RECENT NEWS

A new website – www.waterpurification.org.uk – has been launched to help health service managers and laboratory staff understand and specify water purification technology. The new site, developed by Purite, a leading European manufacturer of water purification systems, provides the detailed information needed by those in medical and healthcare laboratories.

The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) issued its Safer Practice Notice: Standardising wristbands improves patient safety to all NHS organisations in England and Wales.

Pall Life Sciences has entered a long-term agreement with the New York Blood Center (NYBC) to support the organisation's transition to a new filtration system that improves efficiency when removing white blood cells from donated blood.

Beckman Coulter has announced that the Borders General Hospital has installed Scotland’s first UniCel DxC 880i Synchron Access clinical system, its integrated work cell designed to consolidate chemistry and immunoassay testing in high-volume laboratories.

JPK Instruments, a manufacturer of nanoanalytic instrumentation, has launched a completely redesigned website (www.jpk.com).

Agilent Technologies has announced that the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) will standardise the world’s largest human genomic copy number variation (CNV) study on Agilent microarrays. Agilent has also announced that IMGM Laboratories has achieved Certified Service Provider (CSP) status for the Agilent microarray platform.

CellNass, the Human Tissue Authority-licensed archive management service located in Newtown, Wales, recently completed the development of a new dedicated facility that increases the company’s capacity to archive microscope slides, tissue blocks and other human tissue samples.

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust offers an opportunity to increase knowledge and experience through overseas travel. Successful applicants receive a grant to cover relevant expenses, and in 2008 the average grant was £5300, covering a stay of four to eight weeks (minimum of four weeks), but it can be longer.

Scientists funded by the Wellcome Trust are to examine what is preventing the H5N1 avian influenza virus from causing a human pandemic and what mutations are required to realise its deadly potential. The research could hold the key to early identification of a potential influenza pandemic, and to developing drugs and a vaccine.

Emerging cryopreservation techniques are increasing hope of restoring fertility to women after diseases such as ovarian cancer that lead to destruction of reproductive tissue.

Virgin Health Bank, the UK’s only licensed and accredited cord blood bank, has welcomed greater government interest and involvement, as health secretary Alan Johnston opened the new cord blood bank at Nottingham Trent University last month.

This year’s Chief Health Professions Officer’s Conference will include an action learning set session to support leadership development, and opportunities for delegates to meet representatives from key high-profile organisations to find out what they have to offer.

The Health Professions Council (HPC) has been commended for being an effective and publicly accountable regulator in a report published recently by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE).

GE Healthcare IT has announced an extension to the Centricity laboratory contract at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to support the pan-Warwickshire pathology service. The formation of this service has brought together the laboratory services of the South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

Recently, Quest Biomedical welcomed Martyn Seemley to its human leucocyte antigen (HLA) sales support team.

British-owned Labcold, the UK’s largest specialist manufacturer of scientific, medical and laboratory refrigeration products, has recently doubled its factory area. At the same time, the company has also hired additional engineers and office staff, and has launched completely redesigned ranges of its blood bank and pharmacy refrigerators.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the winner of a Microsoft Corporation 2008 Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Innovation Award in the Discovery and Product Innovation category. The award honours best-in-class companies that have made the most innovative use of Microsoft-based solutions. Together with AstraZeneca, Thermo Fisher Scientific is pleased to be acknowledged for their contributions to advancing science.

Northern Ireland Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety Michael McGimpsey (pictured, left) visited Randox Laboratories in August to learn about the research and development taking place at the company. Outside the core Randox product offerings, the major areas of interest were the new Ranplex colorectal cancer screening biochip and the cardiac biochip.

Two leading UK organisations have joined forces to develop and launch a ground-breaking publication that is set to provide a benchmark for safety and operating practices associated with liquid nitrogen. Worcester-based CryoService and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have developed a 44-page publication entitled Standards for liquid nitrogen supply.

Roche Diagnostics has introduced the first wireless hospital blood glucose meter, the Accu-Chek Inform II system, which sends blood glucose results, patient and operator information to the hospital’s information system through a data manager.