Registration is for free.

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Location: Baltimore Convention Center

Booth: 3116

More information: amp19.amp.org

As an attendee you’ll be met by a line-up of over 135 leading suppliers showcasing their latest products, services and innovative new technologies. Every year 100's of products are launched at Lab Innovations offering you the opportunity to get first access to cutting edge solutions.

The event is complemented by a free-to-attend programme of inspiring seminars, engaging show features and numerous networking opportunities.

With all this and more, Lab Innovations has truly established itself as the perfect platform for time-effective, face-to-face business!



Click here for more information.

Visit us at our booth and find out more about modern bioprocess technologies.

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Booth: TBD

More information: www.simbhq.org/raft/

Location: Hyatt Regency Denver

Booth: 29

More information: www.i2sl.org/conference/2019/index.html

Booth: 1163

More information: www.sfn.org/Meetings/Neuroscience-2019

Visit us at our booth and find out more about modern bioprocess technologies.

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Visit our booth (G008) and learn more about our bioprocessing solutions for modern laboratories.

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Visit us at our booth and find out more about modern bioprocess technologies.

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Location: Palm David L. Lawrence Convention Center

Booth: TBD

More information: 2019.ashi-hla.org

Location: Palm Springs Convention Center

Booth: TBD

More information: www.ishinews.com

Visit us at our booth and find out more about modern bioprocess technologies.

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 It is a great pleasure for us to welcome you to the 11th ÖGMBT Annual Meeting from September 16-18, 2019 in Salzburg, Austria. The ÖGMBT Annual Meeting is the largest life science meeting in Austria to connect scientists, students and corporate representatives to share their knowledge and visions in Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics. We are pleased to present sessions in the key disciplines Infection Biology, Microbial Interactions and Microbiome, Epigenetics, Immune Oncology, Immunology and Allergology, Plant Signaling, Tissue Regeneration and Stem Cells, and Translational Oncology, which will be chaired by leading scientists. Our aim is to provide the best possible environment and atmosphere to discuss your data with colleagues, to establish new networks for your career and to enjoy the beautiful city Salzburg near the Alps.

The meeting will be hosted by the Department of Biosciences from the Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg at the Wyndham Grand Conference Center.

In addition to the main program, satellite meetings are planned and a workshop will be organized by ÖGMBT YLSA (Young Life Scientists Austria).

Ample time is planned for science, but networking and occasions to connect are an integral part of our event. Among other possibilities “Wine & Science” shall be highlighted. Our corporate sponsors traditionally invite all attendees to enjoy wine and cheese (prime biotech products, of course) and chat in an informal atmosphere.

Director and Exhibition Manager Bo Rasmussen "Our focus has, in consultation with the industry, been to make a trade fair for professionals in western Denmark. The suppliers to the industry has chosen to back massively up on the new trade fair, and that means that visitors will have the opportunity to meet all of the leading suppliers in the market at one place and so to say "'on neutral ground." With the location of LabDays in Aarhus, we are now ready to invite all users of laboratory techniques employed in Funen and Jutland to some inspiring LabDays."

We look forward to welcoming you at our booth.

Click here for further information.

Datum: 11.09.2019
Zeit: 10:00 - 15:00 Uhr
Ort: Universität Konstanz

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Visit us at booth #38 to get more information about our modern bioprocess technologies.

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Location: Boston Convention and Exhibition Center

Booth: TBD

More information: lifesciences.knect365.com/bioprocessinternational/

In order to determine the concentration of an analyte, most often the wavelength is utilized at which the molecule displays the highest absorbance (peak wavelength). In the case of nucleic acids and proteins, for example, this would be 260 nm and 280 nm, respectively. The laws of physics described by the Lambert-Beer law form the basis for the calculation of the concentration of a substance from photometric measurements.  This occurs according to the steps of the formulae listed below:

1. Transmission or transmittance (T) = I/I0
   Transmission is determined in a photometer, using the ratio between the light which exits and the light which enters the sample.
2. Absorbance (A) = log (I0/I)
   Absorbance is calculated from the negative decadic logarithm of transmission.
3. Absorbance (A) = C x L x Ɛ => Concentration (C) = A/(L x Ɛ)
   The Lambert-Beer law describes the dependence of the absorbance on the concentration of the sample (C), the optical path length (L) as well as the dependence on a sample-specific extinction coefficient (Ɛ), which pertains to a specific substance at a specific wavelength. Sample concentration is then calculated by converting the formula.

These three statements are described in more detail below.

Pharmtech & Ingredients - крупнейшая в России и странах ближнего зарубежья международная выставка, на которой представлено оборудование, сырье и технологии для фармацевтического производства.

Приглашаем посетить наш стенд № B516 в павильоне 2, Крокус Экспо!

Более подробная информация о мероприятии на сайте www.pharmtech-expo.ru

さらに本キャンペーンでは、1セットご購入いただくと、界面活性剤を含むようなサンプルでも液切れ良く排出できる epT.I.P.S. LoRetention を 1 箱（96 本 x 5）プレゼント！

この機会にピペットとスタンド、チップを一気に揃えましょう！

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✓ 手乗りサイズの極めてコンパクトな、パーソナル遠心機ミニスピン・ミニスピンプラス
✓ 世界のスタンダード、微量冷却遠心機 5424 R ＆ スピンカラムの遠心に最適な Kit ローター
✓ 小型ながら卓越した汎用性を誇る、冷却遠心機 5430 R ＆ プレート用ローター
✓ バケット交換なしでチューブもプレートも架けられる、4 L 冷却遠心機 5910 R
　 ＆ ローター、15/50 mL コニカルチューブ・プレート用アダプター、1 L 遠沈管

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新学期，开学礼，经典的畅销产品，惊爆冰点的价格，Eppendorf开学钜惠助力您提升实验装备！

프로모션 페이지 이동

主な展示製品：
> 小スケールのNGSワークフローに対応したコンパクトな自動分注システム
> 4リットル容量で極めて汎用性の高い冷却遠心機
> 加熱速度10°C ／秒の高速サーマルサイクラー

新製品コニカルチューブ25 mLを始めとした各種サンプルもご用意しております。

参加される方は、ぜひ弊社ブース（小間番号96）にお立ち寄りください。

大会公式サイト

主な展示製品：
> 4リットル容量で極めて汎用性の高い冷却遠心機
> 日本語表示の使いやすい分光光度計
> 加熱速度10°C ／秒の高速サーマルサイクラー
> コンパクトで安定した卓上恒温振盪機

新製品コニカルチューブ25 mLを始めとした各種サンプルもご用意しております。

参加される方は、ぜひ弊社ブース（小間番号16）にお立ち寄りください。

大会公式サイト

主な展示製品：
> 低騒音・低振動で操作性がさらに改良された大容量インキュベーターシェーカーInnova S44i
> 4リットル容量で極めて汎用性の高い冷却遠心機5910 R

新製品コニカルチューブ25 mLを始めとした各種サンプルもご用意しております。
参加される方は弊社ブース（小間番号20・21）に是非お立ち寄りください。

大会公式サイト

見どころ：
> リキッドハンドリングに関するお悩みを相談できるピペットコンシェルジュコーナー
> 新製品コニカルチューブ25 mLを始めとした各種サンプルを無料配布
> ローターやバケットを交換することなく1つのローターでプレートと遠沈管を遠心できる、“便利すぎる遠心機” 冷却遠心機5910 R
> PCRやNGSの前処理を自動化する自動分注システムepMotionシリーズ

また、ブース内セミナーも3日間の全日程で行います。
ブース内セミナースケジュール
> 11:30-11:40　 有機溶媒・粘性溶液のピペッティング方法
> 14:00-14:10　 エッペンドルフの消耗品と今までにない新製品
> 15:30-15:40　 自分でできる！ピペットの正しいメンテナンス方法

ぜひ皆様お誘い合わせの上、弊社ブース（6B-701）にお越しください!
展示会公式サイト

Jetzt Video ansehen

Watch video

発売を記念して、キャンペーンも実施いたします。
25 mL チューブ 200 本に、スリット入りで液量が分かりやすいチューブスタンドと、遠心機用アダプターがセットになった、お得なスターターパックを、40% OFF にてご提供いたします！
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サンプルのご請求はこちら：info@eppendorf.jp

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High potential therapy for cancer
Exploiting inherent mechanisms of the immune system to locate, target, and attack tumor cells is the key working principle of anti-cancer immunotherapy. In adoptive T cell therapies, tumor-specific cytotoxic T cells are infused into patients to recognize and destroy targeted tumor cells. In general, the therapy involves three steps: the isolation of T cells from the patient or other individuals, their cultivation, treatment or genetic modification, and finally the transfer into the patient. But what makes this therapy as powerful as it is and why is it necessary to process the cells ex-vivo? There is more than one reason: First, expanding T cells in cell culture allows for huge cell numbers, which exceed the number of active T cells that can be recruited naturally by our immune system. And, it’s obvious that the more cells that are affecting the tumor, the better the therapeutic effect. Another benefit is the possibility to treat cells in a culture with agents that cannot be used within the body. It might happen that a compound is not properly released in the organism or degraded too early to be effective. Other agents might be toxic under physiological conditions and would harm the patient’s healthy cells as well. Finally, ex-vivo cell culture allows us to genetically modify the T cells to improve their tumor specificity and overall effectiveness, and to influence their mode of action. Actually, three different methods are used for adoptive T cell therapy.

TILs - Culturing tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes
Lymphocytes isolated from a tumor are referred to as tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, or TILs. These white blood cells are part of the natural immune response aiming to kill cancerous cells. TILs are transferred from the bloodstream directly into the tumor tissue, where they recognize and mark tumor antigens and mediate the destruction of the tumor cells. However, in advanced cancer the infiltrating lymphocytes are often suppressed. Adoptive T cell therapies with TILs can overcome this problem. To utilize TILs, they are extracted from tumor tissue, grown in interleukin cell culture, and then massively expanded in number. After infusion back into the patient, the high number of TILs re-infiltrate the tumor and reactivate the anti-tumor immune response of the body. Adoptive T cell therapy via TILs works best in malignant melanoma and pancreas carcinoma. TILs can trace tumor metastases and even cross the blood-brain barrier, which makes them a promising solution to treat brain cancers.

Isolating and expanding one particular T cell clone
Not all types of cancer show tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. For patients from whom no TILs can be isolated, tumor-specific responses can be derived by antigen-specific expansion. The patient initially receives a cancer vaccine. This active immunization to tumor-specific antigens leads to an increase of the naturally rare tumor antigen specific T cells, which can be afterwards isolated from the patient’s blood. After identifying and sorting out tumor-specific clones via flow cytometry, the very pure tumor-reactive T cells can be expanded in culture, and transferred back into the patient.

Using engineered T cells
The latest approach in adoptive T cell therapy uses tailor-made, genetically engineered T cells. To receive a highly tumor-specific T cell culture, common T cells from a patient are modified in a way that they express tumor-specific receptors on their surface. These “designer T cells” can detect and destroy cancer cells in one step. The genes for such specific T-cell receptors can be isolated from tumor reactive T cells received from cancer patients, or by immunization of mice with specific antigens.

Another very smart and quite new method is to create CAR-T cells. These are T cells expressing a synthetic gene that codes for a chimeric antigen receptor. Such a CAR molecule includes three components: an extracellular, tumor-antigen-binding antibody fragment, a transmembrane anchor, and an intracellular part for cell signaling. The main challenge is to identify the best target structure. Some issues still have to be overcome. Researchers currently try to get the cytokine-release syndrome under control, a potential severe side effect of CAR-T cell-based therapies. However, because of their high specificity and selectivity, CAR-T cells are currently one of the most promising methods to create novel, high-potential cancer treatments—they may revolutionize the fight against cancer.

Cancer first, now other diseases
Even though adoptive T cell immunotherapies are mainly applied to cancer today, they have much broader scope. Scientists are at work on applying the knowledge on anti-cancer T cell therapies to other diseases, including viral infections such as HIV, and autoimmune diseases. The results of the first clinical trials for progressive multiple sclerosis are being reported, for example. Much more is expected in the coming years.

Literature:
Carl H. June et al. (2018): CAR T cell immunotherapy for human cancer. Science,
359(6382):1361-1365; DOI: 10.1126/science.aar6711
Perica K. et al. (2015): Adoptive T Cell Immunotherapy for Cancer. Rambam Maimonides Med J, 6(1):e0004; DOI: 10.5041/RMMJ.10179
Shelley F. Stoakes (2018): Adoptive T Cell Therapy Methodology. Online: news-medical.net
Michael Pender & Rajiv Khanna (2018): Adoptive transfer of EBV-specific T cells in patients with multiple sclerosis. YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=127&v=JNIKMiH-GR8

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Botucatu receberá nos dias 29, 30 e 31 de Julho o projeto Eppendorf Calibration Week. Sediaremos nosso posto avançado no Instituto de Biociências de Botucatu, UNESP. O evento oferecerá palestras sobre pipetagem, além dos serviços de calibração e manutenção preventiva de suas pipetas.

Calibração de Pipetas - 29, 30 e 31 de Julho

Nossa equipe de técnicos estará a disposição para calibrar suas pipetas, fazer manutenção preventiva ou mesmo para tirar dúvidas. Venha e traga suas pipetas!

Local: Laboratório de Farmacologia 2 - Central velha de aulas, IBB, UNESP
Horário: 08:30/11:30 e 14:00/17:00

Palestras

Domine sua pipeta por dentro e por fora – 30/07

Local: Unesp Botucatu - Espaço IB eventos

Horário: 14h

Link para inscrição:

https://www.eventbrite.com.br/e/palestra-domine-sua-pipeta-por-dentro-e-por-fora-tickets-65103477253

Domine sua pipeta por dentro e por fora – 30/07

Local: Unesp Botucatu - Parque Tecnológico

Horário: 19h

Link para inscrição:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/palestra-domine-sua-pipeta-por-dentro-e-por-fora-tickets-65104101119

マイクロインジェクションシステムを展示いたします。細胞へのダメージを最小限に抑えて、効率良く細胞へのインジェクションを行うための様々な機能を搭載しております。初心者の方でも簡単に取り扱えます。ブースにて実際にシステムの操作感を是非体験してください。

使い勝手の良さが大好評な、細胞培養用消耗品やセルイメージング用消耗品のサンプルもご用意しております。

参加される方は弊社ブース（39番ブース）に是非お立ち寄りください。

大会公式サイト

K vidění je nadrozměrný model molekuly DNA a skládačka DNA řetězců, na kterých si lze vyzkoušet základní pravidla struktury DNA. Pomocí interaktivních modelů je vysvětlena podstata molekuly DNA, z čeho je složená, jak se dá porovnávat mezi odlišnými organismy či jakým způsobem se dědí.

Vystavené moderní přístrojové vybavení a speciálně připravené animace a videa Vám přiblíží práci v molekulárně genetické laboratoři. Více informací najdete zde.

Navštivte výstavu v Nové budově Národního muzea (Vinohradská 52/1, Praha 1) od 19. 7. do 29. 12. 2019. Vstup zdarma.

一款性能可靠、可控制 O2 浓度的 CO2 培养箱是以上低氧研究的核心装备。Eppendorf 新款CellXpert C170i CO2培养箱的 O2% 浓度控制功能正式发布。

CellXpert 全新O2 感应器根据低氧浓度培养需求，量身定制：
 > 最新技术 ZrO2 (二氧化锆) O2 感应器
 > O2 控制范围: 1-19%，控制精度 ±0.1%
 > 使用寿命延长: 3年
 > 可耐受 180℃ 高温 (高温消毒过程中无需取出)
 > 不需要参照大气浓度进行校准

CellXpert C170i 的 O2% 控制功能可出厂安装，也可选择后加装，用户无需另外购买一台带氧气浓度控制的CO2培养箱来应对计划外的低氧培养需求。高精度、低成本、无污染的 CellXpert C170i CO2 培养箱开启细胞培养新篇章。

订购信息：
CellXpert C170i CO2培养箱，右置门把手，1-19% 氧气浓度控制   货号：6731001014
CellXpert C170i CO2培养箱，右置门把手，1-19% 氧气浓度控制   货号：6731001024

Calibração de Pipetas

Nossa equipe de técnicos estará a disposição para calibrar suas pipetas, fazer manutenção preventiva ou mesmo para tirar dúvidas. Venha e traga suas pipetas!

Local: Laboratório de Farmacologia 2 - Central velha de aulas, IBB, UNESP
Horário: 08:30/11:30 e 14:00/17:00

Palestras

Domine sua pipeta por dentro e por fora – 29/07

Local: Sala 67 - Próximo ao quisoque, UNESP-Bauru

Horário: 14h

Link para inscrição:

https://www.eventbrite.com.br/e/palestra-domine-sua-pipeta-por-dentro-e-por-fora-tickets-65103055993

RSI can occur if the same physical movement, such as pipetting, is repeated over a long period of time. Depending on the instrument used, when filling 384 well plates with liquid, the arm must be moved repeatedly, in the worst case up to 384 times, between the liquid container and the plate itself. By tackling entire columns or rows of a 384-well plate in a single step, 16- and 24-channel pipettes can help reduce the risk of RSI for researchers processing a large number of plates in parallel. The best result you can achieve is by using electronic 24-channel pipettes in the dispensing mode.

Join our live demo sessions "ICSI techniques – How to inject in a less traumatic way" by Ivette Vanrell (Senior Embryologist at Embryotools, Spain) on Monday and Tuesday (June 24/25) - 9:30 a.m. and 1.15 p.m. at our booth A16.So come along, learn more about Piezo-ICSI, get hands on experience with the latest Eppendorf products, and profit from several decades of micromanipulation experience of our global specialists.

We are looking forward to welcome you at our booth A16!

For more information regarding ESHRE:

https://www.eshre.eu/ESHRE2019

Click here to learn more about Eppendorf and Cell Handling:

https://handling-solutions.eppendorf.com/cell-handling/

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Vyzkoušejte již nyní!

Další informace naleznete zde.

Pro stažení aplikace navštivte: www.eppendorf.com/app

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The annual Symposium aims to bring together the six research disciplines of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) on one dedicated topic. This year’s topic is:

MOTION in NATURE and TECHNOLOGY

Listen to accessible talks from world-class researchers in biology, neuroscience, computer science, data science, mathematics and physics, and take part in cross-frontier discussions. Get in contact with cutting-edge technology of innovative companies.

Updates – PCs, phones and more

Software updates are defined as new, improved, or patched software for an application, operating system, or software suite to bring it up-to-date with the latest drivers, system utilities or security software. However, computers and mobile phones are not the only devices that run on software. We run across software-based devices and processes every day, in different forms and functions, nearly everywhere. And this trend is growing. Just imagine what a daily routine might like in the future…

The tablet that lulled you to sleep last night by playing calming music, the latest audio book or a guided sleep meditation wakes you up in the morning with your favorite song. You stretch your body, slip out of bed and step into the shower, which has been warmed up in advance by your smart heating system.

While drying your hair, you grab the smartphone and order a cappuccino with a double portion of foam from the coffee maker in the kitchen. Dressed and enjoying the fresh coffee, you stream the morning news on the touch panel of the refrigerator door. Before leaving the house, you clap your hands to deactivate the electric devices and turn down the heating.

Your new car drives you autonomously to the office and does not forget to stop at the hydrogen filling station. At work you first check the welcome-hologram for today’s agenda before sitting down at your desk and working naturally with the interconnected computer, printer and phones. For lunch you go out to the nearest pizza restaurant where the waiter places the order with a small mobile device that communicates with the kitchen.

Behind the scenes, logistics software calculates the foodstuff consumption and prepares order recommendations for the head chef. After paying the bill with your mobile phone, you rush to meet your international colleagues in a virtual evening workshop. After work you stop at the nearest supermarket because you need groceries. Your car guides you automatically to the last remaining parking spot. You then activate your home sound system with the mobile phone because Missy the cat, who loves Vivaldi, wants to be entertained.

While at the supermarket, you view the food cam in your fridge on your mobile phone display to see what it is you need to buy. After returning home, you begin to cook for the family. The oven is preheated thanks to a setting that you programmed in the morning before leaving the house, plus the recipes are displayed on the refrigerator door.

After dinner you play a few holographic games with the kids before they go to bed. Afterwards you snuggle on the couch and enjoy a thrilling crime story on your e-reader before moving to the bedroom and setting the alarm on your tablet…

Missing updates may backfire

While this scenario might seem a bit far-fetched, some of these tools and features are already a reality. They simplify our life, enhance mobility and ease communications. However, all these intelligent devices, smart applications and virtual solutions are controlled by software. Without regular updates, even stand-alone applications will not operate reliably 100 percent of the time. This will be particularly true for all interconnected and corresponding smart devices and Internet-of-Things technologies.

The importance and impact of software updates was recently illustrated by a couple of products "gone awry." Take the brand-new self-lacing sneaker that was introduced several weeks ago. It performed perfectly well until the first software update, which unfortunately paralyzed the entire shoe mechanics. Another example involves the recall of a pacemaker that is used by some 150,000 patients around the world. A new pacemaker design lead to changes in the circuits, which in turn caused a software fault. An update has been announced for the middle of the year. Until then, cardiologists have to manually deactivate parts of the device in all patients who wear this model. And then there is the infamous dieselgate scandal that clearly demonstrated how important proper software updates can be. Although the software updates recommended by the auto manufacturer(s) have been sold as a panacea for improving exhaust emissions, they have proven to have only a minor impact.

Regulatory authorities meanwhile understand the importance of software updates. The European Parliament for instance is currently writing new consumer protection legislation that governs the regulation of software updates for products and services.

Consider your lab-devices

Keeping your electronic devices up-to-date is not only necessary in smart homes, intelligent mobility or for connected offices. It is fundamentally important in laboratories a well.

Have a look at your lab. You’ll find devices in every corner that operate with some type of software. Some of the equipment is interconnected through special laboratory network software. Analyzers load their data directly into electronic lab books or interconnect with laboratory information and management software – or LIMS for short. However, particularly when it comes to high-end devices for complex tasks such as such automated pipetting robots or upstream bioprocessing systems, versatile software is vital. If an automated pipetting robot can intelligently choose between a single or a multichannel pipetting tool, depending on the task, this streamlines productivity and reduces costs by saving tips and reagents.

Take-home message

Products are continuously being improved and most suppliers offer their customers regular updates. Take advantage of these updates! Not only for your PCs, mobile phones and smart home devices, but also for your lab equipment.  Keeping your systems up-to-date can improve your automation processes, increase efficiency and thus reduce on-going laboratory costs.

A person’s microbiome can be defined as the genomes of all microorganisms living in and around them put together. As the number of bacteria living in our gut alone is likely to be in the trillions, the amount of information contained in a microbiome is far greater than any human genome.

It is well known that the ‘health’ of our microbiome has a direct impact on our own health – and tips on improving gut health (as well as products) are easy to find. As a result, a lot of research is focused on figuring out what’s in our microbiome and how exactly it affects us. This information is important for many conditions, ranging from obesity and inflammatory bowel disease to autism spectrum disorder.


Investment in research

With increased understanding of the fact that microbes affect health in ways other than simply causing infections, interest in microbiome research began to spread outside of academia. The biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries began to see opportunities. If there’s a link between a person’s microbiome and a disease, might their microbiome also hold the key to treatment?

A good example of this increased interest is the Microbiome Coalition: a collaboration between a range of thought leaders and companies including AO Biome^®, Abbott Nutrition, CosmosID^®, Diversigen^®, the Mayo Clinic^®, Second Genome^® and Whole Biome^®. Launched in 2014, it aims to remove hurdles to commercial success and pave the way for approval of microbiome-based treatments and diagnostics.

Government funding also plays a key role in advancing the microbiome field. For example, in 2016 the US government, together with other stakeholders, launched the National Microbiome Initiative. Its scope is broader than human health alone as it looks at the microbiomes of whole ecosystems as well, and its findings could have important implications for environmental protection, food safety and even climate change.


NGS for microbiome sequencing

Although microbiology has come a long way since the days of Van Leeuwenhoek and Pasteur, much research still relies on microbe culture before analysis. This method is well suited for studying many individual microbes, but when looking at the diversity within a given sample it can introduce a substantial bias – one that favors microbes that are easy to culture.

Addressing this bias, molecular techniques – and NGS in particular – can use freshly extracted DNA without the need for culture. This method avoids overrepresentation of easy-to-culture species and gives an unbiased picture of genetic diversity. NGS technology can sequence the entire genome of a species, or it can zoom in on specific regions of the genome that are helpful for species identification (for bacteria and archaea, the 16S rRNA region is often used). This method enables faster and more efficient microbiome analysis.

Regardless of the exact NGS method, a key step is the preparation of a sequencing library. This involves turning freshly isolated nucleic acids into fully prepared, bitesize chunks that are ready for sequencing. This step may involve amplification, fragmentation, attachment of adapter sequences and size selection – and is often both time-consuming and labor-intensive.


The importance of standardization

One reason why NGS sample preparation and standardization is challenging is because of the high number of liquid handling operations – especially in applications that involve working with many different species, such as microbiome research. With more liquid handling the risk of errors also increases, which leads to outliers that affect the reliability of the entire study. Standardization helps to keep the error rate low as the size of an experiment goes up.

One way to ensure better standardized NGS libraries and also make the process less labor-intensive is to automate liquid handling. Repeated pipetting, mixing and separation are all well suited to automation by reducing errors and ensuring high accuracy, even at small sub-microliter volumes. As a result, the use of automated liquid handling technology improves both consistency and speed in NGS library preparation for reliable results.

We optimized the respective automated methods for the epMotion 5073m liquid handling platform as ready-to-run methods, and described the automated procedure in short protocols in order to support your transition.

Try it and get your demo today!

Eukaryotic cell cultures respond to the most subtle influence. Apart from the risk of contamination, minimal changes in cultivation parameters can affect the viability, growth and metabolism of the cells. In this educative webinar we will discuss topics like Mycoplasma test methods, effects of passage numbers, and the usage of FBS.

Join us to learn about the measures you can take to improve the reproducibility of your experiments by incorporating Good Cell Culture Practice into your daily routine. Our most experienced Cell Culture Application Specialists will share their knowledge with you

Learning Objectives

• Get to know your cells! Documentation and monitoring
• From cell seeding to cell banking: Optimize your workflow
• Cell line authentication

Register now!

Instead of storing four 96-well plates, you only need room for one plate. That looks especially good in the fridge, the freezer or the store cupboard. But it gets even better: One tip box or rack contains 4 times more tips than the standard (96) format - saving you a lot of space on the bench. This makes two real plus points! Less material also means that you can organize your workspace more efficiently and therefore save time.
In cases where it is possible to run an analysis in e.g. 40 µL instead of 150 µL, the 384-well plates provide many advantages. First and foremost, you save reagent. For example: All four 96-well plate filled with 120 µL per well needs a total volume of approximately 46 mL. If the same analysis is miniaturized to a reaction volume of 40 µL per well, the total volume is decreased to 15 mL.

Expensive reagents such as those used in molecular biology can be saved and the cost per analysis reduced. Of course, this is only feasible if the reaction or analysis can be miniaturized.

Are you able to fill a 384-well plate manually within a minute?

Another advantage is you save time. Are you able to fill a 384-well plate manually within a minute? It is possible to fill 384-well plates with 8/12-channel pipettes. But then only every second well can be filled at one time.

On the one hand, this is highly error-prone ("oh, my centrifuge is ready… which was the next well to be filled?"). On the other hand, it is tiring and time-consuming. Just switching the plates to 384-well format and filling them with 8/12-channel pipettes is false economy.

What you need is a reliable 16 or 24-channel pipette whose cone distances are harmonized to the distance between wells of a 384-well plate. And suddenly the work becomes more efficient.

Image source: alphaspirit/shutterstock.com

PSCs represent an important tool in a wide range of applications, including basic research, disease modeling, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine. As stem cell cultures are very sensitive and respond to the smallest influence, stable culture conditions are crucial to maintain reliability and reproducibility of experimental data. In this educational webinar we will look at the different cultivation parameters, which can affect the viability and proliferation of PSCs during expansion. Join us to learn more about how to assess the quality of your stem cells and to preserve their pluripotency.

Learning Objectives

• Important parameters for PSC culture: growth surface, medium, and culture environment
• Assessing stem cell quality: PSC characteristics and genetic stability
• Improving reproducibility: Detecting cryptic contamination (e.g. Mycoplasma, cross-contamination)

Register now!

In this webinar, you learn about the basics of viscosity, how to measure it, about different types of liquids and what influence viscosity has on your pipetting results. You also learn how to prevent problems with viscous liquids by using different pipetting techniques and appropriate instruments. Get some helpful tips and tricks from one of our most experienced Liquid Handling Application Specialists and find out how you could even pipette honey.

Learning Objectives

• Learn how viscosity influences your pipetting results.
• Figure out the right tool to transfer viscous liquids accurately and precisely.

Register now!

Learning Objectives

• How to standardize NGS library preparation
• Premises for reliable microbiome data
• How to implement laboratory automation in your lab

Register now!

„Eppendorf hat 2018 in einem dynamischen Marktumfeld ein sehr gutes Ergebnis erzielt. Besonders erfreulich ist, dass wir abermals stärker gewachsen sind als das Marktumfeld“, sagt Thomas Bachmann, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Eppendorf AG. „Das Unternehmen hat sich in allen Märkten positiv entwickelt und setzte damit seinen profitablen Wachstumskurs konsequent fort. Wir haben unsere selbst gesteckten Ziele erreicht und zugleich die strategische Neuausrichtung von Eppendorf gezielt vorangetrieben. Das ist eine sehr gute Leistung aller Mitarbeiter weltweit.“

In Nord- und Südamerika konnte mit einem Umsatzwachstum in lokalen Währungen von 9,0 Prozent das durchschnittliche Branchenwachstum in der Region klar übertroffen werden. Insbesondere Nordamerika hat dazu beigetragen, dass Eppendorf über dem Markt wachsen konnte. Auch Europa weist mit einem Umsatzplus in lokalen Währungen von 5,7 Prozent sehr gute Wachstumsraten auf. Das stärkste Wachstum verzeichnete mit 11,1 Prozent in lokalen Währungen die Region Asien/Pazifik/Afrika. Alle Länder dieser Region hatten Anteil an der sehr guten Geschäftsentwicklung, wobei die Zuwachsraten in China und Indien besonders hervorzuheben sind.

2018 wurden im Rahmen der Neuausrichtung von Eppendorf zahlreiche Maßnahmen, Projekte und Initiativen in den Bereichen Marktbearbeitung und -erschließung, Portfoliomanagement, Infrastruktur und Firmenkultur umgesetzt. Mit ihnen wurden wichtige Weichen für die erfolgreiche Zukunft des Unternehmens gestellt und die neue globale Organisation in Kraft gesetzt. Damit wird es gelingen, dass sich Eppendorf künftig noch besser auf die Bedürfnisse der unterschiedlichen Märkte und Kunden ausrichtet. Dazu gehört auch eine umfassende Innovationsinitiative, in deren Rahmen zahlreiche Pilotprojekte zur Entwicklung von Produkten durchgeführt wurden. 2018 erhöhte Eppendorf, wie schon im Jahr davor, die Ausgaben für Forschung und Entwicklung deutlich. Diese erreichten mit 45,3 Mio. Euro (Vorjahr: 36,5 Mio. Euro) einen neuen Spitzenwert.

Ausblick
Auch in diesem Jahr strebt die Eppendorf-Gruppe weiteres nachhaltiges Wachstum an. Das Unternehmen geht davon aus, dass die positive ökonomische Grundstimmung in der Branche und insbesondere in den USA 2019 erhalten bleibt. Für das erste Halbjahr sind zahlreiche Produkteinführungen geplant, die zu der positiven Umsatzentwicklung beitragen werden. Im Rahmen der gezielten Umsetzung der Unternehmensstrategie wird weiterhin überproportional investiert und so die Grundlage für weiteres profitables und nachhaltiges Wachstum gefestigt. Ausgehend von den damit geplanten höheren Kosten rechnen wir bei vergleichbaren Wechselkursen mit einem EBIT auf Vorjahresniveau.

• Eppendorf Pressemitteilung downloaden

Den Geschäftsbericht 2018 der Eppendorf AG finden Sie ab dem 23. April 2019 unter:
corporate.eppendorf.com/de/unternehmen/geschaeftsbericht/

Get regular information about:

• Tips and tricks to improve your daily work

• Free videos, downloads, posters and more

• Access to advanced educational webinars

• Teaching support resources

• Upcoming events and trainings

Sign up now: www.eppendorf.com/insidecellculture

"Eppendorf achieved a very good result in 2018 in a dynamic market environment. It is particularly pleasing that we have once again grown faster than the market environment," says Thomas Bachmann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Eppendorf AG. "The company developed positively in all markets and thus consistently continued its profitable growth course. We achieved the targets we had set ourselves and at the same time pushed ahead with the strategic realignment of Eppendorf. This is a very good performance by all employees worldwide."

In North and South America, sales growth in local currencies amounted to 9.0%, the average industry growth in the region was clearly exceeded. North America in particular contributed to Eppendorf outperforming the market. Europe also posted very good growth rates with sales growth of 5.7% in local currencies. The strongest growth of 11.1% in local currencies was recorded in the Asia/Pacific/Africa region. All countries in this region contributed to the very good business development, with growth rates in China and India being particularly noteworthy.

In 2018, numerous measures, projects and initiatives in the areas of market development, portfolio management, infrastructure and corporate culture were implemented as part of the realignment of Eppendorf. They set the course for the company's successful future and put the new global organization into effect. This will enable Eppendorf to gear itself even better to the needs of the various markets and customers in the future. This also includes a comprehensive innovation initiative, within the framework of which numerous pilot projects for the product development have been carried out. In 2018, as in the previous year, Eppendorf significantly increased its expenditure on research and development. At €45.3 million (previous year: €36.5 million), these reached a new record level.

Outlook
The Eppendorf Group is striving for further sustainable growth also for fiscal year 2019. The company assumes that the positive economic mood in the industry and particularly in the USA will be maintained in 2019. Numerous product launches are planned for the first half of the year, which will contribute to the positive sales trend. As part of the targeted implementation of the corporate strategy, disproportionately high investments will continue to be made and the basis for further profitable and sustainable growth will be consolidated. Based on the planned higher costs, we estimate our EBIT will remain at the same level as the year before, given comparable exchange rates.

• Download the Eppendorf Press Release

As of April 23, 2019, the Annual Report 2018 of Eppendorf AG can be found at:
corporate.eppendorf.com/en/company/annual report/

Energy per cooled liter
Energy-wise, chest freezers are the most economical type of freezers. Since they have sidewall insulation and are opened from the top, chest freezers can maintain their cold temperatures very well. Opening from the top reduces energy consumption per volume, especially when opening and closing the outer door of the unit on a regular basis. Less energy is lost when opening the outer door of a chest freezer compared to an upright freezer as no cold can literally fall out of the freezer.
Based on consumption values, this can be as the following:
The 570 L upright freezer needs 13.3 Wh/ day and liter of cooled volume whereas the 660 L chest freezer needs 12.3 Wh/ day and liter of cooled volume. Both units have similar wall insulation based on PU-foam and vacuum insulation panels as well as green cooling liquids.

Door gaskets
A far lower but more long-term loss of cold air is the door gasket – which is always the weakest point of a ULT freezer’s insulation. As chest freezers have no vertical opening, no cold can leave the freezer via the gaskets as in an upright freezer.

关注Eppendorf 官方微信，了解更多产品信息。

Georg Winter, Jahrgang 1985, erhält den mit € 20.000 dotierten Preis für seine Pionierarbeit, in der er eine Methode zum gezielten Abbau von Proteinen entwickelt hat.

Die feierliche Preisverleihung findet am 27. Juni 2019 am EMBL Advanced Training Centre in Heidelberg statt.

Mehr Informationen über den Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators unter www.eppendorf.com/award

新款 FA-6 x 250 高通量固定角转是适用于 6 x 250 mL 试剂瓶的离心。它的上市，扩展了 Eppendorf 5910 R 和 5920 R离心机的应用范围。它不仅可以满足质粒DNA提取和常规的离心应用，还可用于微生物样本和大容量的细胞收集。

FA-6 x 250 固定角转提供 12 种不同适配器的选择，可最大限度地减少在工作流程中繁琐的更换转子的要求; 现在可以通过简单地更换适配器来适应各种容量的离心类型 — 6 x 250 mL平底瓶/6 x 175 mL锥形瓶/6 × 85 mL圆底管/6 × 50 mL锥形管/24 × 15 mL锥形管/24 × 5.0 mL锥形管/48 × 13 mm采血管/42 × 16 mm采血管/54 ×5 mL FACS 管等。提升效率、节省时间。

另外，选择水平转子离心 250 mL 试剂瓶，最大相对离心力 5,000 x g。新上市的 FA-6 x 250 固定角转，最大相对离心力高达 15,054 x g，有效地扩展了 Eppendorf 台式离心机的应用范围，满足不同客户的离心应用！

更多信息请登录：http://www.eppendorf.com/next-benchmark

In this two-and-a-half-day event, recognized keynote speakers, as well as aspiring young group leaders will discuss the latest advances in stem cell biology in an informal and collaborative setting. Our goal is to strengthen a cooperative and dynamic spirit in this research area.

For more details on the program click here.

Der Eintritt ist frei!

Datum: Dienstag, 19. März 2019

Zeit: 09:30 Uhr bis 15:30 Uhr

Ort: Austria Center Vienna, Bruno-Kreisky-Platz 1, 1220 Wien, Österreich

CO₂ accounts for 60 % of all man-made greenhouse gas, and is known to be a high potential “climate killer”. However, after a three-year period of stagnation, global CO₂ emissions increased in 2017 and have done so again in 2018. This was predicted by the Global Carbon Project, an international research project and partner of the World Climate Research Program. The data reveal much more—we are unlikely to solve the problem just by minimizing the use of fossil fuels, and ideas for capturing, storing, and recycling CO₂ are urgently needed.

In December 2018, the global community met in Katowice at the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference COP24. Once again, the outcome was quite poor. While politicians, environmentalists, and lobbyists still discuss various scenarios and potential guidelines to govern coming decades, some scientists are exploring promising methods to reduce atmospheric CO₂ levels using specialized bacteria. They intend to capture the climate-damaging CO₂ and transform it into useful organic compounds.

Sun-lovers: the natural talents

Some bacteria can fix CO₂ from the environment in the same way that plants and algae do; photosynthesis is the physiological skill they all have in common. Cyanobacteria, green sulfur bacteria, and purple sulfur bacteria belong to this group of so-called phototrophic bacteria. They use the energy of light to convert CO₂ and electrons from water or another donor into sugars. Bacterial photosynthesis is an ancient phenomenon and widely spread throughout the environment. Sulfur bacteria are exclusively found in waters rich with hydrogen sulfite, but cyanobacteria populate nearly every natural habitat on earth. Phototrophic bacteria have already existed for millions of years and they have evolved to do their job very effectively. They naturally fix CO₂ and thereby contribute to the global carbon cycle, along with all the other plants and algae on the planet.

Now, scientists are searching for ways to make full use of the potential to use phototrophic bacteria to capture CO₂ and protect the climate. Using phototrophic bacteria to produce sugar as a resource for ethanol or acetic acid fermentation is well established, but the natural metabolic pathways of carbon fixation have limited efficiency. Therefore, scientists are creating artificial photosynthesis platforms and engineered organisms for optimized CO₂ uptake and conversion.

Out of the lab: tailor-made micro factories

Synthetic microbiology is a novel interdisciplinary field of research that creates biological systems with new properties. Biologists, chemists, and engineers work together to design unique and specialized molecules, cells, and organisms. For the consumption of CO₂ this requires the engineering of artificial bacteria and novel metabolic pathways in order to biocatalyze valuable products such as hydrogen, lipids, alcohols, sugars, and other organic compounds. Today, 90 % of organic chemicals are secondary products of fossil fuels. With the help of synthetic microbiology, scientists are trying to find innovative solutions to reduce the exploitation of fossil fuels and turn CO₂ from being a climate killer into a sustainable resource.

Scientists at Harvard University, for example, have successfully realized an artificial photosynthesis platform that may provide an effective and cheap way to convert CO₂ into a useful product. The researchers found a way to treat bacteria to build up heavy metal semiconductor crystals on their surface. When exposed to light, water, and CO₂, the crystals absorb the light energy to produce acetic acid. The reaction occurs at about 80 % efficiency, which is more than six times as efficient as natural photosynthesis. In a second fermentation step, the acetic acid can then be further processed into biofuels or bioplastics. Berkeley researchers went one step further: They worked with anaerobic bacteria that produce acetic acid because their specific selectivity for a single end-product is about 100%. The chemical reaction produces oxygen, however, which poisons the bacteria. Therefore, the scientists created a protective shield made of metallic organic frameworks, structures that have some of the highest surface areas of any material. These biohybrid bacteria may remove CO₂ from power plant exhausts or from the air to produce useful chemicals. In their vision, the bacteria could even become tiny factories to produce useful compounds on future space stations or newly colonized planets.

Apart from photosynthesis, microorganisms have developed other carbon pathways. Some of these pathways and the corresponding enzymes have only recently been discovered and it can be assumed that a lot are still unknown. Researchers at the University of Dundee, for example, have developed an exciting process that allows E. coli to operate as a very efficient biological capture device. They found that E. coli bacteria produce a metal-containing enzyme when cultivated in the complete absence of oxygen. In pressurized CO₂ and hydrogen gas mixtures, this enzyme can convert CO₂ to formic acid at 100 % efficiency.

Creating tailor-made pathways by including modified or new enzymes is another recent approach. Most work is still in the experimental phase, and not yet efficient or reliable enough for scale-up and industrial use. However, some early findings are promising: At the Weizmann Institute of Science, for example, scientists introduce the Calvin cycle for carbon fixation and sugar production into E. coli, thereby changing the bacterium from a sugar consumer and CO₂ releaser into a CO₂ capturing organism. At MIT, researchers developed a two-step fermentation process to fix CO₂ and transform it into lipids at a significant level of productivity. This bacterial conversion process avoids the controversial use of carbohydrate feedstocks for biodiesel production and uses steel mill exhausts instead.

The spark of life

Microbial fuel cells are bio-electrochemical systems that generate current by using electroactive bacteria as catalysts. Today, they are in commercial use in wastewater treatment. By converting the chemical energy of organic substrates to electricity, they can reduce the energy demand and operating costs of wastewater treatment plants. Moreover, microbial fuel cells can be used for the process of microbial electrosynthesis. This produces basic chemicals such as acetate, butanol, acetone, or methane using electroactive microorganisms. Microbial fuel cells have already been used for the bioelectrochemical reduction of CO₂ to acetate, methane, and multi-carbon compounds. In this way, it is conceivable to even convert CO₂ to complex structures such as bioplastics.  

Hope for the future

Using atmospheric CO₂ as a resource is a winner twice over—it reduces greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere and it replace fossil fuel as the main feedstock for the chemical industry, thus saving further CO₂ emissions. There is much room for optimism, and for further research and technology development.

We are looking forward to welcome you at our booth no. 421.

Learn more: https://handling-solutions.eppendorf.com/

Připravili jsme pro Vás plakát Techniky pipetování ve formátu A2.

Zajímají Vás pravidla správného pipetování?
Či jak přenášet "problémové" kapaliny? 

Pokud máte o plakát zájem a rádi byste jej umístili na Vaše pracoviště, zašlete nám Váš požadavek na eppendorf@eppendorf.cz a my Vám jej rádi předáme. 

피펫 4+1+1 증정이벤트 / 디스펜서 구입시 번들 증정
PCR장비 구입시 정품 원심분리기 증정 / 다기능 분광광도계 특가
ThermoMixerC 구입시 특전 / 원심분리기 구입시 특별 패키지 증정
프리미엄 Eppendorf 제품을 특별한 혜택과 함께 하세요~

자세한 사항은 아래 프로모션 사이트를 참고하시기 바랍니다.

프로모션 보기

报名截止日期是 2019 年 6 月 15 日。

要了解更多信息，请点击

The LS2 Annual Meeting brings together scientists from all nations and backgrounds to explore the large spectrum united under the umbrella of Life Sciences.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihren Besuch!

• Good Management Practices
  • Defrosting freezers
  • Cleaning out freezers and refrigerators
  • Inventorying samples
  • Storing samples at high density

• Temperature Tuning
  • Adjusting the set point of ultra-low temperature freezers
  • Storing samples at appropriate temperatures

• Retirements and Upgrades
  • Retiring old refrigeration units
  • Replacing older refrigeration units with energy-efficient units

• Cutting-Edge Practices
  • Sharing refrigeration space with a colleague
  • Barcoding samples
  • Trying/ adopting room-temperature sample storage

Awards will be given to those who have done the most to save energy and improve their sample storage. Deadline is mid of May 2019.
The award will be granted mid of October at the I2SL meeting in Denver, Colorado.
The concept is supported by EGNATON, the European Society for sustainable lab technologies. EGNATON will reward the three best Europe-based teams as addition to the International Award.

More information in the Freezer Challenge 2019 at https://www.freezerchallenge.org/

Further information available at:
https://www.mygreenlab.org/
http://www.egnaton.com/en/Home.aspx
http://www.i2sl.org/

This 2-day event will bring to Lausanne investigators from Europe and the United States to present and discuss the newest developments in genomics and genomic technologies and their impact on biological research.

Der deutsche Wissenschaftler Dr. Johannes Kohl hat den Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology 2018 gewonnen. Seine Forschung beschäftigt sich mit neuronalen Mechanismen, die der elterlichen Fürsorge zugrunde liegen.

Mehr über den Preis und ein Filminterview mit Dr. Kohl finden Sie unter www.eppendorf.com/prize.

The 2018 prize was won by the German scientist Johannes Kohl, Ph.D. for his research on neural mechanisms underlying parental care.

For more about the prize and film interview with Johannes Kohl, go to www.eppendorf.com/prize.

Keine BioNews-Ausgabe verpassen!

Seit 1993 ist die Eppendorf BioNews eine angesehene und populäre Informationsquelle für Forscher und wissenschaftliches Personal.

Besuchen Sie www.eppendorf.com/bionews, um die aktuelle Ausgabe online zu lesen oder herunterzuladen.Hier können Sie die BioNews auch gratis abonnieren, um zwei Mal pro Jahr Ihr persönliches druckfrisches Exemplar zu erhalten.

Never miss a BioNews edition!

Since 1993, Eppendorf BioNews has been widely regarded as a highly popular source of information for researchers and scientific personnel.

Visit http://www.eppendorf.com/bionews to browse or download the latest edition or to subscribe to BioNews free of charge to receive your personal printed issue fresh off the press twice a year!

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В случае возникновения вопросов, обращайтесь, пожалуйста, в офис ООО «Эппендорф Раша» по телефону: +7(495)743 51 23, или по электронной почте:info@eppendorf.ru

Подробнее в прикрепленном файле.

Johannes Kohl was presented with the international Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology at a special ceremony held on November 4 in San Diego. In 2019, he will start his own group at the Francis Crick Institute in London.

Click here to learn more about Johannes Kohl’s work and the Eppendorf & Science Prize. www.eppendorf.com/prize

Johannes Kohl erhielt den internationalen Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology im Rahmen eines Festaktes, der am 4. November in San Diego stattfand. Im Jahr 2019 wird Johannes Kohl seine eigene Gruppe am Francis Crick Institute in London gründen.

Mehr Informationen über Dr. Kohl und den Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology finden Sie unter www.eppendorf.com/prize.

How can you extend the lifetime of your compressors?
Standard high-quality compressors have a long lifetime but there are still some aspects which might extend their lifetime:

• Keep distance of at least 150 mm towards walls, other freezer, or furniture for optimal heat removal
• If you install several freezers in one room, take care of room ventilation, e.g. air condition, especially in summer times
• When you access the freezer, keep the door open times as short as possible
• For efficient heat removal from the condenser, the air filter should regularly be cleaned

Who owns this sample?

A defrosting of the body made it possible to collect high-quality samples for analysis: even the DNA of the food left in the mummy’s intestines was still in good shape for analysis. Since the body was frozen, it was possible to gain not only DNA, but also intact blood cells and samples of Helicobacter pylori from his gastrointestinal tract. The physio-chemical reactions and enzymatic processes transforming and degrading key components were stopped as the “storage temperature” of Ötzi was low enough. 

Side-access racks
The side-access rack is an open rack with access from the side. When using side access racks, accessing samples means removing a good portion of the side access rack completely removed from the ULT. During this process, most of the sample storage boxes are removed from the cold interior of the ULT freezer facing the warm environment.

The Training facility at Ambattur, Chennai encompasses state-of-the-art laboratories with conference and classroom facility. A team of Eppendorf Experts handle these activities by offering training program for students on modules such as Good Liquid Handling Practices, Art of Spinning (Centrifugation), Quantify in a new light (Detection of Biomolecules), Advanced PCR and Cell Culture.

This will enable the students to get hands-on experience on various techniques. The Memorandum of Understanding also aims at faculty development programs to keep them up to date with latest technologies.

Download press release

A global view

新版离心机微站，在原有离心机产品基础上，增加了新品5425小型高速离心机 和5910 R 大型冷冻离心机的相关参数和离心规格。

最新产品资讯   方便随时在手机上查阅 Eppendorf 离心机产品特性、技术参数、转子及适配器相关信息，进行离心机比对，申请资料及报价。
智能化挑选助手  只需输入离心管体积、离心通量及相对离心力，即可自动为您推荐合适的离心机、转子及适配器型号，简单快捷。
维护保养知识  包括离心机的正确使用指南、日常维护与清洁，以及在离心过程中突发断电如何紧急开盖取出样品等各种离心小贴士，帮您满足实验需求的同时延长离心机使用寿命。

通过离心机手机微站，您能在线申请离心机产品资料和维护保养宝典等印刷资料，并可通过关注Eppendorf公众号微信，在微信平台发布留言和提问。 Eppendrof 专业人员将为您提供正确的解决方案，满足您的不用离心应用。

Vea las fotos de la entrega de premios aquí.

【新品速递】

CryoCube F740hi 超低温冰箱
Eppendorf 超低温冰箱家族中最新研发的产品，740L 的超大容积能满足大规模样品存储需求。采用绿色节能的烃类制冷剂，符合 PhysioCare 理念的人体工程学设计，配置最新 VisioNize 系统的触摸屏控制面板可实时记录温度数据。F740hi 节能高效、安全可靠、品质优良，为您的珍贵样品长期保存提供稳定均一的 -80℃ 低温环境。

CellXpert C170i CO2 培养箱
一款专为敏感细胞优化培养条件并以最高质量标准制造的 CO2 培养箱，采用无风扇式六面直接加热的培养体系，为细胞培养提供稳定均一的环境条件，同时标配高温消毒功能，消除细胞在培养过程中的污染隐患。

5425 小型台式高速离心机
专注于分子生物学应用，是现代实验室确保最佳分离效果必不可少的设备。经典的 24 孔 5425 离心机的设计不仅符合人体工程学，同时还可提供多达 6 种转子的高灵活性选择。

5910 R 台式高速多功能冷冻离心机
在离心容量高达 4 × 750 mL 的同时还兼具非凡的多功能性，其全新定义水平转子，可一个吊篮，实现离心管、离心瓶和工作板的离心。采用的DCC专利动态压缩机控制技术，确保样品温度稳定。

【实用的解决方案】

二代测序
随着高通量测序技术的快速发展，游离 DNA 高通量测序在无创产前检测和肿瘤相关检测领域的应用日益成熟，各大医院、生物公司也在相继开展相关的业务。Eppendorf 以高品质产品、专业的服务，为游离 DNA 高通量测序相关实验室提供从移液器到全自动工作站的全套解决方案。

生物样本分析
质谱生物分析在药物开发过程中起到了及其重要的作用，越来越广泛的应用于药代动力学、毒代动力学、临床药物监测等领域。该领域对实验的稳定性与精确性提出了很高的要求，Eppendorf 以高品质产品、专业的服务，为质谱相关实验室上样前处理工作提供了从移液器到全自动工作站的全套解决方案。

干细胞大规模培养
干细胞技术是发展细胞治疗、再生医学和药物研发行之有效的途径。为了临床转化以及商业化，研究人员正在评估其培养标准化及有效放大。Eppendorf用户可通过我们的干细胞解决方案来进行胚胎干细胞（ES）、诱导性多能干细胞（IPSC）、间充质干细胞（MSCs）等的体外培养，并依靠生物过程系统进行干细胞标准化增殖培养和相关生物过程工艺开发应用。

细胞治疗
CAR-T 细胞制备主要涉及自体T 细胞分离、体外修饰、扩增、质控、保存以及回输等步骤，由于生产工艺繁琐、安全性要求严苛，因此对全流程监控、产品质量以及评价体系都提出了严格的要求。Eppendorf 秉持严谨的态度与精湛的工艺，将防污染理念与旗下产品融合，可为您提供满足要求的细胞分离、培养、扩增、质控以及保存等产品，助力您的细胞治疗药物开发。

【现场演示与互动】

10 月 31 日 14:30，11 月 1 日  11:00 与 14:30  三场互动演示
您可参与现场体验并操作液体处理产品，以及参与移液趣味知识问答。更有离心产品知识介绍，一起感受和学习离心机的正确使用和保养方法；扫码参与离心配平游戏互动，并有精美礼品赠送，先到先得！

【十五年相伴 E粉来庆生】

E 粉送祝福
送祝福赢取限量纪念礼，精彩祝福还有机会大屏幕上墙

甜蜜下午茶
每天下午15:30 限时开启，现场抽奖来助兴

展台现场秀
官方摄影师现场抓拍精彩瞬间，照片直播随时下载

VisoNize 实验室网络管家
iPad 上体验 VisoNize 实验室智能管理系统，游戏超 1000 分截屏前台换好礼


更多精彩活动，扫描二维码进入 Eppendorf 慕尼黑生化展主题微站。15 周年送祝福，赢取丰厚礼品！
       

点击报名参与

Annoyance from noise at the workplace is a problem in environments operating multiple instruments with varied noise levels and frequencies. When a high level of concentration is required, noise above 55 dB(A) is considered annoying to most people. Noise pollution leads to stress, which can have a negative impact on the health and the well-being. It can also negatively impact performance. Considering many scientists read, write and have detailed discussions at the bench, the accumulated noise level in the lab should be kept at a low level for a healthy, stress-free and productive work environment. 

It’s not much different from the examples just mentioned. Control elements, display, lid and rotor are key elements when using a centrifuge. Microcentrifuges, for example, are used frequently throughout the day. Hence, it’s important that the display is easily to read and basic parameters like temperature, speed and time can be set quickly. Ideally, there is a dedicated key for each function. Multifunctional keys save space but are more difficult to operate, which can lead to incorrect settings. By the way, keypad control panels are easier to clean whereas rotary knob control panels allow for quick parameter changes.

Eppendorf Cycler History

• Mehr Informationen  

• Read more!

At first, an automated liquid handling system might seem complicated and overwhelming. But once you have started working with these devices, you will realize how they simplify your workflow. Engineers have developed many different features to facilitate challenging applications.

When handling small volumes with automated liquid handling systems, it is possible to aspirate all reagents needed for the reaction in one tip, separated by an air-gap. This technique is widely discussed, especially in terms of contamination of the different liquids by drops on the outside of the pipette tip. Some manufacturers recommend this anyway to save time and effort¹. The systems can aspirate the water first, followed by reagent A, then reagent B, etc. Each liquid layer is separated with an air gap to prevent mixing or the reaction starting inside the tip. When the liquid is dispensed, all reagents are mixed directly and the smallest volumes are washed out of the tip by the larger volumes in the tip. The tip should be changed after every pipetting step.

As more focus is being placed on reducing reagents and costs, smaller volumes are in high demand, e.g., for the preparation of PCR Mastermix or enzyme reactions. But pipetting small volumes from 0.2 – 5 µL sets new challenges for pipetting accuracy and precision. The following points are essential:

Ergonomics
One of the rare manual steps during the lifetime of a PCR instrument is inserting and removing the samples. For this process, you need to open and close the lid. Whereas in the past, closing the main lid and closing the inner heated lid by a jog wheel were quite some tedious steps, now, most PCR instruments have integrated one-step-closing mechanisms that are much less work.

Polypropylene
Polypropylene (PP) is a widely used thermoplastic polymer. The chemical structure is a chain of multiple C3H6 molecules. The material is resistant to many chemical solvents as well as acids and bases. Due to its structure, the vessels are very stable for centrifugal steps in the workflow. The thermal stability strongly depends on the tacticity of the molecule structure. In principle, temperatures above 130 °C may be critical.
In contrast to polystyrene or acrylic polymers, PP is translucent but not transparent.
Most of the vessels in the lab are made of PP, e.g. 1.5 mL tubes, 5.0 mL tubes, or the thin-walled 0.2 mL PCR tubes. Colored vessels like the amber tubes or two-colored 96-well PCR plates are created by using pigments during production.

Location: Hall EH 102-103 (Booth no. D2) BITEC | Bangkok

Organizer: VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific Co., Ltd.

For more information: http://www.thailandlab.com/

Besides vessels in which the PCR reaction takes place and the thermocycler that carries out the temperature steps required for the reaction, various reagents are required:

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Especially when many reactions have to be set-up, it has been established to prepare a so-called master mix instead of pipetting each reagent separately into each vessel. Pre-configured mixes are commercially available, in which only sample-specific components (primer) and water are added. Alternatively, the master mix can be prepared by yourself. In both variants, the mixture is distributed to each PCR vessel without a template and the individual DNA sample is added separately at the end. 

It is, however, crucial to establish that the vessel material is heat-resistant. The situation is quite different where molecules such as DNA, RNase and endotoxins are concerned. They are very stable and either cannot, or not entirely, be removed or inactivated by autoclaving [1]. The same is true for inhibitors. It is therefore recommended to use plastic consumables that are ready-to-use and that satisfy the required purity criteria. In many cases, products are available in different purity grades that are pre-configured for certain applications, such as the Eppendorf purity grade PCR clean which features a combination of purity criteria which are relevant for amplification techniques. A lot specific test by an independent laboratory is performed on human DNA, DNase, RNase as well as PCR inhibitors and only lots fulfilling all test criteria will be certified.

更强：三大仓储中心
Eppendorf在中国拥有三大仓储中心，分别是上海金桥人民币完税库、上海外高桥保税库和香港保税库，仓储总面积达到 4000 多平方米。
其中，金桥人民币完税库是 Eppendorf 最为繁忙的物流中心。这间仓库位于大上海的金桥开发区，总面积为 2000 平方米，有 3600 多个存储位置，可以存储 1000 个托盘，约1500 立方米的货物存储量。为了满足中国客户越来越高的时效需求，仅移液器的库存数量就超过了2万支，离心机约有 1000 台，强大的仓储能力为物流服务提供了坚实的保障。

更高：智能仓储管理系统
在可以预见的将来，Eppendorf 旗下仓储中心的出入库量预计仍将高速增长，因此我们引入了 SAP WMS 智能仓储管理系统，仅需通过 RF 手持设备扫描即可完成入库上架、分拣打包、扣库出库等操作。不仅基本实现无纸化操作，还能对仓库实行全方位透明管理。这套智能管理系统提升了我们的工作流程：
 > 完全代替人工数据记录，库存更为精准
 > 系统提示货品数量及库位，缩短拣货流程
 > 货品种类数量自动核对，再无错配困扰
 >  多种数据信息全程记录，高效且可追溯

更快：优质物流供应商
为保证明确时效的高品质服务和快捷的购物体验，Eppendorf 与国内知名物流公司顺丰速运合作，提供的服务贴心、省心加安心，确保 Eppendorf 的所有产品，特别是一些贵重的大型仪器能准时、安全地抵达客户手中。

想一睹最新的 Eppendorf 物流服务的风采吗？

请进入 Eppendorf 优酷视频中心观看。

A brief primer on malaria

Malaria is an infectious disease that occurs mainly in the tropical and subtropical countries of Middle America, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Both residents and tourists are at permanent risk of contracting it. The Malaria causing parasite is transmitted to humans by the Anopheles mosquito. The infection leads to flu-like symptoms – high fever, headaches, joint pain and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea in addition. Three types of Malaria are known. The most feared is Malaria tropica, which is often linked to severe complications, organ failure and death. The others are Malaria tertian and Malaria quartana, which typically exhibit less severe disease progression. However, in patients with weak immune systems, even they can become life-threatening.   

Roughly 1,200 people die from Malaria each day. That equates to more than 400,000 deaths per year. Even though Malaria fatalities have stagnated since 2013, the number of infections rose by five million to a total of 216 million in 2016. 

A mosquito is the disease carrier – the true culprits are others…

Malaria is induced by Plasmodium parasites which use Anopheles mosquitoes as a host. When biting a human, the mosquito transmits thousands of parasites with its saliva.  Plasmodium colonizes liver and red blood cells in the human body for asexual propagation via cell maturation and division. As soon as another mosquito bites the infected person, the Plasmodium back-infects the Anopheles via the human blood. In the mosquito’s digestive track, sexual propagation gametocytes develop from the up-taken Plasmodium cells. Recent studies have even shown that perspiration from Malaria victims includes a special volatile component that attracts further mosquitoes – a quite effective way of supporting the Plasmodium development lifecycle. There are five well understood Plasmodium species that are dangerous for humans, P. falciparum, P. malariae, P. ovale, P. vivax and P. knowlesi. Depending on the Plasmodium species, the disease brakes out after an incubation period of 7 to 50 days.       

However, a mysterious Malaria outbreak was reported in Brazil between 2015 and 2016. More than two dozen people were infected with P. simium, a Plasmodium species that usually attacks New World monkeys only. Malaria experts now fear a sixth human pathogenic species. 

How to heal

One of the most common medicines for treating Malaria is quinine, which was already used in the 17th century. According to tradition, colonists in British Africa used to drink tonic water containing quinine as a Malaria prophylaxis. To cover the very bitter taste of quinine, they mixed it with gin, thus giving birth to the still-popular gin & tonic cocktail. The second class of Malaria drugs contains artemisinin, a plant component of the mugwort. To address the high demand for artemisinin to cure Malaria, scientists around the world are working on new breeds and transgenic solutions to create mugwort with higher drug content. Plasmodium can adapt rapidly however. Increasing resistance to medications is hampering the fight against this tropical disease. 

Better protection

There is currently no vaccination available against Malaria. After decades of research and development, only a few candidates are in clinical testing. The only way to protect against infection is to take proper prophylactic measures. Apart from medicines for chemoprophylaxis, the best way to ward off Malaria infections is the use of mosquito nets, insect repellents and protective clothing.

The great unknown

Although Malaria has been known for hundreds of years, it is still not fully understood. Even today, new correlations are being uncovered and changing characteristics are being identified. Several weeks ago for instance, a study was published by scientists who discovered that Plasmodium vivax accumulates in the bone marrow, a completely new finding. The markers they used for detection could be a blueprint for advanced Malaria diagnostic tools. Meanwhile, physicians in Germany, Italy, Spain and Greece have observed a new method of transmission. At least six people were infected with Malaria without any contact with a mosquito. The only logical explanation is that the infection was passed between humans since all of the victims were in contact with Malaria patients. No comparable form of transmission has been described to date.

Malaria experts agree that there is still much to be learned and done, but the battle has not been lost. The bottom line is, the efforts will continue to eradicate Malaria by 2030, much like has already been done in Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Tip: We are still celebrating 25 Years of BioNews! In our anniversary prize competition sequel, you can win one of 5 “personalized” pipettes with laser engraving.

Never miss a BioNews edition!

Since 1993, Eppendorf BioNews has been widely regarded as a highly popular source of information for researchers and scientific personnel. Visit www.eppendorf.com/bionews to browse or download the latest edition or to subscribe to BioNews free of charge to receive your personal printed issue fresh off the press twice a year!

Learn more!

Keine BioNews-Ausgabe verpassen!

Seit 1993 ist die Eppendorf BioNews eine angesehene und populäre Informationsquelle für Forscher und wissenschaftliches Personal. Besuchen Sie www.eppendorf.com/bionews, um die aktuelle Ausgabe online zu lesen oder herunterzuladen. Hier können Sie die BioNews auch gratis abonnieren, um zwei Mal pro Jahr Ihr persönliches druckfrisches Exemplar zu erhalten.

Mehr erfahren!

It was long considered a fundamental rule in biology: embryonic stem cells can differentiate into every cell type in the body and as they multiply and specialize they progressively lose the ability to differentiate into different cell types. There was no way back... or so it seemed?

Image source: Lorna Roberts/shutterstock.com

This is only one of many potential applications for a system that mimics the earwig’s capability to fold its wings in origami-like fashion. The most interesting aspect is that the folding and unfolding process requires no external energy, making innovations like foldable electronics or independent solar sails for space probes or satellites conceivable. The findings and the development of the initial functional 3D prototypes were reported by researchers at ETH University in Zurich and Purdue University in the US in the March issue of Science. 

In 1659 the Dutch mathematician and scientist Christiaan Huygens created the term “centrifugal force” in his work “De vi centrifuga”. He also discovered Titan, a moon of Saturn, and wrote the first thesis on probability theory. 

To fit different vessels into one bucket (for swing-out rotors) and ensure that a wide variety of tubes can be accommodated, it is often necessary to use an adapter designed for the specific vessel. These adapters are inserted into the bucket. 

Why is an adapter necessary? 

Most fixed-angle rotors have bores at a fixed angle of 45° and the most compact pellet is formed at that angle. Smaller rotor angles result in more diffuse pellet areas.

If you follow a given protocol, make sure to use the same type of rotor and apply the given relative centrifugal force (rcf or g × force) as well as the same temperature and running time. In general, the following major parameters have to be determined to achieve a successful centrifugation run: 

You don’t have to travel far to experience centrifugal force first hand – the next county fair will be sure to serve that purpose. The centrifugal force carries the body outward – the faster the further! This is how your samples feel inside the centrifuge!

Inside the human centrifuge

The human centrifuge serves the medical selection and training of pilots and astronauts. The body is subjected to increased weight force equivalent to, for example, the take-off of a Space-Shuttle (max. 4 x g) or certain flight maneuvers of fighter jets (>4 x g, max. 10 x g).

The k-factor represents the pelleting efficiency of a centrifugation system at maximum rotational speed. The factor is a measure of the sedimentation distance in a test tube; it depends on the difference between the longest and the shortest distance between the sample and rotor axis. The shorter the sedimentation distance, the shorter the centrifugation time. In addition, the angle of the tubes within the rotor influences the sedimentation distance. 

After a brief consultation with her local representative Vanessa Talbot, Julija chose to equip her new lab with several Research plus pipettes and epT.I.P.S. which she already enjoys using.

Click here to learn more the Eppendorf & Science Prize for Neurobiology.

Visit our online shop for more information.

자세히 보기 : 클릭▶   

Il 25 maggio 2018, il regolamento generale sulla protezione dei dati (GDPR) diventerà effettivo come nuovo quadro giuridico per la protezione dei dati nell'Unione europea. Uno degli obiettivi principali del GDPR è migliorare la trasparenza nell'elaborazione dei dati.

Per noi, Eppendorf Italia e tutte le società del gruppo Eppendorf, un alto livello di protezione dei dati e il trattamento riservato delle informazioni sui nostri clienti sono di primaria importanza. Implementeremo i nuovi requisiti della legge sulla protezione dei dati in modo completo e tempestivo.

Clicca su Lettera informativa per avere la panoramica completa di come trattiamo i tuoi dati personali.

Cordiali saluti,

Eppendorf Italia

For more information, please visit:
Centrifuge 5425: www.eppendorf.com/my-lab-my-centrifuge
Centrifuge 5910 R: www.eppendorf.com/next-benchmark
Eppendorf and the IVD Directive: www.eppendorf.com/easy-choice

Upon delivery, all pipettes (mechanic and electronic) are lubricated properly by the manufacturer. It is also possible to send the pipettes to a service provider regularly for maintenance. The level of lubrication is then checked automatically. The lubricant used for pipettes is a special mixture and can’t be replaced by common grease used in households. Even centrifuge lubricant has a different composition and should not be used for pipettes. Therefore, when re-lubrication is necessary, special pipette grease must be used. Its properties are optimized for use with pipettes and it sticks to the lubrication point without blending. This special lubricant is also resistant to heat-sterilization in an autoclave, so the pipette doesn’t have to be re-lubricated after this procedure.

The worst contamination scenario is when solutions enter the pipette cone inside the pipette. This can happen when more liquid is aspirated than the tip volume allows. It is also possible that the pipette is placed onto a table or turned upside down with a filled pipette tip causing the liquid to flow into the pipette cone. Another huge problem can be the formation of aerosols. These are tiny liquid drops evaporating naturally from each liquid containing contamination such as virus, DNA, RNA or bacteria. These liquid drops rise into the pipette cone. Inner contaminations of the pipette can lead to cross-contamination of multiple samples ruining entire applications. Pipette tips containing a filter can prevent aerosols from entering the pipette cone. And special blocking filters made of swelling material block the tip when the filter comes in contact with liquids.

Nevertheless, apart from all preventive procedures such as filter tips and careful handling, once the pipette is contaminated it needs to be cleaned. This is perfectly done by a professional service. But many things can be done in your own lab if the pipette fulfills some requirements. Pipettes should be cleaned regularly to make sure that hidden contamination is removed. Therefore, the lower part of pipettes should be removable. This is especially important when using electronic pipettes, as this is no standard yet. The lower part of electronic pipettes should be easily removable and cleanable. A removable lower part enables rinsing on the inside and thorough cleaning of the whole pipette. The pipette should be resistant to common cleaning agents and DNA/RNA cleaning solutions to make sure the pipette can be wiped from the outside and rinsed on the inside. Most contamination can be removed by wiping and rinsing. If sterility is an issue, choose a pipette that can be autoclaved without dismounting to simplify pipette maintenance. When using Eppendorf electronic pipettes, the lower part is removable and autoclavable to inactivate microorganisms that entered the pipette cone.

Proper cleaning of our pipettes can be seen in short pipette cleaning tutorials:

When regular autoclaving of pipettes to maintain sterility and cleanliness is demanded, easy handling is even more important. When using electronic pipettes at least the lower part should be removable and autoclavable. This simplifies daily lab routine and proper maintenance a lot. Once cleanliness of the pipette is restored, the fear of a changed precision of the pipette due to heat-sterilization rises. You might fear that plastic parts swelled during heat-sterilization and pipette calibration needs to be repeated. A pipette calibration is a time-consuming, but necessary procedure. It is ideally done by a well-established pipette service provider to guarantee accurate and precise pipetting results. And a calibration needs to be done in a special environment with special equipment. However, whether a pipette needs recalibration after autoclaving depends on the materials it is made from. Autoclavable materials do not swell or change configurations during heat-sterilization, therefore the calibration is unaffected. So, check if the pipettes used are autoclavable which is often stated in the specifications or the operating manual of a pipette. If you cannot find the answer in the documents, your sales representative should be able to answer your questions.

Considering which pipette model to buy in advance can simplify your sterilization routine, save time and money. Here’s a little hint: mechanic Eppendorf pipette models Research^® plus and Reference^® 2 can be autoclaved in one piece without recalibration. And the lower part of electronic Eppendorf Xplorer^®/Xplorer plus is removable and autoclavable as well. Recalibration is not necessary.

[1] Uphoff CC, Drexler HG. CELL CULTURE MYCOPLASMAS. DSMZ – German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures

The Eppendorf ULT freezers CryoCube F570h (115V), CryoCube FC660h (208V), CryoCube F740i, CryoCube F740hi, and CryoCube F740hiw are now certified by ENERGY STAR as energy efficient ULT freezers.

The CryoCube F740 units are also certified by the ACT label of MyGreenLab.org regarding their sustainability footprint.

More information at https://www.energystar.gov and http://act.mygreenlab.org/

Growing in glass

Another important option is the blow-out. A so-called blow delay is important to delay the blow-out and enable viscous liquids to flow down the tip completely. It is defined by the time in between the initial dispensing of the liquid and the final blow-out. When using pipette mode, the blow-out settings are of great importance when pipetting viscous liquids. When handling such liquids, accuracy and precision increase significantly with the correct blow delay and blow-out speed. When pipetting small volumes, the speed of the blow-out itself should be high. A high speed enables complete dispensing without drops clinging to the outside of the tip. Furthermore, pre-wetting in two or three cycles is essential for accurate transfer of volatile liquids. Ideally, the number of prewetting cycles is selectable in a reliable automation software. Another challenge is cell culture medium which tends to form foam due to the high protein content. Correct settings for this liquid type reduce or eliminate foam formation and increase pipetting accuracy and precision. Beyond that, cell culture medium drops easily attach to the outside of the pipette tip while aspirating or dispensing. A technique called “tip dipping” dips the tip into the liquid after the aspiration or dispensing to remove these drops on the outside of the tip. Using this feature, the correct sample volume is dispensed into the well or tube.

If no proper settings can be found after all for a liquid that is hardly expelled, the last option is a mix function. The liquid is then dispensed into the existing liquid and both liquids are mixed by up and down pipetting right in the tube or well. In this case, a well-designed automation software allows adjustment of mixing cycles, volume and speed. This mixing simplifies complete liquid dispensing and guarantees ideally stirred samples.

The 2^nd Stem Cell Community Day took place on April 24, 2008 in Dusseldorf. With more than 150 participants it connected researchers from all over the world to discuss recent advances in the stem cells field, with a special focus on controlled cultivation in bioreactors.

Thank you to all participants and speakers who made this event a great success.

For more information: http://www.stemcellday.de

“With the new solution package and features our epMotion 5075t NGS system will be positioned as the preferred solution for small to medium sample throughput with maximum flexibility for varying daily sample numbers and highest flexibility for a vast list of NGS library preparation kit methods to automate” said Dr. Jochen Mueller-Ibeler, Head of Business Unit Automated Liquid Handling at Eppendorf.

A liquid category which needs special attention when pipetting are viscous liquids. These are often used in the lab, either in a pure form or as buffer components. Famous representatives of viscous liquids in research laboratories are glycerol, Triton X-100 and Tween^® 20. But also, laboratories doing quality control of foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and other consumer products deal with viscous solutions on a daily basis.

Viscosity is either stated as dynamic, or kinematic viscosity. In this article I concentrate on the dynamic viscosity of liquids since it describes the movement of the liquid. The degree of viscosity is specified in millipascal per second (mPa*s). Rather fluid samples around 200 mPa*s such as 85 % glycerol can still be transferred using a classic air-cushion pipette. When applying a special technique, reverse pipetting, aspiration of air bubbles or residues in the tip are highly reduced and leads to more accurate pipetting results. But still, it is not the best we can do to improve pipetting of viscous liquids (see fig. 1). 

It came as something of a sensation when Sydney Ringer managed to keep frog hearts beating after they had been removed from the amphibians’ bodies in 1882. Using the saline solution bearing his name, the British doctor and pharmacologist ushered in the age of culture media. A success that immediately attracted imitators: Some solutions were mixed with glucose as a nutrient, for example, but the basic components always remained the same: inorganic salts. Since the salt concentration, pH value and osmotic pressure were modeled on physiological conditions, cells and tissue were able to survive in these balanced saline solutions even outside the body– though only for a few days at most.

How to enter:
1. Visit https://www.research.net/r/OldestCentrifuge
2. Upload a picture of your Eppendorf centrifuge
3. Enter the model no. and serial no.
4. Provide your contact details
 
Continue to follow our Facebook page for updates. Good luck!
 
Please read the terms of participation before entering. Competition closes 30^th April 2018.

Liquids can be categorized in five main categories: aqueous, viscous (incl. detergents), volatile, dense and infectious or toxic. Improper handling of these liquid categories has a tremendous influence on the pipetting result. While pipetting aqueous solutions like most buffers is fairly simple and mainly done with classic air-cushion pipettes, difficulties may arise when pipetting volatile liquids like acetone. Volatile liquids have a high vapor pressure causing evaporation into the air-cushion and thereby droplet formation. In the end, this means sample or reagent loss without the correct pipetting technique. When pipetting volatile liquids, pre-wetting of the pipette tip (repeated aspiration and dispensing cycles to humidify the air inside the tip) is mandatory to increase pipetting accuracy. A completely different liquid category includes viscous liquids such as glycerol. These have a very slow flow behavior due to a high inner friction of molecules leading to air bubble aspiration, residues in the tip and sample or reagent loss. A special pipetting technique called reverse pipetting is recommended when using classic air-cushion pipettes. But even better is usage of a different pipetting tool, a positive displacement device with a syringe-like tip working without an air cushion between the sample and the piston inside the tip. Liquid can be aspirated faster and easier with these tools. When dispensing a viscous liquid, the complete volume can be dispensed without residues in the tip.

So, thinking about the liquid before starting an experiment can simplify and improve your workflow and results. An overview of the liquid categories, their challenges and recommendations on proper pipetting techniques and pipetting tools are shown on our poster. You may download the poster to have a printable version for your lab.

Accessories can improve the use of the dispenser and broaden the application range. So, from only using bottle-top dispenser for buffer medium, accessories such as a drying tube attached to the back of the bottle-top dispenser increase the performance for highly aggressive acids or bases. Therefore, the drying tube is filled with moisture absorber to avoid acid dilution by air humidity. Also bases can be protected from formation of carbonates when the drying tube is filled with the corresponding chemical. When preparing samples for HPLC a flexible discharge tube with a fine opening for dispensing liquid and a long reach into tubes is mounted to the bottle-top dispenser and simplifies dispensing of e.g., acetonitrile into small vials. Furthermore, also the general handling of bottle-top dispensers is explained in one video. Here you can see that de-airing of the device is mandatory to achieve accurate dispensing results.

When using classic pipettes, the air cushion between the sample and the instrument’s piston is prone to change. It can be compressed or elongated depending on the liquid aspirated into the pipette tip.

Let us have a closer look at 86 % glycerol for example. A pipette tip is attached to a single-channel pipette. When glycerol is aspirated, it flows slowly into the tip. When dispensing, the liquid also flows slowly and residues which cannot be dispensed remain in the tip.  Therefore, much time is needed to handle the liquid and imprecise results are still the outcome when the correct pipetting technique is not used. If we imagine upscaling to using multi-channel pipettes, difficulties multiply by 8 or 12. And when using a pipettor with 96 channels? You can imagine that it gets difficult to handle the liquid in each of the 96 channels without the correct pipetting technique.

When pipetting glycerol, we recommend reverse pipetting. With this technique, the blow-out volume, which is usually air, is aspirated as well. Therefore, the control button must be pushed to the lowest position and then released when aspirating glycerol (figure 1). When dispensing it, the control button is only pushed down to the first stop and the rest in the tip is discarded. Like this, the exact set volume of glycerol can be dispensed with classic air-cushion pipettes. You can save time and stress by knowing your liquid and its behavior when pipetting.

Image source: AVAVA/shutterstock.com

"If you know you are on the right track, if you have this inner knowledge, then nobody can turn you off... no matter what they say." states Barbara McClintock the Nobel Prize-winning geneticist known for her discoveries with regulation of genetic expression. This should be a mantra to build self-confidence for girls and women who are interested in science.

Without female scientists, we would be missing out on many important discoveries that sustainably influence our life. However, a recent study by the Women in Global Science and Technology initiative, figured out that “women remain severely under-represented in engineering, physics and computer science with a share of less than 30 % in most countries”. In an effort to change this and to raise awareness of this issue, UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, declared February 11 the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

Planen Sie bereits nachhaltige Verbesserungen bei der Probeneinlagerung?

The Freezer Challenge harnesses a spirit of competition and ecological awareness to target five areas of freezer management and reward the best concept for improving cold storage in the lab.

This challenge is proudly supported by Eppendorf, as well as some other ULT suppliers. It is free to participate and only requires registration at www.freezerchallenge.org.

For more information, click here.

Tip! Our anniversary prize competition offers a total of five “personalized” pipettes with laser engraving. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for you!

Never miss a BioNews edition!
Since 1993, Eppendorf BioNews has been widely regarded as a highly popular source of information for researchers and scientific personnel. Browse the latest edition online at www.eppendorf.com/bionews, or subscribe to BioNews free of charge in order to receive your personal printed issue fresh off the press twice a year!

Learn more!  

Und in unserem Jubiläums-Preisrätsel gibt es gleich fünf „personalisierte“ Pipetten mit Lasergravur nach Wahl zu gewinnen. Wir drücken Ihnen die Daumen!

Keine BioNews-Ausgabe verpassen!
Seit 1993 ist die Eppendorf BioNews eine angesehene und populäre Informationsquelle für Forscher und wissenschaftliches Personal. Lesen Sie die aktuelle Ausgabe online auf www.eppendorf.com/bionews. Hier können Sie die BioNews auch gratis abonnieren, um zwei Mal pro Jahr Ihr persönliches druckfrisches Exemplar zu erhalten.

Mehr erfahren!   

Pioneering cell culture

I laboratori spesso investono parecchie risorse manuali per creare “libraries” e spesso c’è la necessità di generare diverse “libraries” parallelamente.

La preparazione delle “libraries” con sistemi automatici ha il vantaggio di ridurre la variabilità tra i campioni e tra gli operatori e permettendo di eseguire processi in modo preciso con un intervento minimo da parte dell’operatore. I laboratoristi conoscono bene questi vantaggi e sanno anche che, costruire un protocollo automatico che funzioni in modo adeguato è più difficile di quanto sembri.

Nel PDF ALLEGATO sono menzionate quattro variabili da considerare per chi è solito fare libraries in modo manuale e vuole migrare il proprio processo ad una piattaforma automatica per “liquid-handling”.

It’s new, unique and very potent

Common cancer treatments include radiation and chemotherapy. However, these therapies do not always work effectively for all, with many patients facing high rates of recurrence. For these sufferers, the new type of drug might provide some hope. It is a highly personalized treatment, in which immune cells from the patient’s body are modified in a way which causes them to attack cancer cells. It is called Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.

The human’s immune system protects the body from infections and cancer and is made up of billions of immune cells. Lymphocytes are a subtype of blood cells and represent a major portion of such immune system cells. While B-lymphocytes make antibodies to fight infections, T-lymphocytes and natural killer cells directly kill infected or cancerous cells. T-lymphocytes, or T-cells for short, also communicate with and attract other cells within the immune system via peptides called cytokines. The CAR T-cell therapy takes advantage of the body’s own natural defense system to fight the cancer cells.

Cancer is devious

Obviously, the immune system is not able to kill all cancerous cells on its own. Cancer cells have strategies to escape our defense system, therefore making the disease difficult to cure at present. In a process called immune-editing, the cancer cells constantly change their phenotype until they appear like normal cells. In this way, they become invisible for the immune system. A second strategy of cancer cells is immune evasion, whereby cancer cells send out inhibiting factors to block the immune cells. The CAR T-cell therapy creates a form of lymphocytes which never previously existed. CAR T-cells can unmask and target cancer cells. They can stay in the body and replicate for months or even years.

How it works

CAR T-cell therapy is developed from the patient’s own immune system in a process which takes about three weeks.

In a first step a doctor removes white blood cells from the patient and extracts T-cells. These cells are taken to a manufacturing facility and are genetically reengineered to detect cancer cells and destroy them. From this point onward the cells are known as CAR T-cells. The reengineered cells are multiplied in the laboratory until there are many millions of them. Finally, the cells are injected into the patient.  

The results of CAR-T cell treatments are impressive. The newly approved Kymriah drug can cure pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Twelve-year-old Emily Whitehead, for example, was near death at an age of six as a result of leukemia. She was the first child to have received the experimental cancer medicine. Emily fully recovered and has now been free from leukemia for the last five years. Lots of other success stories have also been documented. 

The downside

However, there are more aspects to consider: the new and effective therapy can also have dangerous side effects. Cytokine-release syndrome occurs as a positive response of T-cell activation and is therefore an indication that the therapy is working. However, it can also be life-threatening. It may cause high fevers, low blood pressure and poor lung function. Neurotoxicity effects, organ failure and other serious complications have also been reported. Patients have even died during a couple of clinical trials for different CAR T-cell therapies.  

Finally, the therapy must also be cost effective. A Kymriah treatment will cost about 470.000 Dollars in the US – for just a single dose. Of course, it will be a special treatment for patients who have lost their last hope after intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplant have failed. However, somehow the health care systems must be able to deal with these high costs.

Much research is still needed

CAR T-cell therapy is still in its infancy. Today, this mechanism works exclusively for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. However, there are several promising studies concerning other types of blood cancer as well as approaches for solid types of tumor within the brain, lung, skin or pancreas, although the outcomes of these remain uncertain.

Eppendorf scientist Dr. Arora Phang will be holding a discussion about the digital transformation in the life science sector. Dr. Phang will discuss the the SmartLab vision and Eppendorf projects, like the newly launched VisioNize system, as well as the challenges of legacy to IoT device integration.

Industrial IoT Europe

Lab Innovations is proud to be the home of product launches with over a third of the exhibitors using this exhibition as their chosen platform to launch their latest product portfolio. Eppendorf will also present new products and solutions to simplify the daily lab routine.

Oltre alle classiche configurazioni di strumenti, che permettono di eseguire PCR e qPCR, la gamma di accessori si è ora ampliata con l’introduzione di nuove soluzioni hardware che permettono di migliorare e rendere più specifiche le performance di questa linea di strumenti.

Tool con range da 0,2 a 10 microlitri, nuovi rack dedicati a tubi Illumina^® e soprattutto nuovi programmi per NGS validati. Nei nuovi tool con range di lavoro da 0,2 a 10 ul, disponibile anche per modelli base (epMotion 5070), al tradizionale sistema di dispensazione “free-jet dispensing”, comunemente utilizzato anche dalle micropipette manuali, si affianca il sistema di dispensazione “wet contact”, utilizzato per migliorare il pipettaggio di volumi molto piccoli.

I nuovi accessori, da quelli modulari, che permettono di avere piattaforme di lavoro di dimensioni compatte e nuovi rack dedicati a tubi Illumina^®.

Nuovi programmi validati da Illumina pronti per essere caricati e utilizzabili sulle piattaforme Eppendor 5075t.

Guarda il VIDEO.

Consulta ELENCO nuovi tool e metodi NGS Illumina^® validati e dei metodi NGS di altri produttori, pronti per essere eseguiti con EpMotion.

Bad omens

During the Australian winter season from June to August, 2.5 times more people were infected with flu than in the year before. Also, besides the huge overall increase in infections, the Australians have observed that one of the current influenza strains seems to recently have mutated and become more aggressive. Even middle-aged people and children, without any previous medical problems have died, as well as hundreds of elderly people in care homes. Doctors assume that the actual flu vaccine is probably not working so effectively against this aggressive flu mutant, which the media have already nicknamed “The Killer Strain”.

What is flu and what makes it as serious?

Flu is an infection whereby influenza viruses are spread through airborne infection. Typical symptoms include a sudden high fever, serious headaches, sinus pressure, fatigue and dull pain. However, every flu infection also carries the risk of serious complications, hospitalization and death. Flu may cause severe illness, such as pneumonia, heart muscle inflammation or meningitis.

So, what happens during flu? Initially, the disease starts through inhaling the influenza viruses which infect the upper and lower respiratory tract. The virus eliminates the protective mucus coating of the cells, before docking onto their surfaces and penetrating them. Inside the cell, the virus starts to replicate by using the components of the host cells to make pathogen proteins. The infected cells die and release millions of new viruses that infect other cells. While the influenza virus rapidly multiplies, the body activates its own immune defense. Scavenger cells start the fight against the virus, the body temperature rises, mucus accumulates in the bronchia and secondary diseases as well as subsequent bacterial infections may take their course.

Mutability is the challenge

Influenza viruses belong to the most adaptable pathogens at all - they are the chameleons of the viral world. Several subtypes are known and these are subject to continuous genetic mutation.  For optimal protection, it is therefore vital to get a specifically tailored vaccination every year.

The World Health Organization, WHO and national health authorities provide clear vaccination recommendations: people of 60 years old and above, the chronically sick, pregnant women and medical professionals should receive an annual flu vaccination. However, even timely vaccination cannot provide 100 % protection against influenza infections. Because production of the vaccine takes many months, it must already be produced well in advance. It is therefore unclear whether the vaccine will fully reflect the composition of the season’s flu viruses.

The flu vaccine

Despite this, flu vaccination is the most effective way to protect individuals from serious infections.

The most common method to produce flu vaccines is using specific, pathogen-free eggs. The eggs are infected with the influenza virus to multiply the virus material on an industrial scale. For this purpose, the WHO sends out a combination of specifically selected seed viruses to the vaccine manufacturers each February. These seed viruses represent the three or four most common, or potentially new, virus subtypes from the last flu season. The production process, including clinical studies, takes about 6 months to complete.

The fear of pandemics

Influenza is a global issue. Worldwide, about 3-5 million people are infected with influenza annually and of these 50.000 – 500.000 die as a consequence. Moreover, there have been some terrifying pandemics in the past. In the 1950s and 60s, for example, about 2 million people died through two flu pandemics. Worse still, was the outbreak of “Spanish Flu” of 1918/19, which accounted for more than 50 million deaths.

Although these are dramatic single instances, some experts warn that huge pandemics can occur at any time. This year could also be a bad one too, with the southern hemisphere flu season giving us cause for concern.

However, you can make your own personal contribution to preventing a new flu pandemic: Get your vaccination in time, stay away from ill people and wash your hands frequently.

1.   Misurare la concentrazione del DNA
Determinare con uno spettrofotometro UV-Vis a cuvetta o a goccia la concentrazione e la purezza de DNA. La purezza ideale rispetto alla presenza di Proteine (Rapporto A₂₆₀/ A₂₈₀ = 1,7-2,0) e rispetto ai Carboidrati, Sali e solventi organici (Rapporto A₂₆₀/ A₂₃₀ > 2,0).

Si ricorda che nella lettura della concentrazione degli Acidi Nucleici la verifica del corretto valore dell’Assorbanza è importante. L’Assorbanza per letture affidabili della concentrazione deve essere compresa tra 0,1-1,0 in accordo con la legge di Lambert-Beer. Eventualmente procedere con diluizioni del campione o per concentrazioni troppo basse e campioni particolarmente contaminati procedere con letture in fluorescenza.

2.   Preparazione della MasterMIX
Preparare la MasterMix in una sola provetta per prevenire errori di pipettaggio quando si parte da MasterMix multiple. Utilizzare una provetta di volume sufficiente (ad esempio: provette da 5ml) per contenere l’intera MasterMix.

Aliquotare la MasterMix subito dopo la preparazione per evitare scongelamenti multipli che possono avere un impatto negativo sulla riproducibilità della reazione di PCR.

3.   In caso di amplificazione non-specifica
Utilizzare protocolli di PCR con enzimi Taq DNA Polimerasi HotStart. Verificare che il Termociclatore sia correttamente calibrato e raggiunga rapidamente la temperatura richiesta dal programma. Per nuove coppie di primer eseguire una seduta a primer singoli (forward o reverse). Eseguire una titolazione degli ioni Mg²⁺ per ottimizzarene la concentrazione nella specifica PCR.

4.   In caso di assente o scarsa amplificazione
Ottimizzare la temperatura di denaturazione e/o annealing con il Gradiente. Eventualmente utilizzare PCR enhancer (ad esempio: DMSO, BSA, altro…) poiché ogni singola reazione richiede un test sperimentale per specifiche combinazioni di templato e coppie di primer.

Guarda il VIDEO.
Scarica il POSTER.

Per informazioni su strumenti e consumabili PCR, clicca QUI

In addition to three-dimensional brain research, Off the Bench explores how so-called super plants extract poisonous substances from the soil and use them to their benefit. A research approach to freeing contaminated soil of heavy metals? It is also plants which came to life this spring in the Californian desert after years of drought, transforming the otherwise bleak landscape into a sea of colors.

Other exciting topics included in this issue are a city profile of Washington, where the leading trade show for neuroscientists from all over the globe, “Neuroscience”, will be held in November, as well as a report on research careers and the global stations of scientist Wim Delva. A guest contribution presented by Off the Bench with the kind authorization of the scientific publication “Science”.

Off the Bench can be ordered free of charge via magazine@eppendorf.com, or you may subscribe online at corporate.eppendorf.com/en/news-medien.

All magazine content is also available online at www.eppendorf.com/OTB. 

Neben der dreidimensionalen Gehirnforschung geht Off the Bench der Frage nach, wie sogenannte Superpflanzen Giftstoffe aus dem Boden aufnehmen und diese zu ihrem eigenen Vorteil verarbeiten. Ein Forschungsansatz, um kontaminierte Böden von Schwermetallen zu befreien? Pflanzen sind es auch, die im Frühjahr dieses Jahres in der kalifornischen Wüste nach jahrelanger Dürre zum Leben erwachten und die sonst karge Landschaft in ein Farbenmeer verwandelten.

Weitere spannende Inhalte sind ein Städteprofil von Washington, wo im November mit der „Neuroscience“ die Leitmesse für Neurowissenschaftler aus aller Welt stattfindet und ein Bericht zur Forscherkarriere und den globalen Stationen des Wissenschaftlers Wim Delva. Ein Gastbeitrag den Off the Bench mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Wissenschaftsmagazins „Science“ präsentiert.

Off the Bench kann kostenfrei über magazine@eppendorf.com bestellt oder online unter corporate.eppendorf.com/de/news-medien abonniert werden.

 Alle Inhalte aus dem Magazin sind auch im Web unter www.eppendorf.com/OTB verfügbar.

Auch bei unseren Partnerfirmen ist kein Stein auf dem anderen geblieben. Die Duran Group hat
sich mit zwei renommierten Unternehmen der Life Science Branche zusammengeschlossen und
bietet ab sofort unter dem Namen DWK Life Sciences GmbH ein umfangreiches Sortiment von Präzisionsglaswaren, Laborverbrauchsmaterialien und Spezialprodukten. Natürlich sind diese für Sie bei Eppendorf Austria erhältlich.

Zuguterletzt wartet eine liebgewonnene Tradition: unser alljährliches Weihnachtsbaumgewinnspiel.
Verpassen Sie keinesfalls Ihre Chance auf einen geschmückten Christbaum mit vielen nützlichen
Geschenken von Eppendorf und leckeren Süßigkeiten.

Tiny microbes with huge potential

Terrestrial and marine bacteria, fungi and algae are the organisms with the greatest biodiversity on the planet. Some species occupy exceptionally inhospitable locations such as the scolding-hot, volcanically active regions of the seafloor, the freezing waters around the poles or the super salty dense waters of deep ocean underwater lakes. This great adaptability of microorganisms is the result of billions of years of evolution, with marine species having had about three billion years longer to develop than their terrestrial counterparts. The specific characteristics and the great biodiversity of marine microbes is the key to progressing the development of the emerging new “blue” biotechnology.

Bioactive compounds, food supplements and biopharmaceuticals

Although algae have already been a source of regular nutrition for hundreds of years, predominantly in Asia, awareness of their healthy, bioactive characteristics is only now resulting in an increase in their popularity across the western world. Algae, for example, are rich in omega-3-fatty acids. This property is being utilized by the food industry who are cultivating algae in huge tanks to extract the valuable elements locked within. Biotechnologists, additionally, are using algae to transfer the corresponding omega-3 genes into crops such as soy and rapeseed to improve their fatty-acid composition.

Bacteria are even obtainable at the local supermarket, for example, cyanobacteria in the form of spirulina or chlorella – as either extracts or tablets. Significantly greater benefits, however, are now also becoming possible, with marine biologists having recently identified over 200 bioactive substances of pharmaceutical importance from cyanobacteria. These are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory or can be used effectively against viruses or to inhibit tumor growth.

Find them to cultivate

One of the greatest challenges for marine microbiologists is to find, identify and grow unusual microorganisms. They must therefore undertake challenging expeditions to collect samples from different ecosystems. This research might, for example, require the use of submarines to access the deep seabed. The German Leibniz Institute, DSMZ, one of the largest biological resource centers worldwide, possesses a team of “scientific bacteria divers” who have been specially trained in diving to recover samples from underwater habitats. The real work only starts, however, after the microorganisms have been recovered and identified from a sample. Suitable mechanisms to cultivate the microbes within the laboratory have to be developed. Conditions must closely resemble the organisms’ natural habitats in order to keep them alive and propagating.

Symbiotic species are fascinating

When identifying new organisms with potentially attractive properties, some researchers look closely at their symbiotic relationships. The DSMZ Dive Team, for example, have found a planctomycete living in kelp forests which produces anti-microbial metabolites; perhaps a precursor for a novel antibiotic? Others are studying sponges which live together with toxic bacteria that offer protection against the sponges’ natural predators. These bacterial toxins are of great interest for cancer research.

Blue biotechnology – a promising field

Although the biotechnological use of marine microorganisms is mainly at a research stage at present, the potential for industrial-scale development is enormous. While the terrestrial flora and fauna has been widely explored within the last 500 years, the oceans still present a little known treasure-trove awaiting discovery.

Special prize for unconventional research

Since 1991, this satirical science prize is awarded every year to scientists who impress by extraordinary ignoble scientific work. It is conferred by official Nobel Price laureates in a special, shrilly ceremony at Harvard’s Sanders Theatre in Cambridge. This year for the 27th time.

The Ig Nobel Prize has nothing to do with the official Swedish Nobel Prize, which is the most important science award in the world. Instead, it is organized by the magazine “Annals of Improbable Research“ and the motto of the committee is to honor “research that makes people laugh and then think”. 

However, even Ig Nobel Prize winners can count themselves lucky: Beside a little fame they also win a unique trophy, a sheet of handwritten paper that announce them to be winner of an Ig Nobel Price as well as a ridiculous prize money of 10 trillion Dollars - Zimbabwean Dollars…

The lucky ones

One of the glad laureates is the British Scientist James Heathcote, who was honored for his unique research on the correlation of age and ear size in man, mentioned in the beginning. He and his team could prove that male ears grow in average, at about 2mm per decade. For this work, he received the Ig Anatomy Prize.

Ten Ig Nobel Prizes have been awarded in total. Scientists from Australia and the USA investigated how contact with a live crocodile can influence a person’s willingness to gamble. A team from Switzerland, Canada, The Netherlands and the USA found out, that regular playing Digeridoo can prevent snoring and sleep apnoea. Marc-Antoine Fardin used fluid dynamics to probe the question “Can a cat be both a solid and a liquid?” Another scientist searched for the best way to prevent spilling, when walking around with a cup of coffee in the hand. The Ig biology prize received a team from Japan, Brazil and Switzerland for their finding of a female penis and male vagina in a cave insect. French and UK scientists used brain scanning technologies to measure the extent to which some people are disgusted by cheese. The Ig nutrition prize went to a team of researchers who first reported about human blood in the diet of vampire bats. A Spanish team around Marisa Lopez-Teijon investigated how human fetus respond to electromagnetically played music in the mother’s vagina compared to the belly. And finally, scientists from Italy, Spain and the UK demonstrated that many identical twins cannot tell themselves apart visually.

It’s established fun

Most Ig Nobel price laureates accept the price. Probably, but not only because the ceremony is so much fun. When the winners receive their trophy, certificate and Zimbabwean dollar note, they have the chance for a speech to thanks – for exactly 60 seconds. If they exceed their time-limit, “Miss Sweetie Poo” gets active. The little eight-year old girl continuously interrupts them loudly till they stop. Another unique tradition is to throw hundreds of paper airplanes onto the stage. There are so much that a special stage cleaner must sweep them off. In the end, it is always the same goodbye slogan: “If you didn’t win a Ig Nobel Prize and especially if you did – better luck for next year.

You want to have more?

All people who are around in Boston are invited to visit the “Ig Informal Lectures” tomorrow at 1:00 pm at the MIT, building 10, room 250. There, the Ig Nobel Prize laureates will “explain what they did, if they can…”

See also a webcast recording of the 27th Ig Nobel Price Ceremony 2017.

The need for accurate, consistent sample prep is more keenly felt with the continuing trend of decreasing sample size and increasing sensitivity of analytical instrumentation. Molecular applications such as real-time PCR (qPCR), digital PCR (dPCR) and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) all work with sample volumes in the low microliter (µL) range. Working with such tiny volumes, susceptibility to unwanted sample variability increases significantly. Any interventions that ensure assay set up is as consistent as possible will ultimately have a positive impact on data quality.

Requiring such high levels of skill and accuracy, it is little wonder that this complex, time and labour-intensive process causes a widely recognised bottleneck in lab workflows. Over the last decade, or more, a solution has been sought by turning to automation, particularly with labs under pressure to process large volumes of assays quickly, efficiently and accurately.

One of the most prevalent misconceptions about laboratory automation is that it is all about speed. Yet speed is not the be all and end all when it comes to introducing automation into the liquid handling process. Automated systems not only facilitate sample throughput with improved accuracy and minimised risk of error, but can also increase productivity by freeing up highly trained researchers from routine sample prep to focus on the skilled analysis and interpretation of the results. Moreover, transferring the strain of performing these repetitive manual tasks to an automated system will benefit your work in the lab, too. Repetitive strain injury (RSI) from use of manual pipettes and dispensers is now well documented and understood; such workplace injuries can impact lab productivity, staff turnover and even lead to costly compensation claims [3].

However, while automated sample preparation is now relatively commonplace, the introduction of such systems has not been without its share of difficulties. While it is easy to buy into claims about the latest revolutionary, fully automated, systems that profess to be the answer to a scientists’ every problem, in practice many require long, intensive operator training, and users all too often find them challenging to reconfigure between different sample runs, and different applications.
So, we are left with two extremes. At one end of the scale, we have the highly skilled technician performing lengthy manual liquid handling who is fallible to human error; and at the other end, we have expensive, highly complex automated kit, that not only requires lengthy and intensive operator training, but also significant investment.

Fortunately, there is a happy medium.
Automated liquid handling systems, to suit all budgets and workloads, are now readily available; designed to improve consistency and efficiency by eliminating both person-to-person and day-to-day variability. The best examples require hours rather than days of operator training, and are easy and intuitive to use. User-friendly computer interfaces - including pre-optimized commands and step-by-step programming guidance for the most common applications - make operation quick and easy, yet allow for customization to adjust pipetting performance to the most demanding tasks. A small instrument footprint frees up bench space, while walk-away functionality also frees up researchers’ time. Even automated systems require an element of manual input, however, and with this comes the inherent risk of human error. The latest systems include fail safe features to avoid mistakes, such as virtual 3D run simulation to allow checks of the programmed method for errors, and on deck checks to ensure correct layout, avoiding crashes as a result.

In addition to the many functional considerations when choosing an automated liquid handling system, running costs, availability of consumables, ease of use, and the level of ongoing support provided by the manufacturer should also be taken into account. It’s important to ask for a demonstration of any system you are considering purchasing so that you can be confident it meets all of your needs, fully.

Making the right choice when automating your sample preparation process will pave the way for improved test accuracy and reproducibility, whilst increasing productivity levels. Reaping these benefits can have an important impact on your scientific output efficiency or businesses’ ability to bring new products to market quickly, safely and efficiently.

It makes sense to invest in a pipetting seminar for all employees. This ensures a consistent method of working amongst all employees and ensures that assays are done in the same way no matter who is pipetting. Additionally, thinking about the solutions used and the optimal tool for pipetting these can reduce waiting time e.g. when glycerol is used. Glycerol as a viscous liquid that has a bad flow behavior and is difficult to pipette because one must wait a long time until it is aspirated or dispensed. Even after waiting, it won’t be an accurate pipetting result. So choosing a direct displacement tool facilitates, speeds up, and increases accuracy when working with this liquid.

New 96 channel tools still offer the same accuracy and precision as single-and multi-channel pipettes, but they also increase throughput and speed. Additionally, semi-automated solutions, including electronics, facilitate lab life and support the lab worker in accomplishing the results in a way that is both faster and more relaxing. It was shown that when doing cell-based assays, the usage of a 96-channel tool compared to a manual 12-channel pipette saved up to 15 minutes. When the 96-channel tool was compared to an electronic 12-channel pipette, it was still twice as quick.

Furthermore, reproducibility and reliability were higher than with both multi-channel pipette types. So speeding up does not mean that you have to be in a hurry, but it means being open for new technologies and making usage of these. These very valuable 15 minutes in an experiment can be used for other tasks and can ease your mind during a stressful day.

See the video with highlights from the Eppendorf Award ceremony at EMBL Advanced Training Centre in Heidelberg, Germany, on June 22, 2017, where Dr. Tom Baden, a neuroscientist at the University of Sussex, Brighton, UK, received the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators 2017. The video includes Prof. Maria Leptin's laudation and Tom Baden’s scientific talk on signal processing in the retina: “What the eye tells the brain, and how it got there”. 

Watch the video now!

Image Source: HQuality/Shutterstock.com

How soon we forget

Diseases such as Lassa and Ebola are frightening viral infections because they arise out of nowhere, rapidly evolve into epidemics and in most cases are fatal. We often have limited methods and medications to effectively cure these diseases or properly treat the patients.

More information about the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators.

This is the question the University of Edinburgh, VWR and Eppendorf set out to answer, with a project that will impact researchers and ULT freezer usage. This five year study, the first of its kind, will be highlighting the long term effects of ULT freezer temperature on sample viability and energy consumption. The study incorporates a wide range of materials including viruses, cell lines, tissues, bodily fluids and yeasts, stored at -60^oC, -70^oC and -80^oC temperatures. The key aim of the study is to monitor the viability of these common samples when stored at different temperatures, but it will also highlight how ULT freezer performance relates to:

> Unit age
> Ambient temperature
> Set point temperature/actual temperature
> Door recovery times

There are already some interesting results; unsurprisingly energy consumption is strongly related to set temperature, ambient temperature and the number of door openings. However, it is apparent that some of the sample groups do not maintain viability at -60^oC, -70^oC and sometimes even -80^oC temperatures. Samples can be classified in four groups:
 

Researchers with type A samples can be confident that their samples would retain viability after long term storage. However researchers with type B and C samples will need to be very cautious, not only with their ULT freezer set point, but the actual unit temperature and recovery rate of their ULT freezer as well.

The study is currently in progress and complete details will be released in 2020. If you would like regular updates on this study, please e-mail us at sales@eppendorf.co.uk

Watch the related video and read full details of the study.

More information about Eppendorf freezers can be found at www.eppendorf.com/freezers

When working with alkaline solutions, the formation of carbonates inside the liquid and the bottletop dispenser may lead to problems. When using a drying tube, for example filled with sodium hydroxide pills, formation of carbonates is excluded. You will be able to work with the liquid and bottletop dispenser without any issues.
And don’t forget to protect yourself and your colleagues by providing and wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment, such as a lab coat, gloves, and goggles. Additionally, long trousers such as jeans and sturdy shoes should be worn.

Sunshine brings happiness…

Light is the most important trigger for our internal clock. Our eyes respond to sunlight and transfer information to a small, central area of the brain known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus which is similar in size to a grain of rice. There, information on light intensity is processed and transferred to the pineal gland. The interaction of these two parts of the brain coordinates the body’s activity, both during daytime and also during nighttime rest phases. In essence the regulation of our wake-sleep pattern and other time-dependent cycles occurs as a result of hormone release. Such hormones control, for example, the body’s temperature, blood pressure and metabolism.

Written in the genes…

Animals and plants, besides humans, also have their own internal clocks which control their daily routines. This includes even simple, single-cellular organisms, including bacteria or yeasts and thus suggests that such regulatory mechanisms are very old in evolutionary terms. Although specialist scientists, known as chronobiologists are searching for explanations, the detailed molecular structure of biorhythms is still not fully understood. Despite this, hundreds of different genes which are activated and deactivated on a daily cycle, have already been identified. They have descriptive names such as “clock”, “period” or “timing” genes.

Mutations in these genes can cause our internal clocks to perform erratically. Betsy Thomas is living proof for that. She carries a mutation within a period gene which has shifted her internal clock by about four hours. Consequently, she wakes up at three o´clock every morning.  By early afternoon, however, she is extremely tired and usually goes to bed at about 7 pm. Betsy shares this lifestyle with several other members of her family.

On „larks“ and „night owls“

Not all the differences in biorhythms are as dramatic as the example of Betsy Thomas. In normal, everyday life, for example, we might encounter two very different patterns of individual timing. Some people are at their most energetic in the morning and wake up very early – the so-called “larks”. Others, the “night owls”, go to bed very late and sleep for longer in the morning. Being a “lark” or a “night owl” seems to be inbuilt within our genes. Such individual biorhythms are not generally in any way problematic – as long as we can live according to our preferred internal clock. If, however, we must adapt to unsuitable time schedules such as nightshifts, or when we have to start work early, this can impact upon our health. Sleep problems, heart issues or mental disorders can result and a possible link to cancer has even been suggested.   

Spring is challenging – summer compensates

When winter has passed, we instinctively look forward to summer. However, some people are not necessarily reinvigorated by the sight of melting snow or the first flower buds appearing, but instead fall into a deep fatigue. It is hard for the body to adapt to the new light intensities and warm temperatures. People can therefore start to produce high amounts of the serotonin which can tire out the body. Increasing temperatures can also dilate the blood vessels which can be additionally exhausting. As soon as our body has fully adapted to the new conditions, however, we can start to enjoy the best time of the year.

Image source: Kurkul/Shutterstock.com

Prior to our summer vacation, we would simply ingest a few key bacteria residing in the pelagic black sea devil, so that we may effortlessly dive to a depth of 3,600 meters - much to the amazement of all common recreational divers, who will soon reach the human limit of approximately 40 meters. 

Targeted drug delivery and treatment

In a few years, such microscopically small machines could be used inside the body to deliver medicines directly to target locations. Chemotherapeutics, for example, might be specifically guided to tumor cells, to bind them and then kill them effectively. Similarly, nanobots may perform diverse roles, such as transporting medicines directly into the retina to treat macular degeneration. Additionally, they could also be used for the collection of tissue samples. 

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La tecnologia brevettata ^2DMix-Control miscela i liquidi anche di volume ridotto in piastre 96/384 con un movimento circolare controllato evitando la contaminazione crociata.

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In the "Iliad", the Greek poet Homer already described a common phenomenon: "...while we hearing rumor know nothing ourselves for sure." According to such a persistent rumor, the human body contains ten times as many bacteria as human cells. However, this claim was not supported by any conclusive evidence. And surprisingly, hardly anybody questioned this daring thesis – until now. In 2016, researchers showed that this estimate from 1972 belongs in the realm of legends.

Generous calculations

Ron Milo and Ron Sender of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, and Shai Fuchs of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, took a closer look at the 45-year-old 10:1 claim. At the time, the microbiologist Thomas Luckey estimated that there were some 1011 (100 billion) bacteria in each gram of feces. Luckey estimated the volume of the human digestive tract from the mouth to the anus to equal around one liter. On this basis, he extrapolated that some 1014 (100 trillion) bacteria live in the intestine.

According to Milo and his colleagues, this was an "elegant" estimate. Nevertheless, they believe that it was certainly never intended to be widely quoted decades later. The authors actually found that far fewer bacteria colonize the human body than was estimated by Luckey.

Many roommates in the large intestine

For their investigation, they analyzed numerous studies on the number of bacteria found in the intestine, on the skin, in saliva, in dental plaque, and in the stomach. These are the areas where the majority of our "roommates" live, with the large intestine containing most of them – 0.9x1011. In a 1.70 m tall man weighing 70 kg, the large intestine itself has a volume of only 409 ml. The researchers calculated the number of bacteria in the large intestine to be 3.9x1013. All other organs of the human body contain at most another 1012 bacteria. This means that in total, some 3.9x1013 (39 trillion) bacteria frolic in and on the human body – which is far fewer than previously thought.

Bacteria slightly outnumber human cells

To calculate the number of human cells, the team of researchers again used an average man weighing 70 kg. With reference to a recent study from 2013, the researchers calculated that he contains about 3.0 × 1013 (30 trillion) cells.

Hence the number of bacteria only slightly exceeds the number of human cells. Since on average, microorganisms are much smaller than human cells, they make up only a fraction of the body's volume. Overall, in the match between human cells and microorganisms, we therefore have at least a tie.

Going to the bathroom can turn the game around

The researchers state that the bacterial count is only an estimate and can deviate by some 52 percent. What sounds like high uncertainty actually means the following: Another human being may be host to only half as many bacteria – or twice the number. However, the bacterial count will never be ten times higher.

Nevertheless, Milo and his colleagues explain that merely going to the bathroom can already change the score in favor of human cells.

References:

Ron Sender, Shai Fuchs, Ron Milo: Are We Really Vastly Outnumbered? Revisiting the Ratio of Bacterial to Host Cells in Humans, in: Cell 164, January 28, 2016

Luckey, T.D.: Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 25, 1292–1294 (1972).

Eppendorf contribuisce a questa sfida: il suo ampio pannello di prodotti soddisfa le esigenze dei laboratori che operano in questo settore. I suoi prodotti sono una presenza costante nei laboratori di biologia molecolare e cellulare che si occupano di sviluppare nuove varietà di piante, in quelli di bioprocessing ed in quelli che effettuano i controlli: batteri, funghi, lieviti o pesticidi possono essere evidenziati con le tecnologie Eppendorf.

ll flusso di lavoro dei processi di controllo comprende l’arricchimento, la preparazione, l’estrazione e la purificazione, l’analisi e la quantificazione, l’amplificazione e la rilevazione ed infine la conservazione del campione. L’arricchimento è opzionale, tuttavia, essendo il primo passaggio, è critico. Il pipettatore Easypet, le pipette sierologiche, gli shaker, il consumabile per colture cellulari ed i bioreattori sono un valido aiuto per le operazioni di arricchimento. L’Easypet, grazie alla sua eccezionale ergonomia consente di manipolare i campioni senza fatica controllando con precisione la velocità di aspirazione e dispensazione. Le pipette sierologiche con il filtro idrofobico in fibre di cellulosa ad alta densità permettono un pipettaggio sicuro riducendo la possibilità di contaminazione e di danneggiamento del pipettatore. Gli shaker orbitali Innova che lavorano in un ampio intervallo di temperature, sono adatti per la coltivazione di diversi organismi, mentre il consumabile per colture cellulari offre soluzioni uniche per risolvere problemi tecnici diffusi, responsabili ad esempio di una scarsa riproducibilità o di un facile inquinamento delle colture. Nell’analisi degli alimenti, il campione può essere ottenuto da varie fonti, ciascuna associata ad una differente problematica di preparazione. Passaggi di raffreddamento, riscaldamento, miscelazione, spinning possono essere necessari e la pipetta è lo strumento indispensabile per tutti. Se un’elevata sensibilità e riproducibilità sono essenziali, la combinazione epDualfilter T.I.P.S. - pipette Eppendorf costituisce un perfetto sistema di pipettaggio privo di contaminazione che trattiene il 100% di aerosol e biomolecole. Con i Thermomixer, incubazione e miscelazione vengono fatte con lo stesso strumento.

La preparazione sicura del campione è garantita anche dal consumabile che Eppendorf produce senza additivi che possono interferire con il campione alterando i risultati sperimentali. Un’analisi veloce è ottenuta con il Mastercycler pro che lavora con riscaldamento e raffreddamento estremamente veloci, un’impareggiabile riduzione dell’evaporazione ed una programmazione intuitiva. Le centrifughe sono fondamentali in questi step e l’ampia gamma di Eppendorf può soddisfare qualsiasi necessità riguardo al numero di campioni e velocità di centrifugazione. I sistemi automatizzati epMotion riducono i tempi sperimentali di preparazione dei saggi e ne aumentano la riproducibilità. Con i fotometri Eppendorf associati alle cuvette monouso la concentrazione del DNA può essere determinata con precisione anche su piccole quantità di campione. I freezer che combinano grandi capacità a dimensioni ottimali e risparmio energetico sono l’ideale per una conservazione dei campioni anche a lungo termine.

Eppendorf non è quindi un riferimento solo per la ricerca, anche settori più regolamentati possono beneficiare della sua qualità!

С приложением Eppendorf Вы можете ввести вручную коды epPoints или отсканировать напечатанный QR-код. Просто нажав на кнопку, Вы можете открыть камеру Вашего мобильного устройства и отсканировать QR-код. Легкий и быстрый повтор этой процедуры поможет Вам еще проще собирать баллы.

W aplikacji Eppendorf App możesz teraz ręcznie wpisać kod znajdujący się na naklejce epPoints lub zeskanować nadrukowany kod QR. Aby zeskanować kod QR, wystarczy uruchomić aparat urządzenia mobilnego za pomocą odpowiedniego przycisku. Skanowanie jest proste i szybkie i ułatwia zbieranie punktów.

Eppendorf 앱에서 직접 ep포인트 코드를 기입하거나 출력된 QR코드를 스캔할 수 있습니다. 버튼을 누르면 모바일 기기의 카메라가 실행되며, QR 코드를 스캔할 수 있습니다. 이 절차는 간편하고 빠르게 반복될 수 있으며, 적립 과정을 용이하게 해줍니다.

エッペンドルフ アプリではepPointsコードを手作業で入力すること、または、記載のQRコードをスキャンすることが可能です。ボタンを押すとあなたのモバイル器機のカメラが開き、QRコードをスキャンすることができます。この方法は速くて簡単に繰り返せるので、収集作業が楽になります。

Vous pouvez maintenant entrer manuellement vos epPoints dans l’appli Eppendorf App ou scanner le code QR imprimé. Sur simple pression de bouton, vous activez l’appareil photo de votre périphérique mobile et le code QR peut être scanné. Ce processus peut être répété rapidement et simplement, la collecte de points devient vraiment plus simple.

可在 Eppendorf App 手动输入 epPoints 积分，也可扫描 QR 码输入积分。一键打开您移动设备的摄像头即可扫描 QR 码。该过程快速简单，重复起来方便快捷，让积分收集变得更加轻松。

Na aplicação da Eppendorf você tem agora a possibilidade de introduzir seus códigos epPoints manualmente ou efetuar a leitura do código QR impresso. Através de um clique abra a câmara do seu dispositivo móvel e efetue a leitura do código QR. Esse processo pode ser repetido de modo simples e rápido e facilita a coleção.

In der Eppendorf App haben Sie nun die Möglichkeit epPoints-Codes manuell einzugeben, oder den aufgedruckten QR-Code zu scannen. Auf Knopfdruck öffnet sich die Kamera Ihres mobilen Gerätes und der QR-Code kann gescannt werden. Dieser Vorgang kann schnell und einfach wiederholt werden und erleichtert Ihnen so das Sammeln.

In the Eppendorf App, you can now enter epPoints codes manually or scan the printed QR code. At the push of a button, the camera of your mobile device opens and you can scan the QR code. This process can be repeated quickly and easily, thus facilitating the collection of epPoints.

The main topics of this year’s Labvolution are once again entirely dedicated to the laboratory of the future. These days, digital capture and management of sample information and experimental data are increasingly gaining in significance. The Eppendorf booth, too, will be entirely networked. At this world premiere, the Eppendorf VisioNize® system will be introduced to the public. This system, available shortly, comprises software and hardware components and allows the customer to network manifold Eppendorf instruments in the laboratory. A central software component provides the user with access to a display of the current status of all connected instruments, at any time and from practically anywhere. For example, the temperature of a freezer can be monitored and recorded for documentation and analysis purposes. In case pre-determined limits are exceeded, the system will notify the user via email. A completely new interface, which allows uniform handling of both instrument and software, ensures easy operation and analysis. In connection with the capture of relevant instrument data, the entire history of a sample may thus be collected and analyzed. All parameters taken together allow qualitative evaluation of a sample, even after prolonged storage or after being subjected to a number of workflow steps.

The paramecium can swim fast, overcome obstacles with ease, and turn in any direction – despite consisting only of a single cell. In contrast to "Paramecium aurelia", the human body’s cell count is not exactly known. Among scientists, it was long a subject of debate. According to a recent estimate published in 2013 in the "Annals of Human Biology" by an international team of researchers, it is 3.72 × 10¹³. In other words: The human body consists of some 37.2 trillion cells.

For a long time, scientific estimates of the number of cells in the human body ranged between 10¹² and 10¹⁶. These calculations were not based on reliable empirical data. Even the title of the 2013 study "An estimation of the number of cells in the human body" points out that the authors' results are merely an approximation.

Researchers doing detective work

The researchers from Italy, Spain, and Greece first browsed several thousand scientific papers and books published from 1809 to 2012 that dealt with the quantity and size of the cells of various organs. The large range of figures found in the literature reflects the uncertainty in the scientific community: It was between 10¹² and 10²⁰.

But how were scientists to systematically determine the number of cells in the human body? It is impossible to count trillions of cells under the microscope. Some older calculations were based on the estimated average cell weight. Using the weight of one nanogram (1 billionth of a gram) as the basis of calculations, an adult weighing 70 kg should consist of 7x10¹³ (some 70 trillion) cells. If using the average cell size of 1/40th millimeter as a basis, an average human body should be made of only 1.63x10¹³ (some 16 trillion) cells.

Each cell type is different

The two approaches not only arrive at very different results. They also neglect the fact that the complex structure of the human body is composed of some 210 different cell types. Each of these cell types is present in the body in different quantities. In addition, they differ in size and weight.

At about 0.12 to 0.14 millimeters in diameter, the largest cell is the female egg cell. It is big enough to be just barely visible with the naked eye. The smallest human cells, on the other hand, are sperm – at least if you count the cell body without the flagellum. Sperm measure about 60 μm (0.06 millimeters) and are about 5 μm long and 3 μm wide including the flagellum. The reason for this significant difference is that, unlike sperm, an egg cell holds large amounts of cytoplasm and yolk-containing nutrients. However, sperm are ahead if you count the number of mature cells per month: on average there is one mature egg cell compared to 3,000,000,000 mature sperm cells each month. The longest cells in the human body are nerve cells. Their projection, the axon, can be up to one meter long.

The average man as the starting point

In its study, the international team of researchers considered the differences between cell types in terms of size, volume, and quantity. As the basis of their calculations, they used a 30-year-old average man, who is 1.72 m tall and weighs 70 kg. For this man, the researchers determined the number of blood cells, liver cells, bone cells, and skin cells as well as the cells of other organs. Finally, they added the numbers.

It is questionable whether this sum precisely reflects reality. The team therefore considers its contribution merely a basis for a new, systematic inventory of all human cells. Those who wonder about the benefits of knowing how many cells are in the human body can find the answer in the study's conclusion. This knowledge is not only of cultural importance but also benefits medical diagnostics. In addition, it could help improve our understanding of the development of cancer and other diseases.

A common effort

Now the researchers want to get down to details – and they are calling for a common effort to complete the total calculation of all cell types. Ideally, the authors are hoping the last step could be preparation of a forum paper and an online database resource summarizing the complete picture by integrating data from different expert contributors. This survey should remain open for corrections and the participation of other scientists.

Reference:

Eva Bianconi, Allison Piovesan, Federica Facchin, Alina Beraudi, Raffaella Casadei, Flavia Frabetti, Lorenza Vitale, Maria Chiara Pelleri, Simone Tassani, Francesco Piva, Soledad Perez-Amodio, Pierluigi Strippoli and Silvia Canaider: “An estimation of the number of cells in the human body”, in: Annals of Human Biology,Published online 5 July 2013

DNA – invisible but unique

DNA analysis has revolutionized forensic medicine since the 1980s with DNA being found on every crime scene. People, inadvertently, leave their DNA wherever they go, embedded in skin scales or hair for example. It is the role of forensic specialists to identify genetic traces and to attribute these which might belong to suspects, victims or to other innocent third parties.

DNA is the material in which our genetic information is stored. The base sequence of DNA is as unique to each person as their appearance or personality. Every cell of our body carries this genetic material. However, only around 5% of this DNA comprises “true genes” which provide the code for proteins. Most DNA belongs to so called non-coding DNA, a major part of this being in the form of repetitive sequences.

In a TV thriller, forensic experts often come to the scene of a murder or other major crime, collect evidence and take it to their laboratory. A few hours later a detective calls them to discuss the DNA results. This is pure fiction - in reality, it’s a long and extensive process to examine DNA traces.

How to prepare a DNA profile

Firstly, it’s necessary to identify the DNA material. Although, this can be a simple process in the case of blood or chewing gum deposits, it can often be less straightforward. Sometimes traces are so small that they are not even visible to the naked eye. In such instances, forensic experts must use cotton swabs or adhesive tape to collect evidence and identify any biological material. Through a follow up process, DNA is then extracted using specific chemicals. Finally, certain DNA parts from non-coding regions are amplified by an enzymatic procedure called polymerase chain reaction, or PCR.

When forensic scientists prepare a DNA profile it is not about analyzing the genetic information. The DNA fragments gained from the biological traces will only provide a genetic fingerprint which is of no direct value in itself. The only practical way to identify the person to whom the DNA belongs, is to match the results with existing DNA records on official databases. Correct identification can only occur when a DNA sample has previously been collected from the persons concerned.

A more in-depth view

Forensic experts can learn more from biological traces. Under the microscope, they can examine sex chromosomes and determine whether samples are male or female in origin. When body fluids are available they can also analyze the hormone status of individuals and confirm, for example, whether a woman has been pregnant and, if so, for how long.

Toxicological analysis is also undertaken by forensic laboratories. From investigation of hair or saliva samples, they can determine whether poison or drugs might have played a role within a crime.

Many options for the future

Even in the future, DNA testing alone will not lead to the conviction of offenders. Scientists, however, are currently trying to find out about the relationship between DNA sequences and physical appearance. They have already identified specific DNA locations which are responsible for determining hair, eye and skin color. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: it will still be a long time before forensic experts can draw an identikit picture from DNA information on a cigarette butt found at a crime scene.  

Für Fragen stehen wir Ihnen gerne telefonisch unter +43 1 890 13 64-0 oder per E-Mail unter office@eppendorf.at zur Verfügung!

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• does not have to work at sharp angles 
• does not have to stretch too much 
• is not subjected to high operating forces 
• meets an operating control with a wide contact surface.

It is, therefore, clear that many factors interact in the case of a handheld device such as the pipette. If just one factor is not ergonomic, it may mean that the ergonomics of the other factors is no longer effective. Operation may then be regarded as unpleasant. Thus, for example, low operating forces may be felt as unpleasant if the contact surface of the thumb is too small because the pressure is not spread over a large area.

One way to conquer these issues is through exercise. Going to the gym after work seems like a good compensation. But unfortunately, a balance between work and exercise is not a given. Working for 8 hours or more in a partly static position cannot be negated by 30-60 minutes of activity in the evening. Reduced flexibility and range of motion, as well as pain in multiple body parts, can be the consequences.

To reduce these effects, regular movement during work and the stretching of muscles is important. Only a few minutes during the day, during a coffee break, after lunch, and in the afternoon, can quickly have a positive impact on your overall well-being. We put together a set of exercises everyone can perform on their own or together with colleagues to benefit from relaxed muscles and more energy day by day. Watch our video and join us in practicing some stretching exercises!

Most of us do not give pain too much attention when we are young. Usually, the pain disappears overnight and we resume pipetting as much as before and in the same position. But after years of work, the pain shows more often and more intensely; sometimes it does not disappear anymore with easy stretching and exercise. This injury can become chronic and lead to reduced power in the arm, making you unable to pipette long periods with a mechanical pipette. Medical treatments, physical therapist sessions, surgeries, or, in the worst case, inability to work are the consequences.

We can and should prevent body issues by considering our standing and seating position during daily work. If you want to see a proper seating position and how to arrange your worktable, watch our video on proper pipetting posture.

A nanotech pioneer looks toward the future

These biological motors inspired the Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, who in 1959, first predicted nanotechnology during his famous lecture “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”. Feynman was convinced that in the future it would become possible to create artificial structures and machines as small as a bacterial flagellum. In 1984, some 25 years after he first envisaged nanotechnology, Feynman was asked to give an updated version of his original presentation. This time, the talk was entitled “Tiny Machines” whereby he shared a more detailed vision of how he believed that molecular machines might be created at a nanometer scale. Speaking with great enthusiasm, Feynman’s aim was to inspire the audience to imagine the inconceivable.

Topological chemistry discovers a new type of chemical bond

Neither Feynman, however, nor anyone else attending his lecture, knew that the first steps towards developing molecular machines had already been undertaken. From the mid-20th century onwards, topological chemists from all around the world had tried to create new molecules in which molecular chains were mechanically linked. This was challenging because, at the time, only covalent bonds, in which atoms share electrons, were understood for their interlinking properties. 

Following successive failures, many research groups involved in the field gave up, leaving the science relatively unsupported. In 1983 however, a French working group led by chemist Jean-Pierre Sauvage made a breakthrough. Working with photochemistry, Sauvage developed a molecular complex which captured solar-energy and used it to produce chemical reactions. Recognition that the complex had the appearance of a molecular chain, in which two molecules were connected around a copper ion, led the research in a new direction. Using the complex as a model, his group then developed a method to bind a crescent-shaped molecule onto a ring-shaped one through use of a copper ion. In a second step, they then linked a third molecule to the crescent-shaped one, thereby creating a molecule in which two rings were interlinked through mechanical bonds for the first time. He called this new molecule type a catenane. Through his revolutionary method, Sauvage effectively revitalized topological chemistry.

Molecular machines on the horizon

Later on, Sauvage created different catenane knots, in addition to molecules in which the rings could rotate. Meanwhile, other scientists were also searching for moving molecules. In 1991 the Fraser Stoddart group designed molecules that attracted each other and created rotaxanes or ring-shaped molecules which were mechanically bound to an axle. In this way, since 1994, he and others constructed numerous molecular machines including a molecular shuttle, a lift and a rotaxane based computer chip. The first molecular motor which spun in a single direction was developed by Bernard Feringa in 1999. It was the blueprint for a four-wheel drive nanocar which he developed in 2011.

A well-deserved Nobel Prize

Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa were awarded the latest Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the design and synthesis of molecular machines. Their groundbreaking research has resulted in a toolbox of chemical structures which allows researchers from around the globe to develop new and advanced nano-motors. It’s still not known how molecular machines might influence our lives in future, however, it’s clear that the potential is at least as great as it was for the electric motor nearly hundred years ago…

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En la nota adjunta verá como un grupo de investigación ha podido comprobarlo experimentalmente. No solo la calidad del plástico es importante para sus ensayos: el efecto de la evaporación en los pocillos externos de las placas de 96 puede alterar los resultados de los mismos. Las placas Eppendorf de 96 pocillos para cultivo celular evitan este efecto gracias a su diseño antievaporación o edge effect.

Ritesh Raju et al. (2016). Anti-Inflammatory Chemical Profiling of the Australian Rainforest Tree Alphitonia petriei (Rhamnaceae). Molecules 2016, 21, 1521.

Do you work with cell culture? Our new Cell Handling online portal provides you bundled expert knowledge on the topics of contamination, identity, and reproducibility – researched in depth by the Eppendorf cell experts.

Enjoy reading these and more articles as well as product news and detailed Application Notes in the new edition of Eppendorf BioNews!

Never miss a BioNews edition!
Since 1993, Eppendorf BioNews has been widely regarded as a highly popular source of information for researchers and scientific personnel. Browse the latest edition online at www.eppendorf.com/bionews, or subscribe to BioNews free of charge in order to receive your personal printed issue fresh off the press twice a year! 

Read more in the new Eppendorf BioNews Nr. 46

Mehr dazu in der aktuellen Eppendorf BioNews Nr. 46

For more than 150 years, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution has been the consensus in biology. He published his theory of variation and natural selection in the mid-19th century, which assumed that species carry their own specific characteristics and pass them along to their offspring. New or modified attributes occur by natural variations and only prevail if they lead to better chances of individual survival. However, Darwin’s idea contradicted distinguished naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who postulated that offspring inherit characteristics that are actively acquired by earlier generations. A vivid example of this theory is the giraffe. Lamarck believed that giraffes evolved through the action of continuously stretching their necks to get food from ever high trees in the African steppe, a characteristic that was then inherited by future generations. In other words, the more giraffes stretched for food, the longer the necks of subsequent generations became.

Gregor Mendel's findings, which described genes for the first time, supplemented and confirmed Darwin’s conclusions. Darwin’s theory and Mendel’s principles of heredity have been the status quo in genetics since then, while Lamarck’s theory was consigned to the dustbin of history.

It’s much more than just our genetic code

Research over past years indicates that we may have to exhume Lamarck’s theory however.

We carry about 20,000 identical genes in every cell of our body. Together, they form our genetic blueprint. But the human body has around 200 different cell types, all derived from one kind of stem cell. A specific gene regulation system is the only obvious explanation for this variability. This mechanism is called epigenetics, which refers to a process that coordinates how and to what extent gene information is used in each cell. Epigenetic changes regulate the gene expression while the DNA sequence, our genetic code, remains unaffected.

Small appendages do the job

Epigenetics functions as a 2^nd information level of the DNA. Small molecules, the methyl groups, bind to the DNA and fold it in a specific way. This more or less opens up the genes to access by the enzymes, which translate them into proteins. The DNA-methylation patterns are passed from one cell generation to the next, thus guaranteeing that all cells of an organ or with a specific function produce only new cells with the same identity. These patterns also allow the body to interact with the environment and respond to changing influences in a flexible manner. Nutrition and stress can alter the epigenetic pattern for instance.

What parents may pass on to their kids

This begs the question, to what extent are epigenetic factors passed from one human generation to the next? For decades, the genetic gospel held that the information parents pass on to their children is defined by their DNA sequences. Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic factors are inherited as well. Genes appear to have a multi-generational memory. Recent studies demonstrate that parents with high-fat diets can influence the metabolism of their children and even their grandchildren. Another example is stress. Babies whose mothers were abused during pregnancy developed long-lasting epigenetic changes that were detectable until their teen years.

Promising signs

Epigenetics has the potential to offer diverse opportunities for the innovative treatment of diseases. The idea that scientists could one day cure specific illnesses before an outbreak by simply modulating the epigenetic patterns that are identified as the cause is not too far-fetched. Even cancer treatment could benefit. The targeted methylation of cancerogenic DNA sequences could be used to deactivate oncogenes, thus killing the cells or stopping them from propagating.

Much work lies ahead of us before we can fully understand epigenetic mechanisms and their effects. In the end, we may discover that genetics is simply a mixture of Darwin’s and Lamarck’s concepts.

Unter allen Einsendungen wurde Frau Monika Sundl (Institut für Zellbiologie, Medizinische Universität Graz) als Gewinnerin gezogen.

Wir wünschen viel Freude damit!

 
Bild: Frau Berghold (Eppendorf Austria) mit der Gewinnerin, Frau Sundl und ihren Kolleginnen

<imh src=https://www.eppendorf.com/fileadmin/Countries/Spain/About_us/News/Foto_Ganadores_ProudLegacy_PT.jpg>

Webinar Time:
Tuesday November 29th 2016, 4:00 p.m. CEST

Speaker:
Dr. Ulrike Gast
Field Application Specialist, Liquid Handling
Eppendorf AG

Register now!

Datum und Uhrzeit:
Dienstag, 29.11.2016 um 17:00 Uhr (MEZ)

Sprecher:
Dr. Ulrike Gast
Field Application Specialist, Liquid Handling, Eppendorf AG


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The new Eppendorf LifeScienceStyle Magazine “Off the Bench” will be published twice a year with a varied mix of informative and entertaining topics that focus on life in the laboratory.

This new magazine joins BioNews, the science- and application-oriented magazine from Eppendorf that has been published twice yearly since 1993. “Off the Bench”, in contrast, will focus on the topic of laboratory lifestyles. In addition to interviews with personalities from science and research, the magazine offers readers a wealth of tips, information and links – such as visitor information on the city in which the next big life science trade fair will take place.

“We want to use ‘Off the Bench’ to offer readers something new – a view beyond the horizon with well-researched, entertaining articles. In the process, our goal is to create further added value for our customers and make it possible to experience our claim of being the expert and advisor in the life sciences,” says Dr. Oliver Franz, Vice President Branding and Group Communication of Eppendorf AG.

Among other things, the first issue of “Off the Bench” will acquaint readers with the work of the cell biologist Tim Gilberger and his battle against malaria. In addition, we join chef J. Kenji López-Alt in his kitchen as he creates dishes with scientific precision and sheds new light on a number of long-held cooking myths.

You can order “Off the Bench” free of charge from magazine@eppendorf.com or subscribe to it online at corporate.eppendorf.com/en/news-media/newsletter-magazines. The magazine’s contents are also available on the Web at www.eppendorf.com/OTB.

Das neue Eppendorf LifeScienceStyle Magazin „Off the Bench“ erscheint ab jetzt zweimal im Jahr mit einem vielseitigen Mix informativer und unterhaltsamer Themen rund um das Leben im Labor.

Neben der applikativ und wissenschaftlich ausgerichteten BioNews, dem seit 1993 ebenfalls zweimal jährlich erscheinenden Kundenmagazin von Eppendorf, dreht sich bei „Off the Bench“ alles um das Thema Labor-Lifestyle. Neben Interviews mit Persönlichkeiten aus der Wissenschaft und Forschung hält das Magazin viele Tipps, Informationen und Links, zum Beispiel über die Stadt, in der die nächste große Life-Science-Messe stattfindet, für die Leser bereit.

„Mit ‚Off the Bench‘ möchten wir den Lesern etwas Neues anbieten – mit Blick über den Tellerrand, gut recherchiert und unterhaltsam. Das Ziel von Eppendorf dabei ist, einen weiteren Mehrwert für unsere Kunden zu schaffen und so unseren Anspruch, Experte und Ratgeber der Life Sciences zu sein, erlebbar machen“, so Dr. Oliver Franz, Leiter Kommunikation und Markenführung der Eppendorf AG.

In der ersten Ausgabe von „Off the Bench“ lernen die Leser u. a. die Arbeit des Zellbiologen Tim Gilberger und seinen Kampf gegen Malaria kennen. Außerdem gibt Chefkoch J. Kenji López-Alt Einblicke in seine Küche: er kreiert Gerichte mit wissenschaftlicher Genauigkeit und räumt mit althergebrachten Kochmythen auf.

„Off the Bench“ kann kostenfrei über magazine@eppendorf.com bestellt oder online unter corporate.eppendorf.com/de/news-medien abonniert werden.

Alle Inhalte aus dem Magazin sind auch im Web unter www.eppendorf.com/OTB verfügbar. 

Global crude oil resources shrink and the world’s climate goes haywire due to the global warming - however, our society is built upon progress, economy and trade. Global growth and development involves the transportation of goods, raw materials and people back and forth across the planet. It means mobility within cities and countries, throughout continents and around the whole world. All this mobility requires an increasing amount of fuel. Natural resources, however, are limited.  

Biofuels are on advance

A few weeks ago Africa celebrated its first commercial flight using biofuel aviation technology. Around 300 passengers flew from Johannesburg to Cape Town using biofuel produced from tobacco plants. Africa has been the last continent to make use of this technology. With this flight, however, biofuel has now become a global phenomenon.

Although this sounds great in principle, in reality it’s just a drop in the ocean. Airplanes cannot use 100 % biofuel; they usually fly with 10 – 30 % biofuel mixed with traditional kerosene. This is due to three reasons: price, availability and the technology required.

With today’s know how it is not possible to produce the large amounts of biofuel required. Moreover, the elaborate production processes still make them an expensive alternative compared to crude oil based aviation fuel. Engines need to be adapted to work with new kinds of fuel. The same factors also explain the small quantity of biofuels used for private cars, road haulage and agriculture. The challenge of the future will be to find a balance between economics and eco-friendliness that allows for the routine use of sustainable biofuels.

Multiple methods and different generations

What exactly are biofuels? What makes them sustainable and why is there still a need for further research?  Let’s start from scratch: since the development of internal combustion engines, fuel has mainly been produced from crude oil, however global oil resources are likely to be used up in the foreseeable future. Moreover, carbon, fixed millions of years ago, is now being released into the atmosphere. This high CO2 emission from fossil fuels is harmful to the environment.

Biofuels in contrast are produced through the transformation of renewable raw materials such as oil palm, grain or wood. They have been in use for approximately ten years now. In general, two types of processes can be distinguished. The sugar of carbohydrate rich plants can be used to produce bio-ethanol, a fuel that can provide a substitute for gasoline. Biodiesel and bio-kerosene on the other hand are made from plant oils.

First generation biofuels are made from crops like corn, wheat, sugar cane or rapeseed. This is problematic because fuel and food production are effectively in competition. In order to circumvent this issue, methods have been developed to produce second generation biofuels from non-food plants, residual plant material or from fast growing woody plants. Third generation biofuels represent a quite different approach. Their basic material comprises biomass, including oil-rich algae or bacteria which is produced in glass tanks or bioreactors. They don’t compete for land, are not food sources and they grow extremely quickly.

Saving the planet?

Biofuels are a big step towards developing sustainability. Traditional fuels have a large carbon footprint and are partly responsible for climate change. Using biofuels for energy is much eco-friendlier for reducing CO2 emissions. The other side of the coin, however, is that many different factors influence their environmental impact. Any benefits in terms of absorbing atmospheric C02, for instance, are lost when tropical rainforests are cleared for the cultivation of energy crops. Increasing monocultures will also result in the loss of ecosystem services including biodiversity, soil and water conservation, the regulation of microclimates and cultural benefits to local people.

Saving the planet is the challenge for the century. Simply changing energy sources will only be part of the solution. Be proactive and save energy whenever possible.

Click on the link below to read our Spotlight Feature article as published in Labmate UK & Ireland’s October November 2016 issue.

Alternatively, you can also read the article on Labmate-Online.

Learn more about Eppendorf ULT Freezers.

For more information about Dr. Evrony and the Prize, visit www.eppendorf.com/prize. 

Mehr Informationen über Dr. Evrony und den Preis finden Sie unter www.eppendorf.com/prize.

Most of us have experience with follow-on medicines. We buy Acetylsalicylic Acid instead of the more expensive Aspirin®, Paracetamol as an alternative to Benuron® or Acetaminophen - as it's called in the US - instead of Tylenol®.

Once a pharmaceutical patent expires, other companies are free to manufacture and distribute the substance. These copied versions are typically labeled with their so-called international non-proprietary name, which is the chemical description of the active component. Follow-on medicines are 30-70 % less expensive, yet are just as effective. This makes them particularly interesting as a means for reducing healthcare costs – even on a global scale.

Not all follow-on drugs can be lumped together however. There are major differences in the complexity of chemically- and biologically-manufactured medicines. This in turn requires individual development, evaluation and approval process strategies.

Generic drugs – like identical twins

Most follow-on medicines found on the market are generics. They are usually small and simple molecules produced by chemical syntheses.  A generic drug and its reference product contain the same active substance and must be in the same dosage form. If the branded product is a capsule or a tablet, the follow-on preparation also needs to be a capsule or a tablet. When the original is in liquid form,  then so does the generic. The excipients, or inactive ingredients, are the only thing allowed to differ between the reference and generic medicine.

To gain regulatory approval of generic pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer only needs to prove good quality, substance similarity with the reference product and bioequivalence. This means that the new substance is absorbed by the human body in the same way as the original. Generics manufacturers have no need to carry out complex studies to determine the safety and effectiveness of the drug. They can simply refer to previous studies that accompanied the initial product approval. This saves the majority of the developments costs, which are often in the millions. This also explains why generic drugs can be a much cheaper alternative.

Two of a kind – biosimilars

In contrast to the relatively simple small-molecule generics, biologics are gaining popularity in the field of modern medicine where they are used in the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and diabetes. Biologics are huge and highly complex molecules, mainly proteins. They are produced by living organisms or cells as part of elaborate biotechnology processes. Biologics are characterized by innovative action mechanisms, which is what makes them so valuable.

Many companies around the world are currently developing follow-on biopharmaceuticals, or so called biosimilars. The development strategy differs from that of generic drugs because bio-manufactured molecules always exhibit natural variations. The biosimilar formation is influenced by the production system, the way the cell is cultivated and much more.

In a nutshell, while a biosimilar and its reference product can never be identical, they can have a similar structure and a comparable effect.  To a certain extent, regulatory approval for biosimilars is thus more complicated and requires an enormous investment compared to generics. A wealth of clinical studies is essential in order to valid the effectiveness and the quality of the product and the manufacturing process.

Making quality health care affordable

Patented biopharmaceuticals are high-priced and represent a significant share of health insurers' costs. Although the price gaps between original products and biosimilars are not as high as with generics, these follow-on medicines provide patients around the world economic and sustainable access to state-of-the-art medicines. Biosimilars offer a major opportunity to more effectively manage the healthcare challenges of the future.

Until 15 January 2017, young researchers not older than 35 years with an advanced degree who are performing biomedical research in Europe are invited to apply for the Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators. 

Read more!

Bis zum 15. Januar 2017 können sich auf dem Gebiet der europäischen Biomedizin tätige promovierte Forscherinnen und Forscher bis zu 35 Jahren für den Eppendorf Award for Young European Investigators bewerben. 

Mehr Informationen

None of them are really popular. Because they are responsible for a variety of annoying and sometimes serious diseases, they are stuck with a bad reputation. We often have no effective medicines to combat them. Today however, we celebrate them...

It’s Virus Appreciation Day

October 3 is a special day for recognizing viruses around the world. While we don’t want to miss out on the celebration, it begs the question: what are viruses actually? The answer requires a more in-depth look at their appearance and how they impact human life. By looking a little harder between the various epidemics and latest threats, we might even find some characteristics that put viruses in a positive light.

What makes a virus a virus?

Simply put: it’s genetic material. Viruses are not living beings, rather merely a type of infectious agent. They have no cells, cannot reproduce on their own and they do not have their own metabolism.

Viruses are very, very small. They are 20 -300 nm in diameter, a scale of one-billionth of a meter. Compared to all of the known microbes, viruses are teeny. They can only be visualized with fluorescent ultra-microscopy or electron microscopy.

Viruses can appear in two forms. First, they exist outside host cells as infectious particles called virons. In this form the virus spreads from one host to another. Most virons carry a protein envelope. They can exist for decades without a host and don’t lose their contagion potential. As soon as they are able to infect a new host cell, they change to their virus form and begin to replicate by borrowing the host cell’s DNA replication systems and metabolism.

Innumerable types

There are currently around 3,000 known virus species. They can infect multicellular organisms like plants, fungi and animals, including human beings. Viruses also attack bacteria and other single-cell creatures. Every living being is host to a variety of virus species. Considering we have around 1.8 million plant, animal and unicellular species on earth, plus an enormous number of yet unknown species, we might expect an equally-enormous number of different viruses. The majority of them are still unknown.

Long history

Even though only a few viruses are known to us, their existence has been reported for a very long time. People were observed with polio and rabies symptoms as early as 2000 B.C. plus there are references in several documents and Egyptian hieroglyphs. Evidence of the oldest virus infection was found in the malformed bones of a 150-million-year old dinosaur fossil. Our understanding of viruses, their behavior and molecular mechanisms has been growing since the end of the 19th century, with more and more details coming to light.

Dangerous or beneficial?

Many viruses cause illnesses. Influenza often breaks out in the fall of each year for instance. And most childhood diseases are caused by viruses. While some diseases are common, such as Hepatitis or HIV, others have been nearly eradicated, such as smallpox. Serious epidemics such as the Ebola outbreak in West Africa or the Zika bug also pose periodic threats.

The fact is, because the virus and host cell metabolism are so closely intertwined, we lack the right medications to combat most viruses. By killing the virus, the host cell is attacked as well. On the other hand, there is a bright side related to medical development. Researchers recently discovered that modified viruses can be used to destroy targeted tumor cells or antibiotic-resistant bacteria for example.

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Biotechnology – the science which relies on living organisms to create useful everyday products – is present at every turn. You’ll find it in the healthcare, agriculture, pharmaceutical and food industries. Biotechnology allows people to address their most common needs in a reliable and regulated way. The corresponding production processes are carried out with microorganisms such as bacteria and yeast, animal cell cultures or by utilizing natural substances that stem from these organisms, like enzymes. Today, it's hard to imagine producing new washing powders, natural flavors or vaccines without modern, genetic engineering based biotechnology.

European Biotechnology Week

The first European Biotechnology Week was held 60 years after the DNA molecule structure was discovered, one of the most crucial findings in modern life. Although only three years old, the event has experienced steady growth. This year, Biotechnology Week takes place from September 26 to October 2 at several different venues in more than 10 European countries - and you can be involved.

Open to everyone

Whether you are organizing an activity with your company, institute or university, or participating in some of the events in your country, you can be part of this big celebration. There are many ways to promote biotechnology. Over the last three years, there has been a wide range of very different events: science cafes, seminars, workshops, company site visits, artistic performances, conferences, live demonstrations and much more. The activities have been attended by primary school children, as well as scientists. And the general public had the chance to meet biotech experts. This year represents another chance to learn, experiment and have fun. Don't miss out!

The details

For more information, visit the official website at www.biotechweek.org. Find out about places to go, events to visit and workshops to participate in. You may also get ideas on how to initiate your own exciting, creative or informative event.

It is one of the most common, but hidden fears. Losing control of your life as you grow older is a disturbing thought, even for people who may still be years or decades away from their "twilight years." The fact is, there is a high risk of developing dementia in old age.

Rise in the number of dementia patients

Worldwide there are some 50 million people who suffer from dementia, which includes Alzheimer's. This is more than the population of Spain and the number is steadily increasing. Within the next 20 years the number of people affected by dementia will likely double. More than 130 million people will be afflicted by 2050. This is according to data from the latest World Alzheimer's Report published annually by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), the worldwide federation of Alzheimer's associations in London. With poor healthcare systems and limited support, developing countries will see the largest increase in people affected by dementia. Experts predict that Alzheimer's and other causes of dementia will be one of the major global public health and social care challenges of the future. Now is obviously the time to think about the strategies and solutions needed to address the challenges of this rising threat.

Today is World Alzheimer's Day

September 21 is a perfect day to start thinking about Alzheimer's. It is annual World Alzheimer's Day, which aims to increase the awareness of the most common form of dementia. World Alzheimer's Day is dedicated to anyone who is impacted by this condition: patients, their relatives and those who care for them. While Alzheimer's mainly affects those over 65, even younger people can develop it. Dementia is a collective term for a variety of diseases caused by the progressive destruction of brain cells. Over time, patients lose their mental abilities, motor functions and even language skills. Daily life slowly becomes more difficult to the point at which patients are unable to care for themselves. We still don't fully understand precisely how Alzheimer's develops and what the corresponding correlations and mechanisms of the disease are. It's nevertheless influencing our society today. Sooner or later, it will impact all of our families, friends, homes and personal lives.

Go purple with a purpose

Dementia is a topic that affects all of us. Show your concern today by following the “Go purple with a purpose” campaign. Every year at the World Alzheimer's Day, the US American Alzheimer's Association (ALZ.org) encourages everyone to participate. There are many ways to get involved: wear purple clothes, ask your friends to do the same, decorate your office or home door in purple or hang purple ribbons or banners on your building. Turn your profile image on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks into purple or send your messages and notices in purple. Give it some thought and come up with your own ideas. It may be a motivation to know that you are in good company. A renowned Donut company is making special purple-sprinkled donuts as an example and hundreds of people around the world will participate in donation walks while decked out in purple shirts.

Get involved – start creating a better world for those with dementia

Get active today and join your local Alzheimer's society events or make a donation toward public awareness activities and research. You can also educate yourself and inform your family and friends about Alzheimer's. Or perhaps you feel like organizing your own event or just taking the time to meet older members of your family...

In industrialized countries, every third person will develop cancer in their lifetime. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in these countries, which has made it one of the key healthcare issues for decades. Scientists and medical experts around the globe are busy conducting research into new medicines and advanced methods for cancer detection and treatment, a challenging field of science. Because each instance of cancer is unique, it's not a clearly-definable disease. Cancer tumor cells are different and even the cells of a single cancer type exhibit individual characteristics. Liquid biopsy is a promising technique to set against the diverse physiological characteristics of cancer diseases.

Single blood draw for cancer testing

Traditional biopsy methods are currently the most common way to detect cancer. However, taking the tissue samples requires invasive surgery, which is not always possible to perform. Sometimes such an intervention is too exhausting for a weak patient, or the tumor is located in an unreachable part of the body. In contrast, liquid biopsy only needs a blood sample, making it much easier to carry out. In its original form, liquid biopsy is based on a determination of tumor markers from the blood. These markers are proteins that can be detected in high concentrations in certain tumor diseases. Nowadays, even malignant cells emitted into the blood stream by a tumor, and cell-free DNA scattered into the blood by dying tumor cells, can be detected.

As good as the conventional way

A recent study presented at this year’s annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology demonstrates that blood tests can be an adequate non-invasive alternative to tissue biopsy. In the large-scale genomic analysis, blood samples from more than 15,000 patients and 50 different tumor types were analyzed. It was one of the largest cancer studies ever conducted. Scientists at the University of California Comprehensive Davis Cancer Center in Sacramento, California observed that the mutation patterns in circulating tumor DNA in blood samples mirror those which are identified in traditional tumor tissue biopsy.

A promising alternative

Another team of scientists at the University of Washington in Seattle pursued another strategy and published their study early this year in Cell, a scientific journal. They also analyzed cell-free tumor DNA from the blood, but were not looking for mutations as described above. Instead, their novel liquid biopsy method is based on DNA packaging structures, identifying what types of cells gave rise to the cell-free DNA. In a living cell, the DNA is folded around protein cores that build up structures called nucleosomes. Every cell has a slightly different way to pack its DNA. When a cell dies, its DNA is divided between the nucleosomes and then spread out to the blood. The resulting nucleosome patterns are specific to every single cell type. This phenomenon is the basis for the new approach, which analyzes the nucleosome footprint of cell-free DNA. In healthy humans, the scientists mainly found DNA from lymph nodes and bone marrow, tissues with high cell production and death rates. The nucleosome footprint is unique in cancer patients. It can reveal the origin of the primary tumor, which is currently not found in five percent of all cancer diseases.

Vital hopes

The clinical implementation of liquid biopsy is not yet widespread. However, this novel method may revolutionize cancer diagnostics and therapy. It can improve monitoring the progression of the disease, the response to therapy and the development of treatment resistances. It allows personalized therapies and eases screening procedures.

Antibiotics, our favored medication against harmful bacteria are one of our major medical success stories. Many infections, which in former times were lethal, are now successfully treated using antibiotics. That’s why bacterial infections nowadays rank far behind cardiovascular diseases and cancer as causes of death.  However, more and more frequently, germs resistant to antibiotics are appearing in increasing numbers.

Vytenis Andriukaitis, EU Commissioner for Health & Food Safety, recently stated that about 25.000 deaths in the EU are caused by antimicrobial resistant infections annually. Most experts identify some common factors behind this growing threat. All too often, the prescription of antibiotics in medicine is questionable, for example in cases of viral infections. Poor compliance with hygiene and disinfection procedures is also commonplace in many hospitals and doctors’ surgeries. The excessive use of antibiotics in intensive livestock farming is another concern. Animals are routinely fed with antibiotic supplements as a preventative measure which, in turn, causes resistance to develop. Following human consumption of such animal products, this resistance may be passed on to our own bodies’ bacteria.

Over 100 years of history

Antibiotics kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria, even in very small concentrations. The first substances were naturally formed metabolites, which were isolated from fungi and bacteria. Later on, a broad range of synthetic substances were developed. Altogether, about 80 broad spectrum antibiotics, that are substances which are effective against numerous different bacteria species, have been developed.
Arsphenamin, the first official antibiotic, was discovered in 1910 by the Nobel laureate Paul Ehrlich. It paved the way for over 100 years of discovery, research and the development of new and powerful antimicrobial medicines. However, patients and doctors are increasingly faced with the emergence of resistant strains, even though most bacterial infections are currently still treatable using antibiotics developed within the 20th Century. A tragic example is the multi-resistant MRSA superbug which is currently one of the most common global causes of hospital-acquired infections. Multi-resistant bacterial infections must be treated with so-called “reserve” antibiotics. These are drugs which are used only in cases where normal antibiotics no longer work.

Only eight new antibiotics have been launched over the last two decades, all of which were developed to overcome situations of specific or multiple antibiotic resistance. New target patterns and modification of the chemical structure of existing drugs are key themes in the development of new, powerful antimicrobial medicines. Scientists from the Hans Knöll Institute in Jena, Germany, for example, recently identified a new antibiotic from bacteria living in mangroves. Aspects of this new substance bear remarkable similarity to well-known sulfonamides, which have been in common use since 1936. However, when examining the structure of the drug more closely, it appears to function in a different way. Such findings may be one piece of the jigsaw puzzle in the successful fight against resistant strains.

A cooperative venture on an international scale

The World Health Organization (WHO) also calls for a global rethink in antimicrobials use. They fear a post-antibiotic society in which people die from dental infections or from an inflamed bladder. This growing problem cannot be solved at a national level alone. Only a global approach involving all players who are concerned with the use of antibiotics can cope with the scale of this challenge.

A sufficient supply of oxygen is crucial for aerobic bioprocesses. To help the users to objectively compare the performance of bioreactors in terms of oxygen transfer, the DECHEMA expert group on “Single-Use technology in biopharmaceutical manufacturing” developed a standard operating procedure for measurement of the volumetric mass transfer coefficient (k_La), and using this protocol, different manufacturers experimentally determined the k_La values of their single-use fermentors. With k_La values > 500 h-1 the Eppendorf BioBLU^® 0.3f and 1f Single-Use Vessels outperformed the other lab-scale fermentors tested.

Download the report summary

People have been using fermentation in food preparation for millennia. Early farmers in Mesopotamia started brewing beer about 10.000 years ago while the ancient Egyptians were noted for their wine production and for baking bread. The processing of milk into cheese and yogurt has also been historically well documented. For thousands of years it remained a mystery how these methods worked - it simply, often being down to good luck if tasty or well preserved products resulted or not.

Once it was food preparation - now it’s biotechnology

Nowadays, we understand the biochemical background of food production through detailed scientific knowledge. From the 19th century onwards, developments in microbiology created a deeper understanding of the process of microbial fermentation. This, in turn, has helped to ensure the consistent quality of today’s processed foods. This field of science, in which microbes are used for the modification of products, is known as biotechnology. With the identification of DNA as the carrier of the genetic code and the later development of Polymerase-Chain-Reaction, in the mid-20th century, as a means of DNA amplification, gene technology has gained increasing significance. About 80 % of all our foodstuffs are influenced in some way by scientific research. Modern methods can help to make our food healthier, tastier and safer, than previously. Biotechnology can, for example, reduce the effect of harmful ingredients and remove allergens.

Food-biotechnology - A diverse range of applications

Biotechnology is applied widely within the dairy industry. For thousands of years cheese was produced with natural calf rennet. Today, however, rennet is usually produced using genetically modified bacteria. Other enzymes produced biotechnologically are used to break down sugars within milk. This process intensifies the milk’s flavor and sweetness, thereby making it viable as a source of nutrition for people with lactose intolerance. Fat reduced yogurts are similarly supplemented with enzymes which improve their texture and help to create a richer taste.

In general, enzymes are one of the most important substances within the food industry. More than 40 enzymes are frequently used within a broad range of production processes. These can, for example, optimize fats and proteins, stabilize cream and foam, modify starches and bond reconstituted meat.

There aren’t enough lemon trees on the planet for all the lemonade we drink

Many vitamins, flavors, fatty and organic acids are made using biotechnology. Vitamin C for example, is produced through a multi-step synthesis which combines both chemical and bacterial processes. Over 40.000 tons are produced annually on worldwide basis, as a result of this process. Furthermore, our so-called convenience foods, are the result of extensive research. The food industry is continuously developing new biologically active substances such as probiotics, antioxidants or unsaturated fatty acids which are used as food additives and which also claim to provide health benefits.

Artificial Food – “Pie in the Sky”?

Within the context of increasing global population and the continued growth of factory farming, some scientists go even further and are attempting to develop new, alternative technologies. Pioneers like Josh Tetrick from Hampton Creek who developed the “chicken free egg”, an egg substitute made from yellow pea protein or Mark Post from Maastricht University who is growing minced beef from cell samples of living cattle are searching for radical solutions.

Biotechnology can therefore optimize the production of existing food products and can also help in the development of novel new approaches. In future, it could also provide a key defense mechanism for safeguarding the world’s food supply. 

Register now!

Jetzt anmelden!

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When was the last time you helped to save a life? The truth is anyone can – you just need to give blood.

Today is „World Blood Donor Day“

This global action day serves to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and to thank all blood donors. It was initially inaugurated in 2004 by four major international organizations that campaign for safe blood supplies from voluntary unpaid donors. These organizations are the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Society of Blood Transfusion and the International Federation of Blood Donor Organizations. World Blood Donor Day is celebrated every year on July 14th to commemorate the birth of Karl Landsteiner. This was the scientist who first discovered the AB0 blood group system and received the Nobel Prize for this pioneering work in 1930.

Blood transfusions save millions of lives every year

So far it is not possible to produce artificial blood. That’s why blood donation is so important for healthcare worldwide. In a country like Germany for example, there is need for 15.000 transfusion bags per day. People such as cancer patients, accident victims and those with organ transplants are in particular need of blood transfusions and blood products. However, only 3,7 % of the European population actually donates blood despite the fact that nearly every healthy person between the ages of 18 and 59 is allowed to do so.

Blood donation is easy and safe

Giving blood is not a big deal. Prior to every blood donation the donor is checked by a physician. This examination covers general health, medication intake and the quality of blood including, for example, the hemoglobin value which serves as an indicator of the blood’s oxygen transport capability. After someone has been accepted as a donor, arrangements are then made for collection of the blood. Disposable instruments are used for blood sampling to eliminate the risk of any infection from dangerous diseases such as HIV. The procedure usually takes about ten minutes and involves the transfer of about half a liter of venous blood into a transfusion bag. Following another ten minutes of resting the donor can leave. Drinking beverages before and after the blood collection helps to compensate for the loss of fluids.  

Behind the scenes: Blood analysis

Even before the AIDS blood scandal in the early 1980’s it was known that blood transfusions could transmit infectious diseases like Hepatitis. That’s why nowadays all blood donations are carefully investigated prior to use. Samples are regular tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and C and for Syphilis. Modern methods like PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and immunoassays are used to detect viruses and antibodies.

Immediately following donation, the blood is sent to a central collecting point housing analytical laboratories. The blood group is initially determined and all blood components and plasma are separated out through centrifugation of the transfusion bag. The plasma is frozen directly, red blood cells and blood platelets are concentrated before being cooled and the white blood cells are disposed.  Disease testing also takes place in parallel with this. The whole process from collection through to granting authorization for use usually takes no longer than a day and a half.

Become a Hero – Give blood

Today is the perfect day to start giving blood. You will find a couple of special blood donor events in your town. 

The Award ceremony took place at the EMBL Advanced Training Centre in Heidelberg, Germany, on June 2, 2016. The laudation honoring Adrian Liston’s achievements was held by the jury chairman Prof. Reinhard Jahn.

Read the complete article

Last time it was a complete team that was under suspicion; this year the first reports appeared only weeks before the start of the European Football Championship. Such news suggest that doping is a common way to increase player’s performance. So far, football does not belong to the usual suspects which include cycling, athletics and winter sports where doping has become more abundant. However, a recent study has identified regular use of doping substances by European football stars.

Large number of suspicious samples

The study, which was officially commissioned by UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, proved that about eight percent of all professional football players are doped with steroids. More than 4000 anonymous urine samples were taken from players in European competitions and analyzed. Around five individual samples from different games were used for each player. Almost one-in-twelve players showed conspicuous levels of testosterone – an alarming figure. Significantly, these results only reflect doping with steroids. The actual number of players who use blood-doping, growth hormones and other substances also needs to be considered in addition to this.

Why is doping on the rise in football?

Doping is usually favored by endurance athletes and sportspeople, such as sprinters, who need to focus their energy for short, concentrated periods of minutes or seconds. However, these criteria might also apply to footballers too. During a 90 minutes’ game they can run up to twelve kilometers, and even in the last seconds they must be capable of making a final sprint to score a decisive goal. 

Fight against doping

Athletes who attend national and international competitions are tested for doping. This is carried out in one of 33 specified laboratories which are accredited by the WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency. They are looking for a diverse range of critical substances such as growth hormones, anabolic steroids, stimulants and anesthetics. These agents increase, for example, muscular growth, oxygen transport and vigilance. They also lead to shorter recovery times, increased pain threshold and improved concentration. In reality, it is significant that the long term use of doping substances can be very harmful to the human body.

Minute quantities are detectable

Most analysis is done using urine samples, though sometimes blood is additionally collected. The common analytical tools are chromatographic methods like gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and high pressure liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). Specific immunoassays are also used. Such analyses are very sensitive and substances can be detected at concentrations from picogram/mL to femtogram/mL. This is even less than a billionth of a gram per liter. Precise and accurate laboratory products are needed to ensure these detection levels.

Fair play is essential

WADA inspectors are ready and waiting. The current doping case of the French national player Mamadou Sakho demonstrates the importance of doping control in professional football. On the other hand, we should realize that things are never as bad as they might seem. In 2012, when the entire Ukrainian team was suspected of doping, further analysis proved that not all of them had used critical substances. However, a few of them did…

- 샘플이나 용액의 장기간 보관 

- transport

- incubations at high temperatures up to 100 °C

제품 자세히 보기

Che cosa è il “carbon footprint”?

Un modo per misurare la quantità di inquinamento prodotta consiste nel calcolare le emissioni di anidride carbonica, ovvero la quantità di anidride carbonica (CO₂) prodotta dalla combustione dei combustibili fossili necessari per produrre l’energia elettrica. Per semplicità la CO₂ è espressa in tonnellate emesse all’anno. La regola empirica è che per ogni kilowattora di energia elettrica utilizzata si producono 351 g di anidride carbonica*. In altre parole, per ogni kilowattora di energia elettrica NON utilizzata, NON si rilasciano in atmosfera 351 g di anidride carbonica. In media, scegliendo un congelatore Eppendorf New Brunswick è possibile evitare l’immissione in atmosfera di fino a 10 tonnellate di CO₂ per tutta la durata dell’unità. A titolo di confronto, banale ma estremamente esemplificativo, sostituendo le lampadine alogene con quelle fluorescenti compatte,si risparmiano 45 Kg di CO₂ all’anno per ogni lampadina. E quante lampadine ci sono in una casa, in un palazzo, in una città? E quanti frigoriferi e quanti congelatori ci sono in un laboratorio, in un centro di ricerca, in una industria? Il miglioramento dell’efficienza energetica è importante perché può rallentare se non addirittura controllare il cambiamento climatico in atto: senza una inversione di tendenza in tempi rapidi si prevede un aumento della temperatura terrestre, entro questo secolo, di 2-3 gradi con conseguenze catastrofiche ambientali ed economiche . Recenti studi dicono quanto sia urgente “ridurre ulteriormente le emissioni di gas a effetto serra perché già oggi affrontiamo nel mondo inondazioni, siccità,problemi nell’approvvigionamento di generi alimentari, migrazioni.. “

Congelatori Eppendorf: risparmio sui costi di gestione

Il risparmio nell’uso dell’energia elettrica per alimentare una lampadina , un frigorifero , un congelatore si traduce conseguentemente in un risparmio nel costo della bolletta elettrica. In parole povere, meno inquino, più risparmio e più guadagno. Se 1 kWh costa mediamente 0,22 € (**), se un congelatore Eppendorf New Brunswick da 570 litri (modello verticale) consuma 7,4 kWh/giorno avrò notevoli risparmi: paragonato ad un modello concorrente similare, il risparmio annuo che si ha con il nostro CryoCube F570 è quantificabile in oltre 1000,00€.

Tutti i prodotti Eppendorf si contraddistinguono per l’alta qualità offerta e per la riconosciuta affidabilità. Ciò vale anche per le diverse linee di ultracongelatori offerte: costruzione robusta, coibentazioni super efficienti, sportelli ad alta tenuta (modelli verticali) , riduzione della dissipazione termica, compressori affidabili e silenziosi, refrigeranti a bassissimo impatto ambientale , massima sicurezza nello stoccaggio dei più svariati campioni. E , una volta che hai deciso di acquistare il nostro congelatore ,non sei lasciato solo . Oltre alle garanzie che coprono il funzionamento del congelatore ti offriamo servizi che permettono le migliori prestazioni , indipendentemente dagli anni di uso : manutenzioni programmate , verifica delle varie componentistiche ,procedure IQ/OQ.

E altro ancora: chiedere è lecito, rispondere è cortesia.

Per maggiori info, clicca QUI.

大会公式サイト

A drizzle droplet contains approximately 0,001 milliliters of rainwater. This tiny amount of water corresponds to the volumes of liquid which some scientists have to handle in their everyday work. In many practical applications, liquids must be measured, transported and dispensed in hundredths of a milliliter scale. Such situations occur within life science laboratories, medical research and diagnostic establishments, forensic institutions and within cosmetics and food industry development and quality control centers. These so-called microliter samples have to be pipetted in a manner which can be repeated as precisely and reliably as possible. The scientist’s tools for this are micropipettes.

High precision for defined volumes

Pipetting of small volumes from 0,1 up to 5000 microliters is commonly carried out by using micropipettes. The basic function of these precision instruments results from a piston-driven air displacement. When the piston inside the pipette is pressed down, the internal air is displaced. The vacuum subsequently created through the upward movement of the piston then aspirates the sample into a disposable tip. Another type of mechanism uses a micro syringe with an integrated plunger as the tip. The plunger has direct contact with the liquid, hence the term, direct displacement. Several sorts of mechanical and electrical micropipettes are available as well as multichannel versions and hand dispensers. When calibrated regularly, they allow for highly precise pipetting of aqueous solutions. On the other hand, how about the pipetting performance when working with different liquids?

Viscous, dense or foaming – samples can be so diverse

Many liquids used in the laboratory have physical properties which differ from water. These specific characteristics can directly influence the pipetting accuracy causing significant errors within an assay process. Viscosity, density, surface tension, vapor pressure and foam formation are typical problems which scientists have to deal with. Direct displacement pipettes are usually a good choice for special liquids because most inaccuracies occur through factors which affect the air cushion’s volume. However, when working with air cushion pipettes, a variety of techniques can be applied to deal with such challenges. Very slow and reverse pipetting, for example, can reduce retention effects observed with liquids which are viscose, or which have low surface tension or are foaming. Pre-wetting, a repeating pattern of aspirating and dispensing can be used to prevent liquid leakage, a phenomenon seen with high vapor pressure liquids. Volume errors caused by density effects have to be compensated through deliberate “miscalibration”.

Pipettes in the desert

Environmental factors need to be considered as well. Temperature, atmospheric pressure and humidity can all create variability. A group of scientists followed an unusual course and undertook an extreme pipetting expedition. Whilst visiting hot springs in Yellowstone National Park, climbing Mount Washington at a height of 1916 meters and experiencing the extreme dry heat in Death Valley, they carried out pipetting fieldwork and observed significant volume errors. However, they also come up with some tips to counter such errors: Pipettes should be calibrated in the actual lab where they are to be used to ensure that they are properly adjusted to the correct height above sea level. When pipetting warm or cold liquids, the pipette tip should be pre-equilibrated to the liquids temperature. In order to eliminate volume variations caused by strong humidity changes, pipettes should, as a most basic measure, be calibrated in accordance with the changing seasons.

It’s quite easy

When keeping all these tips in mind, there is nothing to prevent scientists from easy, precise and reliable pipetting results – even with challenging liquids.  

Basically mode A/D allows the uptake of an unknown amount of liquid and the subsequent dispensing of this volume in equal parts. The advantage of this new mode: it calculates the aspirated liquid volume and allows the user to define the volume to be dispensed. General application examples would be the uptake of a supernatant followed by the subsequent distribution to several reaction tubes, or if you want to calculate whether the small amount of liquid left in a supply bottle will be sufficient for your experiment. This mode can virtually be used for several applications in protein biochemistry, molecular biology, cell biology or microbiology. Read more about the different applications in our whitepaper!

Read the whole Whitepaper: Download now!

피펫, 원심분리기, PCR장비 등 각 제품별로 숙련된 서비스 기술자에 의해 수행되는 정기 점검, 교정 및 서비스를 통해 보유하신 정밀 기기가 지속적으로 재현성 있는 결과를 달성 할 수 있도록 보장해 드립니다.   

표준화 작업을 통해 제품의 개시에서 종료까지 과정에 있어서 체계적인 검증과정을 제공해 드립니다. 

epService를 통해 다음과 같은 혜택을 얻으실 수 있습니다. 
1. 장비의 정기적인 점검을 통해 장비 수명의 최대화 

2. 노후된 장비의 고장이나 사고의 위험성 방지

3. 장비의 재현성 및 정확성 향상  

4. 원하는 수준의 서비스 선택

[공지사항] 

* 2016년 5월 1일부로 피펫 Calibration/Adjustment는 epService 체계에 따라 가격이 부과되오니 참고하시기 바랍니다.

피펫 Calibration/Adjustment 체계 및 가격 확인   

New! 냉장원심분리기 5920R의 특징 

>4 L 대용량 처리 가능
4 L 처리 가능 (표준 1 L Nalgene® bottle 사용가능)
Rotor S-4x1000 사용시 50mL 코니컬 튜브는 최대 52개까지 사용 가능

Comme un expert reconnu dans la production de produits polymères sophistiqués, Eppendorf offre la plus grande gamme de cuves à usage unique à paroi rigide et atténue les problèmes liés aux produits relargués et  des extractibles. Les cuves en verre de classe industrielle complètent pour les Bioprocess.

Plusieurs logiciels de Contrôle BioCommand et d’acquisition de données (SCADA) répondent aux exigences individuelles pour la gestion des Bioprocess. La suite logicielle de DASware complète cette gestion avec le contrôle DASware comme la clé de traitement des manipulations en parallèle.

Télécharger le nouveau catalogue Bioprocess pour en savoir plus sur les gammes Bioprocess
d’Eppendorf.

As a renowned expert in the production of sophisticated polymer products, Eppendorf offers the largest portfolio of rigid-walled stirred-tank single-use vessels and mitigates the widely discussed problems with leachables and extractables. Industry-standard glass bioreactors complete the range of vessels for bioprocesses.

Several BioCommand Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) software packages meet individual requirements in bioprocess control. The comprehensive DASware software suite stands for next generation bioprocess management with DASware control as the key to parallel processing.

Download the new Bioprocessing catalog to learn more about the bioprocessing portfolio from Eppendorf.

The agreement includes the distribution of Eppendorf freezers, shakers and CO2 incubators in Denmark. The team has got a very high level of expertise about Eppendorf New Brunswick products and thus can guarantee advice and premium guidance. We look forward to a very successful cooperation with In Vitro AS.

Click here for further information.

平素は弊社エッペンドルフ製品をご愛顧賜り、厚く御礼申し上げます。

さて弊社では、平成28年4月1日出荷分から一部製品につきまして希望小売価格を改定させて頂きますことを、お知らせ申し上げます。

現在、希望小売価格の据え置きのため全社を挙げて製造及び輸送コスト削減に努めている最中でございます。

しかしながら、今後とも高品質な商品及びサービスを安定して供給させていただくため、誠に不本意ではございますが、この度一部製品につきまして、同価格を改定させていただきます。

お客様には、大変ご迷惑をおかけいたしますが、何卒事情ご賢察の上、ご理解とご諒承を賜りますようお願い申し上げます。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　敬具

德国原装的 Eppendorf 细胞培养耗材从产品、性能和包装三大方面进行了优化和创新，可大大减少操作死角和污染，避免浪费。与高精确移液的 Easypet 3 电动助吸器组成完美搭档，为您的细胞培养实验升级装备！

Eppendorf 坚持以创新设计、高效性能和持久耐用作为实验室产品的生产标准，因为样品的安全永远是第一位，所以从前期的产品设计到最终安装到位，Eppendorf 超低温冰箱制定的质量标准是最严苛的，我们委托国家食品药品监督管理局北京医疗器械质量监督检测中心，对 Premium U410、Innova U725 和 CryoCube F570 超低温冰箱分别进行了制冷时间、温度均一性及耗电量等性能参数进行检测，验证以上产品技术参数符合国家标准要求。

它们究竟如何，是否对您的细胞培养或实验操作有所帮助呢，快来参与我们的试用与反馈活动，一探究竟吧！

活动时间：即日起 ——2016年5月31日

若遗憾错过本次活动，不用担心，您依然可将试用结果发送给我们，参与季度抽奖。

活动详情  http://www.eppendorf.com/tester

Více informací

Take advantage now and save! More at www.eppendorf.com/advantage.

Jetzt Vorteile sichern und sparen! www.eppendorf.com/advantage

 具体服务内容包括：移液器的内外部清洁，O型圈、密封圈、活塞等的润滑，检查移液器吸液情况。（此活动不包含现场的维修和校准）。

如果您的实验室有Eppendorf 移液器需要维护保养，欢迎咨询我们的售后服务热线了解活动详情：400 885 6070

Eppendorf官方微博：http://weibo.com/eppendorfchina
Eppendorf官方微信：eppendorfchina

Take advantage now and save! More at www.eppendorf.com/advantage

Vous trouverez notre programme de formation sur www.eppendorf.com/etc.

Lesen Sie außerdem über folgende Themen:
> das neue Eppendorf Transfer Rack
> die neue Centrifuge 5920 R
> epServices: Neues Kalibrierlabor und Reakkreditierung
> uvm.

Genießen Sie die Vorteile unserer Partnerfirma MACHEREY-NAGEL und bestellen Sie mittels Bestellformular alle Kits für RNA und miRNA Isolation mit 25 % Rabatt.

この度、弊社製品におきまして、うるう年2月29日にご使用される場合、ソフトウェアの不具合によるエラーが発生することが判明いたしました。

不具合の内容および本件に関する対処方法につきましては、こちらをご参照ください。

You will find our training program at www.eppendorf.com/etc

You will find our training program at www.eppendorf.com/etc.

 You will find our training program at www.eppendorf.com/etc.

GEO Rainforest Conservation helps people in Africa, Asia and Latin America to conserve their natural forests and resources and to use them sustainably. The promoted projects also improve the economic, social and sanitary situation of the local population.

Eppendorf will transfer the full sum of all donations to GEO Rainforest Conservation. The charity will use the money directly for the project chosen by Eppendorf.

You can find further information about the current project in Ecuador here.

Thank you for your donation!

Donate now!

GEO schützt den Regenwald e.V. ayuda a la población de África, Asia y Latinoamérica a conservar sus recursos forestales y aprovecharlos de manera sostenible. Los proyectos promovidos también mejoran la situación económica, social y sanitaria de sus habitantes.

Eppendorf transferirá la integridad de sus donativos de epPoints® a GEO schützt den Regenwald e.V., que destinará los fondos correspondientes a proyectos seleccionados por Eppendorf.

Aquí encontrará más información sobre el proyecto que actualmente se está desarrollando en Ecuador. 

¡Muchas gracias por su donativo!

Contribuir ahora

The 2015 prize was won by the Japanese scientist Shigeki Watanabe, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, USA). Shigeki Watanabe has developed two novel techniques in electron microscopy that allow visualization of protein and membrane dynamics at synapses at a millisecond temporal resolution. Using these techniques, he discovered an ultrafast mechanism that removes synaptic vesicle components rapidly from the plasma membrane following exocytosis. He further demonstrated that synaptic vesicles are regenerated from endosomes.

For more about the prize and film interview with Shigeki Watanabe, go to www.eppendorf.com/prize.

Further information