For particle characterization, one of the most important measurements is the determination of the distribution of particle size in a sample. While this may seem to be a simple measurement, the reality is often complicated by a number of factors, particularly if the particle size becomes very small. At least a half dozen different techniques […]

Incubators are among the most basic pieces of laboratory equipment and are installed in most laboratories. They maintain an isolated, controlled environment for in vitro studies or for growing biological samples. Although incubators perform a seemingly simple function, their features have become more reliable and sophisticated. There are a myriad of incubators available, each with […]

While it does not make up nearly as large a market as laboratory mass spectrometry (MS) does, process MS is an online analytical technique that is critical to certain applications. Much of the same basic technology used in laboratory mass spectrometers is applied to process instrumentation. While there have been few recent introductions of new […]

Epigenetics, which is the study of different factors that influence gene regulation, has become one of the hottest applications in genomic research. Basically, researchers in epigenetics are trying to understand the mechanisms that govern cell activity and differentiate cell phenotypes. For example, eye and skin cells behave differently despite having the same genetic makeup. This […]

News of sports doping scandals has been prevalent this summer. While the use of performance-enhancing drugs is nothing new, the availability of advanced pharmaceuticals and the analytical methods to detect them are fairly recent developments. The most common tool of laboratory scientists working to catch sports cheats is mass spectrometry (MS). However, the market for […]

The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is a very sensitive instrument for measuring mass, capable of measuring nanogram quantities of substances deposited on specially prepared quartz crystals, which are typically disk-shaped. Quartz is used due to its strong piezoelectric response: vibrations in the crystal create electrical pulses and vice versa. As with the quartz crystal in […]

Single-cell whole genome amplification (WGA) PCR is an application of PCR technology that amplifies the nucleic acid in a single cell rather than in a tissue sample or a pool of homogenous cells. While single-cell amplification has been recognized almost as long as PCR technology itself, it was not considered a very efficient technique due […]