The inability to reproduce experimental results is a problem gaining increasing attention. A recent paper (see IBO 6/15/15), reported that about half of the annual spending on preclinical research in the US is on irreproducible studies. Last month, a task force of the American Society of Cell Biology (ASCB) published a white paper on the […]

Instrument Design Awards: New Ideas The annual IBO Design Awards recognize advances in the industrial design of lab instruments, lab equipment (page 6) and portable instruments (page 7). To be eligible, products must have begun commercial shipments between August 1, 2014, and July 31. Criteria include innovation, functionality and utility. Gold Award Fluidigm’s Juno SNP […]

This year’s winners of IBO’s Design Awards for portable instrument utilize industrial design to integrate portability and utility. These battery-powered, instruments are designed for transport and use outside a lab. Gold Award The 2015 Gold IBO Design Award for portable instrumentation goes to DetectaChem’s SEEKERe colorimetric system for explosives and narcotics detection. The 2.6 x […]

This year’s winner of the IBO Design Award for laboratory equipment present new approaches to standard lab equipment industrial design that are both visually appealing, and increase the device’s functionality and ease of use. Lab equipment is defined as systems used in the lab that receive an electrical current, are operational for a minimum of […]

Major US equity markets traded higher in July despite mixed corporate earnings, soft economic data and China’s plunging stock market. While the Federal Reserve quantified a more positive economic outlook, second quarter US GDP estimates fell below expectations. Second quarter GDP growth expanded 2.3% versus a consensus of 2.9%. However, first quarter US GDP growth […]

With the first half of the year behind us, let us reflect on the state of the analytical and life science instrumentation and lab products market, how it has developed thus far and what is in store for the rest of 2015. The original January forecast (see IBO 1/15/15) was published without the benefit of […]

Since its introduction in 2013, the use of the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated) 9 system for genome editing has exploded. Products for CRISPR/Cas9 range from plasmids and oligonucleotides to transgenic animals and screening services. According to Bioinformatics LLC’s report, “The Market for CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing Products,” published in May and based […]

Since IBO’s article on federal R&D obligations from fiscal 2013 (FY13) to FY15 (see IBO 6/15/15), the NSF has released additional and more detailed tables on funding. The tables include information on obligations for individual departments within agencies, such as obligations by performer. The table below lists nine federal agencies and departments that are major […]