The US Congress may permanently place some synthetic drugs on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). They include cannabinoids and stimulants such as methamphetamine, MDMA and “bath salts.” Complicating considerations are designer drugs, or synthetics with their structures altered to have the same effect as yet not be chemically similar to controlled substances—a […]
Of over 3,400 food-safety violations in 2013 connected to exported raw or minimally processed products from 117 countries, the three most common categories of food violating the inspecting countries’ regulations were seafood, vegetables and fruits, accounting for 24%, 20% and 14% of incidents, respectively. The top three countries of origin of the foods associated with […]
Two separate research groups have completed MS-based maps of human-protein expression, cataloging nearly all the proteins expressed in the human body. Each paper was published in Nature. Combined, the two groups reported more than 70 million mass spectra. Each study documented more than 17,000 proteins encoded by distinct genes. The Human Proteome Map created by […]
BASF once again topped Chemical & Engineering News’s annual ranking of the top 50 global chemical firms. The German company’s $78.6 billion chemical sales in 2013 dominated, outdistancing the second-largest firm, China’s Sinopec, which had 2013 revenues of $60.8 billion. Sinopec rose to the number-two spot this year, overtaking Dow Chemical. Another change among the […]
The FDA will begin regulating laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), it announced at the end of July. To present, the agency has used “enforcement discretion,” and generally not imposed regulation on LDTs, despite their being considered medical devices. According to the FDA, changes in the LDT market over time without oversight might now expose patients to risk. […]
Mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures has been a concern for decades. Contamination is often not visually apparent, and antibiotics commonly used in tissue culture are ineffective against the bacterium. A study of cell samples used in gene-expression experiments during 2012 and 2013 examined the cells’ RNA sequence data for Mycoplasma DNA sequences. Of the over […]
An analysis by Gartner predicts that capital spending by manufacturers in all areas of the semiconductor industry will increase 7.1% to $62.27 billion in 2014. Spending declined 1.2% in 2013 to $58.0 billion. Within capital spending, spending on capital equipment and on wafer-fab equipment will grow by 15.0% and 16.1% to $38.5 billion and $31.7 […]
Earlier this month, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, run by the World Health Organization and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization, agreed on several new recommendations for food safety. Codex influences food standards of the 186 participating nations, although the countries have not enacted the recommendations into law yet. One decision was that eight veterinary […]
The US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has proposed new patent guidelines for natural products and processes, raising concern that the standard is too strict. The revised guidelines follow two Supreme Court decisions involving Prometheus Laboratories and Myriad Genetics that denied patents based on the patent code’s forbiddance of patenting “laws of nature, natural phenomena […]
Last month, the FDA issued three final guidance documents and one draft guidance for the use of nanotechnology in the products it regulates. “Final Guidance for Industry: Considering Whether an FDA-Regulated Product Involves the Application of Nanotechnology” supplies a framework for regulation, listing two Points to Consider under either of which a product may be […]
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IBO (Instrument Business Outlook) is a twice-monthly newsletter aimed at providing decision-makers with the latest and most complete information available on the life science and analytical instrument industry, and lab product markets. IBO delivers the latest curated industry news, information and trends, as well as SDi data and analysis to deliver the maximum in industry insight with a minimum time investment for executives and investors.
