Bio-Rad launches early dengue detection kit

Bio-Rad India has launched a new test kit for dengue screening called the PLATELIA DENGUE NS1 Ag in the country. The PLATELIA DENGUE NS1 Ag detection kit, the first in the Indian market, is based on the specific detection of dengue virus NS1 antigen. While existing dengue tests identify the virus indirectly by detecting antibodies, which are produced only four to six days after the appearance of the first symptoms, the new test is able to detect the virus from the first day of symptoms.

The kit has the ability to detect the presence of the NS1 antigen and this enables earlier detection of the infection compared to the conventional serological methods currently used. The time saving is at least six days for a primary infection. The test kit is registered in India and Bio-Rad has an import license to procure the kit to the Indian markets. The test performance has been confirmed through evaluations led by Bio-Rad teams as well as by reference laboratories of countries directly concerned by the disease, including India, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Brazil and Guyana.

For details, contact: sales.india@bio-rad.com

Honeywell releases Experion R300

Experion R300 is the latest release of Honeywell's Process Knowledge System (PKS), a unified system for process, business and asset management. Experion R300 is a reshaped and enhanced version of the field-proven automation and control platform hardware and software of the Experion PKS. This latest release is Honeywell's ongoing commitment to continuously innovate and provide solutions that protect customers' existing investments. R300 offers easy migration by allowing current customers to upgrade their systems without disrupting operations.

The latest Experion PKS platform release provides a best-in-class redundant solution for the HART communication protocol, allowing plant operators and maintenance personnel full access to field device information directly through the Experion PKS platform. The HART solution improves system performance, increases process availability, safety, and throughput, while reducing life cycle costs for upgrading and maintaining smart field devices.

For details, contact: deepu.tuli@honeywell.com

GE Healthcare introduces ÄKTAxpress

GE Healthcare has added ÄKTAxpress, a new functionality that improves multidimensional purification of affinity-tagged proteins to its list of life sciences basket to meet growing demand from scientific community in life sciences space. ÄKTAxpress is a solution for multidimensional purification of affinity-tagged proteins and antibodies. New functionality and updated software provides enhanced purification possibilities. The key factors of ÄKTAxpress include Automated multistep purification which provides the highest possible protein purity. Multiple samples can be run simultaneously up to 48 samples in the twelve-module configuration and the new software makes it possible to purify proteins expressed at low levels and/or double tagged and off-column cleaved proteins.

For details, contact: sachin.joshi@ge.com

Illumina releases new Genotyping BeadChip

Illumina has launched two new BeadChips to its whole genome genotyping solutions- HumanHap300-Duo Genotyping BeadChip and HumanHap300-Duo+ Genotyping BeadChip. The HumanHap300-Duo Genotyping BeadChip is a multi-sample, whole-genome genotyping product that enables researchers to analyze two samples simultaneously using over 634,000 tag SNPs on a single BeadChip. The unique two-sample format makes this the ideal product for the analysis of matched (paired) samples from the same individual for both loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) applications. While the HumanHap300-Duo+ Genotyping BeadChip is a multi-sample whole-genome genotyping product that enables researchers to add custom SNP content (60,800 SNPs per sample) and analyze two samples simultaneously using over 756,606 total SNPs on a single BeadChip (378,303 SNPs per sample). The HumanHap300-Duo+ BeadChip allows researchers to add virtually any SNP to the content of the HumanHap300 Genotyping BeadChip for either candidate-gene or population-specific research. In India, these products are being distributed by Haryana-based Premas Biotech.

For details, contact: contact@premasbiotech.com

Additional Millicell offering from Millipore

Millipore has introduced three products in Millicell range - 96 well plate, 24-well plate and new single-well hanging inserts for cell culture assays.

These products are optimized to support suspension and adherent cell growth and differentiation. Additionally, the platform design enhances usability in a range of laboratory environments.

The new hanging Millicell cell culture inserts are available in 6, 12 and 24-well sizes. Low throughput assays can be performed in the single-well unit.

Design features include an off-center insert for easier media addition and removal. Standing inserts also are available. These inserts come with different pore sizes – 0.4mm and 1.0mm; 4 different types of membranes – MF, Isopore, PET and biopore.

The 24-well plate is designed for maximum user convenience and includes features that maintain assay integrity. Additionally, the 24-well Millicell cell culture plate has twice the membrane surface area compared with other 24-well plates. This allows researchers to utilize greater cell mass, which more closely models cell behavior. The plates are automation compatible and reduce the risk of monolayer contamination with "footed" membrane plates that remain elevated when disassembled from the feeder tray and raised-well edges for better tape seating. Teardrop-shaped receiver wells eliminate air bubbles as plates are assembled.

Both platforms incorporate track-etched thin film membranes for reliable monolayer formation, microscopically transparent membranes for easy cell visualization and fluorescent-compatible plastics and membranes.

The 96-well Millicell plate is optimized to grow and sustain high integrity cell monolayers.

Cells grown on Millicell plate membranes grow better than on plastic because the cells are nourished from both the apical and basolateral sides. Cell growth and function more closely mimics in vivo conditions.

Millicell 96-well plates are designed for analysis as well as cell growth and can be used manually or with automated cell seeding, feeding and washing systems.

For details, contact: rajiv_juneja@milliporeindia.com

ASTEC's CO2 incubator

Symbiogen, a unit of Scigenics Biotech, has taken up the distribution rights of the Japanese company ASTEC for CO2 incubator and program temperature control system (for PCR applications) in India.

Personal incubators from ASTEC are available in the capacity of 30L/50L.

These water- jacketed incubators provide excellent temperature stability. High performance digital control system makes setting adjustments and calibration user-friendly. The automatic set up function automatically calibrates CO2 adjustment and then attains the set temperature and CO2 level.

These incubators can be stacked 2 or 3 high to expand capacity, easily removable shelves, brackets, rounded chamber corners and HEPA filter ensures a contamination-free environment for the cell culture.

A compact cooling unit can be installed for an extended temperature range of 10-50º C. The 50L incubator can house real time culture monitoring system.

Standard accessories include door counter, automatic gas cylinder switch over system and two-phase gas regulator.

For details, contact: info@symbiogeninc.com or visit www.symbiogeninc.com

Thermo develops advanced protein identification and quantitation software

Thermo Electron Corporation has extended its protein identification and quantitation software package with the newly designed BioWorks 3.3. Featuring unique PepQuan capabilities, BioWorks 3.3 enables automated quantitative analysis of iTRAQ, SILAC and ICAT labeled samples, as well as label-free quantitation techniques.

With new pre-search and post-search filters, BioWorks 3.3 removes unwanted spectra from the search resulting in faster search times, allowing users to focus only on the proteins of interest. Reporting and documenting results is also improved with the new software package. Spectra and tables can be quickly and easily transferred to Microsoft Office documents, while the new Protein Report feature enables printing of data directly from search results or the creation of PDF files.

BioWorks 3.3 features the SEQUEST protein search algorithm, which automatically identifies proteins by comparing experimental tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data with standard protein and DNA databases. It can analyze a single spectrum or an entire LC/MS/MS data set containing spectra from a mixture of proteins. The proprietary "cross-correlation" identification algorithm within SEQUEST extracts information and correctly identifies proteins even at low concentrations. Accurate mass capability is also incorporated in the new BioWorks 3.3 software package to enable SEQUEST searching on data acquired using Thermo's hybrid mass spectrometers.

For details, contact: analyze@thermo.com or visit www.thermo.com/bioworks