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Quickly
Extract Tissue Samples
The Agencourt FormaPure system quickly extracts DNA
and RNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE)
tissue samples. The Agencourt FormaPure system can be
automated on the Beckman Coulter Biomek NX Span-8
Laboratory Automation Workstation to process 96
samples in 4 hours (including the paraffin digestion
step). Agencourt FormaPure incorporates the Agencourt
SPRI (Solid Phase Reversible Immobilization)
paramagnetic bead-based nucleic acid purification
technology. It does not require organic solvents,
vacuum filtration, or centrifugation steps.
Vendor:
Agencourt Bioscience
Product: Agencourt FormaPure System
Availability: Now
For more information: www.agencourt.com
Knockout
ES Cell Clones
The Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine has more than
90,000 C57BL/6 knockout mouse embryonic stem cell
clones in the first installation of its OmniBank II
library. Knockouts of more than 6,000 distinct genes
are included in this initial library delivery. The
library is designed to contain multiple clones for
each gene to ensure the successful creation of
knockout mice. When complete, the OmniBank II library
will house 350,000 mouse embryonic stem cell clones
and is expected to cover between 65 percent and 70
percent of all mouse genes.
Vendor:
Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine
Product: C57BL/6 Knockout Mouse Embryonic Stem
Cell Clones
Availability: Now
For more information: www.tigm.org
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Highly
Advanced Separation
Varian’s Pursuit XRs HPLC columns offer
advanced separation of neutral, acidic, and
basic compounds. Made with high-purity silica
gel, Pursuit XRs columns have high column
efficiency, high batch-to-batch and
column-to-column reproducibility, excellent
resolution, and exceptional column stability in
a wide pH range. |
Vendor:
Varian
Product: Pursuit XRs HPLC columns
Availability: Now
For more information: www.varianinc.com
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BioMark
System for High-Throughput qPCR
Fluidigm’s BioMark system detects and analyzes
TaqMan assays in dynamic arrays, the unique
biochips that deliver orders of magnitude higher
throughput. The system integrates both thermal
cycling and analysis and simultaneously captures
real-time data for all 2,304 reactions on a
chip. According to the company, BioMark
instrumentation and dynamic arrays deliver
orders of magnitude higher efficiency. |
Vendor:
Fluidigm
Product: BioMark system for high-throughput
qPCR
Availability: Now
For more information: www.fluidigm.com/biomark.htm
Efficient
Transfection of Cells
Amaxa’s Nucleofector technology allows efficient
transfection of a large variety of neural and glial
cell types. Nucleofector technology has transfection
efficiencies of up to 95 percent for DNA and up to 99
percent for siRNA. The same transfection conditions
apply for different substrates allowing simultaneous
co-transfection (e.g., of plasmid DNA and siRNA).
Vendor:
Amaxa
Product: Nucleofector technology
Availability: Now
For more information: www.amaxa.com/neurobiology
Grams
to Hundreds of Grams
Novasep Process’ Pack-n-Sep 50 series of preparative
HPLC columns are ideally suited for purification of
grams to hundreds of grams. Advantages of the
Pack-n-Sep series include packing and unpacking in
less than five minutes; shorter or longer columns are
packed with the same packer; one packer can support
numerous columns to meet a lab’s needs cost
effectively; and Pack-n-Sep can be used attached to
the packer in DAC mode for applications demanding very
high column efficiency and long-term bed stability.
Vendor:
Novasep Process
Product: Pack-n-Sep 50 preparative HPLC column
Availability: Now
For more information: www.novasep.com
Molecular
Docking Algorithm
Tripos’ Surflex-Dock is a fully automatic, flexible
molecular docking algorithm. According to independent
researchers, Surflex-Dock favorably compares with all
leading competing methods, exceeding their speed,
accuracy, and usability to enrich virtual
high-throughput screening. Surflex-Dock is fully
integrated into Tripos’ SYBYL molecular modeling
environment.
Vendor:
Tripos
Product: Surflex-Dock
Availability: Now
For more information: www.tripos.com/surflex
Real-Time
Gene Expression Analysis
Applied Biosystems’ TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix Kit
enables accurate, quantitative, real-time gene
expression analysis on very small or rare samples. Its
formulation works with a multiplexed pool of up to 100
TaqMan Gene Expression Assays, resulting in a 1,000-
to 16,000-fold increase in gene transcripts available
for analysis. Researchers can amplify as little as 1
ng cDNA. The process requires only 15 additional
minutes of hands-on time and 1.5 hours of PCR cycling
time.
Vendor:
Applied Biosystems
Product: TaqMan PreAmp Master Mix Kit
Availability: Now
For more information: preamp.appliedbiosystems.com
Pressure
Cycling Technology and Its Many Applications
Pressure BioSciences is a fledgling company built
around pressure cycling technology (PCT). The
technology uses pressure to control molecules for
tasks that range from sample preparation to the
inactivation of pathogens. The company is currently
focusing its technology development program on sample
extraction. Below is a brief extract from a recent
interview by PharmaWeek
with Pressure BioSciences CEO Richard Schumacher
describing the technology and its applications.
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Richard
Schumacher:
I firmly believe that pressure cycling
technology (PCT)’s potential surpasses that of
any technology I have ever worked on. We clearly
feel there is a market need for PCT. Its
predominant application right now is in sample
preparation, particularly extraction. We feel
that this market is potentially huge, as it
includes anybody who needs to study RNA, DNA,
proteins, or small molecules, whether from
plant, animal, human, or microbe sources, and
whether from cell or tissue. We believe that PCT
offers clear advantages when compared to all
other current extraction methods, including the
opportunity to get material out of cells and
tissues faster, more safely, and more
reproducibly. |
With
PCT, it is possible to take tissue sections from a
laboratory animal, put them into our disposable PULSE
Tubes, and quickly and easily extract the biomolecule
of interest. The samples can even be shipped in the
PULSE Tubes, or stored pre- and post-processing for
extraction or study at a later date. The alternative
is to take the same tissues out, grind them by mortar
and pestle, sonicate or homogenize them, or beat them
up with beads, all of which pose multiple safety and
quality issues to the investigator...
We
are becoming more and more convinced that all
biomaterials each have their own distinct pressure
profile, and that by determining these profiles, we
will be able to better harness and utilize the power
of PCT. To this end, we are currently studying the
pressure profiles of a number of materials.
For
more information, visit www.pressurebiosciences.com.
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