News • Machine learning
Using Raman spectroscopy and AI for SARS-CoV-2 detection
Researchers have developed a noninvasive and reagent-free technique for the efficient detection of COVID-19.
News • Women's health
Breast and ovarian cancer risk assessment from cervical samples
Scientists have discovered a means of identifying the risk of breast and ovarian cancer by measuring epigenetic changes in cervical samples from over a thousand women.
Article • Regulatory issues for AI and digital pathology
IVDR: a complex issue and a 'missed opportunity'
Despite a five-year transition period for In-vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation (IVDR), experts fear many actors in the field are still not prepared for the regulations coming into force.
News • New insights into antibody response
How the immune system reacts to coronavirus variants
Researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) present new findings on the immune response against SARS-CoV-2.
News • Cardiology insights
Lab-grown heart cells 'mimic' disease in vitro
Heart cells from a patient with an inherited heart disease called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy do not contract correctly when grown in the laboratory, researchers from Osaka University have found.
News • Sensitivity and response detection
How long do tests detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies? New insights
How long can Covid-19 antigen tests reliably tell the antibody status? Researchers at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut identified several factors that affect the detection duration.
News • Autohaem smear and smear+
Automating blood smears for malaria diagnosis
Researchers have developed a device that removes one of the biggest bottlenecks preventing quick, reliable malaria diagnosis.
Chemistry & immunochemistry
Fujifilm Wako – NEFA-HR(2) Assay
Non-Esterified Fatty Acids (NEFA) are one of the most important metabolites and energy source of peripheral tissues. The amount of NEFA in serum decreases by physical exercise and increases by starvation, cold or smoking. An increase or decrease is also observed in diabetes, hepatic, or endocrine diseases.
Chemistry & immunochemistry
Fujifilm Wako – Autokit CH50 Assay
Autokit CH50 Assay is an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test for the quantitative determination of total complement activity in human serum. The complement system is a part of the immune system that enhances/complements the ability of antibodies and phagocytic cells to clear pathogens from an organism.
News • Glioblastoma
Blood test for brain tumors possible
Researchers at the University of Sussex are one step further to developing a blood test capable of diagnosing the most aggressive form of brain tumour.
News • Multiple tumor tissue biomarkers
MOSAICA: next-generation biopsy technology
A new biopsy tool will enable scientists and clinicians to simultaneously profile many biomarkers in cells and tissues.
News • Potential game-changer
Telling Covid-19 apart from influenza
Researchers have developed a diagnostic for Sars-CoV-2 that is capable of differentiating between Covid-19 and the garden-variety bug with fast turnaround.
News • Research
Quantum sensor to detect SARS-CoV-2 faster
Scientists at have designed a quantum sensor to detect SARS-CoV-2 faster, cheaper, and more accurate than the current gold-standard technique, PCR.
Article • Mini-microscopes
Are disposable robots conquering the labs of the future?
The team at the Institute of Medical Device Technology at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, is developing methods to produce top-quality medical devices at affordable prices. Professor Dr Peter Pott, the director of the institute, turns to 3D printers to successfully realize his vision of “high end at low cost”.
News • Tissue scarring
How a Covid-19 infection can damage the kidneys
The Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infects the kidneys and contributes to tissue scarring, as shown by researchers from Germany and the Netherlands.
Article • Precision medicine
Liquid biopsy: the ‘next frontier’ for cancer detection?
Mark Nicholls reports from the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) virtual Festival, with four expert speakers discussing the role of liquid biopsy in cancer detection.
News • Medication chemistry
Stabilising drugs with 'heavy' hydrogen
A new method involving deuterium can be used to stabilise compounds against degradation. This discovery could result in new drugs that can be taken in lower doses or less frequently.
News • Pathogen analysis
Unlocking epidemic prevention with affordable genome sequencing
A worldwide consortium aims to equip researchers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with cheap and accessible methods for sequencing large collections of bacterial pathogens.
Article • Diabetes
Microneedles: Nano-sized, huge impact
Drug delivery, blood extraction, contrast agent injection – many procedures in modern medicine would be utterly impossible without needles. Despite the benefits, inserting pointy metal tubes into a patient also comes with several drawbacks. By downscaling the to micrometer-size, Japanese researchers open even more areas of application for needles, while bypassing some of the most important…
Sponsored • Reprocessing equipment
A breakthrough technology for endoscope drying and storage
Due to their complex design, reusable endoscopes have been long recognized to require thorough reprocessing to properly disinfect. In practice, the drying of the endoscope is often underestimated.
News • New method
3D imaging to determine prostate cancer aggressiveness
A team led by the University of Washington has developed a new, non-destructive method that images entire 3D biopsies instead of a slice. The 3D images provided more information than a 2D image — specifically, details about the tree-like structure of the glands throughout the tissue.
Sponsored • Mass spectrometry
Shedding light on the mysteries of rare microbial infections with MALDI-TOF MS
The Zybio EXS2600 mass spectrometry system enables rapid microbial identification, including bacteria and fungi. With an advanced pre-filled sample kit, user-friendly software and a comprehensive strain database, the EXS2600 offers high-throughput screening, convenient operation and accurate results.
Sponsored • DNA extraction chemistry
Providing innovative molecular workflows to empower future diagnostics
Founded in 2018 as a DNA extraction chemistry company, Dutch company MolGen entered the market operating within the agricultural sector. At first, the company’s founders, Maarten de Groot, Wim van Haeringen and Niels Kruize, focused solely on this one industry, mainly developing and marketing advanced bulk chemistry kits for DNA/RNA extraction. These testing products and solutions successfully…
Sponsored • Hematology equipment
Taking morphology analysis to the next level
Mindray has launched the new MC-80 Automated Digital Cell Morphology Analyzer, a revolutionary cell morphology system that provides more clarity, more intelligence and more productivity for morphological analysis. Combining MC-80, Mindray’s hematology solution will revolutionize the high-end hematology segment.
Sponsored • Chronic liver disease
A looming pandemic and the need for physician partnerships to leverage non-invasive testing
Even as we battle one pandemic (Covid-19), we sit on the cusp of another. Europe has one of the highest burdens of chronic liver disease (CLD) in the world, driven largely by alcohol overconsumption, viral hepatitis, and obesity. Furthermore, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly common and is a significant contributor to CLD – especially in people with diabetes, where its…
