lab equipment - august 2016
TRANSCRIPT
I N N O VAT I V E S O L U T I O N S F O R L A B P R O F E S S I O N A L S
Inside:
� Flint Water Crisis
� Women in Biofuel
� Lab Security
� Chromatography Techniques
LaboratoryEquipment.com August 2016
Driving Cancer Research ForwardResearchers are working together to learn how personalized treatments could lead to improved survival rates.
2 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
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Featured Scientists
Guillén Fernandez and How Exercise Affects Memory Fernandez, of Radboud University Medical Center, found that those who exercised four hours after a learning session retained the information better two days later than those who exercised either immediately or not at all.
Elizabeth Fain and Outdated Grip Strength NormsFain, of Winston-Salem University, found that Millennials, on average, have signifi -cantly weaker hand grip strength than their counterparts in 1985. The study results show that lifestyle and occupational changes may be the cause.
Hundreds of U.S. Companies Marketing Unapproved Stem Cell ProceduresAccording to a recent study, there are at least 351 companies engaged in direct-to-consumer marketing of unapproved stem cell treatments for conditions ranging from orthopedic injuries and neurological disorders to cardiac diseases, cosmetic pro-cedures and more.
‘Old Car Ban’ Issued in Paris to Limit Air Pollution
Drivers of cars built before 1997 are no longer allowed to hit the roads of Paris during day-time hours on weekdays, according to a new ban issued by government offi cials. The law also applies to motorcycles made before 2000.
Exclusive Online News
Team Describes Prion Folding at Molecular LevelPrions, abnormally folded proteins that can spread in the brain, appear to be a key factor in Parkinson’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, Alzheimer’s and other dreaded diseases. A copper-induced folding problem, together with a tendency to clump together, could be the culprit at the molecular level.
Dutch Team Crowdfunding to Grow Plants in Martian SoilA big challenge of making Mars a sustainable home is feeding the intrepid Earthlings who make the trek. A Dutch team has already succeeded in making some crops safe by adding organic material to the soil. Now they are crowdfunding to continue their experiments into the yields of the alien crops.
Science MilestonesIt happened in August
T-Rex “Sue” DiscoveredOn August 12, 1990, the fi rst three fossil bones of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton were discovered. Susan Hendrickson found them while hunting fossils at a cliff near Faith, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was the largest T. rex ever found at 42 feet long.
Astronaut Speaks to AquanautOn August 29, 1965, astronaut Gordon Cooper, in orbit 100 miles above the Earth aboard Gemini 5, held a conversation with aquanaut M. Scott Car-penter in Sealab II, which was 205 feet below the surface of the Pacifi c Ocean. It was the fi rst time an astronaut in space spoke with an aquanaut.
For more scientist profi les: www.laboratoryequipment.com/topics/QA
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4 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
Vol. 53, No. 3 August 2016
Cover Story 8 � Driving Cancer Research Forward
Researchers are working together to learn how personalized treatments could lead to improved survival rates.
Features
20 � Flint Water: Where Science Took a Backseat to the Money Flint, Michigan’s water crisis has become a cautionary tale of the consequences that can arise if continued efforts are not made to monitor the chemistry of public water.
22 � Female Researchers Highlighted as Biofuel Innovators Three established female researchers share some of their novel work in developing sustainable energy options.
CT1 � Analyzing Pesticides, PCBs with Modern GCMS Technology A new method provides determination of organochlorine pesticides and polychlorinated biphenyls using GC/MS/MS operated in MRM mode.
24 � Secure Choices: Which RFID Tool is Right For Your Lab? Security protocols must be in place to prevent the theft or diversion of mission-critical or high-value lab equipment.
Departments
� Contents
Instrumentation & Equipment
12 � Update on Chillers
13 � Product News
Consumables & Supplies
15 � Update on Safety &
Hygiene
16 � Product News
Separations & Spectroscopy
18 � Product News
CT4 � Product News
Standards
2 � On the Web
5 � Lab Laugh
6 � Editorial
7 � Hot Products
26 � Last Word
27 � Index
LAB LAUGH
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 5
� Editor's Note
www.LaboratoryEquipment.com
August 2016 • Vol. 53, No. 3
LaboratoryEquipment.com
As much as we may wish it wasn’t—or try to pretend it isn’t—scientific research is inherently political. All research needs money, and most
money comes from politics. This fact is set against a changing
political landscape that sees Republicans and Democrats more divided along ideo-logical lines than at any point in the last two decades, according to a June 2014 Pew Research Center report.
A related Pew study published in 2015 found Americans’ political leanings are a strong factor in their views about issues such as climate change, hydraulic frac-turing and energy policy. Given recent events such as the Orlando nightclub shooting and police officer-involved shootings, we can add one more topic to that list—gun violence research.
The Dickey Amendment, passed in 1996, mandates that “none of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may be used to advocate or promote gun con-trol.” In the 20 years since its passing, the amendment has essentially banned all research on gun violence. There have been recent attempts by Democrats to reject the amendment, but the measure has not passed the Republican-controlled Congress.
Now, scientists and doctors are step-ping in, urging lawmakers to vote for the $10 million the CDC has requested this year for gun injury research.
In June, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a policy call-ing gun violence in the United States “a public health crisis” requiring a compre-hensive public health response and solu-tion. The largest association of physicians and medical students in the United States, the AMA has also resolved to actively lobby Congress to overturn the Dickey Amendment.
“Even as America faces a crisis un-rivaled in any other developed country, Congress prohibits the CDC from con-ducting the very research that would help
Michelle TaylorEditor-in-Chief
6 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
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Guns, Money and Politics
us understand the problems associated with gun violence and determine how to reduce the high rate of firearm-related deaths and injuries,” said AMA President Dr. Steven Stack.
Additionally, a coalition of 141 medi-cal organizations—including the AMA—sent a letter to four senior members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees in support of increased gun violence research. Signatories to the letter include public health organizations, med-ical groups and research universities rep-resenting more than 1 million members across the country.
“Gun violence is a serious public health epidemic resulting in the senseless deaths of an average of 91 Americans, and another 108 injuries, each and every day. A central part of preventing future tragedies is through conducting rigorous scientific research, as this has been a proven successful approach in reducing deaths due to other injuries,” reads the letter.
The American College of Physicians wrote yet another letter urging the need for “a bipartisan consensus...in Congress to enact legislation now to help ensure the safety of Americans and reduce the threat of injury or death from firearms.”
Millions of scientists and medical professionals—who I am sure do not all share the same political beliefs—have made it clear that gun violence research is necessary and should be made a prior-ity. These people have chosen to sidestep their individual political ideologies, focus-ing instead on the science of the issue.
It’s time for Congress to do the same.
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 7
HotProducts
Cameras Feature Compact, Rugged DesignVision Research’s new Phantom VEO line of high-speed cameras are useful for a wide range of applica-tions, including scientifi c analysis, material testing and defense research. The cameras offer the enhanced performance of the Phantom V-Series in a small, rugged, 5” cube packed full of new features. Comprising eight individual models across four performance levels and two body styles, users will have fl exibility to identify a high-speed camera that meets their specifi c needs. All the cam-eras incorporate high-performance 12-bit, 35mm CMOS sensors (color or mono). Vision Research, Inc. www.phantomhighspeed.com973-696-4500
Flowmeter Simplifi es Pump CalibrationTovatech’s portable FlowCal 5000 digital liquid fl owmeter eliminates
time-consuming and error-prone manual calibration of HPLC pump systems by volumetrically measuring and recording solvent exiting from HPLC
systems. It is compatible with all HPLC brands. Each new measurement refreshes the reading on the fl ow meter’s liquid crystal display. The small volume of the sensing tube enables low fl ow rates, down to 50µL/min, to be measured accurately. Data can be transferred to a PC or printer for archiving. Standard calibration is at 1 mL/min. Calibrations at custom-er-specifi ed fl ow rates are also available. TovaTech LLCwww.tovatech.com973-309-8776
Liquid Handling System Automates Sample ProcessingThe FlowCam ALH Automated Liquid Handling Sys-tem from Fluid Imaging Technologies is a companion for the company’s FlowCam 8000 Series particle im-aging and analysis system that automatically processes up to 96 samples per run without requiring human involvement or supervision for consistent, uninter-rupted operation. Once pre-analysis sample preparation methods are programmed and saved using an intuitive interface, the system runs entirely unattended to reduce labor, eliminate the potential for human error in sample handling and pipetting.Fluid Imaging Technologies www. Fluidimaging.com207-289-3200
Xenon Lamps Valuable in Many FieldsBulb Direct Holding’s UXR-300BF Ceramic Xenon Lamp are effi cient, pre-aligned parabolic refl ectorized lamps for use in numerous scientifi c, medical and industrial illu-minations applications. The lamps feature strong output reliability, stable 6100K color temperature, a rugged ce-ramic to metal seal manufactured body and new window protection design. Bulb Direct Holding LLCwww.bulbdirect.com800-772-5267
8 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
Cover Story
As Vice President Joe Biden urges collab-oration through his
Cancer Moonshot Initiative, teams of researchers around the globe are tirelessly work-ing to develop personalized treatment options that effec-tively fi ght against the deadly disease.
During his 2016 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama appointed Biden to lead the “Nation-al Cancer Moonshot”—an initiative established to accelerate research efforts, develop new methods of early diagnosis and create full-proof treatments.
With a proposed initial investment of $1 billion to jumpstart this work, President Obama called upon the spirit of American innovation to drive the initiative forward.
Since the announcement in January, Biden and the Moonshot Task Force have strategically used the funds to help progress the successes of certain cancer treatments and therapies—such as vaccines and immunotherapies—as well as build databases to spark wide-spread collabora-tion and data sharing with-in both private and public sectors.
One of the most recent an-
nouncements from Biden was the launch of the Genomic Data Commons, an extensive, open-access database that will be managed by the University of Chicago. The GDC will hold a wide range of data from large-scale programs from the National Cancer Institute, such as the Cancer Genome Atlas and the Thera-peutically Applicable Research to Generate Effective Treat-
ments (TARGET). These two datasets alone are comprised of more than two petabytes of data. To put that amount into perspective, one peta-byte is equivalent to 223,000 DVDs fi lled to capacity. The GDC will continue to grow by accepting submissions of cancer genomic and clinical data from researchers all around the world who wish to share their results. In return,
the contributing researchers can search the database to compare their fi ndings with other datasets.
The GDC plan was un-veiled just a couple months af-ter Biden spoke to 19,000 at-tendees at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, where he again urged researchers to collaborate. The meeting, hosted in New Orleans in
by Lauren Scrudato, Associate Editor
Driving Cancer Research ForwardResearchers are working together to learn how personalized treatments could lead to improved survival rates.
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 9
April, revolved around the theme of “Delivering Cures through Cancer Science.” The program included more than 6,000 research papers that highlighted clinical advances related to every aspect of can-cer—including immunothera-pies, liquid biopsies, vaccines and more.
Laying the groundworkWhen developing and
testing the effi cacy of pharma-ceuticals, a common challenge arises when an experimental treatment shows promising success in cell and animal studies, but then falls fl at on results during human trials.
This issue proves to be particularly true with immu-notherapies—drugs designed to boost the body’s immune system to help detect and fi ght specifi c forms of cancer.
Researchers at Rockefel-ler University’s Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology are working to overcome this challenge with a group of antibody drugs that target CD40, a protein present on certain immune cells that function to activate them.
Previous research has shown that drugs that activate immune cells by targeting CD40 proteins on their surface promote antitumor responses. These compounds stand out among research teams because they elicit more specifi c immune responses to tumors than other im-munotherapies, and could be combined and used with other drugs, according to the Rockefeller University team.
“Despite the promising preclinical data we and others were able to generate in the animal models, the clinical trials to date were not able to mimic that success,” Rony Dahan, a postdoctoral fellow in Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Molecular Genetics and Immunology,
told Laboratory Equipment. “Therefore I believe there is a gap in our knowledge regarding the therapeutic mode of action of CD40 Abs in humans. It was necessary to explore this gap in order to understand how to improve the human CD40 clinical candidates.”
Dahan and fellow research-ers created a new mouse model that allowed them to evaluate CD40 antibody drugs with improved accuracy, and advance those that were more likely to be effective in patients.
To craft the new mouse model, Dahan and team engi-neered mice to have immune systems that more closely resembled those in humans. The new mouse model incor-porated the human versions of both the CD40 protein and Fc receptors, a group of proteins expressed on immune cells. The Fc receptors bind to the back of antibody molecules, in a region known as the Fc domain.
After accomplishing the human-like immune systems in mice, the team looked to see which antibodies binded the receptors more tightly. The researchers discovered that engagement of a certain human Fc receptor, called FcRIIB, is essential for the therapeutic activity of human CD40 antibodies. However, engagement of a different re-ceptor, FcRIIA, compromises their activity.
The fi ndings, which were published in Cancer Cell, indicate that when it comes to human CD40 antibodies, the Fc domain is important for inducing an effective immune response against tumors.
The most promising anti-body candidate is advancing into clinical trials of various types of solid tumors. Improv-ing these types of models will enable the testing process to be more effi cient and lead to
more personalized treatment methods.
Customized careResearchers have shown
that cancer is not just one dis-ease, but a host of hundreds combined—making it diffi cult to treat. But this discovery also further confi rms that re-searchers, drug manufacturers and oncologists need to shift away from a one-size-fi ts-all approach.
Precision medicine methods look to provide customized treatment options based on the characteristics of a pa-tient’s specifi c type of cancer. Immunotherapy is an example of precision medicine that is quickly becoming one of the most promising forms of cancer treatment.
Immunotherapies, which are designed to use the body’s own natural defense system to fi ght off cancer, have extended the lives of some patients by years or even up to a decade after initial prognoses looked grim.
Sergio Quezada, head of the Immune Regulation and Cancer Immunotherapy Lab at UCL Cancer Institute, is focusing efforts on treatment methods that halt the spread of cancer at its “roots” before cells have a chance to mutate and divide uncontrollably.
Quezada analyzed data from hundreds of patients from previous studies and found that some antigens, or the “fl ags” that point out genetic faults on the surface of cancer cells, represent the earliest mutations and are displayed on all cells in the tumor instead of just a subset of tumor cells.
Quezada and team isolated T-cells (specialized immune cells) from samples of two lung cancer patients that rec-ognized the common “fl ags” present on all the tumor cells in the lab. The T-cells could potentially eliminate all cancerous cells, but they are
currently switched off by the tumor’s defenses. Theoretical-ly the immune system should recognize all cancer-specifi c antigens and destroy all the cancer cells carrying the “fl ag,” but this isn’t the case in all scenarios. Determin-ing why this doesn’t happen consistently remains a main challenge for researchers.
But Quezada’s fi ndings, which were published in Science in March, could initiate further development of therapies that specifi cally activate the T-cells to tar-get tumor cells all at once based on the disease’s genetic signature. One way Quezada proposes to do this would be to create a therapeutic vaccine that activates the T-cells. An-other approach is to harvest and grow T-cells that can be put back into a patient to recognize antigens common to every cancer cell.
Currently, only one FDA-approved cancer treat-ment vaccine is available, known as sipuleucel-T, or Provenge, and is used in pa-tients with metastatic prostate cancer. The vaccine is custom-ized for each patient through a series of steps.
But pharma giant Merck & Co. is also looking to play a role in personalized cancer vaccines. The company recent-ly announced a partnership with Moderna Therapeutics to create and commercialize mR-NA-based personalized cancer vaccines. Merck will provide $200 million to Moderna, which will use the funds to lead all research and develop-ment efforts. Multiple studies that will evaluate the effi cacy of the vaccines in several types of cancer will be conducted.
Development of liquid biopsies
Like immunotherapies, liquid biopsies are becoming another buzz-worthy term in cancer research.
xxx � XxxCover Story
10 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
The idea of the liquid biop-sy is not new. Bert Vogelstein at Johns Hopkins University and Dennis Lo, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong were among some of the fi rst to research and develop the technology. Lo worked for nearly 20 years to perfect the technique. But in recent years, commercial interest in liquid biopsy tests has skyrocketed, with big-name investors like Jeff Bezos, CEO of Illumina and Amazon, and Bill Gates contributing to getting these tests on the market.
“Teams have been working on this type of test for many decades, but only recently has the technology emerged that allows us to perform a com-prehensive analysis of multiple genes by sequencing, yet still retain the sensitivity to detect very small levels of circulating tumor DNA in plasma,” ex-plained Philip Mack, director of molecular pharmacology at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, to Laboratory Equipment.
Numerous commercialized liquid biopsy tests have been available and widely used across Europe for over a year now, but the U.S. has been slower to adopt the technol-ogy.
In February, Laboratory Equipment reported on Illu-mina’s progress in developing blood tests to detect cancer. Illumina, the world’s largest DNA sequencing company, created a spin-off company, Grail, which boasts the ability to make liquid biopsies that cost less than $1,000 and can detect many types of cancer before symptoms are present. The company plans to have the tests available by 2019.
Liquid biopsies are an appealing option for many reasons, but mainly because they offer crucial information on a specifi c patient’s cancer in a fast, reliable and inexpen-sive manner.
Through a non-invasive blood draw, medical pro-fessionals can detect unique cancer mutations on micro-
scopic fragments of DNA cir-culating in a patient’s blood. Liquid biopsy technology can also examine the mutations through a urine sample or in spinal fl uid. Advances in sequencing the human genome have encouraged researchers and manufacturers to develop assays using the information released by tumor cells to help in early detection, as well as monitoring for resistance.
Filip Janku, PhD, medical oncologist at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center explained to Labora-tory Equipment that one of the most signifi cant aspects of liquid biopsies, especially for the patient’s wellbeing, is that it offers an alterna-tive when a surgical tissue biopsy is either not feasible or is a risky choice due to a patient’s deteriorating health or the location of a cancerous tumor—such as in the brain or the lungs. Physical tissue biopsies of these areas can result in further complica-tions, like the risk of punc-
turing a lung when obtaining the sample. The liquid biopsy test is also extremely useful in time-sensitive situations when a decision on how to proceed with a different treatment op-tion needs to be made as soon as possible—a common case for aggressive and late-stage cancers.
Geoffrey Oxnard, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, reiterated the advantages that Janku listed, and added that even if tissue is available to bi-opsy, the process can take too long and there are multiple ports throughout the process where results can be stalled.
Therefore, Oxnard spent years developing the ddPCR droplet digital polymerase chain reaction liquid biopsy.
The ultimate goal in Oxnard’s specialty fi eld of metastatic lung cancer is to get patients to live long-term in a state of disease control.
“Serial monitoring by plasma is going to be a really key element in doing that,” explained Oxnard. “You can look for residual disease, change in marker frequency, acquisition of new or re-sistance mutations, disease burden—there’s a lot you can track over time using this technology.”
The test proved so reliable that the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center (DF/BWCC) became the fi rst medical facility in the country to offer it to all patients with non-small cell lung cancer, either at the time of fi rst diag-nosis or of relapse following previous treatment.
Although liquid biopsies offer a range of improvements and advantages, there are also limitations associated with the technology. According to Janku, liquid biopsies are not equally applicable to all types of cancers. Some cancers shed little to no DNA into the blood stream, such as brain or thyroid cancer, which
xxx � Xxx
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 11
wouldn’t provide suffi cient information on the cancer’s progression or changes in resistance. The liquid biopsy is also soft DNA-based, so the technology has diffi culty in providing a clear picture of changes in protein expres-sion and RNA, which creates a problem especially when it comes to more complex changes.
And even though most experts, including Janku and Oxnard, agree that the current technology of liquid biopsy tests will not complete-ly replace traditional tissue biopsy methods, it does offer complimentary information that may not otherwise be de-tected in a tissue biopsy, and is an excellent way to monitor the evolution of a cancer over time. A simple blood test can be taken serially over weeks and months with little cost and minimal discomfort for the patient, and provides doc-tors with crucial information on resistance and changes that allow for more personalized care.
Liquid biopsies have also proven to be effective in early detection. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that in some cases, a liquid biopsy could detect the worsening of breast cancer fi ve months before it could be seen by CT scans.
Another study, presented by Mack at the annual meeting of the American Society for Clinical Oncology, offered additional optimism of liquid biopsy use becoming more widespread among doctors. This study was the largest done to date that shows liquid biopsies can indeed be an informative alternative when conventional biopsies are not
feasible. The study involved mutation analysis of circu-lating tumor DNA acquired by liquid biopsies from more than 15,000 patients and 50 tumor types, and compared them to the frequency and dis-tribution of mutations in large publically-available tumor databases. There was a highly signifi cant correlation between what was observed in this study and what has been pre-viously reported in traditional tumor biopsies. In a subset of cases where both tissue and blood data was available, the vast majority of cases showed that genetic changes detected by the blood tests agreed with the mutations identifi ed in the tissue tests.
Mack’s test looked at one type of liquid biopsy test—Guardant360, made by Guar-dant Health. The test can look for up to 70 mutations.
ProgressAccording to the American
Cancer Society, death rates are declining for all four of the most common cancer types—lung, colorectal, breast and prostate—which can at least partially be attributed to advances in early detection methods and personalized treatment plans.
The fi ve-year survival rate for all cancers has also increased, from 49 percent during 1975-1977 to 69 per-cent of patients during 2005-2011. Attacking this complex disease from all sides—with funding, extensive databases, innovative treatments and collaboration—has proven to show progress against what could possibly be the greatest health battle of our time.
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xxx � XxxUpdate on
Control System is Self-supportingMokon’s Full Range temperature control system combines a
circulating water system and an Iceman chiller to provide heating and chilling from a single compact, self-supporting unit. The system is ideal for use with jacketed vessels, reactors, mul-tiple-zone processes, laboratories and sanitary environments, and industries such as plastics, composites, food processing, pharmaceuti-cal, chemical and other processes that require heating and chilling cycles. The control system is available in standard heating capacities up to 96 kW, pumping capacities up to 120 GPM,
chilling capacity up to 40 tons and temperature range of -20 to +300 F. The design engineering provides long life, durability and continuous accurate process control. It includes many standard features, such as stainless steel centrifugal pumps, a highly effi cient brazed plate evaporator, insulated nonferrous plumbing and components, a microprocessor-based controller with LED readout, a NEMA-rated electrical enclosure with safety discon-nect switch and a heater canister with stainless steel diverter.Mokonwww.mokon.com716-876-9951
Chiller System Provides Control Without Liquid NitrogenTA Instruments’ ACS-2 is a mechanical refrigeration system that provides subam-bient temperature control for mechanical and rheological testing. Paired with a Q800 DMA, Discovery Hybrid Rheometer, ARES-G2 Rheometer, or RSA-G2 Solids Analyzer, the air chiller system provides reliable temperature control as low as -55 C without the use of liquid nitrogen. In addition to subambient temperature control, the system also decreases cooldown time between experiments. This results in a typical reduction of total test time by more than 20%, reducing operator time and increasing laboratory throughput. TA Instrumentswww.tainstruments.com302-427-4000
Liquid Chiller Addresses Need for SmallFootprintAspen Systems’ Liquid Chiller Module isa complete cooling sub-system useful for users that need a small footprint to integrate directly into a laser or external housing and where the customer wants to implement their own controls. The direct refrigerant cold plate system is used where the cold plate is in direct contact with the heat producing source, e.g. laser diodes and offers the high heat transfer rates with excellent temperature control of less than 0.5C. All modules are customizable to optimize the active thermal management for a particular application. Aspen Systems, Inc.www.aspensystems.com508-281-5322
Temperature Controller Features UpgradesTECA’s TLC-900 Bench Top Liquid Chiller has been upgraded
with a Pulse Width Modulating (PWM) Controller incorporating four PID temperature ranges for
improved temperature control over a wide temperature range. USB communications, operational and data logging software are standard. A new, more physically rugged design lends the product increased durability for a wider variety of application environments such as truck beds, factory fl oors and lab benches. TECA Corp.
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Instrumentation & Equipment � Product News
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 13
Raman Microscope Increases Level of Performance
The SENTERRA II Raman Micro-scope by Bruker is a compact, research-grade instrument that replaces the former model SEN-TERRA. Due to its high sensitivity and fl exibility, the updated product is well suited for advanced Raman
microscopic applications. Its compact size and easy-to-use interface make the microscope an effi cient tool for fast and reliable results in the industrial laboratory. The spectrograph was fully redesigned to achieve higher spectral resolution in addition to higher performance compared to previous mod-els. Bruker Corp. www.bruker.com, 978-663-3660
Chilling Incubator Improves Success RatesThe EchoTherm Chilling Incubator from Torrey Pines can be programmed to vary temperatures precisely from one set point to another repeatedly in a programmed routine thus increasing the success rates of protein crystallizations. The oscillations in temperatures from one point to another have been shown to create favorable crys-tallization pathways. Temperatures are settable from 4.0°C to 70.0°C. The units are Peltier-based for heating and chilling. They have no compressors or CFC’s and are vibration-free making them effi cient for doing protein crystallizations. There are three programmable models with chamber sizes of 27.5, 55 or 100L. They are settable to 0.1°C from 4.0° to 70.0C and are accurate to ± 0.1°C. Three programs can be held in memory with 10-steps per program. Torrey Pines Scientifi c, Inc. www.torreypinesscientifi c.com, 866-573-9104
Tube Recapper Accelerates Sample Storage ProcessMicronic’s Univo Screw Cap Recapper SR096 offers users the
ability to cap, decap or recap 96 tubes with screw caps in a single action. Easy to install and operate, the recapper decaps screw caps from a full 96-tube storage rack in less than 30 seconds. Through
the graphical touchscreen interface, the operator is able to select any rack to cap, decap or recap without
using different adapters for different tube sizes. The recapper uses a precisely determined toque value for optimal sealing quality, thereby minimizing sample evaporation and maximizing the integrity of valuable samples. Compatible with a variety of brands, the recapper provides a versatile option for many various sample storage process-es. Designed to improve user’s productivity, the unit can be used as a stand-alone instrument or be integrated into a fully automated laboratory environment. The optional sensor ver-ifi es that all caps have been removed, allowing effective use in automation process, and minimizes potential cross-con-tamination. MICRONIC America LLC www.micronic.com, 484-480-3372
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The Lovibond PFX195i is a low-cost spectrophotometric colorimeter which automatically measures the color of transparent samples. Removes all subjectivity involved in color measurement, supplying unbiased readings that are unaffected by oper-ator or environment. Each of the 6 different models includes a selection of standard color scales. Available scales include ASTM, Saybolt, Gardner, Pt-Co/Hazen/APHA, Iodine, US Pharmacopoeia, Klett Color, and others. Includes RCMSi technology (Remote Calibration & Maintenance Service via internet).
Viscothinner Offers 2-in-1 OptionThe DV2000 Viscothinner from Gardco is used for determina-
tion of the viscosity in P (Poise) or cP, as used in the paint, coating and ink industry. It can be used in three modes–manual, maxhold and timed. A stable drive system creates a wider measure-ment range and more accurate readings. The
meter is both highly accurate and simple to use, making it suitable for research as well as produc-
tion environment. Four lines of digital display with backlight and level adapter set (1/2 pint, 1 pint) are included. Paul N. Gardner Co., Inc. www.gardco.com, 954-946-9454
Microscope Useful in Variety of FieldsThe Smartzoom 5 Microscope from Zeiss is a smart digital microscope, effi cient for quality control and quality assurance applications. Quick and easy to set up and fully automated, the microscope is simple enough to operate that untrained users will produce excellent results. A macro reading mode enhances the workfl ow for repeat sample analyses of the same type in a step-by-step manner. ZEISS www.zeiss.com, 877-486-7473
Instrumentation & Equipment � Product News
14 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
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Camera Boasts 95% Quantum Effi ciencyThe Prime 95B CMOS Camera from Photomet-rics is built on the fi rst scientifi c-grade CMOS sensor available with 95% quantum effi ciency (QE), the GSENSE400BSI-TVISB. It combines backside illumination (BSI) technology with large pixels and low-noise characteristics to maximize light collection. This advance allows for the collection of nearly all available light, maxi-mizing the signal-to-noise ratio of the experiment while minimizing cellular photo damage. The camera captures images using the full microscope fi eld-of-view at over 41 frames per second (FPS) with 16-bit images and 82 fps with 12-bit images. Photometrics www.photometrics.com, 800-874-9789
Line of Condensing Boilers Adds New SizesThermal Solutions’ condensing boilers are now available in 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 million BTY input ranges. In addition to certifi ed effi ciencies of 95%, the stainless steel design features a number of unique features delivering reliability and longevity in commercial condensing space. The Arctic’s non-welded heat exchanger has a lifetime guaran-tee against thermal shock sealing tube to header.
It is available in fully packed or knock-down confi guration, an industry fi rst, for fi tting into spaces other condensing products cannot go. With no confi ning welds, increased access to the heat exchanger is available, permitting fi eld repair and replace-ment. Thermal Solutions LLC www.thermalsolutions.com, 717-239-7642
Protein Sequencers Offer Enhanced Sensitivity
Shimadzu Scientifi c Instruments’ PPSQ-51A single reactor and PPSQ-53A triple reactor protein se-quencers are compliant with FDA 21 CFR Part 11. The sequencers em-ploy SPD-M30A photodiode array detector for higher sensitivity. The detector features a capillary cell that is 8.5 times longer than standard
cells, which increases sensitivity and enables the study of longer protein sequences. The instruments separate PTH-amino acids isocratically. Isocratic sequence analysis provides more stable retention times. That means peaks detected in previous cycles can be canceled using chro-matogram subtraction, making it easier for users to identify the correct amino acid. Performing PTH-amino acid analysis in isocratic mode also enables laboratories to reduce liquid waste and running costs through mobile phase recycling. New software can be confi gured to meet a laboratory’s needs, whether it is regulated, research and development or academic. The software enables compliance with FDA 21 CFR Part 11 guidelines with regard to security, user man-agement and audit trail requirements. Shimadzu Scientifi c Instruments, Inc. www.ssi.shimadzu.com, 410-381-1227
Enclosure Contains Nanomaterial ParticlesAir Science’s Purair NANO Enclosure is designed to contain nanomaterial particles that are 100nm or less in diameter (ultrafi ne) for use in aerospace, research, pharmaceutical, academia and more. The ductless technology featured in the enclosure is constructed with a stainless steel infrastructure,
powder coated FFU and dual fi ltration options to ensure complete containment. The product has an optional SafeSwitch Filter Shutter System for safer bag-in/bag-out fi lter exchange. It also comes with an airfl ow monitor with fl ow airfl ow alarm built-in. The enclosures are available in 24, 36 or 48” widths. Air Science www.airscience.com, 239-489-0024
Processor Automates Desalting, Purifi cation of OligosBiolytic’s Dr. Oligo Processor is a cost ef-fective solution for desalting and purifi cation of oligos. The processor can also be used to perform Solid Phase Extraction from the solid support. Built to high quality standards, the instrument is easy to operate and can dispense up to eight reagents in a 96-well plate format. Users have the option to choose between automated or semi-au-tomated sample transfer. Biolytic Lab Performance www.biolytic.com, 510-795-1156
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 15
xxx � XxxUpdate on
Heating Block Lifting Handles Safeguardfrom Hot Surfaces
Asynt’s DrySyn Heating Block range models all
come with permanently attached,
heat resistant lifting handles to safe-
guard users from coming into con-
tact with hot surfaces. Previously, the
handles were offered as a removable option,
but positive feedback spurred the development of
making them a permanently attached, standard feature. Made
of chemically resistant, anodized aluminium, the heating blocks
offer enhanced heating performance to over 300ºC.
Asynt Ltd.www.asynt.com+44 1638 781709
Sterile Workspace for Prep of RNA andDNA Samples
The CleanView range of UV sterilization cabinets
from Cleaver Scientifi c provides a sterile con-
tained environment for the preparation and ma-
nipulation of sensitive biological samples. Acting
as a low cost alternative to a cleanroom, power-
ful UV lights in the cabinet are used to denature
nucleic acids in 5 to 30 minutes making them
unsuitable for amplifi cation. White light provides
excellent visibility when working within the cab-
inet. The cabinets incorporate safety features to prevent user
exposure to UV light; the UV lights are timer controlled, and
there are safety switches on the cabinets doors that automati-
cally turn the UV lights off when opened. The cabinet also acts
as an effi cient shield from radioactive beta emissions, and can
be safely used with isotopes such as 32P.
Cleaver Scientifi cwww.cleaverscientifi c.com+44 0 1788 565300
Lab Coat Protects Against Chemi-cal-splash HazardsWorkrite Uniform’s new FR/CP Lab
Coat is the fi rst of its kind to include
both fl ame-resistant (FR) properties
and chemical-splash protection (CP).
In addition to simultaneous pro-
tection against thermal and chemi-
cal-splash laboratory hazards, the lab
coat also provides an unprecedented
level of comfort and convenience, helping to promote safety
through improved wearer compliance. The lab coat combines
the FR properties of Nomex IIIA fabric with Westex ShieldTEC,
a proprietary chemical-splash protective technology. It pro-
vides protection against short-duration thermal incidents and
emergency exposure to fl ame.
Workrite Uniform Co.www.workrite.com805-483-0175
Safety & Hygiene
Compressed Air Monitor Has Two AlarmFunctionsEdgetech Instruments’ SENTRY compressed air monitor and
alarm senses both dew point and pressure in industrial com-
pressed air systems. The monitor has two alarm functions,
giving visible and audible indications if the compressed air
dew point increases or pressure decreases beyond user-con-
fi gurable set points. The monitor uses a Smart Multi-Sense
Probe that continuously monitors dew point and
pressure. The probe is inserted directly into the
pressurized compressed air stream, giving im-
mediate alarms if a system leak or failure of an
air dryer or compressor occurs.
Edgetech Instruments, Inc.www.edgetechinstruments.com508-263-5900
Gowning Benches Built for OptimalCleanliness
Terra’s sectional benches for gowning rooms
can be confi gured to fi t your room and
process fl ow. They are made of ultra-clean,
electropolished stainless steel for optimal
cleanliness, meeting your ISO requirements.
Three modular bench designs are available to create
linear or curved segments. Benches are convenient for sitting
or leaning during the gowning process as personnel need to lift
their feet to don garments. “No-step” areas can be created, as
per best-practices, using the fl oor-mounted seats as dividing
lines. All modular benches come with pre-drilled end-holes so
sections can be matched up and connected. The fl oor-mount-
ing covers attached to tubular posts create rounded surfaces.
Terra Universal, Inc.www.terrauniversal.com714-578-6000
16 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
xxx � Xxx
Linear Motors Offer High Resolution, SpeedThe SDLM-025-070-01-01 Direct Drive Linear Motor from Moticont, also known as an electric cylin-der, has a built-in encoder, zero backlash, zero cogging and provides users with high acceleration, high speed, high resolution and long life. The compact motor is just 1” in diameter and 2.75” long. Inside the motor housing, the linear optical quadrature encoder is directly connected to the shaft for the greatest possible accuracy. The motor has a stroke length of. 500” and a continuous force rating of 22.2 oz. and peak force of 67.2 oz. Features include quiet long life plain linear bearings, an integrated internal (1.25 micron resolution) quadrature optical encoder with differential outputs and a non-rotating shaft. Di-rect coupling of the load or stage to the low inertia non-rotating shaft eliminates backlash and allows for high acceleration/de-celeration. Both ends of the motor and shaft ends are drilled and tapped for easy integration into new and existing applica-tions. Moticont www.moticont.com, 888-785-1804
Tube Selector Enables Rapid PickingThe Micronic Tube Selector is a user-friend-ly tool as it offers the convenience of single-handed operation and the possibility to manually pick individual tubes from any tube storage rack without the necessity of lifting them. For laboratories looking to reduce sample contamination, the selector enables “handsfree” manual picking and placing. An easy wipe clean surface further reduces the chances of sample contam-
ination. A single thumb button enables the rapid and secure picking of a sample storage tube. Pressing the thumb button again releases the tube from the tube selector. The grippers of the tool are optimized to be compatible with all 96-well format tubes sealed with either screw caps or push caps. The versatile tube selector is available as a low cost stand-alone product or as part of a sample storage starter pack. MICRON-IC America LLC www.micronic.com, 484-480-3372
384-well Plates for Sample Storage, Assay Set-upPorvair Sciences’ range of 384-well plates are produced in class 10,000 cleanroom conditions from superior grade, ultra-clean polypropylene to strict quality control guide-lines. Available both sterile and non-sterile, the 384-well plates provide a solution for sample storage and assay set-up, allowing dilutions and aliquots to be simply handled, stored, or transported. Manufactured extra fl at to ensure effective sealing, the well plates maintain user’s sample integrity over extended periods down to –80C. Manufactured to conform to ANSI/SLAS plate dimensions, all 384-well plates are fully compatible with automated liquid handling systems. Available in two sizes, the pyramidal well bottom design en-ables easy removal of liquid samples. Porvair Sciences Ltd. www.porvair-sciences.com, +44 1978 666222
Vessels Provide Consistency Hanson Research’s Super Precision Vessel (Hanson SPV) for their Vision G2 series of dissolution testers has closer conformance to an ideal vessel shape, which provides more consistent vessel-to-vessel dissolu-tion test results in USP Apparatus 2. The precision vessel resolves issues relating to routine calibration of dissolution testing equipment, whether by chemical calibra-tion using USP prednisone reference standard tablets, by enhanced mechanical calibration (EMC) according to industry standards such as ASTM E2503-13 or by a pharmaceutical company’s own in-house protocols. The nearly identical shape of the inner surfaces within each set of six or eight vessels signifi cantly reduces any variability in dissolution test results that might otherwise be traced to this “vessel quality factor.” An analysis of six years of fi eld testing results, comparing standard-precision to super-precision vessels, shows the unit provides a far greater chance of passing the USP Performance Verifi cation Test (PVT) at Stage 1, thereby minimizing down-time and reducing labor costs. The precision vessel is now available in 1L vessel capacities, clear or amber, for the SR8-Plus, Vision G2 Classic 6, and Vision G2 Elite 8 dissolution testers. Hanson Research Corp. www.hansonresearch.com, 818-882-7266
Consumables & Supplies � Products
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 17
Consumables and Supplies � Products
Recirculating Faucet Optimizes Flow CharacteristicsGF Piping Systems’ second generation Type 530 AquaTap Recirculating Faucet has new functionality for greater performance and improved control. The fau-cet features a patented fl ow through head design and patent-pending Inline Flow Diverter (IFD) technology that eliminates dead-legs and optimizes fl ow characteristics. These design features ensure pure water for laboratory dispensing in a variety of UPW applications. The newly
enhanced faucet has been re-designed with a more contemporary style handle that produces a full 120 degrees turn from closed to full open position, while providing a reassuring tactile feel of valve position. The handle also identifi es the type of liquid or gas media being dispensed using symbols and color codes in accordance to SEFA recommended Practice No. 7 for hospital and laboratory fi xtures. The valve comes standard with a ¼” FNPT connection with barbed outlet, which is designed to adapt to full fl ow aerators and other tube fi ttings for feeding common laboratory tools. The package also includes two PROGEF Natural PP isolation ball valves for easy faucet removal. These valves isolate fl ow to the faucet to allow for maintenance or renova-tion without interruption to the main water system. Other performance characteristics include fl ow rate of up to 5 (GPM) through the faucet, with no more than 1.5 (PSI) pressure drop across the main UPW loop. GF Piping Systems www.gfps.com, 800-854-4090
Multi-sense Probe Features Smart Sensor Tip The HP125 Multi-Sense Humidity Probe from Edgetech Instruments is a cost effective, easy to use solution to many industrial and laboratory challenges. The probe exploits the latest advancements in polymer humidity sensing technology and compact electronic circuitry. It continuously measures up to four measurement parameters using a single intelligent sensor tip, including RH%, calculated dew point, temperature and either absolute or barometric pressure. Users can choose the measurements needed for their application and budget. The Smart Sensor Tip has local memory to inform the main probe electronics of all confi guration information and calibration data. The tip can be replaced in seconds. Upon installation it is recognized and automatically synchronizes with the main software within the probe giving the option of quick turn-around for an-nual calibrations. No need to take the probe out of service for weeks for shipment and calibration off-site, simply replace the tip with a new one. The probe may be directly inserted into process measurement points or may be coupled with a variety of applica-tion oriented sampling accessories for very fl exible installation options. The probe may be used in the simplest confi guration for ambient air monitoring or it can be mounted remotely for direct insertion into glove boxes, HVAC ducts, environmental test cham-bers, circulation pipes, refrigerated storage rooms, engine test fi lter rooms and many other manufacturing environments. Edgetech Instruments, Inc. www.edgetechin-struments.com, 508-263-5900
Bottle Top Dispenser Equipped with Dual-Valve TechnologyThe Sapphire Bottle Top Dispenser from LH Technologies features a patented Dual-Valve Technology that allows opera-tors to perform several dispensing tasks without dismounting the instrument. Users can perform dilution, rinsing, dual liquid handling and recirculation using a single dispenser. This abil-ity also saves time and increases productivity in the lab. The instrument also has six unique volume ranges, 360 degree rotation and more. LH Technologies LLC www.LHTechno.com, 847-336-7556
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18 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
Instrumentation & Equipment � Product NewsSeparations & Spectroscopy � Products
Spectrofl uorometer Offers High SensitivityThe QuantaMaster 8000 spectrofl uorometer
from HORIBA Scientifi c offers high sensitivity with a signal-to-noise ra-tio (SNR) of 30,000:1 RMS for water Raman. The modular research grade
spectrofl uorometer can be used for steady state and lifetime measurements. It ac-
commodates up to four excitation sources and six detection channels, triple grating turrets for extended wavelength range and can be used with single or double monochromators for enhanced stray light rejection. TCSPC can be added to increase fl exibility and adaptability, providing faster speeds, shorter lifetimes and offering a tunable UV/Vis/NIR super-continuum laser from 260 to 2,000 nm. Spectral and phos-phorescence lifetime detection coverage of up to 5,500 nm can be provided. The instrument is fully automated FelixGX software controls all of the hardware functionality, and pro-vides a full set of data acquisition protocols for spectral and kinetic measurements. HORIBA Scientifi c www.horiba.com, 732-494-8660
Spectrometer Combines Separation Technology to Enhance CapabilitiesThermo Fisher’s series of mass spectrometers now incor-porate 908 Devices’ new ZipChip microfl uidics separation technology to deliver high-quality separations that transform MS analysis of biomolecules. Customers using the Exactive, Q Exactive and LTQ Orbitrap Hybrid FT series of mass spectrometers will be able to incorporate ZipChip to enhance their analytical capabilities. ZipChip uses inte-grated microfl uidics to separate biological samples in three minutes or less prior to MS characterization, and requires only a few nL of sample. Users can select between two chip types—ZipChip HS for small molecule analysis and peptide mapping or ZipChip HR for intact large molecules. With this new option, users can take advantage of fast, integrated separation and characterization of complex biomolecules using the combination of microfl uidic capillary electrophoresis (CE) and HRAM MS techniques to accelerate the pace and productivity of the biopharmaceutical and biotech development process. Thermo Fisher Scientifi c, Inc. www.thermofi sher.com, 800-556-2323
Hybrid System Advances Plasma Protein AnalysisPostnova’s AF2000 Multifl ow Mid Temperature Field-Flow Fractionation system, coupled with an Agilent 7700 ICP-MS system was used to separate a mix-ture of Human Serum Albumin binding 63Cu and Transferrin binding 56Fe metal ions. The AF2000 system separated the proteins by size and the ICP-MS system detected the metal ions to obtain metal distributions of the protein mixture. The researchers demonstrate that AF4-ICP-MS is an excellent tool for the non-denaturing and element-selective detection of plas-ma proteins. The demonstrated benefi ts of the AF4-ICP-MS technique show particular promise for demanding applications in which the two plasma proteins under study act as binders of the same element. Other applications under investigation include patient physiology studies involving identifi cation of metal uptake in plasma, optimization of therapeutic protein and antibody production, detection of protein contamination and quality control of therapeutic protein and antibodies. Postnova Analytics GmbH www.postnova.com, 801-521-2004
Spectrometer Re-designed with Improved Features
The rapifl eX MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometer from Bruker was re-designed to meet high demands for in-depth intact and top-down protein characteri-zation, and high-performance, high-throughput mass spectrometry imaging. Its TOF/TOF ion optics and smartbeam 10 kHz proprietary laser technology offers higher speed, better mass resolution and mass accu-racy, and an enhanced MS/MS mass range to enable new research and routine applications. The system’s 10 kHz speed and ion source robustness, its wide dynamic range, higher specifi city and resolution all
contribute to the detailed characterization of biologically and clinically relevant lipids, peptides and proteins. Bruker Corp. www.bruker.com, 978-663-3660
Parr Instrument Company custom engineers and builds complete tubular reactor systems with continuous feed and product handling capabilities. on-stirred vessels have been designed for the explosive decomposition of biomass in ammonia and steam. Parr stirred reactors can be custom designed for research processes that include hydrogenation, isomerization, and metathesis reactions.
Let us build one for you.
Parr Instrument Company 800-872-7720 | 309-762-7716 | www.parrinst.com/LE816
Parr Biofuels and Alternative Fuels Research Systems
Custom Designed for Your Research Processes
Painless Melting Point Determination
Completely automated operation
Digital movie of each melt
PID-controlled temperature ramping
Stand-alone operation or computer control (USB)
Printer output
Stanford Research Systems1290-D Reamwood Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94089 · email: [email protected] (408)744-9040 · Fax (408)744-9049 · www.thinkSRS.com
Melting point measurements⎯painfully slow,frustrating, and very subjective. Not anymore!
OptiMelt is the first fully-automated meltingpoint apparatus that uses a built-in digitalcamera to determine melting points. Picturesare taken during a melt, image data isprocessed to determine the melting points, andOptiMelt displays the results. The process isfast, easy and precise.
Of course, we also give you a magnified viewof the samples so you can make a manualmeasurement if you wish.
For completeness, the digital pictures takenduring your melts can be played back as amovie using our MeltView software (free).There will be no uncertainty in your meltingpoint measurements ever again.
Digital movie display
OptiMelt...$2495 (U.S. list)
20 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
General Motors had a problem. The engine blocks in their Flint, Mich. plant were corroding as fast as they
came off the production line. In the few months since the city had switched from Detroit water to the supply of the nearby Flint River, everything the factory pro-duced was rusting over.
Tests quickly revealed the cause: elevat-ed levels of chlorides were allowing the water to more-easily oxidize the metal.
The city switched to the river water in April 2014. GM reported its problems within months. After more months of inaction from the city leaders, the company alone switched back to Detroit water in December 2014.
“GM did inform the city,” said David Hand, chair of the civil and environmen-tal engineering department at Michigan Technological University, in an interview with Laboratory Equipment. “No doubt (the city) should have realized they should evaluate the water.”
But for the rest of the homes and businesses of Flint, nothing was done. Residents of the “Vehicle City” continued to drink, bathe and cook with the water. Some complained of rashes and other health effects, but it wasn’t until outside experts showed their many alarming test results to the media and the public that something was done.
And so Flint became a cautionary tale. Experts said the lead levels in the water were just a symptom, however. The simple problem was that science took a backseat to fi nancial and political concerns, experts said.
Caught in the middle were 99,000 citizens who took for granted that regula-tory agencies would keep them safe using long-accepted sanitary standards.
Hard times for “Vehicle City”Flint is a city struggling. Roughly 40
percent of the population lives under the poverty line. The relative affl uence of post-World War II and the 1960s dis-appeared with the changing American economic tide. By the time native son Michael Moore, the fi lmmaker, made his ballyhooed fi lm “Roger and Me” in 1989, the boomtown was fading fast. Its decline has only sped up ever since—since the mid-1990s, three-quarters of the manufac-turing jobs have left the city.
The city was in such dire straits the state passed a law reserving the ability to appoint an emergency manager to straight-en out the municipal fi nances. The fi rst one was appointed in 2011—but the position became a revolving door, with fi ve changes over as many years.
The emergency managers all nonetheless shared an ambitious plan—cheaper wa-ter. By building their own water system, and leaving Detroit’s, they would save money in the long run. The $270 million Karegnondi Water Authority plan is still expected to be fi nished by the end of this year, nearly on schedule.
But the plan came with one drawback. Flint would have to fi nd a water source while the whole thing was being built, over the course of two or more years.
The Flint River was the easy stop-gap choice. Using the existing backup distribution system, city leaders agreed to use the river water as a fallback for two years during the new construction.
With the help of outside consultants, and with the blessing of state and local authorities, the spigot to the river was turned on April 25, 2014.
But the river water was fundamentally different than the Detroit water—and also different from the future source of Lake Huron.
The Flint River has a lower pH, and a different alkalinity. This was not a problem for much of the iron service mains in the city, which provide most of the longer-distance carrying. But many of the service lines in the city—the older and shorter pipes running from the mains to the individual buildings and residences—were made of lead.
The chemical incantation was cast. The lower pH of the river water allowed the lead scale and lead ions to become more soluble in the water running to taps all over the city, said Hand.
Flint Water: Where Science Took a Backseat
to the MoneyFlint, Michigan’s water crisis has become a cautionary tale of the consequences that can arise if continued efforts are not made to
monitor the chemistry of public water.by Seth Augenstein, Science Writer
Flint River In Downtown Flint, January 23, 2016. Photo: Linda Parton
ENVIRONMENTAL & FIELD TESTING
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 21
Essentially, the untreated water ate away at the lead pipes. The lead was carried to the taps, and people drank it unaware.
“With any major change like this, you should be looking at corrosion control—it should be standard,” said Hand, who looked into the water-quality issues for GM early on in the Flint crisis.
GM was the fi rst to publicly note some-thing off about the water. But residents were slowly recognizing a change in their quality of life. Within a week of General Motors’ departure from the Flint water system, the city issued a warning about the total trihalomethanes in the city’s taps. (Total triahalomethanes are disinfectant byproducts proven to cause liver and kidney problems).
But they continued to deny there was a lead problem—even when a University of Michigan team found elevated lead levels in multiple spots in the city just days after-ward—and when angry residents brought jugs of their discolored tap water to city hall that same month, January 2015.
A drop in an American bucketMost old water systems in the U.S. have
some kinds of lead in the pipes. But for many established cities, they either use softer water sources, or treat the water before it goes through the system with phosphates for preventative corrosion control, experts said.
“This is 100 percent preventable,” said Qiang He, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in an interview with Laboratory Equipment. “A lot of cities are like Flint. Every city has a small proportion of lead pipes every place. What the other cities don’t have is this social and economic conditions that bring a change allowing this to happen.”
Lead does exist in American water in varying degrees. A USA Today investiga-tion this past March found that nearly 20 percent of the country’s water systems had lead levels greater than 15 parts per billion, the EPA’s “action level.”
Washington D.C. had a lead problem in the early 2000s that lasted longer and was more severe than Flint’s. The cause was the Washington Aqueduct’s switching from chlorine to chloramine for water treatment. Water offi cials were reportedly trying to limit the byproducts in the disinfectant process. But instead, they ended up boost-ing the corrosion of the pipes throughout the nation’s capital. In that case, offi cials
have been accused of covering up health concerns systematically over a number of years.
“Those situations prompted the Lead and Copper Rule. But sometimes it isn’t enough,” said Hand.
Felonies in FlintNewspaper accounts documented the
regulatory lapses as the problems grew. Discolored water, illnesses and rashes were reported by citizens. Boil-water advisories were declared intermittently. The city and state offi cials stalled, even amid an appar-ent outbreak of Legionnaire’s Disease.
But the residents’ complaints went ig-nored, then dismissed. Even after scientists calculated elevated lead levels in January 2015, the claims were dismissed by local offi cials and then the state Department of Environmental Quality.
An independent investigation later determined the state DEQ failed with a “minimalist approach” to regulations.
Eventually, pres-sure from the EPA—and an independent study by a Virginia Tech scientist—caused a national furor. The city declared a public health emergency on Oct. 1 2015—after 18 months of denials and attempted fi xes behind the scenes.
In some respects, the damage had
already been done. A CDC investigation of the lead levels in children younger than 6 found a 46 percent increase in elevated blood levels of the heavy metal.
Criminal charges have resulted. Three of-fi cials have been indicted with multiple felo-nies in the “fi rst stage” of the investigation. The charges involve conspiracy, misconduct and tampering with evidence. Two of the offi cials are with the state’s DEQ, and one is a local offi cial. Michigan Attorney Gener-al Bill Schutte has said that investigation remains “fully active”—and more charges against more people could happen.
The infrastructure experts, in the mean-time, say that Flint isn’t likely to happen elsewhere. Instead, it was a “perfect storm” of bad policy, lack of oversight and the glaring omission of simple science.
But getting the lead out would get rid of the risk, they added.
“When it comes to health, there’s no risk you can take,” said He. “We have the know-how and we have the technolo-gy—we just need to have the will to fi x the problem.”
Bottled water distribution by National Guard at Fire Station 6, in Downtown Flint, Michi-gan. Photo: Linda Parton
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22 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
Viewed from a wide lens, science is born of a desire to solve a puz-zle, fi x a problem or improve a
process. In the case of biofuel research, it accomplishes all three—the puzzle is how to continually forge paths to alternative energy sources; the problem is rising greenhouse gas emissions; and, while the processes differ, they share the common denominator of striving for scalable solu-tions. Three female researchers know the cycle all too well, as they’re busy making notable strides in the biofuel fi eld. While they are each unique in their approach, they share an aptitude for teaching and mentoring the future generation of those eager minds ready to belly up to the bench.
Laboratory Equipment spoke to these three biofuel researchers—here’s what they’re working on, whom they’re mento-ring and their respective takes on what it’s like to be a female in the male-dominated science space.
Michelle O’Malley—Assistant Profes-sor of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara
When Michelle O’Malley started her educational career, she was a chemical engineer through and through. As she was working on her PhD, though she began trying to solve biologically relevant problems. As she worked to ferment sug-ars into something more valuable during her postdoc, she found many approach-es saturated. Wanting to push herself and forge a different path, she opted to explore biofuel solutions using unusual
microbes in her role as assistant professor of chemical engineering. Her work is root-ed in understanding anaerobic gut fungi and the enzymes they produce in order to manipulate those enzymes to optimally degrade biomass for conversion to fuel. (In addition to fuels, she also looks at commodity chemicals that can be made from sugars.)
“Basically, these anaerobic fungi are really good at chewing up plant material into sugars, but nobody could pinpoint the enzymes at play,” O’Malley told Lab-oratory Equipment. “Since sequencing is becoming more affordable, my lab is able to cultivate and genomically characterize our own novel strains of anaerobic fungi that we isolate from the environment. Given my engineering background, we now look to develop new methods to translate this data into bioprocesses that scale up and convert biomass into useful fuels and chemicals.”
O’Malley’s research was facilitated by a historic scientifi c partnership—that is, one between the Environmental Mo-lecular Science Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacifi c Northwest National Laboratory
and the Department of Energy (DOE) Joint Genome Institute. Dubbed Facili-ties Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS), the partnership allows scientists to collaborate and draw on one another’s capabilities. In O’Malley’s case, FICUS allowed her and her team to get the fi rst real genomic insight into the anaerobic fungi on the JGI side while leveraging the proteomic support from EMSL to validate things they were fi nding in the genome.
Work is important to O’Malley, but so is sharing her passion with her students. As Principal Investigator at O’Malley Lab at USCB, she runs a tight interdisciplin-ary ship—and she likes it that way. The representation from chemical engineering, chemistry, microbiology, biochemistry and basic biology has been instrumental in keeping the lab’s approach to solving problems fresh and agile.
“Fresh” describes O’Malley’s research accurately, as she’s at the forefront of her fi eld. In fact, she was recently named one of 105 up-and-comers to be awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). She visited the White House in what felt like “the most prestigious graduation ceremo-ny ever” and met President Obama—not bad for the fi rst female assistant professor in her department.
“Although I’m the fi rst [female], I’ve never felt that way,” she said. “My colleagues here are amazingly supportive, and that’s important in anything you do. The people around you should be advo-cating for your success. That’s been part of the key to mine.”
Female Researchers Highlighted as Biofuel Innovators
Three established female researchers share some of their novel work in developing sustainable energy options.
by Jessica Burdg, Contributing Science Writer
Michelle O’Malley. Photo: Sonya Fernandez
BIOFUEL TECHNOLOGIES
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 23
Gozdem KilazAssistant Professor, School of Engineering and Technology, Purdue University
Gozdem Kilaz is a well-respected aviation biofuel researcher at Purdue—a university fi ttingly planted in corn-fi lled Indiana. It’s here that Kilaz has made her home for the past 17 years after receiving both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey. And, although she’s got her PhD in chemical engineering, don’t call her Dr. Kilaz—she doesn’t believe in labels, she said—only science.
Kilaz’s big-picture goal is to manu-facture safe, sustainable jet fuels on a large scale for military use in order to put a dent in our deep dependence on foreign oil. Of course there are multiple hurdles she’s working on overcoming, like the “chicken or the egg” problem that faces many promising startups in this space today—that is, having an innovative product but being required to produce thousands of gallons of fuel for testing purposes with neither the time nor funds to oblige. To remedy this, Kilaz and her colleagues are work-ing with the U.S. Navy in an effort to map the precise chemistry of each proposed fuel to its performance char-acteristics using small batches instead of large quantities.
There’s more—safety and durability are exceptionally important in a jet fuel due to the all-inclusive nature of its duty in the air. For this reason and more, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is especially interested in fi re-spread patterns of various types of fuels.
“The FAA realized with the use of biodiesel and ethanol, fi re spread pat-terns were much different than those of regular fossil-based fuels,” Kilaz told Laboratory Equipment. “That was a huge wake-up call about 10 years ago. Part of my research is dedicated to using mass spectrometry tools to take a look at the chemistry of all the components and fi gure out why.”
Outside of her laboratory, Kilaz takes on another important role as one of the Faculty Fellows for the Purdue Polytech-nic Institute initiative (PPI). Polytechnic education techniques aim to produce not only graduates with a high technical aptitude, but who can also solve prob-lems, think critically and communicate effectively.
“An engineer 50 years ago had to be a good engineer and a strong leader, and other skills were supplemented by sup-porting staff,” Kilaz said. “Not anymore. This cohort of students is so digital and savvy, and our old methodologies won’t work. They need to collaborate and learn skills in a transferrable way.”
As the daughter of a Greek mother and a Turkish father, Kilaz understands and values different perspectives. So does PPI. In fact, one of their goals is to raise the diversity of the faculty to 25 percent female and 10 percent underrepresented minority by fall 2016. As for the staff, PPI hopes to reach 60 percent female and 15 percent minority by that same time. Kilaz told Laboratory Equipment she considers Purdue her home and is heavily invested in the culture both in and out of academ-ics. You can bet that if she has anything to say about these ratios, they’ll be reached.
“I’ve attended meetings where everyone was referred to as ‘gentlemen’ as I am sit-ting there as the only female in the room,” Kilaz said. “We have to be gender agnos-tic when it comes to judging a person’s success level. I believe in that strongly.”
Ee-Been GohResearch Scientist at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI)
Ee-Been Goh is a Research Scientist at JBEI, a Department of Energy Research Cen-ter led by Berkeley Lab that has a fundamen-tal commitment to slowing climate change.
Originally from Singapore, Goh spent most of her childhood and undergraduate studies in Vancouver. It wasn’t until she began her postdoc career that she delved into biofuels. During her fi rst few years at JBEI, Goh endeavored to take microbes—specifi cally E. coli—and manipulate them such that they would convert sugars (i.e. glucose) to biofuel molecules (like medium-chain methyl ketones, a potential
biodiesel) via the engineering of biochemi-cal pathways.
However, this is just a small part of the broader mission at JBEI, which is seeking to develop an economical and sustainable pipeline of plant biomass to biofuels.
“To do that, we have to boost up the sugars in non-food biofuel crops that can be planted in marginal lands, fi nd effective treatments to break down the recalci-trant plant material so we can get access to those sugars and feed them into the microbes. Sometimes there are inhibitors that get carried through the upstream pro-cesses from the breakdown of plant ma-terials, so we have to engineer bacteria to be resistant to these inhibitors. Ultimately, this process creates a carbon neutral cycle that will aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” Goh told Laboratory Equip-ment.
Today, Goh said her focus is on integrating this entire process at a larger scale that is more commercially relevant.
While her work as a researcher is important to her, Goh said it’s her work as a teacher and mentor that she considers her legacy. For exam-ple, Goh has long volunteered her time to iCLEM, a summer internship program sponsored by JBEI and the Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC). Designed for underprivileged high school students in the San Francisco Bay area to gain more exposure to science, the program now has an established curriculum and receives hundreds of applicants each summer com-peting for the eight available spots.
This is just one specifi c example—on the whole, Goh is a passionate champion of students from all backgrounds. She continually encourages the future genera-tion of female scientists, in particular, to surround themselves with like-minded, encouraging advocates.
“Providing others in the scientifi c community with a new tool or a new way to do things matters, too. I focus more on the people I’ve impacted and how they, in turn, impact science—that’s a bigger thing than the science I do.”
Gozdem Kilaz. Photo: Mark Simons, Purdue University
Ee-Been Goh. Photo: Roy Kaltschmidt/The Regents of the Uni-versity of California, through the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
24 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
Security is a paramount concern for laboratories. It’s essential to make sure that only approved individ-
uals have access to certain areas of the lab for both privacy and security reasons. It doesn’t matter what the nature of the work is that’s being conducted in the lab, privacy must be sacrosanct.
If the lab is handling patients’ blood or tissue work, the importance of protecting their privacy is obvious. The stakes for patients and labs alike are high. Security is just as important in research settings, where unauthorized personnel can wreak havoc, either by inadvertently contaminat-ing materials or through corporate or ac-tivist espionage. In research labs, the stakes are just as high. When unauthorized access undermines research, the implications for both the effi cacy of the work and the lab’s fi nances can be signifi cant.
There can also be public safety implica-tions. Labs, particularly those that are do-ing controversial work, can sometimes be subject to sabotage or vandalism. Over the years there have been numerous instances of intruders breaking into labs and inten-tionally releasing research animals, and in some instances hazardous materials have even been stolen. Released animals or con-taminants can pose potentially disastrous public safety and health hazards to citizens.
Likewise, when labs are conducting classifi ed research for the government, the risks posed by the theft of classifi ed infor-mation are substantial. The information present in these labs is just as sensitive and the repercussions of stolen informa-
tion can be far-reaching and dramatic.Finally, the typical lab has equipment
that could be worth hundreds of thou-sands—even millions—of dollars. Security protocols must be in place to prevent the theft or diversion of mission-critical or high-value equipment.
For all of these reasons, security is an overriding concern for lab managers, and one of the most important security tools at their disposal is access control equipment to provide and limit access to only those who are authorized to enter. Typically in a lab setting, access control is provided by Radio Frequency Identifi -cation (RFID) cards which, paired with readers, provide hands-free access to laboratories. The RFID cards are typically
placed in employee identifi cation cards or used as stand-alone cards and they are paired with an individual’s data so when that card is used, in addition to provid-ing access, it also makes a record of that person’s having entered or left a particular area within a lab.
There are two primary advantages of RFID over swipe cards and traditional locks: speed and hygiene. RFID cards provide speed because they can be read from as far away as 30 feet. Personnel who are entering and exiting rooms don’t need to stop to swipe a card or punch in a key code because the door will swing open for them as they approach it. In ad-dition to speed, this also provides added convenience for staff who are pushing or carrying equipment or other materials.
Hygiene is another equally important benefi t. Sanitation is a vital concern for all labs, since foreign matter can undermine tests and experiments. RFID cards are worn on identifi cation badges or stored in pockets, so unlike with swipe cards and key locks, staff don’t have to handle them in order to use them. As a result, there is no risk of the contamination from RFID when entering a clean area.
For all of these reasons, RFID is the secure access tool of choice for many labs. The only question is what type of RFID card is right for each lab.
Which Standard?The challenge facing lab administrators
isn’t whether to use RFID technology, but rather, which one to use. There are
Secure Choices: Which RFID Tool Is Right
For Your Lab?Security protocols must be in place to prevent the theft or diversion
of mission-critical or high-value lab equipment. by Gorm Tuxen, President, Tuxen & Associates, Nedap Identification Exclusive Agent-The Americas
SOFTWARE & HARDWARE
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 25
two primary standards for access read-ers: UHF and microwave. Each offers a unique set of advantages, and in choosing a standard, administrators need to take into consideration their own needs and resources.
UHF—or Ultra High Frequency—credentials can be worn on lanyards or access card clips. While UHF technically covers frequencies between 300 MHz and 3 GHz, systems complying with the cur-rent RFID Gen2 standard operate in the 860-960 MHz band. These systems can achieve relatively large reading distances. Unlike transponders, this reading distance can be achieved without batteries. UHF readers are unobtrusive and can be mounted strategically throughout labs to provide access to and from secure areas.
UHF readers have long been the standard for vehicle identifi cation, but the technology is gaining popularity for building security as well. Because UHF readers are available in the form of credit card-sized access cards, they can be con-veniently used for personal identifi cation. Whether worn on a lanyard or clipped to a pocket, the UHF reader will usually be able to read the card at a distance of 12 feet or so, which provides plenty of time for doors to open before the staff member gets to the doorway.
One disadvantage of UHF technology is that UHF readers require line-of-sight, so they won’t work if stored in pockets or briefcases. Also, the technology doesn’t yet support encryption, and with the sophisti-cation that is being demonstrated by data grabbing technologies, this may a liability that makes UHF less suitable for certain
labs. However, in recent years, low cost UHF tags featuring an embedded security algorithm have been developed, and these high security UHF tags are expected to become available within the coming years.
The second common RFID standard includes microwave readers and creden-tials. Like the UHF card, the microwave card emits a signal that, when recognized by the appropriate reader, provides access to appropriate locations in a lab. The microwave technology has a more robust signal, which can be an advantage in cer-tain laboratory settings where there is the possibility of frequency interference from instruments and equipment.
Both technologies can also be used to identify both an individual and his or her vehicle, which makes it particularly useful for staff who need to gain access to garage areas or who use a vehicle in the course of their work.
Another advantage of microwave cards is that they don’t require line-of-sight. They provide more fl exibility because they will work if stored in a pocket or briefcase.
The primary disadvantage of microwave reader technology is price. Microwave read-ers and credentials tend to be more expensive (by about 50 percent) than UHF cards, so they may not be the best
choice for labs requiring many cards or which don’t require the added levels of service they offer. The credentials are also a bit larger and may seem cumbersome to staff who are used to wearing their identifi cation cards.
When coupled with an access control system, RFID access technology enhances security by recording every time the read-er is used and creating an event record. This provides documentation of which staff entered and exited each room and when that occurred. This can be invalu-able information if there are unexplained events or security lapses in a particular room. Also, because staff identifi cation can be coupled with vehicle ID, the system can also record which staff were driving which vehicles on a given day. So, in addi-tion to regulating entry and exiting to and from particular sections of a lab, micro-wave technology can also regulate vehicle access onto the entire campus.
More Control We live in a security-conscious time, and
laboratories are particularly impacted by security concerns. The work that’s done in labs—whether for testing or research purposes—is sensitive and the materials, data and equipment must be protected. Radio Frequency Identifi cation cards play an important role in lab security, restricting access to research and testing areas solely to authorized personnel.
When it comes to selecting an RFID system, labs have choices to help them address all of their unique requirements. It’s important for lab administrators to understand exactly what they need their RFID security system to accomplish and how their needs fi t within their security budgets. Then they can choose the perfect system to meet those needs.
SOFTWARE & HARDWARE
� Last Word
26 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | August 2016
by Robert Preville, Founder and CEO, KWIPPED
I’m the CEO of a relatively new online equipment rental marketplace. Our platform works kind of like Uber, except for equipment rentals—we connect renters that need equipment with suppliers that have equipment inventory
available to rent.We facilitate equipment rentals across 20 industry ver-
ticals—and laboratory equipment is a vertical that we just recently launched. In fact, we used Pittcon 2016 (held in Atlanta in March) as a springboard to introduce our lab vertical to the lab sciences industry. While we were at the show, we consistently experienced an interesting and some-what unexpected anomaly.
Understanding why our experience was so peculiar re-quires a bit of background for context. As I mentioned, we cater to 20 different industries, and in almost every industry, renting is a common and frequently used method of acquir-ing the equipment necessary to complete all types and sizes of jobs and projects. In most of the industries we support, there are numerous businesses that specialize in renting equipment. Here are some examples:
• Builders and contractors constantly rent equipment from companies like United, Hertz, Sunbelt and thousands of smaller rental houses across the country.
• Audio-visual rental companies in every town rent equip-ment for concerts, trade shows, meetings and all kinds of events.
• From surveyors and road repair crews to film producers and HVAC professionals, there are countless circum-stances when renting equipment makes sense and indi-viduals and organizations in every type of industry rent lots of equipment on a regular basis.
But when we were at Pittcon, it was abundantly clear that the idea of renting laboratory equipment had not even registered on most people’s mental radar. I can’t even tell you how many people shared the exact same reaction as they stopped at our booth and saw the words “laboratory equipment” next to the word “rental.” First, a confusing look of bewilderment followed by the raising of eyebrows as they pondered how renting might be a viable option—and finally, the phrase, “I never even thought of renting,” as
they grabbed a business card and asked us to tell them more about this “renting” thing. I’m not saying lab equipment never gets rented, but it is certainly less common than in other industries—I mean, just try to find a lab equipment rental company—it’s not that easy.
Ironically, and for a number of different reasons, the lab industry is particularly well-suited for renting—maybe even more so than many of the industries that already see consis-tent and substantial rental activity. Here are a few top rea-sons why renting makes sense in laboratory sciences:
• Lab equipment is expensive, so renting offers an afford-able alternative when capital is limited.
• Many lab projects, like clinical trials, are temporary, one-off projects where renting makes more sense than purchasing.
• Lab equipment breaks or needs to be cleaned or cali-brated and renting works for a temporary replacement.
• Contractors doing lab work can pass the costs of equip-ment rentals on to their clients.
• Renting is a good way to try different equipment and models before buying.
There are many other reasons to rent—but the point is, renting makes so much sense in the lab space that I’m surprised it’s not already a common and far more popular tactical choice. Perhaps lab professionals are simply too fo-cused on their important work to think about how they’re going to get their equipment. But in my opinion, equipment rental and the lab sciences industry are poised to share great chemistry in the very near future.
Robert Preville
Founder and CEO, KWIPPED www.kwipped.com
Editor’s Note: We invite you to submit your personal commentaries to Last Word on topics that impact your work and affect the overall industry. Please send your commentaries and suggested topics to Michelle Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, at [email protected].
We Learned Something Interesting at Pittcon 2016
� EDITORIAL INDEX
The Advertisers’ Index is provided as a reader service. Although every attempt has been made to make this index as complete as possible, the accuracy of all listings cannot be guaranteed.
� ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
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A � Air Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Aspen Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Asynt Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, CT4
B � Biolytic Lab Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Bruker Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 18
Bulb Direct Holding LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
C � Cleaver Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
E � Edgetech Instruments, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 17
F � Fluid Imaging Technologies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
G � Genevac Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CT4
GF Piping Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
H � Hanson Research Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
HORIBA Scientific . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
K � KWIPPED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
L � LH Technologies LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
M � MICRONIC America LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 16
Mokon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Moticont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
P � Paul N. Gardner Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Photometrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Porvair Sciences Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Postnova Analytics GmbH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
S � Shimadzu Scientifi c Instruments, Inc. . 14, CT4
T � TA Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
TECA Corp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Terra Universal, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Thermal Solutions LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. . . . . . . . . 18, CT4
Torrey Pines Scientific, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
TovaTech LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Tuxen & Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
V � Vision Research, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
W � Workrite Uniform Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Z � ZEISS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
August 2016 | LaboratoryEquipment.com | 27
Ace Glass, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.aceglass.com. . . . . . . . . . . . .CT4
Aries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.arieswater.com . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Bird Precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.birdprecision.com . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Brookfield Engineering Lab . . www.brookfieldengineering.com . . . . . . . . .16
Budzar Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . www.budzar.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Caron Products & Services, Inc. . . www.caronproducts.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Control Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.control3.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Fluid Metering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .www.fmipump.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Omega Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . www.omega.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Parr Instrument Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . www.parrinst.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Pickering Laboratories, Inc. . . . . www.pickeringlabs.com . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Restek Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.restek.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . .CT3
Salesmaker Carts . . . . . . . . . . . www.salesmakercarts.com . . . . . . . . . . .15
Sartorius Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.thinksrs.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Stanford Research Systems, Inc. . www.passionforscience.com . . . . . . . . . . 19
Wilkens-Anderson Co. . . . . . . . www.waco-lab-supply.com . . . . . . . . . . .13
