With thousands of journals and millions of different papers published every year, it is no surprise that researchers and their assistants spend as much time in their libraries as in their laboratories.

Much has been written about the pros and cons of working with big versus small Contract Resource Organisations (CROs).

Known as Crystal Farm, a new imaging system developed in the USA simplifies and automates protein crystallisation by integrating incubation at chosen temperatures together with optical imaging of the crystal growth plates at pre-scheduled intervals. This accelerates the process of growing diffraction-quality protein crystals.

Compared with the total research products market, the DNA microarray market continues to experience robust growth world wide, says new analysis by Frost & Sullivan.

Gene expression, the study of gene activity in cells to understand the genetic causes of disease, is revolutionising drug research and aiding in the treatment of conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

LIMS provider Starlims Corporation has released an integrated web services framework, a web service software application, whose public interfaces are described using XML allowing other software systems to control it.

Dr Bill Bradbury reports on the implementation of two special robotic workstations to help maintain and analyse the DNA.

Tecan has signed an agreement with the South African Police Service to supply, install and provide customer support for its fully automated forensic DNA typing system. They will play a central role in South Africa's DNA databank.

Even within one species of bacteria, genetic content can vary by as much as 25 per cent between individual strains.

Every year consulting company Frost & Sullivan (F&S) presents its technology leadership award to the company that has pioneered and steered technological advances in its industry with cutting-edge products and concepts.

Traditionally, rapid identification of low abundance proteins in complex mixtures has utilised three-dimensional (3D) quadrupole ion trap spectrometry systems.

Flow cytometry was born from printer technology in the 1960s and is used in many and varied applications today. Mark Dessing reports on the unique development of flow cytometry through the years

The new YSI 7100 MBS system from Analytical Technologies is designed to measure multiple chemistries, combining the proven accuracy of YSI chemical sensors with the speed of simultaneous multiple chemistry testing.

Gel permeation chromatography is a well-developed technique for determining the molecular weight distribution of polymers. Dr Greg Saunders reports.

Bio-Rad latest confocal systems CellMap ID and CellMap IC are the first two models in a family of products designed to produce high quality confocal images at an affordable price for individual laboratories.

Increasing requirements for higher purity plasmid DNA preparations have driven the development of new chromatography technologies. Victor Bornsztejn reports.

Software-controlled microscopy is the catchphrase. New technologies and the opportunities offered by them have changed the way people work at the microscope and the entire world of the laboratory. Dr Manfred Kässens reports.

Sampling needles and dispensing probes are a vital part of any liquid handling system.

Ultrasonic Scientific Ltd launches new, enhanced customer-driven software, Smart Sound for its range of High-Resolution Ultrasonic Spectrometers (HR-US).

High purity inorganic salts are used in many different production units and institutions such as aerospace, electronics, in the pharmaceutical, chemical and petrochemical industries, as well as in the automobile and optical industries, to give some examples.