Chemical synthesis of vaccines

An anti-cancer jab? - von Prof. Dr Horst Kunz, Sebastian Hartmann, Björn Palitzsch

*Vaccinations against disease: a blessing for humanity*

Food safety: new approaches to analysis

Sure, it tastes good - von Prof. Dr Dr Alfonso Lampen, Dr Thorsten Buhrke, Hermann Broll

Food safety is a requirement stipulated by Section 14 of EU Basic Regu­lation (EC) No. 178/2004. Food safety monitoring activities conducted by state inspection agencies ensure nationwide compliance with the high levels of food safety in Germany. As well as monitoring microbial loads in foodstuffs, the agencies also focus on a wide range of chemical contaminants, such as dioxins. Whether the foodstuffs have been contaminated with these kinds of potentially...

Instrumental and effect-directed analysis in the oxidative degradation of micropollutants

Pharmaceuticals in wastewater - von Dr Jochen Türk

Occurance and fate of micropollutants, metabolites and transformation products in the water cycle is placing increasingly higher demands on instrumental analysis in terms of resolution and sensitivity. As yet, effect-directed analysis methods play a subordinate role in water analysis work. Yet for evaluating unknown samples or ingredients, these methods form a perfect complement to instrument-based identification. Indeed, in the detection of estrogenically...

More reproducible retention times

Best HPLC-Chromatograms - von Dr Andrea Junker-Buchheit

The high health hazard potential of many ­organic solvents is well known to anyone working in a laboratory. Solvent vapours ­can not only endanger people’s health, but also increase the fire and explosion risks for laboratories and buildings, in addition to causing air pollution. This is also the case for analytical and preparative HPLC laboratories.

Mysterious mycoplasma – a question of culture?!

Firstly reported in 1956 (Robinson et al. 1956), the potential presence of mycoplasma in cell culture laboratories challenges scientists. The parasitic mycoplasmas represent a serious problem for all cell line-related fields in research as well as in industrial facilities for development or manufacture of cell-derived biological and pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, drugs, and products for gene and cell therapy. Still,...

New highly expandable platform for live cell imaging

A Higher Level of Live Cell Research

Designed with the scientist’s workflow in mind the innovative new IX3 ­series of inverted research microscope systems from Olympus are ­developed for effortless, intuitive live cell imaging and clinical analysis. Built using worldwide customer feedback and designed to meet the needs of a wide range of users, the new systems offer exceptional ease-of-use and unprecedented optical flexibility via a new, customisable light path. New components can...

The theory behind biological trace analysis

A Spring Without Birdsong - von Prof. Dr Bernd Herrmann

In 1962, biologist Rachel Carson published her world-famous book “Silent Spring”, in which she warned of the consequences of inconsiderate use of DDT. DDT accumulates in the food chain and, thanks to its ­hormone-mimicking effects, causes serious damage to the organisms ­at the end of such food chains. One such effect is that the shells of many birds’ eggs become so thin that they break during incubation. The consequence: a silent spring without...