NEW ADVICE FROM MALVERN INSTRUMENTS FOR IMPLEMENTING ON-LINE PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS

A new white paper from Malvern Instruments examines the different strategies open to anyone adopting on-line particle size analysis, providing guidance on its design and implementation and highlighting the economic and practical benefits of selecting an approach best suited to the project in hand. The white paper discusses the choices around project implementation, advises on how to take best advantage of in-house expertise and suggests when to draw on outside help. “Strategies for success: How will you implement on-line particle sizing? Choosing the right approach” is available for download: http://www.malvern.com/true-cost
The proven ability of on-line particle size analysis to transform process control and deliver substantial economic benefit has resulted in its widespread application across the processing industries. For any individual project, the development of a robust proposal includes considerations of how best to implement the work, with a spectrum of possible options. At one end lies the turn-key solution where every aspect of the project is handled by an external supplier, while at the other is the possibility of a hardware only purchase. Typically the installation of on-line particle size analysis involves a number of steps, including: hardware selection; process interface design; automation and integration within an existing control platform; validation; and commissioning and control optimization. Taking each project element in turn, this document looks at when each might be handled internally and, equally importantly, where external support can be especially useful. Case studies are used to illustrate the pros and cons of different implementation strategies for different project scenarios.
www.malvern.com

STUDENT PROOF HEATING BLOCK SYSTEM

Developed in response to widespread demand - Asynt has introduced a new version of its popular DrySyn heating block system for teaching and academic research laboratories. The DrySyn Scholar brings together robustness, low cost, enhanced operator safety features and ease of use - making it the ultimate 'student proof' heating block system. Specifically designed for safety conscious teaching laboratories - the DrySyn Scholar enables single 100ml or 250ml round bottom flask reactions to be performed safely without the mess or inherent hazards of a hot oil bath or heating mantle. Prominent permanently fixed lifting handles ensure moving even hot reaction blocks are easy, fast and safe. Compatible with almost any magnetic hotplate stirrer, the low thermal mass design of the DrySyn Scholar minimises both power consumption and reaction heat-up time.
www.asynt.com/product_view.php?ProductID=142

OPTIMAL DRYING OF AQUEOUS HPLC FRACTIONS

A white paper is available from Genevac that details a high throughput methodology, using its HT Series II centrifugal evaporator, for drying High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) fractions containing water. HPLC purification fractions can be notoriously difficult to dry. The acetonitrile or methanol seems to evaporate easily enough but the water presents more of a challenge. Genevac have developed a multiple stage method to enable HPLC purification fractions to be easily dried in the fastest safe way possible. The HT Series II centrifugal evaporators benefit from Genevac's 20+ years of experience in solvent removal with leading edge features that provide superior sample protection, flexibility for multiple applications, consistency of results, robust build quality, ease-of-use, rapid high-throughput results and low maintenance. Genevac has developed a number of technological innovations on the HT Series II that assist labs looking to efficiently and safely dry aqueous HPLC fractions. These include Dri-Pure® that eliminates the unwanted effects of solvent bumping; SampleGuard® that prevents heat damage to samples while ensuring rapid evaporation and Auto-Defrost & Drain that enables volatile solvents to be collected and safely disposed of. A technical brochure describing the HT Series II Centrifugal Evaporator range in more detail is available at www.genevac.com/en/NewsPg.asp?S=6&V=1&Page=95

ROBUST EVAPORATORS FOR PARALLEL CHEMISTRY

Genevac, world leaders in solvent removal technology, has over 20 years’ experience of designing and supplying robust evaporators that can withstand the rigors of working in a chemical laboratory environment.
Whether working in drug discovery, flavour or fragrance research, organic LED synthesis or academic research, Genevac systems are the ideal tool when faced with evaporating multiple samples in parallel. Genevac evaporators are proven in a wide range of parallel chemistry applications including removal of reaction solvents between stages of a multi-step synthesis and removal of strong acids of bases when changing salt forms. Genevac has developed a special option for their EZ-2 and HT Series II evaporator that provides a high level of resistance to acidic materials including trifluoracetic acid, concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated nitric acid. Genevac evaporators are also the system of choice for removing purification solvents following normal phase, reverse phase or chiral separations. Developed to enable a large volume to be dried directly into a small storage container - Genevac's unique SampleGenie™ technology eliminates the need to reformat samples from a flask into a vial. Reverse phase HPLC fractions may also be safely dried into weighable solids using FastLyo™ technology that is exclusively available on Genevac EZ-2 and HT Series II evaporators. Depending on the number and nature of the samples your laboratory is tasked with handling then one of several Genevac systems may be suitable. The EZ-2 and HT Series II evaporators are designed for working with smaller samples in plates, tubes and vials. When working with large volume samples in flasks – then the ROCKET evaporator is the most suitable, productively concentrating or drying up to six 450ml flasks or 18 ASE tubes in parallel.
www.genevac.com/en/Application.asp?S=10&V=1&Page=87

UCI RESEARCHERS CREATE MOSQUITOES INCAPABLE OF TRANSMITTING MALARIA
Mosquitoes bred to be unable to infect people with the malaria parasite are an attractive approach to helping curb one of the world’s most pressing public health issues, according to UC Irvine scientists.
Anthony James and colleagues from UCI and the Pasteur Institute in Paris have produced a model of the Anopheles stephensi mosquito — a major source of malaria in India and the Middle East — that impairs the development of the malaria parasite. These mosquitoes, in turn, cannot transmit the disease through their bites.
“Our group has made significant advances with the creation of transgenic mosquitoes,” said James, a UCI Distinguished Professor of microbiology & molecular genetics and molecular biology & biochemistry. “But this is the first model of a malaria vector with a genetic modification that can potentially exist in wild populations and be transferred through generations without affecting their fitness.”
More than 40 percent of the world’s population lives in areas where there is a risk of contracting malaria. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, 300 million to 500 million cases of malaria occur each year, and nearly 1 million people die of the disease annually — largely infants, young children and pregnant women, most of them in Africa.
James said one advantage of his group’s method is that it can be applied to the dozens of different mosquito types that harbor and transmit the Plasmodium falciparum parasite, including those in Africa. Study results have appeared in the online version of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The researchers conceived their approach through mouse studies. Mice infected with the human form of malaria create antibodies that kill the parasite. James’ team exploited the molecular components of this mouse immune-system response and engineered genes that could produce the same response in mosquitoes. In their model, antibodies are released in genetically modified mosquitoes that render the parasite harmless to others.
“We see a complete deletion of the infectious version of the malaria parasite,” said James, a member of the National Academy of Sciences. “This blocking process within the insect that carries malaria can help significantly reduce human sickness and death.”
He and his colleagues have pioneered the creation of genetically altered mosquitoes that limit the transmission of dengue fever, malaria and other vector-borne illnesses.
University of California - www.today.uci.edu

POTENTIAL CARBON CAPTURE ROLE FOR NEW CO₂ ABSORBING MATERIAL
A novel porous material that has unique carbon dioxide retention properties has been developed through research led by The University of Nottingham.
The findings, published in the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Nature Materials, form part of ongoing efforts to develop new materials for gas storage applications and could have an impact in the advancement of new carbon capture products for reducing emissions from fossil fuel processes.
It focuses on the metal organic framework NOTT-202a, which has a unique honeycomb-like structural arrangement and can be considered to represent an entirely new class of porous material.
Most importantly, the material structure allows selective adsorption of carbon dioxide — while other gases such as nitrogen, methane and hydrogen can pass back through, the carbon dioxide remains trapped in the materials nanopores, even at low temperatures.
Unique material
Lead researcher Professor Martin Schröder, in the University’s School of Chemistry, said: “The unique defect structure that this new material shows can be correlated directly to its gas adsorption properties. Detailed analyses via structure determination and computational modelling have been critical in determining and rationalising the structure and function of this material.”
The research team — which is included Dr Sihai Yang, Professor Alexander Blake, Professor Neil Champness and Dr Elena Bichoutskaia at Nottingham — collaborated on the project with colleagues at the University of Newcastle and Diamond Light Source and STFC Daresbury Laboratory.
NOTT-202a consists of a tetra-carboxylate ligands — a honeycomb like structure made of a series of molecules or ions bound to a central metal atom — and filled with indium metal centres. This forms a novel structure consisting of two interlocked frameworks.
Innovative solutions
State-of-the-art X-ray powder diffraction measurements at Diamond Light Source and advanced computer modelling were used to probe and gain insight into the unique carbon dioxide capturing properties of the material.
The study has been funded by the ERC Advanced Grant COORDSPACE and by an EPSRC Programme Grant ChemEnSus aimed at applying coordination chemistry to the generation of new multi-functional porous materials that could provide innovative solutions for key issues around environmental and chemical sustainability.
These projects incorporate multi-disciplinary collaborations across chemistry, physics and materials science, and aim to develop new materials that could have application in gas storage, sieving and purification, carbon capture, chemical reactivity and sensing.
The University of Nottingham - http://www.nottingham.ac.uk

ELEMENT 114 IS NAMED FLEROVIUM AND ELEMENT 116 IS NAMED LIVERMORIUM
IUPAC has officially approved the name flerovium, with symbol Fl, for the element of atomic number 114 and the name livermorium, with symbol Lv, for the element of atomic number 116. Priority for the discovery of these elements was assigned, in accordance with the agreed criteria, to the collaboration between the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (Dubna, Russia) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, California, USA). The collaborating team has proposed the names flerovium and livermorium which have now been formally approved by IUPAC.
For the element with atomic number 114 the discoverers proposed the name flerovium and the symbol Fl. This proposal lies within tradition and will honor the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions where superheavy elements are synthesised. Georgiy N. Flerov (1913 – 1990) – was a renowned physicist, author of the discovery of the spontaneous fission of uranium (1940, with Konstantin A. Petrzhak), pioneer in heavy-ion physics, and founder in the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research the Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions (1957). It is an especially appropriate choice because, since 1991 this laboratory in which the element was synthesized, has borne his name. Professor G.N. Flerov is known also for his fundamental work in various fields of physics that resulted in the discovery of new phenomena in properties and interactions of the atomic nuclei; these have played a key role in the establishment and development of many areas of further research. For the element with atomic number 116 the name proposed is livermorium with the symbol Lv. This is again in line with tradition and honors the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (1952). A group of researchers of this Laboratory with the heavy element research group of the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions took part in the work carried out in Dubna on the synthesis of superheavy elements including element 116. Over the years scientists at Livermore have been involved in many areas of nuclear science: the investigation of fission properties of the heaviest elements, including the discovery of bimodal fission, and the study of prompt gamma-rays emitted from fission fragments following fission, the investigation of isomers and isomeric levels in many nuclei and the investigation of the chemical properties of the heaviest elements. The Recommendations will be published in the July issue of the IUPAC journal Pure and Applied Chemistry which is available online at Pure Appl. Chem., 2012, Vol. 84, No. 7 (doi: 10.1351/PAC-REC-11-12-03). Priority of claims to the discovery of the elements of atomic numbers 114 and 116 was determined by a Joint Working Party of independent experts drawn from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) and the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP). The group’s report was published in July 2011, Pure and Appl. Chem., 2011, Vol. 83, No. 7, pp 1485-1498 (doi: 10.1351/PAC-REP-10-05-01). A new Joint Working Party, appointed by the Presidents of IUPAC and IUPAP has begun work to assign priority for the discovery of elements 113, 115, 117, 118 and heavier elements, for which claims may be submitted.
www.iupac.org

DORMANCY OF STEM CELLS ENABLES THEM TO REMAIN VIABLE…MANY DAYS POST MORTEM
Remarkably, skeletal muscle stem cells can survive for seventeen days in humans and sixteen days in mice, post mortem well beyond the 1-2 days currently thought. This discovery was made by researchers from the Institut Pasteur, the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP), and the CNRS under the direction of Professor Fabrice Chrétien, in collaboration with a team led by Professor Shahragim Tajbakhsh. The scientists were also able to show that these stem cells, once back in culture, retained their capacity to differentiate into perfectly functioning muscle cells.
In light of this astonishing result, scientists then sought to characterize these cells to understand how they survive in such adverse conditions. They observed that these cells enter a deeper state of quiescence, drastically lowering their metabolism. This so-called "dormant" state is a result of cellular organization that is stripped to the bare minimum: fewer mitochondria (cellular power plants using oxygen to produce energy in cells) and diminished stores of energy.
“We can compare this to pathological conditions where cells are severely deficient in resources, before regaining a normal cell cycle for regenerating damaged tissues and organs, explains Fabrice Chrétien. When muscle is in the acute phase of a lesion, the distribution of oxygen is highly disrupted. We have even observed that muscle stem cells in anoxia (totally deprived of oxygen) at 4°C have a better survival rate than those regularly exposed to ambient levels of oxygen.”
The team of Fabrice Chrétien then wondered if these results were consistent with other cell types. Tests were then done on stem cells taken from bone marrow where blood cells are produced. These cells remained viable for four days in post mortem mice models, and more importantly, they retained their capacity to reconstitute tissue after a bone marrow transplant.
This discovery could form the basis of a new source, and more importantly new methods of conservation, for stem cells used to treat a number of pathologies. This is the case for leukemia, for example, which requires a bone marrow transplant to restore a patient's blood and immune cells destroyed by chemotherapy and radiation. By harvesting stem cells from the bone marrow of consenting donors post mortem, doctors could address to a certain extent the shortage of tissues and cells. Although highly promising, this approach in the realm of cellular therapy still requires more testing and validation before it can be used in clinical applications. Nevertheless, it paves the way to investigate the viability of stem cells from all tissues and organs post mortem.
Institut Pasteur -  http://www.pasteur.fr

HARLAN LABORATORIES CONTRACT RESEARCH SERVICES (CRS) ASKS COMPANIES TO PLAN AHEAD
Harlan Laboratories Contract Research Services (CRS) is urging companies to plan ahead in order to be able to meet the next REACH registration deadline in May 2013, which applies to all substances produced or imported into Europe between 100 and 1000 tonne per year (tpa). Harlan offers one of the most knowledgeable chemical registration services in Europe, with over 25 years’ experience in worldwide notifications, including more than 20 percent of EU notifications under previous legislation. For REACH, Harlan has already been involved in the registration of more 70 phase-in and non-phase-in substances.
www.harlan.com

FOUR-FLIGHT LABORATORY KNEADER MX 30
The new four-flight Laboratory Kneader MX 30 from the firm of Buss AG has been recently very well received and attracted enormous interest among compound producers. The company explains that it features a 30 mm diameter screw and the Laboratory Kneader MX 30 rounds off the MX Series at the lower end of the performance range. It is rated for outputs of 5 to 25 kg/hour and/or for batch quantities upwards of 300 g and has a maximum screw speed of 800 rpm. Moreover, the temperature control system of the Kneader barrel permits processing temperatures of up to 280°C.
www.busscorp.com

NANOSIGHT WELCOMES PUBLICATION OF GUIDE ON NANOPARTCLE SIZE DISTRIBUTION
NanoSight is delighted to welcome publication of American Society of Testing Materials ASTM E2834 - Standard Guide for Measurement of Particle Size Distribution of Nanomaterials in Suspension by Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). This document details application of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) to measurement of particle size distributions for suspended particles from ~10nm to the onset of sedimentation. Duncan Griffiths, NanoSight's USA West Sales Manager comments: "This document has taken almost three years to develop. It provides a rigorous review of the core science driving Brownian motion and the derived parameters of mean, mode, percentile values and concentration […] We are delighted".
www.nanosight.com

AN INTELLIGENT CLOSED-LOOP FLOW CONTROL
Dolomite has enhanced Mitos P-Pump range with the introduction of intelligent closed-loop Flow Control that provides unparalleled control of flow rates from 70 nl/min to 5 ml/min. The company explains that by connecting a Mitos Flow Rate Sensor in-line between the pump and microfluidic device, users can enter a flow rate target directly on the Mitos P-Pump itself with no need for a PC, moreover featuring quick changeover between flow control and pressure control, users can continue to enjoy the outstanding flow smoothness of the pressure driven Mitos P-Pump, but with even more accurate control over the delivery of picolitre reagent volumes into the system.
www.dolomite-microfluidics.com

CHEMTRIX BV AND ESK CERAMICS GMBH & CO. KG TO COLLABORATE
Chemtrix BV and ESK Ceramics GmbH & Co. KG, a subsidiary of Ceradyne, Inc. have started a promising cooperation. The companies refer that together they will be able to deliver a complete product portfolio of flow chemistry equipment and services which will increase the speed of adoption of this technology in pharmaceutical and fine chemical industry.
www.chemtrix.com

15 PH.D. STUDENTS IN THE CHEMICAL SCIENCES FOR THE 2012 SCIFINDER FUTURE LEADERS IN CHEMISTRY PROGRAM
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) announced (8 June) the selection of 15 Ph.D. students in the chemical sciences for the 2012 SciFinder Future Leaders in Chemistry program. Since 2010, the SciFinder Future Leaders in Chemistry program, formerly the SciFinder Academic Exchange Program, has served as an intensive mini-university where graduate students from around the world exchange ideas and experiences in chemistry and informatics. Participants have the unique opportunity to share their insights on chemical information and learn from their peers at the CAS campus in Columbus, Ohio.
www.cas.org

SYNGENTA HAS PRESENTED SALTIGO GMBH WITH AN AWARD
Syngenta has presented Saltigo GmbH with an award for its commitment and contribution to the partnership between both companies. As Sarah Hansen-Milhau and Mikko Lehtimäki, Syngenta Global Procurement Managers, presented the award, they commended Saltigo’s extraordinary process improvements and highlighted how quickly and efficiently the company was able to implement new product lines.
www.saltigo.com

SIERRA INSTRUMENTS ONLINE STORE
Sierra Instruments has added the BoilerTrak™ 620S and FastFlo™ 620S industrial thermal mass flow meters to its online store. With a wide range of models and in stock units, Sierra has expanded its customer service by offering engineers and end-users an easy online ordering platform and next day delivery of in stock mass flow meters and controllers. Erica Giannini, Marketing Manager refers: “We offer in-stock products with next day delivery for our entire suite of scientific mass flow meters and controls, liquid flow meters, and now light industrial thermal mass flow meters”.
https://sierrainstruments.com/shop/store_front.php

EVOCATAL AND ROHNERCHEM COMBINE THEIR COMPLEMENTARY SERVICES
evocatal and RohnerChem combine their complementary services to offer customers a seamless solution for the development of high-performance biocatalytic processes and their rapid application in the synthesis of fine chemicals and API. The focus of this strategic partnership is to offer highly innovative routes to enantiomerically pure products, to realize the most cost-competitive process for a customer product from the beginning and to reduce commercialization timelines. The preferred but non-exclusive partnership will allow customers to benefit from the synergy of evocatal`s premium services in development and supply of tailored enzymes and RohnerChem`s unique process development and up scaling capabilities.
www.evocatal.com

PEPTISYNTHA AND PEPTIDES INTERNATIONAL FORM GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
Peptisyntha and Peptides International have announced that they have entered into a global partnership for the production of research grade peptide APIs. Key to the partnership is saving time and costs to customers by providing a seamless progression and transfer of technical information from peptide candidate screening through preclinical and clinical development. Dr. Johan Devenyns, Managing Director of Peptisyntha stated: “Providing project continuity at all scales will save our customers time and resources while benefitting from our manufacturing expertise and excellent services”.
www.peptisyntha.com

X-ZYME FAMILY OF NOVEL BIOCATALYSTS
Alfa Aesar is pleased to offer the X-Zyme family of novel biocatalysts that complement the synthetic capabilities of our current offerings. The company explains that these enzyme kits are valuable resources for the fast development and establishment of asymmetric reduction processes. Alfa Aesar’s new additions include 11 enzyme kits designed to help screen and identify reaction conditions for chiral synthesis.
www.alfa.com

DSX500 OPTO-DIGITAL MICROSCOPE BY OLYMPUS
Olympus displayed the DSX500 opto-digital microscope at EUSPEN (European Society for Precision Engineering and Nanotechnology). The complete DSX series is comprised of three different models: the DSX100 free-angle wide zoom microscope, the DSX500 high resolution upright microscope and the DSX500i high resolution inverted microscope, meeting the needs of applications across R&D and quality control. Combining ease of use via the simple touch-screen image selection, with advanced imaging functionality for 2D and 3D measurements, the DSX series allows users to obtain accurate results, regardless of their level of expertise.
www.olympus-ims.com

WWW.ANALYTIK-JENA.DE: THE ONLINE PRESENCE OF ANALYTIK JENA AG
The online presence of Analytik Jena AG at www.analytik-jena.de now features a completely new, structured design with improved functions and substantially revised content. The website is based on the flexible open source platform TYPO3. The website is bilingual at present, but in a few weeks 6 languages will be available. It focuses on the two business sectors Analytical Instrumentation and Life Science operating under the Analytik Jena trademark with their broad product and service portfolios. Partner of the relaunch is mellowmessage GmbH based in Leipzig, Germany. Mellowmessage is an internet agency specializing in TYPO3 and mainly working for worldwide operating B2B enterprises.
www.analytik-jena.com

CATALENT PHARMA SOLUTIONS, INC. AND BEND RESEARCH INC.
Catalent Pharma Solutions, Inc. and Bend Research Inc. have entered into an agreement to provide integrated solutions for pharmaceutical companies seeking to develop and manufacture specialized multiparticulate oral controlled-release products. Under the agreement, Bend Research and Catalent will provide an integrated approach to bring complex controlled-release products to market faster and more efficiently with optimal therapeutic and release profiles. Rod Ray, CEO of Bend Research refers: “This partnership with Catalent will provide an efficient pathway for these medicines from early development through commercialization. We believe that Catalent's breadth of services and demonstrated success in bringing controlled-release products to market, as well as supplying them globally, makes them an ideal complement to our development strengths”.
www.catalent.com

CODEXIS, INC. HAS ANNOUNCED IT HAS BEEN AWARDED THE ANNUAL PRESIDENTIAL GREEN CHEMISTRY CHALLENGE AWARD
Codexis, Inc. has announced it has been awarded the annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the development of an efficient biocatalytic process to manufacture simvastatin, a leading drug for treating high cholesterol. This marks the third time in seven years that Codexis has been honoured with this award: Codexis was a recipient in 2006 and 2010.
www.codexis.com

NEW HIRES AND RELOCATION FOR AMRI
AMRI has announced the hiring of two experts in medicinal and computational chemistry at its research centre located in Hyderabad, India (HRC). Simultaneously, the company announced the completion of the relocation of custom library synthesis resources and capabilities to HRC from the Company’s Budapest, Hungary operations. The new hires and relocation of resources provide additional flexibility to enhance productivity and client service for AMRI’s global drug discovery operations, which draw upon a broad spectrum of service capabilities from multiple sites.
www.amriglobal.com

GROUP SARTORIUS OFFICIALLY OPENED A NEW BUILDING
Group Sartorius officially opened a new building for the manufacture of filters and single-use bags for biopharmaceutical applications at its Yauco, Puerto Rico site. The new building was officially dedicated in the presence of the governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño, the Secretary of the Economic Development and Commerce Department, José Pérez-Riera, as well as numerous guests from the local political and business community. By the end of the year, bag manufacturing operations will be moved from their present site in Concord, California, to Yauco, Puerto Rico. There, Sartorius added about 120 new employees and thus nearly doubled its workforce. The Concord site is due to close by the end of 2012.
www.sartorius.com