Fluid Management
Product: BioFlex tubing
Applications: Single-use bioprocessing
Features: Meissner’s BioFlex tubing assemblies provide secure fluid paths for single-use systems and scale to allow flow rates >100 L/min. The tubing also connects disposable and stainless steel process equipment. Customizable assemblies can integrate sterilizing-grade through clarification-grade capsule filters. BioFlex products come sterile and ready to use, incorporating required tubing materials, connectors, filters, pinch clamps and other specified components. Pre- and postuse integrity testing procedures also can be accommodated.
Contact Meissner Filtration Products, Inc. www.meissner.com
Cell Culture Monitoring
Product: samX acoustic biosensor
Applications: Mammalian cell culture
Features: Biosensors in the sam series feature eight analysis channels and adaptable microfluidic routing for studying real-time kinetics on the surfaces of live mammalian cells. The samX system uses Surface Acoustic Wave technologies to detect mass binding events and protein conformational changes. No fluorescent labeling or fixing of cells is required for rapid analysis in just a few minutes. Two sensor chips increase the instrument’s throughput over its predecessors. Different ligands can be immobilized on-line at each chip position automatically, without off-line protein loading.
Contact SAW Instruments GmbH www.saw-instruments.com
Electrophoresis
Literature: Electrophoresis catalog
Applications: Protein and nucleic acid analysis
Features: Hoefer’s latest catalog covers one-and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis (including isoelectric focusing) and sequencing, nucleic acid and high-throughput analysis, quantification and detection, and blotting. It also lists power supplies, reagents, and auxiliary products. The sample-preparation section is updated.
Contact Hoefer, Inc. www.hoeferinc.com
Genomics/Metabolomics
Service: Metabolic engineering
Applications: Cell-line engineering and drug/disease research
Features: Genome Designs helps generate value from sequencing projects to bridge the gap between a genome sequence and an understanding of the associated organism’s metabolic machinery. The company puts data to practical use in designing metabolic modifications or developing drugs. It offers functional reconstruction, recommendations for laboratory and industrial cultivation and knock-out of pathogens, as well as metabolic engineering services. This helps improve production strains for higher yields and easier cultivation as well as in development and design of new processes.
Contact Genome Designs, Inc.http://genomedesigns.com
Cross-Coupling
Literature: Silicon-Based Cross-Coupling Reagents brochure
Applications: Conjugation
Features: Gelest’s cross-coupling reagent brochure lists >160 references including key reviews on biaryl, styrene, diene, triene, aryl acetylene, diaryl acetylene, pyridine, and enyne derivatives and Heck cross-coupling cascade reaction sequences. These reactions create carbon–carbon bonds for conjugating drug molecules. The brochure provides a number of examples of silicon-based alternatives to Stille, Suzuki-Miyaura, and Sonogashira protocols. More than 100 available products are detailed, including some additions to the Gelest line. Silicon-based cross-coupling reagents provide a nontoxic, easily handled alternative to tin and boron derivatives.
Contact Gelest, Inc. www.gelest.com
Transient Expression
Product: PEIpro reagents
Applications: Animal-free production of recombinant proteins and viruses
Features: Polyethylenimine products are an alternative to calcium-phosphate or lipid-based transfection reagents. PEIpro reagents from Polyplus can be used for large-scale production of recombinant proteins and viral vectors. These well-characterized reagents are optimized for transient-gene expression in suspension-adapted mammalian cell lines. Both laboratory-research and GMP-compliant versions are made by an animal-product–free process in a dedicated facility. Quality controls include a specific transfection efficiency test and specification for lot consistency. Users may operate under an implied license for R&D and commercial applications.
Contact Polyplus-transfection SA www.polyplus-transfection.com
Cell Culture Analysis
Service: Spedia-NMR spent media analysis service
Applications: Production process development and optimization
Features: Spinnovation has expanded into the US market with a presence in Pennsylvania. The company provides detailed, rapid, and quantitative multiplex analysis of spent cell culture media using Spedia-NMR technology. This helps biopharmaceutical companies troubleshoot problems and optimize feed strategies. The company also provides services for bioprocess (high-throughput) and product (e.g., characterization) analysis using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technology. Editor’s Note: As of July 2019, Spinnovation Biologics is now Eurofins Spinnovation Analytical B.V.
Contact Spinnovation Biologics / Eurofins Spinnovation Analytical B.V. www.eurofins.nl/en/biopharma-product-testing-nl
Large-Scale Mixing
Product: Flexel magnetic mixers
Applications: Biomanufacturing
Features: Sartorius Stedim Biotech has expanded the standard range of Flexel magnetic mixers from 50–1,000 L to include new volumes of 1,500 L and 2,000 L. This single-use mixing system is designed for aseptic mixing in bioprocess applications, especially those requiring powerful mixing torque (e.g., buffer and media preparation, product resuspension, and homogenization). The mixing units incorporate Flexel 3D bag technology, a Palletank container, and ATMI-patented mixing technology.
Contact Sartorius Stedim Biotech SA www.sartorius-stedim.com
Small Samples
Product: μDrop plate
Applications: Analysis of small, high-value sample volumes
Features: Thermo Fisher Scientific’s μDrop plate facilitates measurement of samples down to 2 μL in size, up to 16 at a time. A fixed light path allows for direct calculation of nucleic acid concentration. Users can detect double-stranded DNA at concentrations from a few micrograms to a few milligrams per milliliter without diluting samples (e.g., for photometric DNA/RNA quantitation and purity analyses). This plate was designed to extend the capabilities of Thermo Scientific Multiskan GO UV/Vis microplate and cuvette spectrophotometers and Varioskan Flash spectral scanning multimodal readers.
Contact Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. www.thermoscientific.com/platereaders
Anticounterfeiting
Service: Nanoencryption technology
Applications: Final dosage packaging
Features: NanoGuardian (a division of NanoInk) offers a nanotechnology-based defense against pharmaceutical counterfeiting and illegal diversion. The patented NanoEncryption process delivers multilayered authentication and tracing capability with NanoCodes incorporated onto vial caps. Codes are associated with an unlimited amount of sponsor-determined product, manufacturing, and/or distribution data and can be linked to on-package electronic pedigree technologies such as radiofrequency identification (RFID) and two-dimensional barcodes. A simple field inspection confirms authenticity, and proprietary tools add the forensic level of security through NanoGuardian product integrity centers.
Contact NanoInk, Inc. www.nanoguardian.net
Quality Assurance
Service: Technical QA services
Applications: Liquid handling
Features: Artel has expanded its technical services team to meet increasing demand for liquid-handling performance verification services. The team supports Artel MVS (multichannel verification system) and PCS (pipette calibration system) technologies. It works with clients to resolve liquid-handling process issues critical to ensuring the integrity of laboratory test results, to improve laboratory efficiencies, and to facilitate regulatory compliance. Other services include liquid handler installation, performance verification, and quality assurance support. The company offers training for laboratory technicians in liquid-handling best practices for manual pipettes and automated liquid handlers.
Contact Artel www.artel.com
Process Modeling
Product: Arena simulation software
Applications: Process simulations and cross-functional communication
Features: Rockwell Software’s Arena program (version 14.0) includes a new visual designer tool that allows users to build realistic three-dimensional animation and dynamic business graphic dashboards to visualize simulation models and communicate the effects of process changes to operations and business management. Process modeling helps companies find the best solutions to process problems using what-if virtual scenarios. The software comes as a stand-alone application, a custom turn-key solution, or a package of software with training and consultation services.
Contact Rockwell Automation www.arenasimulation.com