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1. He goes on to say The decision to use a particular brand format or style of pipette is based on what feels comfortable to the scientist using the tool Looks matter The look of a pipette might matter too Mercier says We found that enabling scientists to modify the appearance of the instrument is a fun way to make the pipette unique to them Scientists can do that with Thermo Scientific s customized MyPipette Skins Mercier describes these as decals that adhere to the pipette He adds There are over 7 000 licensed graphics that scientists can choose among And Mercier emphasizes There are no adverse effects on the performance of the pipette These skins can do more than make your pipettes look good The personalizing can also be functional from a scientific perspective As Mercier says the skins can even be used for quick reference in the lab to identify a particular volume range or a designated set of pipettes for a particular application Jennifer Carlson lead research associate for translational research in the genomic oncology lab at Avera Health a regional partnership of health professionals based 1n Sioux Falls South Dakota has been using the MyPipette Skins on the Thermo Scientific Clip Tip pipetting system For my pipettes I ve picked different patterns that match the color coding of the various sized pipette tips says Carlson Especially for the multichannels when sett
2. moved from a dishwasher Most people don t real ize that air from drafts or updrafts has mass Stafford says Because we live 1n 1t and can t see it we tend to ignore it He suggests allowing sample tare vessel and balance to reach mutual temperature equilibrium whenever temperature differences are suspected For very high precision work users should introduce the tare container and sample into the balance chamber up to one hour before weighing Ac A Analytical Balance Excellence METTLER TOLEDO WWW ME COM A Balance Series for Precision Weighing Nimbus Adam Equipment www adamequipment com curate weighing takes patience and diligence Humidity effects are indirect low humidity conditions tend to promote static buildup in samples In addition to causing annoying physical dispersion of powders static adversely interacts with metal components resulting 1n serious drifts You may never achieve stability for that sample no matter how long you wait Ahlbrecht says Air conditioning which removes mois ture from air 1s one culprit Mettler Toledo s Stafford observes that labs in tropical climates with higher humidity rarely experience serious static problems It s more of a problem in locations that have four distinct seasons he says Glass or plastic vessels tend to promote static Teflon is the worst offender according to Ahlbrecht Even ex pensive conductive glass may not satisfactorily ov
3. i LM tc e Fyt Ea 9 2m Un Q O D Ce du cb lex 3 O cb O O ces D T9 cS o TO cb gt L T ti Un Un D du Y uc O T cb ejm 2 a N O cb o polypropylene built to stand the rigors of the corrosive environment LEARN WHY POLYPROPYLENE IS RIGHT FOR YOU WWW2 nuaire com 04821 763 553 1270 WWW nuaire com lt A 2 N wT ST To To Z lai nf le 2 A D E Oo Oo Pul Q c lis oO O N NuAire Inc EDITOR S NOTE Y r a Teamwork The strength of the team is each individual member The strength of each member is the team Phil Jackson It s not as though there hasn t been enough said or written on the subject of team building and leadership However sometimes good ideas bear repeating As anyone who s been fortunate enough to work for a great boss within a great organization knows a trusting and collaborative workplace dynamic can make great things happen And anyone who s been less fortunate and worked for a bad boss within a dysfunctional organization knows the toll it can take on one s spirit Last week most of us were watching when the Philae Lander made the first ever soft landing on a comet Besides being a game changer for cometary science watching the team of enthusiastic and committed scientists and engineers work together behind the scenes was equally i
4. no special precautions need be considered for cryopreservative gases such as liquid nitrogen which do not come into contact with samples Users must however follow Good Clinical Practices and Good Laboratory Practices as appropriate for certifying quality and validating the freezing protocol Even more leeway 1s available for cryogenic liquid helium and liquid nitrogen for cooling components of magnetic resonance imaging probes X ray devices lasers and computerized tomography imagers in diagnostics Specialty gas quality and composition become more challenging as clinical or diagnostic processes become more complex or move closer to living breathing patients Mixtures of carbon dioxide oxygen and nitrogen for calibrating blood gas analyzers must meet both purity and composition specifications while incubator gases must provide specific oxygen levels to assure growth of cells or organisms Test gas mixtures for measuring lung function require near depletion of carbon dioxide the measurand in these tests Traceability purity Kim Myers global product manager at Parker Hannifin Cleveland OH notes that while most lab managers would recognize the gases used in clinical lab operations and to a lesser degree instrumentation clinical settings are more demanding They re looking for traceability that they ve delivered the right gas at the right purity for the specified period of December 2014 time As with GxP settin
5. Not true with ordinary cabinets The difference is our design SmartFlow technology features dual DC motors to automatically balance the cabinet inflow and downflow air velocities in real time even as the filters load That means exceptional user and sample protection you never have to think about Plus our Digital Airflow Verification DAVe alarm signals any out of spec conditions for added assurance With our proven reliability ergonomics and energy efficiency the ideal choice is the one you can trust completely And not just on Day 1 hat never tak ff _ e drive discovery at www thermoscientifi Herasafe KS Biological Safety Cabinet Ultimate protection comfort and performance 1300 Series Biological Safety Cabinet Exceptional efficiency safety and value NT a st Heraguard ECO Clean Bench High performance with optimized efficiency sterility and functionality O 2014 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc All rights reserved deal when sample protection is required Due to DC motors Heraguard ECO clean benches use less energy to operate so there is less heat emitted into the lab Based on data from internal testing and The University of Michigan field study published in American Biotechnology Laboratory 36 ASK THE EXPERT much larger We test for contamina tion of bacterial DNA 1n our viral libraries by amplifying the 16S rRNA genes using bacterial specific primers It s always ha
6. analytical capability for portability Hydrocarbon gases must be present at concentrations above 1000 ppm for example which is fine for natural gas field work SRI s line of pGCs employs a dry electrolytic conductivity detector a simple design that requires a dry air carrier The trick for manufacturers is to locate the sweet spot between portability and functionality Goldsmith says At any given time there are probably a hundred research groups attempting to miniaturize GC even further but all they re doing 1s essentially reinventing the wheel If you wanted to sacrifice even more you could get these devices down to wallet size But under no circumstances do you want to lug around a gas cylinder Goldsmith sees pGC as a niche market ideally suited to narrow applications The potential for innovation exists but not at current sales levels corporate customers might purchase three or four such instruments international organizations perhaps a dozen He shrugs off the notion that handheld pGCs might be employed as simple detectors even though that has already come to pass for handheld spectroscopy particularly Raman The resolving power of GC he says is unique among analytical instruments even in ultra miniaturized formats GCs have not disappeared into history because they separate molecules from each other and from matrix before presenting them to a sensor Sensors can t detect at ppm levels in a matrix he says A
7. s own positive or negative attitudes about the project could be detected and emulated by members and consulting with mentors and respected predecessors learning about the enthusiasm and motivation of individual team members and figuring out when non functioning members who could exert toxic influences on the team s work should best be directed elsewhere Laboratory directors seeking to build effective teams should select leaders who have good interpersonal skills Leadership is tough says Sapienza The lit erature is replete with how good team leaders get people to talk with each other challenge each other respectfully and come to agreement around issues as honestly as possible There s a great deal of face to face slog there 1s no glamor and no short cut Prof Zheng says that teams have different ways to select leaders In most teams that I am familiar with the leader 1s the one with the most exper tise applicable to the project and who can also get along with other people She adds that sometimes leaders emerge that way but that 1s not the best preparation for them In other cases leaders are selected first and then they get to pick the other team members which can be good because they often know the people they pick building trust and collaborative spirit Furnaces amp Ovens BUILDING A DREAM TEAM She says that in some teams leaders emerge because of their leadership skill
8. to 60x magnification Phase contrast imaging from 4x to 40x is an available module Many key features in Cytation 5 address key limitations or complaints of current imaging systems available on the market for live cell microscopy Cytation 5 and its controlling Gen5 software incorporate an ease ofuse for both imaging and image analysis that saves users hours of setup and optimization time From CO O and temperature control setup to advanced image analysis and processing steps all parameters can be defined with just a few mouse clicks Image analysis results can then be viewed in intuitive formats including heat maps graphs and dose response curves Image autotocusing is another key challenge in automated live cell microscopy especially when debris or dead cells are present in the sample causing focus failures Cytation 5 s user trained autofocus addresses this directly a user can teach the instrument where the best sample focus plane lies after which Cytation 5 can consistently and optimally focus by ignoring debris and dead cells that could otherwise divert focus to an incorrect focal plane This novel autofocus method and other important imaging features coupled with the available multi mode detection modules for quantitative data acquisition make Cytation 5 an essential platform to cell biologists interested in advanc ing their research capabilities www labmanager com Refrigerated amp Heating Circulator
9. your safety officer or gas provider regarding the best procedure Venting oxidants for example oxygen 1n a hazardous environment 1s not recommended Cylinders that contain flammable or toxic gases cannot be vented and may need to be disposed of as hazardous waste Education Safety The most important step in the safe handling of compressed gas cylinders is to create an overall safety plan based on sound knowledge of the Department of Transportation DOT OSHA and NFPA regulations for the handling storage transportation and use of compressed gas cylinders These standards are the basis of any comprehensive safety plan Employees who handle compressed gas cylinders should be familiar with the regulations Gases are classified according to their physical and chemical properties therefore staff must also have a deep understanding of these properties and the risks that they present in a laboratory or storage setting Much of this knowledge comes from the MSDS that www labmanager com HEALTH amp SAFETY vendors provide for each gas including their safety hazards These sheets as well as other reference materi als should be placed in several areas in the workspace to provide easy access to this information In the event of an emergency this material must be available for first responders and safety personnel Lab directors or safety directors must follow the DOT OSHA and NFPA regulations and MSDS information as well
10. A2LA can be reached at punger A2LA org or by phone at 301 644 3212 A2LA Laboratory Accreditation Programs ISO IEC 17025 Testing and Calibration B ISO 15189 and CLIA Clinical Testing www A2LA org E Excellence in Accreditation Commitment to Service 20 LEADERSHIP amp STAFFING THE o matter what the reason whether because of an economic downturn or poor work perfor mance firing someone 1s never enjoyable As a manager even if the firing is deserved it s never fun to be responsible for terminating someone s source of income It can get emotional and sometimes there are legal consequences if the employee 1s not given enough of a chance to improve before he or she is let go The majority of advice out there on the best way to fire someone all comes down to having a strong plan in place I have in the past had to terminate technicians who have been under my supervision due to poor work per formance said Tiffany Niven a laboratory management professional with clinical and regulatory experience At my current institution this is a relatively painless pro cess but as a personal experience it can be upsetting She agrees a plan is essential to mitigating the upset ting side of firing and emphasizes the importance of being open with employees regarding their termination Prior to speaking with the person being terminated I always had a plan of action in place she said The following steps s
11. But she notes citing Galbraith that a team 1s a formal management structure When you have large and fairly well defined tasks requiring the contributions of a multitude of disciplines then you may want a formal structure called a team in which for certain periods of time individuals are chartered with the team s ground rules that may be an effective way to move forward Sapienza says that teams are at their best when the task is complex and uncertain requiring a multitude of specialists to collaborate to complete 1t and an enor mous amount of information needs to be processed in dividing this work into groups and subtasks and assigning multidisciplinary teams to each subtask To deal with complex tasks there 1s a need for a for mal structure where members are chartered to perform certain tasks 1n a project such as in pharmaceutical labs where they have sub job descriptions and an end date for the particular project Those are the conditions under which teams have been found to be more effective com pared with a structure that 1s not formal or where people get together periodically and talk about the project and some of its issues says Sapienza The primary goal of teams is to help people help each other get to the best work 31f my best work does not contribute to what you are working on it does not do the project or its goals any good she says www labmanager com THE FUTURE OF MASS DETECTION PRESSE
12. Em AMI dp 1 i em ry ros F Te i laps Di E ta IR i i r P 3 Ly sa PEA s S felt m E N amp bi Tg su i A L a The WaterPro BT delivers ultrapure water manually or volumetrically directly from tap water This system is ideal for laboratories needing between 1 and 10L of RO and or ultrapure Type I water per day Small footprint so it can fit in tight spaces Only 16 5 deep x 11 4 wide x 21 3 high Lightweight Take it from lab to lab when sharing is a must Simple elegance It s easy to install Just plug and play Learn more at W m i or call JA FR Protecting your laboratory environment ne LABCONCO Labconco Corporation Kansas City MO 800 821 5525 www labconco com Offer expires December 31 2014 58 Last but not least the pesticide lab is mostly involved in testing for pesticide residues Its biggest program is an annual screening of milk samples from almost every dairy farm in Utah for such residues Each sample is tested for about 20 pesticide residues resulting in a total of around 2 000 tests taking just over a month to complete In addition the pesticide lab has a consumer complaint program that allows any Utahn to send 1n any type of sample they wish plants food clothing to be tested for pesticide residues Staffing Judd estimates that all four labs take up about 10 000 square feet in total almost an entire floor of the building they are 1n with a total staff
13. Florida s Environmental Health and Safety Division He has 27 years of occupational health and safety experience at the University of Florida and he specializes in conducting exposure assessments and health hazard evaluations for the university s 3 000 plus research laboratories www labmanager com REQUIRE GROUNDED PLUGS ON ALL ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT AND INSTALL GFIs WHERE APPROPRIATE By James A Kaufman The National Safety Council reports that about 1 000 people are electrocuted each year in the United States In 2005 a biology professor at Cleveland State University died as the result of an electrical shock in the lab OSHA specifies that all equipment in the workplace be grounded to avoid shock and possible electrocution Removing or breaking off the ground pin is a bad and potentially fatal idea Most people are not aware of the danger associated with ungrounded equipment This danger is compounded when the plug is a two prong un polarized type If inserted backwards the case of the appliance can be electrically hot We find many in labs that are 50 to 120 volts hot This same problem can be caused by two other circumstances 1 the electrician wires the receptacle backwards or 2 the appliance manufacturer does not follow the convention In any of these three cases if you near a ground serious or fatal shocks can occur Make sure that the ripple side of the appliance cord is connected to the wider side of the recepta
14. USDA and the U S Environmental Protection Agency There will probably be more to come with the Food Safety Modernization Act he says He adds that staying up to date with changes to USDA guidelines and new methods 1s something they deal with often We have to use methods that are equivalent to what USDA methods are so we have to ensure that we re meeting those requirements Judd says Once in a while there are some changes that come along with that to our standard operating procedures that we have to keep up on HETTICH German engineered and manufactured Since 1904 Find out more by visiting PERSPECTIVE ON A FOOD AND BEVERAGE LAB Another change 1s that they ve recently become involved in the FDA s Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Future plans for the labs involve new lab space and they also hope to add some new technology Currently the main instruments used in the labs include GC MS HPLC IR instruments ICP MS various analyzers such as fat and PCR analyzers and a cell sorter for testing the presence of somatic cells in milk samples We re hoping to get a triple quad LC MS MS Judd says That s kind of on our wish list That would be mainly for pesticides it s a more efficient way to analyze them In the near future they hope to occupy a new building as part of a state unified lab initiative that combines other state labs and their own into a centralized location If approv
15. Winooski Vermont says Maybe you are running multiple assays and want to automate a few He adds Your budget surely has a limit At the Center for Chemical Genomics at the Univer sity of Michigan in Ann Arbor HTS high throughput screening director Martha Larsen faces these very chal lenges the balance between getting the best benefits of automation while meeting a budget As she says We think about the cost and benefit of each item If we are going to spend x number of dollars what will be the return to the lab In some cases doing some thing faster 1s a driving force to automate but that is not always true for Larsen Since we are an academic lab she says we don t focus on faster Instead the ben efit we look at might be that you can save hiring someone Sometimes finding out what automation works though 1s an empirical question As an ex ample Larsen describes purchas ing an instrument to fit plates on a deck She says By the time a scientist learned how to automate this they d spend far more time than they would have if they just kept putting the plates on the deck by hand Part of the issue with that automated system arose www labmanager com TECHNOLOGY afford some of the service contracts For instance she says One robot costs 40 000 a year for service and I dropped it Such costs have made Larsen decide against automation in some cases Get th
16. amp STAFFING I have discovered 1n most cases that the employee who is performing poorly is often not the one who is devastated to lose his or her employment Getting the help of your HR department can be very useful in developing your plan to fire someone as they are most familiar with your company s policies for the firing process and disciplinary actions Most com panies use a three strikes and you re gone type of policy but it all depends on how serious the employee s offense 1s to the company Louzette Hattingh a former lab manager cur rently working as a quality assistant at Eyethu Coal in South Africa advises managers to keep the company rules and regulations somewhere in the workplace where they are visible so employees know what 1s expected of them Managers should also keep their country or state s laws and regula tions 1n mind when handling terminations She says that at her company serious workplace infractions were dealt with by a hearing The one incident I had to handle involved a lab technician who hit an analyst in the face with his fist she said He was sent for a hearing and dis charged for a very serious act of physical violence Of course you never want to fire someone with out first thinking it through And you shouldn t let your personal feelings for someone determine an employee s fate You may not like someone but un less they are doing a terrible job being vindictive to other
17. and carrier gas options are limited due to size and weight restrictions Operators will likely be carrying other equipment and may be wearing protective clothing explains Coen Duvekot product manager at Agilent Technologies Amstelveen Netherlands The GC s form factor must allow that Duvekot differentiates between pGC and transportable systems in mobile laboratories with the same features as benchtop instruments including broader carrier gas and detector options that include mass spectrometry Mobile labs also provide the opportunity for sample preparation Although limited to gas analysis pGC has developed a devoted following 1n the energy environmental and workplace hygiene markets Natural gas is by far the largest market segment particularly for inline and at line applications where pGCs measure hydrocarbon composition and calculate calorific value continuously and if desirable unattended At natural gas exploration sites pGC sniffs out hydrocarbons and provides quality reports Similarly natural gas transportation and distribution sites employ pGC to monitor for leaks Related is pGC analysis of natural gas safety odorants which consist most commonly of a mixture of thiols Odorants permitted in one country may not be allowed in others Duvekot notes When used in a quality or safety setting pGCs sold to the natural gas industry must be capable of discriminating among odorant blends Sensors Sens
18. blot analysis Produces rapid results in less than 2 hours with negligible reactivity to similar glycoprotein hormones Enzo Life Sciences www enzolifesciences com Protein A Kit Gyrolab e For use on the Gyrolab xP workstation and designed and validated for use with the Gyros nanoliter scale immunoassay platform Includes automated acid dissociation of Protein A and IgG during sample preparation to ensure contamination is accurately assessed Quantifies native Protein A recombinant Protein A variants and MabSelect SuRe ligand and has fewer manual steps than other standard ELISA kits Gyros AB Synthetic Sorbent for SLE Novum e Provides a novel synthetic alternative to traditional diatomaceous earth SLE simplified liquid extraction products and a simplified approach to traditional liquid liquid extraction e Can be used with the same procedure as traditional SLE sorbents while delivering improved lot to lot reproducibility e Simplifies the liquid liquid extraction process by eliminating manual steps and reduces solvent consumption PEISEN www gyros com Phenomenex www phenomenex com Hyper Reaction Monitoring Data Analysis Software Spectronaut e Now supports spectral library generation from the Thermo Scientific Proteome Discoverer platform e Enables Thermo Scientific Discoverer search results e Allows for the reproducible and accurate quantification of thousands of proteins in a singl
19. ducted fume hood 1096 Conventional ducted fume hood 36 Laminar flow hood 25 Portable ductless fume hood 5 Variable air volume ducted fume hood 4 Down flow workstation 6 Other 1 Fume hood related components used by survey respondents Airflow monitor 25 Work surface 23 Base storage cabinet 22 Blowers 12 Digital monitor 9 Fume extractor arms 5 Transport support cart 3 Other 1 Nearly 21 of respondents plan on purchasing a fume hood in the next year The reasons for these purchases are as follows BE Replacement of aging fume hood 32 MM Addition to existing systems increase capacity 30 BE Setting up a new lab developing a brand 29 new method M Changing from a ducted fume hood to ductless 3 fume hood M Other s Changing from a ductless fume hood to a 196 ducted fume hood gt December 2014 ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A NEW FUME HOOD One of the primary safety devices in laboratories where chemicals are used is the laboratory fume TOP 6 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying a Fume Hood 1 2 fd Q on Can your lab go ductless Ductless hoods are a viable solution for most routine laboratory applications What is the hood constructed from and how is it constructed Will the chemicals you use attack degrade or physically alter the material of the hood What types of safety controls are included in the base cost of the unit Has the manufacturer distrib
20. employees or going against company policy feelings alone shouldn t determine whether or not you fire them This is no place for impulsive action or anger or acting in the heat of the moment advises author Victor Lipman in his article How To Fire Some one Effectively But Hopefully With Dignity in Forbes Among other things mishandled employee terminations can have serious legal and financial consequences It s a place for thoughtful well planned action Step two Follow up After the initial warning to your employee you should carefully monitor their performance If they haven t improved in a few weeks or so scheduling a meeting to discuss the problem is a smart idea Re fer back to the list of issues you wanted them to fix and give them a chance to explain any factors that www labmanager com 57 SHIMADZU Excellence in Science LC Systems n Series A New Industry Standard Integrated HPLC innovative Realization of Advanced Laboratory e CM Interactive Communication Mode means you can start an analysis directly from the instrument s touch screen immediately after loading samples Remote monitoring using smart devices means you are never out of touch with your analysis progress Optional video camera provides easy needle alignment verification intuitive Achieving Easier Operation e Unified graphical user interface between system and workstation Eum d
21. example of a product designed with this omnipotent capacity is the LabAlert Monitoring System by Panasonic Healthcare www labalert com With LabAlert an infinite number of probes can be installed in equipment such as biorepositories or freezers pulling together data from diverse geographic sites LabAlert equipment independently logs continuous temperature CO readings opened doors and more Each probe sends data to a local receiver which 1s then transmitted to the cloud and accessible through a web based platform Designated lab managers and staff can gain 24 hour access to readings and program flexible alerts for when equipment fails or samples are otherwise put at risk LabAlert 1s easy to install and intuitive to use Instead of adding to your facility s workload the system streamlines data collection and safeguards your most precious cells samples and supplies Logging on to the LabAlert monitoring system 1s as easy as signing into a regular email account Through any Internet connected phone 10S or Android tablet or computer staff can access the website and log in for real time data tracking Information is presented on an intuitive dashboard that can be readily personalized for each team member Staff can control the information they receive in their feed without affecting their colleagues monitoring capabilities LabAlert alarms are also highly specific detailing what is happening what response is needed and
22. experiments such as cell lines or critical data should be watched carefully Giving your employees an incentive to sign a release form 1s something else most guides on firing recom mend and getting the help of your company s legal team to draft such a form is encouraged again to prevent wrongful dismissal or workplace discrimination suits If the employee 1s a minority a female or over the age of 40 I would recommend asking them to sign a re lease of liability Ennico says in his article Have your employment law attorney draft the necessary release before the exit interview it should take only about an hour of the attorney s time Once all the points on your checklist are checked off see the employee safely out of the lab taking care to keep them away from their coworkers to minimize the chances of a scene Having someone else col lect their personal belongings or arranging to have the fired employee come get them when everyone else has gone home can keep the staff member from mingling with their now former coworkers It also minimizes the chances that the employee will take company property with them and is a nice way to protect their dignity as they are likely to be agitated or possibly even in tears www labmanager com LEADERSHIP amp STAFFING In the end it s important to keep the Golden Rule in 2 Making the Right Moves A Practical Guide to Scientific mind Treat employees how you would want to be tre
23. experts in the field Objectivity and Impartiality The results pro duced should be based on measurable quantities If results are subjective they must be produced by people deemed qualified to make subjective judgments The pursuit of reliable results through the use of accepted scientific principles is the primary and overriding influence on the persons carrying out the testing All other influences are secondary and not permitted to take precedence Metrological Traceability The results produced are based on a recognized system of measurement that derives from accepted known quantities SI system if units of measurement or other well characterized references The chain of comparison of measurements between these accepted known quantities and the device providing the objective result is unbroken for the transfer BUSINESS MANAGEMENT of measurement characteristics including uncertainty for the whole of the measurement chain Reproducibility The test method used to produce results will produce results within an acceptable spread or range during future testing and within the constraints of using the same procedures equipment and persons used for a prior execution of the test Transparency The processes within a laboratory producing objective results must be open to external as well as internal scrutiny so that factors that may adversely affect the laboratory s pursuit of objective results based on scientific principles can
24. extent of the problem and what corrective actions are required Detailed incident reports are then stored within the system for critical review driving continuous process improvement and streamlining any regulatory review Conclusion What all food regulation has in common is data producers must collect store and present massive amounts of it This is why LIMS are now so prevalent in the food industry proven data collection analysis and recording capabilities can help producers monitor product quality at every step of the process enabling them to account for full traceability of all processes and materials From low tech loading docks to high tech packaging cleanrooms a LIMS can continu ously monitor an entire food production process and make demonstrating regulatory compliance much easier More important a LIMS can help ensure that the trust custom ers place in their food is supported by the most advanced technologies available today For more information please visit www thermoscientific com SM11 or email us at marketing informatics thermofisher com 84 PRODUCT IN ACTION CYTATION 5 Cytation 5 is a uniquely integrated configurable system that combines automated digital widefield microscopy with conventional multimode microplate detection to provide phenotypic cellular information and well based quantitative data With up to 60x magnitica tion the microscopy module provides high quality cellular an
25. footprint to save further space on the bench Hettich offers convenient purchasing packages for several of the most popular UNIVERSAL 320 applications These packages include all centrifuge parts required for operation the cen trituge itself the rotors buckets and the adapt ers Hettich has preconfigured UNIVERSAL 320 packages for blood tubes cell cultures urinalysis and microliter plate centrifugation but custom packages can also be configured All UNIVERSAL 320 packages are available as refrigerated and non refrigerated units Hettich Lab Technology products are designed engineered and manufactured with our hun dred year dedication to quality and safety Accordingly our equipment is produced with the strongest materials to provide the maxi mum product lifespan All Hettich equipment is backed by our five year warranty and 24 7 atinstrument support system The UNIVERSAL 320 offers a mid range co pacity and is ideal tor most routine applica tions To check the specifications of the UNI VERSAL 320 packages visit hettweb com UNIVERSAL 320 If your laboratory requires greater capacities consider the Hettich RO TINA 380 or ROTINA 420 which offer the same quality and versatility with higher capaci ties and performances Visit hettweb com for more information Hettich Lab Technology is an industry leading laboratory equipment manufacturer We de sign engineer and manufacture precision equipment for the moder
26. good time to clean 1s when an experiment or process ends before the next one begins This effectively eliminates contaminating microbes known or unknown that may have arisen during the just completed experiment A rigid time based SOP Ross says will not reflect this trigger Clearly our approach to SOPs in the CO incubator world are outdated Ross concludes Labs should instead rely on internal quality practices and time their cleaning or sterilization to the start of a new process The consequence will be better results Philip provides a contrary take It is a given that lab workers dislike paperwork But SOPs are extremely valuable in cell culture or any lab for that matter They simplify operations and provide a level of reproducibility in common tasks like cleaning and validation she says That 1s not meant to imply that SOPs are written 1n stone SOPs are living documents that should be reviewed periodically Annual or semiannual reevaluation of SOPs forces lab managers to examine how the SOP 1s working based on input from end users with the ultimate goal of improving the process As long as SOPs are allowed to evolve there is no reason they should infringe on independent thinking or creativity Purchase decisions Philip advises lab managers to evaluate both short and long term needs when acquiring a CO incubator View this purchase as an investment Look ahead three to five years If you ant
27. laboratory employee who has done that procedure and is comfortable with it Judd explains Once they are confident in that training we branch out and start cross training them on other methods He adds that all four labs have proficiency testing programs at least each quarter which the analysts have to pass and they ll also sometimes send staff to conferences and outside training Most of the lab division s work comes 1n the spring and summer months while things are a little slower in the winter In May for example the labs collectively dealt with 630 samples with three of the labs running 975 tests over that time span while the dairy lab ran 764 tests The time to analyze samples varies quite a bit Judd says Some of them go pretty quick and some take a few days As lab director Judd keeps an eye on all of that work I view my role mainly as overseeing the laboratory work making sure we have the equipment that we need to do our jobs that every individual lab has the resources that it needs and just making sure that the testing that we re required to do is getting done in a timely manner he says Work work work In an average day staff finish up tests from the day before record those results and send the results to Judd for signatures They ll also deal with receiving samples brought in from the compliance officers and start lab analysis on those samples Of course there are always unexpec
28. low medium and high weight points or by applying au tomated recalibration based on an internal dead weight Vial notes that the worst effects of moving result from damage to the spring or load cell on balances equipped with these components Load cells are classic strain gauges that easily become overloaded he says Lock ing disengages springs and load cells from forces related to movement A Tabletop Precision Balance Adventurer Pro Ohaus www ohaus com A Tuning Fork Balances Vibra Intelligent Weighing www intelligentwt com Angelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton NF You can reach him at angelo adepalma com December 2014 Lab Manager 69 70 TECHNOLOGYNEWS This month we spotlight companies that will be exhibiting at the Society for Lab Automation and Screening s Fourth Annual iL Conference amp Exhibition SLAS2015 This year s event will feature the new 2015 SLAS leadership Forum which is 2015 geared to the interests of executivelevel professionals and colocated with SLAS2015 The event runs February 7 11 2015 at the Walter E Washington Convention Center in Washington DC Please remember that these particular products may not be at the show but the highlighted companies will be on hand to answer any questions you may have LC MS MS System m Q Exactive Focus 2015 BOOTH 423 Features high resolution accurate mass m UH fe x deri HRAM Orbitrap mass spectrometry ites De
29. of nine that is made up of three microbiologists one secretary and five chemists Those employees have at least a bachelor s degree in Lab Manager December 2014 1 Microbiologist Jennifer Sung tests a milk sample using a SomaScope This test looks for somatic cells in milk which are an indication of the health of the cow 2 Chemist Jeremiah Diehl does meat component analysis for fat content in hamburger using a food scan meat analyzer 3 Chemist Cham Hoang prepares a fertilizer sample for analysis 4 Chemist Mohammed Sharaf conducts a pesticide residue test using GC MS various areas of science though the lab division prefers chemistry or microbiology in particular when hiring Half of the staff hold master s degrees and a few have PhDs And of course there 1s plenty of training when new staff members come on board though it varies between each of the four labs All staff learn their lab s standard operating procedures but Judd says the dairy lab training 1s probably the most specific and stringent They receive training initially from other lab personnel he says After they get up to speed then they have to go through an FDA review where an FDA auditor will come out and review all the procedures and make sure the testing 1s done to FDA standards The training is mainly geared toward passing that audit so they become FDA certified microbiologists which 1s required for them to work in that lab For the ot
30. performance of silica based polymer coated packing material Provides columns of reversed phase partition mode normal phase partition mode and ion exchange mode Other columns available include PC HILIC Proteonavi Ceramospher Chiral Silica Chiral CD Ph Superiorex ODS SUCREBEADS and Reduction P sli 2 Ez JM Science Core Shell HPLC Columns Kinetex EVO C18 Incorporate a patented organo silica grafting process that utilizes uniform stabilizing ethane cross linking to create a unique selectivity and ultimately pH stability from 1 12 Provide the performance advantages of Core Shell Technology even at extreme low and high pH Especially suited for analytical and preparative HPLC methods at a variety of challenging pH levels such as those in open access labs www jmscience com Phenomenex BASIC LAB www phenomenex com Snap Freeze Tissue Clamp BioSqueezer Quickly freezes animal and human tissue samples Tissue is compressed into a thin disc under a metal clamp head that is pre cooled in liquid nitrogen or dry ice Freezing occurs in a few milliseconds thus giving a snapshot of metabolic events in the cells The hard frozen disc is easily fragmented or ground without thawing for subsequent extraction of labile nucleic acids proteins and intracellular metabolite products BioSpec Products www biospec com Quick Action Lab Stand Model OB e Simplifies the testing process by allowing a viscometer to g
31. pressure Use pressure regulators equipped with pressure relief devices and vent them if appropri ate given the type of gas being used Two types of regulators are available for pressurized tanks single stage or two stage Single stage pressure reg ulators are used when inlet pressure 1s steady throughout the application With a two stage pressure regulator the first stage decreases the inlet pressure to a pre set level the second stage then further reduces this pressure to the desired pressure needed for the work being performed It is essential to keep regulators especially for oxidant gases free of surface oil and grease These surface contami nants will combust in the presence of pure oxygen this also reaffirms the importance of leak tests Regular maintenance of cylinders valves regulators and other devices is best per formed by the original manufacturer or provider Storage of compressed gas cylinders Cylinders must be stored according to hazard classifi cation in a well ventilated above grade weather proof storage area that 1s a safe distance from combustible ma terials ignition sources or intense heat Store the oldest cylinders at the front so they can be used first Gas types Lab Manager December 2014 should be separated from incompatibles For example flammable gases should be separated from oxidizing gases Separation of incompatible gas cylinders can be achieved by open space 20 or more
32. restricted budgets many government agencies can no longer do it all themselves increasingly they must rely on third party laboratories to support their regulatory efforts When they do so they need a fair and meaningful basis for identifying qualified providers Accreditation provides that Accreditation also has a positive impact on the general public by stimulating higher standards of quality within laboratories This leads to more consistently reliable test data thereby contributing to more effective health and safety regulation and to products of more consistent quality Because the science of accreditation continues to improve holding laboratories to even higher standards these public benefits will continue to accrue Internationally recognized accreditation bodies around the globe are committed to this improved accreditation system and to maximizing the bene fits of laboratory accreditation for all stakeholders ISO IEC 17025 The standard for laboratory competence The general requirements for laboratory competence are described in the ISO IEC 17025 standard This standard establishes a global baseline for the accreditation of all types of laboratories Since its origin 1n the late 1970s ISO IEC 17025 formerly known as ISO Guide 25 emphasizes competence of labora tories to perform specified tests not just mere compliance with requirements Recognition of such competence generally requires that la
33. tanks and cylinders Kim Myers FAKE AD More info on page 88 December 2014 Lab Manager Lab Manager LM GETS A FACELIFT Beginning with our November 2014 issue you may have noticed something different about the look of the magazine That s all part of a series of subtle design changes we have been slowly rolling out to give our pages a fresher cleaner feel You ll see the rest of our new design with our January February 2015 issue which includes new analytical life science and gen eral laboratory categories as well as a bold new cover design While these changes aren t drastic we hope they will make our content easier to find and more pleasing to the eye You ll find some of the latest tweaks in this very issue We hope you like them www labmanager com y oioeumoarr You pick You succeed Our pipettor selection is unsurpassed in meeting your needs for a variety of applications and techniques Put the trust of Gilson quality and reproducibility in your hands ni wo GILSON instruments accessories software solutions gt www gilson com Download Speaking Volumes our interactive publication for your tablet Introducing the VersaCool Refrigerated Circulating Bath We started with the form factor how to gain a large work area with a limited footprint As with most great innovations the solution was simple we removed the control head to create more spa
34. the fired employee doesn t have a chance to stew about it over the weekend However Lab Manager December 2014 other articles suggest firing later in the week is bet ter so the person s colleagues aren t thinking about the firing over the course of their workweek distracting them from more important tasks Of course 1f the fired individual was a bad element in the lab morale 1s likely to improve in the wake of termination so in that case sooner is probably better Another important step 1s to ensure all company or lab equipment is returned and that the employee can no lon ger access the lab s computer system In her About com About Money article Top 10 Don ts When You Fire an Employee Susan M Heathfield suggests teaming up with your IT department to remove the employee s system access while they are 1n the termination meeting with you That way if they are the vengeful type they won t have a chance to get into your company s system and cause serious damage Tve heard many funny but also sad stories about employees sending good bye notes that started with T m outta here you suckers she writes And I am also aware of employees sabotaging computer systems 1n a moment of anguish following termination She also suggests that managers team up with IT to monitor an employee in the weeks before termination if possible to make sure they don t steal sensitive informa tion In a lab anything related to
35. they are collected and analyzed We now have a database with bar codes for all our samples It s hard to go back and bar code all the samples that we have collected over the past decade But having this system in place will help us find samples more easily going forward We also have backup systems for our freezers If the power 1s down the alarms go off we are notified by phone and the backup systems start releasing liquid CO2 so the samples can stay cold for a few days USEFUL SUGGESTIONS FOR SETTING UP A hliehie 1 ejfe co Ar e Assign a separate room for receiving and storing samples Identify specific areas for media preparation culture maintenance washing and decontamination sample testing staff activities and other functions Set up partitions and panels where needed and have them sealed to avoid air leaks and contamination Use equipment and workbenches made from appropriate materials and to the proper specifications for use Check to ensure that water drainage power and ventilation systems are set up per requirements and routinely checked www labmanager com CY TATION 2 imaging reader DO WHAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE Discoveries await The fact is Cytation 5 Multi Mode Reader represents years of experience perfecting microplate instrument technologies From our 3 generation variable bandwidth monochromator system and advanced filter detection to our best in class 4 Z
36. to Matt Hutnak project engineer at Ham ilton Storage Technologies in Franklin Massachusetts Sample integrity and sample quality is really para mount Applying automation to biobanking controls the whole process around the sample For example control ling the temperature improves a sample s quality Manual biobanking subjects a sample to greater temperature variation as a freezer gets opened and closed and even left open longer than necessary This can lead to tens of degrees of temperature changes says Hutnak By automating this process many steps can be completed without opening the freezer which can produce tem perature stability to within single degrees Also automation adds an audit trail to a sample so researchers can be confident in the products they are getting out of the biobank Hutnak says This can be especially useful in any regulated industry such as bio banking samples for pharmaceutical research Automating a biobank benefits organizations and labs across a wide range of sizes Hutnak says Our custom ers include very large research organizations with more than 10 million samples and university labs with just tens of thousands of samples When thinking about automating a biobank though researchers need to think ahead You need an adaptable solution to meet future needs says James Craven global sales manager for sample management at TTP Labtech which is headquartered in Hertford
37. wide range of disciplines Network with colleagues from around the world Learn why thousands of your colleagues say Pittcon is a must attend event Follow us for special announcements f Visit www pittcon org 68 INSIGHTS ON LABORATORY BALANCES Ahlbrecht goes one step further A weighing table should be decoupled from the environment Stone surfaces are fine but only with an additional layer of shock absorbing material such as rubber or cork A large mass for example marble will thereby be less sensitive to shock and vibrations Vendors advise locating balances in quiet temperature controlled draft free locations For ultrasensitive work managers must consider every conceivable physical perturbation that might affect weighing results For example the middle of a floor bends more than areas closer to outside walls and upper floors sway even slight misalignment along the vertical to the center of the earth can introduce error Unless balances are specifically designed to handle those circumstances an R amp D or QC balance on the twentieth floor will experience problems with vibration and movement Ahlbrecht tells Lab Manager In that situ ation a weighing table near an outside wall is a neces sity Managers might also consider purchasing balances that self correct for or filter out external mechanical or gravitational influences Environmental issues Changes in temperature humi
38. 10ns from its metal and glass construction components The pharmaceutical and biotech industries were the main market entry points for humid incubators Today academic environmental and food labs also recognize their benefits Even microplates will not lose fluid to evaporation in humid incubators Humidified designs are more costly and complex and for many applications a dry incubator will serve just fine Linette Philip product manager for CO incubators at Eppendorf Enfield C T notes that dry incubators make sense for non biological applications for example electronics and materials science They re still useful where temperature and atmosphere control are sufficient Not if but when Contamination control is the single most significant operational or maintenance issue for CO incubators says Mary Bates global cell culture specialist at Thermo Fisher Scientific Asheville NC In her many discussions with cell culture experts from around the world close to 90 percent say they have experienced at least one contamination 1n the previous year Humans are by far the predominant source of contaminating December 2014 microorganisms Approximately 30 percent of all contamination arises from cell lines media and labware while 70 percent originates with humans or the lab environment Except for cases of inadequate sterilization all contamination originates outside the incubator It doesn t matter whose incubator y
39. 2015 BOOTH 1454 RapidSeq Small RNA Sample Prep Kit is optimized for preparation of NGS libraries for subsequent cluster generation using purified MRNA or total RNA which contains small RNA fragments as input RapidSeq Directional mRNA Sample Prep kit provides strand specific cDNA synthesis with reduced costs and increased sensitivity AMSBIO www amsbio com Hepatitis B Reagents e Expanded range now available including Pus MONOTOPE and OMNITOPE antibodies and recombinant antigens Specificities include surface antigen HBsAg HB core HB e pre S1 pre S2 and HB X Applications for these reagents include ELISA p5 D WB IHC and rapid tests vati ViroStat www virostat inc com Premixed Dry Reagent Cocktails 19 DuraClone IM 2015 BOOTH 611 Standardize and streamline workflow for high content flow cytometry in translational research studies involving identification of cellular sub populations of the human immune system Optimized and easy to use panels Provide worry free compensation to minimize labor and reduce variability and errors when characterizing alterations of immune status through detection of human blood cell subpopulations i i Beckman Coulter www beckmancoulter com LH ELISA Kit e Can be used to quantify human LH in serum and plasma samples as well as tissue culture media Fully quantitative with the ability to detect as low as 5 2 mlU ml of LH surpassing semi quantitative Western
40. A of 2011 and the Euro pean Union Regulation EC No 178 2002 to process specific ones like the Egg Products Inspection Act EPIA or the Federal Meat Inspection Act FMIA Most of the industry wide regulations require extensive application of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points HACCP methodology a systematic approach to preventing food safety hazards that has been in use for several decades Ensuring Compliance Establishing a preventive controls plan as described in FSMA Section 103 Hazard Analysis and Risk Based Preven tive Controls based on the HACCP methodology is the best and simplest way to achieve enterprise wide compliance This route is not without its challenges however HACCP when properly prac ticed generates a significant amount of instrument data and records An integrated informatics solution like SampleManager LIMS delivering method execution laboratory and data management is one of the most critical investments any food and beverage company can make if they are moving towards a truly integrated and connected enterprise Managing this information is key to success which is why many food produc ers put a Laboratory Information Manage ment System LIMS at the core of their regulatory compliance system A LIMS enables producers to monitor and record the progress of all product batches as they enter into travel through and are shipped from production facilities In additi
41. EXPERT PERSPECTIVE ON Titan BL A FOOD BEVERAGE LAB WWW LABMANAGER COM Lab Mana Run Your Lab Like a Business ger December 2014 Volume 9 e Number 11 uilding a a SUCCESS DEPENDS UPON LEADERSHIP Wi amp COLLABORATION LABORATORY d ACCREDITATION AUTOMATE YOUR LAB AND STILL MEET YOUR BUDGET aul Thermo SCIENTIFIC A Thermo Fisher Scientific Brand r more powe e Thermo Scientific Pierce Power System lets you power through two essential protein detection steps with one efficient system Save hours in coomassie staining and protein transfer from gels to membranes without compromising the quality of your results Efficiently stain or transfer protein gels in about 10 minutes with one system Intuitive color LCD touchscreen interface and pre programmed methods make both coomassie staining and protein transfer easy One power station two cassettes powerful possibilities e Request a demo at thermoscientific com oowe em Thermo Scientific Pierce Power Stainer Coomassie staining and destaining of proteins in about 10 minutes Dee CEET ETT LX A em Thermo Scientific Pierce Power Blotter Transfer proteins in 5 10 minutes r Scientific Inc property of Thermo Fisher Scientific amp 2014 Thermo Fisher Panasonic Life Science cell INTELLIGENT CO INCUBATOR Smart TOUCH SCREEN INTERFACI Amin CO RECOVERY
42. Fi and Ethernet operations and faster data synchronization due to database optimization Agilent www agilent com Also includes new multilingual support allowing i a users to input notes in a variety of languages Surface Enhanced Raman e Offers better battery operation efficiency pev Py Substrates B amp W Tek www bwtek com Highly sensitive stable and reliable Deliver precise trace level Raman spectroscopy measurement in applications ranging from chemical and explosive agent detection to authentication contaminant screening and quality control in production environments and the laboratory Provide fast repeatable SERS measure ments for the identification and quantifica tion of SERS active analytes Detections at the parts per billion and parts per trillion level are possible Benchtop EDXRF Spectrometer JSX 1000S ElementEye e Analyzes major to trace components on most sample types solids powders and liquids with little or no sample preparation e Complements SEM EPMA NMR and mass spectrometry analyses providing high sensitivity qualitative and quantitative analysis mi results in minutes e High sensitivity analysis can be performed across the entire energy range using a maxi mum of nine types of filters and a sample chamber vacuum unit Ocean Optics www oceanoptics com JEOL www jeolusa com Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com HPLC Columns Shiseido CAPCELL PAK Integrates the excellent separation
43. IFIC A Thermo Fisher Scientific Brand Take control of lab workflow NEW An all inclusive informatics solution that gives analytical and QA QC labs complete control over methods and SOPs without having to purchase integrate and validate software from multiple vendors The new Thermo Scientific Lab Execution oystem LES is web based built on and fully integrated with SampleManager LIMS allowing LES functionality to be accessed from the LIMS or from any web browser Combined with the instrument integration capabilities of Integration Manager and the raw data storage and retrieval capabilities of our SDMS Data Manager the new LES expands our growing informatics platform and offers you the most comprenensive paperless lab solution available today SampleManager 11 LIMS with Lab Execution System thermoscientific com LES SampleManager LIMS at a glance e Method and SOP Execution e Scientific Data Management e Workflow Design e Lifecycle Workflow e Instrument Integration e Dashboards a e e property of lj 14 e O um ne 7 Q 72 ip X o E 2 q 4 e O op pa e gc Bi E E EE J 28 LATEST TRENDS SHAPING THE SCIENTIFIC WORKFORCE THE RIGHT SIZE By Mark A Lanfear n the past few years lve heard more and more phrases like work spouse work bestie and office neighbor In fact it s not uncommon for adults to m
44. LLERS CHILLERS Lab Manager PICKING THE BEST FLUID FOR YOUR APPLICATION by Mike May PhD any labs use chillers to control the cooling M needed for some processes To make the device work a chiller uses a fluid and the best kind of fluid depends on a range of factors Part of the selection process depends on lab preferences This article explores some of the thinking behind picking one chiller fluid over another Perhaps surprisingly the fluid selection for chillers involves more than science After 9 11 says Mark Diener product manager at Julabo in Allentown Pennsylvania importation laws changed so that once Most chillers will work with a water antifreeze combination or silicone oil you imported and sold a fluid you were considered the manufacturer He continues Before 9 11 we got everything from our German headquarters so we developed a project to find viable replacements from domestic suppliers He adds It was tricky for a high temperature fluid but mostly we located suppliers without much difficulty That does mean however that some vendors might not carry certain fluids or versions from a particular manufacturer that they once did Still every scientist can find many chiller fluids to consider The most common approach The most commonly used fluid says Kevin Hardy principal engineer and product architect at Grant Instruments in Cambridgeshire UK is a mixture of water a
45. OMPR A SAFETY PLAN FOR TRANSPORTING SING AND HANDLING E dangerous if they are not handled properly Many gases can be explosive flammable corrosive and toxic Because the gases are under high pressure in tanks and cylinders any release of gas can spread quickly and endanger lab personnel including the possibility of death from explosion or asphyxiation Less deadly safety risks include physical injuries from mishandling tanks sing compressed gases in the laboratory can be especially to the hands feet and lower back Because of these risks standards have been established for transporting using and handling compressed gas tanks and cylinders These regulations include Department of Transportation 49 CFR e 49 CFR 171 general information e 49 CFR 172 hazardous materials tables e 49 CFR 178 shipping container requirements OSHA 29 CRF 1910 Comprehensive rules that discuss gas types how to ensure the safety of tanks handling and storage as per the Compressed Gas Association CGA pressure relief devices and other safety recommendations NFPA 55 Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code Handling and proper storage of tanks safety data sheets personnel training operating procedures and best prac tices employee training other safety recommendations Handling and transportation The safety process starts when a full compressed gas cylinder 1s delivered to a facility All tanks and c
46. S ON The ACQUIT Y QDa Detector from Waters SEPARATING BEYOND QUESTION Imagine a lab where all analytical chemists can acquire high quality mass spectral data On their own Within their existing workflow Across every sample A lab where uncertainty about compounds is replaced by fast efficient confirmation and the confidence that comes with crossing the LC MS divide like never before Now imagine all of this happening at the push of a button This is the ACQUITY QDa Detector To turn on the future visit waters com separate Waters THE SCIENCE OF WHAT S POSSIBLE PHARMACEUTICAL HEALTH SCIENCES FOOD amp ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL MATERIALS 2014 Waters Corporation Waters and The Science of What s Possible are registered trademarks of Waters Corporation ACQUITY QDa and Separating Beyond Question are trademarks of Waters Corporation Mi 1 7 x m gt T up i 338 Em LI Il a J e i C E Jj t r Li a a j L Sitting proudly and powerfully on top of your instrument stack this 14 X 26 X 8 small wonder ushers in a new era of separation science Mills Grinders amp Sieve Shakers BUILDING A DREAM TEAM Focusing on the composition of effective teams Sapienza says that leaders are generally associated with good interpersonal skills The team leader is usually appointed as a linking person on the basis of having not only project knowledge but also in terp
47. TT 8x Faster _ Rethink cell growth Empower your cell culture through the most advanced user interface and technology Optimize your environment sc ve ry powered by with a new intelligent touch screen for precise CO recovery recision TM uniform temperature control and rapid decontamination p us panasonic healthcare com celliqseries www labmanager com December 2014 Run Your Lab Like a Business Building a Dream Team We will put our best team on this one is a common refrain in many circles and is regularly heard in laboratories as directors seek to reassure customers and other stakeholders about delivering accurate and reliable results by deadlines Trust collabora tion and strong leadership are the keys to a team s success Bernard Tulsi Perspective On A Food and Beverage Lab As part of the laboratory services division of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food UDAF staff members act as gate keepers for the safety and quality of food in the state UDAF laboratory director and state chemist Dr Weston Judd discusses the main issues he faces in overseeing the division s four laboratories Rachel Muenz BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 16 Laboratory Accreditation Besides laboratories there are three groups that benefit from accreditation perhaps more so than laboratories themselves These three groups are users of laboratory services private and public bodies that need accurate test data to mak
48. University He T uses viromics to study ecosystems ranging from coral reefs to the human body and has show genomic diversity on the planet is viral Dr Rohwer has published more than 150 peer reviewed was awarded the International Society of Microbial Ecology Young Investigators Award in 2008 listed as one of the World s Most Influential Scientific Minds Thomson Reuters 2014 38 Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com Laboratory Information Bliss la ha z i EX dd 9 i LLLI a _ m EIE p fb a Bi m fe iN ome d Hom gm scm n x um for bmp SE mm aibi 1 111 CREE LR iii bm pe E z us Pot Or Rm ume verrei nai rem Rei TORI TREE EO m E putem pini m n H m ma kn ae Ent E RECO ees REO ICT cl Bun 1 a hs i Ser Eee m m miei h N dii E hm r me p E li i d e ua Li G m in m el se ma imm d zem mum acus r LE EE a EC eT lt a mm SE E Um a mue m JE C Pea HEBR mg MEE N LED HET Y Ld ae T EHI eed CE az 1 igi m END GR a Emo Hd im 1 i as FreezerPro was designed purely for sample management This focus allows it to eliminate wasteful inefficiencies and help streamline laboratory production without the resource requirements associated with adopting a LIMS FreezerPro enhances user s ability to work collaborate and learn through traceability automation configurable r
49. Whom does it benefit And what are those benefits What 1s the standard of competence What value does accreditation have from an internationally recognized body such as the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation Besides laboratories there are three groups that benefit from accreditation perhaps more so than laboratories them selves These three groups are users of laboratory services specifiers private and public bodies that need accurate test data to make decent decisions and the general public A laboratory must have persons in its organization who have the authority to execute specific functions within its overall scope of work Testing and calibration laboratories gain a great deal from a technically sound assessment and accreditation by an internationally recognized accreditation body Here are some of those benefits By going through the accreditation process a labora tory gains by necessarily building a quality manage ment system based on principles listed later 1n this article which functions to reduce procedural errors and prevent errors from going out the door A credential that designates the laboratory as quali fied and competent to provide services 1n the field or fields 1n which it 1s accredited Lab Manager December 2014 A regular objective checkup that helps a laboratory s management make continual improvements in its operation n an increasing number of instances e
50. a clean lab Ther also study cystic fibrosis and look at Q How do you collect the ee ee PCR microbes in the lung and gut Some water samples and all amplified DNA are stored people in the lab study bacteria but many study viruses My work is mainly involved with the environ mental projects in the ocean looking at bacteria associated with coral reefs although I do study some viruses too in another building We never bring equipment such as pipettors back and forth between the two buildings We have had a couple of contamina tion issues and it s very difficult to de contaminate when that happens This A We collect large quantities of wa ter about 100 liters and concentrate it to small volumes using filters and that is what we bring back with us We also collect water to do all the water chem istry and that we collect in Niskin Q What do you have to bottles and filter into vials to bring it E eo when we do to conduct these types of back to analyze We bring back punch 8T training new people in the lab studies in the ocean es of corals and samples of different algae On our other project looking at Q What common A We go into the field a lot and i cystic fibrosis samples from humans collect water samples from differ we are collecting mostly sputum O e AE TO at bow A We routinely separate viruses from healthy reefs and degraded reefs and Q How do y keep samples the bacterial community using cesi
51. a regular maintenance sched ake Meeaed ule and ensuring the environment 1s ideal are the main things users should focus on If your samples are critical 24 7 monitoring Users just have to stick to a schedule and a step by step is usually a good service to have protocol with checkboxes Fallacara recommends Have a Often maintenance programs are run by regional schedule for stocking and cleaning out the fridges and freez service providers make sure they are qualified ers as this will avoid long periods of door openings Hi Robert Got an alert on server the temperature in Twincore ZH8990 is at 64 C but all parameters are good ULT Team Actually we are loading our freezers The rapid temp changes are probably because they are mostly empty Thanks Robert WE ARE WATCHING YOUR TWINCORE S VITAL SIGNS Serial number has been changed to protect the identity SAFESTULT COM FORECASTING MONITORING PEACE OF MIND ZSCI 78 HOW IT WORKS LIMS SAMPLE SCHEDULING TOOLS Problem Many service or contract laboratories need to process the same sets of samples on a regularly scheduled basis In addition many processes within factories of various types require collection of samples at pre set dates and times to ensure the quality of the product being produced One example is collection of air and surface samples to test the sterility of rooms used in the production of pharmaceuticals fo
52. ae De e Color touch screen panel with intuitive software design e Easy to see status indicator for quick determination of Ready Pre treatment Run and Error intelligent Smart Features Increase Work Efficiency and Reduce Cost of Ownership e Easily migrate existing methods from either Shimadzu or non Shimadzu systems e Automatic ECO mode after non user interaction reduces power consumption Learn more about Shimadzu s i Series Call 800 477 1227 or visit us online at Prominence Nexera www ssi shimadzu com iseries Order consumables and accessories on line at http store shimadzu com Shimadzu Scientific Instruments Inc 7102 Riverwood Dr Columbia MD 21046 USA ge e 3 24 LEADERSHIP amp STAFFING may have kept them from meeting their goals Reiterate exactly what you d like them to work on and give them a period of about a month to improve unless they are such a destructive element to the rest of your team that it would be better to let them go at that point Spell out very clearly that the next step 1s to fire them if they do not sufficiently improve within that time span Step three Fire If the employee continues to produce unsatisfactory work or behave inappropriately you ll have no choice but to let them go Being both professional and kind is key at this stage The majority of employees are gen erally good people but simply aren t a good fit for the position Most information regarding t
53. al is granted Judd expects they will be moved into the top floor of that building within three years That plan has gained support from the state building board but the project is still waiting for legislative funding It seems like we have quite a bit of space here but we re actually undersized and it s affecting our performance Judd says Our lab was also built to be an office space not a laboratory and thus ventilation and environmental control threaten the credibility of some of our tests Our workflow would be better with the design we have in place we have already gone through with architects and given our input on the design of this new building In addition to that we would also be able to expand our testing to be able to include more food products That s the most exciting thing looking to the future for all the potential that it will bring to the laboratory Rachel Muenz assistant editor for Lab Manager can be reached at rachelm labmanager com or by phone at 888 781 0328 x233 MAIN INSTRUMENTS IN THE LABS e GC MS Fat analyzers e HPLC e PCR analyzers e IR instruments Cell sorter e ICP MS 62 Lab Manager SURVEY SAYS Fume hood type s currently being used in readers labs hood It allows a researcher to work with but not be exposed to materials that create toxic 3 fumes or particles when it is properly installed and maintained Benchtop ductless fume hood 1396 Canopy
54. ample due to bumping is never a concern due to the vacuum assisted air vortex technology e Works with a variety of vessels no need to transfer your sample Especially suited to small volume samples Eicom USA www eicom usa com Lab amp Batch Processing Evaporator Rocket Synergy e Offers automated evaporation of a wide range of sample formats and sizes from millilitres to tens of litres e an dry or concentrate up to six flasks each containing a maximum of 450ml of solvent or 18 ASE vials with no user intervention or attention e Capable of replacing several rotary evaporators Genevac www genevac com December 2014 Lab Manager 71 72 TECHNOLOGY NEWS Precision Syringe Drive PSD 6 2015 BOOTH 501 Compact full height pump is designed for precision dispensing of small to large volumes Performs all standard liquid handling functions induding dispensing i serial dispensing and diluting Offers a larges range of compatible syringe sizes Designed for simple integration a variety of mounting configurations are possible for a single unit or a daisy chain of up to 16 pumps Hamilton Company www hamiltoncompany com Cleanroom Wipe Dispenser GRAB EEZ e Wall mountable unit is specifically designed to be used in a variety of controlled environments including medical pharmaceutical life science laboratory and electronics manufacturing facilities Designed to cut back on waste in terms of wipe us
55. and ensure that they are enjoying their work as much as possible Judd does his best to give them a sense of ownership in their work something that naturally comes about because with some of the labs there 1s only one person responsible for testing I let them get involved in the decision making even as far as equipment Judd says I like to get their input on what kind of 1ncubator they think we should buy for example They re responsible for the type of testing that they do and in a way they re the manager of their individual lab I think that motivates them and helps them take ownership in what they do Organization 1s another challenge the lab division faces As the dairy lab is ISO 17025 accredited those standards help keep things under control and the other labs essentially follow those standards as well All of the labs are also looking to improve their inventory procedures to reduce waste and better keep track of supplies A lot of the supplies especially the microbiological supplies that we order have certain expiration dates so it s a challenge to keep up with not ordering so much that we re not going to use them before they expire but we always have to have enough on hand for the sample load that we might be receiving Judd explains It s challenging to organize that sort of thing Another upcoming challenge Judd sees is being regulated by more government agencies The labs already deal with the FDA
56. are many lab monitoring solutions but what makes la bAlert unique are the several advantages it brings over its competitors LabAlert features customizable alerts local and remote platforms secure data storage and visibility trom any location With customizable alerts tind out exactly when something goes wrong with realtime notifications sent right to your phone laptop or tablet Alerts are easily customizable to meet the demands of your lab Adjust alert triggers based on specitic temperature ranges humidity levels CO2 concentra tions and more Alert recipients and delivery methods can be adjusted as well Customizations are done within the user interface and can be adjusted at any time LabAlert s flexibility also allows for infinite scalability Acquire a setup package of any size and add additional sensors fo your setup at any time depending on your needs Further more keep watch over units from multiple locations at once LabAlert can be easily configured in different locations to syn chronize together under one account so you re able to easily monitor all your equipment together Whether you need to cover multiple floors buildings or states LabAlert has you covered In addition all remotely hosted data is securely transmitted and stored at all times using encrypted communications The servers are continuously archived and backed up to alternate remote locations so your data is secured and protected at all
57. as other laboratory safety guidelines and resources to develop a comprehensive safety plan including an emergency response plan that can be taught to employees posted in the laboratory practiced periodically and updated when needed Train all employees and provide each worker with a copy of the safety plan This will include a safety and response plan for each gas Requirements should also be established for use of personal protective equipment safe handling of compressed gas cylinders the ergonomics of safe lifting and handling and keeping aisles and pathways clear of obstacles or clutter Hopefully the comprehensive safety plan will prevent any serious accidents However in the event of an emer gency laboratory personnel must be able to react quickly READY SET for example know where to find emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers eyewash etc Enforce the safety plan at all times and practice it regularly to ensure the safest workspace possible and quick and correct responses should an emergency occur In house gas generation In house generators are available for each gas and multiple gas generators are also available The cost of operating an in house gas generator 1s extremely low since the only raw materials are air and electricity Run ning and maintaining a gas generator system typically costs only a few hundred dollars a year Return on invest ment takes about 12 months depending on the
58. assay If youre only doing something four times a month it might be quicker to do it manually In other cases the goals might not be as singular For example Greene of Bio Tek Instruments points out us ing detection with cell based assays This often requires moving microplates between a multimodal reader and an inverted fluorescent microscope down the hall that is shared with other people he says That s not efficient and it can stretch steps over a couple of hours that maybe could be done in minutes To do it so fast though a scientist needs a device that provides a multimodal reader and an inverted fluorescent microscope in one thereby automating the transition from detection to imaging In one instance the goal is truly golden David Bar clay general manager at OI Analytical a Xylem brand located in College Station Texas describes helping Lab Manager December 2014 out a large gold mining company They use cyanide to extract gold he says and they wanted to control the cyanide concentration because it s very expensive so we developed an online cyanide analyzer By automating the control of the cyanide concentration the mining company saves time and money Better biobanking Some forms of lab work might seem more suited to automation than others For example biobanking col lecting and storing samples for research and clinical applications sounds like a natural for automation According
59. assume to be the most important goal but this could lead people astray and cause friction in the team and there could be a misalignment of roles leading to overlap or even dupli cation which could also cause conflict In building teams care should be taken to ensure that team members are collaborative like to learn about other perspectives value working with other team members and are prepared to give their best efforts and work well with others It is important to pick team leaders who will give individualized consideration to team members instead of treating them as replaceable bodies and will set up channels to address their aspirations values and personal goals while getting to know them on a personal level according to Zheng Bernard Tulsi is a freelance writer based in Newark Del He may be contacted at btulsi comcast net or by phone at 302 266 6420 Including the Novel SAPPHIRE Edd m Universal B Cell Immortalization Kits VIEW MORE INFO amp ORDER ONLINE AT www Sapphire USA com e NENNEN NORTH AMERICA EEUU Sourcing The Planet For Scientist Refrigerated amp Heating Circulators ANOVA Temperature Control Instruments for Lab and Industry www waterbaths com 281 277 2202 16 BUSINESS MANAGEMENT LABORATORY ACCREDITATION BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE USERS OF LAB SERVICES SPECIFIERS AND THE PUBLIC by Peter S Unger hat 1s the value of laboratory accredita tion
60. ated Management for Postdocs and New Faculty Second Edition if 1t were you being fired However it s equally important Burroughs Wellcome Fund Howard Hughes Medical to get the process done since an unproductive or bad team Institute Chapter 4 Staffing Your Laboratory Asking member can cause a lot more harm the longer you delay the Staff to Leave 2006 http www hhm org sites decision to fire a point highlighted in Making the Right Moves default files Educational 20Materials Lab 20 An employee with serious work related problems 1s a Management Making 20the 20Right 20Moves disruptive force and especially in a small lab can signifi moves2_ch4 pdf cantly retard research progress the book states Although it Is not easy to decide to terminate someone those investi gators who have had to release staff say that in retrospect their biggest mistake was not doing it sooner WN How to Fire an Employee wikiHow http www wikihow com Fire an Employee 4 Lipman Victor How To Fire Someone Effec tively But Hopefully With Dignity Forbes April Rachel Muenz assistant editor for Lab Manager can be reached 2013 http www forbes com sites victorlip at racheln labmanager com or by phone at 888 781 0328 x233 man 2013 04 1 6 how to fir e someone effectively but hopefully with dignity Sources 5 Heathfield Susan M Top 10 Don ts When You Fire an Employee About com 2014 ht
61. be easily identified and mitigated Capacity A laboratory must have the resources people with the required skills and knowledge environment with the required facilities equipment and instruments proce dures to ensure consistency of test processes and quality control for the key steps 1n the testing processes necessary to carry out the tests and produce reliable results These principles do not cover every requirement of the standard but they are comprehensive enough to al low laboratories and assessors to appreciate the reasons behind most of the individual requirements They enable assessors to exercise their professional judgment 1n evalu ating whether a laboratory meets the requirements for recognition of 1ts competence to perform specified tests Conclusion Laboratory accreditation within the United States and worldwide is gaining favor for procurement and regula tory purposes Confidence in test data is paramount to product acceptance Users are looking for assurance of high quality products and the means to evaluate suppli ers without incurring the costs associated with auditing each supplier Reliance on third party accreditation to perform this function for suppliers of test data is an attractive option The use of ISO IEC 17025 as the accreditation criteria is also considered valuable for international acceptance of test data Peter S Unger president amp CEO of the American Association jor Laboratory Accreditation
62. being on the team 1s important She says that management must determine how well leaders and team members are aligned with the goals of the project and with each other This is important to figure out early because misalignment could lead to team dysfunction Zheng says that management will also need to work through a host of other issues including personality Poorly functioning teams usually reflect the leaders inability to engender trust among the members types She explains that in teams where there are intro vert and extrovert personality types during meetings the extroverts are active participants and contributors while the introverts are more likely to be listeners who absorb key messages This could lead to misconceptions the extroverts could conclude that the introverts are detached and not interested or not contributing On the other hand the introverts may be thinking that the extroverts are tak ing over and don t want to hear their opinions She says that there needs to be accommodations for different personalities Introverts could be provided with different communication channels other than providing spontaneous feedback in meet ings Care must be taken to ensure that differing styles and personalities do not clash as this could create dysfunction Zheng stresses the need for clarity of roles and goals There are teams where the primary goal 1s not clear Team members would work on what they
63. boratories obtain accreditation Accreditation involves on site and performance assessments as well as ongoing proficiency test ing Assessment of competence requires per sons who not only understand the requirements of the standard but have a sufficient depth of understanding about the specified tests to make judgments of competence The assessors must also understand the principles underlying the require ments of ISO IEC 17025 which are not always obvious Blind adherence by a laboratory to the requirements of the standard while better than no system at all is not an approach that instills confidence in its ability to produce valid test results Nor 1s it the best approach to acquire recognition of such competence Principles Several important principles are imbedded in the requirements of the standard Responsibility e Scientific approach Objectivity and impartiality Metrological traceability Reproducibility Transparency Capacity Responsibility A laboratory must have persons in its organization who have the authority to execute specific functions within its overall scope of work and can demonstrate accountability for their results Scientific Approach A laboratory should carry out its Work based on accepted scientific principles preferably fol lowing consensus based methods or standards and deviations from accepted methods must be substantiated in a manner considered generally acceptable by
64. ce We lost our head so you don t lose your cool e thermoscientific com versacool Hu HE Hitt H H Manne Dini m oe TP e Em hi et ee 1 pud i T md m n paca tior a oaa o Lana mati ur i an 1 na e em i 5 i S wE t SCIENTIFIC LAB MANAGER ACADEMY 26 ARE YOU CRAZY IF NOT YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER IT Howard Manns SCIENCE MATTERS 28 THE RIGHT SIZE FOR SUCCESS Mark Lanfear ASK THE EXPERT TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY 34 Linda Wegley Kelly PhD a marine microbial ecologist in the Department of Biology at San Diego State University and Forest Rohwer a professor in the department discuss what has changed in the microbiology field over the past decade Tanuja Koppal PRODUCT FOCUS SPECIALTY GASES 48 PIPETTES 49 CHILLERS 50 CO INCUBATORS 52 PORTABLE GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY SYSTEMS 55 SURVEY SAYS ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR FUME HOODS 62 LIMS 64 pH METERS 65 INSIGHTS 66 A BUYER S REPORT ON LABORATORY BALANCES Angelo DePalma TECHNOLOGY NEWS 70 The latest equipment instrument and system introductions to the laboratory market MAINTENANCE MATTERS 76 COLD STORAGE HOW IT WORKS LIMS SAMPLE SCHEDULING TOOLS 78 A WEB BASED 24 7 MONITORING SYSTEM 79 MEASURING CELL METABOLISM 80 PRE OWNED EQUIPMENT MARKETPLACE 89 ADVERTISERS INDEX 89 PARTING POINTS 90 Lab Manager ISSN 1931 3810 is published 11 times per year monthly with combined issues in January February by LabX P O Box 216 478 Bay St
65. cell 80 Solution The Seahorse Bioscience XFp Extracellular Flux Analyzer simultaneously measures mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis the two major energy producing pathways in a cell in a cell culture microplate in real time XF technology works with a variety of cells offering physiologically relevant cellular bioenergetic assays with comparable performance to biochemical and radioactive methods with better throughput and without the preparation and use of labels or radioactive materials Thus this technology overcomes many of the challenges and weaknesses of traditional endpoint assays that either directly or indirectly measure metabolic function XF technology has led to the establishment of the Gold standard assays to measure metabolic function such as the Cell Mito Stress Test to measure mitochondrial function the Glycolysis Stress Test to measure glycolytic function the Metabolic Flexibility Assay and the Metabolic Switching PhenoGram to illustrate metabolic switching The XFp Analyzer uses sensor arrays to measure extracellular fluxes in oxygen consumption OCR and extracellular acidification ECAR indicative of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis respectively This technology allows measurements to be taken in minutes rather than hours and prevents significant oxygen tension depression or media acidification Four injector ports surround each XFp Miniplate well and can be used for multiple injection
66. ch validated gene content can also be customized for varying array formats 2x400K 4x180K or 8x60K and diseases Oxford Gene Technology www ogt com www labmanager com Assays for Droplet Digital PCR PrimePCR New releases include an additional 100 assays for copy number variation CNV and 92 assays for mutation detection e Bio Rad will also be adding 5 620 mutation detection assays that were created using the same algorithms and design rules as the wet lab validated assays me e e Compatible with all Bio Rad droplet digital PCR systems ur Bio Rad www bio rad com Rare Mutation Analysis Solution QuantStudio 3D Includes a panel of wet lab validated assays combined with an enhanced software tool Enables researchers to detect and quantify 40 of the most common mutations in cancer genes at a prevalence as low as 0 1 percent Primary and secondary software enhancements are designed with specific features for analysis of low frequency alleles on the QuantStudio 3D digital PCR system Life Technologies www lifetechnologies com Thermal Cycler WW Mastercycler nexus X2 2015 BOOTH 1337 Suited for researchers looking to carry out two PCR reactions simultaneously without any compromise on the number of samples Comprised of two asymmetric blocks consisting of 64 and 32 wells which can be programmed and run completely independently enabling two separate PCR protocols to be run in parallel Features reduced noi
67. cle A ground monitor or circuit analyzer can be used to ensure that the receptacle is correctly wired An AC sensor can tell you if the case of the appliance or device is electrically hot or not A Tension Tester will indicate if the receptacle is holding on to the plug s prongs with sufficient force to meet electrical code specifications All three tests should be performed annually on receptacles and electrical equipment in the lab The use of Ground Fault Interrupters GFls can provide significant shock protection They should be installed in any location where the receptacle is within six feet of a ground or water is likely to be present on the floor or surfaces Source Kaufman James A Laboratory Safety Guidelines Expanded Edition The Laboratory Safety Institute www labsafetyinstitute org fa Nimbus Sky High Performance Down to Earth Value The newest light on the laboratory horizon is the Nimbus balance by Adam Equipment Nimbus delivers performance and features for everyday lab work at a value that is light years ahead of the competition With readabilities from 0 1mg to 0 19 Nimbus provides an intuitive user interface compact footprint and clear glass weighing chamber With the Nimbus in your laboratory the sky s the limit Learn more about Nimbus www adamequipment com nimbus 203 790 4774 sales adamequipment com 2014 Adam Equipment Inc All rights reserved NA 4087 44 HEALTH amp SAFETY
68. d subcellular visualization in fluorescence brighttield H amp E and phase contrast channels The multimode detection module features BioTek s patented Hybrid Tech nology incorporating variable bandwidth monochromator optics and high sensitivity tilter based detection optics for unmatched performance Temperature control to 65 C shaking available CO O control and dual reagent injectors optimize conditions for cell based imaging and detection Image capture data collection and powerful image and data analysis are managed with Gen5 software specifically designed for uncomplicated pro cessing of even the most complex assays Automated microscopy specifically live cell microscopy typically requires complex expen sive hardware and software installations that Think Possible www biotek com Lab Manager December 2014 ssBiolek require a high skill level to operate Biolek s Cytation 5 Cell Imaging Multi Mode reader offers fluorescence brightfield H amp E and phase contrast imaging in a modular format that can be combined with fluorescence luminescence UV Vis absorbance and laser based Alpha detection to bridge the gap between cell based phenotypic data and quantitative data in a single instrument The imaging module in Cytation 5 uses a 16 bit monochrome camera position objective turret and a wide range of LED cubes along with filter cubes with four color channels available for imaging from 2 5x
69. dity and air pressure all affect balances but temperature changes are by far the most serious because they occur everywhere Tempera ture effects are mostly insignificant for top loaders but a difference of 1 5 C can cause sensitivity and zero point to shift in analytical balances Zero point drift is trivial thanks to automated taring but sensitivity drift will introduce systematic error Sensitivity drift is normally specified for a particular balance depending on the sample weight and temperature difference For example a difference of 5 C will affect the observed weight of a 100 g sample by up to 1 mg Operators should be wary of warming or cooling of tare vessels during removal from the balance Julian Staf ford sales trainer at Mettler Toledo Zurich Switzer land demonstrates this effect during training sessions by removing a beaker from the weighing pan with his bare Lab Manager December 2014 hands Most trainees be lieve that the mass contrib uted by oils and sweat from Stafford s fingers would cause the weight to rise In reality updrafts caused by warming the beaker by a few degrees more than compensate for the added mass Similarly downdrafts caused by cooling say placing the beaker directly onto a cold bench can cause significant apparent weight gains Temperature difference effects apply to balance and sample and particularly to glassware 55 E lt that has recently been re Re cc 8 m m us
70. don t remove it says Joe LaPorte director of product management at Panasonic Healthcare LaPorte adds that frost should be removed when it be comes too thick to see the inside walls of the unit Many freezers and fridges also have indicators that show when it s time to deal with frost and having difficulty closing the inner or outer door of an ultralow freezer 1s another sign to get scraping LaPorte says Having the correct voltage for your unit 1s also essential Unstable voltage may cause malfunction of freez ers thus voltage must be provided at less than plus or minus the five percent range says Jean Fallacara CEO of Z SCI Biomedical Power supply must be 25 percent higher than required The surrounding environment also plays a role Temperature and humidity affect the performance of freezers thus the environment must be maintained within the recommended conditions Fallacara says Crowded rooms will tend to overheat and the equipment along with it Those optimal conditions are from 5 25 C ideally 20 C with lower than 50 percent relative humidity RH Both LaPorte and Fallacara stress users should ensure they keep enough space around the unit and don t store anything on top of it so air can properly circulate Eum NM m il i j N I ru r E ra Remote monitoring can help avoid disaster when it comes to cold storage Cleaning the fil
71. e e Made from the highest grade ESD safe plastics suitable for use in ISO Class 5 Class 100 cleanrooms and higher High Tech Conversions PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT COMBATING CONTAMINATION INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS USERS GREATER CONTROL OVER CONDITIONS Preventing contamination is critical when using a CO incubator Baker Company aims to help laboratory professionals do just that with the release of their new CO incubator the Cultivo which is designed to protect against accidental cell culture contamination from a wide variety of sources From the beginning we designed Cultivo to be a contamination preventer said Dan Eagleson vice president of Baker A number of features work to stop contamination from happening including vertical uni directional downward airflow which delivers ISO Class 4 Class 10 clean air to the incubator chamber within 60 seconds after a door opening In addition a fogless interior door gives users a clearer view of cultures on every shelf meaning they won t have to open the door as often thus reducing the potential for contaminants to enter the chamber Lastly optional ultrasonic humidification allows users to eliminate the use of a water pan and the risk of contaminants that typically go along with it If contamination does occur an optional pre programmed and easy to follow vaporized hydrogen peroxide biodecontamination protocol is available which effectively kills a wide variety of c
72. e instrument run Free for academic researchers users to automatically generate spectral libraries from Proteome Biognosys www biognosys ch Laboratory Information Management System BAI LabVantage 7 FRLABVANTAGE 2015 BOOTH 310 boratory Knowledge De e Provides significantly improved user experience as well as capabilities that make it easier to enable process optimization e A built in search engine now makes it possible to find data as easily as you would on the Web New easy to use workflow designer simplifies modeling and improvement of processes to help users become more compliant and efficient LabVantage Solutions www labvantage com December 2014 Lab Manager 73 74 TECHNOLOGY NEWS ALH Management Software Updates 93 ArtelWare v1 1 2015 BOOTH 1129 The first in a series of upgrades now in development Adds event tracking and management capabilities that give users more information about causes and effects relating to liquid handler performance Users can now track many events that might affect pipetting such as preventive maintenance changes in protocols consumables and labware service and liquid handler malfunctions Artel www artel usa com Weight Calibration Package ComparatorPac Makes weight calibration for METTLER s new XPE r comparator balances simple and efficient saving users up zm Em to 40 in processing time A Tax E New version of the calibration software MC Link 2 delivers a hi
73. e decent decisions and the general public Peter S Unger LEADERSHIP amp STAFFING 20 The Firing Line No matter what the reason whether because of an economic downturn or poor work performance firing someone is never pleasant It can get emotional and sometimes there are legal consequences if it s not done right However having a plan in place can help make firing someone a little easier Rachel Muenz TECHNOLOGY 30 Automating Your Lab The concept of lab automation sounds almost magical as if a sophisticated machine here or there will make a lab run by itself Indeed automation can improve the efficiency of a lab and more but figuring out the best here or there creates the challenge Some general planning helps in almost any approach to automating a lab process Mike May HEALTH amp SAFETY 40 Sit Up Straight It s just a fact In today s modern laboratory you are going to spend some time using a computer You used to feel good all day long but now you hurt after just a few minutes at the computer Learn about office ergonomics and what you can do to minimize the potential ill effects of all this computer usage Vince McLeod 44 Compressed Gas Cylinders Using compressed gases in the laboratory can be dangerous if they are not handled properly Many gases can he explosive flammable corrosive and toxic Because of these risks standards have been established for transporting using and handling compressed gas
74. e goals in order To figure out the best way to add automation to a specific lab the goals must be considered carefully As an example Jeremy Lambert director for automation and microfluidic application development at PerkinElmer in Waltham Massachusetts mentions high volume DNA extraction from blood or plasma samples Za O FAnalytical BS a xylem brand Many workflows create bottlenecks that can be easily automated such as these microplates being automatically fed to a Bio Tek Cytation 5 Cell Imaging Multi Mode Reader Image courtesy of Bio Tek Instruments from the frequency of usage As Larsen says If SOPUTI you re only doing something four times a month it might be quicker to do it manually Moreover that automation failure taught Lars en a crucial lesson She says Now we evaluate an automation decision based on historical usage then think of the automation investment and how long it will take to get the time back that it takes to install and make the system work That kind of analysis led Larsen to not auto mate her lab s flow cytometer Lots of people buy a robotic arm that puts on plates We found that it only takes 10 minutes to put on the plates and we only do it two days a month she says Plus she uses a student to do it Conversely Larsen says that the robotic arm for her high content microscope really saves time It has been worth the investment she says The budgetar
75. e of nowhere Having customized equip ment helps us adapt when we are in the field and set up the sampling WHAT S CHANGED IN MICROBIOLOGY OVER THE PAST DECADE The other change 1s 1n the cross disciplinary nature of microbiology A lot of microbiologists these days are trained 1n a broad range of topics and are really good at thinking about the biogeochemistry of the systems they are working on For instance people studying hot springs use those findings to see how the oceans work and people studying oceans try to find an impact on the human system So it s become an extremely inter disciplinary field The tools that people are using are also changing Today a graduate student in my lab will do field work to collect samples and will learn how to sequence a genome and how to use bioinformatics and statistical tools to analyze the data I do not make big investments in the lab I tend to support the core facilities and let them do what they are good at I focus on investing in my core research and expertise such as on the core technologies that are needed to process the samples It is very underappreci ated but having the right microscopes to take to the field and processing the right nucleic acids from your sample are what s most important I rely on the sup port of the core facilities for everything else and build a collaborative research environment Forest Rohwer PhD is a professor in the Department of de at San Diego State
76. e same afflictions as office workers since laboratory work requires more and more time tethered to a computer monitor As such back shoulder and wrist problems have become much more prevalent Vince McLeod in this month s Health amp Safety article addresses the fundamental ergonomic risk factors related to desk work which are position posture repetition duration and force The good news is that these at risk conditions that can cause pain and potential injury can often be easily controlled if one understands basic ergonomic concepts and how to apply them Turn to page 40 to learn just that If your lab is considering automating any part of its current workflow turn to this month s technology article Automating Your Lab page 30 to determine how to make the best automation choices specific to your needs The key to keeping automation as simple as possible starts at the beginning By identifying the specific spots where automation could do the most good and exploring a variety of solutions a lab manager increases the odds of a successful implementation says author Mike May For a real world example of how the automation decision making process works check out this month s Ask the Expert Q amp A page 34 For other timely and valuable technology specific information visit this month s Product Focus INSIGHTS and Technology News pages Here s wishing you a sate joyful and healthy holiday season Pamela Ahlberg Ed
77. e the poten tial ill effects of all this computer usage Three fundamental ergonomic risk factors are position posture repetition duration and force Simply put ergonomics is the study of how people physically interact with their work environment to perform their required tasks Ergonomic conditions can affect those working in all types of laboratories The office aspect of laboratory research should not be overlooked and that will be our focus in this issue and the next More and more jobs require a substantial por tion of the day working with a computer Very often the Lab Manager December 2014 pain and discomfort experienced at work or at home can be tied to ergonomic risk factors Poor ergonomic condi tions and practices result in more losses due to employee suffering lost time and reduced productivity than many other types of injury in the workplace Fortunately these are easily recognized and corrected Three fundamental ergonomic risk factors are posi tion posture repetition duration and force These can all be influenced by the work area setup and the activity being performed The good news is that these at risk conditions that can cause pain and potential injury can often be easily controlled if one understands basic er gonomic concepts and how to apply them In this article and the next we will take a look at these factors and provide some practical solutions to help get you through the day pa
78. ed with the meter e What is the complete cost of all accessories needed to operate the meter 4 What type of after sales support is offered e If something goes wrong with the meter can it be fixed locally e What is the general turnaround time for repair 5 What makes the company different from other companies that manufacture similar products 5 What additional types of features are offered GLP data PC connectivity USB vs RS 232 calibration timeout number of calibration points ISE concentration readout incremental methods for ISE and mv readout of concentration during calibration process TOP 10 FEATURES FACTORS respondents look for when purchasing a pH meter RESOLUTION AND ACCURACY OF THE METER 80 EASE OF USE 80 LOW MAINTENANCE EASY TO CLEAN 77 AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLIES AND ACCESSORIES 68 AUTO CALIBRATION WITH TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION 58 DETACHABLE ELECTRODE PROBE 50 HEAVY DUTY AND WATERPROOF 48 MULTI LEVEL LCD DISPLAY 48 LONGERLIVED REFILLABLE ELECTRODE TYPE 46 SERVICE AND SUPPORT 45 SURVEY SAYS Types of pH meters currently being used in readers labs Benchtop Multi Parameter 24 Benchtop pH only 41 Portable Multi Parameter 10 Portable pH only 22 In line Multi Parameter 1 In line pH only 3 Methods to measure pH used by survey respondents Glass electrode method 54 Indicator methods 19 Metal electrode methods 11 Hydrogen electrode method 7 Unknown 7 Other 2 Ant
79. eet at least one of their close friends through work With work imitating life these days breakups no doubt can affect us on the job too So when our life changes at work when our friends aren t there any more whether due to changes in technology profitability ments or policies regarding the im plementation of other business strat egies such as outsourcing how do we cope with our new reality require Talent today choose their work en vironments as much if not more than their employers choose them We know today that 40 percent of talented professionals are planning on making a workplace change in the next 12 months That number is even higher for laboratory and sci entifically trained people It s 2014 and your top talent may be the one who 1s breaking up with you for a better offer Sull when outside factors drive a downsizing or rightsizing of the workplace people willlose their work homes and yes even their friends Thats why it s more important to day than ever to keep the humanity in human resources All managers must learn to treat these workplace changes with care just as we would treat with care what happens in the personal lives of our friends Lab Manager December 2014 FOR SUCCESS Amid the economic crisis of 2008 countless articles and blogs detailed a special case of modern survivor s guilt in the workplace In the after math of mass layoffs experts argued
80. ember 2014 Gall 201 PLACE YOUR PRODUCT PROFILE AD TODAY REACH YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE ENGAGE YOUR BRAND AND OPTIMIZE YOUR ADVERTISING IMPACT Deliver your message and position your products and brand in front of more buyers and key decision makers in print and online than any other resource available today For more information visit www labmanger com Get your head oom out of the cloud and get back into the SONN SONNTEK Research Lamps Focus on what REALLY matters to Noise Reliability 236 9 aC 10 We still answer phones j l HERE www labmanager com ADVERTISER INDEX Company URL Page AZIA Laboratory Accreditation Programs www aZla org 19 Adam Equipment Inc www adamequipment com 43 Anova www waterbaths com BioTek Instruments Inc www cytation5 com BrandTech Scientific Inc www brandtech com Brookfield Engineering www brookfieldengineering com Carbolite www carbolite com Conquer Scientific ConquerScientific com Drummond Scientific Company www drummondsci com ELGA www elgalabwater com Eppendorf North America www eppendorfna com EquipNet Inc www EquipNet com Federal Equipment Company www fedequip com Flow Sciences www flowsciences com Gilson Inc www gilson com Hettich Instruments LP www hettweb com INTEGRA www integra biosciences com International Accreditation Service Inc www iasonline org Julabo www julabo com Lab Armor www labarmor com Labc
81. enberg product manager of software at Tecan So the big push is for things to work more like smartphones As an example he ELGA Q VEOLIA ELGA Our innovation Your choice Part of the world s leading water services company Veolia describes a touch tool feature that provides a very simple user interface on a touchscreen that is customizable In general a scientist should not need to write code to make an automated system work As Bronwen Forster Tecan s senior product manager for liquid handling says It should be very visual drop and drag copy and paste like you see in Excel For scientists with some programming skills a system built on an open software platform still makes it easier to tailor instructions to individual needs The key to keeping automation as simple as possible starts at the beginning By identifying the specific spots where automation could do the most good and exploring a variety of solutions a lab manager increases the odds of a success ful implementation Also today s scientists should not accept hard to use products because modern automation should be easier than ever to install customize and use Plus don t for get to get a system that can adapt to tomorrow s needs giv ing you a fighting chance of handling unforeseen workflows Mike May is a freelance writer and editor living in Ohio You may reach him at mike techtyper com In tune with your pure water needs In
82. ent Enclosure featuring a Teledyne Isco Combiflash FLOWSCIENCES COM 1 800 849 3429 INFO FLOWSCIENCES COM
83. eporting communication tools and hardware support For thousands of users worldwide FreezerPro is Laboratory Information Bliss Contact us at Compliance Compatibility 888 881 RURO 7876 FDA 2 CFR Parts 11 21 58 210 211 820 PC MAC 301 639 639 5546 cGLP cGMP Good Laboratory Practice and Good Tablet Lasers Practice Smartphone Section 508 Accessibility Guidelines Web based r w eE Mr IR To atory h nfe formation 1 BI a a M Aea bol pus c um y ces j i s DI on para TE tis x EL vinta bale vf tient il om fo r more e ir formation Me 40 xA We om UU sn HEALTH amp SAFETY oe O exa SIT UP STRAIGHT LABORATORY ERGONOMICS PART 1 by Vince McLeod ts just a fact In today s modern laboratory you are going to spend some time using a computer You used to feel good all day long but now you hurt after just a few minutes at the computer You go home each day with a pain 1n your shoulder or neck and perhaps you wake up at night with tingling sensations 1n your wrist or hand What to do You have grant or budget information to enter in spreadsheets you have a stack of standard operating procedure chemical hygiene plan or chemical inventory documents to review and update and it seems you get three e mails for every one you send No matter how you look at it this means hours and hours glued to your keyboard and mouse Read on to learn about office ergonomics and what you can do to minimiz
84. ercome www labmanager com INSIGHTS ON LABORATORY BALANCES serious static issues Balance vendors and third parties sell accessories to eliminate static including charge dis sipation devices and systems that deionize air around the balance Several companies Sartorius included incorpo rate static dissipation 1n some of their balances To move or not to move Because transporting can throw analytical balance instruments out of calibration and balance managers should think twice about moving them Some vendors take a conservative position in spite of increased automation of calibration and leveling I do not recommend moving a balance unless it s absolutely necessary says Andrew Hurdle market manager at Ohaus Parsippany NJ Changes in temperature humidity and air pressure all affect balances What about cleaning up spills Many balances have space between the bottom and the table or benchtop Hurdle suggests using a cloth or towel that fits into that space while disturbing the balance as little as possible And you can always blow away dust and dirt with com pressed lab air But when moving 1s unavoidable Hurdle recommends having an SOP 1n place that covers powering down removing and securing the weighing pan and handling the instrument as gingerly as possible Pick it up from underneath and relocate to where it will not need to be moved again Then recalibrate and level Many balances prominently feat
85. ersonal skills What is more important however is that the technical scientific leadership is not vested in the project leader but changes with the expertise needed at any given time The conundrum of effective teams 1s that one person is the link between the team and the larger part of the organization but that person does not dictate or lead or control the scientific technical work That actually depends on the problem and the technical expertise needed at the time says Sapienza She says that laboratory directors seeking to build effective teams should select leaders who have good interpersonal skills who are capable of coordinating multiple personalities and getting people to agree to work towards a common end Leaders should have the ability to carefully negotiate differences of opinion and work with different individual needs and idiosyncrasies says Sapienza Picking team members is a simpler issue because this entails matching intellectual skills with the requirements of the project but these are still indi viduals who have to be helped to share information in their work and whose assumptions can challenge each other in the best possible way otherwise there will be suboptimal intellectual performance she says She says that this is difficult because people have different perspectives and assumptions which she calls equivocality A good team leader knows that when people nod in agreement about someth
86. es or pitting disappear after taring Worrying about taring vessels is more a question of aesthetics than function observes Gilbert Vial product manager for physical measurement at Shimadzu Scien tific Instruments Columbia MD Almost any noncorrosive cleaner will do for the main bal ance structure and weighing chamber a paper towel wetted with ordinary household surface or glass cleaner usually does the trick But Vial cautions against sprays that might get into crevices or external weighing mechanisms If you remove the pan to clean it or the weighing area make sure to protect the now uncovered area Vial says Clean a bal ance the way you would clean a fine watch A Analytical Balance AUW Shimadzu www ssi shimadzu com Location location location Vendors advise locating balances in quiet temper ature controlled draft free locations but real world laboratories cannot always afford this luxury We very often find balances in clean rooms with laminar flow observes Dirk Ahlbrecht marketing manager for high performance balances and mass comparators at Sartorius G ttingen Germany Vendors must come up with products that serve non ideal conditions Lab Manager December 2014 f T t pi SENI Aj Sh a lai eri i atn Te Lu a mur M rV A Sii i Drafts are a serious issue for both top loaders and ana lytical balances with enclosed weighing compartments The former are generally unpro
87. et e More than 2 000 participants in over 100 countries Extensive distribution network ISO 17025 compliant sigma aldrich com foodpt RTC Environmental PT offer gt ANSI ASQ ACLASS accreditation e ISO IEC 17025 17043 and ISO 9001 compliant Over 20 years operating experience worldwide e Several types of matrices and programs sigma aldrich com proficiencytesting UAA 2014 Sigma Aldrich Co LLC All rights reserved SIGMA ALDRICH is a trademark of Sigma Aldrich Co LLC registered in the US and other countries FAPAS is part of the Food amp Environment Research Agency FERA which is recognized as the world s market leader in the provision of laboratory Proficiency Testing to the Food sector 82764 SIGMA ALDRICH YOU DESERVE A CONTAINMENTUPGRADE You work hard and you deserve an enclosure that works as hards a you do The Leaders in Containment have improved their engineering controls to maximize containment and offer a wide spectrum of standard and custom enclosures to solve your containment needs and give you the best energy savings possible Don t sacrifice any more of your time and hard work Upgrade to HOW SCIENCES WJ The SAF T FLOW t Fume Hood Series CONTACT FLOW SCIENCES TODAY TO SPEAK TO A CONTAINMENT EXPERT ABOUT YOUR APPLICATION 197 FLOW SCIENCES INC Chemical Bulk Transfer Enclosure Glove Box Containment System Process Equipm
88. f the internationally acclaimed organizational design and management expert the late Jay Galbraith who passed away on April 8 2014 If you are working 1n proximity and there are already good relationships a team may be superfluous Whether you are working in proximity or not if relationships are difficult with basic interpersonal problems people are abusive and disrespectful or managers shut down conver sation and discourage candor then forming teams will not provide the solution says Sapienza She says that considerable evidence supports the centrality of interpersonal and cultural issues in team interactions These issues are at the root of whether a number of processes are safe and effective and are cer tainly applicable to whether teams working in a labora tory could attain their objectives Sometimes there is hyperbole that teams are the most effective way to do just about anything but the real question is how to get people to work well together not what the formal structure is called says Sapienza Lab Manager December 2014 COLLABORATION N a 1 a She contends that the language around the team has been applied rather haphazardly The word has started to lose its original denotation it 1s as though a word in by Bernard Tulsi NT microbiology is applied broadly to other situations she says adding that team now essentially connotes people who work well together
89. feet 1s recommend ed fireproof partitions or approved storage units Because they conduct electricity metal cylinders must be kept away from electrical circuits open flame sparks etc Never place a cylinder close to an electrical conductor such as metal pipes that could accidentally carry current Storing cylinders in areas that exceed 130 F 54 C violates Department of Transportation regulations Gas expands when heated and increases pressure in the cylin der increasing the risk of explosion Tanks should not be stored in direct sunlight Personnel sometimes overlook the fact that direct sunlight can increase temperatures in storage areas to well above 100 F a potentially danger ous situation if compressed gas cylinders are stored there As during transportation compressed gas cylinders must be stored in an upright position Don t store tanks on gas carts and do not strap cylinders together Secure each tank with a chain strap or bracket to a stationary surface such as a bench or wall Two straps one at about one third of the cylinder height and the other at two thirds of the cylinder height are recommended to keep the tank from tipping or sliding When cylinders are empty mark them as empty and arrange for the supplier to pick them up Cylinders that contain safe to breathe gases like oxygen nitrogen and argon may be vented to allow residual gas to escape If you choose to vent the residual gas please consult
90. flowers with such phrases as My characters just won t do what I want them to Stephen King 1s a genius 1n the written world of strangeness His quirk He never quits working everyday including holidays and birthdays until he reaches his quota of 2 000 words As you can see the best perform ers are considered abnormal In fact each of these and many other non conformists were at first considered crazy until they were successful Then they were geniuses The key to an outstandingly successful lab is simply the art of thinking differ ently By today s standards many of these individuals would be diag nosed with a mental illness If this is the case they took mental illness and made it mental skzllness The two most important days in your life are first the day you were born and second the day you find out why As Mark Twain is quoted as saying Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn t do than by the things you did do Do you think you might want to consider being a little more crazy Howard Manns is a professional speaker trainer and author living in Pittsburgh PA To contact him call 412 855 0619 Be sure to attend Howard Manns Lab Manager Academy webinar Success amp Lunacy What s the Connection on Wednesday to watch the archived video LABCAST December 2014 Lab Manager January 7th or afterward at www labmanager com Thermo SCIENT
91. gh level of process security and assists users E ES to meet the highest quality assurance demands ty Software also guarantees process efficiency and manages measurement uncertainty METTLER TOLEDO www mt com Tube Code Reading software Tracxer v2 2 6 2015 BOOTH 218 e Fully compatible with all Micronic tube scanners New user friendly software is easy to install gives reliable code readings and can be smoothly integrated into any laboratory sample database New features come at no extra cost with the software and include Active tool kt inel single tube reading functionality and easy configuration of different storage rack formats Micronic www micronic com LC MS Software Package QuantAnalytics This LC MS MS data tool is designed for the pain management and clinical markets Increases the speed and efficiency of data processing E oe and review by allowing users to highlight and review results that are of specific importance to clinicians Allows analysts to filter results by group or based on a dinician s orders Shimadzu www ssi shimadzu com Lab Manager December 2014 Multi Label Microplate Reader TriStar S e Now includes monochromator technology e Capable of UV VIS absorbance fluorescence FRET time resolved fluorescence luminescence BRET and BRET2 e Employs the new patent pending optical concept ALL 4 ONE which enables luminescence fluorescence and absorbance measurements wi
92. gs labs must be prepared to demonstrate quality back to their suppliers Myers believes that the most effective way to assure gas quality with a minimum of documentation and validation effort 1s to generate routine lab gases like zero grade air nitrogen and hydrogen at the point of use A periodic calibration and quality check which is part of most on site generator contracts satisfies the need to document purity Managers need to trace the quality of gases delivered through conventional tanks by the tank Gas suppliers will provide a certificate of purity but these must be individually entered into compliance or quality records If you have twenty cylinders you need twenty certificates Myers says Parker provides gas generator certification through Mettler Toledo Every vendor of on site generators provides the advantages of very high purity gas especially hydrogen safer operation minus heavy tanks no need to switch out tanks and a return on investment ranging from one and a half to three years On purity and composition Specialty gas requirements among industries differ more in terms of composition than purity cylinder type e g materials of construction lining or delivery system valves regulators The former are specified by the instrument or protocol while the latter are standardized by the gas industry Vendors denominate purity of pure gases as a percentage say 99 999995 while composition for gas mixtu
93. h a technology called single cell amplified genomes SAGs you can sort bacterial or viral cells from their environment isolate one cell and then sequence the genome of that cell directly without having to grow it on a plate We can culture only about 0 1 of all the microbes out there So if we have to grow a cell in order to sequence it then we can study only a very small portion of the microbial diversity that exists With technologies like this we can study the microbes that occur naturally in an environ ment and not just the ones that can be grown in culture or are pathogens Q Have you taken advantage of all the lab automation that s now available A We don t do a lot of high through put work and hence we do not have robotic systems in place We do have one project where we have to collect thousands of samples and we are thinking about ways to process the samples if we get about 1 200 samples every couple of weeks We could use robotics but the first step still has to be done manually We are still starting with a sample in a bag that needs to be dissolved in a buffer and moved to a plate So we are limited by the steps that can be automated Q Have there been any improvements in the options for sample collection and storage A Sample collection is still the same whether you are working on a ship or in the field However there have been some nice advances for organiz ing the samples in our freezers once
94. h res images of even the biggest gels and blots as well as tricky applications such as stain free protein gel imaging Syngene www syngene com SUPPLIES amp CONSUMABLES Single Use QC Standards ATCC Minis e Support quality control QC testing in pharmaceutical and industrial labs e High quality strains are now provided in a ready to use mini cryovial format to meet users requirements e ATCC has created single use glycerol stocks so users can validate their QC work quickly and efficiently without the tisk of cross contamination during banking techniques ATCC 96 Well Plate Seal Slit Seal Self closing seal helps users avoid sample evaporation and cross contamination Pre cut slits open easily and PET layer reduces friction for easy handling Easy to insert pipette tips Does not have adhesive on well spots After 22 hours 95 of 150 Lil water will remain at 37 C After 22 hours 95 of 150 Lil of ACN will remain at 4 C Eicom USA www eicom usa com December 2014 Lab Manager 75 MAINTENANCE MATTERS 76 COLD STORAGE FROST FILTERS AND VOLTAGE ARE THE MAIN THINGS TO WATCH emoving frost regularly 1s critical 1n laboratory freezer and fridge maintenance For home fridges it s not something that people are concerned with but for cold storage freezers removing the frost is important because it will affect uniformity energy consumption and possibly product viability long term if users
95. he firing process recommends ending on a positive note and providing any career advice you can along with references unless the employee was especially awful The Burroughs Well come Fund Howard Hughes Medical Institute book Making the Right Moves A Practical Guide to Scientific Man agement for Postdocs and New Faculty Second Edition points out that the world of science is a small one therefore it s likely you could end up working with that employee again in the future Being kind 1s wise for that reason It would not be appropriate to fire someone without telling them why they are being terminated While it s important to tell staff why they are being fired it s equally important to keep it brief so that the meeting doesn t turn into an argument or blame game or give the employee any false hope that they can keep their job Making the Right Moves says developing a script for this conversation is a good way to stay on track and avoid rambling Creating a checklist with the help of HR can also help ensure that you don t miss any steps such as informing the employee about what severance they will receive from your company You may also want to have a witness perhaps someone from HR during this process both for legal and security reasons especially if you think the employee could get aggressive There are differing opinions on when in the week you should fire someone Ennico suggests doing it early in the week so that
96. he grid does not have to be used as a template In the situation of beer production for example the scheduled collection of samples may vary depending on the type of beer being produced So in that scenario a user enters all of the information about the samples being collected and also enters specific scheduled collection dates The user then registers all of the scheduled samples into the LIMS for future collection Alternatively in the situation where templates of data are recorded the Matrix Scheduler tool may be used in conjunction with the Bulk Sample Registration templates to automate login of samples Scheduler allows the scheduling of tasks based on specific dates or dates built from the Lab Manager December 2014 GadColuma Collection Edito v edem Members include properbes Li Ma 2 Batch Code 4 G Bulk sample regetratan Ti Gawd egia L l LackupColumn di Gubu LeckuelD 5 Substance Face Fase amp Testa Posse Ee Ei Msc TU Field include Panini include Mata ya crm Cre zn ilt Maia lata M wx berecters D With 2500 iid Remove OK Cancel Bulk Sample Registration classifiers of years months weeks and days together with times One example might be 14 30 on the third Thursday of January March and September The module also allows non working dates i e weekends and public holidays to be programmed in with the option to include or exclude tasks that would be scheduled to occur dur
97. her labs the chemists receive training specific to what their role will be www labmanager com Adventurer Analytical and Precision Balances NA i i ADVENTURER READY FOR YOUR LAB WHEREVER THAT MAY BE is i A 7 F d ih 9 iff 7 if 7 ily d The all new Adventurer was carefully designed to meet your needs anywhere in the world from your main facility to remote and field labs across the globe e Superior weighing performance with amazing accuracy and fast stabilization time for prompt results Large 4 3 color touchscreen is easy to read and navigate through balance menus and settings Versatile connectivity with standard RS232 and two USB ports e New space saving draftshield design to maximize workspace Learn more online at www ohaus com adventurer ohaus com facebook com ohauscorp youtube com ohauschannel twitter com ohaus_corp Ingeniously Practical OHAUS PLT Pipette leak tester IS YOUR PIPETTE LEAKING The most frequent cause of inaccuracy in air displace ment pipettes is leakage The BRAND PLT Pipette Leak Tester detects even the small est leaks quickly and easily Works with all pipettes BRANDTECHI SCIENTIFIC INC www brandtech com PERSPECTIVE ON A FOOD AND BEVERAGE LAB If they re doing testing for say fat content in ground beef samples then they would be trained on that method and that training would come from a
98. hould help if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation where you need to fire someone Step one Inform First of all employees should always be given a chance to correct any performance problems before they are fired both for legal reasons and out of fairness un less the infraction is so terrible that they need to be let go immediately Managers should first meet one on one with the employee to discuss the reasons why they are unhappy with the worker s performance presenting a clear plan to fix those issues Cliff Ennico a columnist Lab Manager December 2014 f V p im l 4 4 f ti 1 1 Y 1 FIRING LINE WITH PROPER PLANNING THE TOUGH TASK OF TERMINATING AN EMPLOYEE BECOMES A LITTLE EASIER by Rachel Muenz SN and author of several books focusing on small business recommends in an Entrepreneur article that managers create a list of things they are unhappy with in that em ployee s performance so the person knows exactly what needs to be rectified When raising performance issues with a staff member he says Do not allow the employee to drag you into a discussion that focuses on anything other than what you ve just covered For personnel in the laboratory environment in par ticular offering employees additional help or training with scientific techniques they may be having trouble with should be the first step before considering termina tion Everyone learns at a different pace a
99. how quickly corrections must take place Frequent nonspecific warnings may eventually be overlooked or worse simply add to unwanted annoying noise With LabAlert managers can specifically target the key people that need to respond to an emergency Users can adjust the signals they receive as the experiment changes or depending on who 1s on hand to help Alarms are programmed according to urgency a few beeps if temperatures dip or a phone call if equipment is failing Once alerted real time data availability provides the full story allowing scientists to see that for example equipment is naturally recovering and the only action required is for them to go back to sleep Sometimes the alarm will correspond to rapidly deteriorating equipment but caught early enough scientists can act before samples are damaged Mistakes and equipment failures are always a consideration The variable 1s how adequately your alarm systems provide backup A comprehensive monitoring system can catch and prevent specimen damage while providing regulatory data that proves cell viability was never lost Learn more about LabAlert at www labalert com With its customizable dashboard Panasonic Healthcare s LabAlert Monitoring System is easy to access and intuitive to use keeping scientists in sync with their samples in the lab December 2014 Lab Manager 79 HOW IT WORKS MEASURING CELL METABOLISM Problem At the crossr
100. hy the SOP author selected that particular timeframe and what events might serve as reasonable triggers for cleaning www labmanager com Thermo SCIENTIFIC A Thermo Fisher Scientific Brand ES EN Designed to achieve The new Thermo Scientific Heracell VIOS CO incubator series represents a new era in incubator design delivering performance ease of operation and value required to support a range of culturing needs from basic research to demanding leading edge applications By combining our latest technology advancements in contamination control and uniform growth conditions with existing proven and reliable features you are h e earn more at thermoscientific com heracellvios now able to achieve your goals faster more reliably and with less effort r next breakthr 14 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc All rights reserved All trademarks are roperty of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc and its subsidiaries PRODUCT FOCUS CO INCUBATORS Every organization has its own SOPs Universities pharmaceutical companies and lab directors use their own or protocols that have been handed down or provided by vendors But in too many instances SOPs are not applicable to real world operation They re written by people who know what they re doing for individuals who believe they do not need to know why the SOP asks for a certain cleaning timeframe Ross says Most lab managers would agree for example that a
101. icipate the need to control oxygen or humidity plan accordingly Cost of ownership is another factor to consider Many incubators feature some sort of automated or semi automated cleaning system but associated energy and material costs may vary significantly Cleaning that is cost effective when conducted every three months may not be so on an every two weeks cleaning regimen Finally to save time and effort Philip recommends conducting an initial evaluation online So much information is available these days Take twenty minutes to read it and compare what different vendors have to offer Angelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton NF You can reach him at angelo adepalma com FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON CO INCUBATORS INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS VISIT WWW LABMANAGER COM INCUBATORS 54 Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON PORTABLE GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS VISIT WWW LABMANAGER COM GC CAPABILITY WITH TRADEOFFS by Angelo DePalma PhD p ortable gas chromatography pGC is all about tradeoffs Users demand value reliability ease of use ergonomics and measurement quality but with analysis limited to gases Field worthy GC must be accessible at the technician level and eminently portable Units tend to be battery powered with adequate data systems and good communication capabilities Detection
102. ield The field is now cross disciplinary in nature Lab Manager HI H AUTOMATING YOUR LAB Automation can improve the efficiency of a lab and more but figuring out how to best integrate sophisticated machines into a lab s workflow creates the challenge When going automated lab managers should e Know exactly what goals they wish to accomplish e Find out where automation will bring the most value to the lab Consider not only the initial costs but ongoing maintenance and service costs e Explore as many options as possible to ensure the right choice is made PERSPECTIVE ON A FOOD amp BEVERAGE LAB As part of the laboratory services division of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food UDAF staff members act as gatekeepers for the safety and quality of food in the state UDAF laboratory direc tor and State Chemist Dr Weston Judd discusses e The challenges and benefits of having a diverse team e How cross training has helped boost teamwork Dealing with new methods and government regulations The lab division s need for more space www labmanager com Her safety depends on us Proficiency Testing PT Schemes from Sigma Aldrich Be confident in the results demanded by your customers by participating in PT studies We offer both FAPAS and RTC schemes FAPAS Food PT Offer Available to U S customers only Largest and most comprehensive PT schemes on the mark
103. imony electrode method 1 Nearly 22 of respondents plan on purchasing a pH meter in the next year The reasons for these purchases are as follows E Replacement of an aging system 65 MM Addition to existing systems increase capacity 23 BE Setting up a new lab 7 M First time purchase of a pH meter 196 Other 496 gt For more information on pH meters including useful articles and a list of manufacturers visit www labmanager com ph meters December 2014 Lab Manager 65 66 INSIGHTS ON LABORATORY BALANCES ile il i Li h Ta i T I oae pars n d te Y a Fia E 4 L i id 1 d HA l L 3 mi i i A a N eli i 1 LU Ld f a 1 E 1 r w 1 pu pe i Im 2 ul Br T j j a a 7 i I 1 Ct r k PETRY 1 m L E 4 1 A I ii i ar aa EFL ER d 3 F fal 1 H H 221 i sd i Pp e ii iiid idm ai D a a x dig IN d iub re si i fi Miu Fk ay M ni a by Angelo DePalma PhD 2 es d d Ti Leo Else v oc Lula zd T ahi NIIT uii IF are and mainte nance practices for laboratory balances range from the sublimely simple to concerns about gravitational forces At the simple end cleaning balances requires little more than common sense Taring vessels usually stainless steel or glass can go into the dishwasher or a dedicated cleaning tub No special care need be taken as even mate rial losses due to scratch
104. in free Position Posture The goal here 1s to achieve a balanced and neutral posi tion Neutral 1s typically thought of as the midpoint of range of motion for most joints e g your wrists should be nearly straight in both the up down and side to side axis your upper arm should hang comfortably from the shoulder your back and neck should be straight and not twisted or bent Balanced in the ergonomic sense 1s when a posture or position 1s such that one does not have to fight much gravity to maintain that posture or position Let s look at some of the most common position related complaints we see These are often the easiest to correct and implementing changes can produce very dramatic improvements in one s level of discomfort in a relatively short timeframe www labmanager com HEALTH amp SAFETY A SOCOREX SWISS Acura 826XS Micropipettes Neck pain Your head weighs about as much as a bowling ball Holding a bowl l l ing ball straight upright while resting your elbow on a table takes some e Durable lightweight effort Now visualize that you are balancing a bowling ball your head and comfortable on a cylinder your neck If you begin to tip the cylinder it becomes sr harder and ane to ar ball When you H upright and are e Adjustable tip ejector looking directly ahead your skeletal structure supports most of the accommodates most weight if you deviate from a vertical position your muscles mus
105. ing they may have different perspectives about what that really is Thinking through that and moving the team toward the project s goals is a key first step for the leader Wei Zheng associate professor of management Department of Management and Marketing Uni versity of Wisconsin River Falls says teams provide a range of benefits in laboratory and research set tings by broadening the perspective and harnessing a larger knowledge base and experiences to chase the same goal Teams represent a clever approach to pursue key objectives The leader is the most instrumental factor in whether a team functions well or 1s dysfunctional Poorly functioning teams usually reflect the leader s BUILDING A DREAM TEAM inability to engender trust among the members These teams are often obstructed by fear of conflict among noncommittal members who avoid owner ship and accountability and who are indifferent to the project s outcomes In contrast leaders of effec tive teams cultivate trust among members focus on successful conflict resolution challenge members to assume responsibility and encourage ownership and commitment to the project s goals and objectives In a speech in the audio conference Best Practices for Motivating Scientists reported in the 2010 issue of Principal Investigator Advisor Prof Alice Sapienza noted that leaders can hone their own leadership skills via self reflection the leader
106. ing these periods Matrix Scheduler runs as a service so that even if a user logs off their PC the schedule is still executed Scheduler is fully audit trailed allowing all changes made to a schedule to be seen and reviewed In addition to scheduling registration of samples Matrix Scheduler can also schedule the creation of reports This too is very useful in automation of laboratory functions For example every morning each person in the lab may have an incomplete samples list automatically emailed to them directly before they begin their work day Or perhaps a plant manager could receive a list of failing results as a PDF on their desktop at 1 00 AM Monday through Friday For more information visit www autoscribeinformatics com lims tracking additionalmodules www labmanager com HOW IT WORKS A WEB BASED 24 7 MONITORING SYSTEM Problem At this very moment across the United States thousands of digital eyes watch over laboratory equipment It s nothing scary it s the way we protect fragile samples from being damaged or destroyed From facilities stocked with vaccines for the flu season ahead to embryos frozen for future fertility treatments life and livelihoods are literally on the line For this reason laboratories use continuous monitoring systems to closely watch over the environment of their specimens during experimental growth and storage phases Monitoring software continuously scans variables includi
107. ing up multiwell plates and switching back and forth between different pipettes the skins help to easily identify which pipette you are using We also have multiple sets of single channel pipettes but the skins help differentiate among the applications the pipettes are meant to be used for Carlson says Customizing the control Personalized pipetting also involves how a scientist controls it such as the customization available with the PIPETMAN from Gilson Middleton WI As Thierry Barthlen Gilson product group manager says To better control and adapt the pipettes to different applications Gilson offers pipette settings that enable PIPETMAN users to personalize the pipette Plus says Barthlen Selecting the tip ejector material body shape and tip ejector position allows basic customization The ability to customize a PIPETMAN will soon expand even more To express individuality and let pipette users make this everyday tool truly personal Gilson is developing a new accessory to enhance ergonomics and let pipette users create their own personal touches on their pipettes with customizable photos required service dates slogans mottos and so on says Barthlen Tools like these personalize pipetting and make science more fun and effective Mike May is a freelance writer and editor living in Ohio You may reach him at mike techtyper com December 2014 Sillidid Lab Manager 49 PRODUCT FOCUS CHI
108. ion you ll increase your com pany s brand visibility and position your workers to want to continue be ing successful in the face of adversity Mark Lanfear is a global practice leader for the life science vertical at Kelly Ser vices a leader in providing workforce solutions He has operated clinical trials around the world for almost two decades In addition Mark is a featured speaker at many life science industry conferences and a writer for life science periodicals He can be reached at MARL773 kellyservices com or 248 244 4361 LIQUID DISINFECTANTS USED FOR WATER BATH MAINTENANCE ARE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT HIGHLY RECYLLABLE Laz ARMOR BEADS ARE FORMED FROM ULTRA PURE RECYCLABLE MATERIAL ENERGY EFFICIENT A BEAD BATH USES 4X LESS ENERGY WHEN SET TO 65 C AND OVER 2X LESS ENERGY AT 37 DC COMPARED TO A WATER BATH LaD ARMOR wwW LABARM OR cCOM BATHS ARE BETTER WATERLESS 800 227 1410 TWITTER MLABARMOR 30 TECHNOLOGY HOW TO GET THE GREATEST BENEFITS OF AUTOMATION AND STILL MEET YOUR BUDGET By Mike May PhD magical as if a sophisticated machine here or there makes a lab run by itself Indeed automation can improve the efficiency of a lab and more but figuring out the best here or there creates the challenge Likewise getting the most from automation depends largely on the specific application Nonetheless some general planning helps in almost any approach to aut
109. ion 12 Regulatory management 10 Invoicing 7 Chemical inventory 7 Other 1 Nearly 24 of respondents plan on purchasing a LIMS in the next year The reasons for these purchases are as follows E Upgrading existing LIMS 24 Workflow automation 17 MM Sample management 11 M Setting up a new lab 1096 B QC 1096 M Addition to existing systems increase capacity 8 M Regulatory management 6 User reporting 2 M Web based access 2 E Other 1096 ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A LABORATORY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM Tes o EU toto COR QUIC Vee A Laboratory Information Management System LIMS serves as the interface to a laboratory s data instruments analyses and reports For many analytical laboratories a LIMS is an important investment that assists management in evaluating the efficiency of the laboratory s operations and reducing costs TOP 5 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying a LIMS Why does your organization need a LIMS You and your staff should come up with a cost benefit list to help you decide if a LIMS is worth investing in N What are your current user requirements and how do you expect those to change five to ten years down the road Make a list If you expect your needs to change a flexible LIMS is likely a good choice Requirements can include labeling sample registration etc Do you need a consultant to help you decide whether a LIMS is a good fit for you or n
110. ion process in many ways including equipment failures human error poor environmental or site specific conditions as well as the use of non conforming materials A LIMS can play a role in preventing all of these hazards When a LIMS is integrated with all laboratory instrumentation it can provide automated maintenance reminders for those instruments to relevant staff members in the lab In addition to maintenance records detailed operator competency and training records are stored so that management can verify whether staff have received the appro priate training and so that untrained person nel are prevented from performing critical tests and procedures This safeguard will be particularly important if the organization is audited for any reason or has to deliver reports proving full traceability of processes and materials to a regulatory agency Finally a LIMS can be used to monitor the quality of raw and process materials as they pass through quality checks during processing helping manufacturers detect non conforming materials as early as pos sible ideally before they leave the facility 3 Monitoring Controls The hazard points identified in the first two steps require regular monitoring as a result they generate significant amounts of data Using a LIMS food safety professionals can schedule measurements apply control limits set alerts and analyze data for each control point in the facility sampling p
111. ions of advanced fluids don t forget an obvious choice water As Hardy says Water is exceptionally good stuff Use it when you can Many scientists agree Hardy says A lot of people up to half of the people using lab chillers to cool down glassware just use water This fluid is not toxic and not flammable You might grow some algae in it Hardy says but that s about it PRODUCT FOCUS CHILLERS Other experts agree that many scientists still like to use water in chillers For example Diener says Lots of people want to use water as much as possible because of expense He does add though that growing algae can hurt the equipment Up to half of the people using lab chillers to cool down glassware just use water Old school though is not always the best especially when it comes to heat capacity Water requires the most energy to change its temperature compared with a water antifreeze mixture or silicone oil In general a water antifreeze mixture requires about 10 percent less energy to change its temperature than water does and silicone oil takes even less energy only about 50 percent as much as water In many cases researchers select the fluid says Hardy not so much on the temperature range but on the amount of heat it will extract So when it comes to keeping lab processes cooled off just right the fluid might matter more or less than some researchers envision For ma
112. it LaPorte says Strange noises vibrations or alarms going off are signs you should probably inspect your unit However LaPorte cautions that it s not a good idea to wait for some alarms to go off before doing maintenance i lis Understanding what all of the alarms and indicators on your fridge or freezer mean is critical for proper maintenance Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com A lot of equipment including ours has a filter sensor on it but that filter sensor really 1sn t an indication that ou should clean your filter he explains It s more of y y p an indication that it s gotten to such a severe level that you really need to address it now e Ask about the technician s installation methods For that hould mak th der l l or that reason users should make sure they under Make sure you find out how much time will be spent when technicians make a D maintenance call as this accounts for a with technical support Fallacara adds that in addition large portion of the cost to those resources the freezer engineer can be a good stand what all of the indicators and alarms on their unit mean by reading the user s manual and consulting e What is the response time when an source of education for users at the time of installation emergency repair call is made and the Internet 1s always useful Are backup units available if repairs In the end following
113. itor in Chief 8 Lab Manager December 2014 eppendorf The new Eppendorf epMotion 96 is a gt 0 5 to 300 uL with one system semi automated electronic pipette for gt Auto detect function for tip size high precision pipetting in 96 and gt Intuitive and industry proven 384 well plates Without changes to software concept and convenient the system a large volume range of touch screen 0 5 to 300 uL can be used Its intuitive Intelligent preset applications handling makes it a great tool for aspiration dilution multi dispense anyone in the lab pipette and mix www eppendorfna com automation 800 645 3050 031 A1 0131 A O 2014 Eppendorf AG 10 BUILDING A DREAM TEAM a B ildin P CESS DEPENDS UPON LEADERSHIP TRUST T 66 e will put our best team on this one is a common refrain in many circles and is regularly heard in laboratories as directors seek to reassure customers and other stakeholders about de livering accurate and reliable results by deadlines In many settings sometimes with good reason the use of teams has emerged as an answer to both routine and critical questions But teams may not always be the optimal answer ac cording to Alice Sapienza Professor Emerita at Simmons School of Management in Boston There are certain conditions in which teams are highly efficient and others in which they are not she says referencing the seminal work o
114. kplace shift 1s a healthy way to address the elephant in the room You may find that this 1s all you and your team need to help start getting everything back on track In the long term it s imperative that you show genuine interest in the success and development of tal ented professionals who will now be asked to redouble their efforts Hopefully you ve been doing a bit of this all along But after a layoff or other major workforce shift this is an even more essential factor as it will raise engagement levels and possibly even lead to innovation if ELIMINATES BIOCIDES you are willing to allow employ ees to be creative and stretch their skills In the shadow of losing some of your critical human capital the challenge of leadership will be to ignite a community of productivity and continue to set positive goals Finally as time goes on and things have gotten back to normal it s im portant to take tangible steps to cul tivate the change management envi ronment In our globalized economy change is the normal and steady march toward innovation The old adage of knowledge being power still rings true so keep your col leagues informed of strategic goals and how these can affect them and their futures Because of many of the drivers men tioned in today s economy turnover on the Job is an expected part our working lives If you can manage change while focusing on maintain ing your professionalism and com pass
115. lans for control points can be managed as a group which means that producers can use a consistent protocol for each type of product moving through the facility This capability allows management to compare data from one batch to those from another All data generated by process monitoring is stored in a relational data base and can be presented in the way that s most useful to each user including graphs real time alert messages and process map overlays 4 Maintaining Records Food safety regulations require extensive record keeping for use in regular compliance audits A LIMS greatly simplifies the process of record keeping and retrieval by enabling entirely paperless data collection and report ing All records stored within the LIMS are searchable secure and authenticated by electronic signatures and audit trails Colin Thurston is Project Manager Informatics Thermo Fisher Scientific making audits much easier by capturing and organizing all data necessary to demon strate compliance and producing it in report formats either required or easily recognized by auditors or regulatory authorities 5 Specifying Corrective Actions When a food safety incident occurs clearly defined corrective actions developed in advance must be known by all relevant staff The records housed within a LIMS play an important role here by analyzing the data pertaining to the affected batch food pro ducers can know in real time the
116. lide i up and down enabling quick positioning rapid sample change and improved laboratory efficiency Especially suited for lab environments with multiple operators and those with frequent testing needs Supplied automatically for customers who order DV3T Extra theometer or DV2T Extra viscometer Brookfield Engineering www brookfieldengineering com Laboratory Circulators MPC MPC circulators have been replaced with improved models Now feature a redesigned front and are equipped with an RS232 interface as a standard feature Improved temperature indication of the MPC models provides a continuous resolution of 0 1 C across the entire temperature range Easy to operate and are filled with natural refrigerant as a standard Huber www huber online com Hand Held Digital Thermometers 1000 Series e Offer speed accuracy and performance at an affordable price e Simple fast reliable operation provides precise stable readings in even the harshest environments A choice of thermocouples is available thermistors for lower food safe temperatures T type 250 to 400 degrees and K type 200 to 600 degrees for the more extreme heat generated by industrial applications enabling an extensive range of temperatures to be measured oa 1 r i Digitron www digitron com Concentrator BioChromato Smart Evaporator e Compact sized concentrator is easier and faster to set up than a rotary evaporator Loss of s
117. lt or fall over Carts should always be used to move cylinders even for short distances Even though they seem sturdy and safe cylinders should always be handled carefully without hurry Cylin ders that are dropped or strike other tanks or hard surfac es could explode causing serious damage or even death Never drag cylinders or roll them horizontally Never lift a cylinder by the cylinder cap or by using magnets If a cylinder must be moved manually tilt it slightly sideways and roll it carefully along its bottom edge maintaining good grip Be sure the path of travel is clear of obstacles use a spotter if needed for negotiating ramps or lift gates www labmanager com Together we can find the way to a cylinder less lab Together we can help you make the switch to hydrogen as a carrier gas Eliminate the cost danger and inconvenience of gas cylinders Our team of application experts are ready to help you navigate this process Helium is a non renewable natural resource that should be conserved Scan this QR code or go to http solutions parker com nomorehelium to n download our step by step guide on how to convert from helium to hydrogen as a Carrier gas ENGINEERING YOUR SUCCESS Balston Parker Hannifin Filtration amp Separation Division 1 800 343 4048 U S and Canada 978 858 0505 local 46 HEALTH amp SAFETY Caps valves and regulators Cap all cylinders when not in use this protec
118. ly imagi native and creative a clothes pin is an airplane a box 1s a play station A child 1s just as excited to play with the wrapping paper as they are to play with the gift that s inside That is until we as adults begin to give Unity Lab Services Part of Thermo Fisher Scientific IF NOT YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER IT By Howard Manns meaning to the world around them A meaning laced with our belief system formulated through the years So why crazy John Lennon one of the crazies who held on to that creativity said that his mother al ways told him that happiness was the key to life When he went to school they asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up He wrote down happy They told him he didn t understand the assignment At a young age he told them they didn t understand life Some other crazy people Beethoven another musical genius always carried a pencil and music pa per Not that crazy right But one of his daily habits was to count the coffee beans for his morning coffee A total of 60 beans no more and no less Charles Dickens responsible for so many whimsical stories would walk to the local grocery store and was always seen running back to his of fice with his groceries clutched to his chest Why Because his characters were chasing him L Frank Baum creator of the time less The Wizard of Oz had a passion for gardening He was often heard by his wife and staff talking to his
119. mix of 20 percent antifreeze and 80 percent water to reach 4 degrees Celsius In addition to being readily available and inexpensive a water antifreeze mixture 1s not flammable Two extremes In applications that take more chilling scientists often select a more sophisticated fluid such as silicone oil Hardy says that most chillers will work with a water antifreeze combination or silicone oil For example some researchers prefer a low viscosity silicone oil such as a pure silicone fluid called 3 cSt even for temperatures down to 60 degrees Celsius The viscosity has to be low enough to pump the oil through the chiller For many silicone oils the viscosity 1s too high for pumping at low temperatures Scientists however pick among more than just antifreeze and silicone One kind of fluid can even come in many forms For example Diener says Most of our products cover wide temperature extremes so lots of our fluids are silicone based and there 1s a myriad of them to choose from He adds They have a very long lifecycle if not used at the top of their temperature range At low temperatures flammability is no concern for silicone oll but it can be a worry at high temperatures beyond those demanded of a chiller though It s a double edged sword says Diener because you need a fluid that is pumpable but that constrains the flash point to a high point for safety Ups and downs of old school Despite the opt
120. n day laboratory Known for our vast array of centrifugation prod ucts Hettich delivers on quality safety and reliability Our engineering and manufacturing capability is showcased in both our standard and customized product solutions We focus on our customers their requirements and en vironmental responsibility Hettich Lab Technol ogy proven for more than 100 years HETTICH UNIVERSAL 320 Uda zt Fal E a LAB TECHNOLOGY Email info hettweb com Toll Free 1 866 370 4388 www hettweb com laboratory December 2014 Lab Manager PROFILES MARKETPLACE 88 JACK OF ALL TRADES CT3 TEXTURE ANALYZER Brooktield s all in one tester for physical properties of foods gives you maximum capability Look at all the possibilities when you need to test bread for springiness snap a cracker for crispiness evaluate a noodle for flexibility poke fruit for ripeness slice meat or fish for tenderness cut cheese or butter for stickiness measure pasta for firmness etc The list is endless Contact Brookfield Engineering Laboratories Inc Eric Chiang Product Manager Texture Analyzers e chiang brooktieldengineering com www brookfieldengineering com BROOKFIELD eT INTERNATIONAL MAS ACCREDITATION SERVICE i Leading Accreditors Since 1975 Accrediting Test Labs Rapid Scheduling and Assessments to ISO IEC 17025 www iasonline org LM ILAC Signatory Testing Calibration Inspection Lab Manager Dec
121. n this one 1s a common refrain in many circles and 1s regularly heard in laboratories as directors seek to reassure customers and other stakeholders about deliv ering accurate and reliable results by deadlines The success of any team depends upon 90 e Having a strong leader e Building trust Enabling collaboration e Effective communication between group members MEETS ne ed Ta umm ME _ THE FIRING LINE No matter what the reason whether because of an economic down turn or poor work performance firing someone is never pleasant However having a plan in place can help make firing someone a little easier Key steps of that plan should include e Informing the employee why you aren t happy with their performance e Clearly communicating what you want the staff member to work on e Following up with the employee on how well they are addressing your concerns Firing the employee if they have not shown satisfactory improvement ASK THE EXPERT TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY Linda Wegley Kelly PhD a marine microbial ecologist in the Depart ment of Biology at San Diego State University and Forest Rohwer a professor in the department discuss what has changed in microbiol ogy over the past decade Key changes include Genomic and sequencing technologies are cheaper and easier to use e Volume of data is the latest challenge e Better sample organization and the ability to analyze samples in the f
122. nd antifreeze the same antifreeze that you put in your car He adds That is by far the most common fluid 1n recirculating chillers for use below 5 degrees Celsius It s very cheap very affordable Not all chiller manufacturers though supply fluids For example Hardy says We don t have fluids that we December 2014 buy 1n and we don t try to sell customers expensive fluids He adds We just recommend some readily available fluids that you can use throughout the temperature range Typically an antifreeze mixture covers a temperature range of 40 to 30 50 degrees Celsius This simple mixture can be adjusted for lower temperatures by increasing the amount of antifreeze For example a 50 50 ratio of water to antifreeze works for about 30 to 70 degrees Celsius according to Hardy He adds If you go down just below zero say 10 you can get away with 20 percent antifreeze and 80 percent water Scientists at Cyprotex US in Watertown Massachusetts test compounds especially pharmaceuticals for ADME Tox adsorption distribution metabolism and excretion ADME plus toxicology properties According to Manpreet Virk associate scientist at Cyprotex US We do a six time point Metabolic Stability assay which quenches the time point plates www labmanager com with a quenching solution but we also need chillers to cool the beds on which we keep our plates To keep those cool Virk says We use a
123. nd should be given a chance to be successful It s also wise to take into account any problems outside the workplace that may be negatively impacting an employee s performance such as an illness 1n the family or other personal issues Discussing these issues with the employee especially 1f they are a worker who normally does an outstanding job 1s important 1n order to give them a chance to recover their past level of work Keeping a written record of the employee s performance over an extended period of time as well as your plan for improving their work 1s also necessary so that they can t come back with a wrongful dismissal suit If an employee has done such a poor job that they need to be fired outright the reasons why should always be clearly explained It would not be appropriate to fire someone without telling them why they are being terminated and why they are not being offered the chance to improve their performance and also in some cases why they would not be receiving letters of recommendation Niven says www labmanager com Her safety depends on us Proficiency Testing PT Schemes from Sigma Aldrich Be confident in the results demanded by your customers by participating in PT studies We offer both FAPAS and RTC schemes FAPAS Food PT Offer Available to U S customers only Largest and most comprehensive PT schemes on the market e More than 2 000 participants in over 100 countries Exte
124. ng labs in Utah Those other labs also test milk products and milk samples so that we re not overwhelmed here Judd says If we had to test all of those it would just be an overwhelming number so those other labs help that way Lab Manager December 2014 He adds that some of the dairy lab s microbiologists are certified by the FDA as laboratory evaluation officers and audit those other labs for FDA certification As for the feed and fertilizer lab as its name suggests it tackles the testing of fertilizer and animal feed products mostly for label compliance ensuring that fertilizers have the components listed on the label and that the protein fat and fiber content listed on feed labels are actually in the products There are always unexpected things that happen in any lab The division s meat testing lab is part of a state program Compliance officers collect samples from grocery and other food stores to test for label compliance and for fat and moisture content The lab is also part of the Food Safety and Inspection Service program run by the U S Department of Agriculture We test for the presence of pathogenic bacteria in meat samples that come from meat plants throughout the state of Utah Judd says adding that they mainly test for F coli 0157 H7 Salmonella Listeria and non O157 H7 E coli STEC They recently started testing samples from Montana as well www labmanager com e F m
125. ng temperature pressure and CO levels as well as the power and health of storage equipment motors All data is stored for ongoing analysis and for compliance with external agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration Perhaps most critically when something goes awry alarms are sounded preventing emergencies such as equipment malfunctions from spiraling into the loss of high value samples Monitoring systems have come a long way since the earliest redundant secondary probes were installed for back up temperature readings Despite this they are far from perfect Few products offer complete solutions and there are many common weaknesses These include an inability to customize alarms which results in blanket alerts or false emergencies that undermine real calls to action In modern times systems also need to record the monitoring data as proof for regulatory reports The final consideration is ease of use Install a difficult program or one that only works with specific software and staff just won t want to use it Solution What is needed is a monitoring system that delivers data from the lab directly into the hands of the user accessible 24 7 from home or on your smartphone Wherever you are digital eyes would be watching over your inventory ready to alert you with preprogrammed modifiable alarms If emergencies strike real time data would fill in the gaps and context allowing you to gauge the best possible response One recent
126. ngelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton NJ You can reach bim at angelo adepalma com December 2014 AHdVaSOLVWOdHD SVO 114VL40d Lab Manager 55 56 THIS LAB HANDLE GRAY Rachel aang une AE I a CROSS TRAINING AN D TEAN AH EA Mi A spartof the laboratory services division of SV the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food WA UDAF staff members act as gatekeepers for the safety and quality of food in the state Our purpose is to protect the food supply and ensure wholesome food products for citizens of Utah as well as to test agriculture products such as animal feeds and fertilizers says UDAF laboratory director and state chemist Dr Weston Judd Our main function here 1s to provide laboratory services to the other divisions within the department His division includes four labs a dairy testing lab a feed and fertilizer testing lab a meat testing lab and a pesticide testing lab The dairy lab is part of the U S Food and Drug Administration s FDA Grade A milk testing program and carries out all the required tests including bacterial counts detection of antibiotics and measurement of components such as milk fat They also test dairy products for label compliance making sure that what a product s label says matches what s in the actual product As the State Central Lab the dairy lab is also responsible for certifying other dairy testi
127. no service technician required e Solid state gas detection with three level sensitivity selection e Temperature and humidity sensor to monitor filter performance and environmental conditions MY HLF Clean Bench MYSTAIRE Provides an ultra smooth ISO 5 horizontal laminar flow work station for laboratory testing manufacturing inspection and pharmaceutical procedures e Designed to provide a ISO 5 particle free clean air environment e Microprocessor controller e Stainless steel work surface e Fluorescent light e Mobile cart with locking casters Compact ISO 5 vertical laminar flow personal soak bench with timed ra Si e UV light Reduces risk of sample contamination while performing PCR experiments gt TA D x E zd em Jr b e Clear polycarbonate construction with chemically impervio M polypropylene work surface gt entree uri sn eT ant ae dis pan 15 minute UV light timer irn eer TH ted iod i Jia sr Sash position switch and overlap to prevent UV igne exposure US mF UV shelf with IUSTUS pipette holder m TEM mu Phone 1 919 229 8511 Toll Free 1 877 328 3912 Fax 1 919 528 1744 www mystaire com contact mystaire com 64 SURVEY SAYS survey respondents Client server 50 Web based 27 Stand alone 17 Thin client server 3 Other 2 LIMS usage as reported by survey respondents Sample management 20 User reporting 16 QA QC 15 Workflow automation 12 Instrument connect
128. nsive distribution network ISO 17025 compliant sigma aldrich com foodpt RTC Environmental PT offer gt ANSI ASQ ACLASS accreditation e ISO IEC 17025 17043 and ISO 9001 compliant Over 20 years operating experience worldwide e Several types of matrices and programs sigma aldrich com proficiencytesting UAA 2014 Sigma Aldrich Co LLC All rights reserved SIGMA ALDRICH is a trademark of Sigma Aldrich Co LLC registered in the US and other countries FAPAS is part of the Food amp Environment Research Agency FERA which is recognized as the world s market leader in the provision of laboratory Proficiency Testing to the Food sector 82764 SIGMA ALDRICH ipet Aid dg Fr EN 1 Advanced b Ergonomics P for Working M Undera Hood Reduce Strain Longer lightweight handle enables lower more comfortable arm position Extend Uninterrupted Operation Periods Quiet more efficient pump can be charged while in use to eliminate downtime Excellent Control Three speed settings enable precise volume control for both aspiration and dispensing operations The Pipet Aid XL is designed j T specifically to reduce the strain involved when pipetting under a hood For a copy of our catalog or more amp information on the Pipet Aid XL visit drummondsci com DRUMMOND SCIENTIFIC COMPANY 500 Parkway Box 700 Broomall PA 19008 From the Developers of the Original Pipet Aid LEADERSHIP
129. nspiring Now that s a team This month s cover story is a must read for any lab manager who needs a refresher course on what it takes to foster happy functional and productive teams Which is not to say it s easy as Dr Weston Judd Utah Department of Agriculture and Food laboratory director and state chemist reminds us in this month s Perspective On A Food amp Beverage Lab page 56 One challenge for Judd is the diversity of his team Overall my team works pretty well together though promoting teamwork is a bit of a challenge sometimes because the dairy testing lab does work that s quite a bit different from what the chemistry group does His solution cross training allows the staff of one lab to help that of another in times when one lab has few samples and the other is overwhelmed Try as a manager may occasionally there is one bad apple on the team whose performance or attitude is a serious detriment to the rest When warnings and corrective actions fail to improve the situation a manager has no alternative but to let that person go In this month s Leadership amp Staff ing article page 20 author Rachel Muenz shares tips and procedures for handling this unpleasant task Being both professional and kind is key at this stage The majority of employees are generally good people but simply aren t a good fit for the position she says Most everyone working in a lab these days knows that they share many of th
130. ntr e to a given market that would otherwise be closed to the laboratory Increased laboratory productivity resulting from a de crease in the number of clients who insist on having their own staff audit the laboratory More of these clients now base their confidence on a third party accreditation International recognition of the accredited laboratory s competence if the accreditation body 1s a signatory to the mutual recognition arrangement of the Interna tional Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation ILAC Accreditation assessments help the laboratory staff stay on the cutting edge of technology developments in their field Significant discounts in liability insurance premiums are not uncommon when the insurer appreciates the verification of competence that accreditation represents Improved performance by laboratory staff Undergo ing regular assessments enhances staff discipline and sense of professionalism Employees are more likely to be committed to complying with the firm s quality management system and standards of performance For calibration laboratories accreditation by an inter nationally recognized accreditation body validates their pivotal place in the unbroken chain of traceability to national and international measurement standards Users of laboratory services are also beneficiaries of laboratory accreditation Users have greater confidence in the accuracy of the test or calibration report they are pu
131. ny circumstances the old standby water still works just fine In other circumstances only more sophisticated fluids will do To pick the best chiller fluid for a particular application a scientist must consider the desired temperature range energy requirements safety and so on Once all of the factors get assessed a scientist can pick the best option Mike May 1s a freelance writer and editor living in Ohio You may reach him at mike techtyper com FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON CHILLERS INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS VISIT WWW LABMANAGER COM CHILLERS December 2014 Lab Manager 51 PRODUCT FOCUS CO INCUBATORS CO INCUBATORS Lab Manager CONTAMINATION OPERATIONS KEY ISSUES by Angelo DePalma PhD he first question facing lab managers looking for an incubator 1s whether a dry or humidified incubator will serve their needs Both designs have their pluses and minuses Humidified CO incubators provide tighter control over cell culture conditions such as temperature gas mix and of course humidity Users must seal cultureware in dry incubators to prevent evaporation Water trays mitigate this requirement somewhat but may also attract microbial contaminants For non humidified designs experts recommend charging the water pan with sterile distilled water Tap water contains chlorine which corrodes stainless steel and copper deionized Type 1 water 1s extremely aggressive in drawing
132. oads of understanding cell physiology disease pathology and etiology lies cell metabolism encompassing the cellular set of life sustaining chemical transformations Dysregulation of cell metabolism is now known to be a common component of cancer immunology obesity diabetes and neurodegenerative disease This is because mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis are the major sources of life sustaining and biosynthetic processes for the cell specifically energy in the form of ATP adenosine triphosphate and macromolecules such as membranes nucleotides transporters organelles etc Metabolic pathways are increasingly considered as potential therapeutic targets Therefore the ability to measure and understand cellular bioenergetics can provide valuable insight into disease and contribute to the potential identification of drug discovery targets Traditionally metabolic assays employed a variety of instruments and techniques including Clark electrodes to measure oxygen consumption omic platforms to detect increases and decreases in metabolic gene and protein expression fluorescent and radiometric tags of various enzymes and substrates to estimate metabolic activity and luminescent ATP assays as a surrogate of total energy metabolism The value of these approaches is lessened by the fact that they are destructive insensitive indirect single point measurements use invasive labels and most importantly lack the functional context of a living
133. ods and medical devices Another example is collection of samples during beer production The task of logging these samples into a LIMS laboratory information management system can be cumbersome and time consuming and it is easy to miss collection of a scheduled sample Although these are two entirely different scenarios both require the same basic scheduling of multiple sample collections Solution The Matrix Gemini LIMS from Autoscribe Informatics employs two features to assist in resolving this problem The first is Bulk Sample Registration and the second is Matrix Scheduler Bulk Sample Registration provides a spreadsheet style grid that allows the designer of the LIMS to designate certain columns to collect specific 1nformation For example one column may be the room the second column the area within a room the next the set of tests to be performed etc After the grid 1s designed and put into use the end users of the system enter static information into the grid either directly or by copying and pasting from a spreadsheet and save this as a template for future use A fill down feature allows fast data entry without the need to enter the same data multiple times and a test or group of tests can be easily added to a particular sample row as many times as needed Templates are particularly useful for contract laboratories that have regular repeat batches of samples for analysis whether from single or multiple disciplines However t
134. omating a lab process First a scientist must know what goals to pursue Ac cording to Louis Murray applications market development manager in automation solutions at Agilent Technologies speaking at a Lab Manager webinar in 2014 on Trends in Lab Automation scientists automate a lab to increase throughput walk away time and data reproducibility Dur ing the webinar Murray said Au T he concept of lab automation sounds almost tomation will remove one bottle neck and increase the throughput of a process however in reality it simply moves that bottleneck to another step in the overall work flow Done properly though the new bottleneck is smaller than the one it replaces That means that a lab manager should know what bottleneck is being addressed with automation and where it will create a new one As Murray said So really by carefully planning and coor dinating lab expansion efforts throughput can be increased as efficiently as possible ensuring that all the different processes grow in sync and that funds are spent as efficiently as possible Lab Manager December 2014 Today s automated platforms often include user friendly interfaces like the one on this TTP Labtech freezer Image courtesy of TTP Labtech Pick the places A lab manager probably has a few spots in mind for automation As Jason Greene senior product marketing manager at Bio Tek Instruments which is headquartered in
135. on it also guides producers through the five steps for establishing a preventive controls plan evaluating the hazards specifying preven tive steps specifying how the facility will monitor its controls maintaining monitoring records and specifying corrective actions to correct problems LIMS and Preventive Controls Plans 1 Evaluating the Hazards The first and most important step in manag ing food safety hazards is identifying them one can t minimize a hazard without being aware of it Contamination risks are com monly found where materials are added product is extracted vessels are opened raw materials are introduced finished products are packaged or most pernicious of all Food Safety where employees are most unlikely to follow operating procedures A LIMS can help food safety profes sionals by generating a software map of these hazard points In addition to locations within the facility the LIMS can also store supplier data for all incoming shipments Using this map the manufacturer can then use the LIMS to group data by batch sup plier date or any other relevant parameter allowing management to easily identify potentially contaminated or out of spec materials 2 Specifying Preventive Steps With food safety prevention is always better than hazard response This is why defining preventive measures is one of the most criti cal parts of a controls plan Hazards can be introduced to the product
136. on the phone while work ing such as when reviewing written materials or computer files Shoulder and neck pain Hold your arm straight out 1n front of you for a couple of minutes Now try drawing your shoulders up a couple of inches toward your ears and holding them there for a minute or two In both cases you should begin to feel discomfort and fatigue relatively quickly Both these examples illustrate stresses from an ergonomic standpoint that can occur when one 1s working with a keyboard and or mouse on a surface that 1s too high or too far away For many people this 1s a result of using a keyboard and or mouse on top of a standard height desk or having an older keyboard tray that doesn t have room for the mouse this also can cause contact stress 1ssues we will discuss later You must reach WHEAION 1501 North 10th Street Millville NJ 08332 856 825 1100 www wheaton com HEALTH up over the edge and out in front to use the input devices This might not cause an issue for really tall individuals but we see it is being problematic for many average and shorter people Ide ally when using a keyboard or mouse your upper arms should hang comfortably at your side The approach we most often take to remedy a case such as this is to recommend the installation of a combination keyboard mouse tray A word of caution a cheap tray will often not solve any problems in fact it may create new ones We often see poorly de
137. onco www labconco com Mystaire Inc www mystaire com NuAire Inc Www nuaire com Ohaus www ohaus com 01 Analytical www 0oico com Panasonic Healthcare us panasonic healthcare com Parker Hannifin Corporation solutions parker com nomorehelium Pittcon www pittcon org Retsch www retsch com Ruro Wwww ruro com Sapphire North America www sapphire usa com Shimadzu Scientific www ssi shimadzu com Sigma Aldrich Co www sigma aldrich com Sonntek Inc www sonntek com Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc www thermoscientific com 2 6 27 35 53 Waters Corporation www waters com 11 WHEATON www wheaton com 4 Lc safestult com ti PRE OWNED EQUIPMENT MARKETPLACE C Global Supplier of _Sd High Qualit Conquer pie Owne Full systems complete with tune reports and pre irebalied zofbeane Conquerscientific com FEBRE rd infogcongquerscentific com FOU PN ET www EquipNet com LMM sales EquipNet com 800 371 6555 APPRAISERS BROKERS AND AUCTIONEERS OF INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT a i The world s leading provider of proactive j eredera an Company Equipment Solutions for Pharmaceutical Laboratory and Research Industries 216 271 3500 www fedequip com pharmaceuticals fedequip com 8200 Bessemer Ave Cleveland OH 44127 Lab Manager 89 PARTING POINTS Takeaways from this month s issue PARTING POINTS Takeaways from this month s issue BUILDING A DREAM TEAM We will put our best team o
138. one incubation and laser based alpha excitation every feature has been refined to achieve optimum performance in all key modes Upgrade to include our fully automated imaging system and you ve got the the most sophisticated multi mode reader on the market today Find out what is possible visit www cytation5 com Think Possible oe Biolek www biotek com ASK THE EXPERT Forest Rohwer PhD In the past decade the real amazing changes have taken place in sequencing and microscopy When I set up my lab at SDSU in 2001 people did not believe that sequencing would be important in microbiology and so it was very hard to get funding for sequencing Today that issue does not exist In microscopy the improvement in resolution and the ability to look at live samples have been big steps forward The optics have improved dramatically but more important the software to analyze the images such as for deconvolu tion has really changed everything The tomography methods associated with electron microscopy the two photon confocal microscopy imaging mass spectrom etry and other breakthroughs have really changed how we look at things 1n environmental microscopy Previously we used to just grab samples and bring them back for analysis and find out a year later what it is we were sampling That s really changing We now take microscopes with us and do sequencing out in the field and it s like having a sophisticated lab in the middl
139. ons These are the critical success factors to evalu ate when companies are faced with a possible blow to their brand through downsizing or rightsizing So first and foremost if you must ever face the prospect of a down sizing be honest about the situation and what s driving it Once certain employees are no longer there the cats out of the bag Your remaining team will know what s going on so it doesn t make sense not to explain ex actly why changes occurred This 1s the time to create positive employee outcomes through proper change management and communi cate to your employees their value to the organization and gather their feedback about the downsizing Or ganizations can begin to assess the impact of the change find the gaps and take steps to reinforce a positive change management work environ ment where needed Your responsi bility is to lead through change and help the community quickly recover Yes there s still work to do and you re probably confident that whatever your employees think about the situ ation they ll be able to put their emo tions aside and remain professional But expect at least three months of change management Create a for mal communication plan knowledge management strategies and transfers www labmanager com of responsibilities with an eye toward continuous improvement And call ing even a brief meeting to allow employees to express their emotions surrounding the wor
140. ontaminants in under four hours Another cool thing about the incubator is its InteliCELL PI D control algorithm which provides precise stable and user defined environmental conditions InteliCELL consistently maintains user defined set points by accounting for factors that other technologies leave as unknown This is beyond smart technology Eagleson said This is the intelligence that drives the performance of Cultivo delivering a level of precision control and uniformity not previously available to researchers within a CO incubator This allows them to explore the impact that each environmental parameter or a change in those parameters will have on their work For more information visit http www bakerco com products cultivo www high techconversions com Lab Manager December 2014 Imaging Accessory Hydro Sight e Makes it quicker and easier to develop and apply robust particle sizing methods e Provides real time visual monitoring of the dispersion process that precedes every laser diffraction particle size measurement e Another accessory the Hydro SV a new wet dispersion unit for the Mastersizer 3000 answers the need for reliable particle size data when material is scarce Malvern www malvern com Ultra High Speed 1 Mpx Digital Cameras Phantom v2011 v1611 and v1211 e Now have almost 30 more light sensitivity provide better image quality and more lighting flexibility than the p
141. opies in front of you on a document stand either be tween the keyboard and monitor or immedi ately to the side of the monitor Keep the key board and mouse in front of you and as close as 1s practical to prevent over reaching Make sure your wrists are as straight as possible in both axes OSHA provides an excellent review of these guidelines through their e tool on ergonomics The state of Washington also has some very good self evaluation checklists and online training guides Look for Part 2 of this series on ergonomics where we will discuss repetition and force as well as solutions to get you through the day pain free References 1 Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Workplace US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administra tion Washington D C https www osha gov SLTC ergonomics 2 Computer Workstations US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Ad ministration Washington D C http www osha gov SLTC etools computerworksta tions index html 3 Office Ergonomics Washington State De partment of Labor and Industries Tumwater WA http www Ini wa gov Safety Train ingPrevention workshops WorkshopInfo asp WkshopID 5 3 description Vince McLeod is the founder and senior member of the Safety Guys and an industrial hygienist certified by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene He currently serves as the senior industrial hygienist in the University of
142. ors respond instantly to analytes but for an added 15 to 20 seconds of analysis time pGC provides much more information Sensors usually quantify only one component Duvekot says Multiple sensors are expensive require a power source and provide no separation capability Due to timing issues individual sensors in arrays do not always measure the same sample and may have difficulty with analytes with different response factors One approach to miniaturizing instruments 1s to cram as many features as possible into the smallest possible box It 1s possible as well to start with components of a desktop system injector column oven detector s data system and carrier gas and work backward toward some combination of absolute essentials Following this strategy to its logical conclusion one might consider a more rugged column room temperature elution a simple detector and air as the carrier gas This would limit the analyte set and performance but it could be enough for certain markets That s about as primitive a GC design as you can get says Hugh Goldsmith president of SRI Instruments Torrance CA SRI manufactures GCs of all types including pGCs to about half a dozen brands Non heated air carrier pGCs are uniquely portable but limited to analysis of small molecule gases With a thin film capillary column a non heated pGC handles hydrocarbons up to about C but the instruments obviously sacrifice
143. ot Examine the pros and cons and make sure you properly research potential consultants B How does the company s LIMS differ from other products out there Make sure you do your homework and phone each company you re interested in If they can t answer your questions they probably aren t a good fit for you uU Ask for fact sheets features lists and case studies from the company This literature is a starting point for picking the best LIMS for you A product demonstration is essential TOP 10 FEATURES FACTORS respondents look for when purchasing a LIMS EASE OF USE 100 SERVICE AND SUPPORT 100 EASE OF INSTALLATION 93 SCALABILITY 91 WEB BASED ACCESS 90 5 For more information on LIMS including useful articles and a list of manufacturers visit www labmanager com lims Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR A pH METER The expanded features in today s pH meters reflect the broad use of this technology Researchers use pH meters in a wide range of research fields including biological and chemical agricultural and environmental and more and virtually all kinds of manufacturing TOP 6 QUESTIONS You Should Ask When Buying a pH Meter 1 What type of connector does the meter use e Is it a BNC or DIN e s it proprietary or can other manufacturers probes be used with it 2 What is the replacement cost for a pH electrode 3 What accessories are includ
144. ou have microorganisms are in our breath and constantly falling off our bodies Bates says But if I had to pick one factor responsible for repeat contamination that would be air ducts She advises lab managers to keep incubators away from air ducts When that 1s impossible users should monitor air filters closely and should consider cleaning ducts as possible contamination sources n some cases facility managers may be able to turn off or redirect ductwork Water in the pan or reservoir should be replaced at least once per week with sterile distilled water Bates cautions against using ultrapure or deionized water It s great for many applications but because it contains no salts it draws ions out of their containers causing corrosion Users should not even consider using bleach or other caustic disinfectants within incubators Anything that smells bad to you 1s bad for cells Quaternary ammonium salts are OK because they do not emit volatiles Rule by SOP Standard operating procedures SOPs dominate today s incubator user base says Uwe Ross president at BINDER Inc Bohemia NY As a consequence many labs see no need to understand the scientific basis of those protocols An SOP may state that an incubator be emptied and cleaned every two three or twelve weeks and all components autoclaved Ross observes If that s what the SOP demands that s what the user does But they should be thinking about w
145. rchasing because it has been generated by a competent www labmanager com Quality and productivity in the modern world start with standardized processes Do your information systems know yours Discover your solution WW W RURO COM Laboratory Information Bliss at RURO com or call 888 88 1 RURO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT facility This is particularly true for an educated client one who is conscious of the scope of the laboratory s accreditation Accred ited laboratory data underpins product certification decisions Clients can make use of 1nformation sources such as the ILAC Website www ilac org and its links to the online directories of ILAC Arrangement signatories to identify laboratories qualified in their area of need Manufacturers also gain efficiency because of accreditation in stead of their own on site assessments they can defer to the assess ments of competent accrediting authorities Other manufacturers nul 0l Zall L b Challenger Deep 26 201 ft below sea level AE nna d oua HEAT and ria that have in house testing or calibration facilities can reduce or eliminate these overhead costs and subcontract with confidence to outside accred ited laboratories Specifiers such as government regulators have come to appreciate the importance of credible accreditation programs that are based on inter nationally recognized standards With
146. rd to get rid of every thing but you can certainly minimize cross contamination Q What types of instruments do you commonly use in your lab A We have many gene sequencers thermocyclers microscopes micro array systems and other types of instrumentation for routine sample extraction and preparation We have a lot of specialized equipment that can be used in the field We have a field microscope that can be taken apart and it is custom built to carry for travel We work all over the world in the Caribbean islands in the Central Pacific French Polynesia and Austra lia Our PI Dr Forest Rowher worked in the Arctic region off the coast of Russia last year Q What changes or trends do you see in the field of microbiology A Sequencing has definitely become a lot cheaper A few years ago we used to work with small libraries consist ing of a few hundred sequence reads Now we can have more than a million sequences per library and therefore the computing power is often a limita tion As biologists we are faced with having to deal with these massive sequence libraries Most of the viral diversity is unknown but now with all the sequencing power the unknown is becoming a little more known A few years ago many of the bacterial sequences that were known were those that had clinical implications So they were either pathogens or bacteria that Lab Manager December 2014 could be grown in a laboratory Now wit
147. redecessor versions e Make shooting in low light and difficult to light scenarios less difficult e All ultra high speed Phantom cameras now have sensitivity as high as ISO 6400 daylight illumination for color images and ISO 32 000 for monochrome images 7 Vision Research www visionresearch com Transmission Electron Microscope JEM ARM300F e Increases STEM resolution to 63 picometers e Extreme resolution of 63pm is achieved in STEM mode at an accelerating voltage of 300kV Supports accelerating voltage levels of 300kV and 80k as standard Spherical aberration correctors are integrated in the image forming system and illumination system and automatically controlled using the JEOL COSMO corrector system module JEOL www jeolusa com Analog Hot Plates amp Stirrers ST15 amp ST19 Stirrers and R HS15 amp HS19 Stirring Hot Plates 2015 BOOTH 1048 e Large 12 305 mm square ceramic heater tops have a temperature range to 450 C e Five position stirring units ST15 amp HS15 can stir 5 800ml beakers and the 9 position units ST19 amp HS19 can stir 9 500ml beakers of aqueous solutions from 100 to 1500 rpm e Each stirring position is individually controlled Units are available in 115VAC 60Hz 220VAC 60Hz and 230VAC 50Hz Torrey Pines Scientific www torreypinesscientific com www labmanager com TECHNOLOGY NEWS CHEMICALS KITS amp REAGENTS Sample Preparation Kits for NGS RapidSeq
148. reet Midland ON Canada LAR 1K9 USPS 024 188 Periodical Postage Paid at Fulton MO 65251 and at an additional mailing office A requester publication Lab Manager is distributed to qualified subscribers Non qualified subscription rates in the U S and Canada 120 per year All other countries 180 per year payable in U S funds Back issues may be purchased at a cost of 15 each in the U S and 20 elsewhere While every attempt is made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein the publisher and its employees cannot accept responsibility for the correctness of information supplied advertisements or opinions expressed 2013 Lab Manager by Geocalm Inc All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission from the publisher WDS Canadian return P O Box 216 478 Bay Street Midland ON Canada LAR 1K9 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Lab Manager PO Box 2015 Skokie Il 60076 BPA WORLDWIDE BUSINESS Lab Manager Magazine is audited by BPA JEN A mS Ee mu cour comu L pe ie ro Es zr i p n had T ii A 1 ua td s S E E d un B 5 i wi E LI 2i i E Js i i 4 tei s cud j gl n 4 E i r E wl 1 f An 1 d Wid P at PR it hg dag ci iar ZUM d PP 3 i a Hg l M N pa a A M NEN ui ch i NT S rs T fi Pes E E Ri Mal i iR c n Zr a i ar DULL ALL a a DU msi oral orae re ae ART ee Ib tue cati USUS ib
149. res is certified at the generating plant up to 1 for individual components Regardless of end user specialty gas vendors follow ISO 9002 for quality standards Best in class manufacturers stock common specialty gas mixtures at recommended composition and purity levels as well as container size and tens of thousands of recipes for on demand mixtures While commercial clinical and diagnostic labs dealing with patients are unlikely to request nonstandard mixtures instrument developers and protocol researchers have the opportunity to tweak gas mixtures in ways that further their science Angelo DePalma is a freelance writer living in Newton NF You can reach bim at angelo adepalma com www labmanager com FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON PIPETTES INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS VISIT WWW LABMANAGER COM PIPETTES THE FUN AND EFFICIENCY OF PERSONALIZATION by Mike May PhD impersonal as a lab tool could get Today s world of scientific equipment offers many ways to personalize your pipetting For old school scientists like me though the first question 1s why personalize a pipette my days in the lab a pipette seemed about as Raymond Mercier vice president and general manager of liquid handling consumables at Thermo Fisher Scientific which is headquartered 1n Waltham Massachusetts provides one answer He says Selecting which pipette to use and why has a lot to do with personal preference
150. s ANOVA Temperature Control Instruments for Lab and Industry www waterbaths com 281 277 2202 PRODUCTS IN ACTION PANASONIC S LABALERT SYSTEM Protecting your life s work with a proper monitoring system has become increasingly important in research A study conduct ed by Stanford University revealed that more than 2 billion worth of samples were stored within their freezers Further more many biorepositories and biobanks have hundreds of freezers storing priceless samples With the rise in the use of mobile technology it has become even easier to watch over your lab whenever you are away from it Panasonic s LabAlert system is at the forefront of ad vanced laboratory monitoring systems offering an easy set up affordable pricing infinite scalability and an intuitive user interface It allows you to instantly monitor sensitive param eters such as your freezer s temperature or your incubator s CO levels Setup is quick and simple A small battery operated wireless sensor is attached to every unit you want to monitor These probes communicate through receivers which relay data through a single receiver connected to your internet either via Ethernet or WiFi connection Your account data is then trans mitted continuously to a secure hosted platform No software or computer is required to set up or run the app based system A locally hosted software based solution is also available There
151. s and capability Zheng says that in general effective leaders encourage creativity and help team members to progress in a unified direction She says that in some teams the leaders have to be more direct and tell members what to do In teams where members are not very committed leaders have to motivate them and provide a strong sense of direction and purpose On the other hand there are highly motivated teams where the leader s job is to get out of the way Leaders have to be very careful and watchful They have to look for a complex of cues about how competent team members are how committed they are and what 1s missing and try to figure out what must be done to help them reach their goals says Zheng With respect to the question of how the management of research and service labs should approach the creation of teams in their organizations Zheng says the first requirement is expertise because you are looking for knowledgeable workers to assemble a good mix of knowledge back ground and expertise Sapienza concurs noting that since leaders are the ones to help members work through professional biases to move to their goals their intellectual caliber is a given She adds though that their people skills are vital for the achievement of bigger objectives Zheng says that team spirit 1s important for people who want to work in a team otherwise there 1s no point to having them on the team the motivation for
152. s of reagents to probe metabolic function fuels and pathways in intact cells as well as generating dose response curves XF assays are label free and non destructive allowing the user to perform ATP or other viability assays on the same cell plate to generate additional information and or normalize the XF data Lab Manager December 2014 The role of cell metabolism in cellular and physiological processes 1s well established with many diseases now linked to metabolic dysfunction With XF technology scientists can quickly and easily obtain functional metabolic data and gain a greater understanding of cell metabolism enabling new advancements in life science research For more information visit www seaborsebio com xfp MF Cell Mito Strass Test Profile Mzehconadeud Arira Seahorse Bioscience XFp Analyzer and XF Stress Test Profiles www labmanager com i Lam gir I a pen EF mt an aan j ai WWW AIA A Integrated Laboratory Informatics Integrated Laboratory Informatics Deliver the Traceability and Data Management Needed for Comprehensive Food Safety Monitoring By Colin Thurston Thermo Fisher Scientific M ost food producers are subject to a broad range of regulations and standards from industry wide ones such as ISO 22000 which sets out several communica tions and system management guidelines the United States Food Safety Moderniza tion Act FSM
153. se emission lt 40 dB low power consumption and a small footprint Eppendorf www eependorfna com Predesigned Gene Capture Pools and Plates xGen e Provide easy access to customizable and cost effective target capture e Suited for creating customized target capture panels for enrichment of 10 or more genes or for enhancing the performance of existing panels e Available for the coding regions of any human RefSeq gene and are delivered premixed in tubes or in individual plate wells for selective mixing ferie Tour Can lees Perl by Gone Perilh i inn te et ds a ae Ou Ff Ha D a Integrated DNA Technologies www idtdna com TECHNOLOGY NEWS Fluorescent Cell Imager Zoe One of the first cell imaging systems able to deliver the power of microscopy in a system that is as easy fo use as a tablet e System s LEDs are instantly ready to use and it is outfitted with a light shield enabling users to perform experiments right on their benchtop e Includes three fluorescent channels and brightfield to simplify fluorescence imaging for cell culture applications Bio Rad www bio rad com Remote Access Blot and Gel Imager T Genius e Allows high performance walk away imaging of gels and blots on a smartphone or tablet e Using the StatusLink feature researchers can stay updated and even share image results with colleagues in other labs no matter where they are e A sensitive camera provides hig
154. shire United King dom Sometimes one simple change helps biobank researchers today and tomorrow As an example Craven discusses standardizing tube formats for automating tube storage and retrieval such as using 2 D bar codes Then automation can act like a vending machine in a freezer he says A researcher can track and cherry pick samples that have been stored previously www labmanager com TECHNOLOGY Keep it simple Not long ago even the concept of automation sounded complicated That surely kept many labs from adding automation to anything that could be handled even somewhat efficiently by hand Today s technology significantly reduces that obstacle Part of the simplification in automation comes from an ongo ing trend Kevin Moore manager of liquid handling product and applications management at Tecan which 1s headquartered in M nnedorf Switzerland explains this by saying We started off by building big systems that cover a large piece of workflow in one go but now we are providing more workstations for small parts of the workflow which can be moved around Those smaller systems can be integrated in a lab more easily Also they allow for future flexibility so that the same device might reduce one bottleneck today and a different one in the future At the same time vendors keep trying to make automa tion easier Lab automation users are often scientists and not computer programmers says Hal Wehr
155. signed for cost per sample sensitive workflows 2015 BOOTH 805 ded i dl M e Answers routine quantitative and research e Enables operators scientists and laboratory managers to i M analytical demands at an affordable price reach new levels of laboratory efficiency l e Particularly suited to food and environ e Features high analytical quality ease of use and the ability M mental testing dinical research forensic to seamlessly integrate into any laboratory toxicology pharmaceutical biopharmaceu e Excellent throughput is enabled by high sample capacity per hl on i tical measurements and other applied analyses bench space and fast injection cycles e Provides excellent mass accuracy sensitivity and fast polarity switchin e Allows smooth method transfer from any legacy equipment i E i Agilent www agilent com Thermo Fisher Scientific www thermoscientific com LC Accessories PERE A Line Handheld Raman 2015 BOOTH 805 Spectrometer Updates NanoRam Designed to address key user pain points in the chroma tographic workflow and ensure that users continually receive optimal productivity from their LC systems New accessories include Connect fittings Quick Turn fittings Stay Safe caps and LC Flex bench e Save time and provide excellent efficiency and ease of use Now faster more efficient and easier to use for a wider range of operators e New features include faster response on the user interface display enhanced Wi
156. signed trays collecting dust in storerooms because they just didn t help Look for a tray that has a tilt to lift feature or a large release button to move it up and down In our opinion one should stay away from units with twist knobs to lock and release these create trouble especially for people who are already hav ing wrist and hand issues The mouse pad or surface is best positioned in the same plane as the keyboard it is even better when it is placed where it can rotate over the keyboard or move toward you to reduce your reach and allow you to keep your elbows in while working The keyboard platform 1s best kept level or sloped slightly downward toward your thighs so your wrists are straight neutral while typing We have started to explore the ergonomuc risk factors as sociated with the use of computers The take home message here is balanced and neutral Keep your monitor directly in f NewLook New Feel New Features DV1 Viscometer Our lowest cost continuous sensing digital viscometer RISI s Easy to read customizable display Three hot keys for quick access to spindle selection test speed and other functions Multiple language choices included Optional Wingather SQ Software allows the user to collect analyze and record test data TEL 800 628 8139 or 508 946 6200 www helusa com front of you with the upper edge at eye level or slightly below it Place any hard c
157. specific usage and required purity This 1s a significant ongoing savings compared to the recurring costs of cylinders Kim Myers Global Product Manager Parker Hannifin Corporation can be reached at kmyers parker com or by phone at 978 556 2732 VIAFLO ASSIST Convert your multichannel pipette into an automated system for best results and unmatched ergonomics INTEGRA www integra biosciences com FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ON SPECIALTY GASES INCLUDING USEFUL ARTICLES AND A LIST OF MANUFACTURERS VISIT WWW LABMANAGER COM GASES SPECIALTY GASES Lab Manager THE VIEW FROM A CLINICAL LABORATORY by Angelo DePalma PhD linical laboratories have among the most C stringent requirements for purity of input materials reagents solvents assay kits gases etc Yet the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 CLIA officially promulgated in 1992 leave to clinical and diagnostic laboratory managers the task of assuring the quality and performance of chemicals and gases used to calibrate instruments and conduct general lab operations Specialty gas purity requirements for basic gases such as zero air helium hydrogen and nitrogen for instrument calibrations and instrument process purges are specified by instrument vendors and or assay protocols While these do not differ on the surface from gases 1n nonclinical labs composition and purity may vary Similarly in pathology and diagnostic cell culture
158. t come brands of tips increasingly into play to support your head Now imagine tipping and lifting that bowling ball hundreds of times a day that is exactly what you are doing when you are working from a hard copy placed on your e Integrated calibration key desk Your head goes up and down and side to side each time you look eliminates misplacement down at the paper and then up to the computer screen Similarly if your monitor is placed on the CPU so you must tip your head back to read particularly problematic for those of you wearing bifocals your e Easy in lab calibration muscles must support this off balance posture A much better approach Four Great Offers is to place your hard copy on a document stand between the keyboard for Free Pipettes and monitor The monitor should be directly in front of you with the top of the screen just at or slightly below eye level This way instead of repetitive up down and side to side head motion one can look back and forth between the paper and the screen almost by using your eyes alone allowing you to remain in a neutral balanced position Implementing changes can produce very dramatic improvements in a relatively short timeframe Holding the telephone receiver cradled between your ear and shoul der while doing other tasks 1s also a classic cause of neck pain if done on a regular basis Hold the receiver in your hand if possible Use a speakerphone or a headset 1f you must speak
159. tected from blasts of air while enclosures on analytical balances may fail to fully protect due to the instruments sensitivity leaning balances requires little more than common sense The higher the required resolution or accuracy the more care must be taken with environmental conditions Top loading balances expected to weigh ten noncritical milligrams work almost anywhere But pharmaceu tical quality assurance labs whose assay standards rely on five decimal point readability should consider better controlled condi tions for weighing Ann Crowley product manager at Rice Lake Weighing Systems Rice Lake WI suggests posi tioning all balances away from drafts on a dedicated balance table or marble slab or at the very least on a surface that does not bend even imperceptibly Most wooden tables have some degree of flexure and are therefore unsuitable for serious weighing Balance Entris Sartorius Www sartor1us com A Customized Test Weight Set Essential Weights Rice Lake Weighing Systems www ricelake com www labmanager com Be in your element PI PITTCONIUM Mm PITTCONZ Make the smart choice CONFERENCE amp EXPO x Register now to attend Pittcon 2015 the world s largest annual conference and exposition for laboratory science See product innovations from leading companies March 8 12 2015 New Orleans LA Morial Convention Center Discover the latest scientific research in a
160. ted things that happen in any lab Judd says An issue might come up with equipment so you might plan to do one thing but end up doing something else out of necessity He adds that one challenge for him is the diversity of his team though he feels it s a good challenge to have Overall they work pretty well together he says Promoting teamwork 1s a bit of a challenge sometimes because the dairy testing lab does work that s quite a bit different from what the chemistry group does One way they handle that issue is through cross training so that staff of one lab can help that of another in times when one lab has few samples while another 1s overwhelmed We re cross training so that our analysts can help each other out and that helps with teamwork Judd says I ve seen more of that lately where people are starting to pitch in when they see that one person receives a much larger sample load than what they have on that day then they ll go and help them analyze those samples Like many lab managers Judd says he enjoys the variety of each day in the labs as well as the staff s diversity We analyze samples here but it s actually quite varied he says The diversity helps to mix it up quite a bit There s rarely a whole week where one www labmanager com day 1s the same as before The challenge that each day brings and the diversity really contribute to that To motivate his staff
161. ters on a regular basis 1s also necessary If it s in a common area the filter typically has to be cleaned more often than 1n a quiet laboratory envi ronment LaPorte explains He adds lab workers should consider using the switchover to and from daylight sav ings time as a guide for when to clean filters It clean ing filters usually only takes for each piece of equip ment less than a minute to do it but it can make all the difference for equipment performance Fallacara agrees that changing filters is important however he also points out that the latest generation of freezers 1s filter free meaning users can avoid this task In general Fallacara says users should do maintenance at least twice a year This all depends on where the equipment is placed ambi ent temperatures and humidity he says Also how often the fridge or freezer doors are opened during a day is a factor Common mistakes in fridge and freezer maintenance apart from not regularly taking care of the frost and fil ters include cleaning the freezer while it 15 up running and connected to a power supply overloading the unit using non dedicated electrical circuits and ignoring vertical and horizontal installation requirements Both LaPorte and Fallacara add that leaving the unit s door open too long when removing ice 1s another common error You try to move as quickly as possible so that you re not affecting the temperature inside the un
162. th high respective sensitivities of less than 6 amol ATP per well and less than 0 3 fmol Fluorescein per well Berthold www berthold com bio Rat Genome Assays for qPCR PrimePCR e Fully wet lab validated for specificity efficiency and sensitivity and help researchers adhere to industry best practices known as MIQE Bio Rad scientists validate all PCR products using next generation sequencing verifying the percentage of on target amplification e Researchers will be able to order PrimePCR assays as individual assays desalted or HPLC purified or build a custom plate 96 or 384 well Sa Ar mm Fe Bio Rad www bio rad com Western Blot Automation System BlotCycler e Delivers an affordable solution for busy labs demanding reproducible results e Automates blocking primary and secondary antibody incubation and all washing steps Uses a simple and elegant design to perform up to 12 blots simultaneously Equipped with up to six trays three trays on each side that can process six different primary and secondary antibodies Precision Biosystems www precisionbiosystems com Medical Research Exome Array CytoSure e Highly targeted and exon focused enabling the accurate detection of medical research relevant microdeletions and microduplications e The high density array 1x1M contains over 4 600 hand curated genes which have been grouped into disease and syndrome specific panels e This resear
163. that those left behind in the work place were just as likely to experience some kind of mental anguish over their coworkers getting the short end of the stick as those coworkers them selves On the flip side something called survivor s envy could make someone feel like they d be in a better place if they d been let go too Whatever the case the feelings aren t good To add insult to injury there s usually more work to do to make up for the leaner workforce which can only add to the stress For managers there s an extra layer of challenge to a downsizing or right sizing situation As hard as it can be to let people go it can be even harder to manage this mini HR crisis with a team full of people whose emotions will no doubt be raw for weeks One may ask why should situations like this be so 1mportant to corpora tions After all leaders have every right to scale their workforce if busi ness drivers demand it especially if it will help raise the bottom line and improve the health of the company At the same time not dealing with a downsizing correctly could ulti mately pose a risk to your most 1m portant product of all the organi zation s brand A solid brand attracts the right talent for your core business i goals It attracts the right customers through marketing and positive word of mouth And it attracts the right partners through corporate responsi bility and proper acti
164. times LabAlert also lets you collect all FDA required data in a simple 21 CFR Part 11 package allowing you to cut down on cumbersome manual data recording processes and neatly store your data so that it s accessible at any time Panasonic www panasonic com biomedical 86 Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com PRODUCTS IN ACTION HETTICH LAB TECHNOLOGY WHERE VERSATILITY MEETS QUALITY Hettich Lab Technology s UNIVERSAL 320 benchtop centrituge offers versatility longevity and efficiency within a compact footprint The UNIVERSAL 320 is a midsized single solution premium centrifuge well suited and easily adapted for many applications Lab managers across the globe choose the UNIVERSAL 320 as an investment to serve diverse projects for years to come For over 110 years Hettich Lab Technology has worked with lab managers to provide quality equipment that meets the ever changing needs of the modern laboratory As today s budgets tighten laboratory managers must maximize not only the functionality of their equipment but the space of their laboratories as well The UNIVERSAL 320 helps lab manag ers meet both these goals by supporting nearly twenty rotors for different applications The ver satility of the UNIVERSAL 320 eliminates the need for different units for different research saving space on the lab bench and in the HETTICH ROTINA 380 budget Additionally the UNIVERSAL 320 is contained within a competitive
165. tp humanre sources about com od howtofireanemployee tp top_ten_donts htm 1 Ennico Cliff The Right Way to Fire Someone Entrepreneur September 2006 http www entrepre neur com article 166644 Sedge Fashion Eyewear for the The Scientist Composed from an in estruct ible space age polymer and augmented with cyber vision technology the Donangelo Oculus 5000 series provides perfect clarity in the 10 to 1700 nm range For more information call 1 888 OCULUS 26 Lab Manager Acade my ARE YOU CRAZY f you take a look at history and some of the greatest achieve ments ever made you ll find that the people who made those break throughs were a little off We ve all heard the definition of insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results It seems that the individuals who stepped out of that conformity deciding to be crazy as opposed to insane made the greatest impact We have been programmed From an early age we were told to color inside the lines speak only when spoken to red light means stop green light means go yellow light means speed up now before it turns red We ve learned to conform And conformity 1s basically spending your life pleasing everyone else and forgetting your own dreams Studies have shown that children up to the age of four have the most creative minds Everything 1s so new to them that they become extreme
166. troducing the pioneering PURELAB Chorus range innovation meets choice a fresh new approach to the way you work Want to see more Visit www elgalabwater com purelab chorus Now available through We Enable Science ASK THE EXPERT A ASK THE EXPERT amp TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY by Tanuja Koppal PhD Linda Wegley Kelly PhD a marine microbial ecologist in the Department of Biology at San Diego State University talks to contributing editor Tanuja Koppal PhD about what has changed in the field since 2001 when she started working in the lab While genomic and sequencing technologies have become easier and cheaper the work on the bioinformatics side has now become more tedious in terms of the volume of data that needs to be analyzed While systems for sample collection and storage have become convenient and customizable the use of automation in microbiology Linda Wegley Kelly PhD remains fairly limited Contamination still remains a cause for concern and protocols have to be rigorously outlined and implemented Q What is the focus of your We see that a lot of things change in keep the post PCR amplified DNA researche the water quality in terms of the nu in another building as it can easily A The f f hi trients and the microbial community contaminate our unamplified samples DT A bb CMM in different regions of the ocean We always isolate the DNA and set microbial ecology in the ocean We l up PCR assays in
167. ts the valve stem and prevents any accidental release of the compressed gas even if the cylinder falls Do not try to force or fix any cylinder connection that is not working properly If a connection is malfunctioning it is likely broken or not the proper connection valve for that cylinder Never try to repair pry hammer or unstick any valves regulators or pressure relief devices If 1t does not open easily by hand call the gas distributor even if this means a work delay To prevent leaks be sure main valves are closed when the cylinder is not in use even if it is empty Air that enters an empty cylinder can also bring in moisture and other contami nants that can lead to corrosion or possibly even an explosive chemical reaction Any pressure in the regulators should also be released when the cylinder is not in use Every time a cyl inder is brought into service a leak test should be performed to confirm there are no leaks when the cylinder 1s connected Regulators control the delivery pressure of gas from the cylinder so that it can be delivered at the optimum pressure for the work performed Requirements for regu lators vary according to gas type and cylinder size It s good practice to double check that the correct regulator 1s being used for the gas and cylinder It should also have the appropriate pressure range for the work being per formed Ideally the regulator should be twice as high as the required
168. um ed CCL cross contaminating or chloride gradients and ultracentrifu the bottom the corals and the algae getting contaminatede the microbes that live on the surface and also those that live in the water column overlying these ecosystems contaminants do you routinely test for gation It is important to reduce the amount of bacterial nucleic acids A We do a lot of genomic work on when sequencing a viral metagenomic our samples and when you amplify the DNA using PCR you have to library since bacterial genomes are so Linda Wegley Kelly is a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr Forest Rowher at San Diego State University SDSU She received her doctorate in 2013 from the SDSU University of California San Diego UCSD joint doctoral program in cell and molecular biology Her research focuses on Understanding changes in coastal marine microbial communities in response to environmental perturbations Most of the research thus far has focused on coral associated microbes She uses metagenomics to identify the taxonomic distribution and functional capacity of microbial communities in marine ecosystems that are subjected to varying nutrient availability and anthropogenic stressors and comprise different benthic compositions 34 Lab Manager December 2014 www labmanager com ion With Thermo Scientific biological safety cabinets the certified performance and protection you get on Day 1 stays with you every day
169. ure a level indicator similar to a carpenter s level and options for correcting level through either two or four adjustable feet Achiev ing true level is easier with four foot leveling More than leveling the need to recalibrate makes moving balances unattractive to lab workers Calibration options include do it yourself or calling an in house engineer ing department the vendor or a third party organization Calibration should ideally follow usage more weighing means higher frequency In practice labs follow SOPs that designate intervals between calibrations or follow regula tory guidance e g GLP GMP regardless of usage When moving is un avoidable users should first lock the balance if it has such a feature turn the power off disconnect the electri cal cord and cautiously relocate the balance Most users will wish to recalibrate after the bal ance has reached its final destination Moving becomes practi cally a nonissue with certain balances that employ high precision electric discharge pro cessing HPEDP which places many of the com ponents of a conventional electromagnetic balance into a monolithic metal structure Such balances are practically impervious to shock Users must still verify calibration with HPEDP balances but often need not perform a formal calibration provided they allow the balance to equilibrate for 15 minutes after powering up Users may recalibrate using standard
170. utor gone through a thorough application review process Does the suggested filtration make sense How hard is installation Will there be a future potential need to move the hood after initial installation Should the hood be portable What are the capital installation and operational costs From the lab manager s perspective capital costs are but a fraction of the overall budget TOP 10 FEATURES FACTORS respondents look for when purchasing a fume hood PERFORMANCE OF PRODUCT SAFETY AND HEALTH FEATURES DURABILITY OF PRODUCT EASE OF USE ERGONOMIC OPERATION LOW MAINTENANCE EASY TO CLEAN VALUE FOR PRICE PAID 88 D LOW OPERATING COSTS 86 D WARRANTIES 85 D SERVICE AND SUPPORT 79 JEEP AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLIES AND ACCESSORIES 7776 For more information on fume hoods including useful articles and a list of manufacturers visit www labmanager com fume hoods MYSTAIRE QUALITY SAFETY SERVICE verano RE AURA ELITE DUCTLESS FUME HOOD Slite A u Q D ctless Fumi Hood Self contained filtered hoods that remove hazardous fumes am EE vapors and particulate Advanced microprocessor controller that monitors filter condition and airflow constantly e EverSafe touch screen controller constantly monitors fume hood performance with audible and visible alarms Variable airflow control with automatic airflow sensor calibration
171. y side of automation though does not end after the sale As Larsen says It s not the initial cost of the automation that matters the most it s actually the yearly fee we face with it She The mew Flew Solitons 700 improves adds You can buy a car for under 20 000 and get laboratory workflow and productivity a three year warranty but I spend 150 000 on au a by automating colorimetric analyses tomation and they give me six months or one year fe ths a er VA A comprehensive set of validated E E ug PR cU USEPA approved methods are available of warranty The manufacturers should be willing ui for drinking water wastewater plant to stand behind products longer and build that into BE soil and solid waste extracts systems especially for academic labs because I can t lem Let s Solve Water 32 TECHNOLOGY The internal robotics of tbe Hamilton BIOS system manage stacks of tube racks as part of tbe automated storage and retrieval process Image courtesy of Hamilton Storage Technologies This is a very routine predictable assay and it doesn t change much from day to day or week to week and it often requires lots of liquid transfers and mixing He adds This process is often employed in workflows where any user errors in labeling tubes or wells could be critical and errors in pipetting could lead to cross contamination concerns Consequently automation can really benefit this
172. ylinders must be carefully inspected before being accepted Safety Lab Manager December 2014 ESSE GAS CYLINDEI Ye i DEL m caps should be in place Regulators should not be at tached Do not accept tanks that look damaged or poorly maintained for example oxidation or pitting Prior to installation inspect all piping regulators and stems Be sure that tanks are marked with clear easy to read labels that identity the type of gas with the certification date from the vendor Do not rely on cylinder color to identify the gas color codes vary from supplier to supplier Status full empty in service should also be identified and vis ible even after installation Ask for the material safety data sheets MSDS for each gas type being received Refuse to accept any tanks or cylinders that don t meet these requirements and don t try to fix them yourself Once received compressed gas cylinders must be se cured in a vertical position This includes during trans port storage and use Tanks should only be moved using wheeled carts available from gas vendors and other laboratory supply companies that are designed for this purpose Check that the safety caps are screwed on se curely To minimize physically moving the cylinder move the cart close to the cylinder and then carefully walk the cylinder on to the cart and fasten it securely with straps or chains so that it cannot slide ti

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