Phil Handler/Fly on the Wall Productions, courtesy Whiting-Turner.) 3. Informal break areas are critical for supporting collaboration and cross-disci-plinary interactions, as seen at a new facility in Connecticut. (Photo by Phil Handler/Fly on the Wall Productions, courtesy Whiting-Turner.) 4. Svigals + Partners helped plan an efficient yet comfortable and uplifting home for research within former Bayer facilities on what is now Yale School of Medicine's West Campus. It strategically combined existing resources with a sunny, fresh new look to help attract leaders of brand-new scientific institutes. The resulting renovation reduced costs by as much as 50 percent, say the architects. (Photo by Olson Photographic, courtesy Svigals+Partners.)
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13July 2015 Lab Manager
future labs
what they want in their labs.” He notes that, as in many other endeavors, one size does not fit all in the lab envi-ronment. In a lot of research groups, there are research-ers who work best as individuals, and maybe a more social environment is not what they want, he says.
“Others may see value in creating visibility in the space, or see it as a way to highlight their research in progress or to encourage students to take up the sciences or to attract investors and donors or to generate excite-ment around their research,” says Paprocki.
He notes, “Rather than just relying on blanket re-sponses from architects, we are finding that teams and principal investigators really have a good sense of the design solutions and processes that will best support and highlight their research,” says Paprocki.
Goldman considers energy savings and efficiency, flex-ibility, safety (including security), and acceptability as the key drivers of laboratory design decisions today. “These are the issues that we have dealt with in every lab we have designed over the past several years,” he says, noting that design has helped to address needs in each area.
Costs and the nonrenewable nature of most available energy are the main drivers of efficiency in labs, accord-ing to Goldman. He points to design changes such as more
efficient fume hoods—under which lab personnel work, protected from noxious fumes—and innovations in HVAC and associated heat recovery systems, which are now in greater demand. The idea is to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs without interfering with safety, he says.
These efforts seem to be paying off. Otto Van Geet, principal engineer, National Renewable Energy Labo-ratory, and one of the founders of the Labs21 initiative, says, “Modern labs use less energy than do those from about 20 years ago.”
Among the most important drivers of energy in research labs that typically use hazardous materials is the air-change rate, says Van Geet. These labs use 100 percent outside air, and the volume of and the method for bringing in the air drive the labs’ energy use. “His-torically, labs were ventilated at much higher rates. The chemical practices of modern labs have gotten better, and the secondary containment devices, such as fume hoods, are more efficient. So the end result is that the ventilation rates of labs can be reduced dramatically, driving down the energy use in the lab.”
Goldman says research needs change more rapidly now, noting that if space in a lab cannot be sensibly reor-ganized, “then it is very expensive and time-consuming
5. Shared equipment zones now incorporate improved energy efficiency features, such as more efficient fume hoods. This is driven by operating costs and the nonrenewable nature of most available energy sources. (Photo by Phil Handler/Fly on the Wall Productions, courtesy Whiting-Turner.) 6. Overhead service carriers promote flexibility at the W-ISTC facility. With this infrastructure, equipment can easily be moved across the lab, and benches can be quickly reconfigured, including when new research grants or changes in programs demand fast, cost-effective relocations. (Photo by Phil Handler/Fly on the Wall Productions, courtesy Whiting-Turner.) 7. Glazing between lab and office areas — as at the LEED Platinum Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine, designed by Perkins+Will — helps to brings natural light deep into the lab building’s footprint, enhancing worker productivity and communication through transparency between work areas. (Photo by Christopher Barnes Photography, courtesy Perkins+Will.) 8. With security a growing concern for lab designers, in some cases a lab’s design requires multiple air locks, which makes it very hard for unauthorized entry and exit, and systems to allow for a greater ability to track people entering and exiting facilities. (Photo by Phil Handler/Fly on the Wall Productions, courtesy Whiting-Turner.)
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to alter it.” He notes that many vendors offer flexible systems now. “You can take entire counters and cabinets on wheels. At the ceilings, there are different services that you can plug into so they can be moved with ease,” he says. This is a bit more challenging with plumbing, he says, noting that designers can generally work around the constraints.
“Many of our clients want flexible systems now. Every few years, when they get a new research grant, they can move things around and add more equipment much more easily,” he says.
Security is a growing concern for lab designers, says Goldman. He notes that university labs are “a bit more lax than those in industry.” Pointing to his firm’s recent work in drug development facilities that use toxic substances, he says, “We did multiple air locks, which makes it very hard for unauthorized entry and exit. There is much greater awareness of security now, and there is an increasingly greater ability to track people entering and exiting facilities.” Cybersecurity is the domain of network managers, and architects are typically not involved in that, he says.
Shaw concurs that security is becoming a larger issue. “Our firm has done some high-level security for government research labs—biosecurity high-containment facilities for weaponized organisms that are being researched for defense or other purpos-es. Those have very specific requirements.
“Other examples include research that must be secured from espionage activities by other organizations. Design can help address the physical location of people who have access to results, and block the visibility of computer screens and white-boards in conference rooms to visitors and poten-tial competitors in hallways and waiting areas. This is definitely a growing trend from what I can tell.”
Turning to the lab-design process, Skolozdra says that architects typically have some knowledge and understanding of the tools scientists use in their research. They understand the research-plan-ning principles, the needs of the end users, and how to accommodate them in the design to create flexible, safe working lab environments, he says.
“There’s more focus on people working to-gether—and not in isolated spaces—across vari-ous disciplines. There is a real desire to develop a culture within labs,” he says, citing his firm’s recent design of a lab for the Systems Biology Institute at Yale University.
“They indicated to us that they wanted a culture within their space. We came up with a honeycomb concept that connected everything and incorporated that into the architecture. When you get off the elevator, there is a big honeycomb that lets you see people moving around and into the break room,” he says.
Skolozdra says that the design, now used on the organization logo and letterhead, has formed an integral part of the culture because “it became quite evident that everything is connected via the honeycomb.”
Shaw says that in their work, architects bring considerable knowledge of lab operations. “Several people in our Boston office actually once practiced as bench scientists. The practice of hiring specialized lab consultants is a bit of an outdated model now because they focus on only the lab and not on the offices and other common collaborative spaces.
“The very best lab architects are really com-mitted to science. They contribute their designing expertise and knowledge to make labs work better and accelerate the discovery process,” says Shaw.
A recent climate science project by Shaw’s firm—the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine—is a solid example of how collaborative culture is built via
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design of the laboratory. Funded by the state of Maine, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the lab has three different wings, each based on the work the lab focuses on, and each wing is currently occupied by staff funded by one of the three organizations.
Shaw says, “The challenge was to take the three wings and ensure that the researchers functioned as a single unified scientific community.” Applying design theory to this challenge, Shaw says, “we created a linear commons, which is much more than just a hallway connecting the wings. It is really a presentation space, a meeting space—seminars are conducted there—and there are areas for whiteboarding and scientific discussions.”
He says, “It is really a linear room for collaboration between people in dif-ferent wings. We also introduced a lot of visual connectivity among people. Glass is becoming an important construction material in labs—it facilitates safety and, more importantly, communication and collaboration.
“Other innovations include placing stairs strategically and placing glass in the stairwells and increasing the opportunities for communication and collabora-tion—effectively flattening a multistory facility into a single research community.”
Shaw foresees increasing automation and the need for design and infrastruc-ture to accommodate new equipment. “Systems will be designed to be smaller to save energy, while accommodating more safety and other equipment,” he says.
Goldman believes that in the future there will be greater pursuit of ener-gy and cost savings. This will come from working with “fewer fume hoods, less space, and more creativity in the labs.” Accessibility will become more important—for example, for wheelchairs, he says.
Skolozdra says there’s definitely a desire now in lab design to explore the concept of collaboration. He sees the role of the architect in this process is to “come up with designs to help the culture of collaboration to flourish.”
Bernard Tulsi is a freelance writer based in Newark, Delaware. He may be contacted by email at [email protected] or by phone at 302-266-6420.
For Maine's Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, the floor plan was developed to improve the building’s organization and boost collaboration and interaction, an essential component of contemporary lab design. Daylighting plays a major role in the internal organization. (Courtesy Perkins+Will.)
16 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
I n a world obsessed with speed, it’s no surprise that HR profession-als feel the pressure to help new
hires quickly become fully produc-tive employees of an organization. “Rapid onboarding,” as it’s commonly called, is thought by many to be nec-essary because the faster recruits get acclimated to your system so they can do the job you’re paying them to do, the better. After all, time is money.
While I can’t argue with that logic, I believe there are other ways to achieve higher workforce efficiency and ROI. And to my way of thinking, focusing on smart talent supply chain management instead of speed may be a better solution, especially in the life science industry.
Of course, it’s easy to see why you’d want to go for a rapid rate of return with new hires. It’s estimated that it takes 20 to 26 weeks for new execu-tives and professionals to reach full levels of productivity, and eight weeks for clerical workers to do the same.
For any company involved in the tal-ent recruiting and acquisition pro-cess, that two-to- six-month time frame from “date of hire” to firing on all cylinders represents a lot of capi-tal invested up front to get talent de-livering on a daily basis. Six months is certainly a long time and a lot of salary to swallow while waiting—and hoping—to see what your prized re-cruit or recruits can really do.
And some companies may spend months or even years searching for the “perfect candidate” to fill a posi-tion. All that preliminary fishing and
courtship time spent looking for Mr. or Ms. Right is lost opportunity too.
And then what if it doesn’t work out after all that? What if, after six months on the job, that new employee decides your culture isn’t a good fit, or he or she somehow gets lured back to the last place of employment? Or what if you realize he or she really isn’t the answer you were looking for?
That’s a lot of what-ifs. And life sci-ence professionals know that all those potential pitfalls are compounded by industry realities and demands such as speed-to-market, compliance and reg-ulation issues, and the overall complex-ity of lab work, especially in the areas of biopharmaceuticals and biosimilars. In this day and age of moving targets and constant change, you have to be right, right now, if you want to succeed. When a new product is in development or has to be rolled out, you might need to recruit and hire significant numbers of people at a moment’s notice to get critical work done. And many of them have to be CLIA- and GMP-certified.
So what is the better way, from my point of view? I think pivoting toward a proactive strategic workforce planning (SWP) approach makes great sense.
At KellyOCG, we see the virtue and efficacy of smart talent supply chain management every day. With a huge number of qualified freelancers, alumni, and SWP talent on tap, it’s now possible for companies to call in a right-fit workforce who can swoop in exactly when needed for either the long or short term.
This kind of consultant-based work-force brings with them the skill sets, qualifications, and fresh thinking ev-ery employer wants but might take a long time to be able to find on its own. And given that the life sciences busi-ness is evolving constantly, having the ability to tailor your workforce’s expe-rience to the tasks at hand via strate-gic workforce planning makes a great deal of sense. So whether you need a strategic or a tactical focus for what’s ahead, you’ll have the ability to be flexible and efficient. That’s a win-win.
Years ago, I gave a speech at an out-sourcing conference, and I asked the au-dience, “Who makes your favorite ham-burger?” People named cheap places or expensive places, but nobody said, “I do.” And there’s a reason why—because everyone knows that there are compa-nies that make burgers for a living and do it quickly and perfectly every time. It doesn’t mean you can’t do it … but some things are best left to professionals.
As always, I hope you’ll challenge me with your thoughts. So shoot me a note at [email protected]. Hope to hear from you soon.
Mark Lanfear is a global practice lead-er for the life science vertical at Kelly Services, a leader in providing workforce consulting. He has operated clinical trials around the world for almost two decades. In addition, Mark is a featured speaker at many life science industry conferences and a writer for life science periodicals. He can be reached at [email protected] or 248-244-4361.
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18 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” – Niels Bohr
From the ancient prophets of the Bible to Nostradamus in the Middle Ages to modern day “psychics,” people have always had a natural curiosity about the future, and just about everyone has speculated as to what it will be like. However, even modest predictions that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time have a way of missing the mark—the one thing that we know for certain about the future is that it will bring change in unexpected ways. Past predictions by notable authorities, such as Time maga-zine’s 1960’s assertion that computerized shopping will be a flop because “Women like to get out of the house, like to handle the merchandise, like to be able to change their minds,” or Wall Street’s 1990’s assessment that Apple was irrelevant and doomed to failure, are typical examples of how far we can go astray. But not all predictions are wrong. A 1942 prediction for push-button phones and a 1954 prediction of a television that can hang on the wall were right on. So, what’s the difference? Why are some predictions accurate while others appear comical? The answer is in the process used to make the predictions. The best predictor of the future is extrapolation of the emerging trends that we are seeing today to imagine how they might evolve to change our lives in the future. This is not foolproof but it at least provides some basis to add credibility for our vision. Using this approach, we’ll look first at current trends and then imagine what they might mean for the laboratory of the future.
These are current trends that are already established in our society that are affecting labs today and are likely to have a bigger impact in the future:
• For the past few decades, instruments have been getting “smarter” so that work that once required the
knowledge and skills of a degreed scientist can now be done by a technician using the advanced features of modern instrumentation.
• Production plants are using on-line/at-line measure-ments to get more frequent data and to eliminate the logistics issues in getting timely samples to the lab.
• Instruments are being made smaller and more portable (such as the instruments used to investigate crime scenes on the television show CSI) so that they can be taken to the sample, rather than bringing the sample to the lab.
• Biotechnology R&D is finding ways to make every-thing from pharmaceuticals to fuels to chemicals to plastics out of biomass to replace the energy intensive industries of today.
• Big data (think Google and Facebook) and mathemat-ical modeling are changing the way that we do science to establish relationships and make decisions.
• Outsourcing of laboratory functions, or even of the entire laboratory, has become a common business practice for pharma and even for traditional chemical companies.
• Laboratories are now included in the development of new business strategies where they once were some-what isolated scientific entities whose only function was to provide test results.
• It is now possible to obtain scientific expertise or have lab work done remotely almost anywhere in the world with real-time collaboration.
• Social media has become pervasive in our society with billions of users, and has already affected the way that people interact with one another and the way that companies do business.
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WHAT TODAY’S LAB MANAGERS NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN MAKING PLANS FOR THE FUTURE by Shanya Kane
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Not only is the way that labs operate possibly changing, but the way that we do science may also be changing. The scien-tific method traces its origins back to Aristotle and has served as the model for scientific inquiry throughout modern times, giving rise to the science and technology that we enjoy today. It is interesting that innovation in electronics, derived by applying the scientific method, has led to the unlimited data storage and accessibility of information that might now be leading to a new paradigm in the way that we do science. The success of Google and the gene sequencing project in gather-ing information and knowledge, simply through correlations using massive amounts of unfiltered data, might point to the way that science is done in the future. Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired magazine, went so far as to comment “…the data deluge makes the scientific method obsolete.” Just a few years ago, this notion would not have been taken seriously, but successes in this area have mainstream science taking a second look. It is a fundamental challenge to the ordered, structured way that we have approached data such as with our relation-al databases. The new way is unstructured, unfiltered data dumped onto a server with powerful mathematical models to extract useful correlations. Your next LIMS might not have a database but rather a large random storage area that has a
gateway to the Internet for access to even more data—the powerful mathematical algorithms to extract useful information and translate it into knowledge may become the product differentiators.
The scientific instruments that are the heart of any lab are striking examples of the evolution of technol-ogy from room-size to tabletop, moving from degreed and technically trained operators to high school grads. We should expect instruments to continue to place more power in smaller packages with less need for human intervention. We see this trend in FT-IR spectroscopy, where the instruments from the 1960s that were large cabinets occupying most of a room and that required the expertise of a degreed chemist have evolved to the shoebox-sized desktop units of today that can be operated by a minimally trained technician. Going forward, instruments will be self-calibrating, able to detect and correct potential problems, and able to automatically configure themselves to provide the best quality of data and to minimize the possibility of human error. The analyst may be only minimally in-volved in obtaining a result, and the entire process may require minimal human intervention. Instruments of the future will surely incorporate more automation of sample preparation, with more interpretation of results and more operational diagnostic options than even the most advanced instruments of today.
The variety of proprietary software with different communication standards has been both a nuisance and productivity barrier for labs for decades. We might foresee that customer demand will drive the development of powerful generic software using industry standards that will be used on all instru-ments to simplify training needs for labs as well as to facilitate easy IT management. We are already seeing software evolve that offers more user help built into instruments, and this trend will almost certainly continue. As millennials populate the workforce, we anticipate software user interfaces that will transition from the PC style of the baby boomer generation to the Apple design of their successors.
Over the past decades, labs have changed from being numbers providers to problem solvers, from performing strictly technical functions to incorporating business functions, as they have become more integrated into the business. Scientists are now expected to solve problems for customers rather than just provide analytical results. Might this trend continue to a point where the scien-tists are no longer in the lab but actually reside in the
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customer department or business? With smart in-struments handling more of the analytical chores, there might be less need for the scientist’s exper-tise in the lab, so the analyst’s job might become less skilled with fewer numbers. And, with the growth of big data, much of the lab’s analytical function might be replaced by a virtual lab where mathematical algorithms examine vast amounts of process data, combined with more data residing on the Internet, to propose solutions to a problem without actually analyzing samples. Perhaps post-ing a statement of the problem and symptoms to the Internet will produce the most likely solutions without having to send a sample to the lab.
New method development may be near-ly completely automated in the future. The analyst may simply provide a smart system with the sample matrix and all of the analytes that they want to measure. The system then searches the entire Internet to find every piece of data related to those particular compounds and, using correlations, determines the opti-mum analytical technique and conditions. This information could be transmitted automatically to the correct instrument to set up the method, and the analyst need only present the sample to the instrument. The instrument then might not use traditional physical laws to generate the result but might use one of the correlation techniques, such as those already being used in near infrared spectroscopy.
So this brings us to the big question—what will the lab manager job look like in the future? With smaller labs, smart instruments, prob-lem solving moved to customer organizations, remote technical expertise, more automation, machine knowledge, and other possible in-novations, will there still be a need for a lab manager? Many of the current functions will likely need to be filled, but the manner in which they are addressed by the organization may be different. For example, the organization will likely need a technical voice, a safety leader, a regulatory compliance officer, a customer problem mediator, a lab staff director/devel-oper, a strategic objective link, and other roles commonly filled by some lab managers today. The question is, “Where and by whom will these roles be performed in the future?” The
management role in the future organization may not be part of the lab and may have only cursory ties to it but it will still be its voice and director. The role will likely be almost entirely a business function that supports integration of technology to generate profits and administer the ancillary functions necessary to accomplish this.
In conclusion, extrapolation of current trends was used to guess what the lab of the future might look like. However, the begin-ning of this article cautioned that some predictions that seemed perfectly reasonable at the time they were made turned out to be completely wrong. So how did they go wrong? The next big thing came along and changed everything! And that might happen in this case where something completely unexpected today, the proverbial “black swan,” comes along to shift our thinking to a new paradigm that leads to completely different outcomes than what has been conjectured in this article. In any event, the only thing that we can count on with absolute certainty is that there will be change and we will have to deal with it.
Shanya Kane, Vice President, Agilent Technologies, can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 302-636-1800.
This article is based on a presentation delivered at the 35th Annual Conference of the Association of Laboratory Managers (ALMA).
22 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
C onsiderable time and resources are invested in the laboratory design process—to select the best equipment, products, and software tools. But just
as important as lab design is the recruitment and retention of skilled employees. Onboarding is a critical step in the employee life cycle that has a major impact on the overall job satisfaction and retention of new hires. A structured onboarding process speeds up the learning curve and results in more engaged employees who will be productive faster. Lab managers, as the direct supervisors of technical personnel, play an essential role in the design and imple-mentation of onboarding programs to transition new hires safely and smoothly into their lab spaces.
What is the value of an onboarding program?A well-structured, formalized onboarding program is
proven to benefit both employees and their organizations with positive outcomes related to higher job satisfaction, performance, organizational commitment, and retention. In a lab environment, effective safety training during onboarding also is essential to reduce risks and injury. Talya N. Bauer, Cameron professor of management in the School of Business at Portland State University, explains, “According to survey research, organizations considered in the top 20 percent in terms of onboarding had 91 percent first-year retention and 62 percent of new employees reaching first-year goals compared with the bottom 30 percent of organizations, which reported only 30 percent retention and 17 percent goal comple-tion for the same time frame.”1
In a recent survey conducted by Brilliant Ink, a con-sulting firm that helps clients create meaningful expe-riences for their employees with the ultimate goal of driving business success, a strong correlation was found between onboarding and employee engagement.2 The 44
percent of employees who reported the lack of a formal, structured onboarding program during their first three months on the job were also more likely to be disen-gaged. Over the first three months, less engaged employ-ees also reported declining levels of excitement for their new job compared with when they first started. These first 90 days on the job are crucial for the long-term retention and overall productivity of new employees.
Liz Kelly, founder and CEO of Brilliant Ink, also mentions, “In our study, millennials were the most likely to request more structure and guidance during the onboarding process. About 50 percent or higher of all survey participants indicated it was important, regardless of age.” With an increasing workforce demographic of millennials (i.e., birth years of 1980 to 1999), business processes like onboarding must reflect the training pref-erences of these employees.
The structure of a successful onboarding programThe core activities of the onboarding program at
Intertek Allentown—a laboratory that provides ad-vanced materials, chemicals, gases characterization, and problem-solving expertise and services—typically start when the employee accepts the offer of employment and continue through the first 90 days of employment. However, it might be said that the onboarding actually starts during the recruiting process to ensure selection of new hires who fit the company’s culture and shared vision. According to Scott Hanton, general manager of Intertek Allentown, “We have worked really hard on our whole recruiting process—from identifying to hiring to training the right people—because we fundamentally believe the business is comprised of the people. If we have the right people doing the work, then we are going to be a successful business.”
leadership & staffing
ONBOARDINGGETTING NEW HIRES UP TO SPEED By Donna Kridelbaugh
leadership & staffing
In a recent Lab Manager webinar, Hanton out-lined the key features of the onboarding process at Intertek Allentown with four main focus areas: safety, ethics, quality, and lab-specific technical information.3 Other important foci for the onboard-ing process include employee integration into the company culture and knowledge of internal business processes. At a laboratory-based company, safety is the number-one priority for training a technical hire and the first area addressed in onboarding before an employee can enter the lab. Hanton explains, “In the onboarding of a new lab job, the first responsibility of a lab supervisor is to give the new employees enough information, not only so they can work safe-ly, but so they won’t harm their teammates.”
Onboarding consists of a series of organized activities with touchpoints along the way to maintain open communications and regularly evaluate the employee’s performance. The process is segmented into stages with pre-arrival, first-week, and first-month activities. Before the new employee arrives, a discussion is held between the manager and super-visor to outline clear expectations of what the new employee will do in his or her role. Further, the supervisor ensures that all necessary equipment (e.g., computer, identification badge) is ready in advance of the first day. The activities on the first day include lunch with the supervisor, a facility tour, required training, and introduction to business processes. In addition, every person is assigned a peer mentor who can be the go-to person if questions arise. During the rest of the first month, the goal is for the em-ployee to complete required training and become fully integrated into the company culture with significant contributions made in the lab.
Fundamental to Intertek Allentown’s onboarding is a 90-day probationary period that culminates in a formal evaluation to assess the new employee’s progress. This process also can be useful in discharg-ing employees who misrepresented their skills and knowledge during the interview process, although this rarely occurs at Intertek Allentown, as reflected by the high retention rates at the company. This is due in part to a continuous improvement of their onboarding program, based on incorporation of feedback from new employees and lessons learned shared by supervisors.
How to design an effective onboarding programThe development of a written plan is a key activity in
designing an effective onboarding process for new hires. To design the content and structure of this plan, Hanton suggests lab managers take a holistic approach and start by asking them-selves what a person needs to know to work in the lab space and what he or she should be contributing to the business in the first month. This brain dump, along with input from all stakeholders in the onboarding process, can be written down and then broken up into manageable packages of information.
Also, it is important to have realistic expectations of the amount of information that can be covered within a specific time frame. An onboarding checklist and web-based tracking tools can help organize the process and manage these expec-tations. Additionally, regular communications between the supervisor and new employee will help keep the process on track and ensure he or she is fully engaged in the process.
The overall types of activities for an onboarding program will vary by organizational culture but ideally will incorporate the princi-ples of the 4 C’s as defined by Bauer: clarity, confidence, connection, and culture.4 In addition, employee feedback can be used to improve
the onboarding experience to better align with the 4 C’s. Bauer explains, “If feedback from new employees is that they are confused about their role within the or-ganization, design activities to focus on clarity; if they are feeling lonely and having a hard time connecting to insiders, activities should be designed to alleviate that and enhance feelings of connection.”
It is important to keep in mind that the little things can make a big difference in the successful transition of an employee into a new position. Moving and switching jobs are major life stressors, so the more a company can do to help with this transition, the less stressed and better focused the employee will be in his or her new position. For example, a company might connect a new hire with a reliable realtor during the house-hunting process, or create a welcome manual that over-views pertinent information about living in the local community.
In designing an onboarding process, there also needs to be flexibility built into the system to adapt to individual employee needs. For example, Kelly advises managers to recognize that when it comes to onboarding, “not one size fits all.” She adds, “According to our survey findings, about half of all participants reported wanting to hit the ground running right away with a visible new project or assignment, while the other half preferred to take the first 90 days to become ac-climated and learn as much as possible. Knowing how your employees will best perform is incredi-bly valuable information in thinking about how to support them the most during this critical period.”
This flexibility is reflected in the onboarding process at Intertek Allentown, which is com-petency-based to allow new hires to accelerate through the program as quickly as they demon-strate knowledge in each area. Hanton shares the impressive story of a recent QC chemist who navigated through the onboarding process to interact with customers and generate revenue for the company within two weeks of employment: “We had a process that enabled her to be success-ful rapidly. We didn’t bury her under two months’ worth of expectations and prevent her from being a successful scientist in the lab.”
Major pitfalls in the onboarding process
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A major pitfall in the onboarding process, according to Hanton, is making assump-tions about the knowledge of the new hire: “Especially with well-educated new hires, we all make assumptions about what they know, especially if they have significant work expe-rience elsewhere. For example, just because you hire a PhD with ten years of work experi-ence doesn’t mean that they understand your lab safety protocols.” Thus, the onboarding process must be independent of such assump-tions and require all employees to go through the same basic training.
Other issues in the onboarding process involve not talking about specific job duties or not showing a clear path to career success. To circumvent these issues, Kelly advises that the onboarding process needs to be specific and relevant: “Having an onboarding program that addresses daily work needs was rated most valuable by our survey participants, but it also was extremely uncommon.” Employees value clear direction and having a vision of where their career may go with a company. Thus, onboarding could include discussions on career development opportunities to inspire new hires to strive for excellence.
Where to find resources about the onboarding process
When designing or updating an onboarding process, remember you don’t have to con-duct this process in isolation. You can consult outside agencies, gather onboarding checklists from peers at other companies, and seek train-ing from professional groups. For example, the Association of Laboratory Managers offers a course at its annual conference in the funda-mentals of lab management, which includes onboarding issues. Human resources asso-ciations (e.g., Society for Human Resources Management) also publish a wealth of free information on the topic.
While the design of an onboarding process will be unique to a company’s needs and priorities, there also are best practices and case studies to turn to for ideas. For exam-ple, Brilliant Ink has compiled a list of eight
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onboarding programs that actively promote employee engagement, including a rotational “boot camp” activity to cross-train employees in other departments and roles.5 Most important, seek input from every-one involved in the onboarding process—from lab technician to senior management—to ensure the design of a comprehensive program that will lead new hires down a guided path to success.
References1. Talya Bauer, Onboarding: The Critical Role of Hiring Managers. https://drive.
google.com/file/d/0Bx-CW4kNTDvYVkZTd0E2VzdTWlU/edit2. Brilliant Ink, Employee Experience Research Study. www.brilliantink.net/ee3. Scott Hanton, Lab Manager webinar. http://www.labmanager.com/webi-
nars/2015/03/webinar-recruiting-on-boarding-and-training-to-optimize-over-all-staff-capabilities#.VVKO7BeNDKA
4. Talya Bauer, Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success. http://www.shrm.org/about/foundation/products/pages/onboardingepg.aspx
5. Brilliant Ink, Eight Onboarding Programs We Love. http://brilliantink.net/Bril-liant-Ideas/Brilliant-Blog/Article/661/Eight-onboarding-programs-we-love#.VUetJ9pViko
Donna Kridelbaugh holds an advanced degree in microbiology and is a former lab manager. Connect with her on Twitter (@science_mentor) or her website at http://ScienceMentor.Me.
26 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
T he traditional image of a solitary researcher working in an isolated laboratory in pursuit of a scientific discovery is outdated. Today’s scientists
are more social than ever, driven by the imperative to collaborate in order to innovate.
The lab of the future promises to be both physical and virtual. Adjacent technologies such as augmented display, motion control, and automatic identification are sparking new strategies for scientific collaboration across disciplines, geographies, and organizations. These rapid-ly evolving tools are poised to play a key role in estab-lishing advanced social networking models designed to support the unique needs of laboratory professionals. As scientific social networking evolves, data and real-time activities will merge as collaborative partners see and experience laboratory events simultaneously, regardless of their geographic location.
Contemporary laboratory management technologies connect scientific innovation processes and information with other product lifecycle systems to facilitate collab-oration internally and across external research networks. This helps create enterprise-wide intelligence that accelerates product development, reduces cycle times for commercialization, and improves insight into process and product quality.
These solutions have vastly improved the productivity, performance, and predictability of scientific work in laboratories for life science organizations. And the best is yet to come as new concepts for applying emerging technologies pave the way for the lab of the future.
Evolution of the social networkOutside the lab, people use social networks to com-
municate, share experiences, and gather helpful infor-mation such as rankings and reviews about products and
services. But those public mechanisms are not a suitable option for scientific collaboration. The needs are similar, but they must be positioned in a different way. A vaca-tioner may upload a photo from a smartphone to a social network with a single click. But information can’t safely be shared that way in a laboratory setting.
Researchers in science-driven companies must make certain that their intellectual property (IP) is not com-promised during the collaboration process. Accordingly, a laboratory collaboration platform must provide basic security. In addition, it must ensure that conversations, ac-tions, measurements, test results, and accompanying meta-data are preserved as part of the experimental record.
Established models for social networking can help us envision a secure platform for scientific collaboration. A new vocabulary and process, designed for the unique re-quirements of scientific experimentation, would enable partners to substantiate data, processes, and outcomes similar to “liking” and “ranking” on conventional social networking platforms. And that’s just the beginning of what is waiting on the horizon.
Establishing the proper foundation Adjacent technologies offer potential for deep, multi-
dimensional collaboration methods that yield rich data with virtually no interruption of workflow. Such a col-laboration platform must be based on a foundation that ensures data security, IP protection, and standardization. Standard processes are critical for establishing efficient lab environments, fostering communication among teams, and facilitating externalization for various parts of the development and manufacturing process.
Creating standardized processes, methodologies, and data sets can help organizations move forward by pro-viding a consistent and secure way for people in separate
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THE FUTURE PROMISES A PARADIGM SHIFT IN SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION By Gene Tetreault
SOCIAL SCIENCE
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domains to communicate with each other. Standardized processes also help professionals across the enterprise understand prior activities by preserving the context associated with the data via process metadata. A better understanding of data yields knowledge that can be shared internally and with partners.
These best practices need to be applied consistent-ly across the product lifecycle continuum, from initial research to commercialized products. Doing so will create a foundational platform for supporting emerging adjacent technologies that have the potential to spawn new paradigms for scientific collaboration.
What’s new?Ranking is a valuable feature of conventional social net-
working platforms that could be applied to the scientific social network. Similar to ranking hotels or restaurants on a scale from one to five stars, scientists would rate labora-tory analytical techniques or lab equipment. Hotel ratings on social networks are based on parameters such as the
quality of the beds, cleanliness, service, and whether the facility has a swimming pool. An analytical method could be ranked based on parameters like reproducibility, ease of use, inventory usage, material usage, and target results.
A lab worker could make a determination about whether to run a certain test or use a piece of equipment by consulting the rankings for that technique or equip-ment on the social network. If a scientist requisitions a new device, he or she could see how peers are using that device. Sharing this type of socially enriched metadata via a secure platform could speed innovation and improve productivity in tomorrow’s laboratory environments.
Sharing ideas using contemporary methods such as tex-ting, chat rooms, ratings, and discussion forums promises to enrich scientific collaboration. When adjacent technol-ogies are applied to the laboratory, social interaction may become even more valuable, deep, and intuitive.
Imagine a laboratory where everything and everyone had a unique identification that could be automatically read by the information system. Automatic identification
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of people, equipment, and materials integrated with motion control tech-nology would enable information systems to sense hand motions and record what is performed without lab personnel needing to enter data.
If lab benches had video teleconferencing capabilities, geographically dispersed teams of scientists could work together as if they were in the same room. Augmented reality (AR) glasses could enhance teleconferencing by providing detailed information about anything scientists looked at while guiding them through the steps in a process without interrupting the work-flow. Partners anywhere in the world could see everything the scientist sees along with the accompanying metadata.
The technologies to support such a lab all exist today and are not expen-sive. In the lab of the future, a foundational platform based on data security, IP protection, and standardization will work in harmony with these rapidly advancing physical devices. Let’s take a closer look at some of the adjacent technologies that could make this advanced collaboration platform possible.
Identification mechanismsBiorhythmic bracelets show great potential as a way to automatically
identify people in a lab. A biorhythmic bracelet that is Bluetooth-enabled and has proximity capability can identify a person by his or her unique bio-rhythmic pattern, determine where a person is in the lab, and automatically communicate that information with the system and with partners via the scientific social network.
The way materials and equipment are identified continues to evolve. Quick-response (QR) codes improve readability and storage capacity over standard UPC bar codes. Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags en-able systems to automatically identify objects and their location. Near-field communication (NFC) technology enables devices to communicate with each other.
Integrating these identification mechanisms with laboratory management sys-tems could automate and streamline lab activities. If someone stands in front of a bench and begins weighing material on a balance, the system will know who is performing the operation, identify the materials involved, confirm that the per-son has the appropriate level of training and clearance, and record the outcome. All of that information can be shared with authorized partners.
Motion controlUsing identification technologies in conjunction with a motion control
system would be especially valuable. Motion-sensing input devices gained popularity in the consumer world by enabling people to interact with video games by using physical gestures. Early motion controllers utilized gy-roscopes to detect gestures. This technology has continued to evolve and become more advanced. Recent models have servo-based video-sensing capabilities that can identify individual users by their facial features and other physical characteristics. They can also detect minute actions, such as the movement of a fingertip.
Motion controllers can be trained to understand what lab personnel are doing. Just as with motion-controlled gaming, the system can recognize spe-cific motions and gestures. When a technician weighs a sample, the system
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29July 2015 Lab Manager
would recognize the action, automatically record the results, and share them with collaborators via the social network. These automated activities would allow scientists to collaborate intuitively, without adding extra thought to the process or interrupting the workflow.
Augmented displayAugmented reality (AR) supplements a person’s view of a physical envi-
ronment, with additional information supplied by computer-generated in-put. AR technology can be integrated into a head-mounted display, eyeglass-es, safety goggles, or contact lenses. When wearing an augmented display, a scientist can simply look at a piece of equipment or a vial of material to instantly obtain information about it. Partners on the social network would simultaneously see what the scientist sees.
When AR technology is integrated with automatic identification and motion control, it could intelligently guide scientists through the steps in a process by displaying red or green lights that tell users when their actions are correct. A lab technician can tell the AR device to record video and verbal descriptions of work as it is performed. The system will automati-cally store all of this information in an electronic lab notebook and share it with the secure social network. Partners around the world can see what the technician sees via the augmented display.
Make it soNew models for social collaboration in the laboratory have the potential
to help companies derive more value from their data, eliminate inefficien-cies, attain a more complete understanding of their processes, and drive innovation as peers connect in the moment.
The physical devices that will enable this heightened level of interactivity are progressing rapidly, enabling futuristic lab capabilities. However, auto-matic identification mechanisms, motion control systems, augmented reality, and real-time video conferencing will only be useful if they are integrated with a platform that is based on a secure foundation.
Information systems must have a standardized way to identify, connect, and communicate with people, instruments, and materials. The foundation provides common administrative capabilities for resources, workflows, data, recipes, and methods. It also ensures data security, IP protection, and the preservation of context associated with data via process metadata.
Establishing a baseline foundation of standardized processes will enable science-driven companies to apply emerging adjacent technologies to shift the paradigm for how scientists work together. These capabilities exist today. As companies invest in technology, they should look for solutions that sup-port emerging models for scientific social networking.
Gene Tetreault is senior director of products and marketing for the Enterprise Laboratory Management Portfolio at Dassault Systèmes BIOVIA. He can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (508) 625-3344.
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30 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
health & safety
THE SAFE USE AND HANDLING OF CRYOGENIC MATERIALS by Vince McLeod
UNDER PRESSUREAlthough we love ZZ Top, this article will not delve
into the iconic rock band; rather, it will discuss the safe handling of cryogenic materials. Cryogenic
materials are used in a vast majority of laboratories, especial-ly wet labs. On a daily basis at the University of Florida, we receive shipments packed with dry ice, preserve samples with liquid nitrogen, remove impurities with cold traps or baths, and keep our equipment cooled with controlled internal en-vironments. As with most things in the lab, all of these can be done safely if we recognize the hazards and work diligently to control them. If we become cavalier or lax, things can go very wrong. Unfortunately, there are documented cases where incidents with cryogens have resulted in serious injury and death. Some examples are:
Chemical leakA laboratory assistant died and four other people were
injured in a chemical leak at a hospital in Edinburgh. The assistant died after liquid nitrogen spilled in a basement storage room.1
Cryotube explosionA university investigator was blinded in one eye when a
cryotube exploded while being thawed. The probable cause was the rapid expansion of liquid nitrogen that had entered the tube through a small crack during storage. Suitable personal protective equipment for thawing cryotubes and handling cryogenic liquids consists of a face shield, heavy gloves, a buttoned lab coat, and pants or a long skirt. Cryo-tubes should be kept in a heavy, walled container or behind a safety shield while warming.2
N2 explosionA researcher at a university reported that a vial of poten-
tially infectious materials “exploded” when she removed it from liquid nitrogen. As you may have guessed, the “explo-sion” occurred when the liquid N2 leaked into a vial and expanded when removed from the cold. This used to be a fairly common problem with heat-sealed glass ampules, because it was difficult to obtain perfectly fused glass with no microscopic holes.2
As we examine the literature, there are differing opinions about when a substance be-comes a cryogenic material. For our discussion we will consider materials with boiling points below –75°C as cryogenic (so as to include dry ice).3
Cryogens are similar to other broad classes of chemicals because we can divide the
concerns into physiological hazards and physical hazards. As with other hazardous chemicals in the lab, it should go without saying that the safety data sheet should be read and understood, and standard operating procedures should be developed and included in your chemical hygiene plan.
PHYSIOLOGICAL HAZARDSWithin the physiological hazards category, we group the
hazards into two main divisions: those that damage tissue from direct contact and those that can cause asphyxiation.
Direct contactThose of us who are old enough and spent a lot of time
in the sun in our youth are all too familiar with the effects of liquid nitrogen from our visits to the dermatologist.
“There are documented cases where incidents with cryogens
have resulted in serious injury and death.”
health & safety
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vaporized. This raises the concern of oxygen displace-ment. Normal air contains 19.5 percent oxygen by volume. One can begin to feel the effects of oxygen deficiency at about 18 percent, and sudden death may occur at about 6 percent. A leak or vessel breakage can result in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere rather quickly, especially in a small room with poor ventilation (e.g., an elevator or cold room). For example, an excerpt from an investigation reported by the American Industrial Hygiene Association stated, “Recently on the campus, a walk-in refrigerator was used to store dry ice. The dry ice was stored in a standard dry ice storage locker but the locker had been placed in the cold box to further reduce the rate of dry ice loss. The dry ice, of course, gave off carbon dioxide (CO2) gas as it sublimed, causing the refrigerator to build up CO2 levels of 12,000 parts per million (ppm)! In comparison, out-door air contains only about 400 ppm CO2, and OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit for CO2 is 5,000 ppm.”3 We highly recommend developing specific procedures for storage and transport of all cryogens.
PHYSICAL HAZARDSWithin the physical hazards category, we can group
the hazards into those that have an explosion risk from pressure buildup and those that have an explosion risk from chemical reactions.
Explosion — PressureAs we mentioned above, the gas volume generated from
the vaporization of the liquid phase is very large (e.g., liquid nitrogen expands almost 700 times when vapor-ized). If this phase change occurs in a vessel unable to contain the pressures exerted, it can fail dramatically. It is not uncommon to hear of lab-made cryotubes exploding when removed from storage. The liquid nitrogen can get into a cryotube through imperfect sealing and expands upon thawing while converting to the gas phase. Use tubes specifically designed for cryogenic storage and place them in a heavy-walled container or behind a safety shield while thawing. The tubes are also designed to be in the gas phase and not submerged in the liquid nitrogen in the storage Dewar. Overfilling a Dewar can cause sample tubes to be stored in the liquid phase, thus allowing liquid nitrogen to enter the tube.
Explosion — ChemicalCryogenic fluids, such as nitrogen, with a boiling point
below that of liquid oxygen are able to condense and accumulate oxygen from the atmosphere. Violent re-
The quick, controlled spray of liquid nitrogen freezes and kills tissue in pretty short order. The same effect is true from accidental splashes or contact with these very cold materials. Therefore, the first rule is: Protect your skin and eyes.
Always wear safety glasses whenever you are near a cryo-genic liquid or working with samples recently removed from cryogenic temperatures. In addition, also wear a full-face shield if a cryogenic liquid is being poured or if an open container of the cryogen may boil and splatter. To reduce the amount of splatter when transferring cryogenic liquids from one container to another, always start slowly and allow the vaporization to chill the receiving container before filling it. After the vaporiza-tion and liquid boiling have decreased, fill the container at the normal rate. 2
Cryogenic materials flow freely as do other liquids and as a result can splash and spill. It is important to wear liquid-resis-tant gloves to prevent splashed liquid from being absorbed and freezing the skin.
AsphyxiationCryogenic liquids contain a tremendous amount of potential
gas volume. One unit volume of liquid nitrogen, for example, will expand to produce almost 700 unit volumes of gas when
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actions, for example rapid combustion or explosion, may occur if incompatible materials, such as most common organic compounds, come in contact with the oxygen. This might occur in an uncovered nitrogen trap used to condense out low boiling point liquids or an open Dewar flask. This is why it’s important to keep Dewar flasks covered with a loose-fitting cap. This prevents air and moisture from enter-ing the container yet allows pressure to escape.
Here we have just scratched the surface on the hazards and controls associated with cryogens. Familiarity of these materials in the lab can lead to complacency, but these hazards can result in serious injury if not con-trolled. Anyone who handles or uses cryogenic liquids must have adequate knowledge of the particular mate-rial’s properties and the safe handling practices.4 Specific understanding should include:• properties of the cryogen as a liquid, solid, or gas• materials compatible for use with that cryogen (e.g.,
must be compatible with the temperatures and pres-sures of the material)
• protective equipment required and its proper use• understanding of the equipment being used, including its
safety devices• emergency procedures, including first aid and treatment
References:1. Inquiry after man dies in chemical leak. BBC Online News, Monday,
October 25, 1999. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/484813.stm
2. Lab Safety Cryogen Incidents. American Industrial Hygiene Association — Laboratory Health and Safety Committee. 2015. https://www.aiha.org/get-involved/VolunteerGroups/LabHSCommittee/Inci-dent percent20Pages/Lab-Safety-Cryogens-Incidents.aspx
3. Prudent Practice in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals. National Academies Press, National Resource Council, Washington, D.C.1995. http://www.nap.edu/catalog/4911/prudent-practic-es-in-the-laboratory-handling-and-disposal-of-chemicals
4. How Do I Work Safely with Cryogenic Liquids? Canadian Centre for Oc-cupational Health and Safety. Hamilton, ON, Canada. 2015. http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/cryogens.html
Vince McLeod is the founder and senior member of the Safety Guys, and an industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene. He currently serves as the senior industrial hygienist in the University of Florida’s Environmental Health & Safety Division. He has 27 years of occupational health and safety experience at the University of Florida, and he specializes in con-ducting exposure assessments and health hazard evaluations for the university’s 3,000-plus research laboratories.
34 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
Q: What kind of chromatography do you use? What is it used for?A: We employ from low, medium, to high pressure chromatography systems. We have the new Bio-Rad NGC FPLC and other HPLC systems in the lab. We need a variety of chromatography methods and columns to purify differ-ent types of proteins or biomolecules depending on their unique biochemical or biophysical properties. We employ a variety of purification strategies, using affinity, ion exchange, size exclusion, and reverse phase chromatography. And, especially for intrinsically dis-ordered proteins, we have to rely on denaturing methods where we totally unfold the proteins, because many of these IDPs are mostly insoluble when they’re over-expressed in E.coli.
Q: What is the first thing you tend to look at when something goes wrong with your chromatography systems? How do you progress from there?A: First, I try to isolate the problem. With the NGC, the system is separat-ed into different modules. Usually the pumps, the detectors, and the different components each have a sensor and a reading, so first it’s important to look at the manufacturer’s manual for the spe-cific error codes. If the problem occurs
during the chromatographic run, I look at the pressure. It’s the best gauge of what’s wrong with the system. We watch the baseline pressure with or without the columns and it’s also a good thing to keep a log of the pressures. We have a logbook of particular columns and how much pressure each one is going to hold, etc. With the NGC right now, they have already put a lot of the custom
columns from different companies into the system, not just Bio-Rad, but also GE, ÄKTA, etc. They have the precise pressure limits, so it’s more custom-ized and less error-prone when you’re running them. We also check the flow rates. So if the pumps are saying 5 mls per minute, the flow rate should be 5 mls per minute, and if it’s not, you have to check each section for clogs and leaks in the tubing and the connections. If the pressure is high, there might be clogs, like salt in the lines and in the connec-tions or some air bubbles in the system. If there are air bubbles, then you need to purge the lines.
Q: How can you prevent such issues?A: For maintenance, the pump seals and buffer or column filters or frits might need to be cleaned or changed. It’s important to do regular mainte-nance—you especially don’t want to leave the lines full of salts. We typically do regular maintenance—daily, weekly, and monthly. For example, after the runs of the day, we make sure that we wash the whole system with degassed filtered water or you can also put 0.01% azide with the water to prevent bacterial growth or 20 percent ethanol. We also do weekly or monthly cleaning of the lines with 0.01 to 1N NaOH or organic solvents. It’s also important to clean the columns, which can be done by reverse flow or manually turning the column upside down. A lot of times, there is a lot of gunk stuck on top of the col-umns, so you want to reverse them and then remove that gunk.
Q: What are the most common problems you run into with your systems?A: Right now, it’s related to the run—pressure fluctuations, so high or low pressure that’s caused by air bubbles, clogs, or salts. It’s just about really knowing your system, really knowing the baseline pressure, with and without the columns, and making sure that there
ask the expert
Josephine Ferreon is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Her structural biology group characterizes various intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), important in stem cell biology and neurodegenerative diseases, using standard and state-of-the-art biochemical/biophysical techniques such as NMR and single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. IDPs are proteins lacking globular structure and defy the classic protein structure-function paradigm, but in recent years, have been found to be integral in cellular regulatory pathways and protein interaction networks. Facilitating biophysical characterization of these proteins entails high purity of samples and the use of various chromatographic strategies.
ASK THE EXPERTTROUBLESHOOTING CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEMS by Rachel Muenz
Josephine Ferreon
“If the problem occurs during the chromatographic run, I look at the pressure.”
is no air in the system. If, for example, you suspect that it’s the column that’s clogged, then you remove the column or try a different column and see if the pressure goes back to normal. Then you know that it’s the column and you’ll have to clean it. If it’s a problem with the system itself then there might be leaks in the tubing or connections, or there are bubbles in the system.
Q: How has troubleshooting chromatography systems changed for you over the past few years? A: Troubleshooting has definitely gotten easier due to advancements in technolo-gy and better software. For example, it’s now easier to see pressure readings in the software interface on the computer and it will report both pre-column pres-sure and the pressure change across the column. Before, you had to speculate and you only knew the pressure in the pump. You had to remove the column and do all sorts of things. Now you can see [right in the software] that it’s a problem with the column. Also, in the new FPLC systems, there are now air sensors so you can easily detect air in the system, and if the system detects air, the flow stops so it won’t introduce any air into the columns. The software is also much more informative, particularly with the new NGC. It tells you if there are issues in your system such as overpressure. You set pressure at a certain limit and if it goes above that limit, the system will automatically stop so you don’t ruin your column. You can also directly see
the fluidics scheme in the software. If you push a particular button, you can directly see the effect on the fluidics in the interface and where the fluid is going. Another thing is you can bypass the col-umns without manually taking them out to know the pressures with and without columns. There’s the reverse flow tech-nology, where you can reverse the flow in the column without manually inverting
the column. So, with a touch of a button, you can easily clean your columns. The chromatographic systems have also got-ten better at preventing issues.
Q: What resources for troubleshooting chromatography systems have you found to be the most useful?A: First, I always go to the manufac-turer’s troubleshooting guide, the error codes and so forth. But I also use the Web. There’s a lot of expertise out there, blogs and forums on how people deal with the different problems. You just have to find the solutions out there and try them to find what works for you.
Q: For lab professionals who are still learning or becoming familiar with chromatography systems, what are the most important things they should focus on when troubleshooting?A: You really need to take the time to get to know your system. Especially now, when there’s a lot of ports, a lot of
options for the way the fluid goes, they have to be really familiar with the fluidic scheme of the system, where the lines and fluid go, where your sample goes in, and so on. They have to know when they do one thing [in one part of the system], what happens to the other parts. The best things to focus on are the flow rate and the pressure. Make sure that the flow rate is the one you observe in the outlet and if it’s not, there are some leaks or clogs somewhere in the system. You have to really watch what the baseline pressure is without the columns.
Q: Did you have anything else you wanted to add?A: To avoid troubleshooting, the best way to prevent problems is regular main-tenance. It’s very important, along with keeping a log of changes in the pressure, and column uses. Regular cleaning of columns, using reverse flow, denatur-ants to dissolve insoluble proteins, and organic solvents, though with those you have to check the manufacturer’s manual for particular columns on their chemical compatibility and cleaning suggestions. Salts are especially nasty to the pumps and lines because they dry and harden and then clog up the system. It’s really important to flush your system with water after the run. Make sure that you filter your samples and degas and filter the buffers so there are no particulates. If you do all of this, you prolong your regular changing of the filters and you can extend the life of your columns and the life of the machine.
Rachel Muenz, associate editor for Lab Manager, can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at 888-781-0328 x233.
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M any factors in materials impact foods and beverages. These range from safety issues, such as microbiological contamination, to texture is-
sues, such as the smoothness of peanut butter. If a health agency or customer raises an issue, a food or beverage manufacturer needs to find the source of the trouble and resolve the problem. In many cases, that requires charac-terizing the material, be it food, beverage, or packaging. The range of raw materials, final products, and containers that can be involved requires the application of various technologies and techniques.Furthermore, this industry has more concerns than just
contamination. For example, a food manufacturer might suspect that a competitor is using its patented recipes, and material characterization might prove this. On the other hand, a manufacturer might just want a product analyzed to find a better way to make it.All of these applications raise challenges. “Probably the
key challenge is measuring structures without breaking down their three-dimensional nature,” says Rich Hartel, professor of food engineering at the University of Wis-consin, Madison. “For example, how do you analyze and quantify the structure of whipped toppings or frozen desserts without destroying that structure?” He points out that clusters of fat globules help whipped toppings stand up to gravity, but he adds, “How those structures actually come together to provide that yield stress is difficult to characterize.”
MICROSCOPIC METHODSMcCrone Associates—the analysis arm of the Illi-
nois-based McCrone Group—uses primarily microscopy to investigate contamination in food. This includes the use of light and electron microscopy. Kate Martin, a se-nior research chemist for McCrone Associates, says, “In the food and beverage industry, contaminants are among the many challenges, and they include microbiological organisms, heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides.” She
adds, “We focus on particulate analysis, as well as other problems that can be addressed using microscopic meth-ods, but are also beginning to explore food adulterants.”Problems can be found in the food or its container.
As Martin points out, “We have done lots of work on packaging, looking at flaws, and that fits nicely with our microscopy skills.”
The problem and material determine the best approach. For instance, a scientist can use a stereomicroscope and a tungsten needle to isolate specific parts of a sample. Or a sample can be sliced—like sectioning a biological sam-ple—and then observed under a light microscope or elec-tron microscope at higher resolution to examine structure and morphology that may affect, say, textural characteris-tics. If a gritty texture is a problem, identifying the cause can be simpler than expected. As Martin mentions, “It’s common for grit to come from an overbaked product. So maybe something is just off in an oven.”
NATURE’S TWISTSAlthough many of today’s consumers seek out foods
composed of natural products, these create challeng-es for characterizing the material. “There has been an increased use of natural products over the years,” says Martin, “and they are extremely complex.” Moreover, natural products vary depending on the country or re-gion of origin. “The same natural product can even vary between central and northern California,” Martin says. “Consequently, manufacturers face problems in setting specifications in a meaningful way.”
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38 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
insights on material characterization
To decide if a natural product is defective or even dangerous, an analytical lab must first determine its vari-ability. That range must be assessed to provide a standard against which samples can be tested. Still, Martin says, “It’s a challenge to understand what is out of specification.”Other experts agree. Shri Thanedar is CEO at the
Michigan-based analytical laboratory Avomeen, which specializes in the chemical analysis of foods, beverages, and other samples. He says, “A lot of natural ingredients are not well-defined chemically. They can be mixtures of 50, 100, 500 chemicals.” He adds, “Analyzing a ma-terial with a single organic molecule is a lot easier than analyzing a natural product that is a blended mixture.”
WE ALL SCREAMYes, we do all—or most of us, anyway—scream for ice
cream, and we’d sure scream about it if something went wrong with the product. That happens more often than you might think, because “ice cream is a really complex and delicate product,” says Kirsten Schimoler, who is technically a principal food scientist at Vermont-based Ben & Jerry’s, but also is known as one of its “Flavor Gurus.” She adds, “Ice cream is a four-phase solution, an emulsion.” The phases are air, ice, fat, and matrix, which is sucrose, lactose, stabilizers, and so on. “The control of these four phases creates a microstructure, and it is that microstructure that gives you the final texture of the ice cream you eat,” Schimoler explains.
Ice cream depends on the right balance of those phases, as well as a variety of manufacturing variables, including homogenization pressure, freezing time, temperatures, and more. “The levels of fat and air and the ice content will all impact how the product ‘eats,’” Schimoler tells us. “Is it smooth and creamy? Is it cool and icy? Is it dense or light and fluffy?” Adjusting the formulation and pro-cessing controls these qualities. For example, Schimoler points out that “the pressure which is used to homoge-nize the ice cream mix, and the size of the fat droplets in the product, will impact the final texture.” She adds, “The way you freeze a product will also impact the tex-ture. The faster you can freeze the product, the smaller the ice crystals and the smoother the eat.”As with many foods, an ice cream maker must worry
about many things after manufacturing, especially how the product travels from a factory to a consumer. In par-ticular, the quality of ice cream varies with the storage temperature. “If stored at too high of a temperature, the stability of the emulsion is compromised and the mi-crostructure will degrade,” Schimoler explains. “This is when you see ice crystals grow, giving an icy texture.”To keep ice cream lovers happy around the world, Schi-
moler and others rely on a variety of tools, and they love an old favorite among scientists. As Schimoler goes on, she says, “Microscopy is an awesome tool when applied to ice cream.” She continues, “You can get down to the micron level and look at the microstructure of a prod-uct, seeing how the fat and air interface, and the size of ice crystals and any lactose crystals.” That information helps Schimoler learn about a product’s stability over time, and adjust the formulation to improve it.And Schimoler and her colleagues work and work
to make the best ice cream they can. With so much at stake—it’s the favorite dessert in many polls—lots of details in the ice cream business must stay secret. Still, Schimoler will say, “I am working on some really cool, top-secret formulas, but on one of them I created about 45 different recipes for a mix before I finally got the per-fect balance of ingredients and processing.” She won’t say more, for now.
SEEKING SENSITIVITYTo get the most from material characterization, com-
panies continually seek new tools for analysis. “More and more,” says Kate Martin of McCrone Associates, “this means using mass spectrometry (MS).” Part of this technology’s value comes from its various forms, such as
Kate Martin uses Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), a nondestructive characterization method, to analyze a material suspected to be a contaminant in a food sample. (Image courtesy of McCrone Associates.)
39July 2015 Lab Manager
triple-quadrupole MS. In some cases, though, MS can be almost too sensitive. “It picks up everything,” Martin explains, “including additives to the plastic bag that the sample was in.”
The techniques must be sensitive, because it doesn’t take much to upset the balance in a food product. “A small amount of material, like parts per billion or trillion, can cause an odor,” Shri Thanedar of Avomeen explains. Re-cently, his company faced such a challenge when a client brought in its frozen hash browns that suddenly acquired a bleach-like odor. Thanedar says, “We did a comparative analysis of good hash browns and ones with the odor, and we found very small differences.” Like detectives, Thane-dar and his colleagues explored the manufacturing process for these hash browns, and they found that the food com-pany had recently changed the supplier of a chemical that is used to minimize foam in the manufacturing process, and this caused the problem. As Thanedar explains, “This material had stayed with the product.” The issue at hand usually determines the best analytical
approach. If the suspected problem comes from heavy met-als, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry could be used. For an odor, gas chromatography could be the best tool. Other issues might require high-performance liquid chromatography or near-infrared spectroscopy.In analyzing the product, most techniques damage or
even destroy it. As Rich Hartel of the University of Wis-consin, Madison says, “Normal microscope methods—po-larized light, fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, et cetera—require
extensive sample preparation, which generally destroys the structures and introduces artifacts.” He points out that “confocal scanning laser microscopy is an alternative but is also somewhat limited by the density of many food structures.” Hartel uses these tools to study ice cream, toppings,
and confections. He says that his team’s primary tools are “optical microscope techniques and light scatter-ing methods for particle size quantification.” They use confocal scanning laser microscopy where they can to examine a product’s three-dimensional structure. To sidestep the problems of destroying the sample,
food scientists might use magnetic resonance imaging, but Hartel mentions challenges with getting enough res-olution. In the future, he expects to see more use of to-mography in this area. As he mentions, “We have begun to collaborate with other researchers to use tomography to image complex three-dimensional structures of foods like ice cream.”Even with all these technologies, it’s simple, effective
communication that matters most when solving a food and beverage problem. The manufacturer understands the product and how it was made, and the analytical company knows the most about the potential tools for testing. As Martin says, “We depend on communica-tion—back and forth—to build an answer.”In fact, the communication that goes on behind mate-
rial characterization in the food and beverage industry extends even farther. It often starts when a customer points out a problem with a product. That information gets back to the company, and the detective work starts with company scientists and probably outside analytical experts. These teams work together to find and fix the problem, and everyone—from the consumer and creator to the food scientists and process engineers—makes a crucial contribution to the process.It’s a complicated food world out there. Most of us
tearing open a package marked “all natural” would never guess that this makes a food detective’s life more com-plicated rather than less. We’d never imagine all of the work going on at Ben & Jerry’s to ensure the very best ice cream. But without these efforts, just think how our lives would change. The ongoing, high-tech work in this field aims to feed people safely around the world. Few things matter as much as that.
Mike May is a freelance writer and editor living in Ohio. You may reach him at [email protected].
insights on material characterization
Shri Thanedar and his colleagues at Avomeen chemically analyze foods, beverages, and other samples.
40 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
product focus | ICP-MS for homeland security
by Mike May, PhD
The United States government—nearly 14 years after September 11, 2001—continues to invest heavily in homeland
security. In fact, the president’s 2015 budget calls for US$38.2 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, and that equals more than 20 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). To keep ahead of and be able to manage security threats, governments require increasingly advanced methods for surveillance and testing. One of those is inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
With ICP-MS, an ICP ionizes the sample, which is then analyzed with MS. This technology can detect some elements at concentrations as low as parts per quadrillion. Moreover, this approach can be used in many applications of homeland security. Sayuri Otaki, ICP-MS marketing manager at Agilent Technologies (Tokyo, Japan), says that the key applications in homeland security involve toxic elements—metals and nonmetals—in air and water. Otaki says, “Examples would include toxic metal-based compounds, such as methyl mercury and inorganic arsenic in water.” She adds, “Other examples would include organophosphorus compounds, such as pesticides and nerve agents—chemical weapons—in air or water.” ICP-MS can also reveal the addition of toxic metals in foods.
The breadth of applications also makes this technology useful for a broad range of users. In particular, federal agencies around the world could use ICP-MS. In the United States these agencies include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and the
Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, many state and local government agencies can use this technology.
Advances in analysis
When asked about recent advances in ICP-MS, Otaki says that a key one is “higher sensitivity to enable ultra-trace detection of toxic elements with minimum sample preparation or pre-concentration.” While single-quadrupole MS has been improving basic performance, triple-quadrupole MS provides far higher sensitivity by using the unique MS/MS reaction cell technology. It also allows detection of difficult-to-detect elements—such as arsenic, phosphorus, and sulfur—at a level that single-quadrupole MS cannot achieve. For instance, Otaki says that using triple-quadrupole MS enables the detection of arsenic “in the presence of common environmental matrices, including chlorides.”
If researchers add gas chromatography and then use ICP-MS with triple-quadrupole MS, even more can be detected. Here, says Otaki, this analysis can provide exquisite detection levels of organophosphorus and organo-sulfur chemical warfare agents in food, soil, water, and air samples.
Improving the detection—as with many forms of analysis—depends on reducing interference from unwanted material. With ICP-MS, a collision cell removes interfering ions. Iouri Kalinitchenko, R&D manager for ICP-MS at Analytik Jena, points out that traditional collision cells are placed after the deflecting ion optics, and his company’s patented integrated Collision Reaction Cell (iCRC) comes in front of those optics. He says this cell “uses ion kinetic energy discrimination to move away unwanted polyatomic interferences from entering the mass analyzer.” He adds, “This helps in obtaining the correct result every time in even the most challenging matrix samples.”
TRACKING DANGER PRECISELY AND AT MINISCULE LEVELS
ICP-M
S FO
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“Federal agencies around the world could use ICP-MS.”
41July 2015 Lab Manager
Arsenic as a weapon
All threats from terrorism do not need to be biological or even modern concoctions. For example, the CDC points out that arsenic can be used as a weapon. Exposure to this element can cause cancer and high doses can be deadly. The outcome depends on the degree of exposure and the type of arsenic, which comes in inorganic and organic forms. According to Kalinitchenko, organic arsenic is “about 500 times less harmful compared to” inorganic arsenic.
ICP-MS can discriminate between the types of arsenic. For instance, Kalinitchenko provided a readout from high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with Analytik Jena ICP-MS applied to a solution that contained five forms of arsenic at concentrations of 1 microgram per liter. The resulting peaks clearly distinguished the various forms of arsenic, including inorganic and organic ones.
The arsenic can also be measured from various solutions. As an example, Kalinitchenko showed data from apple juice. Using HPLC-ICP-MS, the technology clearly revealed the kinds of arsenic, even at concentrations of a few parts per trillion. Such techniques could be used to test foods and compare typical levels of arsenic to establish a baseline for tainted or poisoned products.
Human exposure to arsenic could also be tested with ICP-MS. For example, normal levels of arsenic in urine could be compared to samples from people suspected of exposure to unhealthy levels in instances of terrorism. For this application, Kalinitchenko showed results from analyzing urine with HPLC-ICP-MS. Specifically, these results came from using Bruker HPLC with the Analytik Jena PlasmaQuant MS ICP-MS, and the results were compared to values from certified reference materials. Again, the various forms of inorganic and organic arsenic could be clearly observed in distinct peaks in the readout. This analytical setup provided detection of five forms of arsenic down to a few nanograms per liter.
Extensive opportunities
This article only explores a couple of the possible uses of ICP-MS in homeland security. It can also be used to test many other potential tools of terrorists. For example, ICP-MS can detect and identify fractions of a picogram of nuclear isotopes.
When it comes to terrorism, explosives must also be considered. Government and law-enforcement agencies need effective and sensitive techniques to detect explosives, and ICP-MS can be used.
In a 2015 issue of Forensic Science International, for example, a team of researchers from the Netherlands used ICP-MS to study ammonium nitrate, which is often found in forensic studies of explosives. The authors pointed out that ammonium nitrate is “widely available as fertilizer and easy to implement in explosive devices.” Just mixing it with fuel creates an explosive. This team wondered if ICP-MS could discriminate between different batches of ammonium nitrate, so they analyzed 103 samples from 19 fertilizer manufacturers. They concluded: “Samples with a similar elemental profile may be differentiated based on their isotopic composition.”
Protecting citizens requires tools with these wide-ranging capabilities. Also, this field demands effective ways to detect and analyze new threats. Lives around the world depend on it.
Mike May is a freelance writer and editor living in Ohio. You may reach him at [email protected].
product focus | ICP-MS for homeland security ICP-MS for homeland security | product focus
FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON ICP-MS FOR HOMELAND SECURITY, INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS, VISIT HTTP://WWW.LABMANAGER.COM/MS
42 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
‘ ‘‘ ‘survey says
ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A...
THERMAL ANALYZER?
For more information on thermal analyzers, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/thermal-analyzers
Types of materials requiring thermal analysis as reported by survey respondents:Polymers 46%Organics such as lubricants, pharmaceuticals, paints, adhesives, etc.
43%
Minerals, inorganic chemicals, and other inorganics 27%Metals / alloys 23%Ceramic / glass / building materials 21%Other 18%
Physical state of materials being measured by thermal analysis:Powder 59%Liquid 43%Thin film 34%Fiber 25%Gel 23%Paste 21%Foam 9%Other 21%
Thermal analysis is the broad category of at least 20 techniques that measure some fundamental property of matter as a result of adding heat. For example, dilatometry measures volume changes upon heating, thermomechanical analysis quantifies the change in dimension of a sample as a function of temperature, and thermo-optical analysis detects changes in optical properties upon heating or cooling.
TOP 6 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying a Thermal Analyzer
1. If you are going to be analyzing x,y,z properties, ask if the company has any customers conducting the same type of work and if you can talk to them.
2. Ask if you can submit a sample for a demo using specified conditions and, if so, how long this will take and whether a report will be provided.
3. What type of post-sale application and technical support does the company offer, and how much will it cost you?
4. What features distinguish the company’s instrument from their competitors’?
5. What can the company tell you about the quality of the product, i.e., how it was manufactured and tested? This will help you determine the typical lifespan.
6. What can the vendor tell you about the total cost of ownership, including expected consumables, software upgrades, service, and warranty costs?
TOP 10 FEATURES/FACTORS Respondents Look For When Purchasing a Thermal Analyzer
85%
70%
65%
60%
53%
50%
48%
40%
37%
27%
RELIABILITY
EASE OF USE
LOW MAINTENANCE/EASY TO CLEAN
SAFETY
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
PRICE
LOW OPERATING COST OF OWNERSHIP
WARRANTY
VERSATILITY
EASE OF INSTALLATION
Nearly 44% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new thermal analyzer. The reasons for this purchase are: Replacement of aging system 35% Addition to existing systems, increase capacity 17% Setting up a new lab 11% New application requiring different instrument 27% Other 10%
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44 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
Q: Can you provide some details on the work you do and the techniques you use?A: The Biomarkers Core Laboratory of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research at Columbia University is a large, highly special-ized clinical chemistry lab that aims to serve the needs of the entire research community of Columbia University. A lot of the work involves using manual and automated chemistry- and im-munochemistry-based assays that use different technology platforms. We also have a large mass spectrometry (MS)
facility that focuses on small mole-cules. One part is focused on targeted metabolomics, and the other on drug assays such as absorption, distribution metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and Phase I studies. I also direct another lab, the Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicol-ogy Laboratory at Columbia University Medical Center, which is completely focused on applying LC-MS-based assays for therapeutic drug monitoring
(TDM) in support of patient care. The Biomarkers Core lab uses both GC-MS (gas chromatography-MS) and LC-MS (liquid chromatography-MS), although recently we have been using more LC-MS-based assays. In the TDM lab we only use LC-MS instruments.
Q: What are the advantages of using LC-MS?A: LC-MS is fairly easy to use. If you have trained people who know how to use the technology to set up and validate assays, then LC-MS can be a very pow-erful and sensitive method to serve many
research demands. LC-MS can be used to set up and validate assays relatively quickly, which can be very advantageous, especially for small molecule research. In the TDM lab where we run a large number of samples, factors such as speed, precision, and sensitivity are important. Hence, we routinely prefer to use LC coupled with MS. However, if we need to use incredibly large volumes of sample
or need a very rapid turnaround time, then automated immunochemistry-based assays are preferred. These automated assays, however, do show cross-reactiv-ity, often with metabolites of the drugs. Good LC-MS assays tend to be more specific and selective for the compound of interest, because they are not hindered by this cross-reactivity. However, there are problems with LC-MS, too, and you should have people who know what they are doing. I am very fortunate because in both of the laboratories that I direct, all of the people are outstanding.
Another reason for using LC-MS or HPLC-based assays is that you can develop the assays yourself fairly easily. Hence, you are not waiting for a man-ufacturer to develop an assay, which is very favorable in a research setting. This is true for preclinical, translational, and clinical assays, although the level of validation and quality assurance increas-es in that order, ultimately in our case adhering to GLP-guidelines for assays in support of Phase I studies. In the case of lab-developed LC-MS assays in support of patient care, you have to follow another set of regulatory and quality guidelines. In our case, being in New York State, we have to work accord-ing to the quality assurance system and continuously pass the tests outlined by the State Department of Health Quality Control program, the so-called Clinical
Serge Cremers, Pharm. D., PhD, is an associate professor at Columbia University Medical Center and an attending clinical chemist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He is the director of the Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology Laboratory at Columbia University Medical Center and the director of the Biomarkers Core Laboratory of the Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, which is home to Columbia University’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) and the largest mass spectrometry facility at Columbia University, focusing on targeted metabolomics and the measurement of drugs. Dr Cremers’ areas of expertise are bio-analytical chemistry, translational and clinical pharmacology, therapeutic drug monitoring, as well as clinical chemistry of metabolic bone diseases. He conducts research in all of these areas and has published over 90 papers.
ASK THE EXPERTTRENDS IN CHROMATOGRAPHY USE by Tanuja Koppal, PhD
“LC-MS can be used to set up and validate assays relatively quickly, which can be very advantageous, especially for small molecule research.”
ask the expert
Serge Cremers, Pharm. D., PhD
45July 2015 Lab Manager
Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP). This system guarantees a certain quality of our lab-developed assays.
Q: Are you seeing a shift away from GC-MS?A: We have always used chromatography in our labs, starting with TLC (thin layer chromatography) and HPLC (high-perfor-mance liquid chromatography). GC-MS was the first MS-based assay to be used, and today we use mostly LC-MS. We are seeing a transition away from GC-MS-based assays, because LC-MS is easier to use, and we can measure more compounds without using any derivatization. However, GC-MS can be more useful, e.g., for very volatile compounds and for some organic acids. In our core lab we typically imple-ment methods that have been published in the literature. If there is nothing published, then we develop our own methods.
Q: What is the main challenge when working with LC-MS?A: Matrix effects can be a huge problem for LC-MS. For electrospray ionization MS, which is what we mostly use, the Achilles’ heel is electron suppression or enhancement, where the signal is decreased or increased by the endogenous compounds, and that can vary by sample or by patient. One way to tackle the prob-lem is to use a stable deuterated isotope of the compound as an internal standard, but those aren’t always available, or they are sometimes incredibly expensive. Sometimes people use another compound that elutes at a different retention time than the internal standard, or they try to correct the problem without using any internal standard. Matrix effects are prob-ably one of the most challenging issues to tackle when working with LC-MS.
Q: What innovations in chromatography have you seen or expect to see?A: UHPLC (Ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography) is definitely an
improvement over traditional HPLC. It has improved chromatography and saves significant time, because the run times are much shorter. There have also been specific improvements to instruments from various vendors for specific compounds. For in-stance, the newer version of one of the in-struments that we have from Waters Corpo-ration has significantly improved sensitivity, specifically for steroid analyses, compared with its predecessor. We have a number of triple quadrupole MS instruments from various manufacturers. The new, improved models often have the sensitivity and ability to quantify compounds consistently without any drifts, and that is a big advantage. The downside is that these high-end instruments also tend to be very expensive.
Q: Will chromatography ever be used routinely in a clinical setting?A: Chromatography is already in rou-tine use for clinical applications. But it is important to note that chromatography itself becomes less important as the detection, which in our case is MS, gets better. With the new, fast instruments, you can very quickly run samples using a precolumn, and you can hardly call that chromatography. The art of chromatog-raphy is diminishing, even though you will always need it to some extent. It will probably never disappear completely, because we will always need some kind of sample cleanup.
Q: How important is it to impart the right training to people using chromatography?A: For research applications, there are a lot of people who have experience with LC-MS and can train others. The technique can certainly be learned in a couple of months. It is not rocket science. Anyone who is skilled can learn to use it, and the problems that are typically encountered are more on the chromatography end, not the MS end. However, in a method development lab, you do need more knowledge about LC-MS to be able to better analyze the sample.
So you need at least one highly experienced person who can do everything and train others as needed.
There is a real challenge if you do LC-MS-based assays for patient care, because here in New York State, for our TDM lab, you do need a licensed medical technologist to do the LC-MS analysis. Most programs for medical technologists offer limited exposure to and experience with LC-MS; hence, finding a person with such a background is difficult. We are trying to deal with this problem by collaborating with different local institutions and trying to partner with the medical technology schools in the tristate area to offer different programs. The New York State Health Department is accommodating us to some extent by giving out limited licenses to people who are very experienced with LC-MS, who are then al-lowed to run some patient samples. Getting the right people trained for this application is a big problem.
Q: Are there any other challenges that you would like to make lab managers aware of?A: Setting up service contracts with vendors is another important issue. These GC-MS and LC-MS instruments all have very expensive service contracts, and depending on your need, you need to make sure to include these costs in your budgets. These contracts can be a very big part of the overall costs.
Q: What improvisations are you looking for?A: Having a smaller instrument or one that can be more easily automated for clinical applications is an obvious need. Being able to link the instruments to the hospital’s existing laboratory information management system to be able to see and download results easily will be very helpful, especially for clinical use.
Tanuja Koppal, PhD, is a freelance science writer and consultant based in Randolph, New Jersey. She can be reached at [email protected].
ask the expert
46 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
A s a process, drug discovery relies on myriad complex and sometimes interdependent inputs and outputs related to chemical compounds, the
biological target, and diseases. These include
• Target selection and validation• Molecular design, including computational methods• In silico and in vitro screening• Informatics for managing and visualizing data• Chemical synthesis and molecular elaboration• Biochemical, cell-based, and animal testing• Collaboration with internal and external experts• Go/no-go economic decisions• Instrumentation and analytics• Human resource utilization• Acquisition of molecules and expertise vs.
in-house development
and many others. Given a typical drug discovery group’s workload of up to three projects at any given time, these factors are multiplicative.“The magnitude of our concern
and effort around these challenges depends on how prominently they relate to a given proj-ect,” says Mark Noe, PhD, VP of the Groton Center of Chemistry Innovation at Pfizer (Groton, CT).Most drug discovery efforts begin with a biological
target—the molecule inside the body whose activity the drug is expected to enhance or diminish. Assurance that the target is pharmacologically accessible and respon-sible in some way for the disease in question is based on target validation studies. “If you don’t have that confidence at the beginning of a discovery project, all subsequent efforts will be wasted,” Noe says. “A produc-tive drug discovery effort depends on building a strong scientific case.”
Pieces of the validation puzzle might include un-covering genetic mutations that activate or inhibit the target, suggesting that modulating the target in some way will positively affect the disease. Another, more theoretical approach involves understanding the impact of target modulation on larger cellular systems and the resulting impact on the disease state. Genetic evidence
and theoretical evidence are often combined.A further aspect involves access
to an appropriate disease model incorporating genetic or theoreti-cal components discovered earlier. Treating cells or organisms in this way further validates the target and establishes basic pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic parameters: the level and time course of drug administration required to amelio-rate the disease state.Assessing target safety based on
relationships between adverse ef-fects and activation or inactivation of genes coding for the target in
humans is also critical. Lacking this information, dis-covery scientists may turn to test animals, for example through gene knockout strategies. “Drug discovery chemists and biologists are equally
concerned about building a strong case for particular targets,” Noe tells Lab Manager. Chemists generate pharmacological tools to test mechanisms, while biologists contribute to the understanding of effects on biological systems. “We think of these elements of target validation very early in projects, and as the project advances we continue to build our case—or reprioritize our efforts if studies suggest otherwise.”
INSIGHTS ON DRUG DISCOVERY
insights on drug discovery
A CONVERSATION WITH PFIZER CHEMISTRY VP MARK NOE, PHD by Angelo DePalma, PhD
Mark Noe, PhD.
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insights on drug discovery
LEAD MATTERAfter confidence is established in the target, new
challenges emerge related to “lead matter”—com-pounds likely to interact with the target to effect a desired clinical outcome. A number of strategies are available for identifying early-stage hits: screening archival molecules that are active against related targets, testing compounds from the literature, high-throughput screening of large compound librar-ies, or fragment-based screening through an appropri-ate biophysical or biochemical assay. Turning hits into leads is aided by identifying the tar-
get’s binding site and mode of action using structural biology and biophysics, protein crystallography, nuclear
magnetic resonance spectrometry, and surface plasmon resonance for binding kinetics. “The orthogonality of these methods is a positive
attribute,” Noe says. “Since all assays are prone to arti-facts, good drug discovery practice involves employing
several of these assays in parallel.”Biochemical assay
artifacts are the most common, especially at high concentration, due to test compounds’ interference with
optical assay readouts. For example, a biochemical assay may couple two or three enzymatic reactions togeth-er because the protein one is looking to inhibit lacks a convenient assay readout. Test compounds inhibiting either target or reporter proteins may produce a positive readout, which must be de-convoluted through further
“Since all assays are prone to artifacts, good drug discovery practice involves employing several of these assays in parallel.”
49July 2015 Lab Manager
insights on drug discovery
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Electrochemistry
Ion Chromatography
Titration
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assays. Observing activity in the enzyme assay but no target binding in the biophysical assay strongly suggests that an artifact is at work.Noe believes that drug discovery would benefit by the more routine, side-by-
side application of biophysical and biochemical assays in as close to real time as possible. This would reduce the likelihood that scientists working in one area or the other would waste significant time on artifacts, and would allow scientists to better understand the kinetic and thermodynamic param-eters that underpin compound activity. “We strive to do that within Pfizer but there’s sometimes variability with regard to the close alignment of those activities across teams,” Noe admits.Sometimes it comes down to assay availability. The biochemical test is
available but the biophysical test is still in development, and teams may lack the luxury of waiting for cross-validation.
IN SILICO MODELINGDrug discovery chemical space is vast, with something like 1,040 pos-
sible “Rule of Five” compliant compounds. Since synthesis is costly and time-consuming, the primary challenge is determining the best compounds to synthesize. The extent to which decision-making is empirical is directly proportional to how long the discovery project takes. Some critical proper-ties model quite well, others not so easily.
Drug discovery labs have benefited from advances in hardware and soft-ware, particularly through application of in silico models for estimating molecular properties of putative molecules before they are synthesized. Ac-cording to Noe, permeability and oxidative metabolic stability models are reliable, but a great deal of improvement is needed for predicting aqueous solubility. Software works well enough within a series of related molecules but struggles with compounds that are structurally quite different. One reason solubility-predicting software lacks reliability is because pre-
dicting thermodynamic solubility requires knowledge of the compound’s crystal packing, the lattice energy associated with that crystalline form, and solvation energy. Development scientists determine these values later, but the real power is in using this information to prioritize which compounds are synthesized in the first place. “To do experimental screens you have to first make the molecule,” Noe says. Solubility predictions are further thwarted by the existence of several
crystalline forms—polymorphs—for many molecules. Aqueous solubility, stability, and manufacturability may vary significantly among polymorphs,
“Labs increasingly rely on smaller, simpler an-imal systems as well, for example, zebrafish for early safety assessments.”
50 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
insights on drug discovery
WEEDING OUT DISCOVERY LABS’ INEFFICIENCIESPharmaceutical manufacturing has long been criticized for lack of sophistication compared with low-tech process indus-tries. Angelo Filosa, PhD, Global Head of Scientific Services at PerkinElmer (Waltham, MA), believes the same is true for pharmaceutical research labs, which lack what he calls a “value-added culture.” According to Filosa, drug discovery scientists spend a quarter of their time on activities that have little to do with their job titles, for example, paperwork, waiting for test results, or tending to instruments.
The shrinking and accessibility of modern instrumentation is partly to blame. Mass spectrometry (MS) devices used to take up an entire lab run by degreed specialists as a core facility. Today, groups or individual workers have their own MS instruments. High-performance liquid chromatography has become a routine analysis as well. With democratization, however, came the responsibilities of cleaning, performing routine maintenance, acquiring or formulating reagents, stocking consumables, and conducting quality tests.
“These tasks are absolutely essential, but they take time and don’t directly contribute to the science,” Filosa notes. “There’s no reason why everybody needs to know how to do them. Drug discovery scientists should instead focus on running the right assay or designing the next molecule in a series.” For this reason, Filosa says, companies are returning to centralized core functions for some tasks.
With drug discovery and clinical trials often lasting a decade, it’s difficult to convince medicinal chemists that saving a few days or even one week matters. “With those timelines, delays don’t always translate to something tangible as they would with a 60-day project,” Filosa observes. The timeliness imperative becomes more obvious when stated in terms of sales: a one-day delay costs close to $3 million. “From that perspective, almost everyone realizes that a day or week really does count.”
and the thermodynamically most stable form can be difficult to predict.In silico coverage for the range of properties on a
medicinal chemistry wish list is incomplete but contin-ues to develop. Lipophilicity is addressed adequately. pKa is more variable and depends on the nature of the ionizable group and how well-trained the model is on particular functionalities. Similarly, drug potency models anticipate large changes in a molecule’s potential effec-tiveness—on the order of a factor of ten or more. That’s fine for very early-stage work but inadequate for subse-quent lead optimization.Additionally, Pfizer has developed models for oxidative
stability, drug-drug interaction potential, plasma protein binding, blood-brain barrier penetration, and safety end points including hepatic safety.“Medicinal chemists certainly know how to apply struc-
ture-activity relationships within a target’s particular po-tency range, and they can come up with ideas that retain activity within that potency range. But what they really need are more robust in silico tools to assess potential ADME, safety, potency, and selectivity versus different targets,” Noe explains. This would allow scientists to more confidently prioritize a list of virtual compounds for synthesis. In silico models that predict pharmacological and chem-
ical properties are statistical models based on tens of thousands of data points residing, in the case of large pharmaceutical companies, in their internal databases. But for startup companies lacking that data, the range of in silico modeling capabilities will likely be much narrower.Despite incomplete coverage, modeling software has ad-
vanced tremendously in the past decade, Noe says, “both in capability and chemists’ willingness and desire to use them in the design phase.”A related challenge is managing the vast quantities
of data generated during drug discovery. Due to space considerations we have only covered a handful of data inputs lab managers must deal with in decision-mak-ing. And we have not paid proper due to the biological work predating early-stage discovery, supporting it, and continuing after viable candidate molecules emerge. For example, modern biology is increasingly concerned with pathways, systems and the “omics” that regulate and define them. Even sticking to pure chemistry considerations, drug
discovery organizations like Pfizer maintain vast databas-es on historical targets, hits, leads, etc. “Success depends
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insights on drug discovery
in part on leveraging data we’ve collected on our com-pounds across targets, and also integrating physicochem-ical properties into our analyses,” Noe says.
TESTING ORGANISMSAs understanding of cellular physiology and the
relationship between cellular systems and health has improved, drug discovery labs have come to rely less on animal screening. While animal testing will never be completely eliminated, more compounds than ever expe-rience early triage based on cell-based safety and efficacy assays, thus reducing the need for or postponing more costly, time-consuming animal tests. Labs increasingly rely on smaller, simpler animal systems
as well, for example, zebrafish for early safety assessments. “One big issue with animal testing is the quantity of
compound you have to supply,” Noe observes. It is also resource-intensive because animal assays for safety and ef-
ficacy require determining a test compound’s plasma con-centration over time, which taxes bioanalytical resources. In vivo assays also require significant effort from pharma-cologists to conduct the assays. “The more we can do in vi-tro, the more efficient we will be in terms of cost and time. And the more we can do in silico during the design phase, the more efficient we will be in terms of cost and time by prioritizing the correct molecules for synthesis.”Noe believes that animal testing will remain a perma-
nent fixture in bringing quality drug candidates forward, if for no other reason than regulators demand animal data on safety, and often for efficacy as well. For example, infectious disease animal studies are imperative for de-veloping new antibiotics. The humane aspects of reduc-ing animal testing notwithstanding, the strategy reduces overall development costs and reduces time to market.
Angelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton, New Jersey. You can reach him at [email protected].
52 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
by Angelo DePalma, PhD
Automated liquid handlers have become indispensable by virtue of freeing operators for other tasks while providing
consistency and reproducibility.
Many labs today employ automated liquid handlers as stand-alone devices, moving plates manually onto and off the stage to storage, incubators, and readers. Integrating liquid handlers with other features or functions—that is, turning them into workstations—is attractive, but the path to fuller automation can be costly and lengthy.
Paul Held, PhD, laboratory manager at BioTek Instruments (Winooski, VT) defines a liquid handling workstation as a multicomponent system, as opposed to “an automated pipettor and a computer.” Workstations tend to be modular, consisting of two or more functions (dispensing, aspiration, storage, incubation, shaking, reading, lidding/unlidding, etc.) and operated in semi-automated or fully automated fashion.
Workstations also can be defined based on purpose rather than instrumentation and connectivity, for example, as a setup dedicated to PCR or the same panel of biochemical assays day in and day out. But the difference between that definition and the one based on integration, Held says, is “pure semantics.”
“The appeal of workstations is that you get an efficient, easy-to-use platform tailored to your methods. The risk of workstations is that usually the simplicity comes at the cost of flexibility,” adds Del Jackson, product manager at Hamilton Company (Reno, NV).
Upgrade considerations
Upgrading from a stand-alone dispensing system to a workstation involves adding one or more functionalities occurring upstream or downstream of the liquid handler. Joby Jenkins, global head of liquid handling at TTP Labtech (Melbourn, UK),
notes that timing is everything. “Having someone move plates onto and away from the liquid handler is fine if that process is isolated and the worker can go off for an hour or two in between.” But workstations make sense if the dispensing step is rapid and followed by another relatively short step, requiring the worker to keep an eye on operations.
Labs in upgrade mode have probably identified process inefficiencies for liquid handlers they already own. Labs in total acquisition mode, for example, those that take on new projects, have the luxury of choosing a ready-built workstation.
Jenkins advises the latter not to over-specify workstations to accommodate every conceivable anticipated future need. “Defining both current and future processes is difficult. If you specify a system that does everything, it will be large, expensive, and complex. You can simplify the process massively by choosing systems that have the flexibility to grow with changing business needs. Reducing the initial investment is attractive to many start-up or small-to-middle-sized businesses.”
Upgrading, moreover, has simplified compared with even five years ago. Software is more flexible, and vendors are designing their components specifically for integration and automation. Labs would be better off, Jenkins notes, if instead of
UPGRADING STAND-ALONE SYSTEMS TO WORKSTATIONS
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53July 2015 Lab Manager
over-specifying for functionality, they focused on flexibility. This allows for purchasing exactly what is needed today, with a smooth path toward upgrading later.
“The best approach when adding functionality is to deliver a solution that meets your immediate needs but doesn’t limit any future features you may require,” comments Jackson.
Plusses and minuses
Both upgrade and “one and done” approaches have advantages and disadvantages.
“If you buy everything at the same time, it’s one big purchase order and you’re done with it,” Paul Held observes. Labs are assured the pieces will work together, and may enjoy a more harmonious customer support experience later on. Piecing systems together requires automation savvy, but affords less-experienced labs the luxury of learning how each piece works before investing in the next step.
“Experienced labs with a good grasp of what it takes to automate an assay will generally purchase everything they need to accomplish that task,” Held adds. They also tend to anticipate better how their fluid handling tasks will change over time, and purchase integrated systems—or components—accordingly.
Newcomers often fail in their automation goals because they perceive the problem to be less intricate than it actually is. “The nuances of automation can overwhelm them,” Held says.
Labs should always become acquainted with an assay’s manual operation before considering automation. Only after breaking an assay down to its component parts can a manager decide the level and extent of automation required to improve productivity. The worst strategy is attempting to automate every operation through one purchase.
Held advises lab managers to “understand their process before even thinking of automation. Pipette things manually, move plates manually, and then incrementally add [automated] liquid handling, then plate movement. A lab doing an assay with an eight-channel pipette into a few dozen plates per day learns a tremendous amount about its needs before adding a dispensing device. Labs will have different end points in terms of how automation benefits them.”
Flexibility is the key
Hal Wehrenberg, software product manager at Tecan (Männedorf, Switzerland) defines a workstation as an integrated instrument system built around specific workflows, but flexible enough to meet future needs. “Workstations differ from devices that execute only one action of a workflow,” he says. “Consider all the steps in your daily routines. For example, is there a DNA extraction before PCR? Do samples need preparation for mass spectrometry? There are a number of ways to do any of this. Workstations should provide method flexibility.”
Before upgrading stand-alone liquid handlers to workstation status, lab managers should identify frequently occurring, repetitive workflow operations that might be causing bottlenecks. Failing to take stock in this manner often leads to failure, according to Wehrenberg. “Before speaking with a vendor, managers must ask themselves which tasks are growing, complex, and justify automation. Where would automation allow scientists to work on something else while a workstation takes on what they are doing today?”
Automation is not all about throughput and walkaway time. Reproducibility and uniformity are necessary for tasks where pipetting accuracy is critical. If five people work on the same pipetting task, a robot and automated liquid handler will always be more reproducible and consistent.
Regardless of the acquisition path, deploying lab automation intelligently and cost-effectively is difficult for resource-constrained laboratories. Managers may fret over potential missteps with their first and subsequent automation components. Wehrenberg advises these customers to err on the side of flexibility and upgradability rather than cost.
Once a workstation is installed, lab managers frequently identify further optimization points to accommodate new assays, which will require integrating additional devices or adding modules to the liquid handler. “You might find what appears to be an inexpensive solution today only to discover it’s a one-trick pony, and now you need a whole new system to accommodate a relatively minor change,” Wehrenberg says.
Angelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton, New Jersey. You can reach him at [email protected].
FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON AUTOMATED LIQUID HANDLERS, INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS, VISIT WWW.LABMANAGER.COM/LIQUID-HANDLING
product focus | automated liquid handlers automated liquid handlers | product focus
54 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
‘ ‘‘ ‘survey says
ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR AN... ELECTROPHORESIS SYSTEM?
For more information on lab products, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/lab-products
Types of electrophoresis systems used by survey respondents:Horizontal electrophoresis system 76%
Vertical electrophoresis system 70%
Electrophoretic blotting system 49%
Other 12%
Electrophoresis components being used by survey respondents:Reagents: gel staining chemicals, premade gel or gel chemicals, buffers, etc.
90%
Electrophoresis gel apparatus 85%
Cooling apparatus 28%
Digital camera/gel documentation systems 69%
White light/UV light box 60%
General lab equipment: pH meter, pipettors, scale, stir plates, etc.
79%
Power supply 82%
Other 6%
Electrophoresis relies on a basic process — particles moving in an electric field. Known for more than 200 years, this phenomenon still drives fundamental techniques in many labs and its long history plays a role in the widespread use of the technology. Current interest lies in making the technology faster, more accurate and more sensitive.
TOP 9 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying Electrophoresis Equipment and Supplies
1. How many gels per experiment can you run at once in a single electrophoresis cell?
2. Can you run hand cast and precast gels with the same electrophoresis equipment?
3. Can you blot in the same tank as you run the gels?
4. How fast can you run a set of gels with optimal performance?
5. How fast can you visualize your proteins in the gel?
6. Do you need any special buffers or sample buffer to run your gel?
7. Does a precast gel give you the same separation as a hand cast gel?
8. How fast can you transfer proteins from your gel to a membrane?
9. How efficiently can you transfer your high molecular weight proteins from your gel to a membrane?
Nearly 41% of respondents are engaged in purchasing new electrophoresis equipment. The reasons for this purchase are: Replacement of aging system 48% Addition to existing systems, increase capacity 33% Setting up a new lab 3% First time purchase 8% Other 8%
TOP 10 FEATURES/FACTORS Respondents Look For When Purchasing Electrophoresis Equipment
EASE OF USE
DURABILITY OF PRODUCT
LOW OPERATING COSTS
PRICE
AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLIES AND ACCESSORIES
FAST TIME TO RESULTS
LOW MAINTENANCE/EASY TO CLEAN
MANY SEPARATION OPTIONS WITH HIGH PRECISION, ACCURACY, AND ROBUSTNESS
SAFETY AND HEALTH FEATURES
WARRANTIES
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Job # 15-1007 Publication Lab Manager Trim Size 8” x 10.75” Run Date 07/01/15
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56 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON CENTRIFUGES, INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS, VISIT WWW.LABMANAGER.COM/CENTRIFUGES
by Angelo DePalma, PhD
Centrifuges used in blood banks and clinical settings are identical in function to those found in chemistry or biology labs, but methods and
objectives may differ significantly depending on the end use. “The ultimate idea is to obtain a sample that’s separated in accordance to the test you will perform, whether that’s manual or automated,” says Vernita Moore, senior marketing analyst for Blood Banking at Beckman Coulter (Irving, TX).
In regulated medical settings, instrumentation and assays dictate the method down to sample handling, pretreatment, spin time, g-value, centrifugation vessel, and sometimes specific test instrument. Labs must document strict adherence to these specifications, or tests will be declared invalid or blood products deemed unusable. Sample integrity and acceptability are defined by the manufacturer of the assay or test instrument.
Compared with academic chemistry or biology labs, methods developed for blood bank and clinical lab centrifuges must be validated, which includes assessing centrifuge performance and suitability for particular applications.
Safety firstFollowing safety protocols is critical for protecting centrifuge operators from blood-borne pathogens. “When handling a sample it’s always assumed to be infected, and that’s how labs should handle them,” Moore notes. Hospitals, blood banks, and clinical labs follow OSHA guidelines on worker exposure to blood-borne pathogens and may institute additional safety or best-practice measures. “In most cases employees wear protective clothing: gloves, coats, and sometimes even goggles depending on what they are testing.”
In developing their own centrifuge line suitable for blood banks and clinical labs, Beckman Coulter relies on customer input and on analysis by experts like Moore. Instruments must not only be suitable for tests and preparative work, but facilitate typical workflows in laboratories that may process thousands of samples per day.
“They want large-capacity centrifuges that spin multiple samples at once,” Moore explains. “They need programmability because they’ll often use the same centrifuge to spin samples that will be used in a variety of tests on a range of instruments.”
Also at the top of the list is safe usability. Experienced lab workers will have heard of centrifuges that “got away” from operators, self-destructing and taking a good part of the lab with them. Such stories may be apocryphal and their horrors multiplied by their retelling, but centrifuges are arguably the riskiest instruments you’ll find in most labs. “Most operators are not highly degreed and learn on the job, so centrifuges must be easy to use,” Moore adds.
Physical attributes
Blood banks spin a variety of containers as small as serology tubes and as large as blood collection bags. The things that set blood bank centrifuges apart are the need for temperature control, ergonomics, noise reduction, and high capacity.
“Particularly with bags, maintaining a temperature between three and six degrees Celsius is critical,” says Jeff Antonucci, regional manager at Hettich Instruments (Beverly, MA). “For many applications, samples are considered ruined if they rise above ten degrees.”
Centrifuges generate considerable heat, so maintaining temperatures within safe ranges involves refrigeration and multiple temperature sensors. Hettich centrifuges provide a level of assurance by indicating both ambient and sample temperatures.
Ergonomics are high priority because blood bank centrifuges tend to be larger than ordinary lab units. “They have to be accessible by workers of all sizes,” Antonucci explains. Features as straightforward as positioning controls and access on the front of the centrifuge, as opposed to the top or rear, eliminate reaching and leaning to enter parameters or samples. Another strategy involves replacing the windshield, which typically resides between the lid and the buckets, with an integrated cover. “This both reduces a step—lifting the shield—and provides improved aerodynamics,” Antonucci continues.
The larger the centrifuge, the more noise it makes. Reducing physical layout is not an option, however, as blood banks operate at high throughputs. “It’s difficult to balance for capacity while maximizing safety and minimizing noise,” Antonucci says.
Angelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton, NJ. You can reach him at [email protected].
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58 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON FLEXIBLE CASEWORK, INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS, VISIT WWW.LABMANAGER.COM/CASEWORK
by Mike May, PhD
If everything in a lab gets attached to walls or the floor, evolving lab requirements and processes require ramshackle solutions. But what if things could move
around? That’s what flexible casework allows. Kevin Chriswell, a senior laboratory planner at US-based CRB, a company that can design and build labs for academic or commercial clients, says, “I always promote flexibility in casework with our clients, because of the rate of change, especially at more commercial institutions, such as in the pharmaceutical industry.” He adds, “They are constantly changing out facilities.” With flexible casework, labs can be reconfigured for new uses as needed.
Fortunately, various vendors supply selections of flexible options. In Brantford, Canada, for instance, Mott Manufacturing creates a range of pieces that provide flexibility in a lab’s layout, including moveable benches and mobile carts. In addition, Mott’s overhead service carriers make it easier to rearrange a lab and still get air, electricity, and gas where they are needed.
Also, Workstation Industries in Santa Ana, California, works with customers to create flexible options. This company’s owner, Albert Cappello, says, “We try to fulfill as many drawer configurations and storage options as possible to fit a customer’s space.”
When designing a new lab or totally renovating an existing lab, think about your options as early as possible. “There are multiple types of flexible casework,” Chriswell says, “and getting it in the design early might allow options that are difficult to get in the budget if added later.” In fact, some labs work with such fast-paced science that Chriswell and his colleagues might need to change the layout during the building process. In those cases, the more flexible the casework can be, the better.
Mind the managementBeyond the space and rearranging it, lab managers need to consider other things that must move with the casework. For instance, Cappello says, “We provide lots of flexibility in wire management.” He adds, “If you deal with fixed casework, you have to either build in wire management below the shelving or drill holes to do it underneath.” His company’s flexible casework locates a wire-management trough above the shelves on the frame
upright. With this, Cappello says, “People can work on the wire management standing up rather than lying down on the floor.” He adds, “For optimum ergonomic value [to] the user and the facility maintenance personnel, the location of the wire management system is important.”
That future flexibility, though, can cost more up front. “There’s a little bit of a price premium on flexible casework,” Chriswell says, “but the cost-benefit analysis pays off over the years.”
In the case of an existing traditional lab—say, with side benches and an island bench—some flexible options can still be added. “You could keep the fixed casework along the perimeter, especially for wet benches,” Chriswell says, “but you can easily take out the island and replace it with a flexible one.”
Chriswell worked with one client with fixed casework that was removed, refinished, and reinstalled in a new fixed plan. That’s not what most people think of as flexible, but there’s always a range of options.
Given the changes in science in the past few years, it appears inevitable that even faster changes could be required ahead. Flexibility in casework—from space-changing options to rerouting or adding wires—will allow labs to adapt as needed. The more mobile the pieces can be, the more a lab can morph from one use to another.
Mike May is a freelance writer and editor living in Ohio. You may reach him at [email protected].
TURN YOUR LAB INTO A TRANSFORMER
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Photo credit: Greg Premru.
59July 2015 Lab Manager
product focus | flexible casework
‘ ‘‘ ‘survey says
For more information on microwave digesters, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/microwave-digestion
ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A... MICROWAVE DIGESTER?Microwave-acid digestion is a common sample preparation step for atomic absorption, atomic emission, or inductively coupled plasma analysis of metals. Microwave digestion takes minutes, compared with hours for conventional hot plate digestion. Because it uses high temperature and strong acids—commonly nitric and hydrofluoric—microwave digestion mineralizes any matrix. For example, EPA method 3052, based on microwave, provides total metal analysis from soil, sediments, sludge, oils, plastics, and biological materials.
TOP 5 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying a Microwave Digester
1. What is the system’s maximum microwave power output? Microwave energy heats substances quickly to high temperatures. The higher the temperature, the faster and more completely substances are digested. Extractions also need sufficient power, as some solvents can act as a heat sink and are difficult to heat.
2. Can the system monitor and control every vessel? Temperature and pressure monitoring and control are extremely important. Inadequate safeguards can result in damaged vessels and equipment, and a lack of temperature and pressure control can pose a safety hazard to lab personnel.
3. How many samples can be processed per run? Though the number of samples processed is dependent upon your laboratory’s needs, planning for growth is always a good idea.
4. Does the company offer free applications support? Do they offer dedicated, direct service support and local facto-ry-trained field service technicians? Dependable applications and service support are essential since you never know what may go wrong.
5. How user-friendly is the system? As with many instruments, if a system is very complicated to operate, it generally becomes either a glorified shelf to store things on or a headache to those having to operate it. The easier a microwave system is to use, the better off you will be. Also make sure the vessels are easy to handle and set up.
TOP 10 FEATURES/FACTORS Respondents Look For When Purchasing a Microwave Digester
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HIGH DURABILITY
SERVICE AND SUPPORT
INTUITIVE CONTROLS AND SOFTWARE
LOW MAINTENANCE
PRICE
VENDOR REPUTATION
SMALL FOOTPRINT
HIGH SAMPLE WEIGHT CAPACITY
SHORT COOL-DOWN TIME
SPEED OF HEATING
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Acid types used by survey respondents for microwave digestion: Nitric acid 87%Hydrochloric acid 63%Hydrofluoric acid 37%Sulfuric acid 27%Phosphoric acid 10%Perchloric acid 7%Borofluoric acid 3%Other 3%
Microwave digestion applications as reported by survey respondents:Analyzing metals 37%Trace metal analysis 27%Biological sample analysis 13%Material analysis 7%Oil and lubricant analysis 7%Soil analysis 3%Other 7%
Nearly 45% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new microwave digester. The reasons for this purchase are: Replacement of aging system 32% Addition to existing systems, increase capacity 17% Setting up a new lab 2% First time purchase 25% Replacement of a damaged system 7% Other 17%
60 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
‘ ‘‘ ‘survey says
ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A...
LABORATORY BALANCE?
For more information on balances, including useful articles and a list of manufacturers, visit www.labmanager.com/balances
Types of laboratory balance used by survey respondents: Precision balance 63%Analytical balance 89%Micro balance 26%Ultra-microbalance 5%Other 4%
Other balance-related components used by survey respondents:Balance enclosure 30%Routine test weights 23%Vibration isolation table 13%Weighting table 11%Moisture analyzer 7%Balance printer 5%Barcode scanner 3%Software 3%Keyboard 0.6%Other 5%
Choosing the correct balance for your application, or a series of balances that suit all of your application needs, is the first step in good lab weighing practices. If you choose the correct balance, calibrate it regularly, including any time the balance is moved to a new location, and keep it clean, your balance will reward you with many years of accurate operation.
TOP 6 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying a Laboratory Balance
1. What are the heaviest and lightest samples you will weigh (including container weight)?
2. What is the required +/- tolerance of your lightest sample?
3. How many decimal places in grams do you require for the displayed weight?
4. What type of samples will you be weighing and do you need to take into consideration the size of the weighing surface or the securing of a tare container?
5. Is on-site service available from a factory-trained service technician?
6. Do you need to interface the balance to another device such as a computer, printer, bar code reader, etc.?
TOP 10 FEATURES/FACTORS Respondents Look For When Purchasing a Lab Balance
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RELIABILITY
DURABILITY
HIGH PRECISION
LOW MAINTENANCE
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PAST EXPERIENCE
MANUFACTURER’S REPUTATION
PRICE
AUTO CALIBRATION
WARRANTY
Nearly 53% of respondents are engaged in purchasing a new laboratory balance. The reasons for this purchase are: Replacement of aging system 61% Addition to existing systems, increase capacity 17% Setting up a new lab 12% First time purchase 3% Other 7%
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62 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
A PLATFORM FOR ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OF “DEAD” DATA
Solution: The ACD/Spectrus Platform from Advanced Chemistry Development, Inc., (ACD/Labs) was designed and developed to address the challenges of ‘dead’ data, and is one example of a product that can help organizations leverage their data into knowledge and new insights.
Store data in context: Since analytical experiments are run to help identify and characterize structures and materials, contextual information helps the resulting spectra and chromatograms to be useful beyond the initial experiment. With ACD/Spectrus, the chemical context of analytical information—associated chemical structure/fragments/schema, recipes, and other relevant information—is intimately linked with spectra and chromatograms. Structured analytical data, in context, may be reviewed and re-applied to answer new questions and aid decision-making in future projects.
Apply and retain chemical intelligence: Intelligence is the application of skills and knowledge. Analytical scientists interpret analytical data and the knowledge they gain accumulates into experience they can apply in future investigations. A platform such as ACD/Spectrus enables this experiential knowledge to be captured. The human interpretation of data—connections between spectral elements and structural moieties—can be captured to share acquired knowledge and build a corporate knowledge base. Furthermore, algorithms in the software that aid data interpretation may be fuelled by this stored human knowledge around proprietary chemical space for future application.
Support faster, more confident scientific decisions: Once analytical data is captured in a structured environment and standardized, it must be accessible. Systems like an archive support the business of science where data is stored for regulatory purposes. The data in archives, however, rarely
helps to drive scientific decisions. ACD/Spectrus can help analytical scientists and chemists reach quick conclusions in the identification of impurities, degradants, metabolites, ingredients, etc., with scientific search queries that allow the data to be interrogated by peaks, spectra, or other spectral/chromatographic parameters; structure/substructure; numerical/text queries; and other chemically relevant fields.
Analytical and chemical information is stored as live data which means it is interactive and may be instantly reviewed, re-analyzed, and even reprocessed.
Homogenize disparate data: Numerous techniques and multiple instrument vendors with proprietary data formats are primary reasons that analytical data still resides in data silos. This problem has been discussed openly in the pharmaceutical industry where a number of organizations have formed the Allotrope Foundation. Their mission is to create an open framework to help scientists manage analytical data throughout its lifecycle. Applications on the ACD/Spectrus Platform handle multi-technique analytical data (LC-MS, GC-MS, Chrom, NMR, IR, Raman, etc.) regardless of instrument vendor in a single environment where they may be processed, analyzed, interpreted, reviewed, stored, and searched with ease.
For organizations that depend on analytical data to solve problems, ACD/Spectrus offers a platform to help preserve analytical intelligence. It may be integrated into the informatics landscape to complement existing systems while delivering unique value. This solution stores structured information in a searchable environment where the context of the initial experiment is preserved; and in a format so that it can be immediately re-used and reapplied in future studies.
For more information, watch the short video presentation at www.acdlabs.com/letyourdataliveon
Problem: According to the Allotrope Foundation, “Underpinning every experiment, every scientific decision, and every regulatory submission is data generated by a scientist using an instrument in the laboratory.” These mountains of analytical data are analyzed and interpreted in global R&D laboratories to help evaluate, identify, and characterize compounds and formulations. Organizations spend millions of dollars and time generating analytical data that is often used only once, then reported on for regulatory or intellectual property purposes in systems such as ELNs, LIMS, and archives, and forgotten. As it is stored today, analytical data is unstructured and located in heterogeneous silos in different formats. It is nearly impossible to search and retrieve (often captured as PDF or raw data file) and therefore unusable beyond its initial specific purpose. This expensive and under-used asset is ‘dead’ data.
ACD/Spectrus impurity management dashboard enables scientists to capture and share tacit, experiential knowledge in context with the process chemistry route and associated analytical data.
how it works
63July 2015 Lab Manager
A SMART MULTIMODE MICROPLATE READER
Solution: While it’s impossible to prevent all errors, today’s technology has come a long way. Automatic features, such as those seen in the Thermo Scientific™ Varioskan™ LUX multimode microplate reader, are designed for bioscience researchers with a wide variety of needs, skills, and assay requirements. Built-in smart safety controls alert users to potential problems that could compromise an experiment before they happen, while the automatic dynamic range feature eases protocol setup and works to ensure optimal settings are provided for high sensitivity and wide dynamic range. These features simplify workflows and help researchers avoid wasting precious reagents, samples, and time.
The Varioskan LUX, in particular, is paired with Thermo Scientific SkanIt™ Software, which anticipates potential mistakes at every step of the reading process and alerts users to any issues in a clear and timely manner. An automatic plate check function prevents accidental measurements and keeps reagents from being dispensed inside the instrument without a microplate. Shaking speed and force from the built-in shaker are contained to plate-specific levels in order to avoid liquid spillage inside the instrument.
The microplate reader also includes safety checks for liquid dispensing if the instrument is equipped with dispensers that automatically add reagents. An automatic prime check function confirms the dispenser has been primed prior to starting the run, and a head position sensor verifies that the dispensing head is correctly placed so that liquid will be dispensed into the right wells. Furthermore, a dispensing volume control ensures that liquid volumes do not exceed the limits of the microplate wells. The run simply won’t begin unless all parameters are met.
The microplate reader’s automatic dynamic range selection tool optimizes the measurement settings to simplify protocol set-up. This novel tool overcomes an inherent challenge of many modern microplate readers that use a Xenon flash lamp as their light source. Xenon lamps emit light across a broad spectrum of wavelengths and provide high sensitivity, especially in comparison to the more traditional halogen lamp. But they also have a reduced dynamic range, meaning that users must manually adjust the measurement parameters of each run to widen it, something that can be both difficult and time-consuming.
The incorporation of an automatic dynamic range feature enables the selection of optimal reading ranges from the offset, based on signal intensity within each well. Results are comparable from assay to assay, providing optimal readings even when very high and very low signals are present within a single assay.
Extensive and sophisticated self-diagnostics and auto-calibration check the instrument’s functions at every start-up and calibrate the instrument at every run to ensure consistent performance and reliable, comparable results day-to-day.
For more information on the automated features of the Varioskan LUX, please visit www.thermoscientific.com/varioskanlux or e-mail [email protected].
Problem: Microplate readers are a common lab commodity; they’re used across research and drug discovery to detect the occurrence of biological events. However, the potential for experimental errors is a frustrating reality. An incorrect dispensing position, for example, will provide unreliable results—requiring researchers to re-run the assay or, if undetected, lead to faulty data. The same is true if the dispenser isn’t properly primed. The risks don’t end there; a simple spill inside the instrument can damage optics, while a power outage can erase data. Beyond mistakes and accidents, risks also loom in setting the optimal reading range for each assay. When the application requires both high sensitivity and wide dynamic range to detect both low- and high-signal samples within the same assay, the setup process can be highly complex and time-consuming.
The automatic features in Thermo Scientific’s ™ Varioskan™ LUX multimode microplate reader are designed for bioscience researchers with a wide variety of needs, skills, and assay requirements.
how it works
64 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
TECHNOLOGYNEWS
SMALL MOLECULES, BIG SENSITIVITY RECENTLY LAUNCHED Q-TOF MORE RELIABLE AND EASIER TO USE FOR TRACE-LEVEL ANALYSISBooth 2435 (AACC 2015)Booth 501 (ACS 2015)
At the end of April, Agilent Technologies launched its 6545 Q-TOF mass spectrometry system, designed to provide added sensitivity for routine analyses.According to Agilent, the advances in hardware and software included in this new midrange system make it both more reliable and easier to use for trace-level analysis of small-molecule compounds in applications such as food safety, environmental testing, forensic toxicology, and pharmaceuticals.“The 6545 demonstrates Agilent’s commitment to increasing mass-spec sensitivity at every price point, delivering up to five times the sensitivity of previous instruments for small molecule analyses,” said Monty Benefiel, Agilent vice president and general manager of mass spectrometry products. “With Agilent mass-spec systems—along with our MassHunter software and compounds databases—any user can get exceptional quantitative and qualitative results.”Engineered to be Agilent’s most reliable Q-TOF ever, the system features ion shaping optics, high-voltage power supplies, and longer-life parts to increase robustness. And, its new autotune software uses particle swarm technology to optimize the instrument for small-molecule analyses with the click of a button. In around 15 minutes, it optimizes the instrument to get up to five times more sensitivity for small molecule compounds, including low-intensity compounds.“The 6545 Q-TOF offers a substantial leap forward in sensitivity while maintaining all other features one expects from a high-end Q-TOF system,” said Dr. Koen Sandra, director of R&D at the Research Institute for Chromatography, which has sites in Belgium and France. Dr. Koen added the system allowed the institute to, “Elucidate impurities in pharmaceutical samples that we overlooked in the past.”
For more information, visit www.agilent.com
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
ANALYTICAL
Spectrophotometer / Fluorometer SystemDS-11 FX+• Combines patent-pending technologies to deliver a
flexible and complete system for nucleic acid and protein quantification
• Allows rapid and accurate 1µL UV-Vis quantification over an excellent dynamic range
• Addition of fluorescence mode now also enables researchers to measure picogram amounts of sample with increased specificity in one compact instrument
DeNovix www.denovix.com
This month, we highlight companies exhibiting at the American Association for Clinical Chemistry’s Annual Meeting & Clinical Lab Expo (AACC 2015) and the 250th American Chemical Society National Meeting & Exposition (ACS 2015). AACC 2015, a leading event for laboratory medicine worldwide, runs from July 26-30 at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. ACS 2015 takes place next month, running from August 16-20 in Boston, Massachusetts. Please note that the specific products shown here may not be at these shows, but their manufacturers will be on hand to answer any questions you may have.
SpectrofluorophotometerRF-6000Booth 4921 (AACC 2015)Booth 601 (ACS 2015)
• Delivers high speed, stability, and sensitivity, and incorporates new LabSolutions RF software
• Offers the highest sensitivity and highest signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in its class (SNR ≥1,000 RMS and ≥350 peak-peak)
• Allows for very low limits of quantitation, easily achieving quantitation of fluorescein to concentrations of 1 × 10-13 mol/L
• Features high-speed 3D scanning of 60,000 nm/min Shimadzu www.ssi.shimadzu.com
HILIC ColumnsTSKgel Amide-80Booth 824 (AACC 2015)Booth 301 (ACS 2015)
• Now available packed with 2 µm spherical silica particles
• Offer higher resolution and faster analysis with retention and selectivity equivalent to TSKgel Amide-80, 3 µm columns
• Allow for a smooth method transfer from a 3 µm to a 2 µm column
• Retain more hydrophilic compounds than the existing amide columns on the market
Tosoh Bioscience www.tosohbioscience.com
NMR SpectrometerJNM-ECZS SeriesBooth 1201
• Incorporates ultra-high accuracy RF circuitry utiliz-ing the latest digital high frequency technology
• 43% reduction in size of the JNM-ECZS series compared to previous models simplifies NMR spectrometer placement in modern laboratories
• Performance features critical to NMR data collec-tion such as RF phase, frequency, and amplitude control, NMR pulse shape waveform data table size, and digital receiver performance have been greatly improved
JEOL www.jeolusa.com
65July 2015 Lab Manager
technology news
BASIC LAB
Energy-Efficient Vacuum PumpTwisTorr 84 FSBooth 2435 (AACC 2015)Booth 501 (ACS 2015)
• Drag stage guarantees high pumping speed and compression ratios for hydrogen and helium applications
• Ensures high throughput, high foreline pressure tolerance, low power consumption, and low operating temperature
• This pump’s floating suspension minimizes vibration and acoustical noise while extending the operating life of the pump
• Will be employed in Agilent’s compact turbo pumping systems and minitask benchtop pumping systems
Agilent www.agilent.com
Low Voltage Electron Microscope LVEM25• Built on the same miniature and easy-to-operate platform as
the widely-used LVEM5 benchtop TEM• Features a variable voltage of 6-25kV and high resolution
imaging capabilities• Combines transmission TEM and STEM modes• Able to work with biological and polymer thin sections that
are prepared by standard procedures for conventional TEM
Delong America www.lv-em.com
Glove BoxesNitrogen PurgeBooth 1335
• Allow the user to purge relative humidity or oxygen levels down to ~2%
• Capable of protecting the process by nearly eliminating moisture or oxygen with the flow of inert gas
• Safety of operator and process is accomplished with HEPA filtration, a one-way check valve, and the ability to connect to a house exhaust system
Flow Sciences www.flowsciences.com
Precise Flow Syringe PumpPump 11 Pico Plus EliteBooth 1208
• Now available in a single channel configuration that is compatible with syringe sizes from 0.5 µl to 60 ml
• Easy to use through a high resolution touchscreen with intuitive icon interface
• Can deliver flow rates down to 0.54 pl/min and is suited for small volume injections such as drug studies and low flow rate applications including microdialysis and organ-on-a-chip experiments
Harvard Apparatus www.harvardapparatus.com
Baffled Reactor System ReactoMate• New version of this 5000ml controlled lab reactor system
is built to mix reactions more quickly and effectively• Features specially designed PTFE baffle blades together
with a PTFE turbine stirrer• Can improve reproducibility of results, increase selectivity,
and reduce potentially unwanted side reactions as a result of its ability to provide fast mixing and dispersion
Asynt www.asynt.com
Low-Flow Coriolis Meter/Controller mini CORI-FLOW™ ML120• Designed to provide the user with highly stable,
accurate, and repeatable mass flow in advanced research or production processes
• Offers flow ranges from 50 mg/h to 200 g/h, measured with an accuracy as high as 0,2 percent of reading
• Equipped with a microprocessor based pc-board with signal and fieldbus conversion and an integrated digital controller
Bronkhorst Cori-Tech www.bronkhorst-cori-tech.com
Recirculating Lab Faucet Type 530 AquaTap™• Features a patented flow-through head de-
sign and patent-pending Inline Flow Diverter (IFD) technology that eliminates dead-legs and optimizes flow characteristics
• Ensures pure water for laboratory dispensing in a variety of ultrapure water applications
• New contemporary style handle identifies the type of liquid or gas media being dispensed using symbols and color codes in accordance to SEFA
GF Piping Systems www.gfps.com
Research Grade Benchtop Meters HI5000• Feature a large color LCD display, capacitive touch
keys, and USB port for computer connectivity• A low profile design and ideal viewing angle mean
these meters can easily fit in any size of lab• Adaptable user interface allows users to display various
measurement modes, real-time graphing, and GLP data• CAL Check™ feature alerts the user of potential
problems during pH calibration
Hanna www.hannainst.com
66 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
technology news
Fume Hood UniFlow Aire Stream SE• Maximizes user protection and energy savings• Equipped with a 36” high extended view height, exclu-
sive slotted rear VaraFlow baffle system, aerodynamic sash lift with perforated air-sweep feature, and mold-ed-in belled outlet collar for reduced airflow resistance
• Shipped completely assembled and can include a wide selection of accessories that can be factory installed
HEMCO www.hemcocorp.com
Water Quality & Electrochemistry Products Starter Series• Provide accurate measurement of
pH, ORP, conductivity, salinity and TDS
• Offer either IP54 or IP67 protection rating
• Feature a durable and sturdy design• Include automatic and manual temperature compensation• Give users built-in measurement memory
OHAUS www.ohaus.com
Autoclave Validation Systems OM-CP-AVS140 Series• Complete systems used to perform autoclave validations• Enables compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11• OM-CP-AVS140-1 model includes one data logger for
temperature monitoring and the OM-CP-AVS140-6 includes six data loggers, five for temperature and one for pressure monitoring
• Suited for pharmaceutical, food processing, R&D, and lab applications
OMEGA www.omega.com
Extension Tubing Kit Calibrex 525 / 530• Increases dosing flexibility with the Calibrex 525 / 530
dispensers• Consists of a rigid Jetpen connected to dispensers with
FEP spiral tubing• Enables quick and easy work within a 60 cm radius—
ideal for any repeat dispensing into small vials• Offers a high chemical resistance and is autoclavable,
either separately or assembled on the instrument
Socorex www.socorex.com
Drive Options for Gear Pumps Micropump EagleDrives• EagleDrive™ EL and MS high performance electromagnetic
drives extend the potential applications for the Micropump range of leak free, pulseless magnet drive pumps
• Can be coupled with most models in the Micropump range and can be operated at higher speeds, up to 10,000 rpm
• Fewer moving parts ensures higher reliability and longer life
Michael Smith Engineers www.michael-smith-engineers.co.uk
Outdoor Safety Lockers• FM-approved• Proper chemical storage reduces poison
hazards and accidents, and minimizes contamination of chemicals
• Help users avoid costly fines levied for improper storage—lockers are fully compliant to meet EPA 40 CFR, NFPA 30, and NFPA 1 regulations
• Feature a leakproof, all welded sump with removable galvanized steel grate flooring, and more
JUSTRITE www.justritemfg.com
Halogen Moisture Analyzers HE53 &HE73• Provide reliable moisture results within minutes, giving the user maximum control over
the manufacturing processes and optimum product quality• Designed for simplicity for easy usage and maintenance• Offers sample analysis in three easy steps• Use modern halogen drying technology coupled with a high performance weighing unit
to ensure moisture results are accurate and highly repeatable
METTLER TOLEDO www.mt.com/na
LED Illumination Source Lumen 300-LED• Specifically designed to offer broad spectrum LED
white light illumination for fluorescence applications• Fits directly to most microscopes and is simple to
install and use• Controlled by a manual keypad controller, the system
offers instant on/off operation via TTL, manual 0-100% intensity control in 1% increments, and on/off control for each LED
Prior Scientific www.prior.com
67July 2015 Lab Manager
ULT FreezerTSXBooth 3135 & 3564 (AACC 2015)Booth 1114 & 1115 (ACS 2015)
• Features natural refrigerants for lower environmental impact and higher cooling efficiency
• Uses up to 50 percent less energy than conventional refrigerant ultra-low freezers and delivers temperature uniformity that continuously adapts to a laboratory’s environment
• V-Drive technology maintains a uniform temperature whether conditions are stable or during frequent door openings and also helps limit sound output to 46 db(A)
Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com
Piston PumpsLS ClassBooth 4464
• These reliable single-headed, positive displacement piston pumps provide very low pulsation and high accuracy
• Feature micro-stepping motor technology, a proven single-piston pump mechanism, and pressure capability up to 6,000 psi
• Suited to biocompatible separations, semi-prep liquid chromatography, numerous HPLC applications, metering, dispensing, and general laboratory use
• 5 mL/min, 10 mL/min, and 40 mL/min versions available Scientific Systems www.ssihplc.com
technology news
INFORMATICS
Mobile Version of ELNOpenLAB ELNBooth 2435 (AACC 2015)Booth 501 (ACS 2015)
• Now includes desktop, mobile, and cloud capabilities• Gives scientists access to laboratory
data—anytime, anywhere—through the convenience of their mobile devices
• The mobile user interface is built for speed—making it faster and easier for scientists to stay up to date on the latest results, collaborate in real time, and make changes to experiments on the fly
Agilent www.agilent.com
Rotary Vane Pumps GHD-031• This magnetically-coupled, oil-sealed rotary
vane pump does not leak• Operates cleaner than other rotary vane
pumps because it has no rotary shaft seals to wear out
• A built-in check valve at the inlet port prevents oil backflow, eliminating messy cleanups and downtime that contaminate the user’s laboratory or workspace
ULVAC www.ulvac.com
NGS Quality Management System omnomicsQ• Allows users to lay out the metrics that are
used to measure quality• Enables lab professionals to draw up plans that
determine the standards they need to apply to an NGS project
• Also lets users define tests that determine if their project is conforming to the quality specifications laid out in the quality management plan
Euformatics www.euformatics.com
ULT Microreactor ChipsAsiaBooth 615
• Ultra-low temperature three-input microreac-tor chips offer fast, reproducible mixing, rapid heat transfer, and minimized back pressure
• Designed to complement the Asia Cryo Controller module
• Chemically resistant, transparent, and robust• Especially suited for solution phase flow reactions at
temperatures ranging from -100 to +250°C and pressures up to 20 bar• Available in two volumes—62.5 and 250 µl Syrris http://syrris.com
Benchtop Freeze Dryers LyoBeta Mini• This compact version of the LyoBeta twin-vessel pi-
lot-scale freeze dryer is specifically designed for small scale formulation, research, and development work
• Offers the flexibility, performance, and small footprint required in a laboratory unit
• Features a twin-vessel configuration, with an external condenser that has a capacity of 6 Kg, separately located from the product chamber
TELSTAR www.telstar.com
68 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
Flow CytometerAQUIOS CLBooth 521 & 2409
• Recently received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the clinical laboratory
• Designed specifically for the lean laboratory, operating 24/7 and requiring automated systems which improve workflow, enhance quality, and deliver a consistent turnaround time
• Easy to operate with integrated automated sample preparation• Delivers first results within 20 minutes for routine applications Beckman Coulter ww.beckmancoulter.com
LIFE SCIENCE
technology news
LAB AUTOMATION
Microplate Washer DispenserEL406™• Offers automated and reliable reagent dispensing and microplate washing for a variety of
assays, including cell fixation and staining prior to imaging, and much more• Features up to three independent reagent dispensers
and 96-, 384-, and 1,536-well washing• Integration to the available BioStack™ offers walkaway
automation for higher throughput requirements BioTek www.biotek.com
Automated SPE-LC Autosampler HT4000E• Combines both SPE automation and HPLC autosampler capability
in a single unit• Can fully automate all the SPE steps (including cartridge conditioning and activation,
sample loading, cartridge washing, analyte elution, and cartridge drying)• Constant flow technology eliminates the SPE cartridge lot-to-lot reproducibility
issue that is typical of systems based on constant pressure technology
HTA www.hta-it.com
Cryogenic Sample Management System BioStore™ III Cryo• Introduces automation to the largest segment of bio-samples being
stored, which currently relies on manual cryo storage systems• Incorporates sample monitoring, tracking, and inventory control
with the industry’s standard cryo storage vessel• Can access virtually any type of sample within a cryobox format
and retrieve a box of samples in less than 60 seconds• Maintains stored samples at below -135° C
Brooks Automation www.brooks.com
Cell SorterS3e™Booth 2235 (AACC 2015)Booth 210 (ACS 2015)
• Incorporates the fluorescence wavelengths commonly used by immunologists (488/640 nm)
• Offers a hands-free startup sequence that automatically aligns the stream to optics and optimizes the droplet/side stream
• Ability to prevent tubes from running dry or overfilling ensures that precious sample is never lost
• Allows scientists to use one or two lasers and up to four detectors to sort two defined populations simultaneously
Bio-Rad www.bio-rad.com
Nucleic Acid & Protein Purification SystemKingFisher Duo PrimeBooth 3135 & 3564 (AACC 2015)Booth 1114 & 1115 (ACS 2015)
• Built-in UV lamp delivers easy and effective decontamination• Bar-code reader allows users to track samples directly
in the internal software• Open platform allows researchers to optimize their workflow• Automated magnetic bead technology is designed to
enable reproducibility of each assay run from researcher to researcher and day to day
• Includes additional language options for easier operation around the globe Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com
Atmospheric Control Unit Update• Now entirely integrated into the reader control software• Allows carbon dioxide and oxygen regulation
to be easily managed via the intuitive and easy to understand user interface
• Displays measurement results and gas concentrations curves together over time
• Designed for the CLARIOstar® multimode microplate reader
BMG LABTECH www.bmglabtech.com
Programmable Microinjection DeviceNanoject IIIBooth 4460
• Features user-friendly touchscreen operation which enables a wide range of programmed injection applications
• Injection system is comprised of proven hydraulic technology to ensure consistent injection volumes
• High-precision system also offers easy micropipet attachment with no O-rings required Drummond Scientific www.drummondsci.com
‘GHS’ Compliant Durable Label RangeCILS-8100GHS• Can resist solvents, chemicals, abrasion,
weathering, and extreme temperatures (-196°C to +388°C)
• Suited for laboratory applications including waste/chemical containers as well as other difficult-to-bond surfaces
• Feature a unique pre-printed solvent-resistant coating, allowing users to add and print variable data in-house and on-demand straight from a standard laser or thermal transfer printer
CILS International www.cils-international.com
technology news
SUPPLIES & CONSUMABLES
Gene Expression Research AssaysTaqManBooth 3135 & 3564 (AACC 2015)Booth 1114 & 1115 (ACS 2015)
• Designed to detect fusion transcripts using real-time PCR• Performance guaranteed for all pre-designed assays• Consist of a single tube, which contains a probe,
forward primer, and reverse primer for each target for use in the simple, fast PCR workflow
• Use universal cycling conditions—can run any combination of assays in parallel on a single real-time PCR instrument
Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com
Solid Phase Extraction Products• Range of products enable optimized Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) of polar compounds• Includes a new C18 silica packed Microlute™ plate, vacuum
manifolds, collection plates, and solvent evaporators• Designed to streamline sample preparation• New C18 Microlute plate offers good separation
of a wide range of polar compounds which are not attracted to the C18 tail
Porvair Sciences www.porvair-sciences.com
LabCozyLA B ORATORY HA M M OCKS
O R D E R N O W !1 - 888- I - M- COZY
Research suggests that being comfortable leads to improved performance, higher levels of focus, and increased attention to detail. Simply said, produc-tivity and comfort go hand-in-hand.
Knowing this, our engineers have designed the world’s fi rst science-grade professional hammock offering the ultimate level of comfort and relax-ation to the laboratory professional.
High Grade Agarose CleverGEL• This environmentally-friendly agarose is suitable
for routine analysis of nucleic acids using standard electrophoretic procedures
• Manufactured by a process which excludes organic solvents harmful to marine life
• In independent testing has been shown to produce a low EEO flow that minimizes diffu-sion so that even the smallest of nucleic acid fragments remains sharp and tightly resolved
Cleaver Scientific www.cleaverscientific.com
70 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
781-761-0119www.andrewalliance.com
BETTER PIPETTING: BETTER DATA, BETTER SCIENCE. With Andrew, you get the best possible science by having accurate and reproducible results.
The Andrew product family is unique in the liquid handling arena: It consists of portable, ready to use companion robots using conventional pipettes that can be used anywhere with little to no training. Weighing only 20 lbs. and with a minimum footprint corresponding to a standard sheet of paper, Andrew can co-exist and work in a standard laboratory environment without a complex installation: on your workbench, under a hood, and even in a refrigerator. The modular working deck allows the user to perform small to complex experiments in which the robot adapts itself to the experiment size (1-10 microplates, 1-150 microtubes, or many other potential configurations). Automation has never been so easy and accessible.
More Accurate Results: Automating pipetting eliminates many potential sources of error resulting in more reliable data. It can be challenging to keep focused during long and highly repetitive protocols. In addition, there is a large amount of variation between pipetting performances at different times of day within the same user and between different users in the same lab. Andrew helps eliminate human varia-tion and fatigue which are both common causes for inter-laboratory and intra-laboratory variations. In addition, Andrew is able to deliver CV values of 1% and less across a volume range of 10ul-1000ul providing superior pipetting performance.
Time and Money Saving: Many scientist average 2 hours per day completing liquid handling tasks. Andrew enables lab personnel to use their time more efficiently resulting in immediate increased productivity. In addition to Andrew’s ability to run for hours unattended, there is no need to adopt new consumables as Andrew allows the use of generic commer-cially available products so the lab stays in control of the supply budget. In many cases, Andrew can pay for itself within a year.
Preserve Worker Well-Being: Pipetting requires repetitive movement up to 500 times per day for the average user and could result in Repetitive Motion Syndrome. Holding the pipette in the proper way and depressing the plunger with up to 4kg of force is not natural for the body which can result in pain and injury. Also, working with potentially hazardous materials or samples increases the risk of a lab workers’ exposure and the likelihood of lost time, lost productivity, and health risks. All of
these factors potentially compromise the work-ers’ ability to perform necessary tasks that con-tribute to the success of the lab. Andrew helps the lab and personnel by limiting lost time due to pain injury, and exposure to biohazards.
Enhance Lab Productivity: Andrew Lab, the complimentary software, is extraordinarily easy to learn and use. You can rapidly design a protocol by dragging and dropping plates, tubes, reagents, etc., onto the virtual lab bench. The software creates the protocol reci-pe for you, computes all the amounts of liquids required, and will calculate concentrations for all reagents at any step of the process. The software interface is highly intuitive and easy for lab personnel at all levels of experience to run expertly with little training. The software and system are also very flexible. Whether you have a simple task that needs to be re-peated many times or a complex process that changes each time you run it, Andrew adapts to your needs.
products in action
71July 2015 Lab Manager
For more information visit www.optimaxpn.com
HIGH-PERFORMANCE EXOSOME PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION VIA DENSITY GRADIENT ULTRACENTRIFUGATION AND DYNAMIC LIGHT SCATTERINGFaster, more accurate exosome analysis.Exosomes purification and analyses comprise a fast evolving research area; more than 70% of published research on exosomes has been done within the last six years. Challenges to researchers working with exosomes include setting up density gradients by hand, because it is tedious, time-consuming and subject to user, lab, and method variability. There also is a need for greater accuracy in size and concentration analysis. At the same time, experts in the field have called for the establishment of standard protocols.1 We offer solutions to those challenges through cost-effective, large-scale purification, and fast analysis of exosomes. Specifically, the Biomek 4000 Workstation helps overcome human variables and provides a consistent, repro-ducible, high-throughput method for gradient setup, representing a breakthrough solution to scale-up problems. Optima Ultracentrifugation Series helps researchers maintain reliability between runs, making outcomes highly reproducible. The DelsaMax CORE saves time and cost of TEM analysis for size and concentration.
Although scientists have known about extracel-lular vesicles for decades, only recently have techniques been able to distinguish exosomes from microvesicles and apoptotic bodies. Classification of membrane vesicles— and the most appropriate, and effective protocols for their isolation—continue to be intense areas of investigation. When isolating vesicles, it is crucial to use systems that are able to sep-arate them, to avoid cross-contamination. At the same time, there is a need for increased size and concentration accuracy, as well as enhanced workflow. Exosomes are membrane vesicles (~ 30–120 nm in diameter) released by almost all cell types.2,3 They are freely available in plasma as well as other body
fluids and contain proteins, mRNA and miR-NA, representing the cells they are secreted from.4,5 Exosomes have come into focus as diagnostic as well as therapeutic biomarkers. Additionally, exosomes have been shown to be part of intercellular communication func-tions, with implications toward both anti-tumor and pro-tumor activity.6 Previous work has provided insight to the isolation of exosomes using density gradient ultracentrifugation,2,7 al-though there is an effort to gain more concrete confirmation of the size and concentration after purification.
Beckman Coulter offers products covering the entire exosome workflow using automation, centrifugation and dynamic light scattering (DLS), to purify and analyze exosome samples. The Biomek 4000 Laboratory Automation Workstation helps overcome the human vari-able and provides a consistent, reproducible, high-throughput method for density gradient setup— an elegant solution to scale-up hurdles. Preparative ultracentrifugation helps to maintain reliability between runs and high reproducibil-ity. Importantly, preparative ultracentrifugation, using the Optima MAX-XP and Optima XPN, reaches the g-force necessary for timely sepa-ration of biological macromolecule samples to their isopycnic point in density gradients. The DelsaMax CORE DLS platform is used for size analysis of the fractions, because exosome particles can be: (1) analyzed in solution, (2) with statistical significance, (3) with less cost and time, compared to Electron Microscopy. In-stead of taking several hours to analyze a few hundred particles, the DelsaMax CORE is able to analyze and size thousands of exosomes in one minute.
The entire exosome preparation workflow is outlined below.
References1. Simpson R J and Mathivanan S. Extracellular microvesicles: the
need for internationally recognised nomenclature and stringent
purification criteria. J Proteomics Bioinform. 5: (2012).
2. Van Der Pol E et al. Optical and non-optical methods for detection
and characterization of microparticles and exosomes. Journal of
Thrombosis and Haemostasis. 8.12; 2596–2607: (2010).
3. Simons M and Raposo G. Exosomes—vesicular carriers for
intercellular communication. Current opinion in cell biology. 21.4;
575–581: (2009).
4. Keller S et al. Exosomes: from biogenesis and secretion to biologi-
cal function. Immunology letters. 107.2; 102-108: (2006).
5. Pegtel, Michiel D et al. Functional delivery of viral miRNAs via
exosomes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
107.14; 6328-6333: (2010).
6. Duijvesz D et al. Exosomes as biomarker treasure chests for pros-
tate cancer. European urology. 59.5; 823-831: (2011).
7. Tauro B J et al. Comparison of ultracentrifugation, density gradient
separation, and immunoaffinity capture methods for isolating hu-
man colon cancer cell line LIM1863-derived exosomes. Methods.
56.2; 293-304: (2012).
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products in action
bio-rad.com/TGXgels
TGX STAIN-FREE™ GELSStain-free gel chemistry uses a unique com-pound, which, when activated, reacts with tryptophan residues in the protein sample to emit a fluorescence signal. This allows the quick visualization of proteins without any staining steps. In addition, stain-free gel chemistry makes it possible to use total protein levels as a loading control rather than the housekeeping proteins used in traditional western blotting protocols. This negates the need to strip and reprobe blots and prevents any attendant errors that can be introduced at this step.
Bio-Rad’s TGX Stain-Free Gels use total protein normalization to produce a much greater linear dynamic range for measuring target pro-tein levels (Figure 1). Housekeeping proteins such as β-actin, β-tubulin, or GAPDH are often very abundant in biological samples, which results in their signal being oversaturated com-pared to target proteins. Normalizing results to a total protein measurement corrects this prob-lem, allowing a meaningful comparison even
with low-abundance targets, and leads to far greater quantitative accuracy in measuring the levels of the protein of interest (Figure 2).
Bio-Rad’s V3 Western Workflow™ incorpo-rates stain-free gel chemistry to streamline the western blotting protocol. This improved workflow, summarized below, saves time and increases accuracy and reliability throughout the western blotting process.
1. Separate proteins using TGX Stain-Free Gels in as little as 15 min.
2. Visualize protein separation in 1 min using the ChemiDoc™ Touch Imaging System.
3. Transfer proteins efficiently and uniformly in 3 min using the Trans-Blot® Turbo™ Transfer System.
4. Verify transfer efficiency quickly using the ChemiDoc Touch Imaging System.
5. Validate western blot data by normalization and analysis using the stain-free blot image as the total protein loading control.
73July 2015 Lab Manager
products in action
Cytation™ 5 is a uniquely integrated, configurable system that combines automated digital widefield microscopy with conventional multi-mode microplate detection to provide phenotypic cellular information and well-based quantitative data. With up to 60x magnification, the microscopy module provides high-quality cellular and sub-cellular visualiza-tion in fluorescence, brightfield, H&E and phase contrast channels. The multi-mode detection module features BioTek’s patented Hybrid Tech-nology™, incorporating variable bandwidth monochromator optics and high sensitivity filter-based detection optics for unmatched performance. Temperature control to 65 °C, shaking, available CO2/O2 control and dual reagent injectors optimize conditions for cell-based imaging and detection. Image capture, data collection and powerful image and data analysis are managed with Gen5™ software, specifically designed for uncomplicated pro-cessing of even the most complex assays.
Automated microscopy, specifically live cell microscopy, typically requires complex, expen-sive hardware and software installations that
require a high skill level to operate. BioTek’s Cytation 5 Cell Imaging Multi-Mode reader offers fluorescence, brightfield, H&E and phase contrast imaging in a modular format that can be combined with fluorescence, luminescence, UV-Vis absorbance and laser-based Alpha detection to bridge the gap between cell-based phenotypic data and quantitative data in a single instrument. The imaging module in Cytation 5 uses a 16-bit monochrome camera, 6-position objective turret and a wide range of LED cubes along with filter cubes, with four color channels available for imaging from 2.5x to 60x magnification. Phase contrast imaging from 4x to 40x is an available module.
Many key features in Cytation 5 address key limitations or complaints of current imaging systems available on the market for live cell microscopy. Cytation 5 and its controlling Gen5 software incorporate an ease-of-use for both imaging and image analysis that saves users hours of setup and optimization time. From CO2/O2 and temperature control setup to advanced image analysis and processing steps, all parameters can be defined with just
a few mouse clicks. Image analysis results can then be viewed in intuitive formats, including heat maps, graphs and dose response curves. Image auto-focusing is another key challenge in automated live cell microscopy, especially when debris or dead cells are present in the sample, causing focus failures. Cytation 5’s user- trained autofocus addresses this directly; a user can teach the instrument where the best sample focus plane lies, after which Cytation 5 can consistently and optimally focus by ignoring debris and dead cells that could otherwise divert focus to an incorrect focal plane. This novel autofocus method and other important imaging features, coupled with the available multi-mode detection modules for quantitative data acquisition, make Cytation 5 an essential platform to cell biologists interested in advanc-ing their research capabilities.
www.biotek.com
CYTATION™ 5
74 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
USING MICROWAVE SAMPLE PREP TO DETERMINE TRACE METALS ANALYSIS IN ENVIRONMENTAL MATRICES
Market Demand
Technology
User Interface
Digestion of Environmental Samples Using the Milestone Ethos UP
The Milestone Ethos UPfeaturing the Maxi-44 High Throughput Rotor
Demand for trace metals analysis in the environmen-tal laboratory is growing strongly due to stricter environmental regulations. ICP has previously been the standard for metals analysis, but as demand for lower detection levels grows, labs are experiencing a significant transition to ICP-MS. This transition is placing increased emphasis on the sample prepara-tion method. Traditional sample preparation techniques for environmental matrices include hot block digestion, closed-vessel microwave digestion, and ashing; all which include different challenges. Hot block digestions suffer from long run times, airborne contamination, poor digestion quality, and poor recovery of volatile compounds. Closed-vessel microwave digestion has proven to be an effective alternative with fast, complete digestions, a clean environment, and full recovery of volatile compounds.Closed-vessel microwave digestion is now included in the U.S. EPA official sample preparation methods for most environmental samples.
Ethos UP Technology is Perfectly Designed for the Following Methods:
EPA 3015: Microwave assisted acid digestion of aqueous samples and extracts.EPA 3051: Microwave assisted acid digestion of sediments, sludges, soils and oils.EPA 3052: Microwave assisted acid digestion of siliceous and organically based matrices.
The Milestone Ethos UP matches the main requirements of many environmental labs, thanks to its unique benefits:
• High throughput to increase productivity• Flexibility to digest a variety of matrices• Intuitive software• Industry leading safety
The Milestone Ethos UP is a very flexible and high performing platform used for trace elements and routine analysis in environmental labs. It is available with multiple configurations, such as the SK-15 high pressure rotor and MAXI-44 high throughput rotor. The SK-15 and the MAXI-44 work with the Milestone “vent-and-reseal” technology for controlling and limiting the internal pressure of each vessel.Due to the higher sample capacity, the SK-15 rotor offers 30 - 90% higher productivity than any other high pressure rotor on the market.
SK-15 High Pressure Rotor
The MAXI-44 is a high throughput rotor capable of digesting a large variety of environmental samples. The Maxi-44 rotor is fully controlled by contact-less sensors that directly control the temperature and pressure of each vessel. The Maxi-44 assures maximum safety and digestion quality, while greatly improving throughput for the environmental laboratory.
The SK-15 rotor perfectly matches the environ-mental lab’s needs to determine trace elements, thanks to its capability to digest large sample amounts and its high temperature (300C) and pressure (100 bar) capabilities. The 15 position high-pressure rotor is safely controlled by a direct temperature sensor that consistently controls the digestion temperature during the run, ensuring complete and reproducible digestions of even the most difficult and reactive samples.
MAXI-44 High Throughput Rotor
The terminal runs a completely new user-friendly, icon-driven, multi-language software to provide easy control of the microwave run. The SafeVIEW digital camera allows the chemist to see the video of the entire digestion run in real time.
The Ethos UP is controlled via a compact terminal with an easy to read, full - colour, touchscreen display.
25 Controls Dr. Shelton, CT [email protected]
MILESTONE www.milestonesci.com
The Milestone Ethos UP Connect is a complimentary iPad tool and it contains a library of applications and other resources to help you with new environmental projects.
products in action
75July 2015 Lab Manager
by Beth Mettlach, LEED Green Assoc., CSI, CDTLabconco [email protected]
PROTECTOR® ECHO™ FILTERED FUME HOODLabconco Corporation has combined its pat-
ented fully-featured Protector Hood design with
Erlab’s GreenFumeHood (GFH) Technology to
deliver a multi-use fume hood that requires no
ducting. The Protector Echo delivers safety, en-
ergy savings, and adaptability to ever-chang-
ing laboratory spaces.
The demand for filtered fume hoods is increas-
ing every year due to rising energy costs com-
bined with safety requirements of a laboratory.
The Protector Echo fulfills both of these needs
using Labconco’s tried-and-true containment
features alongside the GreenFumeHood* tech-
nology using Neutrodine* filtration by Erlab*.
The Protector Echo is an intelligent fume hood
that creates an environment where lab associ-
ates can feel safe working.
Safety benefits of the Protector Echo include
controlled access to specified users via Radio
Frequency Identification (RFID) cards, compre-
hensive sensor packages, secondary filtration,
and gGuard* communication software.
Unauthorized personnel are prevented from op-
erating or changing preferences on the fume
hood. For example, the User card allows the
fume hood operator to only turn on the blow-
er and lights. When a maintenance schedule
is required, there is a Maintenance card for
the facilities manager to update settings on
the fume hood. There is also an Administration
card when a teacher or supervisor needs to
change settings. While the fume hood is op-
erated by each user, the data is collected and
stored, showing who used the fume hood and
at what time — a chain of custody.
The comprehensive sensor package monitors
more than just a filter breakthrough. There is
a temperature, acid, solvent, and laboratory
air quality sensor included with the technolo-
gy. This package allows the hood to be used
with a broader range of chemicals than other
filtered hoods. If the lab air quality sensor de-
tects a spill inside the lab and outside the hood,
it will raise an alarm.
Safety is of utmost importance, so the Echo
has secondary filters located above the sensor
package allowing for filter breakthrough and
ensuring safe conditions within the lab. When
the filter senses chemical breakthrough, an
audible alert indicates that replacement filters
should be ordered; however, the secondary
filter allows some time between the alert sound-
ing and the receipt of new filters. The user can
continue their process without concern about
chemical breakthrough since the secondary fil-
ters are identical to the primary filters.
The gGuard communication software is a
powerful accessory that pairs with the Echo to
provide monitoring statistics for the laboratory
building management personnel. This software
gives access to the following safety information
and updates: usage authorization, filter usage,
filter saturation detection, filter identification us-
ing the RFID tags on the filters, sash position,
blower speed, pollution of the laboratory air,
and the temperature inside the fume hood.
The Protector Echo Filtered Fume Hood provides
a safe, energy-efficient solution for a broad
range of general chemistry fume hood applica-
tions. For further information, please call 800-
821-5525 or visit www.labconco.com.
* Registered trademark of Erlab
products in action
LabManager.com76 Lab Manager July 2015
products in action
us.panasonic-healthcare.com
RETHINK CELL GROWTH
Article Courtesy of Panasonic Healthcare
In today’s era of cell culture experimentation and production, scientists rely on a tightly controlled, decontaminated environment within their CO2 incubators to precisely simulate the in vivo conditions from which mammalian cells originate. While designing the Panasonic cel-lIQTM CO2 incubator, we implemented cutting edge technology to address key concerns and provide effective solutions for problems during daily culturing operations. The cellIQTM was designed with your experiments in mind, so that precision of our incubator ensures precision in your data.
Panasonic’s cellIQTM CO2 incubator provides superior usability, rapid cleaning and effortless maintenance, while upholding environmental stability and reliable performance. Equipped with touch-screen control, the cellIQTM CO2 incubator is ideal for culturing applications that use high-value tissues and sensitive cell lines
Faster CO2 Recovery using Dual Detector IR2 Sensor Technology
Every IR sensor relies on the principal that gas will absorb light at a specific frequency. CO2 molecules absorb light at 4.3μm, which is in the infrared band of the light spectrum. Unlike conventional IR sensors, the Panasonic designed single beam, dual detector infrared (IR2) CO2 sensor contains a second reference sensor that absorbs light at 4.0μm, allowing the CO2 sensor to be calibrated by reading the reference source. This design provides a drastic advantage over conventional IRs and other CO2 sensor types, whose accuracy is compromised by the humidity in the incubator. With the Panasonic IR2 technology, CO2 within the incubator chamber is recovered at a high speed, even after door openings.
Optimum Contamination Control with Minimal Downtime
In the cellIQTM, we have developed a way to allow scientists to decontaminate their incubator’s interior and eliminate incoming
microorganisms while continuing their cell cul-ture processes safely. After door openings, the SafeCell UV light is automatically activated, effectively destroying airborne contaminants while not exposing active cultures. Addition-ally, the Sterisonic® H2O2 Decontamination Technology utilizes in situ H2O2 vaporization in harmony with the SafeCell UV light to erad-icate any contamination within a three-hour protocol.
Condensation Control with Unique Condensation Management System
An incubator’s natural humidity often results in unwanted condensate on all areas of the incu-bator, providing both a nuisance to scientists and a potential microorganism contaminant source. To prevent this occurrence, Panasonic has implemented a “dew stick” that draws the condensation from all areas of the incubator chamber onto the antimicrobial-coated stick. The dew stick reacts to ambient conditions outside the incubator by adjusting its tempera-ture, in order to draw in condensate droplets. These droplets are then decontaminated by the SafeCell UV light and harmlessly drop back into the humidifying pan.
To learn more, visit us at: us.panasonic-healthcare.com.cellIQ is a trademark of Panasonic Healthcare.Sterisonic is a registered trademark of Panasonic Healthcare.
77July 2015 Lab Manager
products in action
ruro.com
RURO’s FreezerPro®
Is RFID Better than Barcodes?
RFID tags and barcodes both contain informa-tion for identification and tracking.
However, RFID tags function better in many environments. RFID only requires the tagged item to be within proximity (typically ~20 feet), in contrast to barcode readers that require line of sight to scan. Second, RFID allows reading the contents of closed containers. Third, RFID functions better in adverse environments. The presence of frost, ice, or liquid can prevent barcode scanners from reading. Radio frequency signals are less susceptible to these effects and RFID tags are able to function in many types of acid, liquid nitrogen, auto-claves, and other challenging environments.
A Complete Solution
RURO’s RFID-enabled asset tracking system includes all required components:
• RFID printer/coder to print labels
• RFID reader to query tag data
• Antennas to associate scanned tags to a configured task
• RFID labels
• Software to generate the RFID numbers, and record and store data
RURO, Inc. has deployed RFID-enabled solu-tions for many applications. One of the most common is frozen sample tracking utilizing our FreezerPro® software to automate sample
check-in/check-out of individual vials or whole boxes of vials simply by passing the assets over an RFID antenna. Multiple antennas can be used and programmed for separate tasks such as check-in, check-out, monitor, audit, and remove from inventory, among others. RFID hardware can be strategically placed within a facility at the lab bench, discreetly above ceiling panels, or even underneath lab benches to maximize space.
A Diversity of Applications
RURO’s highly configurable RFID-enabled tracking solutions can be used in a wide range of industries. For example, in healthcare or a laboratory, RFID tags can be used to track and secure biosamples, costly or critical hospital assets, stock levels, drug trays and contents, scrubs, authorized personnel, and laboratory animals or cages. In manufactur-ing, RFID tags can be applied to trace any materials, provide quick and reliable invento-ry/audit records, track finished goods, track tools or equipment, and to verify shipping or distribution accuracy, among other applica-tions. The system is suitable for any applica-tion that requires tracking and inventory tasks.
Benefits of RFID
In addition to eliminating some of the physical challenges to using barcode scanners, RFID solutions also eliminate errors through auto-mation. Automated sample tracking reduces errors associated with manual data entry or
re-entry. RFID solutions also increase efficiency. Automated sample tracking, monitoring, and reporting eliminate the need for personnel to perform these tasks, freeing them to perform higher-level functions. Finally, RFID tags store much more data. Memory varies by tag but is typically ~512 bytes. Some tags can store up to 32k, although they are larger and unsuitable for lab applications.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a method of determining the identity of an item using radio frequency communication. RURO’s FreezerPro® RFID edition software creates a unique ID number for each laboratory vial (or box, or freezer) and associates the number with sample information and location. An RFID coder is used to imprint the ID number on an RFID microchip affixed to a vial, box, freezer, or other asset. The RFID number and all information associated with the tracked item can be retrieved using an RFID reader. More important, the signal from RFID tags can be detected remotely. This allows users to obtain asset location data without opening a box or other container.
78 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
The new SPECTRO ARCOS analyzer rep-resents a new pinnacle of productivity and performance for inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometers. It’s a worthy successor to previous industry-leading ARCOS models — and the capstone to more than 30 years of SPECTRO experience in producing the world’s leading ICP-OES instruments. The ARCOS design ensures exceptionally low op-erating costs over a long, reliable service life. It packs a modern, ergonomic chassis with prov-en features such as no-purge UV-PLUS sealed gas purification technology, no-external-cooling OPI-Air interface, simplified sample introduc-tion, and easy accessibility for service and maintenance. Best of all, SPECTRO ARCOS delivers unmatched optical performance, with its recently unveiled MultiView technology.
MULTIVIEW MAKES IT TWO INSTRUMENTS IN ONEThe new SPECTRO ARCOS with MultiView technology eliminates plasma-viewing compro-mises and revolutionizes spectrometer design. ARCOS provides uncompromised axial-view and radial-view plasma observation in a single
instrument because MultiView is truly axial, truly radial, and totally radical. The periscope-free design means operators now can literally “turn” a radial-view instrument into an axial-view device, or vice-versa – in 90 seconds or less! Users get full axial sensitivity and full radial precision — with no dual-view compromises. A new white paper in the SPECTRO ARCOS Resource Center explains why the plasma inter-face is so important for analytical results.
ENGINEERED TO PROVIDE THE LOWEST COST OF OWNERSHIPEliminates costly gas purging
Innovative SPECTRO ARCOS eliminates the waste and expense required by conventional instruments that must consume and purge gas on a constant basis. Its unique sealed,
no-purge optical technology saves thousands of dollars each year – about $3,800 per year – versus ordinary spectrometers. That’s because its UV-PLUS sealed optical system is permanently argon-filled. ARCOS re-circulates gas through a small cleaning cartridge that typically will last for up to 2 years. Users can start and stop the instrument at will and the result is highly stable analysis and excellent low UV performance without purge waiting or delays at startup.
Eliminates costly, complicated, external cooling
Plasmas generate quite a bit of heat and tradi-tional ICP-OES instruments require an external cooling system. These water-based chillers are expensive, complicated and can represent a significant headache. They’re prone to internal leaks, which can cause corrosion and failure of expensive instrument components and few chillers outlast their spectrometers. A separate chiller purchase may total as much as $5000. And energy costs, for this power-hungry component, can boost utility bills for the life of the instrument. SPECTRO ARCOS integrates innovative, patented air-cooling technology that’s very simple in conception. The instrument generates inherently less need for cooling than conventional designs so it saves the cost of the chiller, higher continuing energy costs, and it eliminates leaks and corrosion while reducing maintenance and downtime.
There’s much to learn about this amazing new instrument. Visit the SPECTRO ARCOS Resource Center for white papers, webinars, product brochures and more.
THE NEW SPECTRO ARCOSICP-OES FOR THE MOST DEMANDING ELEMENTAL ANALYSES IN INDUSTRY AND RESEARCH
SPECTRO Analytical Instruments Inc.91 McKee Drive, Mahwah, NJ 07430 USA+1.800.548.5809 | www.spectro.com
products in action
79July 2015 Lab Manager
STARLINE PLUG-IN RACEWAY®
STARLINE Plug-In Raceway® is the next gener-ation in raceway systems created to meet the ever-changing power distribution and datacom needs of retail, labs, data center, and higher education customers.
STARLINE’s innovative design offers a flexibility that no other product on the market offers – the ability to add or relocate plug-in modules anywhere on the raceway quickly and easily, eliminating the time needed to reconfigure circuits, receptacles and wiring. Insulated copper bus bars are prein-stalled in the raceway sections. With STARLINE Plug-In Raceway, you simply snap the pre-assem-bled plug-in modules into place on the raceway backplane and the connection to power is made automatically without having to interrupt power.
STARLINE Plug-In Raceway not only offers flexibility and low cost of ownership, additional benefits are:
• Reliability – If you know the name STAR-LINE, you know that reliability is the backbone design criteria for all of our systems. This system is tested to meet NEC and UL standards and has the ETL mark. Joints and plug-in units require no maintenance.
• Aesthetically appealing – The electrical raceway is built with a smooth aluminum finish and its compact design requires minimal
space. STARLINE Plug-In Raceway is available in white, metallic silver, or custom colors are also available.
• Re-locatable and Scalable – STARLINE Plug-In Raceway is an investment that allows you to expand, reconfigure or relocate the system anywhere you need power—improving your ability to meet future changing facility needs and making it one of today’s most “green” products on the market.
• Reduced Installation Costs – STARLINE Plug-In Raceway makes installation quick and easy, and lowers costs because it takes about one third less time to install so labor costs are cut dramatically. Also, the modules are so easy to install, that an electrician is not needed.
• Safety and Convenience – Allows the user to avoid large panel boards in a remote location and has greater flexibility without the confusion of determining what breaker corresponds to which outlet.
STARLINE Plug-In Raceway Common Applications:
• Labs - Designed to provide reliability, STAR-LINE Plug-In Raceway helps labs and hospitals run at peak efficiency. And the flexibility of STARLINE Plug-In Raceway allows you to meet the constant changes a lab presents.
• Higher Education - STARLINE Plug-In Race-way has a role in facilities all over campus, from cafeterias, labs and vo-tech classrooms, to stadiums, auditoriums and theaters.
• Healthcare – The flexibility of the Plug-In Raceway product, as well as the circuit protec-tion each plug-in unit provides, makes it ideal for healthcare environments.
• Data Centers – Downtime at data centers can be costly. That’s why STARLINE Plug-In Raceway is preferred at Data Centers and Mission Critical Facilities that need the ability to add power, without shutting off power.
To find out if STARLINE Plug-In Raceway is the right fit for your facility, visit www.starlinepower.com/raceway.
www.starlinepower.com/raceway
products in action
80 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.comSonntek Ad_3.25x2.indd 1 2014-10-14 11:25 AM
PRO
FILE
S
DID YOU NOTICE AN AD IN THIS MONTH’S ISSUE THAT SEEMED UNUSUAL OR UNBELIEVABLE? IF NOT, YOU MAY WANT TO LOOK AGAIN. SOMEWHERE IN THIS ISSUE IS A HIDDEN FAKE AD. IF YOU FIND IT, SEND THE NAME OF OUR FICTITIOUS COMPANY TO [email protected] FOR A CHANCE TO WIN AN AMAZON GIFT CARD.
PLACE YOUR PRODUCT PROFILE AD TODAY!REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, ENGAGE YOUR BRAND, AND OPTIMIZE YOUR ADVERTISING IMPACT.Deliver your message and position your products and brand in front of more buyers and key decision-makers in print and online than any other resource available today.
For more information visit www.labmanger.com
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DID YOU FIND OUR FAKE AD?
Accurate density determination is critical in laboratory research. Combine Adam Equipment’s density kit with the Nimbus balance, and tasks become reliably precise and easy.
The Nimbus guides users through the weighing process, while software automatically calculates density. Nimbus offers readabilities from 0.1mg to 0.1g and capacities from 80g to 22kg, with USB and RS-232 interfaces to facilitate data transfer.
For more information on the company and its products, visit www.adamequipment.com.
Contact: Adam Equipment Inc.www.adamequipment.com
NIMBUS AND DENSITY KIT BOOST EFFICIENCY IN DENSITY TESTING
81July 2015 Lab Manager
PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT MARKETPLACE
ADVERTISER INDEXCompany URL Page
Adam Equipment Inc. www.adamequipment.com 29,80
Anton Paar www.anton-paar.com 20
Beckman Coulter www.avanticentrifuge.com 7
Bio-Rad Life Science Group www.bio-rad.com 55
BioTek Instruments, Inc. www.biotek.com 2
Brookfield Engineering www.belusa.com 14
Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science www.csmls.org 24
CEM www.cem.com 23
CONCOA www.concoa.com 48
Conquer Scientific ConquerScientific.com 81
ELGA www.elgalabwater.com 27
Eppendorf North America www.eppendorf.com 9
Federal Equipment Company www.fedequip.com 81
IKA Works www.ika.com 32
Justrite Manufacturing www.justritemfg.com 21
Labconco www.labconco.com 51
Company URL Page
Metrohm USA, Inc. www.metrohmusa.com 17,49
Miele, Inc. www.miele-pro.com 25
nora systems www.nora.com 84
NuAire Inc. www.nuaire.com 5
NuAire Inc. www.nuaire.com 83
Ohaus www.ohaus.com 61
Panasonic Healthcare us.panasonic-healthcare.com 3
Sartorius Stedim North America Inc. www.sartorius.com 33
Shimadzu Scientific www.ssi.shimadzu.com 28
Sonntek, Inc. www.sonntek.com 80
SPECTRO Analytical icp-oes.spectro.com/BLUE 11
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. www.thermoscientific.com 57
Universal Electric starlinepower.com 19
Vacuubrand, Inc. www.vacuubrand.com 35
Verder Scientific www.verder-scientific.com 31
WHEATON www.wheaton.com 15
The Advertisers Index is provided as a reader service. Although every attempt has been made to make this index as complete as possible, the accuracy of all listings cannot be guaranteed.
8200 Bessemer Ave., Cleveland, OH 44127
216-271-3500www.fedequip.com [email protected]
Equipment Solutions for Pharmaceutical, Laboratory, and Research Industries
82 Lab Manager July 2015 LabManager.com
ONLINELAB MANAGER
LabManager.com
August 2015-16 Product Resource Guide Our latest Product Resource Guide will feature a new product directory as well as the usual product pages for key categories, bringing you everything you need to get started on buying a particular product. Also new this year are revamped questions to ask when buying a new piece of lab equipment.
1 2 3
1 Opening the Door to ScienceOnce expensive and difficult to use, new technology continues to make even com-plex scientific instruments, such as NMR spectrometers, more affordable and acces-sible to science students. This article, our most popular online exclusive on Facebook in June, discusses the benefits of hands-on time with instruments to students from the elementary school level to the PhD level.
Read more at LabManager.com/science-students
2 Trending on Social Media: UHPLC for Biopharma WorkflowsAs of June 22, Lab Manager’s top June is-sue article posted to Facebook was our Product Focus on UHPLC for biopharma workflows. This article, which discusses the benefits and latest trends in UHPLC for the biopharmaceutical field, had received the most likes and shares on Facebook of any other article from our June issue.
Read more at LabManager.com/UHPLC-biopharma
3 Most Popular WebinarLast month’s top webinar on LabManager.com with 592 registrants was “The Art of Selling Yourself for Success,” presented by Mj Callaway. This presentation shared tips to stand out in a crowd and maximize op-portunities. Though it ran June 3, you can still catch it on demand at the link below.
Read more at LabManager.com/sellingyourself
We look back at our web content since the June issue and look forward to what’s in store for the upcoming August issue.
lab manager online
NuAire, Inc. | 2100 Fernbrook Lane | Plymouth, MN 55447 | 763-553-1270 | www.nuaire.com
NuAire Now Provides Sales and Support of Table Top and Floor Standing Ultracentrifuges in the North American Market.
The Hitachi brand is recognized throughout the world for providing reliable products that we use in our everyday
lives. Hitachi High Speed, Ultracentrifuges, and Micro-ultracentrifuges offer greater capacity and speeds up to
150,000 rpm (1,050,000 xg). Combined with NuAire, we offer the NuAire advantage, a network of sales and
support throughout North America providing guidance, installation assistance,
and support throughout the life of the product.
Visit www2.nuaire.com/06152 to learn about
Hitachi brand of high performance centrifuges
NuAire is Pleased to Offer Hitachi Centrifuges
© Copyright 2015. NuAire, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
NuAire_Hitachi_LabMgr_2015_v1.indd 1 5/13/2015 12:20:12 PM
Pub Lab Manager 8" x 10.75"
You can make a big difference when people listen. Talk to us at www.nora.com/us/stain5
toughest stains found on the job. Spilled liquid. Scuff marks from rolling equipment. Even harsh cleaning chemicals. Safeguard against stains and keep your workplace looking new for years to come.
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