News

WHOI has been on the cutting edge of ocean research since 1930. WHOI dis­covered and explored the Titanic, found hydrothermal vents on the Pacific sea­floor and sent a team to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Now it is the largest, nonprofit ocean re­search, engineering and education orga­nization in the United States. WHOI’s Na­tional Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Facility provides analyses of Carbon­14 at its natural abundance levels to the ocean sciences research community. Radiocarbon dating is a me­ticulous scientific process used to discov­er the age of the samples the lab receives from oceanographic researchers all over the world.

Principles of radiocarbon analysisThe standard method for radiocarbon analysis involves converting carbon in the sample to a filamentous carbon (graph­ite). The graphite is pelletized into a target that can be analyzed in the accelerator. The conversion of carbon to graphite re­quires the transfer of a known amount of carbon to a graphite reactor. Each reactor contains a pre­weighed, small amount of metal catalyst (iron powder) in either a 9 mm or 6 mm quartz reactor tube.

“Weighing the iron powder into each reac­tor tube is a tedious and time­consuming process as it is only possible to fill these tubes by hand.” said senior engineering assistant Pat Long. “The lab needed a powder dosing system that would complete this task automatically.”

In the radiocarbon dating lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institu-

tion (WHOI) in Massachusetts, scientists determine the age of objects

of organic origin by measuring the radioactivity of their carbon con-

tent. After implementing METTLER TOLEDO’s Quantos Dosing System,

WHOI scientists have witnessed its accuracy and efficiency firsthand.

Quantos Dosing SystemA Worry-Free and Safe Solution

13AcademiaAnalytical solutions in the laboratory

2 METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Publisher Mettler-Toledo AG Laboratory Division Im Langacher CH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland

Production LAB Division MarketingGlobal MarCom Switzerlandwww.mt.com/lab-segmentnews

Subject to technical changes. © Mettler-Toledo AG 08/13 Printed in Switzerland.

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Revolutionary dosing technology METTLER TOLEDO recommended its Quantos dosing system to handle the weighing and dispensing of the iron pow­der. “Quantos allows our lab to automate and streamline the weighing of the iron powder,” Long adds. “The system auto­mates the procedure and its capabilities meet all of our requirements for powder dispensing.” With precise automated

dosing and weighing technology, Quan­tos can work unattended, which allows WHOI’s personnel to perform other du­ties.

“Considering the cost of the system and the average personnel cost necessary to weigh the iron powder, we estimate to re­cover our investment in Quantos in six to seven years,” Senior Research Specialist

Dr. Ann McNichol states. “It is more dif­ficult to quantify the efficiency increases we will see in all our other procedures by removing this task, as well as the im­provement in data quality that will be realized from the greater control of this parameter.”

Text: Shana Wheeler, MarCom Media Relations Manager, METTLER TOLEDO North America

www.mt.com/quantos

WHOI uses Quantos dosing system to weigh and dispense iron powder.

The dosing head dispenses free flowing powdery substances precisely into the vials.

3METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Why capture data? In short, data has the capability to answer questions that sup­port business needs. If a chemical reac­tion or process does not proceed as expect­ed, then data can help scientists to better understand what happened. Data helps to develop the understanding of how a reac­tion works or how a process is impacted by a parameter change. Data can also help with the further improvement of products and processes, including knowledge shar­ing with colleagues. This is a critical step towards building institutional knowledge.

Challenges for Industry and AcademiaCurrently, data collection is far from sim­ple and is generally accomplished in an

Companies are striving for greater innovation while improving R&D productivity. They are

investing in enterprise level software solutions to improve the sharing of information and

best practices by scientists throughout their organizations as well as working towards

building institutional knowledge. In addition, they are implementing new technologies in

the lab to increase the understanding of chemical processes. However, the value of these

systems is only truly realized when data is correctly captured.

inconsistent manner. Existing systems are not designed to simplify complex process data collection or to provide the informa­tion and analysis required. In addition, building institutional knowledge can only be achieved when data is collected and stored in such a way that it can be easily searched for and retrieved at a later date.

Addressing the ChallengesThe deployment of synthesis workstations and analytical technologies for better chemical reaction/process understanding are changing the way scientists perform research. To support their need for better data management and data presentation, a new enabling technology that elimi­nates the challenge of lost data has been

Turn 85% Data Loss into 100% Data CaptureNext Generation Data Management Solutions

introduced. iC Data Center captures all experimental analytical and process data therefore building institutional knowl­edge.

Capture. Prepare. Share.iC Data Center significantly simplifies daily investigation tasks for researchers and their colleagues by ensuring that all experiment data produced is automati­cally captured from the local instruments, prepared into useful formats and shared in a central file. Files are then automati­cally organized into a customer­defined structure. An email notification is sent to the scientist responsible for the ex­periment containing a link to the file location. The data stored in these files can then be analyzed and shared with colleagues or enterprise systems. This solution is designed to eliminate data loss, save significant experiment report­ing time, enable collaboration between colleagues and ensure that a company’s full investment value is realized through their bench­top automation and ana­lytical tools and enterprise level software solutions.

Text: Zoe Fernandez, MarCom Manager

Download the full version of the White Paper: www.mt.com/wp-iCDC

iC Data Center automatically performs tasks that ensures the capture and communication of experimental information, making life easier for the chemist.

4 METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Mat

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n Fast and Reliable Material Characterizationswith Advanced Instruments

The LMI has been a joint research unit of the University of Lyon 1/CNRS since 1990. Its activities are organized around three scientific areas: Molecules, nanostruc­tures and materials. It has applications in the energy, health, environment and materials fields. Its director, M.Brylinski, explains, “The main task of the LMI is to demonstrate the feasibility of new molecules or materials, but we also have the expertise and infrastructure required to support development phases up to the products reaches the market.”

Core laboratory team The LMI’s thermal analysis competence lab offers services to all research teams and partnerships. Mrs. Chiriac, board member of the French Association of Calorimetry and Thermal Analysis, has been the manager since 2009. She com­ments, “We work on different applications: Polymers, minerals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons and on programs for micro­

electronics. We have a whole range of METTLER TOLEDO instruments, includ­ing TGA (Thermo Gravimetric Analysis), DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry), TMA (Thermo Mechanical Analysis) and High Pressure DSC, enabling us to achieve comprehensive analyses.”

Beyond analysis services, the competence lab offers consulting services to its clients for technical and application issues and training on instruments. “We are able to use the interpretation of results in order to develop recommendations concerning material processing. We have completed several projects for the Total Group, a global energy producer and provider, including one study of low­temperature biodiesel behavior by DSC”.

Advanced equipment: A necessityOver the years, the LMI has acquired prov­en expertise. Ms. Chiriac continues, “Our motto is: To develop our expertise and our

partnerships with the ongoing implemen­tation of the most advanced techniques in our experimental field. This approach of continuous innovation is the guiding principle of our special partnership with METTLER TOLEDO.” The competence lab refers, in particular, to coupling TGA/GC­MS. She adds, “We have constantly improved our equipment over the last 10 years. For example, we have invested time into the development of the automation of a single storage interface. Thanks to this, the quantification of complex mate­rials composition and the identification of gaseous compounds resulting from de­composition are extremely accurate”. This TGA/GC­MS instrumentation set up is now part of the analysis equipment offered by METTLER TOLEDO.

Text: Joel Goursot, Communication Manager, METTLER TOLEDO France.

www.mt.com/ta

The Laboratory of Multi-Materials and Interfaces (LMI) in France carries out research into new molecules

and materials, including design, development, characterization and modeling. The thermal analysis

competence lab uses METTLER TOLEDO thermal analysis instruments to meet the demand of all its partners

and guaranteeing them quick and accurate characterization results.

Rodica Chiriac has been responsible for the LMI Thermal Analysis competence lab since 2009.

Rodica Chiriac and François Toche (Study Engineer) have acquired extensive experience in coupling TGA/GC-MS.

5METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Educational Training Made Easy with the G20 Compact Titrator

Professor Dr. Hemberger, why did you decide to get an additional METTLER TOLEDO Titrator?

Our existing T90 Excellence Titrator is mainly used for research projects. But since titration is also part of our bio­ana­lytical study course, the T90 was blocked far too often by research applications to be of regular use for student training. This created an urgent need for a second titrator for student courses. We bought the G20 Compact Titrator mainly for this purpose. METTLER TOLEDO has become our company of choice for the supply of analytical instruments, such as balanc­es, pipettes, pH meters, conductivity me­ters, thermal analysis instruments and, of course, titrators for several years. Their support and cooperation has always been excellent.

What kind of experiments are the students running on the G20 Compact Titrator?

Besides classical acid­base titration, the main experiment is to quantify the enzymatic activity of lipases or esterases.

What are the benefits of the G20 Com­pact Titrator?

I was fascinated from the beginning with the easy handling of METTLER

TOLEDO instruments in general com­pared to other analytical instruments in the market that I know of. It is great how students using the G20 Compact Titra­tor for the first time immediately know what they have to do. Thanks to the One Click® user interface, they have no prob­lems trying things out by themselves. Additional features, like Plug and Play, make it very easy to change sensors and burettes. The common user interface of all titrators is an important feature for us as it facilitates a very smooth transfer of skills between the T90 Excellence Titra­tor and the G20 Compact Titrator.

You are using a sample changer and LabX® Titration Software With the T90 Excellence Titrator, but only LabX Titration Software with the G20 Compact Titrator. Why is that?

We don’t use automation for the edu­cational training because, in my opin­ion, students gain more scientific under­standing during hands­on experiences. So I don’t want to automate the handling steps too much for the students. We are using LabX Titration Software with the G20 Compact Titrator as the software makes it very easy to explain what is go­ing on during the titration reaction. For data evaluation, LabX Titration Software

is perfect. We have already had excellent experience with T90 Excellence Titrator and LabX Titration Software. It has al­ready proven its worth. Many thanks Professor Dr. Hemberger for this interview.

Text: Eva Vogel, Analytical Market Manager, Asia Pacific

www.mt.com/G20-titrator

Professor Dr. Hemberger works in the Institute for Biochemical

Engineering and Analytics (IBVA) in the University of Applied Sciences

at Gießen in Germany. After working for over two years with a T90

Excellence Titrator, he decided to get an additional G20 Compact

Titrator to assist in student education. In the following Interview he

explains why the G20 is ideal for hands-on student training.

The OneClick® user interface enables students to operate the G20 Compact Titrator intuitively.

G20 Compact Titrator

6 METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Hig

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g Efficient and Ergonomic Pipettinginto 96-Well Plates

Ali found that many Singulex laboratory workers were using multichannel pipettes to aliquot samples to microplates. This was not only inefficient, but could possi­bly contribute to repetitive stress injuries (RSIs). Ali was able to demonstrate Liq­uidator’s ability to reproduce the Immu­noassays while speeding up workflow 5­10 times compared to their previous liquid handling workflow.

We sat down with Ali to talk about Singulex and how they are using the Liquidator 96.

How does the Singulex immuno-assay technology enhance the clinical utility of biomarkers and what are its benefits for clinical and drug research? Singulex deploys ultra­sensitive, digi­tal immunoassay technology with high

precision to enable ground­breaking dis coveries, innovative therapies and improved healthcare. The Erenna® Im­munoassay System, powered by Singu­lex’s patented single­molecule detection technology, precisely and reliably quan­tifies low­abundance biomarkers at or below sub­picogram concentrations. This unique high­definition technology en­hances the clinical utility of biomarkers and allows researchers to gain insights into drug safety and efficacy.

For pipetting operation, scientists at Singulex tested and evaluated the Rainin Liquidator 96 pipetting system. What are the advantages for your lab?To minimize operator­introduced er­rors, reduce assay time, reduce repetitive motion and reduce cost, our scientists evaluated the Rainin Liquidator 96 in comparison to manual pipetting and pi­petting performed by expensive robotic instruments.

The Liquidator 96 is a powerful bench­top manual liquid handling instrument that quickly fills a 96­well plate. It is very user­friendly and portable and doesn’t require programming or dedicated technician time. One can easily and quickly transfer content from a 96­well plate to a 384­well plate. We found it to be perfectly suited to

As a scientist at Singulex Inc., Ali Vahedi supports development,

optimization, and improvement of the Singulex Ultra-Sensitive

Immunoassay menu for internal users and customers. He wondered if

there was a more efficient, ergonomic way to accomplish the work and

recognized that Rainin’s Liquidator 96 would meet the challenge.

Ali Vahedi, scientist at Singulex Inc.

7METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

hyphenate high­throughput work across many applications. The Liquidator pro­vides convenient liquid handling with a high degree of precision and accuracy. The Liquidator 96 also minimizes the risk of operator introduced errors.

You did some method comparison regarding manual pipetting versus using the Liquidator 96 with a number of Singulex assays. What are the conclusions?During and after our preliminary evalu­ation of the Liquidator 96, we compared analytical performance, transfer time, the number of repetitive motions, simplicity of use, cost and other parameters between the Liquidator 96, manual pipetting and automated systems.

The analytical performance results ob­tained using the Liquidator 96 versus manual pipetting appeared to be similar and comparable. However, the advan­

tages of the Liquidator 96 versus manual pipetting were: time savings, simplicity of transfer between 96­well and 384­well plates as well as reduced risk of opera­tor errors. When compared to automated systems, we found that significant cost re­duction, simplicity of use and elimination of routine system maintenance were just a few of the advantages.

As a result of our evaluations, various departments at Singulex, including CLIA labs, routinely use Liquidator 96 for a wide range of applications.

Text: Terry Peckham, MarCom Manager

Download the Singulex white paper at www.mt.com/liq96-immunoassay

Singulex and Erenna are reqistered trademarks of Singulex, Inc.

Liquidator 96 is faster than other manual pipettes and an effective alternative to complicated robotic systems.

Tips & Tricks

Pipetting Ergonomics

Understanding the ergonomic risks associated with pipetting is another Good Pipetting Practice.

Our Good Lab Ergonomics web page has a white paper, video and a poster with a quick stretching routine that is perfect for people who pipette. You can even take our pipetting ergo-nomics quiz, then enter to win a complete lab makeover.

} www.mt.com/rainin-ergo

8 METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

LabX

Lab

orat

ory

Softw

are

In the Lab

Operators work at their instruments as usual. Tasks are started directly on the instrument touchscreen. All data and calculations are taken care of by LabX. The operator just has to perform the task. Reports can be generated auto­matically and sent to a printer inside the lab or in the office.

On the Instrument

LabX provides full step­by­step SOP user guidance directly on the instrument touchscreen. All data is handled auto­matically so manual transcription of re­sults is no longer necessary. Results and instrument data are available directly on the touchscreen.

In the Office

All data and process information is cen­trally managed in LabX. At any time, LabX can provide a complete overview of the activities in the lab. Manage your SOPs, users and instruments, and even view results as they are generated.

LabX SoftwarePower the Bench

LabX software brings power to your laboratory bench by providing full user guidance on the instrument touchscreen, handling all data auto matically, and ensuring a high level of process security.

LabX is installed on a PC inside or outside your laboratory and can be connected to a variety of instruments, such as density meters, refractometers, melting point instruments, and Excellence Balances. LabX allows you to centrally manage your application methods, instruments, prod­ucts and user rights. Individual process

applications are implemented in LabX and provide full SOP workflow coverage directly on the instrument. With a variety of licensing options, LabX adapts to your needs. LabX Services support you and your LabX system and are completely flexible to meet individual system and user needs, including full integration with your exist­ing information systems.

9METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

On the PC

Use the design tools to create applica­tion methods and reports in accor­dance with your SOPs. Instrument tasks can be generated from the PC, ELN, LIMS or ERP. Secure results and electronic signatures assist in com­pliance with regulations, including 21 CFR Part 11.

To order our LabX brochureor for more information: www.mt.com/LabX

Precision Balance

Analytical Balance

Quantos Dosing System

Refractometer

Melting Point Instrument

Titrator

Density Meter

10 METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Prod

uct H

ighl

ight Lightweight Multichannels

Performance You Can Feel

Rainin’s new XLS+ multichannel pipettes are ergo-

nomic masterpieces, light in weight and extraordi-

narily balanced with improved smoothness that you

can feel. Loading tips is a snap, with perfect sealing

on all nozzles. Consistent sample loading with re-

producible results are routine, channel-to-channel.

Available in 8 and 12- channel formats for volumes

from 1 - 300 µL, these manual and electronic XLS+

multichannels will deliver years of consistent reli-

able service.

Lightweight, balancedThe ergonomic design incorporated into Rainin’s lightweight multichan­nels deliver extraordinary comfort and performance, even after hours of pipet­ting. The feel is balanced and substan­tial with a fit and finish that is truly world class.

Channel consistencyXLS+ multichannels with the LTS Lite­Touch System load tips with perfect seals every time. The result? Sample pick up is absolutely even and consistent across all channels.

Greater controlWith an unparalleled sense of control and feedback, these are the easiest and most responsive multichannel pipettes you’ll ever use. Operation is smooth and absolutely consistent from start to finish.

www.mt.com/lwmc

11METTLER TOLEDO AcademiaNews 13

Reliable and Intuitive pH Measurementwith New SevenCompact™

For research groups and laboratory

courses alike, the intuitive operation

and versatility of SevenCompact

series fulfil the needs of lab

researchers and students.

Perfect ergonomics with uPlace™

The electrode arm can be operated with one hand, moving straight up and down to the position where it works best for your sample.

Broad sensor offeringFind the best sensor for your application with tips and tricks from:www.mt.com/electrode­guide.

One single keypressBy switching to uFocus™ view, you will not be distracted by information of less importance.

www.mt.com/sevencompact

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For more information

Improve your pipetting, weighing, pH measuring and thermal analysis skills – for excellent results. Watch the tutorials selected by the master of instruments.

Join our “Classroom Tutorials” for you and your students:

• Pipetting: From the basics of pipetting to advanced techniques• Weighing: Tips & tricks about weiging to increase accuracy• pH: How to operate pH meters and which electrode to choose• Thermal Analysis: An introduction to DSC

Good at Basic Lab Skills?

Info Spot

Join the classroom and watch the tutorials} www.mt.com/sn-lab-tutorials

Mettler-Toledo AGLaboratory DivisionIm LangacherCH-8606 Greifensee, Switzerland

www.mt.com/academia