On the cutting edge

CORNING, N.Y. & EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands—Corning Inc. and CytoSMART Technologies BV in February announced an agreement that reportedly will simplify mammalian cell counting in laboratories—a critical step in subcultivation in the cell culture workflow.

Corning is the exclusive supplier of the Corning Cell Counter which features new technology developed by CytoSMART and offers superior speed for automated cell counting. This device will be available through Corning's global sales team and worldwide distribution network.

While many laboratories still perform manual cell counting using a hemocytometer or a counting slide viewed under a microscope, the Corning Cell Counter is said to return an accurate and precise digital cell count in just a few seconds. Researchers can still use the standard reusable hemocytometer or disposable slides but will no longer need to perform tedious and time-consuming cell counting by microscopic viewing.

“The Corning Cell Counter will not only simplify the workflow in cell culture laboratories, it is time-saving and more reliable than standard methods,” said Robb D’Amore, business director at Corning Life Sciences. “The addition of the Corning Cell Counter is a perfect complement to our expanding cell culture portfolio of vessels, surfaces, media and sera, and liquid handling devices.”

“Our goal is to create intuitive products that support life-science researchers to get the most out of their work,” said Joffry Maltha, CEO of CytoSMART Technologies. “For the Corning Cell Counter, we managed to create a more user-friendly cell counter by combining the latest technological advances, including artificial intelligence and Microsoft Azure’s cloud technology, and a very inviting compact design that conveys simplicity and innovation. Our collaboration with Corning is a fantastic opportunity to bring this product to the life-sciences researchers.“

BASEL, Switzerland—The end of January saw Genedata, a provider of advanced software solutions for R&D, announce the release of Genedata Screener 15, featuring extended support of large-scale mechanistic analyses. The new version also delivers new functionality for the analysis of kinetic binding assays for small and large molecules, as well as a host of new automation features.

As the company puts it, “The Screener platform is relied on by leading pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and academic research institutions around the world for processing, standardizing and integrating experimental data from all types of screens. Eliminating the need for spreadsheets and manual data handling, Genedata Screener 15's new automation features save more than 80 percent of a scientist’s time, while enabling experimental throughput to scale-up by a factor of 100 or more.”

HEIDELBERG, Germany & CAMBRIDGE, U.K.—SYGNIS AG recently extended the manufacturing capability for its Lightning-Link technology, currently marketed under the Innova Biosciences brand, to support scalability and bulk production of antibodies.

Lightning-Link is a technology that enables direct labeling of antibodies or proteins in as little as 20 minutes, for use in R&D applications, drug discovery and the development of diagnostic kits. SYGNIS maintains that the Lightning-Link kits are the world’s fastest, easiest to use and most efficient method of labeling antibodies or proteins. What the new changes mean is that the company is now able to offer the Lightning-Link product range in volumes from 10µg to 100mg, in single reaction vials tested with Rabbit IgG in ELISA. For antibody manufacturers that have fixed internal processes for conjugation, bulk supply of ultra-high quality raw materials and labels that are used in the Lightning-Link kits are also available.

“The ability to further support antibody manufacturers at both small and large scale, including those requiring bulk raw materials to work with historic standard operating procedures, provides the opportunity to reach new, high-value markets,” said Alastair Carrington, vice president of business development and marketing for Innova Biosciences. “Access to Lightning-Link technology will enable manufacturers to dramatically increase their conjugate portfolios, whilst retaining batch-to-batch consistency.”