Lab Product News April 2014

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MICROFLUIDICS furthers NANOTECH research

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CHUS CELEBRATES NEW RESEARCH WING 6

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GAS ANALYZER HELPS ARCTIC RESEARCH 8

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APRIL 2014

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Nanotechnology

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Clinical & life sciences

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New microscopes boost SFU lab’s capabilities

Image from the Helios NanoLab DualBeam. Image courtesy of Simon Fraser University.

Simon Fraser University’s new multi-million-dollar Centre for Soft Materials says it now has the most advanced suite of microscopes in Western Canada with the recent installation of a suite of high-end electron microscopes.

The systems installed include the Tecnai Osiris™ transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Helios™ DualBeam™ (scanning electron microscope/ focused ion beam).These systems join several other FEI microscopes in the 4D LABS facility in Vancouver, where the new centre is housed.

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Scientists using the Helios NanoLab DualBeam at Simon Fraser University.

Image courtesy of Simon Fraser University.

and characterization, SFU’s 4D LABS has partnered with Canada’s Western Economic Diversification, the Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, Systems for Research and FEI to create the Centre for Soft Materials,” said Byron Gates, associate professor and Canada research chair in surface chemistry, Department of Chemistry at SFU.“We are implementing specialized microscope equipment and methods optimized for ‘soft’ materials that are easily damaged by high-energy particle beam analytical techniques. Materials in this vital class range from simple polymers and composites to cells and tissues.

By improving our understanding of them we will be better able to design new materials and products for applications that include medicine, clean energy, information technology and many more.”

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page 4

The Centre’s Helios DualBeam system offers cryogenic transfer and analysis capabilities. Its focused ion beam (FIB) can slice into the soft material with minimal damage and its SEM provides high-resolution images of the revealed cross-sectional surface for three-dimensional (3D) analysis.The Osiris TEM provides a highly efficient way to analyze samples that are sensitive to particle beams by using fast, high-resolution imaging and optimized compositional analysis using a patented X-ray detection system. Cryogenic holders can also be used in the Osiris for inspection of samples while cooled.This combination of low-dose, fast, high-resolution imaging; 3D reconstruction; and elemental analysis provide a unique set of capabilities for soft material analysis. LPN

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Brigitte Kieffer, professor, University of Strasbourg, France; research director, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (IGBMC), Illkrich, France; and scientific director, Douglas Institute Research Center, McGill University.

Image: © all rights reserved L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science 2014.

Douglas Institute director receives L’Oréal-UNESCO award Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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P

rofessor Brigitte Kieffer, the newly arrived scientific director of the Douglas Mental Health University Institute Research Centre, has received the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award.

The award, bestowed by the L’Oréal Foundation and UNESCO, recognizes the

exceptional career paths and contribution of women scientists worldwide. In addition to Dr. Kieffer, four other women scientists also received the prize, one from each continent.

“We are proud that a scientist of such international stature has chosen to take on the leadership of the research centre, providing great promise for new breakthroughs in mental illness,” said Lynne McVey, the Douglas Institute’s chief executive officer.

Dr. Kieffer graduated from the University of Strasbourg, where she later became a professor. She then went on to become research director at the Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) in France. She developed her main research activity at the Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire (IGBMC) in Strasbourg in 2001 and directed the institute from 2012 to 2013. She joined the Douglas Institute Research Centre in January. LPN

Watch the VIDEO Video shows interviews with this year’s L’OréalUNESCO award winners.

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New wing doubles research space

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new wing that doubles the research space at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS)’s research centre recently celebrated its official opening.

The new wing houses preclinical-imaging research, a clustered work area for

clinical-research staff, offices and laboratories for researchers in the diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular complications along with administrative offices.

The centre’s expansion began in summer 2012 and was completed at the end of 2013.

“The last phase of this project consists in redesigning existing areas mainly to add spaces dedicated to clinical research, which will be completed in summer 2014,” said Dr. William D. Fraser, scientific director of the research centre.

“A total of 900 people, including 220 researchers, 500 students, and more than 180 professionals are working,” he added,“to ensure that research invariably translates into benefits for patients.”

Approximately $31.7 million went into building the new wing and into redesigning the space dedicated to research. The funding came primarily from Quebec’s provincial government, which provided $25.2 million, with the remainder from the CHUS foundation ($6 million), and the research centre ($500,000). LPN Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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Celebrating the opening, l-r: Dr. StĂŠphane Tremblay, CHUS acting general director; Martin Toussaint, project leader, CR-CHUS; Dr. William Fraser, scientific director, CR-CHUS; and Jacques Fortier, chair, CHUS Board of Directors. Photo courtesy of CHUS

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Discovery expands

range of usable reagents

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esearchers in the Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network have developed a simple method for the patterned deposition of Teflon on paper to create an integrated platform for parallel organic synthesis and cell-based assays.

When a drop of ink hits blotting paper, it ‘bleeds’ much wider than the circum-

ference of the original drop. Although researchers have developed ways of containing water-based solutions to specific areas of paper, until now, there was no easy way to modify paper to restrict chemicals such as organic solvents, bases and acids or surfactants to particular areas. This discovery dramatically expands the range of usable reagents and speeds up their efforts to develop multiple tests on the same sheet.

Under the leadership of Dr. Ratmir Derda at the University of Alberta, the researchers introduced a grid of solvent-repelling Teflon barriers inside the paper, which confine liquid to where it is wanted. Teflon is resistant to a wide range of solvents, is non-toxic and non-fluorescent. Researchers can now modify paper and generate arrays with 96 test-zones per sheet.

The team published their results in the April 11 online issue of Angewandte Chemie-International Edition.

“Converting ordinary paper to a synthesis platform is easy,” says Frédérique Deiss, Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network researcher and lead author of the paper.

“First, we draw a pattern on the computer and print it on an ordinary printer.Then, we add a sugar solution to an area we do not want modified, soak Teflon into the Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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remaining areas, wash off the sugar, and voilà. We automated the entire process.”

The Teflon barriers allow an excess of liquid to be delivered in each zone, generating a dynamic flow through the paper with mere

Flow of solvent through paper; automated deposition onto a 96-zone arrays of solutions with the excess volume confined to each zone; confocal microscopy images of cells in paper after peptide synthesis (left to right).

Photo credit: CNW Group/Sentinel Bioactive Paper Network.

gravity, and improving the mixing of reagents. When used for synthesis, the Teflon-patterned paper improves the yield of chemical reactions compared to synthesis on plain, non-patterned paper. The Derda group demonstrated it with the synthesis of peptides (short chain of amino acids) on paper and used the resulting sheet of 96 peptides to test which peptides will allow breast cancer cells to adhere and grow.

“We no longer have to compromise quality and purity vs. synthesis conditions, cost and speed,” says Derda.

Watch the VIDEO

“By taking our minds off chemistry, we can focus on the next steps and use high-quality arrays of compounds to fuel our screen for protein inhibitors, drug leads and materials that can reprogram normal and cancerous cells.” LPN

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Polar desert soils near Buchanan Bay, on Ellesmere Island, Canada, viewed from the air. Photo by Martin Brummell.

gas analyzer helps High Arctic research A portable FTIR gas analyzer is helping Canadian researchers to study greenhouse gases in the desert soils of the Canadian Arctic.

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page 8

E

normous quantities of greenhouse gases (GHG) exist within Arctic ice and frozen soils, so with the threat of global warming, a clear understanding of the relationship between GHG in the atmosphere and in the ice/soil is vital because melting of permafrost could cause a dangerous climate tipping point.

There can be few more challenging environments for monitoring gases, but PhD researcher Martin Brummell and professors Steven Siciliano and Rich Farrell from the University of Saskatchewan have successfully employed a Gasmet DX4015 FTIR analyzer to do so in the Canadian High Arctic.

Working in the field always creates special requirements for analytical equipment. However, the extreme weather conditions of the High Arctic demand a new level of capability that is rarely available as standard. Field work in such conditions must be simple, flexible and fast, but most importantly,“the equipment must also be extremely reliable because you do not have the luxury of a local Gasmet engineer,” says Martin Brummell.

He adds that the Gasmet DX4015 “was also the ideal choice because, as a FTIR analyzer, it is able to monitor almost any gas, which is normally a feature of mains-powered laboratory instruments, but the DX4015 is portable and powered by a small generator, so it is ideal for monitoring in remote locations.”

Sampling and analysis in the Arctic A set of simple, perforated steel tubes were driven in to the soil, to the

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point of the permafrost threshold. Inside these tubes gases within the soil were allowed to reach equilibrium via diffusion over 24 hours. This allowed the researchers to analyze gas concentrations to a depth of 0.5 metre. The procedure was simple and therefore reliably repeatable.

Furthermore, measurement of gas concentrations at different depths enabled direct comparison with soil analyses.

The Gasmet unit Brummell utilized is a portable FTIR gas analyzer for ambient air analysis. FTIR – Fourier-transform infrared – is an interferometric spectroscopic instrument (interferometer) that uses the infrared component of the electromagnetic spectrum for measurements. A Fourier-transform function is applied by the interferometer to obtain the absorption spectrum as a function of frequency or wavelength. Consequently, the instrument is able to analyze up to 50 gas compounds simultaneously. It is typically set up to measure a variety of different gases, including volatile organic components (VOCs), acids, aldehydes, and inorganic compounds such as carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O).

Gasmet DX4015 used for greenhouse gas The DX4015 analyzer monitoring. Photo by Martin Brummell. is operated with a laptop Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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page 9

computer running CalcmetTM software, a program that not only controls the analyzer but also undertakes the analysis. Calcmet software is capable of simultaneous detection, identification and quantification of ambient gases, which gives the analyzer its ability to handle multiple gases simultaneously in near real-time.

The FTIR’s many beneficial traits – such as reliability, precision and flexibility – make it a vital piece of analytical equipment in a wide variety of applications including industrial emissions monitoring, occupational safety surveys, engine exhaust testing, process monitoring, leak detection, emergency response, chemical spill and fire investigations, and many others.

This team’s use of the analyzer on its most recent research expedition to investigate soils in the polar deserts of the High Arctic highlights the model’s capabilities in the field. Carried out on Ellesmere Island in the Baffin Region of Nunavut, the analyzer had to perform reliably in extreme environmental conditions. It was used to monitor the production, consumption and atmospheric exchange of the greenhouse gases CO2, methane (CH4) and N2O; all three being major components of natural biogeochemical cycles. These gases are each released and up-taken by soil microbes in the Arctic.

The analyzer was used to examine both the flux of gases from the soil surface and the concentration profiles of gases in the soil’s active layer above the permafrost. In doing so the FTIR provided raw data consisting of gas concentrations in parts-per-million (ppm). Moreover,“the real-time nature of the Gasmet FTIR, allows me to see results within minutes of setting up in the field—permitting me to make changes to the experimental

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Soil gas probes. Photo by Martin Brummell.

design and further investigate unexpected results whilst in the field,” says Bummell.“This contrasts with traditional methods of soil gas analysis, which employ lab-based gas chromatography systems and ‘blind’ collection of discrete samples in the field.”

Results Surprisingly, the work revealed areas of strong CO2 and CH4 production immediately above the permafrost. Brummell believed this was the result of the relative disparity in carbon distribution in Arctic soils in comparison with warmer climes. Carbon accumulates far lower in Arctic soils due to a process known as cryoturbation; the constant mixing and burying of organic matter, which fuels microbial activity at a deeper level.

Comparisons between the surface flux and the soil profile for each of the greenhouse gases was a key objective within Brummell’s investigation.

Most notably, Brummell observed a negative surface flux for N2O, though no significant regions of consumption were identified. The location of the N2O sink is not yet clear, nor are the organisms and biogeochemical processes responsible.

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Conclusions Martin Brummell’s research (Brummell et al. 2012) provided a new but complex insight into the production, consumption and exchange of greenhouse gases and soil microbe pathways in the Arctic. His work highlighted the importance of reliability, ruggedness, flexibility and accuracy in the equipment which is employed in such work. However, the ability of the DX4015 gas analyzer to provide simultaneous measurement of multiple gases in near real-time was a major advantage.

In comparison with all of the equipment that is necessary for research in Arctic conditions, it’s easy to assume that a highly sensitive analytical instrument would be the most likely to be adversely affected. However, Martin Brummell says he found this not to be the case with this analyzer:“In contrast to other field equipment I have used in the High Arctic, including selfdestructing sledgehammers, unreliable generators and broken fibre-optic cables, the Gasmet DX4015 has never failed even in the most difficult field conditions,” he says.

“It has happily survived air-transport, inconsistent electrical supply, low temperatures, rain, snow, mud and all other insults, and always gives me accurate, precise measurements of gas concentrations,” he adds. LPN Literature Cited Brummell, M.E., R.E. Farrell, and S.D. Siciliano, Greenhouse gas soil production and surface fluxes at a high arctic polar oasis. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2012. 52: p. 1-12.

Acknowledgement This research was funded by the government of Canada through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the International Polar Year (IPY) Climate Change Impacts on Canadian Arctic Tundra Ecosystems (CiCAT) program.

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Nanotechnology

l-r: Alex Albanese and Jonathan Rocheleau.

Image courtesy of University of Toronto.

Microfluidics platform

advances nanotech knowledge A collaboration between two labs at the University of Toronto is the first time a microfluidics technology platform has been used to study the effects of nanoparticles on a live tumour tissue.

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page 11

A

new microfluidics screening platform that can accurately predict the way nanoparticles will behave in a living body is the result of a two-year collaboration between two labs at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME).

Nanoparticles are being studied as a potentially powerful tool for personalized cancer treatments. The tiny particles, ranging in size from 10 to 100 nanometres (somewhere in size between a large protein to a small virus), can be deployed to outline tumours or to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to cancer cells with more potency and less side effects than regular delivery methods.

But associate professor Jonathan Rocheleau, core faculty at the Institute of Biomaterials & Biomedical Engineering (IBBME), cross-appointed to the Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism and a corresponding author of the study released in Nature Communications last fall, explained that the new platform fills some of the glaring holes in current nanotechnology research.

Often, the surfaces of these tiny particles are treated to make them stick to certain cells, an effect which tends to work very well when studying the particles in petri dish cultures.“What we showed was that the nanoparticles meet up with a cell mass and stick so strongly to the outside cells, they aren’t able to penetrate into the tissue,” says Rocheleau.“It makes you think of designing your nanoparticles in a different way.”

Aside from petri dish cultures, live testing has been the only other

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method of studying the movements and interactions of nanoparticles with cell masses. But as one of the paper’s lead authors, PhD candidate Alex Albanese, explained,“If we were to inject nanoparticles into mice it would be like throwing a paper airplane blindfolded. We see where it lands but we’re not really sure of the flight pattern.”

And until now, there has been no middle ground.

‘Middle ground’ is exactly what Albanese and co-author, Dr. Alan Lam, a recent graduate of IBBME, have designed. The researchers placed living cancer cell spheroids, tissues that mimic the properties of tumours, into a tiny, inch-long chamber through which a saline solution was constantly flowed. The flowing liquid allowed the researchers to study the spheroids in environments similar to those found in tumours. Fluorescent nanoparticles were then injected into the chamber, allowing the team to measure just how many of the nanoparticles penetrated the tissue, where they were accumulating, and the effect of the liquid’s speed on the nanoparticle’s movements.

The experiments predicted the way the nanoparticles would behave in larger, live models, with results available within an hour rather than weeks.

“The tumour-on-a-chip allows us to sneak a peek at the paper planes before they land,” says Albanese.

Although this is just the first time the microfluidics technology platform has been used to study the effects of nanoparticles on a live tumour tissue, the researchers say they were surprised at how simple the technology can potentially make cancer screening and treatment.

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“Tumour biopsies could be grown into spheroids and placed in the channel. Then we could determine which nanoparticles work best before we put them into patients,” says Rocheleau.

The study’s authors admit there is still a vast distance between this preliminary study and future studies that can perfect the design of the nanoparticles, as well as their efficacy with different tumour tissues, organs and the entire body.

“Computers have come a long way since the 1960s. Right now, we’re still in the 1960s of personalized medicine,” argued Albanese.

For Rocheleau, though, the study points to a breakthrough in the way researchers are tackling complex biomedical challenges.

“What makes this project unique is how multidisciplinary it is,” he says.

“This study represents very different techniques and tools coming together to address a problem, and this project wouldn’t have occurred without the expertise of two unique graduate students and labs, and how long they stuck it out.” LPN

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Pharmaceutical small molecule crystallization

By Rob Darrington, Genevac Ltd, Ipswich, UK.

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new technology, called eXalt, enables evaporative crystallization studies to be performed. In particular, eXalt allows for multiple small molecule actives to be crystallized from multiple different solvents all at the same time, at the same rate, and under the same conditions. This provides a high degree of control to the scientist which has hitherto not been available during evaporative crystallization studies.

During the summer of 2013 researchers at Novartis Pharmaceuticals in Horsham, UK, carried out a lengthy evaluation of eXalt technology to investigate how it may be applied to small molecule crystallization processes in pharmaceutical chemistry research and development. A presentation with an account of their work is available via www.Genevac.com/eXalt this paper is a review of that presentation. Please note the views in this paper are the views of Genevac and not an endorsement by Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Equipment and methodology eXalt comprises a special sample holder for 4ml (1 dram) vials (Figure 1).

To control the rate of evaporation for each solvent a ‘tower’ with baffles is

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page 13

constructed and placed in the holder.

This seals to the top of Figure 1 the vial and slows the eXalt holder, l to r: eXalt baffles and tower assembly, loading vials and towers to holders, completed holder assembly rate of evaporation. The baffles have a hole in the centre of varying diameter, ranging from 0.5mm upwards. The selection of baffles is based on a reference table and depends on the volatility of the solvent as well as the duration required for the process. Therefore, a very volatile solvent will use a number of baffles with a small diameter hole, and a less volatile solvent will use a single large-diameter baffle, or perhaps none at all. A 3ml solution containing active compound, normally 5-10mg, is placed in the vial. The evaporation rate of some solvents is naturally so slow that a volume less than 3ml has to be used.

The assembled holders are placed into a Genevac HT-4X evaporator and a method for the desired evaporation time is selected. The action of the spinning rotor in the HT-4X seals the tower to the vial. The current methods allow selection of a time between 6 hours and 96 hours in 6 hour increments, although any time may be programmed. The evaporator then cycles the pressure for 3 minutes at atmospheric pressure and 3 minutes at atmosphere minus 100mbar for the duration of the process, and maintains a steady temperature. These conditions coupled with the ‘towers’ create slow steady evaporation of all solvents loaded. eXalt is non-destructive, so even a sample >>> that fails to crystallize may be recovered and used for other studies.

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Initial studies Initial studies focused on use of commercially available compounds and were used to explore the potential and limitations of the technology. The pre-programmed methods need some further refinement with regard to being able to accurately predict the end time; the condenser auto-defrost and draining was found to be variable in duration. The methods were very easy to use. Further work is required to improve the look up table supplied, and to better refine a method for determining settings to be used for solvents not listed. The towers can be a little fiddly to produce, but must be able to be disassembled for cleaning purposes. When loading, a plan of holder and top rack are essential!

Ibuprofen, caffeine and carbamazepine were recrystallized from a range of solvents over 24 hours and also over 66 hours to study the potential to form different polymorphs: • No solvent cross contamination between vials was seen, e.g., solvent A being found in a crystal formed from solvent B, where solvent A was also

Figure 2: Carbamazepan polymorphism XRPD (L) and DSC (R) analysis Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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page 14

screened at the same time. • The evaporation rate of the solvent did not seem to be affected by the presence of the active. The active can affect the rate during conventional concentration to dryness. • Ibuprofen and caffeine each evaporated from acetone, acetonitrile, ethanol, ethyl acetate and tetrahydrofuran showed the same polymorph as the starting material in all cases. • Carbamazepine was evaporated from acetone (Photo A), acetonitrile, ethanol, methanol, methyl acetate and water. Analysis via x-ray powder diffraction (XRPD - Figure 2) indicated formation of different polymorphs but these were not confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of melting point. Either no true polymorphs were formed, or, due to a lag of several weeks between XRPD and DSC the crystals had all converted to a single form.

A study was started to evaluate the possibility of using eXalt as a semiautomated screening technology for cocrystals which could be conducted early during development, rather than as a place of last resort. Carbamazepine was combined 1:1 with various coformers and crystallized from different solvents, based on published precedent or in-house sources. Some nice crystals were created (Photo B), and the analytical work initiated, howPhoto A: Carbamazepine crystallized ever other projects took over and this from acetone >>> work remains incomplete. There is April 2014 Nanotechnology

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potential here which would ideally be investigated and developed further.

Work with ongoing pharmaceutical projects Working with an ongoing project, eXalt was used to see if it was possible to displace a hydrate from a compound which had a propensity to crystallize as a hydrate, however the ratio of hydrate was variable and difficult to control. The compound was dissolved in five water miscible solvents and evaporated. DSC data (Figure 3) showed that it was possible to displace the hydrate with an alcohol, and whilst the form was now a solvate, it opened up opportunities to progress this compound.

Another ongoing project had produced a compound with two crystalline forms, one of which was unstable. eXalt was used to recrystallize the compound from 16 different solvents over 96 hours. 11 produced crystals that were confirmed by XRPD, 10 were sent for single crystal x-ray (SCXR) for analysis, and 7 of those were found to

Photo B: Adipic ccid & carbamazepine co-crystallized from ethanol

Photo C: Compound A crystallized from cyclopentylmethylether

Photo D: Compound A crystallized from toluene

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page 15

be high quality crystals.

This established a wide range of conditions for working up methodology and had produced seed crystals which Figure 3: DSC analysis showing displacement of hydrate could also be used to control morphic form.

Another ongoing project which had so far only produced amorphous compounds, had two leading candidates, B and C. These were taken and screened over 72 hours from 20 different solvents. Compound B produced crystals from three solvents. This data was then successfully utilized to identify two of these solvents to scale-up crystal production from 5mg in eXalt to 200mg using the crystals formed as seeds in the process. Compound C produced two hits which were oily and of poor quality, requiring further work. Subsequently Compound C was deprioritized as B was taken forward in the project.

Another ongoing project with 4 candidate Compounds, A, B, C & D, all in amorphous form and had never been crystallized before. More of Compound A & B was available, and this was screened in 18 and 20 solvents (respectively) using eXalt. A produced crystals from 10 solvents (Photo C), and B from only 2. These data were used to help guide selection of solvents for studies with C &D where material was less abundant. C & D was screened in 9 and 8 solvents (respectively) and crystals of C were >>> obtained from 7 solvents and D from 5.

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Of the 10 hits for Compound A, 8 were confirmed by XRPD, and 5 by DSC (Figure 4). The crystal from toluene (Photo D) was a wet oil at the end of evaporation and grew to form an excellent single 5mg crystal on standing.

Five of the solvents were repeated, including toluene, where it was fully dried in the system. In general, solvents which were successful for compound A were also successful for compounds C and D. This may not be surprising as all the compounds had structural similarities.

However, this was not always the case and in one instance a solvent which was unsuccessful for both A and B was successful for C. Similarly another solvent which was unsuccessful for both A and B was successful for D. It is, therefore, desirable to screen as many solvents as practical for each test compound.

Summary eXalt was used to successfully crystallize 8 compounds from 4 projects, 6 were crystallized for the first time, 2 require more work. Limited material was required – approximately 5mg per vial was sufficient – allowing a

Figure 4: Crystals of compound A analyzed by XRPD & DSC Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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page 16

screen to be run with as little as 50mg. The crystals formed were sufficient to produce enough material for characterization by XRPD, DSC and SCXR and provide seed crystals for follow-up investigations. The technology is non-destructive, in that you can recover all of the poor-quality crystals and amorphous test material.

Expanding the solvent list supplied from Genevac was not successful in that it is not intuitive to calculate the settings, and it seems this needs to be done empirically. Some crystals were successfully formed from some of new solvents that were trialled, however the baffles and evaporation times were probably sub-optimal.

Opportunities for the technology seem to be that it could be configured to be open access and available to all chemists running late-stage research projects. It can be used with limited material and with confidence.

Most success was had with crystallizing amorphous compounds that had not been crystallized before. Less success was had with polymorph production, solvates and co-crystal formation, in the latter cases due in part to time available.

Challenges would include the development of a more comprehensive solvent list and configuration menu for the baffles. In addition, the development of eXalt was found to put greatly increased pressure on downstream analytical processes, namely XRPD, DSC and SCXR, because a great number of crystals can be formed relatively quickly and easily. LPN Acknowledgements This paper is a review of the presentation eXalt. Technology User Perspective Feedback by Julia Hatto from Novartis Pharmaceuticals Global Discovery Chemistry Group, Horsham, UK and Huw Evans, undergraduate student at University College London. The views expressed in this review paper are only those of the author and are not endorsed by Novartis Pharmaceuticals or University College London. The figures shown are all kindly provided by Julia Hatto from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, with the exception of Figure 1.

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Automated microplate sample drying gets introduced

A new video provides an informative introduction to the Ultravap Mistral - a next-generation robot-compatible drydown station designed to remove the bottleneck of solvent evaporation from microplates. The system is fully optimized to work with robotic liquid-handling systems from suppliers including Beckman, Hamilton and Tecan and features a shuttle design capable of serving and retrieving microplates to and from the robot deck without further need for off-deck handling.

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Safe efficient concentration of biological samples

The miVac DNA compact concentrator safely and efficiently removes water and organic solvents from biological samples in a variety of formats including tubes, microplates and vials. The system is very simple to use, with a ‘select & set’ single-control knob that enables even new users to obtain excellent results each time. Built-in stored methods for concentration of water and water / alcohol based samples optimize concentration time.

Genevac www.genevac.com/en/ProductDetail3.asp?S=3&V= 1&G=6&Product=35 Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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page 17

Handheld Raman analyzer is rugged, easy to use

The Progeny handheld Raman spectrometer has at its core an advanced miniature VPGbased 1064nm optical engine offering benchtop quality analytical performance in a rugged, ergonomic and IP-68 sealed enclosure. A fully customizable workflow software is 21 CFR Part 11 compliant and has a smartphone-inspired user interface, shortening the learning curve, allowing rapid implementation of material ID methods, and improving return on investment. Broad range of measurable materials.

Rigaku Raman Technologies www.rigakuraman.com

Cartridge produces pyrogen- and nuclease-free water

TA disposable ultrafiltration cartridge typically used in cell culture, biochemistry or molecular biology applications, the BioPak unit can be installed at the outlet of Type I water purification systems, to produce pyrogen- and nuclease-free ultrapure water.

The ultrafiltration membrane is designed to optimize the rejection of pyrogens, nucleases and bacteria, while maintaining a high flow rate and minimizing the release of ionic and organic materials.

EMD Millipore www.emdmillipore.com April 2014 Nanotechnology

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System optimizes bioprocess development

The 2900M online monitoring and control system, available with a YSI Sitini online sampler, addresses the online monitoring needs of bioprocess applications. The sampler can draw fluids from the bioreactor automatically, delivering samples directly to the biochemistry analyzer for testing. Sampling is done aseptically with no risk of contamination, as lines are flushed and antiseptic is kept in them after each drawing. The system provides accurate results in less than one minute.

Xylem Analytics www.xylemanalytics.com

Cell culture surface is non-binding

A polymer-coated surface with very lowbinding characteristics, Nunclon Sphera is designed to allow many different cell types to grow in suspension consistently with virtually no cell attachment. An alternative to commonly used non-treated surfaces, this non-adherent surface is especially important for researchers seeking to cultivate cancer and stem cell spheroids, since the product is able to grow uniform and dependable spheres.

Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermoscientific.com/sphera Visit us online www.labcanada.com Index

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page 18

Closure clamp seals tight

Available in white and red, closure clamp provides a 220 mm sealing length. Made from nylon, its strong sealing ability is suitable for applications where a tight seal is required. The closure clamp can be sterilized by autoclave, EtO and Gamma. The clamp helps to reduce the risk of cross contamination and preserve hygienic standards in laboratories, production lines, and other demanding environments.

Qosina www.qosina.com

Ball mill provides ultrafine grinding

Designed for high-energy milling, the Emax ball mill combines high friction and impact to produce extremely fine particles within the shortest amount of time. The highenergy input is the result of a rapid speed of 2000 min-1 and a new jar design. With a special water cooling system, the highenergy input won’t overheat the sample.

The mill’s grinding jar geometry ensures the sample is thoroughly mixed which results in a narrow particle size distribution.

Retsch www.retsch.com April 2014 Nanotechnology

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Instruments & Equipment

DO meter improves quality, taste of beer

Portable dissolved oxygen (DO) meter provides accurate and reliable measurements of DO in beer.

The flow-through meter, called Beverly, uses the manufacturer’s Optical VisiFerm DO sensor that offers a fast response time – down to parts-perbillion levels – and eliminates the need for polarization prior to use. With a small flow cell and minimal flow requirements, the meter is an economical choice for breweries of all sizes.

Hamilton Company http://www.hamiltoncompany.com/downloads/ 691129_01_Brewery_Brochure_LR_EN.pdf

Temperature control system provides speed and accuracy

Huber’s Grande Fleur is one of the smallest coolingheating circulators of the Unistat range. It is suitable for temperature control applications where top speed and high accuracy are essential, such as research reactors, material stress testing or temperature simulation. A soft start and an optional pressure control protects glass reactors from damage and balances out changes in viscosity in the fluid circuit.

Peter Huber http://www.huber-online.com

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page 19

Compact desiccators hold full vacuum for 24 hours

When space is at a premium, it’s important to find compact devices that free up the benchtop for the most important activities.

Omega’s new LAB-42010 series of space saving desiccators will hold a full vacuum |75.9 cm Hg at room temperature for 24 hours and remain airtight even if not under vacuum.

The flat-top dome maximizes interior space and all models include a 0.32 cm thick perforated plate.

Omega Engineering http://www.omega.ca/shop/pptsc.asp?ref= LAB-42010&flag=1

Centrifuge has mobile app for remote operation

Combining high performance and application versatility, Avanti JXN-26 centrifuges offer laboratories an intuitive interface and advanced data management features that expand functionality and flexibility to free user time in research and bioproduction. The instruments can be run from an Apple iOS or Android device using MobileFuge, the only mobile application available to run and manage laboratory centrifuges.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences www.beckmancoultercentrifugation.com

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Sodium analyzer provides fast, accurate results

Current methods of measuring salt often determine only chloride levels, which can lead to inaccurate sodium measurements due to the presence of other chloride compounds in addition to NaCl. The Easy Na, an analyzer for sodium content for the food and beverage industry, eliminates the need for complex instruments. It uses an integrated and dedicated sodium evaluation algorithm to deliver highly accurate and repeatable results that are comparable to those achieved using more complex analytical techniques.

Mettler Toledo www.mt.com/sodiumanalyzer

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April 2014

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