Do you think your microtitre plates are cold enough on ice? Think
again! Only BioCision's CoolSink^TM ensures <4^oC cooling to all wells

Used as an interface between a microplate and crushed ice, the BioCision CoolSink thermo-conductive plate holder provides fast equilibration of all wells to below 4ºC and excellent well-to-well temperature uniformity.

Many experimental and clinical applications require low temperature control for culture plates. However, a new Application Note published in BioTechniques¹ demonstrates that although it is commonly assumed that a plate in direct contact with crushed ice will rapidly equilibrate below 4ºC, this is not the case. In fact, the unstable nature of crushed ice and insulating air gaps between plate and ice mean that uniform and reproducible cooling are very difficult to achieve. Brian Schryver and Rolf Ehrhardt, MD, PhD found that for 96-well plates placed directly onto crushed ice, the average well temperature was 6.7ºC, significantly above the critical threshold of 4ºC. Furthermore, the well-to-well temperature variation was as wide as 3ºC.

By contrast, placing a plate on BioCision's thermo-conductive CoolSink and then putting the assembly on ice brings all wells to or below 4^oC and the well-to-well temperature range was more uniform. The addition of an aqueous conductive medium (ACM) to replace air between the plate and CoolSink surface further enhanced results, with even faster equilibration to a final temperature of 3.3ºC, and less than 1ºC variation between wells.²

According to co-author Brian Schryver, BioCision Vice President, Research and Product Development, 'CoolSink's precision-engineered "direct contact" stage design eliminates the insulating air gap typically found between plate wells and the resting surface. The module's excellent thermo-conductivity, due to its patented novel alloy construction, gives fast equilibration to below 4ºC, and using an ACM produces near identical well temperatures. This set-up provides a very simple way for researchers to ensure that all their samples are treated uniformly with no "plate edge effect". CoolSink is an ideal tool for increasing the reproducibility of results in a variety of applications, such as cell-based assays, ELISA, FACS staining and analysis, migration or adhesion studies, temperature shift assays or any work with temperature-sensitive biomarkers.'

BioCision in profile
Headquartered in Mill Valley, California, USA, BioCision is the leading developer of portable benchtop tools for temperature-sensitive biomedical specimens and samples, for use in basic experiments, assays and clinical trials.

Developed to provide temperature-sensitive sample management solutions, BioCision's patented novel alloy sample modules enable standardised collection, organization, protection and high reproducibility of sample freezing, thawing and cooling. The advantages of ease of use, elimination of user error and very high reproducible performance have led to CoolProducts becoming the new standard for benchtop sample management.

BioCision CoolProducts have been adopted by leading pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, many contract research organizations, and major academic and healthcare institutions worldwide.

For further information, view website: www.biocision.com/customers.php  Refer to page 228  

The Olympus cellSens Dimension Database Solution module
for data storage and management: Taking good care of your images

Olympus' Database Solution module for the cellSens Dimension software suite simplifies user workflow management, making it easier to capture, process and securely store images along with a variety of searchable and customisable metadata. With the ability to act as a client-server platform, indexed files and data can be shared across a network, with access and modification rights secured by password protection.

The Olympus cellSens Dimension Database Solution module unlocks the full potential of image data capture. Each image can be stored within a highly structured system hierarchy, making it simple to organise based on classifications such as experiment, project, or job. Data search and retrieval functionality is further enhanced via the inclusion of customisable metadata, while extensive search functions and pre-defined search templates make the process even more accurate and rapid.

As well as providing local database functions, the new module can also integrate with existing network infrastructures to provide a centralised data server based on Microsoft SQL Server Express. In this way, images, data and observations can be shared between users and accessed from any computer that is part of the network. The system is easy to customise and expand, making the addition of new users, workstations or data tags simple, fast and reliable.

cellSens Dimension
The cellSens Dimension software package provides a broad range of advanced features for microscope-based investigations, with additional functionality provided by the optional Solution modules, namely 5D Multichannel, Multi-position, Count and Measure, CI Deconvolution, Database and Netcam. The system allows the user to perform a range of complex and highly sophisticated experiments, from extended focal imaging to multiple image alignment and multi-position imaging. In addition, advanced and precise time-lapse experiments can be conducted, with the resulting time stacks amenable to kinetic and threshold-based object analysis. Once data has been obtained, the unique report composer uses Microsoft Word templates to generate reports based on user-generated images and data stored in the cellSens database.

For further information,e-mail: microscopy@olympus-europa.com or view website: www.microscopy.olympus.eu  Refer to next page 

The Olympus cell^frap system for
Simultaneous imaging and photo-manipulation

Olympus provides the cell^frap module for the xcellence live cell imaging and manipulation system, which enables users to perform fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching (FRAP), inverse FRAP (iFRAP), fluorescence loss in photobleaching (FLIP) and fluorescence loss after photobleaching (FLAP) experiments. The cell^frap system is also ideal for more advanced processes such as photo-conversion, photo-activation, pattern bleaching, laser cutting and trapping. The module includes its own dedicated laser system and light-path, allowing truly simultaneous imaging and photo-manipulation. These advanced techniques are made easy to control using the intuitive xcellence software interface.

Olympus provides the cell^frap module for the xcellence live cell imaging and manipulation system.

The cell^frap module is introduced into the microscope via a dedicated light-path and can incorporate two separate laser lines or a laser combiner. This enables simultaneous imaging and photo-manipulation, providing full integration of FRAP with epi-fluorescence, TIRFM and spinning disk confocal microscopy. The system offers unrivalled speed and precision by scanning just the region of interest, achieving a rate of bleaching up to 10 times faster than standard methods and allowing multiple discrete areas within the same frame to be bleached very quickly.  This facilitates the rapid carrying-out of experiments and makes it possible to design complex protocols that investigate multiple regions of interest. In addition, intelligent hardware-based synchronization allows µ second switching between bleaching and imaging, meaning that initial frames can be acquired as early as 150 µs after the FRAP experiment ends, providing accurate quantitative data as well as high quality images.

Fully controlled via the software, basic FRAP, FLIP and photo-switching techniques can be completed at the click of button. Additionally the 'fire on click' feature enables manual triggering of the FRAP laser using the mouse during time lapse acquisition. More complex analyses, such as utilising the pattern bleaching mode, can be configured easily using the intuitive interface. The refraction limited spot size of the laser enables the precise and accurate bleaching of very small structures. This set-up also allows the use of pulsed lasers to cut cellular components while simultaneously viewing the specimen, providing the capability to carry out powerful functional analyses.

Olympus xcellence
The Olympus xcellence systems are a new range of highly versatile, cutting-edge research microscope solutions capable of advanced live cell imaging and manipulation techniques. These include real-time high-speed imaging, TIRFM & HILO (cell^tirf), as well as photo control such as FRAP, FLIP & photo activation (cell^frap). These advanced features ensure that xcellence systems provide the most sophisticated fluorescent imaging techniques currently available, while pushing the boundaries of optical imaging to their limits. Importantly, the systems are driven by a novel dedicated Unix-based controller that mediates ultra-rapid component control and provides the fastest data capture available. In addition, the intuitive xcellence software includes the Experiment Manager, an easy-to-use planning and execution tool with drag-and-drop experiment construction. With a focus on flexibility and speed, the xcellence range provides a comprehensive and powerful solution for advanced cell imaging. For further information,e-mail: microscopy@olympus-europa.com or view website: www.microscopy.olympus.eu  Refer to next page 

Highly flexible Multi-Groups LIMS software
delivers cost savings plus huge global reporting benefits

Ground-breaking LIMS software developer, Two Fold Software Limited has added a versatile Multi-Groups capability to its innovative Qualoupe LIMS solution.  The software enhancement offers complete data management flexibility for organizations and companies that not only have multiple sites but also include multiple laboratories within each site.

The new advanced multi-group software module has been developed by Two Fold's software programmers to enable all data within Qualoupe's LIMS to be grouped together to tailor information workflow management to an organization's specific needs across the world. 

The multi-group functionality, which is now featured in Qualoupe's new Version 1.1 software release, ensures complete flexibility when setting up and implementing a LIMS Multi-Groups capability.

"Although most laboratories can typically use their LIMS software to group samples, batches, methods, materials, suppliers, customers, and projects within a building,  a multi-group capability can make global reporting a great deal easier for multinational based organizations and businesses," explained Clive Collier, Two Fold Software's Managing Director.  "Large amounts of money can be saved using a centralised LIMS system featuring multi-group functionality which links together all sites and laboratories.  The combination of multi-group LIMS software tightly integrated with Qualoupe's intuitive interface can offer massive benefits to global organizations and companies". 

"In modern multi-site, multi-lab scenarios it is often a requirement to segregate LIMS data by each laboratory and site. The result is that each user only sees the data relating to his or her site and/or laboratory but by employing the new multi-group software the user can also work in another site or laboratory and be given permission to view data across more sites or laboratories.  Especially attractive is the fact that quality managers or senior project personnel can quickly use the multi-group capability to access and view data across all of sites and laboratories," continued Collier.

"Many LIMS suppliers tend to restrict the functionality of their multi-group software to specific data types relating to samples, batches, methods, materials (specifications) and projects.  We have made sure that Qualoupe's V1.1 multi-group software can be applied to all data types.  This means that suppliers, customers, carriers and such like can be grouped together to show only those that are relevant to each group."

One of the drawbacks of conventional multi-group LIMS software is that it is often very complex for users to implement quickly.  To meet this challenge Two Fold Software has optimised the performance of Qualoupe's multi-group capability by carefully tailoring the intuitive aspects of Qualoupe's breakthrough user interface to greatly simplify the user experience and make the multi-group data readily understandable for all users. 

A key feature of Qualoupe's configurable user interface is its capability to create roles and to assign the tools needed to perform a specific role.  A user assigned a role by Qualoupe will only see their available tools. 

For further information, e-mail: info@twofold-software.com or view website: www.twofold-software.com  Refer to page 222