Jenoptik has signed a long-term agreement to develop and produce microscopy imaging instrument with a leading life science company based on the technology platform Jenoptik Syions. The scope of the agreement is anticipated to exceed 30 million euros for the coming years.

The Syions system allows customers to take advantage of a range of imaging technologies and predefined modules to reduce time-to-market. Combining partially standardised optical, opto-mechanical and electronic modules with powerful imaging and control software enables easy integration into existing instruments or completely new developments. The versatile, miniaturised platform can be adapted to a variety of bio-imaging applications to increase productivity in scientific and clinical laboratories.

 "With Syions, we are focusing our expertise in digital imaging on the fast growing biophotonics market, and we are very excited about this partnership with a leading company in the global life sciences market," said Dr. Stefan Traeger, president and CEO of Jenoptik.

The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) has announced that its new Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS) is officially entering a new stage. The first components for the EBS – the world’s first, high-energy fourth-generation synchrotron light source – have now been installed in its storage ring tunnel: a new milestone in the history of the European Synchrotron.

“It’s a great moment for all the teams,” said Pantaleo Raimondi, ESRF accelerator & source director. “Seeing the first girders installed on time is testament to the expertise, hard work and commitment of all involved for more than four years. EBS represents a great leap forward in progress and innovation for the new generation of synchrotrons.”

The start of installation is a key milestone in the facility’s 150million Euro pioneering upgrade programme to replace its third-generation source with a revolutionary and award-winning machine that will boost the performance of its generated X-ray beams by 100, giving scientists new research opportunities in fields such as health, energy, the environment, industry and nanotechnologies. The EBS lattice has already been adopted by other synchrotrons around the world, and 18 upgrades following EBS’s example are planned, including in the United States, in Japan and in China.

“Audacity and innovation underpin the ESRF’s mission and the Extremely Brilliant Source writes a new chapter in our history,” said ESRF Director-General Francesco Sette.

“EBS will provide X-rays with unprecedented brilliance and coherence, which will enable scientists to study materials at the atomic level in much greater detail, with higher quality, and at a much faster rate. This powerful new tool will help scientists to address major challenges facing our society,” adds Francesco Sette.

The ESRF made history as the world’s first third-generation synchrotron light source, producing X-rays 100 billion times brighter than the X-rays used in hospital radiographic equipment, and providing unrivalled opportunities for scientists in the exploration of materials and living matter. In its lifetime, the scientific output from ESRF instruments has totalled over 32,000 scientific publications, and it has generated four Nobel Prize laureates. After an outstanding performance, the ESRF’s X-ray source was shut down, on 10 December last year, for a 20-month upgrade to the new Extremely Brilliant Source (EBS). The activity has been very intensive for the ESRF teams, who have spent three months dismantling the original ESRF storage ring: an enormous logistical challenge that required teams to remove 1720 tonnes of equipment, including 200 km of cables, in just 11 weeks.

After a civil work phase, the EBS is now entering the installation phase. The nine-month installation phase will see 128 steel girders, pre-assembled with over 10,000 cutting-edge components, installed and connected in the 800 m-circumference storage ring and then precision-aligned to within 50 microns – about half the width of a human hair.

Once installation is complete, in November 2019, commissioning of the machine and beamlines will begin, and the powerful new research instrument is set to open to scientists in September 2020.

Shimadzu has released the Nexis SCD-2030 sulphur chemiluminescence detection system. It consists of a Nexis GC-2030 high-performance GC and the newly developed SCD-2030 sulphur chemiluminescence detector. With this product, Shimadzu serves a growing request for easy operation and maintenance as well as high stability even during long term operation for high selective and sensitive sulphur detection systems.

 The sulphur in fossil fuels not only causes air pollution, but also interferes with catalysts during chemical reactions. Petrochemical companies are making efforts to reduce the sulphur content of fuels and have developed low sulphur gasolines containing only several tens of ppb or less. To accurately measure trace amounts of sulphur in fuel, a high sensitivity SCD detector is essential. Against this background, global sales of SCD detectors are expected to increase steadily in the future, and demand is growing for instruments that excel in highly sensitive detection.
 
The Nexis GC-2030, a next generation gas chromatograph, offers a high level of performance. It is based on the concept of usability and expandability for a wide variety of analytical applications, e.g. research and development and quality control in areas such as food, beverages, fragrances, gases and fuel cells. For these purposes, the Nexis GC-2030 can be equipped with any of a family of high-sensitivity detectors such as the newly developed sulphur chemiluminescence detector to create the Nexis SCD-2030 specialised system. It will deliver a new solution for low concentration sulphur component analysis to a variety of users.

The Detachin cell detachment solution from AMS Bio is a high-performance alternative to Trypsin/EDTA for detaching adherent cells from in vitro growth vessels. Detachin provides rapid, gentle, and effective detachment of a wide variety of adherent cells, including primary cells, from all commercially available tissue culture plasticware.

Proven to provide a consistent, safe, and efficient method for cell detachment and dissociation, Detachin contains protease and collagenase activities in an isotonic, phosphate buffer solution with EDTA. It has been tested successfully on many different primary cells and cell lines, including: bone marrow cells, stem cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, mouse germ cells, keratinocytes, macrophages, chick embryo cells, neuronal cells, vascular endothelial cells, A-375, BHK, CHO, COS, D54, HEK293, HeLa, L-929, M-24, MG-63, MRC-5, NIH-3T3, NT-2 cells, U-251, Vero, Sf9 insect cells, and many others. 

Not only does Detachin offer improved cell viability compared to Trypsin, it also produces no mammalian or bacterial byproducts meaning there is no need to wash the detached cells. 
 
Offered in a range of convenient formats including 100 mL, 10 x 100 mL, and 6-PAC (6 x 50 mL) sizes and stable at 4C for 2 months, Detachin provides an economic solution to labs regularly tasked with cell detachment protocols.

Horiba UK Medical has launched a D-Dimer parameter for its Yumizen G haemostasis range of instruments. The new Yumizen G DDi 2 (D-Dimer) reagent kit offers a key measurement and reference exclusion test for the diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). It can also be used for monitoring the progress and effectiveness of treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).
 
The new reagent kit is available for its full range of coagulation instruments which covers the needs of any laboratory. The dedicated haemostasis portfolio includes the fully automatic Yumizen G800, Yumizen G1500 and Yumizen G1550, as well as semi-automatic Yumizen G200 and Yumizen G400 analysers. Using antibody-coated latex particles and measured via the immuno-turbidimetric channels of these instruments, the new reagent kit delivers D-Dimer results consistency across the range.
 
The D-Dimer assay when used on very compact coagulation screening platforms such as the Yumizen G400DDi and Yumizen G200, which also have combined immuno-turbidimetric and chromogenic assay capabilities, is particularly ideal for small laboratories, hot labs and as backup. On these semi-automatic systems, the Yumizen G DDi 2 reagent kit offers an innovative combination of immuno-turbidimetric test capability and pre-calibrated ready-to-use reagent.
 
Offering a cost-efficient solution, the new assay minimises preparation time due to its ready-to-use liquid format. Furthermore, as the reagent is pre-calibrated it removes the need for a costly and time-consuming calibration step. Its high stability and optimised volume packaging also avoids wastage.
 

Syngene has announced that its G:Box Chemi XX6 multi-application imager is being used by scientists at a major London university to speed up analysis of proteins, DNA and cells associated with breast and a range of other cancer types.

Scientists at the university are using the imager to rapidly detect changes in DNA and protein expressed in human breast and other cancer tissues utilising DNA gels and ECL-based chemiluminescent Western blots respectively. They are also using the system to record images of six-well plates containing cancer cells stained with crystal violet to estimate total viable cell counts. The data generated is providing information which scientists at the university are using to understand fundamental mechanisms of cancer cells and their microenvironment and could help to identify new therapeutic targets and patient stratification methods.

The laboratory manager at the university explained: "Originally, we were looking for two imaging systems because we need equipment that can image Westerns, DNA gels and even multi-well plates. We reviewed equipment from three suppliers and the feedback from all the researchers was that the Syngene system provided images of good quality in a broad range of applications and this meant we only had to have one system for everything."

He continued: "Now 30 of our researchers regularly use the system to image around 10 Western blots daily. This system is simple to use and allows us to have a higher throughput of results compared to using X-ray film. At full capacity, we think we could generate 20 blot images every day and we even use the system for producing images of cells stained with crystal violet. In future, some of our researchers want to do fluorescent Western blotting and we have had the right lighting fitted so that our system will allow us to do this too."

More than 150 leading scientific suppliers and 3,000 attendees will descend on Lab Innovations on 30 & 31 October 2019 at the NEC, Birmingham, to discover, debate and discuss the latest scientific developments and equipment. Now in its eighth year, the UK trade show dedicated to the laboratory industry continues to enjoy support from some of the UK’s leading scientific institutions and will this year boast its largest ever exhibitor and visitor base, providing more exciting product launches, innovation and discussion than ever before. 

Analytix, Anton Paar, Cole-Palmer, Eppendorf, Gambica, IKA, Perkin Elmer, SLS, Shimadzu and Thermo Fisher Scientific are among the big industry players participating for 2019. Joining them will be a further +150 suppliers and manufacturers presenting the most cutting-edge equipment applicable to a plethora of industries including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, materials science and food and drink.

“Gambic has exhibited at Lab Innovations since the start. We find it one of the most effective events for connecting our members with purchasers and distributors.”
Commented Jacqueline Balian, Head of Laboratory Technology Sector.

Lab Innovations will this year be celebrating 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table, with the Royal Society of Chemistry focusing on this theme in their dedicated theatre and several related networking events taking place across the two days.

For cleanroom specialists, the Cleanroom Hub will provide a dedicated zone for suppliers of cleanroom-specific equipment. It incorporates a seminar pod with two days of educational content for cleanroom professionals, a networking lounge and dedicated exhibitor pavilion. With a clear demand for this type of content at Lab Innovations following a 68% increase in cleanroom attendees in 2018, this zone is set to create another buzz at this year’s edition.

First-time exhibitors at Lab Innovations will showcase new products in the adjacent “Lab News Village”, where they will display products that have never been seen before at the event. Additionally, the well-received SLS pavilion will expand for its second appearance at Lab Innovations, providing an opportunity for 20 partners of the UK’s largest independent supplier of laboratory equipment, chemicals and consumables to participate.

With sustainability high on the UK agenda and an increased demand for practical advice and solutions in this area, the ‘Sustainable Laboratory’ will return for 2019. This will provide an opportunity for attendees to speak with leading UK universities on how they made use of ‘green’ equipment and processes to achieve sustainable results.

Carolyn Jones, Lab Manager at the University of Birmingham commented on her success with finding sustainability solutions at last year’s event: “I’m very interested in the sustainability side of things and looking at what people are doing to reduce their carbon footprint. It’s good to see all equipment out and working on the stands, from all the big companies as well as smaller start-up companies. It’s been a good day out and well worth attending.” 

New for 2019 is a bespoke meetings concierge service, providing visitors and exhibitors with the opportunity to pre-arrange meaningful meetings with exactly the companies and attendees they want to discover and do business with. This exciting new initiative will accentuate the event’s position as the leading meeting place for laboratory professionals and suppliers.

Laboratories can deliver the rapid quantitation of time-critical samples in a single run with the launch of an easy-to-use, direct sampling source that is designed to decrease reliance on a complex chromatographic separation step for a wide range of routine mass spectrometry-based applications, including drug analyte testing and drugs of abuse analysis.

The Thermo Scientific VeriSpray PaperSpray ion source is a high-throughput direct sampling system that is expected to reduce the need for separation by chromatography before mass spectrometry (MS) analysis in routine workflows, simplifying sample preparation, potentially reducing the cost-per-sample and overcoming sample backlogs. The system's interface is simple to operate, regardless of the analyst's level of experience. 

"Laboratories are under growing pressure to increase throughput while reducing cost-per-sample, all while delivering meaningful insights that will support their decision-making," said Evett Kruka, vice president and general manager, life sciences mass spectrometry, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "When used in combination with our MS systems, the VeriSpray PaperSpray ion source provides laboratories with a complete solution designed to remove the time-consuming steps in the workflows‹and ultimately aids in throughput and data confidence."

"The VeriSpray PaperSpray ion source allows us to perform simple paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) methods in our research programs," said Chris Gill, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry at Vancouver Island University and co-director of Applied Environmental Research Laboratories. "It is an elegant approach that provides a direct sampling strategy, a simple clean-up step and a disposable interface, all in one sampling platform. In particular, PS-MS eliminates the potential for carry-over and contamination‹crucial for our development of rapid drugs-of-abuse screening assays used in harm-reduction drug testing. With its universal well-plate geometry and intelligent autoloader, VeriSpray has surpassed any limitations with regard to throughput, making it suitable for high-throughput, sensitive, quantitative, direct drug analyses."

The Genevac Series 3 HT centrifugal evaporator is now proven to provide highly effective drying of samples previously stored in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO).

DMSO is an important polar aprotic solvent that dissolves both polar and non-polar compounds and is miscible in a broad range of organic solvents as well as water. Because of these properties it is widely used as a universal sample storage solvent. However, samples dissolved in DMSO cannot be as easily recovered compared to other solvents, as it is very difficult to remove all traces of DMSO by conventioDMSO removal case studynal evaporation techniques.

The new Series 3 HT evaporator aims to represents the ultimate in solvent removal technology. Benefiting from an advanced scroll pump that delivers reliable deep vacuum down to 0.4mbar, and chamber heaters to protect the system from condensation, it is able to efficiently and effectively dry even very high boiling solvents such as DMSO. 

Designed with latest touchscreen technology and a sleek ergonomic design, the Series 3 HT evaporator makes optimising evaporation processes effortless.

Available in 6- and 12-sample holder configurations, the new evaporators are the system of choice for high throughput sample drying because of their high capacity technology that eliminates cross contamination due to sample bumping, and automated monitoring of temperature and pressure to prevent sample degradation.

LabTwin and Sartorius have launched the first voice and AI-powered digital lab assistant. Scientists can take notes, capture data, create supply lists and set timers or reminders from anywhere in the lab just by talking to LabTwin.

LabTwin uses machine learning and voice-recognition technologies to streamline workflow in laboratories around the world. Researchers from top-tier research institutes such as UCSF and Deutsches Primatenzentrum, and top biopharma companies have been quick to adopt the voice-powered assistant. 

"Digital assistants will free employees up to work on the things that matter most. New forms of interactions such as voice or image recognition, in conjunction with machine learning technology, will push businesses further than ever before," said Magdalena Paluch, LabTwin CEO, and co-founder. "LabTwin has the power to accelerate communication, unleash creativity and increase productivity by unshackling scientists from keyboards, desktops and hard-to-access folder structures. It¹s the digital twin always within reach."

Industry experts BCG Digital Ventures and Sartorius have both lent their support to LabTwin's mission. BCG Digital Ventures incubated the product and company, providing funding, consulting, design and engineering resources, while Sartorius shared funding, industry knowledge and user contacts. 

Per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are often used in tubing and other liquid-contacting parts of an HPLC system, where they can leach into the mobile phase and interfere with sample analysis. This contamination is particularly problematic when analyying at trace levels, such as at the ppt health advisory levels for drinking water.

With many labs analysing at single-digit ppt levels and striving for sub-ppt level detection, PFAS contamination from HPLC components can prevent accurate identification and quantitation of PFAS in samples.

To eliminate this issue, Restek's new PFAS delay column traps and 'delays' system-related PFAS, preventing them from interfering with sample analysis. This delay column is a universal solution that can be used with any type of HPLC or UHPLC system up to 15,000 psi and with any analytical column (fully porous or superficially porous).

Torrey Pines Scientific has launched a new line of corrosion-resistant multi-position stirring analogue hot plates and stirrers featuring five or nine stirring positions, making them ideal for acid digestions and working with most any corrosive solutions.

The large 12in (305 mm) square ceramic heater tops have a temperature range to 450°C. A purge port on the rear on the units is provided for purging with a positive pressure of any inert gas. Most chassis openings have been closed. This keeps corrosive vapours from getting inside the units and protects the electronics and stirrer motors.

The five-position stirring units can stir 5-800ml beakers, and the nine-position units can stir 9-500ml beakers of corrosive aqueous solutions from 100 to 1500 rpm. Each stirring position is individually controlled.

The units measure 19in (432 mm) deep by 12.5in (318 mm) wide by 5.25in (134 mm) tall. They can support more than 50 pounds (22.6kg) on the plate surface. All controls are mounted well in forward of the heater surface to protect against accidental burns, and the units are designed to keep spills out of the chassis.

Miltenyi Biotec has launched a new platform for fully automated, ultrahigh-content imaging: the MACSima Imaging Platform.
 
The new platform is the latest addition to the firm's imaging portfolio. The benchtop instrument performs a fully automated iterative fluorescent staining, imaging, and signal erasing process, using multiple fluorochrome-conjugated antibodies per cycle. A harmonised portfolio including the company's range of validated antibodies, e.g., REAfinity Recombinant Antibodies, specifically designed disposables, and the MACSima software ensure a failure-free automated process. Resulting image stacks can then be analysed on the fly, even when the iterative process is still running. Basic and biomedical research, specifically drug-target and biomarker discovery as well as deep phenotyping, will be the major fields of application. Based on an advanced technology, this platform enables the simultaneous analysis of an unprecedented number of markers in a single sample, even on a desired sample area. Various fixed sample types can be used as starting material.
 
“Using the MACSima Imaging Platform, it is now possible to stain and analyse hundreds of markers on a single sample, whereas so far, researchers were limited to only a few markers. Imagine a situation where you have only three pieces of a large puzzle. The new platform enables you to get all the missing pieces so you can understand the whole picture,” states Dr. Andreas Bosio, Head of Miltenyi Biotec´s Imaging Development Program.  

Shimadzu has launched its Nexera Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (UHPLC) series, incorporating artificial intelligence as Analytical Intelligence, allowing systems to detect and resolve issues automatically. The Nexera series makes lab management simple by integrating IoT and device networking, enabling users to easily review instrument status, optimise resource allocation, and achieve higher throughput.

The new series maximises reliability and uptime with fully unattended workflows that span from startup to shut-down. Operators can set the Nexera to start up at a specified time, so that it can complete auto-purge, equilibration, baseline checks and system suitability in advance, and be ready for analysis before they arrive at the lab. In addition, FlowPilot ramps up the flow rate gradually, reducing the possibility of damage to columns. The system also has auto-diagnostics and auto-recovery capabilities that allow it to monitor pressure fluctuations to check for anomalies.

Real-time monitoring of mobile phase levels allows lab personnel to efficiently run batches and respond accordingly if there isn’t enough mobile phase before starting a run. In addition, it tracks consumable usage and sends alerts when parts need replacing, allowing users to keep the system running at peak performance. The Nexera UHPLC series allows analysts to confirm parameters and monitor chromatograms in real time directly from a web browser on their smart device. 

The SIL-40 autosampler can process the injection cycle time in as little as seven seconds, and continuous analysis can be carried out on up to 44 MTPs (using three plate changers). The SIL-40’s plate changers enable non-stop temperature-controlled analysis of thousands of samples. The Nexera automatically blends mobile phases at any set ratio, which speeds up the preparation of buffer solutions and the dilution of solvents. Because it prepares the exact amounts required for analysis, it reduces waste and labour.

A pioneering urine testing system has been recognised in the prestigious Red Dot Awards. British company Clinical Design received a distinction for high design quality for its Urine Testing System, which will be launched to market shortly.

Clinical Design Founder and CEO Oliver Blackwell applied a Human Centred Design approach to tackling the inefficiencies in urine testing. The most common diagnostic test in the world -­ 2.8 billion urine tests are undertaken each year - the process is the same whether carried out in a bush clinic in the Sudan or a top London hospital. Manual urinalysis can be unhygienic and subject to variation, with risks of spillages, contamination, and errors in analysis and transcription of results.

Blackwell spent nine years working closely with senior clinicians to overcome the challenges and devise a system that is hygienic, easy-to-use and accurate. The result is Urine Testing System: a highly intuitive, closed system designed to improve the entire process, from receiving the urine sample and recording results, to analysis in the laboratory.

Blckawell said: "I am delighted that the panel at Red Dot recognised the delivery of a complex product in such a simple form. Working closely alongside clinicians, we challenged the inefficiencies and methods people had come to accept ­ we scrutinised every aspect of urinalysis and asked a lot of questions. The Red Dot award proves to me that I asked the right questions and managed to appropriately translate the answers."

Resprep EPH fractionation SPE cartridges offer method-specific performance for extractable petroleum hydrocarbon (EPH) analysis of soil and water samples.

These high-performing SPE cartridges completely separate aliphatic and aromatic compounds into distinct fractions, and they are guaranteed to produce background levels under the strict reporting limits of MA and NJ EPH methods.

Restek's standard 5g format cartridges are now joined by 2g format cartridges made from the same high-quality silica. While the 5g cartridges are recommended when higher loading capacity is required, the new 2g cartridges are ideal for automated systems or when time-saving and solvent reduction are desired. As always, the firm's rigorous QC testing and moisture-resistant packaging ensure storage stability and consistent lot-to-lot performance.
 

Specialist process machinery manufacturer, L.B. Bohle, has developed a cleaning system for the pharmaceutical industry using Bürkert's innovative FloWave flowmeter for a compact, hygienic and very accurate process. Incorporating the latest in flow measurement technology has minimised equipment footprint and reduced operating costs as well as maintenance time.

Rigorous hygiene standards, such as those required in pharmaceutical production, are required to avoid contamination and ensure optimum conditions for the manufacturing process. Using either clean-in-place (CIP) or sterilisation-in-place (SIP), production machinery and vessels must undergo thorough cleaning in accordance with precisely regulated procedures at regular intervals after each product change, sometimes involving very complex processes.

In the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, flowmeters need to deliver high precision feedback while also meeting hygiene standards. The FloWave flowmeter uses surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology to deliver precision measurements from a very compact unit, with no in-line flow restrictions, even in turbulent or contaminated flow.

L.B. Bohle is a recognised specialist in this field and has established itself with its machinery and equipment for the pharmaceutical industry, ranging from scales, granulators, sieves and mixers to tablet film coaters and the corresponding cleaning equipment. These include the compact pharmaceutical universal cleaning system PUR, which is designed specifically for cleaning containers of a variety of sizes.

All the components for transporting and treating the cleaning water in the PUR system are stored within a stainless-steel cabinet. This enables the compact unit to be easily stored in the washing area, where the processes are run according to a specific recipe and documented automatically. A touch panel mounted on the cabinet enables convenient local operation.

The recipes for the various cleaning processes contain the proportions of water relative to the alkaline or acidic cleaning agents. Normally, the mixing proportions range between 1 and 3%, with cleaning solutions of all pH levels being used.

Flowrates are measured using the flowmeter, which works with an uninterrupted tube that exactly matches the diameter of the inlet and outlet pipes. Bürkert¹s  designers have created an ideal flowmeter for CIP where none of the sensor components are in direct contact with the fluid and which causes no restriction to flow.

Having installed the new flowmeter, L.B. Bohle has since been impressed with numerous benefits offered by these flowmeters in practical use. The product is ideally suited to hygienic applications with the measuring tube manufactured to the same surface finish as the rest of the pipeline, meaning that in terms of hygiene, cleaning and flow conditions, there is no difference to any other piece of straight pipe.

Heart attack, or myocardial infarction, is the number one cause of death worldwide. A new study published by scientists at Helmholtz Zentrum München and colleagues from a range of other Bavarian institutions shows that the risk of suffering a heat-induced heart attack has increased significantly in recent years. During the same period of time, no comparable changes in cold weather heart attack risks have been recorded.

The environment can have a major effect on the human cardiovascular system. It has long been assumed that severe spikes in temperature increase the risk of heart attack. "In the case of very high and very low temperatures in particular, this has been clearly demonstrated. In this latest study, we wanted to see to what extent the heat and cold-related heart attack risk has changed over the years," explains Dr. Kai Chen, researcher at the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Zentrum München. 

Together with colleagues from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Augsburg University Hospital and Nördlingen Hospital, he examined data from the Myocardial Infarction Register Augsburg. The study looked at more than 27,000 heart attack patients between 1987 and 2014. The average age of the patients studied was around 63, 73% were men and about 13,000 ended in the death of the patient. The individual heart attacks were compared against meteorological data on the day of the attack and adjusted for a range of additional factors, such as the day of the week and socioeconomic status. The key finding from the study, explains Chen was that, "Over a period of 28 years, we found that there has been an increase in heat-induced heart attack risk in recent years."

In order to demonstrate this, the researchers compared data from 1987 to 2000 with data from 2001 to 2014. "Our analysis showed that, over the last few years, the risk of heat-induced heart attack with increasing average daily temperature has risen compared to the previous investigation period," explains Chen. Individuals with diabetes or hyperlipidaemia were particularly at risk over the latter period. The researchers suspect that this is partly a result of global warming, but that it is also a consequence of an increase in risk factors such as diabetes and hyperlipidaemia, which have made the population more susceptible to heat. 

Is climate change a heart attack risk?

"Our study suggests that greater consideration should be given to high temperatures as a potential trigger for heart attacks ­ especially in view of climate change," explains lead researcher Dr. Alexandra Schneider. "Extreme weather events, like the 2018 heat waves in Europe, could in future result in an increase in cardiovascular disease. At the same time, there is likely to be a decrease in cold-related heart attacks here in Germany. Our analysis suggests a lower risk in the future, but this lower risk was not significant and very cold days will continue to represent a potential trigger for heart attacks." To what extent increases in heat-related heart attacks will be counterbalanced by a decrease in cold-related heart attacks is not yet clear, explains the epidemiologist. Her group is currently performing extrapolations aimed at modelling this change in risk both in scenarios where the world meets the Paris Agreement¹s 1.5 °C and 2 °C targets and in scenarios where these targets are missed. In addition, the researchers are also planning to corroborate their findings by carrying out additional, multicenter studies.

The USA is home to thousands of science laboratories, or labs, where high school and college students get to practice what they've learned in a hands-on controlled setting. Biology, chemistry, zoology, and astronomy are just a few of the subjects that hold labs. 

Since students are far from being professional lab techs, following lab safety protocol is of utmost importance. All possible precautions should be taken to prevent students from getting injured. Whether it's a small cut from a broken test tube or a major burn from a hydrochloric acid spill, accidents can always be prevented in a lab setting. 

Let's brush over a few tips and tricks for staying safe in science labs. Remember - whether you're feeling tired, sick, or ready to go home, safety should always be at the forefront of your mind. 

Don't Bring Food Or Drinks Around Equipment 

If you spill a drink or make a mess of food, you're going to distract yourself and others from learning. Further, whatever you spill could permanently damage the lab equipment your class is working with. Lastly, you could contaminate lab projects, meaning you could get a zero on an assignment or be forced to redo it, not to mention hurt your classmates' grades! 

Although it might be tempting to bring food or drink near lab equipment - what's the harm, right? - you should refrain from doing so. 

Acid Or Water - Which Comes First? 

Acids are chemicals that give away protons and accept electrons. This property makes acids react with just about everything in a chemistry lab. The higher the concentration of an acid in a solution, the more reactive it will be. 

In chemistry labs, acids are often used to cause or speed up chemical reactions. Always remember to pour acid into water, never the other way around! Since acids are so reactive, pouring a small amount of water into a container of acid could result in serious injury. 

Non-Slip Footwear Is A Big Deal 

Labs are full of expensive equipment, students, and chemicals. Falling onto equipment could cost your school thousands of dollars. Running into chemicals could injure you, other students, and cost a pretty penny. Simply bumping into other students can cause a chain reaction in which equipment or chemicals get involved. 

Wearing non-slip footwear greatly reduces the risk of tripping, slipping, and sliding in the laboratory. 

Don't Work Alone, No Matter What 

Lab students should never work by themselves. As an example, assume someone is in a science lab working by himself. The lab student gets a harmful, corrosive liquid in both of his eyes. 

In a normal, supervised setting, one of the student's peers could guide him to an eyewash station to prevent damage. By himself, however, the student isn't likely to locate the eyewash station as quickly, potentially resulting in an optical injury. 

Also, when you work with at least one other lab partner, the two of you will likely perform better together.

Austin Winder is a contributing author for LOC Scientific

Destiny Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of novel antimicrobial drugs, has appointed MedPharm as its expert partner to develop new topical formulations of its novel XF-platform compounds. These new treatments for dermal and ocular infections are part of its second clinical programme to address the global problem of anti-microbial resistance (AMR). MedPharm is a leading contract provider of topical and transdermal product design and formulation development services using sophisticated in vitro models to de-risk development programmes.
 
The XF platform has already delivered a Phase 2 ready candidate, XF-73 nasal gel, for the prevention of post-surgical infections that will begin Phase 2b testing in 2019. MedPharm will develop new formulations containing Destiny Pharma's XF-platform compounds for the treatment of a number of topically treated infections, including diabetic foot ulcers and ophthalmic infections. MedPharm is a well-established, global leader in topical product development with a track record in developing a wide variety of formulations, from early concept stage through clinical development to full product approval.
 
Eugene Ciolfi, President & CEO of MedPharm commented: "We are very excited to be a part of this project and working in close collaboration with Destiny to address this unmet medical need. Our rigorous methodology, incorporating our novel in vitro performance testing, will ensure that we deliver fully optimised formulations and de-risk these important development programmes."