RETROFITTED PROTEIN OPENS DOOR FOR SAFER GENE THERAPY
A protein engineered by researchers at KU Leuven combining proteins active in HIV and Moloney murine leukaemia virus (MLV) replication may lead to safer, more effective retroviral gene therapy.
Gene therapy involves inserting healthy genetic material into a diseased cell. Using a carrier derived from a retrovirus, the genetic material is smuggled into a human cell where, once inside, it integrates itself into the cell’s DNA. But gene therapy is not without risks. If integrated too near a carcinogenic gene, the newly introduced genetic material can also induce disease-causing mutations.
In gene therapy, the delivery vehicle is not the retrovirus itself, but a viral vector: a derivative form of the retrovirus that retains its proteins but not its DNA. One of the most widely used viral vectors is derived from MLV. But this particular virus-borne carrier is both a weapon and a risk. It can cure disease but, if inscribed in the wrong place in a cell’s DNA, it can also cause leukaemia.
A separate protein, which plays a role in HIV, does not have that problem. It only integrates itself in ‘safe’ places in the host cell’s DNA.
The researchers put one and two together to create a safer viral vector: “We developed a fused protein with the head of the protein that HIV uses and the tail of the protein that MLV uses,” Dr. Rik Gijsbers explains.
Writing in Cell Reports, the researchers say their retrofitted retroviral vector works: “Our experiments with cell cultures show that in the presence of this protein, the viral vector always inscribes itself in a safe place, just as it does in the HIV virus,” says Dr. Gijsbers.

Serious setback
Several years ago, scientists successfully used viral vectors derived from MLV to treat a congenital immune system abnormality in children. Some of these children later developed leukaemia. “In these cases, the viral vector embedded itself near a carcinogenic gene,” explains Professor Zeger Debyser, the corresponding author. “This disrupts the gene and leads to a higher leukaemia risk – a serious setback for gene therapy. It put a heavy damper on gene therapy’s future development.”
Until recently, it was not known how or why retroviruses inscribed themselves near cancer genes. Research by the Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy research group at KU Leuven sheds new light on this enigma. Their previous research into HIV proved essential, says Dr. Jan De Rijck: “In 2003, we discovered that HIV uses a particular protein as an anchor to embed itself into the host cell. We asked ourselves whether MLV used a different protein in a similar way, and that was indeed the case. The BET (bromodomain and extraterminal, eds.) proteins we found are the anchors of MLV.” This discovery led the KU Leuven researchers to develop the fusion protein.
Though the initial results are promising, more research is needed to refine them, says Dr. Gijsbers. “But this definitely opens new avenues in the search for a new generation of safe viral vectors in gene therapy, particularly for various blood diseases.”
University of Leuven

NTU SCIENTISTS DISCOVER POTENTIAL VACCINE FOR MALARIA
Scientists from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have discovered a key process during the invasion of the blood cell by the Malaria parasite, and more importantly, found a way to block this invasion.
With this new knowledge, NTU is looking to collaborate with the industry on a vaccine against Malaria which can be developed within the next five years if accelerated by vaccine development companies, says lead scientist Professor Peter Preiser.
Prof Preiser, Chair of NTU’s School of Biological Sciences, said his team’s scientific breakthrough, which was published last month in the top scientific journal Nature Communications, will be instrumental in paving the way towards eradicating Malaria in the long run.
According to the World Health Organisation, about 3.3 billion people – half of the world's population – are at risk of Malaria. This mosquito-borne disease causes fever and headache and in serious cases, can cause a patient to go into a coma or result in death. The disease infected about 219 million people in 2010, and kills around 860,000 people worldwide annually.
If there can be a low-cost vaccine which is effective in rendering the parasite harmless, then millions of lives can be saved and this will also benefit the economy by millions of dollars each year, says Prof Preiser.
“What we have identified is a region of the Malaria parasite which it uses to attach to a healthy blood cell then pushes itself into the cell,” says the parasitic diseases expert.
“To prevent this invasion, we developed antibodies which can interfere with this invasion process.
So imagine the parasite has the key to unlock a door to the red blood cell, but we muck the key up, so no matter how hard the parasite tries, the door just refuses to open.”
The patented discovery also opens the doors to new drug targets, which will allow scientists to develop more methods to interfere and disrupt the parasite’s act of invasion.
Prof Preiser’s research team of six from NTU’s School of Biological Sciences includes a post-doctoral researcher, three doctoral students and one undergraduate student.
They spent five years on this study. This research outcome was made possible with the development of a new screening assay that allows the rapid characterization of parasite signalling, which is significantly faster than conventional methods.
The newly invented technique utilises a high-throughput fluorescence scanning approach – if antibodies or drugs fail to prevent the invasion of the red blood cell by the malaria parasites, the sample will light up. If the antibodies work, then the sample remains dark. This allows for rapid characterisation of thousands of compounds as well as antibodies for their ability to interfere with the invasion process.
The discovery is an important contribution to the University’s research effort in Future Healthcare, which is one of NTU’s Five Peaks of Excellence – interdisciplinary research areas in which the university aims to make a global mark. The other four peaks include Sustainable Earth, New Media, the East-West knowledge hub and Innovation.
Besides ground-breaking research, NTU has had remarkable success translating its research into innovative applications. Most recently ranked 41st globally by higher education information provider Quacquarelli Symonds, NTU was also ranked No. 1 in the world for industry income and innovation by Times Higher Education.
Moving forward, the NTU team will be using their new technique to identify other antibodies which can target the different components of the Malaria parasite, and potentially lead to future treatment and vaccine breakthroughs for the fatal Malaria disease. They are also looking to collaborate with industry partners to develop new vaccines based on their latest discoveries.
Nanyang Technological University

ALZHEIMER-SUBSTANCE MAY BE THE NANOMATERIAL OF TOMORROW
It causes brain diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s disease. It is also hard and rigid as steel. Now research at Chalmers University of Technology shows that the amyloid protein carries unique characteristics that may lead to the development of new composite materials for nano processors and data storage of tomorrow and even make objects invisible.
Piotr Hanczyc, PhD student at the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, shows in an article in Nature Photonics, that the amyloid, a very dense aggregate of protein that causes brain diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, carries unique characteristics. Unlike well-functioning protein the amyloid reacts upon multi photon laser irradiation. This laser may in the future possibly be used for detection of amyloids inside a human brain. This discovery is in itself a breakthrough.
But you can also create these aggregates in an artificial way in a laboratory and in combination with other materials create unique characteristics, Piotr Hanczyc says.
The amyloid aggregates are as hard and rigid as steel. The difference is that steel is much heavier and has defined material properties whereas amyloids can be tuned for desired purpose. By attaching a material’s molecules to the dense amyloid its characteristics change. This has been known for more than ten years and is already used by scientists.
What hasn’t been known is that the amyloids react to multi-photon irradiation and this opens up new possibilities to also change the nature of the material attached to the amyloids, Piotr Hanczyc says.
The amyloids are shaped like discs densely piled upon each other. When a material gets merged with these discs its molecules end up so densely and regularly that they can communicate and exchange information. This means totally new possibilities to change a material’s characteristics.
Multi-photon tests on materials tied to amyloids are yet to be performed, but Piotr sees an opportunity for cooperation with Chalmers material science researchers interested for example in solar cell technology. 
And though it may still be science fiction, he also considers that one day scientists may use the material properties of amyloid fibrils in the research of invisible metamaterials.
An object’s ability to reflect light could be altered so that what’s behind it gets reflected instead of the object itself, in principle changing the index of light refraction, kind of like when light hits the surface of water, Piotr Hanczyc says. 
Chalmers University of Technology

IRON-BASED PROCESS PROMISES GREENER, CHEAPER AND SAFER DRUG AND PERFUME PRODUCTION
University of Toronto researchers have developed a series of techniques to create a variety of very active iron-based catalysts necessary to produce the alcohols and amines used in the drug and perfume industry. The new synthetic methods promise to be safer and more economical and environmentally friendly than traditional industrial processes.
The research takes advantage of Earth's extensive supply of iron – the fifth most abundant naturally occurring metal – substituting it in place of the rare elements of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium and platinum traditionally used in the design of hydrogenation catalysts. The result is an exceptionally efficient class of iron complexes whose abilities rival and even surpass those of conventional industrial catalysts.
"There is a research effort world-wide to make chemical processes more sustainable and green by replacing the rare, expensive and potentially toxic elements used in hydrogenation, catalytic converters in cars, fuel cells for the efficient conversion of chemical energy into electricity, and silicone coatings, with abundant ions such as iron," says U of T chemistry professor Robert Morris, principal investigator of a study reported in the November 29 issue of Science. "Iron is about 10,000 times cheaper to obtain than ruthenium. And less than 200 metric tons of platinum-type metals are mined in the world every year, not all of it can be recycled after use, it is not essential to life, and it can be toxic."
"We found a way to make the ferrous form of iron behave in a catalytic process much more efficiently than a precious metal. We did this by finding molecules containing nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon and hydrogen, that bond to, and enhance, the reactivity of iron," says Morris.
The scientists inexpensively produced varieties of alcohol with different biological properties – which can be used in flavour and drug synthesis – and different smells, a property important to the perfume industry. In one example from the study, the precursor alcohol to a cancer treatment can be made using the hydrogenation process catalyzed by iron. Using iron, the resulting complex is often a better catalyst than the industrial one based on ruthenium.
The sustainable technology incubator GreenCentre Canada is already pursuing the commercialization of the new iron catalysts.
University of Toronto

ALGAE TO CRUDE OIL: MILLION-YEAR NATURAL PROCESS TAKES MINUTES IN THE LAB
Process simplifies transformation of algae to oil, water and usable by-products
Engineers have created a continuous chemical process that produces useful crude oil minutes after they pour in harvested algae — a verdant green paste with the consistency of pea soup.
The research by engineers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) was reported recently in the journal Algal Research. A biofuels company, Utah-based Genifuel Corp., has licensed the technology and is working with an industrial partner to build a pilot plant using the technology.
In the PNNL process, a slurry of wet algae is pumped into the front end of a chemical reactor. Once the system is up and running, out comes crude oil in less than an hour, along with water and a by-product stream of material containing phosphorus that can be recycled to grow more algae.
With additional conventional refining, the crude algae oil is converted into aviation fuel, gasoline or diesel fuel. And the waste water is processed further, yielding burnable gas and substances like potassium and nitrogen, which, along with the cleansed water, can also be recycled to grow more algae.
While algae has long been considered a potential source of biofuel, and several companies have produced algae-based fuels on a research scale, the fuel is projected to be expensive. The PNNL technology harnesses algae's energy potential efficiently and incorporates a number of methods to reduce the cost of producing algae fuel.
"Cost is the big roadblock for algae-based fuel," said Douglas Elliott, the laboratory fellow who led the PNNL team's research. "We believe that the process we've created will help make algae biofuels much more economical."
PNNL scientists and engineers simplified the production of crude oil from algae by combining several chemical steps into one continuous process. The most important cost-saving step is that the process works with wet algae. Most current processes require the algae to be dried — a process that takes a lot of energy and is expensive. The new process works with an algae slurry that contains as much as 80 to 90 percent water.
"Not having to dry the algae is a big win in this process; that cuts the cost a great deal," said Elliott. "Then there are bonuses, like being able to extract usable gas from the water and then recycle the remaining water and nutrients to help grow more algae, which further reduces costs."
While a few other groups have tested similar processes to create biofuel from wet algae, most of that work is done one batch at a time. The PNNL system runs continuously, processing about 1.5 litres of algae slurry in the research reactor per hour. While that doesn't seem like much, it's much closer to the type of continuous system required for large-scale commercial production.
The PNNL system also eliminates another step required in today's most common algae-processing method: the need for complex processing with solvents like hexane to extract the energy-rich oils from the rest of the algae. Instead, the PNNL team works with the whole algae, subjecting it to very hot water under high pressure to tear apart the substance, converting most of the biomass into liquid and gas fuels.
The system runs at around 350 degrees Celsius at a pressure of around 3,000 PSI, combining processes known as hydrothermal liquefaction and catalytic hydrothermal gasification. Elliott says such a high-pressure system is not easy or cheap to build, which is one drawback to the technology, though the cost savings on the back end more than makes up for the investment.
"It's a bit like using a pressure cooker, only the pressures and temperatures we use are much higher," said Elliott. "In a sense, we are duplicating the process in the Earth that converted algae into oil over the course of millions of years. We're just doing it much, much faster."
The products of the process are:
-Crude oil, which can be converted to aviation fuel, gasoline or diesel fuel. In the team's experiments, generally more than 50 percent of the algae's carbon is converted to energy in crude oil — sometimes as much as 70 percent.
-Clean water, which can be re-used to grow more algae.
-Fuel gas, which can be burned to make electricity or cleaned to make natural gas for vehicle fuel in the form of compressed natural gas.
-Nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium — the key nutrients for growing algae.

Elliott has worked on hydrothermal technology for nearly 40 years, applying it to a variety of substances, including wood chips and other substances. Because of the mix of earthy materials in his laboratory, and the constant chemical processing, he jokes that his laboratory sometimes smells "like a mix of dirty socks, rotten eggs and wood smoke" — an accurate assessment.
Genifuel Corp. has worked closely with Elliott's team since 2008, licensing the technology and working initially with PNNL through DOE's Technology Assistance Program to assess the technology.
"This has really been a fruitful collaboration for both Genifuel and PNNL," said James Oyler, president of Genifuel. "The hydrothermal liquefaction process that PNNL developed for biomass makes the conversion of algae to biofuel much more economical. Genifuel has been a partner to improve the technology and make it feasible for use in a commercial system.
"It's a formidable challenge, to make a biofuel that is cost-competitive with established petroleum-based fuels," Oyler added. "This is a huge step in the right direction."
The recent work is part of DOE's National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels & Bioproducts, or NAABB. This project was funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Both PNNL and Genifuel have been partners in the NAABB program.
In addition to Elliott, authors of the paper include Todd R. Hart, Andrew J. Schmidt, Gary G. Neuenschwander, Leslie J. Rotness, Mariefel V. Olarte, Alan H. Zacher, Karl O. Albrecht, Richard T. Hallen and Johnathan E. Holladay, all at PNNL.

Reference
Douglas C. Elliott, Todd R. Hart, Andrew J. Schmidt, Gary G. Neuenschwander, Leslie J. Rotness, Mariefel V. Olarte, Alan H. Zacher, Karl O. Albrecht, Richard T. Hallen and Johnathan E. Holladay, Process development for hydrothermal liquefaction of algae feedstocks in a continuous-flow reactor, Algal Research, Sept. 29, 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2013.08.005.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

OCEAN OPTICS HANDHELD SPECTROMETER FINALIST FOR PRISM AWARD
Ocean Optics’ IDRaman mini handheld Raman spectrometer has been selected as a finalist for the Prism Awards for Photonics Innovation. The Prism Awards honour the best new photonics products on the market and draw entries from around the world. The prestigious awards, which are co-sponsored by the trade organisation SPIE and the technology media company Photonics Media, was awarded at the 2014 Photonics West trade show in February. The IDRaman mini is a finalist in the Defense and Security category of the Prism Awards and is distinguished as a small-footprint, high accuracy instrument ideal for applications ranging from first responders identifying explosives to quality control specialists involved in sample authentication. The IDRaman uses a novel sampling technique called Raster Orbital Scanning (ROS) where a tightly focused laser beam is moved or rastered across the sample in an orbital pattern. This allows an area about 10 times larger than the laser focus spot to be sampled, encountering more Raman active compounds. Because more Raman-active compounds are sampled, the resulting data incorporates a much higher sensitivity without sacrificing resolution. The increased accuracy in the Raman data further provides high confidence when identifying compounds through library matching. Furthermore, the IDRaman mini is very small, just 9.1 x 7.1 x 3.8 cm (3.6 x 2.80 x 1.5 in.) and weighing about 11 oz. Its small size and operation from two AA batteries makes IDRaman very attractive for applications where a light, portable instrument is desired. “The powerful performance of the IDRaman mini has captured the attention of both our customers and spectroscopy experts alike” said Richard Pollard, President of Ocean Optics and continued: “Combining the ROS technology into a truly handheld product makes accurate Raman measurements available for a variety of applications where fast, accurate material identification is important”. The Prism Awards nomination follows industry recognition earlier in the year when the IDRaman mini claimed the Annual Readers’ Choice Award from Laboratory Equipment magazine.
www.OceanOptics.eu

EASY CONCENTRATION OF LARGE SAMPLE VOLUMES



SampleGenie 3 is the latest version of Genevac’s unique SampleGenie technology. SampleGenie 3 technology used in conjunction with the Genevac ROCKET Evaporator enables large sample volumes to be dried directly into vials, eliminating a number of time consuming sample handling steps and the attendant risk of errors. The new third generation SampleGenie enhances the exceptional capabilities of this unique sample concentration methodology through improved ease of use, enhanced evaporation performance and reduced operational costs. Traditionally protocols for concentration of chromatographic fractions has involved drying multiple fractions in an evaporator, re-suspending pooled fractions into a single vial and then re-drying before storage and analysis. Even with modern centrifugal evaporators such processes typically take 2-3 days to complete. The development of SampleGenie™ technology has been shown to enable samples in Genevac evaporators to be concentrated, without loss of volatile components, directly into a single GC or HPLC vial eliminating the need for reformatting of samples after drying. This and the automation offered by Genevac evaporators simplify the protocol to a single overnight drying step before storage and analysis. Not only does SampleGenie remove time consuming manual steps - it lowers labour costs and improves data reliability.
www.evaporatorinfo.com

TURN-KEY PACKAGES FOR PROCESS SCALE REACTIONS



The new ReactoMate Pilot jacketed reaction vessel, from Asynt, offers precise control of reaction variables, a powerful direct drive overhead stirrer and excellent reaction visibility even with the vacuum jacket option. Optimised for process scale reactions from 1 to 30 litres - the ReactoMate Pilot is available packaged with a Julabo A40 Presto Circulator to ensure superb temperature management and unrivalled performance, a ReactoMate-Pilot Super Support system to support your jacketed reactor and IKA overhead stirrer to ensure efficient reaction mixing. One of the problematic issues associated with reaction vessel set up is the cumbersome and, often dangerous, scaffolding supporting the unit. Support frames often have bars at the front and sides this can lead to problematic access to reactor and potential fracturing of glassware if exchanging vessels. The new ReactoMate-Pilot Super Support (RSS) system from Asynt provides a simple, straightforward and easy way to support your jacketed reactor up to 30 litres in size. To provide the optimal solution to your process scale reaction need - the ReactoMate Pilot system is fully customisable to your requirements with an extensive range of options.
www.asynt.com

AVOIDING SAMPLE LOSS DURING EVAPORATIVE DRYING



Dri-Pure® technology from Genevac offers significant benefits to scientists, especially those working in synthesis and purification. This innovative technology enables scientists to rapidly dry their samples without cross-contamination or loss of sample due to solvent bumping. Other methods of solvent removal tend to be very laborious or lead to unacceptable cross-contamination, Dri-Pure® running on a Genevac evaporator gives smooth, controlled solvent removal in optimum time. The patented Dri-Pure® technology is available for all current models of Genevac centrifugal evaporators, from the affordable EZ-2 through to the production-scale HT-24. Genevac's unique anti-bumping system works by carefully controlling the reducing pressure in the evaporation chamber in combination with an increase in rotor speed to achieve greater g-force. In addition, heat flow to the samples must be reduced during the pressure ramping stage. Dri-Pure® achieves all this via the embedded instrument software and hardware that makes such an elegant solution easy to apply.
www.genevac.com

PRODUCING AND SELLING FAKE MEDICINE
Chinese police have rounded up more than 1,300 people nationwide suspected of producing and selling fake medicine, state media have reported. It said police had shut down 140 illegal websites and online pharmacies in 29 provinces and major cities since June in the crackdown. The seized fake drugs purported to deal with illnesses ranging from children's colds and flu to heart problems, and had been advertised online.
www.theguardian.com

ASSETS IN THE NORTH SEA
Wintershall, a 100 percent BASF subsidiary, is optimizing its portfolio through divesting its share in selected assets on the UK Continental Shelf. Through the transaction, the Hungarian MOL Group will acquire 14 licenses in the North Sea, including non-operated equity stakes in the Broom field (29 percent) as well as the Catcher (20 percent), Cladhan (33.5 percent) and Scolty/Crathes (50 percent) developments. Rainer Seele, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Wintershall explains: “We are well on track in implementing our strategy of growth at the source […] With the divestment of non-operated assets, we can concentrate on strengthening our competencies in exploration, field development and production activities on own-operated assets in the North Sea”.
www.basf.com

NOVASEP IN INDIA
Novasep has announced it is expanding its presence in India with the opening of Novasep Process Engineering Services PCT LTD, a part of its Industrial Biotech Business Unit. The new office will enable Novasep to serve more closely industries in India producing functional and commodity food and feed ingredients, milk derivatives and bio-based chemicals. Michel Spagnol, CEO at Novasep refers: “Novasep’s set up in India is another key milestone in our strategy to expand our geographical presence[…] After our success in China, Novasep India is well placed to support our growth in future years”.
www.novasep.com

MANCHESTER ORGANICS IS UPGRADING ITS LABORATORY FACILITIES
Due to the continued growth of its business, Manchester Organics (MOL), part of the Navin Fluorine group of companies, is to make significant investments in upgrading its laboratory facilities at The Heath Business and Technical Park in Runcorn in a 10-year deal that will keep its cutting-edge research and development work in the north of England.
www.manchesterorganics.com

AGILENT THOUGHT LEADER AWARD
Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced that Dr. Junying Yuan, a pioneer and leading researcher in the field of cell death at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has received an Agilent Thought Leader award in recognition of her scientific contributions to cellular biology and the understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Yuan and her team, headed by mass spectrometry specialist Dr. Zhengjiang Zhu, seek important insights into the complex interactions of metabolite-protein, protein-protein and genetic networks involved in the etiology of neurodegenerative disease. They will use Agilent’s metabolomics workflows and integrated biology software solutions, 6400 Series Triple Quadrupole LC/MS system, and GeneSpring software in their work.
www.agilent.com

SAFC HAS DECIDED TO EXPAND ITSELF
SAFC® Commercial, is expanding two of its manufacturing facilities in the United States to support drug manufacturers in efficiently bringing new targeted and cytotoxic therapies to market. As a direct result of increasing customer demand, SAFC is investing in commercial-scale manufacturing capacity for antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) in St. Louis, MO, and expanding its high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) manufacturing and storage at the Verona facility near Madison, WI.
www.sigma-aldrich.com/safc

DEVELOPMENTS IN RENEWABLE SYNTHETIC LUBRICANT
Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. announced recent developments in renewable synthetic lubricant basestocks designed to provide differentiated performance in broad markets such as engine and gear lubricants, metalworking, industrial and hydraulic fluids, and greases, and highlighted Elevance Aria™ WTP 40, a newly developed, high-viscosity lubricant basestock that combines the composition and properties of two key synthetic basestock technologies into a single, high-performance product.
www.elevance.com

DKSH SELLING AMIYU BY AJINOMOTO
DKSH Business Unit Healthcare has started to sell and market Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals' Amiyu® Granules in Vietnam after the product had obtained importation and marketing approval on July 5, 2013. Takashi Nagamachi, Representative Director, President & CEO Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd refers: "DKSH is our strategic Market Expansion Services partner in the region. Thanks to its unrivalled capillary network, its industry expertise, local know-how in a wide range of marketing services as well as its dedication to quality, it has supported Ajinomoto Pharmaceuticals' growth in Vietnam and enabled us to expand our contribution to human health in the region".
www.ajinomoto.com

CHEMCON ALSO FOR HUMAN USE
Following a successful inspection by the German health authorities in July 2013 ChemCon received the approval required to manufacture semi-solid pharmaceuticals (gels and creams for topical therapy) for human use. This was an important step for the expansion of ChemCon’s service portfolio and will allow us to reach new customer groups. ChemCon is now able to offer services along the entire development chain for pharmaceutical products.
www.chemcon.com

FIRST PROJECT HOUSE FOR CLARIANT
Clariant has announced that its Business Unit Masterbatches is to open its first Project House in November 2013 as part of its strategy to build the next level of innovation. The Project House is a 400m2 facility in Pogliano, Italy, which will house chemists and technicians as well as equipment, such as extrusion machinery and analytical equipment. Its key objective is to pursue breakthrough concepts and solutions in Masterbatches products and processes. The Project House represents an investment of approximately 2 million euro.
www.clariant.com

HP CHEMSCAN AND FLOWCAT
The recent surge of interest in flow chemistry among pharma companies has coincided with a renewed intensity in research within the petrochemical and refining sector. This has placed HEL in the unique position of being able to provide reactor solutions to these traditionally very different types of users. The search for new and better catalysts is a common theme though the chemistries are very different and include hydrogenation, polymerisation, oxidation, carbonylation and various high temperature oil conversion steps. HEL has extended its well-known catalytic research platforms notably the HP ChemSCAN and FlowCAT, to much higher temperatures (e.g. 550°C and even higher in some cases) and pressures in excess of 200bar, to accommodate the needs of both these chemical sectors.
www.helgroup.com

MB SERIES MOISTURE ANALYSERS
OHAUS has developed the MB Series Moisture Analysers. The instruments combine high quality and useful features into compact designs. The MB45, MB35, MB25 and MB23 Moisture Analysers offer chemical, food, and research laboratories consistent moisture testing, with high precision readability and strong test repeatability. The flagship MB45 boasts readability of 0.001 g, repeatability of 0.015 percent, and sample capacity of 45 g. It offers 4 heating programs and a real-time drying curve which helps tracking results of an ongoing drying procedure. Moreover, a library of up to 50 drying programs enhances productivity. Research and laboratory scientists can simply recall the test from the analyser’s memory and begin. Programming the instrument is made easy using the menu which can display text in five languages – English, Spanish, French, Italian and German. The MB45 features an LCD graphic display to show percent moisture, percent solids, time, temperature, weight, test ID and drying curve in real time.
www.ohaus.com

AGREEMENT TO SELL & MARKET ELASTOMER PRODUCTS
Petronas, Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company, and Versalis, Eni’s chemical subsidiary and a global leader in the elastomers industry, have signed a Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA) to set up a joint venture company that will manufacture, sell and market elastomer products produced at Petronas’ proposed Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) complex in Pengerang, Johor, Malaysia. The agreement, for an initial period of 30 years, was signed in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of Versalis’ CEO Daniele Ferrari, Petronas’ Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President for Downstream Business Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin and the PRPC CEO Puan Juniwati Rahmat Hussin. Daniele Ferrari refers: “This project represents an important new milestone for our company - thanks to this investment Versalis will have a more global presence in the elastomer business and an industrial presence in an area where we see a very promising growth for the synthetic rubbers we will produce. We are really proud to have the chance to participate and contribute to the success of the Rapid project”.
www.eni.com

ARKEMA’S EMULSION POLYMERS FACILITY
Arkema has officially started its new 60,000 MTY emulsion polymers facility on its Changshu platform. The plant, part of Arkema’s Coating Resins business unit, will serve customers in the Asia Pacific region with a full line of waterborne emulsion polymers for coatings and adhesives applications. This new plant, which represented a $30 million investment, is located in Arkema’s Changshu manufacturing complex, the company’s largest manufacturing complex worldwide. Richard Jenkins, Global Group President of Arkema Coating Resins refers: “The full startup of this new facility is an important event for our customers in the Asia Pacific region […] We promised our customers local manufacturing of innovative, market-leading products, produced in a modern, automated facility with a focus on consistent, repeatable quality, and environmental responsibility. Our new facility delivers on each of those commitments and helps place Arkema in the forefront of raw material suppliers, both in the Asia Pacific region, and globally”.
www.arkema.com

NOVEMBER 15, 2013: CSM INSTRUMENTS SA | A COMPANY OF ANTON PAAR
Anton Paar GmbH has acquired CSM Instruments SA in Switzerland as of November 15, the purchase contract between Anton Paar GmbH and CSM Instruments SA was signed. CSM Instruments SA will continue under the name "CSM Instruments SA | A company of Anton Paar" at the present location in Peseux (Switzerland).
www.anton-paar.com

DUPONT PLUNKETT AWARDS 2013
The Plunkett Awards 2013 coincide with the 75th anniversary of the discovery of PTFE by DuPont scientist Dr. Roy Plunkett, and reward outstanding technical developments in the field of fluoropolymers. Flexitallic, Cleckheaton/UK, has taken first place in the DuPont Plunkett Awards 2013 in the EMEA Region (Europe, Middle East and Africa) with its patented Flange Rescue Gaskets (FRG). This innovative solution allows the simple and cost-efficient replacement of damaged flange gaskets on pipes in the oil and gas industries.
www.TheFlexitallicGroup.com
www.dupont.com

NOVOZYMES LAUNCHES THERMOACTIVE ACRYLAWAY HIGHT
On this week’s Fi Europe & Ni 2013 Novozymes – the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes – has announced the launch of the food enzyme product “Acrylaway HighT”. The thermoactive asparaginase is used to reduce acrylamide levels in carbohydrate-rich food since acrylamide is considered to be a potential health risk. The enzyme was developed by c-LEcta and is protected by a global patent family. Acrylaway HighT is the first enzyme product available in the market that allows the treatment of foodstuff at high temperatures. This makes the enzymatic acrylamide reduction technology for the first time applicable for new product categories like breakfast cereals. c-LEcta has chosen Novozymes as exclusive cooperation partner to commercialize its unique enzyme; Marc Struhalla, CEO of c-LEcta refers: “We are very happy that this important project went commercial and that the enzyme developed by c-LEcta is now globally contributing to an increased safety of food products to the benefit of the consumer”.
www.c-LEcta.com

HEMOBOX® 5 BY STIPLASTICS
Stiplastics, an industrial SME which designs, develops, manufactures and markets technical products and innovative devices principally made of injected plastic material, particularly for the healthcare market, launches the fifth generation of its Hemobox® carry case and associated accessories. Several features of this latest incarnation, Hemobox® 5, stand out: - The quality and sturdiness of its triple packaging ensure perfect sealing, rigidity and shock resistance; - Its compactness means that it is easier to handle; - Its ergonomy means that it is easy to open without force; - Its stability in the open position makes it easier to use the built-in preparation tray; - Productivity is boosted thanks to its storage rack, which offers a real space saving in terms of storage and also ensures optimum conditions for transporting biological samples when used in the brand new, flexible isothermal carry case offered by Stiplastics.
www.stiplastics.com

TOYOPEARL AF-RPROTEIN A HC-650F
TOYOPEARL AF-rProtein A HC-650F is a high capacity Protein A resin for monoclonal antibody purification. An enhanced rProtein A ligand is bound to the TOYOPEARL HW-65F base bead via multipoint attachment resulting in excellent base stability for up to 200 CIP cycles with 0.1 mol/L NaOH. TOYOPEARL AF-rProtein A HC-650F resin maintains 80 percent of initial dynamic binding capacity after 40 CIP cycles with 0.5 mol/L NaOH. TOYOPEARL AF-rProtein A HC-650F resin exhibits dynamic binding capacities of greater than 65 g/L at residence times of 5 minutes and greater than 50 g/L at 2 minutes residence time with feed stock concentrations from 1.0 g/L to 10.0 g/L.
www.separations.eu.tosohbioscience.com

NEW PARAT SERIES BY DRÄGER
Dräger has re-engineered its escape hood portfolio in close cooperation with customers. The result is the new Parat series. The escape hoods are quick to don and protect the user from toxic industrial and fire-related gases, vapors and particles for at least 15 minutes. Open the packaging, remove the hood, and don: in only 3 steps the Parat escape hood is ready for use. When opening the packaging the filter plugs are automatically released and the filter is deployed into its end position. The hood is then ready for use.
www.draeger.com

INHALATION DRUG PRODUCT
Hovione has announced the expansion of its inhalation drug product development services with the introduction of a high precision MG2 FlexaLAB capsule filling machine. This investment is in response to market demand for high-precision, capsule filling services for inhaled products and is the last step in Hovione’s plan to offer development services in all quadrants of inhalation projects: from API to formulation to powder inhalers to final unit dose. The company refers that this investment intends to support Phase II-Phase III clinical trials to Hovione’s business partners.
www.hovione.com