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Epoxy-Modified Particles From Bangs Labs PowerSearch Conformational Searching Software New Micro-Plate Cultures From Diagnostic Hybrids World Precision Instruments' Iso-NO Nitric Oxide Sensor Molecular Dynamics Offers PhosphorImager SI Filmless Autoradiography Instrument Date: May 16, 1994, pp.20 Bangs Laboratories of Indianapolis has announced the availability of a new class of particles featuring what the company calls "kinder, gentler" surface chemistries. With surface epoxy groups, these particles permit covalent coupling of antigens, antibodies, haptens, or DNA to their surfaces. Any ligand with primary amino (and other similarly reactive) groups can be bound to these particles quickly and easily. With sizes from approximately 30 nm to more than 6 mm, these new particles are available as methylmethacrylate/epoxy or styrene/epoxy copolymers. They complement Bangs Laboratories' other "easy-to-bind-to" particles with chloromethyl and aldehyde surface groups. Bangs Laboratories also offers particles in lots of greater than 1,000 (including magnetics) with other sizes, colors, and surface chemistries. Diagnostic Hybrids Inc. of Athens, Ohio, has introduced a new line of micro-plate cultures designed to be a rapid and sensitive alternative to using shell vials in cell-culture detection of chlamydiae, CMV, and HSV. According to the company, FreshCells Multi-Well plate cultures offer cost-effective, rapid detection of chlamydiae, CMV, and HSV in large-volume screening. When used with fluorescent antibody reagents, the Multi-Well plate format is said to provide early, sensitive detection while eliminating labor associated with coverslips. FreshCells micro-plate cultures are prepared twice per week in 24-, 48-, and 96-well plates; which, the company says, guarantees freshness and sensitivity. Batch processing of specimens in plates, as opposed to unit processing in shell vials, eliminates vial labeling, simplifies specimen inoculation and centrifugation as well as fluorescent antibody staining/washing, reduces reagent consumption by up to 56 percent, and aids evaluation by microscopy. FreshCells Multi-Well plate cultures are designed to be compatible with a number of commercial fluorescent antibody kits and, with minor microscopy modifications, to enhance detection of fluorescent signal through the plastic support plate. FreshCells cell lines are available in MRC-5, McCoy, AGMK, and BGMK. Iso-NO, a nitric oxide sensor from World Precision Instruments of Sarasota, Fla., provides readings in fluid volumes as small as 1 microliter. Iso-NO's sensitivity ranges from 1 nanomolar to 20 micromolars (or from 0.03 parts per billion to 600 parts per million) in aqueous solutions, or from 1 to 20,000 parts per million in gaseous mixtures. According to the company, nitric oxide consumption by the electrode is negligible. A newly developed "dry" electrolyte eliminates refilling during use. The instrument can connect to a chart recorder or data- acquisition system. A simple T-adapter allows the probe to perform continuous flow-through monitoring at rates as low as 1.55 microliters per minute. Tripos Associates Inc. of St. Louis announces the availability of its new PowerSearch software, enabling scientists using personal computers running under Windows to perform conformational searching on compounds. Developed for Windows under a collaborative agreement with Tripos and CheMicro Research & Development of Hungary, PowerSearch provides a means for finding low-energy conformations either with Systematic or with Monte Carlo searches. PowerSearch uses the traditional Windows menus and dialogue boxes to set up searches. According to the company, the program calculations are compute-intensive, allowing the user to run the search in the "background" while continuing to work with other programs on his or her computer. The software can be used as a companion product to Tripos' ALCHEMY III and ChemPrint software for desktop computers. Autoradiography Instrument Molecular Dynamics of Sunnyvale, Calif., has released the PhosphorImager SI system, a new filmless autoradiography instrument for use in life-sciences research laboratories. The PhosphorImager SI conforms to the Small Computer Standard Interface (SCSI) protocol and works with both Macintosh and IBM- compatible computer systems. The PhosphorImager SI system is recognized by both the Macintosh and PC operating systems as a standard SCSI device, much like an external hard disk or CD-ROM drive, so system set-up and operation are intuitive, according to the manufacturer. The system is said to offer the high resolution of autoradiography and the dynamic range of direct counting in less than one-tenth the time of a typical film exposure. The PhosphorImager system technology is applied to gels, blots, TLC plates, and tissue sections. Analysis and reporting software for either Macintosh or IBM-compatible personal computers is included with the system.

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