Oxford Instruments showcases MQC benchtop NMR analyzer at the
American Association of Cereal Chemists International Annual Meeting

Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance, the supplier of intelligent benchtop Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) solutions, showcased its popular MQC analyzers 35 at the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC) International Annual Meeting in October 2011, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, in Palm Springs, California. Oxford Instruments highlighted key food industry applications for the MQC.

Oxford Instruments' MQC is well suited to both product development and quality assurance applications.  It is ideal for determining the oil content of seeds, nuts, and grains as well as in a wide variety of processed foods including snack foods and animal feed.     

Since NMR acquires a signal from the whole sample and not just from the surface, it provides better accuracy and precision than alternative secondary techniques.  For some applications, for example when analyzing oilseeds, it is possible to measure simultaneously both the water and oil concentrations.

A compact size minimizes the footprint on critical laboratory benchtop workspace. It also includes a space-saving internal computer with operator interface, so no external PC is required. With the recent change to a 19-inch LCD flat screen monitor mounted on the magnet, the user is provided with a clear view of data and operational instructions.  New test and diagnostic software makes remote servicing of the instrument a cost-saving convenience.

Each year, the AACC International Annual Meeting attracts scientists working in the grain-based food industry and academia. This year's event will offer the latest technology from a variety of exhibitors, scientific sessions, poster presentations, and meetings while providing numerous networking opportunities.

Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance in profile
Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance is committed to the development and manufacture of cost-effective instrumentation for industrial quality control and research based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) technology. With leading products and a global sales and service network, Oxford Instruments Magnetic Resonance continues to explore innovative ways to use benchtop NMR for faster and easier measurements.

Oxford Instruments in profile
Oxford Instruments aims to pursue responsible development and deeper understanding of our world through science and technology. We provide high technology tools and systems for industrial and research markets based on our ability to analyze and manipulate matter at the smallest scale. Innovation has been the driving force behind Oxford Instruments' growth and success ever since the business spun out from Oxford University over 50 years ago, and its strategy is still to effect the successful commercialization of these ideas by bringing them to market in a timely and customer-focused fashion. Oxford Instruments is now a global company with over 1,300 staff worldwide and a listing on the London Stock Exchange (OXIG). 

The objective is to be a leading supplier of next generation tools and systems for research and industry. This involves the combination of core technologies in areas such as low temperature and high magnetic field environments, nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray electron and optical based metrology, and advanced growth, deposition, and etching. The company's products, expertise, and ideas address global issues such as energy, environment, terrorism, and health, and are part of the next generation of telecommunications, energy products, environmental measures, security devices, drug discovery, and medical advances.

AACC International in profile
AACC International is a non-profit organization of members who are specialists in the use of cereal grains in foods. The Association was previously known as the American Association of Cereal Chemists (AACC). In 2005, members of the Association approved changing the organization's name to AACC International in order to better reflect the direction of the Association and the grains industry as a whole.

The Association has been an innovative leader in gathering and disseminating scientific and technical information to professionals in the grain-based foods industry worldwide for more than 90 years.

For further information, view website: www.oxford-instruments.com or e-mail: Johnpaul.cerroti@oxinst.com  Refer to next page

Binding kinetics of therapeutic
antibodies to native proteins on living cells

SAW Instruments GmbH, developer of innovative biosensor technology for life sciences research in biotech and academia, offer a new poster "Binding Kinetics of Therapeutic Antibodies to Native Proteins on Living Cells", the new poster discusses recent work carried out in collaboration with Affimed Therapeutics AG (full abstract on SAW website). The poster provides kinetics data illustrating the interaction of one of Affimed's therapeutic antibodies with living tumour cells, including a comparison of K_D values obtained using SAW instrumentation, with values previously calculated by FACS and ELISA.

SAW has released its new sam®X at MipTec 2011, the latest member of the SAW biosensor product family. The new sam®X expands the power and flexibility of the portfolio by empowering users through workflow-driven features, including an increase in the number of sensor chips to two, providing a total of 8 channels, each of which can be addressed individually or in user-specified combinations.

Notes on the technology
Surface Acoustic Wave technology is based on the ability of a wave of energy to travel across the surface of a material. Each surface has a typical inherent elasticity affecting the way the energy of the wave dissipates as it travels across the surface of the material being analysed. Thus, the nature of the surface in question, and therefore any changes to it, can be assessed by sensors monitoring the behaviour of the wave as it propagates across the surface. In particular, changes in mass result in alterations to the phase of the wave, whilst viscoelastic and conformational characteristics influence wave amplitude. The technology developed and employed by SAW instruments is capable of accurately interpreting this information in order to provide real time readouts measuring binding and conformational changes in the samples through which the wave passes.

SAW Instruments GmbH in profile
SAW Instruments GmbH designs, develops and sells biosensor-based laboratory instruments for life sciences research. The proprietary technology of SAW Instruments employs a Surface Acoustic Waves approach to biological measurement, rather than using traditional optical methods such as SPR. The technology is uniquely positioned compared to other biosensor technologies based on its ability to measure conformational changes in cells, membranes and vesicles. In addition, the system is also capable of providing other industry standard measurements including those involving kinetics, quantitation and affinity. For further information on the innovative sam® biosensor range, view website: www.saw-instruments.de

New truly portable advanced fluorometer for plant stress analysis

ADC BioScientific Ltd., world leaders in the design and manufacture of instrumentation for environmental research, has introduced a new truly portable pulse modulated chlorophyll fluorometer for the detailed analysis of Plant Stress. 

Utilising the proven pulse modulation measurement technique and weighing only 2.3 kg, the battery operated OS5p combines unparalleled field portability with outstanding experimental performance. The OS5p offers more automated testing protocols than any other portable fluorometer.  This includes Fast tests such as Fv/Fm, Yield and OJIP and Analysis tests such as Kinetic tests, Quenching relaxation tests, Stepped actinic tests and FRFex360/FRFex440.
 
The ultra compact OS5p offers up to 20 hours of continuous field use from a single battery charge. Field experimental programming is easily performed via a touch screen keypad.

Experimental data is clearly presented on a large backlit graphic display. The OS5p features both 1Gb of internal memory and removable smart cards for data storage.   

Specifically designed for field experimentation, the OS5p is able to analyse plants under a wide variety of environmental stresses including temperature, pollution, light, CO2, water and nutrient deficiencies.  For further information, e-mail: sales@adc.co.uk  Refer to page 301

BioCision's CoolCell - highly reproducible, superior cell freezing

CoolCell from BioCision features a solid thermal core for consistent, controlled -1ºC/minute cell freezing in a -80ºC freezer, without any alcohol. Requiring only minutes between freezing cycles and no maintenance, CoolCell provides truly user-friendly and environmentally-conscious cell freezing.

Eliminating the use of hazardous solvents, such as isopropanol, is a major benefit of CoolCell - helping labs reduce costs and hazardous waste. Importantly, the elimination of alcohol also means the elimination of variability in freezing runs. CoolCell delivers repeatable, constant cooling of -1ºC/minute and provides identical freezing for all samples. The result is increased reproducibility and superior cell viability and function for scientific, clinical and diagnostic procedures.

CoolCell holds 12 screw cap 2ml cryotubes and is ideal for multiple batch freezing in a -80ºC freezer. No pre-cooling is necessary, CoolCell can be placed in the freezer at any angle and freezer heating is minimized. Samples are ready for archive storage within 3 hours, while rapid recycling between freezes saves valuable time. The unbreakable, insulated design of the CoolCell ensures easy portability of frozen cells - without 'frosty' fingers - and the lid opens easily even when frozen.

BioCision's CoolCell.

Alcohol-filled containers need continuous maintenance, generate hazardous waste and require extended waiting between cycles. The alcohol must be replaced frequently because it changes with each freezing run, introducing an unnecessary variable into each frozen sample. CoolCell is superior in every respect, as BioCision customers are keen to testify. According to Rohit K. Gupta of Stanford University: 'We run a registry, in which large amounts of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells are processed for long-term cryopreservation. After testing the CoolCell, we found slightly better cell viability (>90%) than with our current cell freezing containers, and there is no isopropanol waste generated. Overall, the CoolCell has set a new bar in cryopreservation.'

Sam Knight of Ceramisphere, Australia, commented: 'One big advantage of the CoolCell is that you can use dry ice to do your freezing if you don't have a -80ºC freezer. I spent nearly a year getting terrible viability-recovery on freezing HeLa cells with dry ice in an alcohol device. I then bought a CoolCell and now I can just use standard cryopreservation techniques (DMSO, 20% NBS) and get nearly 100% viability on thawing.'
About BioCision
Headquartered in Mill Valley, California, USA, BioCision is the leading developer of portable benchtop tools for temperature-sensitive biomedical specimens and samples, for use in basic experiments, assays and clinical trials.

Developed to provide easy sample management solutions, BioCision's patented novel alloy sample modules enable easy collection, organization, protection and high reproducibility of sample freezing, thawing and cooling. The advantages of ease of use, elimination of user error and very high reproducible performance have led to CoolProducts becoming the new standard for benchtop sample management.

BioCision CoolProducts have been adopted by leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, many contract research organizations, and major academic and healthcare institutions worldwide.

For further information, view website: www.biocision.com   Refer to page 292