Incubation 
Thermo Fisher has launched the Thermo Scientific Series 8000 CO₂ incubator, featuring cell culture incubation technologies, providing stable and precise temperature, humidity and CO₂ control with advanced decontamination technology. A choice of water jacket (with triple wall construction and large water volume) or direct heat incubators is available. The automatic high-temperature decontamination cycle is ideal for overnight sterilisation. 
The incubator has a HEPA filter airflow system, which achieves Class 100 air quality within five minutes and continuously filters the entire chamber volume. This provides an aseptic culturing atmosphere by eliminating any airborne contamination. See website.

Analysing particles 
Horiba Jobin Yvon, Stanmore, UK, has launched the Horiba LA-300 laser diffraction particle size analyser. It has a 0.1-600 m m measurement range, automatic alignment, fast analysis times, high resolution, powerful software and ease of use. Its small size makes it a portable system for testing in various locations in factories for such applications as analysis of paper coatings in mills and milk homogenisation control. 
info@jobinyvon.co.uk 

Petrochemical analysis 
PANalytical, headquartered in Almelo, The Netherlands, has introduced the MiniPal 4 Sulfur benchtop energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer for the accurate and precise analysis of petrochemicals for quality control and compliance with international environmental regulations. It is equipped with a 12-position sample changer, three tube filters, a helium gas attachment for light element analysis and a 15kV silver anode tube, to give optimum performance for phosphorus, sulfur and chlorine analysis. The system, which features a new silicon drift detector, gives high sensitivity and resolution, high maximum count rates and low limits of detection. See website

Now you see it... 
The Brady Corporation, of Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, provides legible laboratory labels using thermal transfer print technology. They offer 72 combinations of labels and print ribbons to ensure maximum legibility and permanence under all conditions, with print speeds up to 70 labels per second and crisp, clear, readable text at sizes from 4 point upwards. Brady's print technology also provides barcodes required by LIMS and other data systems; their high-contrast black-and-white barcodes are readable even after 30 per cent of the printed area has been accidentally destroyed or removed. 
csuk@bradyeurope.com

For reactions in parallel 
Syrrus of Royston, UK, has launched the Orbit parallel chemistry module for use in the R&D chemistry laboratory. This module fits the Atlas Hotplate, Hot and Cold Circulator Plate or any regular third-party equivalent, and can accommodate different numbers and sizes of tubes. Reactions can be carried out from 280°C with reflux down to -40°C. Reactions are magnetically agitated in an inert atmosphere under a twist-and-click lid seal. See website.

Integrated NMR 
Bruker BioSpin has introduced the Avance III NanoBay NMR spectrometer, offering high productivity and high quality NMR information for pharmaceutical and industrial chemists, for academic research and teaching, as well as for food analysis, diagnostics research and other small molecule applications. Available in combination with Bruker BioSpin's Ultrashield Plus 300 and 400 MHz magnets, the NanoBay allows easy siting in non-NMR laboratories even when space is limited. The NanoBay supports a wide range of small molecule applications from high-throughput screening routines for quality control in analytical chemistry and food science to structure verification in drug discovery. 
sales@bruker.co.uk 

LIMS for drug development 
Applied Biosystems of Warrington, UK, has launched the SQL*LIMS Plug and Play Pharma Package, a laboratory information management system (LIMS) to help pharmaceutical companies maintain regulatory compliance and decrease the cost of managing manufacturing operations. Designed as a complete system, the package integrates critical functions for drug manufacturing operations with computer hardware and an Oracle database for distribution across an enterprise. System administrators can easily activate user definitions, security parameters, reporting templates and testing methods issued by national and international regulatory bodies.
abdirect@eur.appliedbiosystems.com 

Visible spectrometry 
Camspec of Sawston, UK, has introduced the M108 programmable visible spectrophotometer. Fitted with stepper motors for wavelengths and filters, the M108 features a 9-button keypad and a four-line 20-character LCD display to enable users to store and recall up to 200 method statements or sets of results. Data output can include method number and name, wavelength, date and time, %T, Abs, concentration and unit, and the provision of an RS232 serial output port makes for easy PC control or printer interface. PC application software options include concentration curves, timescan and wavelength scanning. 
tech@camspec.co.uk