April 2011 – Analyst Blog

Archive for April, 2011

Issue 10 now online

27 Apr 2011

Analyst 2011, 136(10): 1997-2184

Issue 10 of Analyst 2011 is now online.

Work by Alberto Escarpa and co-workers is highlighted on the front cover. They have used a lab on a chip device to quickly analyse levels of zearalenone, a contaminant, in infant foods with a detection limit below legislative requirements.

This paper was recently highlighted by Chemistry World in a news piece. The full article will be free to access until the end of May, so do take a look:

Integrated electrokinetic magnetic bead-based electrochemical immunoassay on microfluidic chips for reliable control of permitted levels of zearalenone in infant foods
Mirian Hervás, Miguel A. López and Alberto Escarpa
Analyst, 2011, 136, 2131-2138
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15081B

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Ribonuclease protection assay on microchip electrophoresis

26 Apr 2011

The potential of microchip electrophoresis for the rapid and highly sensitive analysis of mRNA expression in cells by using a Cy5-labeled antisense riboprobe in the RNA protection assay has been shown by researchers from Japan.

Shouki Yatsushiro and colleagues from National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Takamatsu, show that results can be obtained in 120 seconds, using the same amount of riboprobe as used in the conventional method, with eight-times more sensitive detection of mRNA.

Read the article for free using the link below:

Ribonuclease protection assay on microchip electrophoresis
Yuka Yamaguchi, Shouki Yatsushiro, Shohei Yamamura, Hiroko Abe, Kaori Abe, Masahiro Watanabe, Kazuaki Kajimoto, Yasuo Shinohara, Yoshinobu Baba and Masatoshi Kataoka
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN01044H

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Most-read Analyst articles in March

26 Apr 2011

The most popular Analyst articles in March

Five of our most-read papers in March 2011 – access them FOR FREE:

Melamine sensing through riboflavin stabilized gold nanoparticles
Bappaditya Roy, Abhijit Saha and Arun K. Nandi, Analyst, 2011, 136, 67-70
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00599A

Colorimetric detection of melamine in complex matrices based on cysteamine-modified gold nanoparticles

Xiaosheng Liang, Hongping Wei, Zongqiang Cui, Jiaoyu Deng, Zhiping Zhang, Xiangyu You and Xian-En Zhang, Analyst, 2011, 136, 179-183
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00432D

Liquid-phase broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (BBCEAS) studies in a 20 cm cell

L. Nitin Seetohul, Zulfiqur Ali and Meez Islam, Analyst, 2009, 134, 1887-1895
DOI: 10.1039/B907316G

Gold nanoparticle probes for the detection of mercury, lead and copper ions

Yang-Wei Lin, Chih-Ching Huang and Huan-Tsung Chang, Analyst, 2011, 136, 863-871
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00652A

Protease sensing with nanoparticle based platforms

Katharina Welser, Rosemary Adsley, Bernadette M. Moore, Weng C. Chan and Jonathan W. Aylott, Analyst, 2011, 136, 29-41
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00429D

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RNA analysis raises hopes of early cancer diagnosis

21 Apr 2011

An improved method for diagnosing colorectal cancer without using invasive techniques has been developed by scientists in China. A team led by Guohua Zhou at Nanjing University used a bead-based assay in conjunction with PCR to detect the RNA produced by cancer cells.

Read David Barden’s news piece in Chemistry World or access the full article for free using the link below. What impact do you think this methodology will have for diagnostics in the future? Leave your comments below.

Digital analysis of the expression levels of multiple colorectal cancer-related genes by multiplexed digital-PCR coupled with hydrogel bead-array
Zongtai Qi, Yinjiao Ma, Lili Deng, Haiping Wu, Guohua Zhou, Tomoharu Kajiyama and Hideki Kambara
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00976H

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CSI Call for Papers deadline approaching!

19 Apr 2011

Colloquium Spectroscopicum Internationale XXXVII
Buzios, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

August 28 – September 2, 2011

Since the first meeting in France in 1949, the CSI conference has been a forum where scientists involved in all aspects of spectroscopy and spectrometry meet to share experiences, discuss results and applications and present new ideas.

This year the meeting will be hosted in South America for the first time in its 60 years of history. Visit http://www.csixxxvii.org/ for more details.

Abstract submission deadline April 30^th 2011

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Register now for ARF11!

15 Apr 2011

The Analytical Research Forum (ARF11) is a major event for researchers in analytical science, and will be held in Manchester, 25 – 27 July 2011.

Poster abstracts and early bird registration deadline: 27 May 2011

Aimed at early stage analytical science students, the invited lectures have been selected to reflect a broad range of research interests. And if you’ve ever wondered what analytical science can do for research in the life sciences, then the additional optional workshop is for you:

Analytical Science in the Manchester Interdisciplinary Biocentre (MIB)

Generously supported by the Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund (ACTF) of the Analytical Division, there are a number of discretionary travel bursaries on offer – apply by the 27 May deadline.

Find full details at www.rsc.org/ARF11

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Issue 9 now published

14 Apr 2011

Analyst, 136(9): 1769-1996

Issue 9 is now online! (apologies for the poetry, it’s just the best way to say it…)

Highlighted on this issue’s cover is work by Tony Killard and colleagues on the development of a fluorescent method for detecting the onset of coagulation in human plasma on microstructured lateral flow platforms. They’ve found that the change in the distribution of the fluorescence within the sample over time was an excellent predictor of the onset of coagulation, which could be used to determine the clotting time.

Read the article for free by clicking below:

Development of a fluorescent method for detecting the onset of coagulation in human plasma on microstructured lateral flow platforms
Magdalena M. Dudek, Nigel J. Kent, Pan Gu, Z. Hugh Fan and Anthony J. Killard
Analyst, 2011, 136, 1816-1825
DOI: 10.1039/C0AN00907E

Also in this issue are a handful of Communications, describing urgent work on topics such as detection of dopamine using fast scan cyclic voltammetry and the preparation of gold nanoparticle-decorated microparticles for hydrogen peroxide detection – do take a look and let us know your thoughts.

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Ingenuity pathway analysis integrated into metabolomic analysis of NSAID-induced toxicity

13 Apr 2011

The results preliminarily revealed that modifications of metabolism and associated pathways accounted for metabolic perturbation of the rats that was induced by indomethacin.

Read this HOT paper which combines the use of high-throughput mass spectrometry based metabolomics and ingenuity pathway analysis, a powerful chemomatric approach, to address drug side-effects. By using differentiated global metabolic profiling of urine to phenotype the side effects of indomethacin on specific tissue systems it will elucidate the harmful effects of indomethacin in the kidney and liver, a key obstacle to widening the clinical use of the drug.

The paper will be free to access to until 24th May.

Metabolomic analysis characterizes tissue specific indomethacin-induced metabolic perturbations of rats
Haitao Lv, Lian Liu, Gustavo Palacios and Xi Chen
Analyst, 2011, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C1AN15126F

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Paul Bohn awarded the Theophilus Redwood Award

05 Apr 2011

We are delighted to congratulate Paul Bohn, Chair of the Analyst Editorial Board on being awarded the 2010 Theophilus Redwood Award. This award given to a leading analytical scientist who is also an outstanding communicator. Paul was chosen as the award winner for the breadth and impact of his contribution to analytical science in the areas of microfluidics and nanoscale chemical sensing.

Paul gave his award lecture at the University of Strathclyde last Wednesday (30th March) and those present can confirm not only the excellence of his science, but also his ability to communicate this to his audience. He was presented with his medal by the President Elect of the Analytical Division, Alan Handley.

For more information about Paul’s work on nanoscale chemical sensing, please visit his website at the University of Notre Dame, USA.

The Awards Symposium also included the winner of the Robert Boyle Prize for Analytical Science given to Gary Hieftje of Indiana University, and the Harrison Meldola Memorial Prize which was awarded to Nathan Lawrence from Schlumberger Cambridge Research (shown below).

Congratulations to all three winners!

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Calling all young analytical professionals!

05 Apr 2011

EAP 2011: Analytical Sciences – Divide and Conquer!

This year’s EAP conference (Emerging Analytical Professionals) will be held from 06-08 May, and the general theme of this year’s conference is analytical chemistry in archaeological sciences. The EAP meeting is a unique conference providing excellent networking and professional development opportunities for early analytical career professionals. Other specialist sessions will include separation sciences, knowledge from data and career development.

Venue: The Kettering Park Hotel and Spa, Kettering Parkway, Kettering, NN15 6XT

For more information on how to register for the conference, please visit the EAP 2011 website

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