Analysis for the masses

The analytica laboratory analysis trade fair will return to Messe Munchen in Munich, Germany this month from the 1st to the 4th of April.

More than 1,100 firms are expected to exhibit at the show, held across five halls, which will focus on food, pharmaceutical, chemical and clinical diagnostic analysis.

Laboratory-equipment suppliers such as Fisher Scientific, GE Healthcare, Merck Millipore, Brookfield Engineering, Molecular Devices and Waters will all be unveiling new products at the event.

A number of countries - including Great Britain, China, France and Spain - are also planning joint-exhibition stands.

Organisers say the show will also feature a selection of “in-focus” areas designed to examine current trends within the chemicals, clinical diagnostics, food analysis and pharmaceuticals sectors.

Representatives from across the pharmaceutical industry will be on-hand to discuss trends within pharmaceuticals research, as well as the latest industry developments.

One of the key trends influencing new developments in the pharmaceuticals industry is a shift towards more advanced laboratory automation.

To this end, firms such as Copley Scientific will be using analytica as a platform to launch its latest range of products designed to simplify a variety of laboratory tasks.

The company says its Dissolution Tester DIS 8000 is designed for both research & development (R&D) and routine quality control applications.

The tester automatically removes samples from either six or eight dissolution vessels at predetermined times and deposits them in test tubes or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) vials for subsequent analysis.

“The Dissofract ’Offline’ Dissolution sampling system will take centre stage [as] an automation tool that brings efficiency and short sampling times in tablet dissolution testing,” says Copley Scientific sales director Mark Copley.

“Within the pharmaceutical sector, lab productivity is a critical issue so we will be focusing on tools that can help.”

Analytica will also be playing host to a new exhibit for occupational health and safety within the chemicals sector.

This will present information on health and safety trends within the chemicals sector - ranging from the correct protective clothing and safe handling of hazardous materials to the avoidance of potentially dangerous chemical reactions.

“We will offer an exciting mix of up-to-date information, spectacular live demonstrations and international expertise,” says exhibition director Susanne Grödl.

And for those interested in both clinical diagnostics and life sciences, analytica will feature a programme of exhibits for sampling and trace analysis innovations and techniques, with a range of companies showcasing products for this market.

Life sciences firm Molecular Devices will be unveiling its latest plate reader & western blot detection system designed to analyse individual proteins within a protein mixture.

It says its ScanLater system leverages a user-installable cartridge with optimised reagents that can turn the company’s SpectraMax i3 or Paradigm Multi-mode Platform into a western blot detection system.

“Analytica 2014 is the ideal opportunity for us to raise awareness of the first multi-mode microplate reader to scan western blot,” says Molecular Devices marketing manager James Ford.

“We will use the show to talk face-to-face with researchers to understand how we can customise our products to accelerate their research.”

Many firms at the event are promoting analytical solutions that they say will dramatically boost research development - especially targeting the food analysis market.

The food analysis “Live Lab” is a show feature that will provide attendees with first-hand lab experiences and highlight current trends in food safety.

Analytica will also play host to companies from around the globe unveiling the latest in analytical instrumentation for the food and beverage industry.

Attendees will have the opportunity to review the latest developments in food analysis and sampling and sample preparation, and gain a better understanding of advances in DNA sequencing and current food sector safety requirements, say organisers.

Visitors to any of the three live labs are promised a unique insight into innovative processes and techniques being used within each industry, they add.

The bioanalysis live lab can be found in hall A3; plastics analysis can be found in hall B1 and food analysis is located in hall B2 with live demonstrations running daily.

Similarly, the show’s conference programme features a wide range of expert commentary on recent advancements in analytical technique.

The programme runs from Tuesday 1st April until Thursday 3rd across the conference’s lecture halls, and features over 50 individual presentations.

Thursday’s ’Moving Frontiers in Elemental and Molecular Spectroscopy Granting Access to Essential Information for Life Science’ programme is expected to be a standout feature.

It will feature ten presentations addressing topics such as the bioimaging and three-dimensional spectroscopic analysis of pharmaceuticals.