LabTalk News in brief

“US tariffs are now hindering suppliers' business plans, even though about one-third of European medtech companies have set up production sites in North America," commented partner Philipp Temmel. However, he added that specialty product providers could benefit short to medium term from the fact that US customers had to rely on a relatively small number of suppliers.

Life science and diagnostics firm Revvity’s newest UK base will be located at Bruntwood SciTech’s Alderley Park site, the company has disclosed. It will take over a 6,000 sq ft specialist lab space, joining more than 250 companies. Revvity is currently engaged in work on the Generation Study, involving the sequencing of 100,000 newborn babies’ genomes aimed at boosting early diagnosis of rare conditions. The project is a collaboration with Genomics England and NHS England.

Organ-on-a-chip systems and solutions provider CN Bio has signed a strategic partnership with South Korea-based scientific instrument company SCINCO to increase its penetration of Asian and Pacific markets.

Electroplating and surface finishing specialist BEP Surface Technologies has brought ion chromatography analysis in-house after outsourcing for a quarter century (chemical engineers Sam Murphy and Dinesh Durgappa above). It has invested in a Thermo Fisher Scientific Dionex Inuvion Ion Chromatography (IC) system for separating, identifying, and quantifying components in chemical mixtures, saying the installation at its Manchester R&D lab will enhance operational efficiency and client service.

AkzoNobel has completed a quarter century study of the performance of one of its products. The project, staged in Bad Bentheim, Germany, tested the effectiveness of Resicoat epoxy powder coating to provide anti-corrosion protection for drinking water supply systems. German industry association GSK and the local water board conducted the study, verified by the MPA Hannover testing institute, to independently confirm the product’s effectiveness. 

Sequencing platforms provider PacBio and Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University, have announced a strategic collaboration to implement PacBio HiFi whole genome sequencing for the country’s newborn screening research program. The move is the first use of the company’s HiFi sequencing technology at population scale in the Asia Pacific region. “Our shared goal is to establish a robust and scalable research model for genomic newborn screening that helps uncover the genetic basis of undiagnosed conditions from birth,” said the Center of Excellence for Medical Genomics at Chulalongkorn’s professor Vorasuk Shotelersuk .

Rochdale based biorepository storage expert Astoriom continued its expansion with the extension of stability storage capabilities at its Tramore site in Ireland. The move is designed to meet demand for regulatory-compliant storage solutions from -60°C to -196°C and ICH (International Council for Harmonisation) temperature-controlled stability conditions. Last year the firm expanded its cryogenic storage suite at Tramore and it has also quired Nottingham’s MTS Cryo Stores and Cool Repair Scientific UK, as well as Flagship Biosciences’ biorepository operations in North Carolina, USA.

Pic: Shutterstock (J Miks)