Features

It was no secret in the Wild West that he who draws their pistol last draws quickest - but why is this, and what use is it to biologists today?

Geology under the microscope

April 20, 2010

Geological specimens preserving clues to the history of the Earth are examined using temperature controlled microscopy – Ian Pearce tells us how

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Testing times ahead for decontamination solutions

April 19, 2010

Craig Yates discusses best practice when it comes to maintenance of safety showers and eyebaths in the lab

Handling the pressure?

April 15, 2010

Whether in life science, medical research departments or the analytical laboratory – environments where a dependable supply of high purity nitrogen is crucial – the system of delivery can be...

The importance of plasma screening

April 8, 2010

The haematology department at Musgrove Park Hospital have just bought their plasma viscosity equipment up-to-date – we get an insight in to why plasma screening is important

Getting to the heart of myocardial infarction

April 7, 2010

Dina Packham explains how high sensitivity and precision in the detection of cardiac troponin T is used to detect or exclude myocardial infarction in the early stages

vCJD: A continuing threat

April 6, 2010

vCJD continues to be a real threat to public health as human to human transmission remains the easiest way to contract the disease – here MedLabNews finds out what can...

The Science of Chocolate

March 24, 2010

With the news that Cadbury's is to be taken over by US food giant Kraft, Laboratory News decided to delve into the depths of chocolatey goodness and discover a bit...

Extreme Earth: Tornadoes

March 23, 2010

In equal parts savage and beautiful- the power of nature can be destructive and awe-inspiring. Throughout a series of articles exploring this raw power we discover some of the science...

Giving pathogens the cold shoulder

March 18, 2010

Protecting staff in the lab is of vital importance as they are exposed to dangerous chemicals and pathogens on a daily basis, however with staff spending so much time disinfecting...

Two kings of chirality

March 18, 2010

The infamy of thalidomide brought home the importance of understanding the optical activity of drug molecules. As two of the finest living analytical chemists - Laurence Barron and Werner Hug...

Laboratory labelling – a clear solution

March 16, 2010

Why let a simple smudge or even illegible handwriting can ruin an experiment? Here Liz Gallagher, product expert with labelling specialist Brady, gives us the lowdown on printed labels