Linkam Scientific Instruments report on the use of
their TH60-6 warm stage to study bird hybridization at
the Department of Ecology and Genetics, Uppsala, Sweden

At the Evolutionary Biology Centre, Department of Ecology and Genetics/Animal Ecology at Uppsala University, PhD student, Murielle Podevin, is studying two species of birds; the collared and the pied flycatcher. These species started to diverge approximately 2 million years ago and have separate distributions in Europe but breed in common areas on two islands in the Baltic Sea. The birds sometimes hybridize, with negative consequences on their fitness since hybrid females are sterile and the males have a highly reduced reproductive success.

The Linkam H60-6 warm stage is being used to study bird hybridization at Uppsala University.

Little is known about gametic isolation as a reproductive barrier since it is difficult to study, particularly for organisms with internal fertilization. The aim of this research is to learn more about how quickly gametes diverge between species and what kind of mechanisms take place after mating- but before fertilization- in order to reduce the costs of hetero-specific mating.

Since hybridization has harmful consequences for individuals of both species, it is expected that some mechanisms evolve to allow them to better recognize the member of their own species and stop producing poor quality offspring. The scientists intend to investigate if the gametes (sperm and eggs) have diverged in the two species, making them less compatible and reducing the fertilization success of hetero-specific matings compared to matings between individuals of the same species. Such barriers to fertilization could be the last step to terminate the speciation process and avoid the negative consequences of hybridization. The causes of the decreased fertility of male hybrids in particular will be investigated.

Murielle Podevin is analyzing and comparing the semen of both species as well as hybrid males. She is interested in various characteristics of the ejaculates, such as comparing the ability of sperm to swim in different fluids. Murielle is video recording the movement of live sperm under the microscope moments after ejaculation, using a Linkam warm stage to keep the samples at 40°C. Sperm that are at temperatures lower than 40°C will swim slower and stop activity relatively quickly. She commented "The warm stage I am using is essential for my work, since I need my samples to be kept at 40 degrees exactly so that there is no variation between samples. I found the warm stage easy and straightforward to use. The temperature is easy to set and remains stable."

Both long term data and data from a few subsequent field seasons on that population will be used. By comparing the characteristics of the sperm of these two closely related species, Murielle Podevin is trying to understand the consequences of the interactions between and within species at the gametic level. The research is on-going.

For further information, view website: www.linkam.co.uk  Refer to page 251

NanoSight has been selected to receive the Queen's Award
for Enterprise in the category for International Trade 2012

NanoSight, leading manufacturers of unique nanoparticle characterization technology, has been selected to receive the Queen's Award for Enterprise in the category for International Trade 2012.

Picture: NanoSight Founder & CTO, Bob Carr, shows users how NTA works.

This award comes after many other prestigious awards in the past twelve months, notably the Technology World 2011 Business Innovation Award presented by Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade, and after being named the UK's fastest growing biotechnology company by Deloitte. NanoSight was founded in 2004 by Dr Bob Carr and John Knowles after Carr discovered a technology which allows particles so small they were below the normal optical microscope limit to be seen, sized and counted in less than a minute for a fraction of the cost of electron microscopes.

Since 2005, NanoSight has grown sales by around 70 per cent annually, year on year, and now employs 25 people in the UK. The firm sells its products all over the world, with around 90 per cent of its sales outside the UK. The most significant growth is in pharmaceuticals and life sciences, where budgets have remained largely unaffected by the global financial condition. There are now more than 450 NanoSight instruments in use worldwide and this number continues to grow as the firm's products are cited almost daily in fresh academic papers, a list which now totals over 400.

Speaking about the importance of this award, Dr Carr said "While we have naturally been proud of our progress to date, being considered worthy of such recognition as the Queen's Award really does give us a huge boost in confidence and enthusiasm. It is particularly exciting to see the response of our international colleagues and customers to this award."

Looking forward, the company expects to sustain growth in the coming years. Their Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis technology has become increasingly important in the characterization of nanomaterials. At the end of 2011, the EU announced a new definition for nanomaterials which suggests many companies will now be required to measure the number and size of the nanomaterials in their products. With NTA's ability to handle this challenge measuring particles in the 10nm to 1000nm range, the future for growth remains rosy.

To learn more about nanoparticle characterization using Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, NTA, view the company's website and register for the latest issue of NanoTrail, the company's electronic newsletter.

For further information, view website: www.nanosight.com  Refer to page 249

Nitrogen generator global supply agreement for LC/MS

Parker Hannifin's Filtration & Separation Group, the leader in gas generation for LC/MS and GC applications, has entered into a worldwide supply agreement with the Waters Corporation (Milford, MA) Under the agreement, Waters will resell Parker Balston nitrogen generators as part of their LC/MS package. Parker Balston has more than 15 years experience in the LC/MS nitrogen generator market and unrivalled global support through its network of sales offices in more than 46 countries.
 
Utilising advanced proprietary membrane and filtration technologies based on unique separation principles, Parker Balston designs and manufactures a range of generators that provides a convenient, constant and safe supply of clean, dry, phthalate-free nitrogen for Waters brand mass spectrometers. Parker Balston nitrogen generators have also been tested and validated by Waters to prove their performance and operation at the desired flow rate, pressure and gas purity as required by Waters LC/MS systems.
 
The Parker Balston gas generators will eliminate the need for high-pressure cylinders or liquid nitrogen. Additionally, gas distribution, pressure, and flow control are integral to each generator, eliminating the requirement for secondary gas pressure or gas management systems.
 
Waters in profile
For over 50 years, Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT) has created business advantages for laboratory dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide. Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success. With revenue of $1.85 billion in 2011, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.
 
Parker Hannifin in profile
With annual sales exceeding $12 billion in fiscal year 2011, Parker Hannifin is the world's leading diversified manufacturer of motion and control technologies and systems, providing precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of mobile, industrial and aerospace markets. The company employs approximately 58,000 people in 47 countries around the world. Parker has increased its annual dividends paid to shareholders for 55 consecutive fiscal years, among the top five longest-running dividend-increase records in the S&P 500 index.

For further information, view website: www.parker.com or the company's investor information website: www.phstock.com  Refer to page 268

Low solvent filtration ensures low baseline
and reduces pump blockages at high pressures

A unique range of Fisher Chemical UHPLC Gradient Grade Solvents minimize baseline noise and reduce pump blockages, even at high pressures. The new solvents, comprising acetonitrile, methanol and water, have been designed for use with the Ultra High Pressure Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) pump to ensure maximum sensitivity and resolution for high-speed, high-throughput applications. Filtered to an exceptionally low level of just 0.1 µm, this removes even the finest particles that may block the pump and valve under high pressure, thereby saving time, money and effort, as well as syringe filters. Low filtration also ensures an interference-free, low baseline noise at 210 and 254 nm.

The new UHPLC solvents display a remarkably high UV transmission rate, making them ideal for all UHPLC applications using UV detection. Other features include guaranteed lot-to-lot consistency and extremely low acidity and alkalinity levels. These are important for quality control and research labs working in UV detection.

For further details on the new Fisher Chemical UHPLC Gradient Grade Solvents, view website: www.acros.com  Refer to next page

Seward's European customers and distribution
network to benefit from enhanced support

Seward Ltd, the manufacturer and developer of the patented Stomacher® Paddle Blender range, has recruited Gary Ross as European Sales Manager to its growing team. Drawing on years of experience, Gary will enhance support and information flow on Seward's broad range of sample preparation products to its distribution network, covering its large and expanding European customer base.

Fluent in Spanish and English and with practical knowledge of the food and beverage industry, Gary Ross has spent many years working with distributors, giving him an excellent understanding of their commercial needs. He is also ideally placed to offer sales support, training and access to technical assistance where required. A better informed distributor network will ultimately ensure that end users of Seward Stomacher products can more readily secure any assistance that they may require.

"We are very pleased to welcome Gary to the Seward team," said Howard Matthews, Director of Sales and Marketing, Seward Ltd., "By providing more regular direct contact with our European customers, we aim to ensure that they are better supported and able to secure in person answers to questions and receive assistance with all their sample preparation needs in a number of industry sectors, including food, environmental and life science."

The Stomacher® paddle blender range has been proven in laboratories around the world to be a valuable tool in industry, research, education and healthcare. In scientific procedures the quality of the sample and its preparation are critical to accurate results, Stomacher has been and continues to be developed to achieve this.

For further information on Seward's Stomacher® range and other sample preparation products, view website: www.seward.co.uk  Refer to page 244