Outsourcing Options
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ASK THE EXPERT: PERSPECTIVE ON: LIQUID HANDLING SYSTEMS CHOOSING THE RIGHT OPTION FOR LABORATORY SERVICES A MICROBIOLOGY LAB WWW.LABMANAGER.COM June 2014 Volume 9 • Number 5 OUTSOURCING OPTIONS MANAGING TIME Worried about consistent results from your cell assay? Tecan’s washers and plate readers offer the perfect combination to yield a high cell number during assay preparation and to 18 maintain a perfect environment for long-term experiments. Ingenious optical features and remote monitoring guarantee 16 Standard reader Infinite 200 PRO® high quality of your assay results. 14 Infinite 200 PRO + OR 12 · You can maximize cell numbers during assay preparation with fully controlled cell washing procedures. 10 · Protect cell viability for live kinetic assays with the integrated %CV 8 gas control module (GCM™). 6 · Benefit from consistent results by detecting every cell using 4 the high sensitivity cell-reading mode of the Infinite family of 2 microplate readers. 0 · Monitor your experiments remotely using Tecan’s Common 5000 500 cell blank Notification System (CNS) on your mobile device. Cell number Improved well-to-well uniformity of 50% results with an up to 25% To see how we are shaping the lab of the future increase in signal sensitivity of GFP transfected A431 carcinoma cells register for our webinar series. using enhanced bottom reading and Optimal Read (OR). www.tecan.com/readerfamily Call: The Americas: +1 919 361 5200 Europe: +49 79 5194 170 Asia: +81 44 556 7311 [email protected] © 2014, Tecan Trading AG, Switzerland, all rights reserved. For disclaimer and trademarks please visit www.tecan.com TEC_Detection campaign_203,2x273.indd 1 15.04.14 14:40 cellIQ TM INTELLIGENT CO2 INCUBATOR Smart TOUCH SCREEN INTERFACE 2min CO2 RECOVERY 8x Faster DECONTAMINATION Rethink cell growth. Empower your cell culture through the most advanced user interface and technology. Optimize your stem cell’s environment with a new intelligent touch screen for precise CO2 recovery, uniform temperature control, and rapid decontamination. Visit us at ISSCR2014 booth #410 to learn more. us.panasonic-healthcare.com/celliqseries Safe Enough? During the past few years there have been a number of very serious laboratory accidents that have resulted in severe injuries, extensive facility damage, and even fatalities. Strengthening the safety culture in labs through stronger management is therefore critical. CONTENTS 10 Vince McLeod Perspective On: A Microbiology Lab June 2014 As principal investigator of the Michigan Geomicrobiology Lab in the University of Michigan’s Department of Earth and Environ- mental Sciences, Gregory Dick and his staff study how tiny microorganisms influence larger Earth processes. He discusses the lab’s main research projects, along with the challenges and fun aspects of that work. 58 Rachel Muenz BUSINESS MANAGEMENT 20 Outsourcing Options As they sort out where their in-house laboratories fit within the enterprise, technology-driven businesses have been adopting out- sourcing models aimed at keeping control, retaining proprietary knowledge, and tapping into the broad technical and administrative www.labmanager.com www.labmanager.com expertise of contract lab services providers—sometimes at a steep discount relative to their own in-house lab operations. Bernard Tulsi 28 Managing Surplus Assets Much has been written about the business benefits of outsourcing “noncore” activities, and this approach is now well-established in most chemical, pharmaceutical, and biotech companies. By concentrating on core areas and working with specialists for other tasks, costs are better managed, efficiency is boosted, and return on investment is increased. SOME LIGHT Ben Potenza SUMMER READING Summer is just about here which LEADERSHIP & STAFFING means our annual August Product 32 Managing Time Resource Guide isn’t too far off. In order to increase efficiency, many companies today are under pressure to improve their time management practices. This year’s edition will see the This is not an easy task, however, due to the workload ebb and flow that’s inherent in laboratory operations. return of the useful “Top Questions Sara Goudarzi to Ask When Buying” lists to help TECHNOLOGY you get started on the purchasing process for any product category 36 Surge Suppression in the guide. You’ll also find a Ask most people and they will say that electrical surges come from lightning strikes or are due to poor electric service. But, ac- new list in the 2014-15 guide that cording to IEEE/ANSI C62.41, 80 percent of surges originate from within a building. You could have perfect power coming into the building and still have a wide range of surges affecting your sensitive electronics. focuses on interesting things you Jim Minadeo may not know about the featured product categories, such as how HEALTH & SAFETY the earliest pipettes were con- 44 Watch Your Step! structed, and other factoids. As Research facilities, especially laboratories, are challenging places to work safely. This month, the Safety Guys alert you to poten- always, the guide will include the tially significant physical hazards present in the workplace. Those include slips, trips, and falls as well as injuries from animals, four latest product introductions electrical safety hazards, and high noise areas. within each category, along with Vince McLeod updated manufacturer, distributer, and laboratory apps lists. Look for this great piece of summer read- FIND OUR FAKE AD AND WIN! More info on page 88 ing to hit mailboxes and inboxes in mid-August! 4 Lab Manager June 2013 www.labmanager.com ANY SOFTWARE CAN RETRIEVE DATA. HOW ABOUT RETURNING YOUR INVESTMENT? Get back more than what you put in — with Empower® chromatography data software. Empower gets your laboratory up and running faster. Streamlines your workflow. And has tools to maximize capabilities like Method Validation Manager, Mobile and Laboratory Analytics. It’s every laboratory’s greatest asset. Learn more at waters.com/empower ©2014 Waters Corporation. Waters, Empower and The Science of What’s Possible are registered trademarks of Waters Corporation. Please note this is a COMMON SIZE mechanical file, Job # & CC: WATR12218_A you will need to center file using the center marks provided when placing ad in the publication page area. Job Name: WATR12218_A_Empower_CDS_2014_DBmec.indd Date: 12-19-13 (common size = smallest live/smallest trim/largest bleed) Live: 6.75"x9.5" SmallTrim: 7.75"x10.5” LargeTrim: 8.375"x10.875" Bleed: 8.625"x11.375" Page: 1 Rev: 1 PUBS: Environmental Science & Technology Molecular and Cellular Protemomics Stage: mech Release: 12-1913 DB AD: RR CW: GK PM: JT Scale: 100% American Laboratory Food Processing Nature Methods American Drug Discovery Food Quality Pharmaceutical Discovery Color: 4c Gutter: — Other: copyright 2014 ST: DB American Pharmaceutical Review Food Safety Magazine & Development Initials / Date Initials / Date Initials / Date Bio Business Genetic Engineering News (GEN) Pharmaceutical Manufacturing C-LO MK: ______________________ PM: ______________________ AB: ______________________ Bio IT World Genome Technology Pharmaceutical Technology BioTech World Genomics & Proteomics Pharmaceutical Technology EUROPE MECH AD: ______________________ CW: ______________________ RM:______________________ BioTechnology Focus Jour of The American Soc for Pharmaceutical Executive PROOF QC: ______________________ CD: ______________________ BioPharm International Mass Spectrometry Pharm Form and Quality BioProcess International Lab Asia Media Guide Proteomics Journal Lab Business - Jesmar Scientific Computing & Instrumentation Client / Date: Chemical & Engineering News APPROVALS ________________________________________________ Chemistry World LCGC Asia Scientific Computing World Drug Discovery and Dev LCGC N. America Drug Discovery News LCGC Europe THE FIFTH ANNUAL LABORATORY SAFETY SURVEY 16 This year, with almost 800 lab professionals weighing in on safety practices in their labs, we were pleased to learn that the dramatic drop-off in safety protocols seen in last year’s survey results had leveled off somewhat— Trust the Experts, though what we see this year can hardly be called a turnaround. Pam Ahlberg Today and Tomorrow ASK THE EXPERT 40 CHOOSING THE RIGHT OPTION FOR LABORATORY SERVICES Ike Harper, director for laboratory innovation at Johnson & Johnson, talks about the advantages of consolidating lab services with one provider. Tanuja Koppal Mastering precision liquid SCIENCE MATTERS 24 volumetry for over 50 years, RANK YOUR PRIORITIES Mark Lanfear Socorex has contributed to the success of many scientists, LAB MANAGER ACADEMY 26 generation after generation. WHY DOES GREAT COLLABORATION REQUIRE GOOD CONFLICT? Lynda McDermott PRODUCT FOCUS Choose among a wide selection LIMS 48 of highly reliable instruments such FUME HOODS 50 as manual and electronic pipettes, CHROMATOGRAPHY DATA SYSTEMS 53 PARTICLE SIZING AND CHARACTERIZATION dispensers and repeaters for all 54 HPLC SYSTEMS 56 dosing applications. INSIGHTS 62 A BUYER’S REPORT ON LIQUID HANDLING SYSTEMS Angelo DePalma Learn how to save HOW IT WORKS 30% on Pipettes A WORKSTATION FOR AUTOMATING AGAROSE GEL with our Starter Kit! FRAGMENT SELECTION AND SAMPLE ANALYSIS 70 BETTER RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT 72 TECHNOLOGY NEWS 74 The latest equipment, instrument, and system introductions to the laboratory market. SURVEY SAYS, ARE YOU IN THE MARKET FOR... BALANCES 80 UV-VIS SPECTROPHOTOMETERS 82 VACUUM PUMPS 83 MAINTENANCE MATTERS 84 LAB WASHERS Rachel Muenz PRE-OWNED EQUIPMENT MARKETPLACE