FORENSIC SAYONARA · 2014-03-11 · tHe DeFiNitiVe SoUrce For laB ProDUctS, NeWS aND DeVeloPMeNtS January/February 2014 FORENSIC ACCREDITATION SCC accreditation allows forensic labs

tHe DeFiNitiVe SoUrce For laB ProDUctS, NeWS aND DeVeloPMeNtS

www.labusinessmag.com January/February 2014

FORENSIC ACCREDITATIONSCC accreditation

allows forensic labs to keep up

9

SAYONARA SCIENCEGovernment cuts and policies have gutted Canadian research

10

SNOLAB IS PUTTING CANADA ON THE MAP

GOING

Can

adia

n Pu

blic

atio

ns M

ail P

rodu

ct S

ales

Agr

eem

ent 4

0063

567

[email protected]

pH - EC - F - Alkalinity Turbidity - Colour

All From a Single Sample

Complete 5 Day AnalysisAutomated BOD

Green Chemistry Safe & FastAutomated COD

Sales and Service Through Exclusive Distributors

Worldwide

Innovative Solutions for Laboratory & Process Analyzers

Water • Soil • Food

Developed and Manufactured by

www.mandel.ca

See Us At PITTCON - Booth 3514

www.mantech-inc.com

CONTENTS

www.labbusinessmag.com 3

GOING DOWN TO LOOK UP

By NicolaS HeFFerNaN

Buried two kilometres underground in an active mine outside Sudbury, SNOLAB is

attracting researchers from around the world as they try to understand the universe

THE SQUEEZE ON SCIENCEBy liNDSay GrUMMett

Government cuts to basic research and a policy of muzzling

scientists has led the federal government to making policy decisions without all the facts

10

IMPROVING FORENSICSBy lyNN GaUker

In a changing sector SCC accreditation is helping

forensic labs keep up with rapid

technological changes

9

STANDARDS

EDITOR�S note 5

CANADIAN news 6

TECH watch 22

MOMENTS in time 23

14

@oN THE WEB at www.labbusinessmag.com

oN FACEBOOK at /biolabmag

oN TWITTER at @biolabmag

JaNUary/FeBrUary 2014

20LAB ware

8SUZUKI matters

Guaranteed!

0708

.A1.

1008

-LBU

© 2

013

Met

rohm

USA

, Inc

.

Because when switching to Metrohm you’ll get a great system, backed by even greater support.

Your methods will run – right out of the box!

You’ll be trained to be the IC pro in your lab

We’ll be there in 3 business days – or we owe you $1,000!

Get a free T-shirt (no purchase necessary)!

www.ic-changeisgood.com/guaranteed

866-METROHM (638-7646)

Operations GuaranteeMetrohm

Response Time GuaranteeMetrohm

Applications GuaranteeMetrohm

Find your IC Greatness

Editor�s NOTE


Publisher cHriStoPHer J. ForBeS& CEO [email protected]

Executive Editor tHereSa roGerS [email protected]

Associate Editor NicolaS [email protected]

Staff Writer liNDSay GrUMMett [email protected]

Editorial Intern SareeMa HUSaiN

Contributors lyNN GaUker DaViD SUZUki

Art katriNa teiMoUraBaDiDirector [email protected]

Secretary/ SUSaN a. BroWNeTreasurer

Marketing katelyN FUrloNGManager [email protected]

Marketing MiDya tSoyCo-ordinator [email protected]

VP of roBerta DickProduction [email protected]

Production cryStal HiMeSManager [email protected]

Production JoaNNa ForBeSCo-ordinator [email protected]

THERE aren’t many things in life that you look back on and say, ‘I was lucky to see that.’

I had one of those moments when I visited the SNOLAB in Sudbury and I say that despite the fact that I arrived in Sudbury at midnight and had to be ready for a ride to the facility at 4:30 a.m.

But once you get down to the lab, two kilometres underground in an active mine, and see the pristine cleanliness and sheer scale of it, and then wrap your head around the science (particle astrophysics is no joke) and all the planning and logistics involved, it’s rather difficult to take it all in. It was only when I was writing the story that I really appreciated it.

It made me think of all the other equally mindboggling science that is taking place in Canada or rather, could be taking place. The federal government was in the news again recently with its cuts to libraries. This comes on the heels of cuts to scientific projects and world-renowned research stations like PEARL and the Experimental Lakes Area and crackdowns on scientists discussing their results with the media. Flip to page 10 for an in-depth look at the issue.

Luckily, SNOLAB has been unscathed by the cuts. With the Experimental Lakes Area and PEARL both crippled by funding cuts, SNOLAB is one of the few truly world class research facilities left in Canada – 250 scientists around the planet are affiliated with an experiment at the facility. While the government is destroying Canada’s reputation abroad, SNOLAB is enhancing our name.

When I’m old and grey, I’ll still remember that frigid Monday morning in Sudbury.

laB Business is published 6 times per year by Jesmar communications inc., 30 east Beaver creek rd., Suite 202, richmond Hill, ontario l4B 1J2. 905.886.5040. Fax: 905.886.6615 www.labbusinessmag.com one year subscription: canada $35.00, US $35.00 and foreign $95. Single copies $9.00. Please add GSt/HSt where applicable. laB Business subscription and circulation enquiries: Garth atkinson, [email protected] Fax: 905.509.0735 Subscriptions to business address only. on occasion, our list is made available to organizations whose products or services may be of interest to you. if you’d rather not receive information, write to us at the address above or call 905.509.3511. the contents of this publication may not be reproduced either in part or in whole without the written consent of the publisher. GSt registration #r124380270.

PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40063567RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO CIRCULATION DEPT.202-30 EAST BEAVER CREEK RDRICHMOND HILL, ON L4B 1J2email: [email protected]

JeSMar coMMUNicatioNS iNc.

Publisher oflaB BUSiNeSS MagazineBio BUSiNeSS Magazine

Printed in canada

SerViNG caNaDiaN laBoratorieS aND laB SUPPlierS SiNce 1985

The DefiniTive Source for Lab ProDucTS, newS anD DeveLoPmenTS

www.labusinessmag.com January/February 2014

Can

adia

n Pu

blic

atio

ns M

ail P

rodu

ct S

ales

Agr

eem

ent 4

0063

567

Forensic AccreditAtionSCC accreditation

allows forensic labs to keep up

9

sAyonArA scienceGovernment cuts and policies have gutted Canadian research

10

snoLAB is putting cAnAdA on the mAp

going

Championing the Business of Biotechnology in Canada

january/february 2014

an apple a dayNew apple being used as an example of GM potential14

in the spotlightOne-on-one with the VP of Research at Sunnybrook11

blowing smokeMedicinal marijuana industry trying to change perceptions 8

Can

adia

n P

ub

licat

ion

s M

ail P

rod

uct

—A

gre

emen

t 4

00

635

67

Do the flip!To learn how two Canadian companies are working to control the diabetes epidemic.

Nicolas HeffernanaSSociate eDitor

LUCKY ME

COME VISIT US AT

BOOTH 3517 AT PITTCON

Canadian NEWS

6 January/February 2014 laB BUSiNeSS

MOTHERS get all the attention. But a study led by McGill researcher Sarah Kimmins suggests that the

father’s diet before conception may play an equally important role in the health of their offspring. It also raises concerns about the long-term effects of current Western diets and of food insecurity.

The research focused on vitamin B9, also called folate, which is found in a range of green leafy vegetables, cereals, fruit and meats. It is well known that in order to prevent miscarriages and birth defects mothers need to get adequate amounts of folate in their diet. But the way that a father’s diet can influence the health and development of their offspring has received almost no attention. Now research from the Kimmins group shows for the first time that the father’s folate levels may be just as important to the development and health of their offspring as are those of the mother.

“Despite the fact that folic acid is now added to a variety of foods, fathers who are eating high-fat, fast food diets or who are obese may not be able to use or metabolize folate in the same way as those with adequate levels of the vitamin,” says Kimmins. “People who live in the Canadian North or in other parts of the world where there is food insecurity may also be particularly at risk for folate deficiency. And we now know that this information will be passed on from the father to the embryo with consequences that may be quite serious.”

The researchers arrived at this conclusion by working with mice, and comparing the offspring of fathers with insufficient folate in their diets with the offspring of fathers whose diets contained sufficient levels of the vitamin. They found that paternal folate deficiency was associated with an increase in birth defects of various kinds in the offspring, compared to the offspring of mice whose fathers were fed a diet with sufficient folate.

“We were very surprised to see that there was an almost 30 per cent increase in birth defects in the litters sired by fathers whose levels of folates were insufficient,” says Dr. Romain Lambrot, of McGill’s Dept. of Animal Science, one of the researchers who worked on the study. “We saw some pretty severe skeletal abnormalities that included both cranio-facial and spinal deformities.”

yoU are WHat yoUr FatHer eatS

Research Infrastructure Receives $63 Million

The federal government announced a $63-million

investment in support of cutting-edge research equipment, laboratories and tools in over 250 facilities in 37 uni-versities across Canada under the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s John R. Evans Leaders Fund. “Our government believes significant investments in Canadian research are essential to sparking innovation, cre-ating economic prosperity and improving the lives of Canadians,” says Greg Rickford, Minister Science and Technology. “Supporting Canada’s universities, colleges and research hospitals will bring more innovative ideas to market and strengthen our country’s economy.”

40 Genetic Links to Rheumatoid Arthritis Discovered

Canadian researcher, Dr. Kathy Siminovitch, played a

leading role in a study that identifies more than 40 new genetic links to rheumatoid arthritis. The discovery opens the door to a personalized approach to treating the autoimmune disorder, allowing medications to target a person’s individual genetic makeup.

Canada�s chemistry industry reports record profits

The Canadian chemistry industry’s operating profits

reached $3.5 billion in 2013 – an all-time record. But it’s not all good news as global markets are expected to weaken in 2014, as are prices of many chemical commodities, which could drive sales down a projected eight per cent next year. In spite of that, Chemistry Industry Association of Canada members plan to ramp up their capital investments by 28 per cent in 2014 – to $2.6 billion – to take full advantage of Canada’s reduced corporate tax rates, accelerated capital cost allowance, and access to competitively-priced natural gas.

Shimadzu’s LCMS-8050 Triple Quad features:

Order consumables and accessories on-line at http://store.shimadzu.comShimadzu Scientific Instruments Inc., 7102 Riverwood Dr., Columbia, MD 21046, USAFor Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

Providing accuracy, sensitivity, and speed, Shimadzu’s LCMS-8050 makes high-throughput trace-level analysis a reality

An Unparalleled Combination of Triple Quad LC/MS/MS Speed and Sensitivity

Incorporating Shimadzu’s proprietary ultrafast technologies (UF Technologies), the new triple quadrupole LCMS-8050 dramatically improves analytical throughput with the ultimate in high-speed performance. In addition, the newly designed ion source and collision cell, Heated-ESI and UFsweeper® III collision cell technology, ensure the highest levels of sensitivity and quantitative performance. Combine with Shimadzu’s world-leading UHPLC systems for an unmatched level of performance.

■ Ultrafast polarity switching (5 msec) – maintains constant quality and sensitivity with no loss of quantitative accuracy

■ Ultra-high-speed scan rate of 30,000 u/sec – obtains high-quality mass spectra, even during high-speed analysis

■ Ultrafast MRM transition speeds, up to 555 MRMs per second

■ Newly developed heated ESI probe facilitates ionization – allows for high-sensitivity analysis of a wide range of compounds

■ New high-efficiency CID cell – maintains signal intensity and suppresses crosstalk, even for high-speed or simultaneous multi-component analysis

Equipped with a variety of data processing features, LCMSsolution software allows the creation of quantitation methods for multi-component analysis, enabling anyone to perform quantitative analyses with ease.

Learn more about Shimadzu’s LCMS-8050.Call (800) 477-1227 or visit us online atwww.ssi.shimadzu.com/8050

LCMS-8050_forLabBus.indd 1 9/18/13 1:26 PM

Suzuki MATTERS


We Canadians have a special relationship with snow and ice. We ski in it, skate on it, play in it, shovel it, drive through it,

sometimes even bicycle through it and suffer through it for many months of the year — some of us more than others, depending on what part of the country we call home. But how much do we know about it?

Do Inuit really have dozens of words for snow and ice? Are snowflakes always six-sided? Can two ever be alike? Why is snow white? Is it a mineral? What makes frozen water so important to us? Some of the answers are more complicated than you might imagine.

Even though English-speaking skiers and snow-boarders use multiple adjectives to more accu-rately describe different types of snow, such as powder, corn and champagne, some say the claim of numerous Inuit words for snow and ice is a myth. But is it?

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “the few basic words used by the Inuit to refer to differ-ent types of snow or ice do not translate everything they can say about these two natural elements.” In Inuktitut, words consist of a foundational element that provides basic meaning, along with other ele-ments “to clarify and/or modify the basic meaning. New words can therefore easily be created from another term.” For example, the word siku refers to ice in general, and sikuaq (“small ice”) refers to “the first layer of thin ice that forms on puddles in the fall.” Sikuliaq (“made ice”) refers to “the new ice appearing on the sea or on rock surfaces.” Some words also have broader meanings, depending on the context. The word maujaq, for example, means “soft ground”, but when referring to snow, it means

Let�s celebrate the gifts of winter

“the snow in which one sinks.”So, “the total number of terms referring to the

various aspects of snow and ice goes far beyond ten or a dozen,” allowing Inuit to “draw very subtle distinctions between a very high number of snow or ice types.”

When it accumulates on the ground, snow appears white because, unlike many natural mate-rials, it reflects most light rather than absorbing it, and visible light is white. And although snowflakes form in near-infinite patterns and shapes depend-ing on temperature, wind, humidity and even pol-lution, each single crystal is always hexagonal, or six-sided, because of the complex way water mol-ecules bond. When a frozen droplet or crystal falls from a cloud, it grows as it absorbs and freezes water from the air around it, forming a six-sided prism. The almost infinite variables mean it’s unlikely, although not impossible, for two snow-flakes to be exactly alike.

And yes, snow can be classified as a mineral. According to the U.S. National Snow and Ice Data Center, “A mineral is a naturally occurring homo-geneous solid, inorganically formed, with a defi-nite chemical composition and an ordered atomic arrangement.” Frozen water fits that description.

Snow and ice are important to life on Earth for many reasons. Both are part of the cryosphere, which includes “portions of the earth where water is in solid form, including snow cover, floating ice, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, seasonally frozen ground and perennially frozen ground (perma-frost),” according to the Snow and Ice Data Center. It covers 46 million square kilometres of the plan-et’s surface, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, and helps regulate the planet’s surface tempera-ture. Changes in the cryosphere can affect climate and water availability, with corresponding effects on everything from winter sports to agriculture.

By reflecting 80 to 90 per cent of incoming sun-light back into the atmosphere, snow cover cools the Earth. Losing that reflective protection, as is happening in the Arctic, upsets the energy balance and accelerates global warming. Snow also insu-lates parts of the Earth’s surface, holding heat in and keeping moisture from evaporating. When soil freezes, it prevents greenhouse gases like carbon and methane from escaping into the atmosphere. When snow melts, it fills rivers and lakes.

Instead of complaining about the dark and cold of winter, we should celebrate snow and ice. The cryosphere is an important piece of the intricate, interconnected puzzle that keeps us alive. So, build a snowperson, play some hockey, get out on the slopes and enjoy the gifts that winter brings. L B

By DaViD SUZUki WitH coNtriBUtioNS FroM

iaN HaNiNGtoN

Dr. David Suzuki is a scientist, broadcaster, author, and co-founder

of the David Suzuki Foundation.

Ian Hanington is communications

manager.

Learn more at www.davidsuzuki.org.


Forensic ACCREDITATION

Forensic science is changing and is creating increased challenges and opportunities for Canadian forensic

laboratories. Accreditation by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) for forensic laboratories is also evolving, to ensure these laboratories keep pace with, and reap the benefits from, industry sector changes.

According to Chantal Guay, SCC’s vice-president, Accreditation Services, “SCC accreditation provides assurance that a forensic laboratory has adhered to recog-nized practices and standards. Our accred-itation is very important for obtaining con-fidence in forensic laboratories’ test results.”

She adds that major forensic laborato-ries in Canada are all accredited, given the courts’ expectations in this regard.

Introduced in 2000, SCC accreditation is offered in several forensic disciplines: counterfeits, firearms and tool marks, explosives, biology/DNA analysis, chemis-try/trace analysis, drug chemistry, equine drug testing, toxicology and questioned documents examination.

Accreditation procedures are based on internationally recognized standards developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Forensic laboratories must meet the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 – General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration lab-oratories.

In general, Canadian organizations seeking accreditation must also meet the requirements of Canadian Procedural Document (CAN-P) 1578 Guidelines for

SUBMITTED BY Lynn Gauker, Standard Council of Canada’s Senior Corporate Communications Officer

ACCREDITATION HELPING FORENSIC LABS SUCCEED IN CHANGING SECTOR

SCC accreditation, off ered in forensic disciplines that include biology/DNA analysis, provides assurance that forensic laboratories – including the RCMP’s – have adhered to recognized practices and standards.

the Accreditation of Forensic Testing Laboratories. CAN-P 1570 Program for the Accreditation of Laboratories – Canada (PALCAN), PALCAN Handbook describes the accreditation process for all types of laboratories.

rcMP, a key Scc cUStoMerOne example of a customer that has bene-fited from SCC accreditation is Forensic Science and Identification Services (FS&IS) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. FS&IS is a vital part of the RCMP’s National Police Services, delivering quali-ty investigative support services for front-line policing, both within Canada and internationally.

FS&IS comprises a single laboratory system with multiple sites located across Canada that vary in size and forensic ser-vice specialization. SCC accredits these as a whole (corporate accreditation), audit-ing the RCMP’s quality system only once during each auditing phase – rather than each individual laboratory. By doing so, SCC is ensuring that the RCMP has a strong, centralized quality system in place for all of its laboratories.

“SCC assessments of our laboratories are now completed within six to eight weeks, every two years – rather than being scattered over the two-year cycle,” says RCMP Civilian Member Wayne Greenlay (retired), former manager, National Quality Assurance and Health and Safety, FS&IS. “This improved approach to assessing quality is more efficient for both SCC and the RCMP.”

iMPact oF tecHNoloGy aND leGiSlatioN cHaNGeS

Forensic science is a dynamic area with a diverse range of specializations and disci-plines in constant evolution that impacts the work of the RCMP’s laboratories and Canadian forensic laboratories in general, according to Greenlay. Greenlay is now chair of the Accreditation Committee of the Canadian Society of Forensic Science.

“Many technology advances, most nota-bly in forensic DNA analysis – whether an expanded menu of different types of DNA analysis or new DNA kits or instrumenta-tion – have substantially increased the capabilities of forensic laboratories in recent times,” he says.

Greenlay adds that Canadian legisla-tion changes, in areas such as DNA analy-sis and impaired driving (related to both alcohol and drug use), have increased or changed the number and types of cases being submitted to forensic laboratories.

accreDitatioN eNSUreS a StroNG QUality SySteM.By ensuring the RCMP has a strong quality system in place, SCC accreditation for forensic laboratories has been helping the RCMP’s laboratories meet these emerging changes and opportunities.

“A strong quality system helps us main-tain consistency and continuous improve-ment in our laboratory work,” says Greenlay. “As a result, we gain the confi-dence of laboratory personnel, investiga-tors and the courts, in the laboratory’s key product – the forensic report.”

“Having a quality system in place pro-vides a basis for fewer repeats, due to errors, of laboratory test results,” says Guay. “As well, a quality system ensures streamlined work processes, clear proce-dures and accountabilities for performing a variety of procedures.”

a ProXy For trUStGuay adds that SCC accreditation is also a proxy for trust. “Accredited forensic test results are trusted by government and industry regulators, by the courts, and by the public,” she says. “Using the ISO stan-dard ensures global acceptance of tests.”

SCC is a proud collaborator for the 2014 Canadian Society of Forensic Science Conference. Chantal Guay will speak at the conference, which takes place May 5-9 in Gatineau, Quebec. Learn more about SCC accreditation for forensic laborato-ries, or contact SCC at [email protected]. L B


What’s h ppening toh ppppeeenneneppscience ggpppsssssccccccscsscsscsscsscsscs iiiiiiciccicciccicciccicciccic eeeeeeeennnnnnnnnneneene ccccccccccncnncnncnncnncn eeeeeeeeeececceccecceccecceccecin canada?

STORY BY Lindsay Grummett

S cientists are often thought to be mild-mannered, introverts who are most comfortable toiling away in

anonymity in the comforts of their labo-ratory, but this stereotype is being chal-lenged as Canada’s scientific researchers step out of their labs and into national headlines.

The concerns surrounding science in Canada are widespread and affecting both federal and academic scientists as well as the country’s research communi-ty at large. Muzzling of federal scientists, closure of renowned federal research programs, underfunding of academic research and dismantling of scientific infrastructure are a few of the main issues being highlighted in rallies and town halls across the country by charac-teristically passive people who are fight-ing back against government policy and agendas that are crippling innovation.

“Harper would be the first person to say that politicians shouldn’t be trying to direct industry and shouldn’t try to pick the winners and the losers, but then they

FeDeral ScieNtiStS are BeiNG MUZZleD,

FUNDiNG cUtS are DeBilitatiNG acaDeMic

reSearcHerS, aND PriVate r&D SPeNDiNG

iS DoWN. iS caNaDa aN UNStaBle

eNViroNMeNt For ScieNce?

Federal Muzzling of SCIENTISTS


try to direct scientific work and pick win-ners and losers in science which they’re ill equiped to do,” says James Turk, the executive director of Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT).

The response within industry and amongst average Canadian’s has been passive at best, but the science commu-nity is reacting strongly , with academics and public sector scientists uniting in an effort to save science in Canada. “We’re starting to see more awareness among all kinds of scientists that something needs to happen and it’ll be more likely to hap-pen if we work together,” says University of Waterloo professor David DeVidi at a Get Science Right town hall meeting.

tHe PoliticS oF ScieNceStanding in pristine lab coats on Parliament Hill, federal scientists yell in collaborative call-and-response, “What do we want? Evidence-based decision making! When do we want it? After peer review!”

The facetious chant doesn’t wholly articulate the issues that have brought them here, but it does drive home a clear point. “There’s a concern with the inter-twining of science and politics,” says Gary Corbett, the former president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), “because politics ends up taking over and taking precedent.”

There are many real examples of the needs of politics trumping the realities of science in federal science as well. There’s the famous case of Kristi Miller, a scien-tist at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who was prevented from publi-cally speaking about work she published in the famed academic journal, Science. And there’s also Scott Dalimore, a geosci-entist researching a 13,000 year-old flood with Natural Resources Canada who was restricted from doing media interviews. These aren’t rare cases of muzzled scien-tists. In fact, according to a 2013 PIPSC survey, nine out of 10 federal scientists

feel that they cannot speak freely to the media about their research.

“When the science doesn’t jive with government decision-making, govern-ments are embarrassed and politically it’s bad news,” says Corbett. “Especially when their directions are ideological.”

In November 2007, media relations policies were adopted by Health Canada in order to prevent a conflict between sci-ence and governmental objectives. The new policy stated that “just as we have ‘one department, one website’ we should have ‘one department, one voice’.” Unfortunately, this new voice is offering an altered interpretation of the research often for unknown cause or reason. According to the same PIPSC study cited earlier, nearly one quarter of Canadian scientists surveyed reported having been directly asked to exclude or alter infor-mation in their research for non-scientif-ic reasons.

In addition to imposing media relation policies to muzzle scientists, the Harper government has also shifted much of the existing federal funding for science into commercially driven research. This has been at the expense of public interest sci-ence which has seen major funding cuts and the closure of important programs like the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA).

The Experimental Lakes Area was established in 1968 as a research station

in Northern Ontario that included 58 small lakes and their drainage basins. These lakes have served as natural labo-ratories for years and allowed scientists to study the long term effects of physical, chemical and biological processes on this fresh water environment. “They’re doing experimental work in nature, in a con-trolled environment,” says Turk. “This is the only place in the world where you can do that and the federal government shut it down.”

Although ELA’s research was produc-ing real results that influenced public policy, the $2 million annual funding was eliminated from the annual budget in 2012 as a result of amendments to the Fisheries Act. The ELAs closure has been a focal point in mainstream media and highlighted the contentious relationship between science and politics in Canada at the moment. “Politicians, for the most part, aren’t scientists, don’t understand science, are in office for four years and have a short term horizon,” says Turk. “Science doesn’t work on short term horizons.”

acaDeMia takeS actioN“It’s very frustrating to know there are members of government who are less knowledgeable, who are making the deci-sions about what the big payoffs will be down the road, or making the decisions

Scientists join together at a Stand Up for Science rally to fi ght federal muzzling


impacts on the science and industry in Canada in the very near future.

coNSeQUeNceS For caNaDaIndustry might think of itself as being far removed from the issues permeating aca-demic and public sector science, but that assumption couldn’t be farther from the truth. The federal government’s short-sighted decisions are creating real conse-quences for industry, which will only exacerbate without intervention to cur-rent funding and policy.

One of the most pressing concerns, for Campbell, is how these federal decisions will impact Canada’s position in the glob-al scientific community.

“Many other countries, particularly the European Union, are still continuing to invest in fundamental research because they think it’s important. They think that pipeline is going to pay off. We’re going to lag behind as a result,” she says.

This sentiment is also echoed by Turk who said he believes that Canada`s stat-ure as a leading country for science is gradually disappearing. He also notes that private sector is intensifying the problems by investing relatively little in R&D.

A 2013 report by the Council of Canadian Academies, described indus-trial R&D as a “critical driver of innova-tion, which, in turn, plays an important role in catalyzing productivity gains across the economy, thereby stimulating wealth creation and improving living standards for all Canadians.” But a Council of Canadian Academies’ report, The State of Industrial R&D in Canada, ranked Canada 20th in business R&D out of the OECD nations, with half the rate of investment as countries such as Finland and Sweden. With private sector not pulling its weight and the federal govern-ment debilitating academic and research programs, the future of science is bleak.

“Scientific work will decline. Good, young scientists will choose to go to the US. Scientists who are here will be find-ing increasing difficulty to get adequate funding to do their work,” says Turk. “This will have negative impacts on grad-uate students and on the next generation. The end result is going to be really bad for Canada.” L B

Top: Scientists gather touting signs and sporting lab coats. Middle: Scientists wave a white fl ag and carry SOS signs at a protest.Bottom: An activist group called the Raging Grannies performed a protest song at the rally.

where the money should go,” says Melanie Campbell, a professor at University of Waterloo and a panelist at Get Science Right, who finishes by add-ing, “There doesn’t seem to be any input from the scientists who are trained to understand that a little bit better.”

Get Science Right is the academic pushback to federal policy and funding changes. The town hall meetings are hosted by CAUT in an effort to connect local scientists and academia with com-munity members and science supporters. CAUT is hoping to show the Canadian community the real impacts that come as a result of reduced funding and policy changes. The town halls kicked off in Waterloo last year and are planned across Canada in the coming year.

CAUT is a faculty association that rep-resents about 68,000 academic staff from across the country including scientists and researchers. Over the last few years, Turk says he’s watched as federal policy has redistributed funds away from basic research, shifted funding from politically inconvenient science and changed the priorities of federal granting councils, the organizations where academic scien-tists most often access funding.

“For the science-humanities, the funding is 10.1% less than it was 7 years ago,” says Turk. “For natural science and engineering, it’s 6.4% less and for health sciences it’s 7.5% less than it was so we have a shrinking pie.”

The issue of shrinking funds has been compounded by the federal government’s allocation of funding into specified and often commercial application.

“One year all the new money that went to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) could only be used for research in the forestry, fish-ing and automobile industries. If you’re a theoretical physicist or a biochemist, you’re out of luck,” says Turk.

Academics are not only concerned about how these funding cuts will affect the current state science, they’re uneasy about how they will affect Canada’s abil-ity to innovate and further scientific dis-covery.

Basic research is a necessity for scien-tific advancement and is most often per-formed in academia. Sometimes referred to as fundamental research, basic research is not directed towards a par-ticular application, but instead has the primary objective of furthering the knowledge of the subject being studied.

A classic example is Paul Berg, the American biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1980 for his basic research on nucleic acids.

“He was trying to understand how cells work, how they divide, the nature of DNA,” says Turk. “If he had to make a case for how this had a practical or com-mercial application, he wouldn’t have gotten a dime. And yet, it underwrites a trillion dollar biotech industry.”

Berg’s story not only highlights the importance of basic research, but also shows how tangible the connection is between academic, public and industry scientists. And as the current flow of fed-eral policy and funding negates the needs of academic and federal science, the trickledown effect could have profound

Full page journal ad BioBusiness and Lab Business - BBU and LBU

025.A1.0110.B © 2014 Eppendorf AG.

www.eppendorf.ca • 800-263-8715

Light up your Day!Eppendorf BioSpectrometer®

Two different models make it possible to select the optimal instrument for your research:

> Eppendorf BioSpectrometer basic™

> Eppendorf BioSpectrometer kinetic™

With a broad spectrum of applications and extremely simple operation, the new Eppendorf BioSpectrometer redefines the benchmark for spectrometry in modern laboratories. Measure and record UV/VIS spectral ranges or just measure individual wavelengths from 200 nm to 830 nm.

025.A1.0110.B.14-LBU.indd 1 1/23/14 4:17 PM


t his is like no other lab in Canada.Stepping out into a Sudbury morning at 5:30 a.m. in December

in nothing but a pair of coveralls with shorts and a T-shirt on underneath is never a good idea, yet every day about a dozen researchers and 40 staff members make this trek. The 500-metre walk from the change rooms at the SNOLAB’s main building to the mine building seems to take an awful lot longer than 30 seconds as the cold bites and nostrils freeze.

The heat of the building offers sanctu-ary from the Canadian winter and about 50 bleary-eyed people ease into benches and as they thaw and wait for the eleva-tor.

This is like no other elevator in Canada.As it stops to pick everyone up, half a

garage door slides up – it’s missing the

STORY BY Nicolas Heffernan

top half with the bottom portion a solid metal fence. The “cage” has two levels with the first one packed like a sardine can with miners and scientists. It slides down 10 feet or so and the remaining stragglers come on the bottom level. Before it sets off newcomers are warned that eardrums can rupture on the way down. Pressure is good, pain is bad. The door slides down and the descent begins – 100 feet turns into 500 then 1,000 and at 2,100 feet, the elevator stops to check on the newbies. The cage is capable of plummeting the 6,800 feet in three min-utes. They give the thumbs up and the elevator drops, faster now. It’s like taking off in a plane on steroids. The cage rattles and shakes from side to side as it hurtles faster into the abyss. Ears start to pop. At 5,000 feet people are chewing gum mani-acally and for those on their first descent, pressure is building in their chests. The elevator stops when it reaches 6,800 feet. As the door slides up, all the scientists get off and the miners continue their descent.

This is like no other hallway in Canada.Greeting scientists as they disembark

is a big sign that reads, “Be your brother’s keeper” and a wave of heat that means the shorts and T-shirt under the coveralls make a lot more sense. They enter “the drift” and begin the 1.5-km trudge to the entrance of the lab with the mud trying to suck each boot off with every step. The physicists cum miners have headlamps to illuminate the dark but still have to look down as they walk to avoid the rail tracks on the uneven ground – past the chiller and the vents that purify and recy-cle the air every 10 minutes, to where the sewage is treated and finally, to the lab.

Before they’re allowed entrance the scientists undergo a rigorous cleaning process: powerwashing their boots and putting them away, then stripping off all their mining gear and taking a shower

Lab PROFILE


before changing into new coveralls, a hairnet, hardhat, safety goggles and boots. Finally, they can get to work.

This is like no other lab in Canada.

SUDBUry NeUtriNo oBSerVatoryThe roots of SNOLAB stretch back to 1990 when the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO), set out to solve the solar neutrino problem – the apparent discrepancy between the number of neu-trinos observed emanating from the sun and what the theory estimated, with the number of detected neutrinos between one third and one half of the predicted

number. Between 2001-2006, SNO con-clusively proved that the solar neutrino deficit was caused by a property of the neutrino by which it changed “flavor” from the type produced by the sun (elec-tron neutrinos) to other types (muon and tau neutrinos). The hugely successful experiment stopped taking data in 2006 and was decommissioned in 2007 but gave great credence to the value of deep underground physics laboratories. In 2002, Laurentian, Carleton and Queen’s universities, and the universities of British Columbia, Guelph and Montreal, proposed the creation of an international facility called SNOLAB to the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). The CFI approved the funding and with addi-tional funds from the province of Ontario, construction began in 2004 with a new surface facility coming on line in 2005 and the expanded underground laborato-ry occupied in 2008. The resulting lab is


now three times larger than the old SNO underground facility and is capable of housing several experiments simultane-ously. Approximately $100 million has been invested by government over the life of the lab.

But SNOLAB only hosts experiments. Canadian and international groups apply and the projects with the best science and requisite funding are chosen. The teams don’t pay for rent but they pay for equipment and people. While eight SNOLAB researchers are based at the lab, 250 scientists worldwide are affiliat-ed with an experiment at the facility. SNOLAB provides logistical support and support teams: engineers to disassemble the massive detectors so they fit on the cage and then reassemble them, cleaners to make sure everything that goes in the lab maintains the lab’s Class 2000 clean-room ranking; and a research science group that acts as an interface between the experiments and the lab to make sure the data analysis, management and col-lection is done at an appropriate level to allow the experiments to flourish. “One of the real strengths that we have here is the support mechanisms and people that provide additional support to the experi-ments when they come here, to make sure they have as good an opportunity as possible to succeed,” says Dr. Nigel Smith, SNOLAB’s Director.

The lab has two principal areas of focus: neutrinos and dark matter. “Dark matter is so compelling because you’re actually trying to understand the basic information and basic components of the universe and how they influence the evo-lution of the universe,” says Smith. “[Neutrinos] are obviously part of tradi-

tion here in Sudbury with the original SNO detector, but there are still many unanswered questions with neutrinos.”

This research has put Canada on the map in the astrophysics and particle astrophysics community thanks to a facility that operates at a depth and cleanliness that attracts the best projects and researchers from around the world. “In Canada we’re unique; we’re the only deep underground research facility so there’s actually no comparison you can make. Around the world there’s probably half a dozen deep underground labs doing our kind of research and the combination of our depth and cleanliness is what

makes us unique even in our communi-ty,” says Smith, who was conducting dark matter research in Yorkshire, England before being coming to run the facility. “SNOLAB is the place to be at the moment in our field.”

ForGet WHat yoU tHiNk yoU kNoWEverything at the SNOLAB is counterin-tuitive – like studying the universe two km below ground or operating a lab (with vast open spaces) as a cleanroom in an active mine. “The depth and the cleanli-ness are what really provide our research-ers the environment in which they can do their work unhindered by the background radiation that would affect their experi-ments,” says Smith. “The reason we’re deep is to get away from cosmic rays. The reason we’re clean is so that any potential contamination from natural radioactivi-ty in such things as concrete dust doesn’t interfere with the experiments, doesn’t interfere with these exquisitely small sig-nals we’re looking for with the detectors.”

tHe laB HaS tWo PriNciPal areaS oF FocUS: NEUTRINOS AND DARK MATTER.

In addition to SNO+, the lab hosts eight other experiments exploring dark matter, neutrinos and supernovas.

Lab PROFILE


When Smith says “radioactive,” there’s no need to think of impending doom. “Everything has radiation; when I say that people think nuclear reactor,” says Samantha Kuula, SNOLAB’s communi-cations officer. “This is very small amount of radiation but it makes a mas-sive difference to these kinds of experi-ments.”

The other reason to come so deep is to avoid all the background signals that exist on the earth’s surface. Think of it as an orchestra and the snap of your fingers is a neutrino. On the surface there’s a cacophony of sound: trumpets blaring and drums banging – that’s all the extra cosmic and high energy gamma-rays. Quite simply, it’s impossible to hear the snapping. So to study the universe, researchers have to travel to great depths and keep the environment as clean as possible. “We’re not recreating what’s happening on the sun,” says Kuula. “The only way to detect what’s happening,

DiD yoU kNoW?

> the PMts used on the SNo+ experiment are so sensitive that if someone was standing on the moon holding a candle and the earth was dark it could detect the light.

> Geranium detectors are used to detect background radiation on everything at SNolaB. the lab had to send rope back to the manufacturer because it was too high in potassium. there is currently no other use for the rope in the world.

> the lab undergoes construction projects such as drilling into the rock, drywalling, etc., and runs a machine shop while maintaining its cleanroom status.

> every experiment has “a fi ngerprint budget.” Potassium is in sweat, it’s salty and potassium breaks down into radioactive daughters. these experiments have a fi ngerprint budget of fi ve. it means there can only be enough potassium from fi ve fi ngerprints in the entire experiment from beginning to end or that’s too much radiation for the experiment to handle.

> your body feels 25 to 30 per cent more pressure at 6,800 feet, making a day underground tiring until your body gets used to it.

> the lab is so clean there is only one gram of dust in the entire laboratory – enough to cover the head of a loonie.

> in order to do repairs to SNo+ workers use an infl atable boat and lower themselves into the cavern.

> experiments are surrounded by ultrapure water, made in the lab’s own water plants. the water is so clean – stripped of all the ions, salts, minerals, etc., that it’s actually corrosive and would dehydrate a person.

what’s coming out of the sun is being this far underground. Because if we’re on the surface all we’d be hearing is air horns and this detector would be lit up con-stantly, so we would never see all the small particles because all we’d see are the high-energy ones.”

One of the detectors the lab has the highest hopes for is SNO+, a collabora-tion between Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Portugal, that’s an extension of the original SNO experi-ment.

SNo+Glance down at your thumb-nail. Every second a billion neutrinos pass through it. Neutrinos are one of the most fundamental, yet least understood particles that make up the universe. They are almost unfathomably tiny. Think back to high school physics class and the atom. Think of the nucleus as a basketball in the middle of a football field, with the electrons outside the field. A

neutrino would be like a grain of sand compared to everything else. On top of that they are exceptionally weakly inter-acting, affected only by “weak” sub-atomic force making it able to pass through ordinary matter as though it were not there. “Neutrinos don’t interact with almost anything,” says Erica Caden, a PhD student from Philadelphia work-ing on the project. “Even here, even two kms down, neutrinos don’t interact with almost anything. So to detect them we have to have these giant detectors and have them be very, very clean and very, very deep underground to shield them from other backgrounds.”

SNO+ is being carried out in the larg-est cavern – 30 metres by 22 metres wide – at this depth in the world. Researchers changed the detection material from heavy water to a liquid scintillator because linear alkylbenzene, designed by SNOLAB scientists, is safe, inexpensive and gives off 100 times more light than


850 Ft.

1,700 Ft.

2,550 Ft.

3,400 Ft.

4,250 Ft.

5,100 Ft.

5,950 Ft.

6,800 Ft.

water. The liquid scintillator is housed in an acrylic vessel, surrounded by 10,000 Photomultiplier Tubes (PMTs). When a neutrino interacts in the detector it cre-ates a very minuscule spark of light which the extremely sensitive PMTs capture. The entire assembly is completely sub-merged in 7,000 tonnes of ultra pure water. But neutrinos are so non-interac-tive that the original SNO detector run-ning in a million litres of detection mate-rial saw only 10 interactions a day. “With the linear alkylbenzene they may not see more than 10 a day but they’re going to get more data from those 10,” says Kuula.

SNO+ will be able to make precision measurements of different parts of the solar neutrino spectrum, furthering our understanding of the solar fusion mecha-nisms and ultimately the evolution and fate of the sun. The main goal of the experiment is to search for neutrinoless double beta decay; a rare process that researchers know exists but has never seen. It would reveal whether neutrinos are their own antiparticles – so the anti-matter neutrino – and potentially the absolute neutrino mass. “The neutrino is the only possibility to be its own antipar-ticle. All other particles are too large or too complex,” says Caden. The experi-ment is also exploring geoneutrinos as a way to measure the total amount of heat produced in the Earth from radioactivity.

Caden sought out Laurentian University as a post doc for this opportu-nity. “I wanted to work on SNO+ and be at SNOLAB and be at the centre of the [other] experiments that are here, either running or under construction, to be sur-rounded by scientists all day,” she says. “I love it. This is my dream job. It’s so cool to be here.”

The experiment is not yet operational. Caden and the team are taking the first steps to beginning the data collection process by filling the acrylic vessel with water to test the electronics on the PMTs that haven’t been in use since 2006. “They haven’t been wet in a long time… so we’re going to turn them up, put 3,000 volts on them and see if they explode,” says a smiling Richie Bonaventure, another American PhD student working on the experiment. The team hopes to have SNO+ collecting data by the end of 2014.

otHer eXPeriMeNtSSNO+ is not the only experiment under-

984 FT.BNo. Baksan Neutrino observatory

3,608 FT.Bul. Boulby Palmer laboratory

6,800 FT.Sno-laboratory

5,577 FT.laboratoire Subterrain De Modane

2,788 FT.lSc. laboratorio Subterráneo De canfranc

2,297 FT.yangyang Underground laboratory

2,320 FT.Sul. Soudan Underground laboratory

3,300 FT.kamioka observatory

1,541 FT.oto-cosmo observatory

4,724 FT.cupp. centre for Underground Physics at Pyhäsalmi

1,410 FT.Sul. Solotvina Underground laboratory. inr of Unas

4,593 FT.lngs. laboratori Nazionali Del Gran Sasso. l’aquila

DEEPEST LABS IN THE WORLD

Lab PROFILE

way. There are eight other experiments underway or under construction, with space for one more still not allocated. COUPP, DEAP 1, DEAP 3600, DAMIC and PICASSO are studying dark matter; EXO and miniCLEAN are studying neu-trinos; HALO is studying supernova. “There are tweaks I would like to add but fundamentally, things are pretty awe-some,” says Smith. “We’re in a situation where we have our initial science pro-gram coming on… We’re at a point where we’re still attracting new projects and going through the process of selecting those new projects. So it’s an exciting period in our field and it’s an extremely exciting period for SNOLAB as we start contributing to the field. At the moment I’m pretty pleased with where we are.”

Back to realityAt the end of a shift, everyone signs out and goes back to the changerooms where they dump their lab clothes in bins to be washed in underground facilities and put their mining gear back on. In the hallway

outside, those with boots insufficiently cleaned find a chastising note inside.

Stepping into the drift again, it’s easy to forget you’re still in an active mine. On the way back, traffic is particularly bad with two trucks reversing down the drift and some construction creating a block-age, causing painful flashbacks to a Toronto commute. At the cage, boots are powerwashed again and the wait for the ride back to the surface begins. The cage is packed again but this time flies upward at full speed, without the pressure of the decent.

Stepping out into the brilliant sun-shine after being underground all morn-ing is blinding and the walk in a frigid Sudbury afternoon in coveralls with only shorts and a T-shirt underneath is still never a good idea but after spending five hours in the SNOLAB the cold doesn’t seem to bite as much and it doesn’t mat-ter that your nostrils are frozen.

Now I know why about a dozen researchers and 40 staff members make this trek.

This is like no other lab in the world. L B

(Left) Erica Caden and Richie Bonaventure, two American students working on SNO+.

MottLab.indd 1 8/16/10 4:11 PM


Lab WAREcryocooler iS cryoGeN-Free, alterNatiVe to liQUiD HeliUM

Janis Research’s new, low vibration pulse tube cryocooler achieves liquid helium performance utilizing cryogen-free technology and a closed-loop system. The Janis Model PTSHI-950-LT 1.5 K Continuous Closed Cycle Refrigerator Cryostat operates continuously from 1.5 K to 300 K (450 K optional) and is a cryogen-free, turnkey alternative to liquid helium. Featuring pushbutton operation including sample temperature adjustment, this top loading refrigerator can locate a sample in either static exchange gas or vacuum, and users can easily change it while the system is operating.

www.janis.com

FUNctioNal PolyMer reMaiNS StroNG aFter rePeateD SteriliZatioN

TPX polymethylpentene is a lightweight, transparent, semi-crystalline material with outstanding resistance to both steam sterilisation and a wide range of chemicals. Unlike some polymeric materials that discolor or embrittle after just a few cycles in an autoclave, TPX remains transparent and strong. Items made with this exceptional polymer can be reused many times, promoting reuse rather than recycling and contributing to greater sustainability. TPX polymethylpentene is low density, resistance to steam and chemicals, does not absorb water, visible light transmission, low refractive index and nonstick properties.

www.goodfellow.com/larger-quantities/polymers/tpx-products

teFloN FaBric HoSe eXtractS HarSH cHeMical FUMeS

Flexaust introduced a two-ply black Teflon fabric hose with a silver heat-resistant fiberglass liner for the extraction of harsh chemical fumes such as acetone and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK). Flex-Lok TCF Hose features double-ply construction with a black Teflon coated fabric and a silver heat-resistant fiberglass liner mechanically crimped in a continuous process by a metal strip locked around a coated steel wire. Designed for extracting harsh chemical fumes, this hose offers good fatigue resistance and is highly flexible, while the metal strip acts as an external wear strip, making it ideal for use in reel & drop systems.

www.flexaust.com

SUPercritical FlUiD eXtractor alloWS PreciSe FloW coNtrol

Supercritical Fluid Technologies’ (SFT) new bench top supercritical fluid extractor (SFE) has a completely redesigned restrictor valve with integrated micrometer that allows for very precise flow control, which is essential for demanding applications. A completely removable oven lid and large side panel allow the user easy access to the high pressure vessel. An indicator light on the SFT-10 pump module alerts the user to proper operation of the Peltier pre-cooler, ensuring CO2 is maintained in the liquid state. A robust outlet from the restrictor ensures that users will not accidentally damage the outlet tube when inserting it into the collection container.

www.supercriticalfluids.com

LIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITES

MANDEL SCIENTIFIC COMPANY INCPage 2 .............................................. www.mandel.ca

METROHMPage 4 .........www.ic-changeisgood.com/guaranteed

SHIMADZUPage 7 ......................... www.ssi.shimadzu.com/8050

EPPENDORFPage 13 ........................................ www.eppendorf.ca

MOTTLAB INC.Page 19 .........................................www.mottlab.com

THERMCRAFT INCORPORATEDPage 21 ...............................www.thermcraftinc.com

VWRPage 24 ................................................ www.vwr.com

LIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITESLIST OF ADVERTISERS & WEBSITES

MiNiPDD HeliUM ioNiZatioN Detector

VICI’s newest member of the Pulsed Discharge Detector (PDD) family is also the smallest and thriftiest. The miniPDD uses about one fifth (20%) the amount of helium as the VICI Valco D-3 and D-4 versions, giving up only a bit of sensitivity and dynamic range in return. It is approximately one half the size of the D-4, but has nearly the same sensitivity — about 100 ppb for fixed gases. With its reduced size, weight, and helium consumption, it is particularly well suited to portable applications, or to any situation in which the high cost of helium becomes a consideration. It can be paired with other Valco components (controller, pulse module, helium purifiers, etc.) or can be purchased alone for use with existing components.

www.vici.com

Laboratory Furnaces & Ovens• Horozontal & Vertical Tube Furnaces,

Single and Multi-Zone

• Box Furnaces & Ovens

• Temperatures up to 1700°C

• Made in the U.S.A.

• Available withinTwo Weeks

SmartControl Touch Screen Control System

www.thermcraftinc.com • [email protected] +1.336.784.4800

Tech WATCH


When looking at safe operation in laboratories and plants, fume hoods are absolutely essential as they protect the environment, product and most importantly, the user. A fume hood is a piece of laboratory equipment that is used to limit exposure to dangerous fumes while conducting experiments with harmful chemicals and vapours. They aid in dust control and prevent the release of pollutants in the environment. Fume hoods also carry the means to provide biological protection and can protect the user and surrounding area from accidental explosions. Most fume hoods are closed and if not, they have a clear window to protect the user’s face from flying glass shards and spillages while viewing the experiment.

Patriot Adds Auto Safety ControllerAirClean Systems’ Patriot Ductless Fume Hoods feature the easy-to-use AirSafe NXT automatic safety controller for added operator safety. This colour touch screen controller automatically increases or decreases blower speed to maintain the user’s pre-set face velocity, ensuring airflow is within standard operating parameters. The current face velocity is displayed at all times. AirSafe NXT also monitors the bonded carbon filtration bed, alerting the user audibly and visually should filter saturation occur. Patriot features a unique ‘application confirmation’ sequence that is required with every use of the hood. AirSafe NXT displays the approved chemical class for the hood, and waits for a confirmation from the user before allowing the hood to be used. AirSafe NXT also provides a multi-language and multi-unit capability not found in most ductless hoods. With the press of a button, users can switch the controller language between English, Spanish, French and German. Airflow can be displayed in both linear feet per minute (LFM) and meters per second (m/s).www.aircleansystems.com

Designed for electrostatic-sensitive applicationsMystaire Misonix’s Aura ESD ductless chemical fume hood provides superior user protection against toxic fume exposure and has been combined with electrostatic dissipative features to prevent static build-up and discharge. The electrostatic dissipation is coupled with Aura’s state of the art safety features. Each Aura ductless fume hood has advanced safety monitoring and controls. EverSafe II microprocessor safety controller monitors and adjusts fume hood face velocity to the user preset value. This cam-driven filter sealing system has a built-in filter position indicator and alerts the end user if the filtration bed is not properly sealed. Filtrak provides safe and easy filter maintenance and replacement. www.mystaire.com

Improved Energy EfficiencyThe RFV2 (Reduced Face Velocity) fume hood offers excellent containment performance and energy efficiency at lower face velocities than conventional fume hoods. This fume hood has been tested to both standard and modified ASHRAE procedures at face velocities as low as 50 fpm. The RFV2 hood design provides the fume hood operator with a secure and reliable operating environment while providing considerable capital and operating cost savings. Suitable for use in either Variable Volume or Constant Volume applications. Standard features include downflow rear baffle and performance sash handle that provides improved airflow, low profile flush airfoil with spill containment trough, full viewing sash for unobstructed view, self-lowering sash that enhances operator safety and energy savings, durable chain and sprocket sash system, UL 1805 Classified and meets ASHRAE 110-95 Standards.www.hemcocorp.com

ChemGard fume hoods employ unique airflow characteristics The Baker Company’s ChemGARD high performance fume hoods have been developed by experts in containment technology. ChemGARD fume hoods are designed for unparalleled safety for critical laboratory applications and employ unique airflow characteristics within a streamlined, unobstructed work area to provide uniform, energy-saving operation, minimizing backdrafts, and turbulence and eddy currents. They reduce chemical exposure to personnel by substantially reducing roll effect (fluctuations in the airflow that may cause harm to the worker) and minimizing lingering concentrations above and behind the view screen. www.bakerco.com

Fume HoodsThe need for costly installations, ductwork and overbuilt

HVAC systems associated with traditional fume hoods has been eliminated with the introduction of ductless hoods. Laminer flow within cabinets and fume hoods built with seamless, thermally welded polypylene construction make it virtually impossible for eddy currents to escape from the hood. They are being built with higher quality material preventing rust build up, providing years of life. Fume hoods designed specifically for electrostatic-sensitive application are now available along with advanced safety monitoring, multiple languages and multi-unit capabilities. L B


Moments IN TIME

With Valentine’s Day having just passed it’s fitting that the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the discovery of the universe’s largest known diamond, white dwarf star. The cosmic diamond is a chunk of crystallized carbon 50 light-years from the Earth in the constellation Centaurus. It is 2,500 miles across and weighs 5 million trillion trillion pounds, which translates to approximately 10 billion trillion trillion carats, or a one followed by 34 zeros. The diamond star completely outclasses the largest diamond on Earth, the 530-carat Star of Africa which resides in the Crown Jewels of England. The Star of Africa was cut from the largest diamond ever found on Earth, a 3,100-carat gem. The huge cosmic gem (technically known as BPM 37093) is actually a crystallized white dwarf. A white dwarf is the hot core of a star, left over after the star uses up its nuclear fuel and dies. It is made mostly of carbon and is coated by a thin layer of hydrogen and helium gases. L B

Lucy In The SkyWith Diamonds

Nucleic acid purification (DNA, RNA, Plasmids)PCR and real-time PCRCloning and transfectionRecombinant protein expression and purificationMolecular biology reagents for everyday use

It’s time for 5 PRIME-Your Prime Partner for Perfect Research! 5 PRIME is focusing on the key areas of Molecular Biology, offering a broad portfolio of more than 250 high quality products that can provide a full solution for all steps, from genes to pure proteins:

For more information contact VWR Canada today!

Call: 1800-932-5000 Email: [email protected]

Documents

FORENSIC SAYONARA · 2014-03-11 · tHe DeFiNitiVe SoUrce For laB ProDUctS, NeWS aND DeVeloPMeNtS January/February 2014 FORENSIC ACCREDITATION SCC accreditation allows forensic labs