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Our Principal Gerstel, Germany has developed Automated QuEChERS Extraction for the Confirmation of Pesticide Residues in Foods using the GERSTEL MultiPurpuse Sampler MPS combined with LC/MS/MS analysis.

QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) sample preparation methods are developed to help monitor pesticides in a range of food samples. These methods are quite labor intensive,since they include several manual steps, such as shaking, centrifugation, and dispersive SPE.

The dispersive SPE clean up of QuEChERS type extracts is automated using GERTSEL MPS XL Prep-station with Anatune CF-100 Centrifuge. Analytical methodology for confirming the presence of a variety of pesticides in a range food samples is developed using LC/MS/MS system.

The sensitivity and selectivity of LC/MS/MS enable sufficiently low limits of determination to meet acceptance criteria for reporting the maximum residue levels (MRLs) that are established by regulatory agencies.

Our Principal Gerstel, Germany has developed Automated Static and Dynamic Headspace Analysis with GC/MS for Determination of Abundant and Trace Flavor Compounds in Alcoholic Beverages Containing Dry Extract.

Direct injection for gas chromatographic profiling of alcoholic beverages is usually preferable, but where spirits and liquors contain appreciable amounts of non-volatile material, some mode of pre-treatment may be required to avoid both inlet and column contamination. This consideration applies in particular to products aged for extended periods in wooden barrels and especially products containing added sugar, as volatile artefacts from sugar decomposition in the hot injection port can also complicate the chromatogram.

A combination of static and dynamic headspace analysis is used for profiling both abundant and trace compounds in beverages products. Static headspace is used with a tenax packed injection port liner for the abundant compounds. Dynamic headspace (DHS) uses an additional purging step to a second tenax liner which can then be desorbed to the same injection port liner used for the simple static headspace. In this case the previous abundant compounds are overloaded in the chromatogram but many additional trace compounds are now apparent. For both techniques the only sample preparation required is dilution of the sample in a headspace vial and relevant automated sequences in either static or dynamic mode are also run from the same autosampler rail. A PTV injector (GERSTEL Cooled Injection System CIS) in solvent vent mode is used in both cases for lowest detection limits.

Application of this combined approach constitutes an effective routine analysis protocol for this particular class of products while avoiding dry extract contamination.

It is with great pleasure and excitement to inform you that our Principal Thermo Fisher Scientific Informatics Solutions and Emory University are the recipients of the 2010 Microsoft Life Science Innovation Award.

For the third year in a row, Thermo Fisher Scientific Informatics Solutions have won the recognition of industry leaders.
This prestigious award recognizes best-in-class companies for their innovative use of Microsoft-based solutions and is yet another proof point that demonstrates Thermo Fisher’s leading position as provider of enterprise level informatics solutions to the life sciences industry. Microsoft selected Emory University, part of the Atlantic Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), as winner of this Award for its use of Thermo Scientific Nautilus LIMS to advance information exchange in the clinical and translational science environment across a diverse set of laboratories.

“Between pressure to bring new drugs and therapies to market faster and the persistent and pressing need to cut costs, life sciences companies today are facing tremendous challenges,” said Michael Naimoli, U.S. life sciences industry solutions director, Microsoft Corp. “This year’s awards recognize companies that have developed innovative technology solutions based on the Microsoft software platform to achieve significant benefits, whether speeding discovery, time to market, or enhancing collaboration.”

About Microsoft Life Sciences Innovation Awards Industry leaders recognized for use of Microsoft-based solutions.
Microsoft Corp. every year announces Microsoft Life Sciences Innovation Awards, which honor pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies that demonstrate new solutions or the successful application of available software and devices to revolutionize medicine, bring therapeutic breakthroughs to market faster, fight serious ailments, improve health and enhance people’s quality of life. This year, companies that demonstrated benefits and metrics as a result of their technology implementation were recognized.

Our Principal OI Analytical is pleased to announce the release of its Transportable Mass Spectrometer – the IonCam. Designed for size, robustness, and speed of analysis, the IonCam is suitable for environmental analysis, process measurement, and general MS applications for the field or mobile laboratory. The IonCam detects complete mass spectra in an instant matching the analytical power of a scanning MS but with rapid, parallel m/z detection.

Detection speed and high duty cycle facilitate rapid analyses. Interchangeable GC, direct air-sampler modules, on-board vacuum system, and PC control via integrated touch screen create a flexible, transportable and stand-alone system