26/04/11: New BioSilta Website Launched!
April 26, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
BioSilta’s products have found place in many labs where optimal cell culture is required. They have also used their time productively to produce a great new website that is clear and easy to navigate. As well as being prettier to look at, I found it easier to locate product information and a number of key applications are highlighted, for those of you who are still asking “why EnBase?” The publications database is also very useful.
Spend some time checking it out: www.biosilta.com.
18/04/11: SureSelect Publication List – Updated
April 18, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
A lot of researchers seem to like these lists where a “new” (February 2009) technology can be found in the literature.
Now over 50 publications! (opens PDF file)
18/04/11: Roslin Cellab Selects BioCision’s CoolCell for Cryopreservation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines
April 18, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Before getting to the press release, I would just like to say that the CoolCell has proven very popular with customers who test it. They all immediately see the advantage over what they have been using in the past. I do have demo unit available, for those who are interested to try out this technology. Just contact me. Currently, it is being tested at the Panum Institute.
CoolCell Replaces Conventional Cryopreservation Tools, Offers Improved Cell Freezing and Viability
MILL VALLEY, Calif., April 14, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Roslin Cellab, the preeminent incubator for stem cell research and a leading provider of stem cell research services to life sciences companies, has selected BioCision’s®CoolCell® freezing container for cryopreservation of human embryonic stem cell lines. The decision by Roslin Cellab – a subsidiary of the Roslin Foundation and sister company to Roslin Cells, a world leader in the isolation of new clinical grade undifferentiated stem cells for use in research and therapy – comes after a comprehensive review of the CoolCell product line. CoolCell will replace the organization’s conventional cryopreservation tools sitewide.
“This is by far and away the best benchtop technology to enter the field of cell cryopreservation for decades. We have compared the BioCision CoolCell to our old conventional method of cryopreservation and found it to be easier, safer and most importantly of all, our cell lines were recovered with reproducibly higher viability yields post-thaw, and subsequent ongoing growth was improved,” said John Gardner, senior project leader at Roslin Cellab. “This suggests that the freezing rate is more accurate than the isopropyl alcohol method, which is crucial if a cell line is to survive cryopreservation.”
Roslin Cellab assists scientists and technologists with proof-of-concept research, with the goal of translating stem cell research into commercially viable technologies. It supports collaborative research and provides a wide array of services for life sciences companies interested in engaging in stem cell research.
The organization had been using a cell freezing container that required the use of 100 percent isopropyl alcohol for stepwise (-1 degree C/minute) cooling of cell lines in a -80 degree C freezer. This method requires frequent changes of the isopropyl alcohol, a cumbersome and expensive process that demands constant maintenance and yields variable results.
“Roslin Cellab’s deployment of CoolCell represents an important validation for our technology. We believe our alcohol-free CoolCell is enhancing cryopreservation for stem cells, PBMCs, cell lines and other cell types, as well as in other areas of research in which the accuracy of freezing rates is critical,” said BioCision CEO Rolf Ehrhardt, MD, PhD. “Labs at institutions such as Stanford University and University of California, San Francisco that are engaged in stem cell and other cell-based research are increasingly adopting our products to ensure the accuracy of their research.”
BioCision’s CoolCell is ideal for cell lines, stem cells, PBMC, primary cells and yeast. Designed with a patent-pending controlled-freezing technology, CoolCell offers many advantages over alcohol-filled containers, including no maintenance, no on-going cost and no hazardous waste. With the elimination of alcohol, CoolCell delivers a highly reproducible, consistent cooling rate of -1 degree C/minute and identical freezing profiles each time. The result is superior cell viability and function, and more reliable cell assays.
In addition to the CoolCell products, Roslin Cellab is deploying BioCision’s ThermalTray™ and CoolRack® modules, which eliminate direct sample contact with ice, water or liquid nitrogen and enhance sterility procedures when handling vials for tissue culture procedures. The ThermalTray platforms and CoolRack modules provide a safe and reproducible option for snap-freezing. The additional option of placing the modules in a 37 degree C water bath aids the sterile thawing of cryovials, and delivers consistent and reproducible thawing profiles.
“The combination of controlled freezing with the CoolCell and controlled temperature for thawing greatly increases the reproducibility of the freeze-thaw process, with increased cell viability and cell growth post-thaw. The versatility of the system is simply brilliant,” Roslin Cellab’s Gardner said. “The ThermalTray and CoolRack would greatly benefit the process of transferring frozen cell lines using a dry shipper between laboratories. Transfer from the dry shipper to a tray can be achieved quickly without any thawing; the vials are maintained frozen in the tray while they are transferred to laboratory. This also eliminates the transfer of the dry shipper into the tissue culture suite, which is a source of potential contamination.”
14/04/11: Bioreagents – a Choosers Guide
April 14, 2011 by Peter · 1 Comment
Agilent are running a special Easter promotion that gives 25% or more discount on “Bioreagents” if ordered before April 31st, 2011. This is a short post aimed at researchers who might be interested in trying these reagents out by taking advantage of the offer. I have highlighted some tried-and-tested products in ten key application areas.
1. Application: High Fidelity PCR
When you really cannot afford errors.
Go for: PfuUltra II Fusion HS DNA Polymerase.
Here’s why: PfuUltra II is the highest fidelity enzyme out there and is available in a hotstart format. Capable of targeting up to 19kb.
OR
Go for: Herculase II
Here’s why: Herculase II has outstanding performance for GC-rich templates – even with targets that contain as high as 85% GC content. Also has short extension times (15s) and can work with targets up to 12kb.
2. Application: Routine PCR
When you are looking for an economical price.
Go for: Paq5000 DNA Polymerase
Here’s why: Paq5000 has better sensitivity than Taq and can amplify much longer target sequences (up to 6kb). Also available as a hotstart mastermix, very competitively priced.
3. Application: Real-Time PCR (qPCR)
When you are looking to improve your results or need to run assays in the fastest possible time.
Go for: Brilliant III, Brilliant III, Brilliant III (just to be sure you got the message)
Here’s why: Brilliant III uses a new and unique Taq mutant that is almost certain to give you higher sensitivity and specificity than your current reagent.
4. Application: Reverse Transcription
When you are looking for high cDNA yield across a range of temperatures with low input RNA.
Go for: AffinityScript
Here’s why: AffinityScript has great performance across all temperatures from 37-55 °C. Excellent for low input RNA.
5. Application: RNA Isolation/Purification
When you are looking for pure, high-quality RNA from your samples, even down to single cells.
Go for: Absolutely RNA Kits.
Here’s why: Get high yields of intact, full-length DNA-free RNA. Flexible sizing to fit your requirements: Mini-, micro- and nano-prep kits. The last one of these has a 10µl elution volume and can isolate RNA from a single cell.
6. Application: Cloning
When you are looking for easy, reliable and affordable topoisomerase-based cloning.
Go for: StrataClonePCR Cloning Kits
Here’s why: Contains PfuUltra II DNA Polymerase for high accuracy and an easy, reliable protocol.
7. Application: Transformation of Competent Cells
When you are cloning large or difficult-to-clone DNA.
Go for: XL10 Gold Ultra-competent Cells
Here’s why: XL10 Gold cells were created specifically for transformation of large DNA molecules at high efficiency. Get 20-30 fold higher transformation than general cloning hosts.
8. Application: Transfection
When you want the same performance as the market leading product, but with significant cost savings.
Go for: GeneJammer Transfection Reagents
Here’s why: high transfection efficiencies with minimal cytotoxicity and you will probably save money
9. Application: Protein Expression in Mammalian Cells
When you are looking for affordable, fast and easy topoisomerase-based PCR cloning and expression.
Go for: Strataclone Mammalian Expression Vector Systems
Here’s why: uses a rapid protocol, with higher-fidelity enzymes than commonly found elsewhere.
10. Application: Site-Directed Mutagenesis
When you need tools to help you analyze protein functions, but don’t want to waste time on the molecular biology.
Go for: QuikChange Lightning Kits
Here’s why: QuikChange Lightning provides an accelerated protocol in a kit that is capable of handing short and long templates, all while maintaining the high accuracy, reliability and efficiency.
13/04/11: On organizing company seminars to scientists
April 13, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
This is a busy time of year for those of us involved in the business side of the Life Sciences. Conference season is in full swing, customers are deep into their research projects (new Ph.D.s have been at it for a few months already) and things need to get done before Summer brings things to a halt.
Anyway, one of the tasks I recently undertook was to organize the Danish part of Agilent’s Nordic genomics roadshow. As usual, if you’re not focused on making these events a success you will end up with a last minute panic. Which is exactly what happened.
It’s easy enough to know what to do: arrange some rooms, make sure there is food, invite people. However, bringing it all together involves a lot of running around at the last minute. And I really don’t like raising a sweat in my nice, clean “customer-facing” clothes just before I meet those customers. However, unless I get organized (I mean really organized), it will be the same next time.
Arranging Venues
Getting a room at DTU was easy – thanks to Laurent, head of the core lab there who took care of that. Århus was a bit more difficult. Due to some rules at Århus University, there are not exactly open arms for vendors who are not official suppliers to turn up and give presentations. Such restrictions are a pain for both small companies and many researchers interested in their products (maybe I will write about that in another post one day). However, my contact there, Jørgen, did a great job in fighting our corner and was able to secure the rooms. OK, that was the rooms sorted!
Food
Arranging food at DTU was remarkably easy. I just went to the canteen, spoke to the man in charge and arranged the whole thing in a few minutes, with a follow-up by email. They deilvered it on time and it was good. With Århus, the location for the seminar was next to the Maths Canteen. I had sent them an email explaining what I wanted (which is what they told me to do, on the phone), but when I turned up it seems that they had not got the message! Ooops, However, to their great credit after I spoke to one of the managers there they managed to get sandwiches, fruit and drinks (hot and cold) for 25 people delivered in just 20 minutes!! Damn fine job – thanks guys.
Getting Customers to the Event
Now we come to the most important bit. That is the issue of getting people to come to these events. Since Agilent are supplying five speakers, travelling from all over Europe, this has to be worth it. I don’t want them to talk to an empty lecture theatre.
So the mission is to get a room full of interested researchers! The standard way that companies try to do this is to send an email “blast.” It’s cheap, you can do it from your computer and get the satisfaction of sending an email to thousands of people at once. That makes you feel like you really accomplished something! Great – except that it is almost useless as a way of getting people’s interest. In fact, I’ve no faith in email blasts, or maybe we’re not doing them well enough. In any case, with 6 days to the event in Copenhagen, we have 17 registrants. However, 4 of them are not going to show (you know, because you spoke to them and one is on maternity leave) and 2 are from another company, so they don’t count. Given that 2-3 will forget on the day, we are below the “magic 10″ at which you don’t feel the whole thing has been a waste of time. Also, to be honest, Agilent probably wouldn’t want to run a similar event in the future if there was a low turnout.
At this point, panic sets in and you do what should have been done anyway: invite people personally. So, I printed up some A5 flyers and went to the University of Århus – Institute for Human Genetics and Molecular Biology – and just knocked on doors. On Monday, I did the same at KU’s Biologisk Insitut. One of the great things about Danish Universities is that you can still just walk in, knock on someone’s door and have a chat. Nine times out of ten, I get a friendly reception. Guess what? Most people are interested. No, they never knew there was such an interesting event close by (even those that you know got the email blast and the reminder, which proves my point). Both those actions, plus sending a lot of personal emails, got the number of registrants into double figures.
The biggest lesson I learned from this is to start inviting people, personally, at least a month before such an event. Otherwise, calendars are full and you never really get the time to invite all the people you would like. And yes, I did know that before I started.
12/04/11: Developments in Real-Time Symposium, June 13-17 2011, Prague
April 12, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Just a little reminder about TATAA Biocenter’s great qPCR event in Prague (comprising conference, exhibition and workshops), June 13th-17th. As usual, it has the highest quality speakers and training and is a must for both experienced and novice users.
Learn more and register at http://www.qpcrsymposium.eu/content/view/1/4/
By the way, students who attend the workshop event will get to go to the conference free of charge!
12/04/11: Agilent Easter Promotions on Bioanalyzer and Bioreagents!
April 12, 2011 by Peter · 1 Comment
Enjoy Easter with Agilent’s special promotions!
Spring is coming (yes, even though this is Denmark – I just looked out of the window and it is definitely there, hiding around the corner). To celebrate, Agilent are offering two special promotions:
20% off the Bioanalyzer and one free kit
25% off or more on your Bioreagents order
To benefit from these great offers, contact Agilent before April 30th, 2011 and mention promotion code S_EASTER11 when you place your order.
To simplify your choices when it comes to Bioreagents, I have written a short post on tried and tested Agilent products in ten application areas here.
07/04/11: Agilent 1st European NGS User Meeting, after ESHG in Amsterdam
April 7, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Agilent have announced that they will be holding their First European NGS User Meeting May 31st – June 1st 2011 (immediately after ESHG).
It might be worth staying an extra day in Amsterdam after all…
07/04/11: Win a Free SureCycler 8800 Thermal Cycler (maybe…)!
April 7, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
Enter “The Fabulous SureCycler 8800 Sweepstakes!” In other words, get the chance to win one of the recently-launched SureCycler 8800s between now and the end of July 2011! But only if you work in a company: apparently this is not open to universities and hospitals – sorry!
05/04/11: New SureSelect Custom Kits Capture up to 34 Mb
April 5, 2011 by Peter · Leave a Comment
It’s been in the pipeline for a bit, but Agilent can now announce the launch of newSureSelect XT Custom Kits – now supporting large custom captures up to 34 MB.
You can download a PDF file explaining more about these new SureSelect XT Custom Kits here, or by clicking on the image below: SureSelectXT Custom Flyer April 4 2011.
With this new SureSelect XT Custom product line extension, Agilent Genomics has increased the maximum SureSelect XT Custom capture by 5-fold. Now researchers can obtain NGS target enrichment kits for captures ranging from <200 kb up to 34 Mb. This greatly expands the research applications possible by genomic enrichment, especially by facilitating large custom captures for NGS studies in non-human species.
Danish researchers, please contact Peter at You Do Bio to learn more.
05/04/11: Agilent release their new PCR thermal cycler, the SureCycler 8800!
April 5, 2011 by Peter · 1 Comment
Text of an Agilent Press release from yesterday:
Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced the Agilent SureCycler 8800, a full-featured thermal cycler that eliminates the need to choose between popular features of other major PCR instruments.
Actually, if you don’t want to read the rest, you can view a nice video here (opens a new window to Biocompare.com).
The SureCycler 8800 expands Agilent’s portfolio of PCR solutions, including a full selection of enzymes, RT-PCR kits and mutagenesis kits. 
The Agilent SureCycler 8800 delivers high speed and high volume in the same instrument, so users aren’t forced to choose between the two. The modular design accommodates both 96-well and 384-well microtiter plates for additional flexibility. The instrument also features temperature gradient capability without sacrificing market-leading uniformity. The high-quality touchscreen and intuitive software contribute to the SureCycler 8800′s productivity and convenience.
“Now customers can have a brand new system that combines the best features of leading PCR instruments, and equip their genomic workflows with a single, trusted vendor from start to finish,” said Carolyn Reifsnyder, marketing director, QPCR, PCR & Bioreagents, Agilent Genomics Division. “Along with providing Agilent’s line of PCR reagents and kits, we remain committed to driving innovation in life-science research with complete, customer-focused solutions.”
In addition to now having one trusted partner for all PCR needs, customers also gain access to Agilent’s technical expertise in designing assays and optimizing protocols for their workflows. The SureCycler 8800 also leverages Agilent’s Electronic Measurement Group’s expertise in precision manufacturing. The instrument joins the company’s line of high quality life-science instrumentation, including the Mx3005P QPCR instrument, 2100 BioAnalyzer and SureSelect XT workflow automation system for target enrichment.
The SureCycler 8800 is on display in Agilent’s booth (1201) at the American Association for Cancer Research, April 2-6 in Orlando, Fla.
Customers in Denmark who are interested in a demo, please contact Peter at You Do Bio.
