The definitive source for lab products, news and developments

July/August 2012 www.labbusinessmag.com

The definitive source for lab products, news and developments

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July/August 2012 www.labbusinessmag.com

standards5 EDITOR’S NOTE

6 NEwS

8 SuzukI MATTERS

18 TEch wATch

20 LAb wARE

ScIENTISTS pROTEST ThE cLOSuRE Of LAbSLabs usually close when the business goes bunk or when the scientific work is completed. So why is the government closing the Experimental Lakes Area laboratory? Our feature visits a protest against government cuts and looks at what lab workers can do when they find themselves without a lab or a job.

cover photo: The Grim Reaper attends a funeral forevidence-based decision making in Ottawa.

photo credit: cpimages/Matthew usherwood

10inside14 The mystery of a folded protein

Jay Ingram’s new book Fatal Flaws, investigates the bizarre world of prions. What he finds is a field of science still a mystery to many scientists. But it’s a mystery that, if solved, could cure many debilitating brain diseases.

16 purchasing pipettes With labs working under tight budgets, improving purchasing can make a dollar go farther. We offer four tips on how to improve pipette purchases.

22 Interview with Terrance Snutch Canada’s Research Chair in Biotechnology and Genomics-Neurobiology speaks about the complications about getting drugs from the laboratory into a doctor’s office.

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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 enqui-ries: 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.

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editor’s note

Why shut down the experimental Lakes area, the field research station that has helped scientists discover vital clues about acid rain, mercury poisoning and the effect of pollution on fresh water lakes? The

Government of Canada’s press officers (people who say what they’re paid to say) spew drivel as an explanation. Drivel about streamlining and right-sizing. Drivel that’s interchangeable with the drivel spewed to explain other nonsensical decisions. if drivel were water, there isn’t a stain of drought-hardened soil on the continent we couldn’t supersaturate.

no, the experimental Lakes area has to be one of the most cost-efficient research facilities in the world. it costs next to nothing to run—a paltry $2 million—but for more than 40 years has yielded a flood of scientific understanding. it’s the only facility of its kind in the world conducting research into that most important of resources: our water. so why shut it down?

scientists who rallied on Parliament Hill to protest the cuts said they knew why. because the Government of Canada no longer needs evidence when it formulates decisions. Laws will be determined based on belief and the best advice provided by “stakeholders.” We don’t need current research because we know. We understand all.

and the other reason for shutting down the eLa? because water isn’t oil. since when have fresh water lakes in ontario helped to inflate a Calgarian’s stetson? stephen Harper used to preach a Holy Gospel about the sins of communist China. now he is eagerly building a pipeline through western Canada to deliver oil, squeezed from alberta’s dirt, to unquenchable Chinese furnaces. The last thing any-body making money from the oilsands needs is some piddling research puddle like the eLa sounding alarm bells about water pollution in alberta.

The government’s attacks on science and scientists put our habitat at risk and degrade our institutions. Who can blame researchers for leaving Canada? stephen Harper is deftly instigating a brain drain we can’t afford.

but why worry? believe the cowboys when they say the oilsands will have no detrimental effect on the West’s water. They know.

why worry?

Robert Price,Managing editor

On the Web at www.labbusinessmag.com

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Do the flip!Flip this magazine over to learn more about how investigations into unknown proteins push the scientific envelope and could refuel the drug pipeline.

@We’re Online!

July/Aug 2012 www.labbusinessmag.com


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Inside the BrainJay Ingram

Discusses Prions

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Alabama Innovation • National Biotech Week Calendar • Gene Therapy

Championing the Business of BioteChnology in Canada July/August 2012

Protein PowerProtein discoveries have the power to re-energize an ailing drug pipeline

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6 July/August 2012 Lab business

news beat

changes to clinical trials and ethics review in ontarioIn a play to set Ontario on the map as a world leader in the life sciences community, the province’s Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation has established Clinical Trials Ontario, an independent not-for-profit organization established to reduce duplication, shorten study start-up time, provide the highest quality of review and ensure the highest standard of patient safety while increasing patient access to investigational therapies. The province hopes the new organization will attract more trials to Canada’s largest province.

Also in June, Trafalgar Ethics Board Inc. (TEB), located in Oakville, Ontario, ceased operations. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Services, another provider, has stepped in to facilitate the transition. “This is one of the very few first times in North America that an independent ethics board has had to voluntarily close its doors,” says IRB Services president Jack Corman. He noted that it was important to ensure ongoing ethical oversight for all research studies and clinical trials engaged by Trafalgar. “Otherwise, there would be no ethics approval in place for the research which is a very serious breach of Canadian, U.S. and international clinical trial regulations and all research activity would have had to cease,” says Corman.

Since June, IRB Services has assumed responsibility for the majority of TEB research projects, conducting thorough re-reviews and issuing re-approvals of nearly 40 studies involving approximately 200 researchers in just 17 business days. The acquired projects include urology, allergy and behavioural studies involving top phar-maceutical companies as well as independent research organizations.

research in BriefWhat your gut can tell you about your health. A study published in Nature finds that in elderly people, the diversity of their gut microbes depends on their diet and corresponds with their health status.

Potential lung cancer therapeu-tic target identified. A molecule called Rac1b, discovered by researchers including Mona Gauthier at the Ontario Cancer Institute, may help control the progression of early-stage lung cancer. Rac1b is a potential therapeutic tar-get as it may signal cancer cells to start migrating out of tumours and into the sur-rounding tissue, spreading the disease.

New use for diabetes drug? Metaformin, a widely used diabetes drug, may be useful in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. A team of researchers led by Freda Miller of

the Hospital for Sick Children found that the drug stimulates neuron growth in both mouse and human models.

No easy tools for estimating biodiversity. Scientists are stumped on how to determine what constitutes a species. The absence of an accurate measuring tool makes the mat-ter difficult. Dr. Jacob Esselstyn of McMaster University tested a genetic technique called general mixed Yule coalescent (GMYC) and found it came up short. “The automated methods that we currently have are valuable tools, but we’re a long way from being able to quickly generate accurate estimates of biodiversity,” says Esselstyn.

From scientists to Ceos, Canada rec-ognizes and rewards the efforts made

by professionals within the medical and healthcare systems. The Michael smith Foundation for Health Research (MsFHR) announced the recipients of its 2012 research scholar funding competi-tion. The foundation funded 23 scholar awards that will support researchers estab-lishing or building research programs.

“excellent health researchers and the work they do are at the core of the good health we enjoy today as british Columbians,” says Dr. Diane Finegood, MsFHR President & Ceo. “Their research is also integral to tackling the health challenges we face in the future. our investment in these 23 exceptional health researchers offers a great return on investment for our province.”

The foundation supports health research that benefits thousands of fami-lies such as seeking a cure for childhood

diabetes, HPV vaccine research and help-ing patients in remote communities better manage chronic diseases at home.

“Health research is an important investment for our government,” says Health Minister Michael de Jong. “a commitment to health research is a com-mitment to advancing the health of b.C. families as well as generating hundreds of jobs in the field of health science ranging from students through to well-established researchers who are addressing critical health issues.”

The ernst & Young entrepreneur of the Year 2012 Contest recognized Daniel Handfield, Chair and Ceo, MediaMed Technologies, for his leadership and vision. The contest recognizes efforts made by entrepreneurs that have built prosperous and innovative companies and acknowl-edges their outstanding vision as well as the remarkable contribution they have made to diverse industries.

Celebrating Canadian Entrepreneurs and Scientists


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Canadian Scientists Respond to Higgs Discovery

In July, scientists at the CeRn research centre in switzerland announced a dis-

covery that made headlines around the world. scientists from two teams—CMs and aTLas—discovered a boson that was consistent with the Higgs boson, sometimes referred to as the God Particle. The Higgs could change the way we understand the universe. However, it could take several years to confirm the discovery.

What is the Higgs and why is it impor-tant? “The Higgs boson is the particle that is responsible for giving mass to fun-damental particles. it’s important to real-ize it’s not responsible for most of the mass we are made of, but it’s involved in the mass of fundamental particles. it plays an important role, and it’s needed to make the standard Model consistent, but it’s not much more important than other particles - it’s the last ingredient in this beautiful puzzle called the standard Model,” says itay Yavin, assistant Professor at McMaster university and an associate Faculty Member at Perimeter institute.

What does all of this mean? “To me, the takeaway message is that we seem to be closing a chapter on the last decades of particle physics, and we’re entering a new era of examining the properties, and we hope very much to push beyond the standard Model. We’re really at a cross-roads now. it’s an indication that the last 45 years of particle physics has been on the right track, and now we hope to look beyond the standard Model into why particles gain mass. This may be observa-tions of supersymmetry, other dimen-sions, [and other] theories that were developed to go beyond the Higgs boson,” says Rob McPherson, Professor of Physics, university of Victoria; spokesperson for aTLas Canada col-laboration.

A scientist at cERN in Geneva checks the fitness of a component of the proton accelerator.


Lakes research shutdown doesn’t make senseBy David Suzuki with contributions from Ian Hanington

We can’t live without clean water. Canada is blessed with an abundance of lakes and rivers and has a global responsibility to manage them well. but if we

really want to protect freshwater supplies and the ecosystems they support, we must understand how human activity and natural disturbances affect them.

The world-renowned experimental Lakes area in northwestern ontario has served as an outdoor laboratory for this purpose since 1968. by manipulating and studying conditions in 58 small lakes and their watersheds, scientists there have made many discoveries about the effects of human and natural activity on freshwater ecosystems and fish. over the past 45 years they’ve taught us about the impacts of acid rain, mercury pollution, nanoparticles, nitrogen overload, climate change, fish farming, and many other issues.

That’s about to end. The federal government announced it will close the unique facility in 2013. it’s an odd decision, especially considering that it costs just $2-million a year to operate — one-tenth the cost of Prime Minister stephen Harper’s security detail and about the same amount the government spent during the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto to build a tourism pavilion with a fake lake. To make matters worse, it will cost taxpayers $50 mil-lion to shut the ELA down

in an open letter to government, senior scientists point out that “research conducted at the ELA has been instrumental in the development of environmental policy and legislation both nation-ally and internationally.” They also note that “eLa scientists have been recipients of numerous prestigious national and interna-tional awards, and the scientific output from ELA has been impressive — more than 1,000 scientific articles, graduate theses and books.” We often hear how Canada “manages” its natural resources, but how can we do that without sound knowledge about the intricacies of the water cycle?

The timing is also odd. The ELA is being shut down as the government eviscerates laws and regulations designed to protect freshwater and marine habitat and resources with its omnibus budget bill. included in the bill are changes or cuts to the Fisheries act, navigable Waters Protection act, species at Risk act, and Canadian environmental Protection act, and a complete gutting and rewriting of the Canadian environmental assessment act. Changes to the Fisheries act are especially troubling. Habitat protection has been removed, and the focus has shifted to eco-

nomically viable and aboriginal fisheries only. That has some former fisheries ministers worried. in a letter to the prime minis-ter, Conservatives Tom siddon and John Fraser and Liberals Herb Dhaliwal and David anderson wrote, “Canadians are enti-tled to know whether these changes were written, or insisted upon, by the minister of fisheries or by interest groups outside the government. if the latter is true, exactly who are they?”

it’s a valid concern. Postmedia obtained government docu-ments showing that enbridge, the company behind the dual northern Gateway pipeline proposal, lobbied the government heavily before the changes were brought in. Documents also indi-cate that pressure from enbridge was partly responsible for the government’s decision to pull out of a joint marine-planning process on the Pacific north Coast between industry, First nations, citizens’ groups, and conservation organizations.

one can’t help but notice that many recent cuts and changes are aimed at programs, laws, or entities that might slow the push for rapid tar sands expansion and pipelines to the west and south, along with the massive selloff of our resources and resource indus-try to Chinese state-owned companies, among others. any research or findings that don’t fit with the government’s fossil fuel-based economic plans appear to be under attack.

The national Round Table on the environment and the economy, for example, warned that failing to address climate change would have both economic and environmental conse-quences. The government also axed that arm’s-length agency, under the guise of saving $5.5 million a year.

Development is important, but when it’s focused on a single polluting industry, at the expense of other economic priorities and the environment, it doesn’t make sense. When industry and gov-ernment go to such extreme lengths to promote a short-sighted and narrow interest, it’s an affront to the democratic traditions that Canadians of all political stripes have built over the years. LB

For more from David Suzuki, see Everything Under the Sun (Greystone Books/David Suzuki Foundation).

suzuki matters

Any research or findings that don’t fit with the government’s fossil fuel-based economic plans appear to be under attack.

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lab closures


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By Julia Teeluck

Bring out the dead,” the undertaker sings in the Middle ages. The citizens who hear the song drag out their dead and bloated and say goodbye to the bodies at the curb.

a similar scene played out in ottawa on July 10, 2012 when scientists convening in the capital for a typical scientific conven-tion broke for an atypical lunch. Rather than feasting in the con-vention centre cafeteria, the conference delegates—Canadians and international scientists alike—donned their white lab coats and followed a funeral march through the city streets. The march ended at Parliament Hill, where these scientists held a funeral service for science.

named “The Death of evidence,” the protest meant to draw attention to what protest organizers say is a concerted attack by the federal government on science. Protestors listed the attacks, each one, they say, proof that evidence-based policy making in Canada is dead. The long form census. Dead. Public access to public scientists. a lifeless idea. national Round Table on the environment and the economy. Moribund. other science efforts—from a research station that monitors glaciers to funds to investigate changes to Canada’s waters—dead, all victims of funding cuts.

one funding cut in particular has become the face of the corpse. at the Death of evidence rally, a protestor hefted a card-board cut-out of a fish, a reference to the closure of the experimental Lakes area, a 44-year-old research project in northern ontario that has people, and not just scientists, talking.

The facility, the only of its kind in the world, was the research centre that provided the evidence that linked acid rains to the poisoning of lakes—evidence that led to international treaties to prevent acid rain. The facility also delivered the key fact in our understanding of how mercury poisons fish and enters the food system.

The government says it cut funding to eLa in an effort to cut government spending. The eLa cost Canadians $2 million a year.

“

cloSe a laB, cloSe a Mindexperimental lakes area and other research cuts prompt scientists to protest


lab closures

layoffsit might have been the eLa’s considerable contributions to sci-ence that has made it a touch point for so much outrage among scientists (a list of selected publications listed on Wikipedia’s “eLa” page runs for several feet). it might have been the eLa’s modest funding. or it might have been the sureness and speed with which the axe fell—researchers received layoff notices and orders not to start new research, instructions to shut down labs as soon as possible and directives to pull research equipment out of the 58 lakes that make up the eLa.

Whatever the reason, the cuts to the eLa, tucked away in a corner of bill C-38, the government’s now famous omnibus leg-islation, have prompted scientists across Canada, who might normally steer clear of the media, to speak their minds.

one of these scientists is Karen Kidd, Canada Research Chair and Professor within the biology Department at the university of new brunswick. For her, the closure of the eLa will close an important field lab to scientists.

“There’s no other place where you can experiment with whole lakes, and because of that, the results of those studies have been very influential in changing policies or directing environmental policies,” says Kidd.

she points to the “huge” influence eLa has had on policies on water pollution and emissions from smoke stacks, as well as the understanding the lab has generated about algae blooms, acid rain and mercury. “There’s a long history of the science coming out of the experimental Lakes area having an influence on environmental policies because we know that the changes that are made are going to be effective at improving water qual-ity and fish health.”

Kidd, like many other water researchers, has relied on eLa to turn up evidence, and the research she did at eLa has bearing on any man who cherishes his virility.

Kidd’s story goes back to 1999, when reports emerged in the united Kingdom of male fish that showed signs of feminization. Kidd set up a research project at eLa to determine how birth control pills contaminate fresh water. “The male fish were not developing their sperm as they normally should and sometimes they were producing eggs and they were being affected by estro-gens in the municipal waste waters.” some of the estrogens were natural estrogens that women excrete, but the male fish were also affected by estrogen used in birth control pills. although the wastewater was treated at a plant before being discharged back into the rivers, trace amounts of estrogen remained.

“We wanted to do the study because even though we knew there were all these feminized fish living in the rivers, we didn’t know what it meant for the numbers of fish.” To find out, the research team set out to discover whether it was possible for the males to still reproduce successfully. Kidd says it was the million-dollar question that no one else could answer.

For three years, Kidd and her team added estrogen used in birth control pills to a lake at the experimental Lakes area and

studied how it feminized the male fish. The feminization of the male fish eventually led to a collapse in the fish population. “We really showed that even very low amounts of estrogen can have very severe consequences for fish populations,” says Kidd.

Sound science“When you take away that ability to do research at the experimental Lakes area then you’re really losing the sound sci-ence that’s needed to guide effective environmental policies. it’s really risky to close that facility down, because basically it means we’re going forward with a blindfold on,” says Kidd.

What also worries Kidd is what’s going to happen to the infor-mation when the facilities are closed down. in addition to lost information, there’s the loss of expertise. some scientists have been working on these systems for decades. “They’ve got the expertise to interpret the data, understand it and communicate it to the policy makers. When you take that away, you’re basically blowing up the bridge between science and policy.” Kidd says the science that’s done at the eLa also aids international policies because it’s the only facility where you can ask those key questions about how human activities affect fresh water.

“shutting it down is so inconceivable. i can’t understand it,” says Dominique bureau, Professor, animal and Poultry science at the university of Guelph. “especially from a conservative govern-ment that is pro-business. This is one tool that’s perfectly suited to doing viable research for addressing important questions,” says bureau in regards to the research that can be done to address resources-based industry issues such as aquaculture, mining or civil engineering.

The Department of Fisheries and oceans declined a request for an interview for this story. Mélanie Carkner, a media rela-tions advisor for Fisheries and oceans Canada, sent an email stating that “science remains essential to our business and we will continue to build scientific knowledge about our aquatic environment and fisheries resources to support long-term sus-tainability and conservation objectives in a more effective and cost-efficient manner.”

dealing with transitionsFor the many scientists in the public service losing their jobs, what to do next is a concern. What happens to their research? What happens to their career?

unfortunately, job loss has been the tale of the times for sci-ence in Canada in recent years. Pharmaceutical companies have suffered enormous job losses over the last decade. if the public sector was ever seen as safe terrain for scientists, recent cuts sug-gest otherwise. “Transitioning” after receiving “affected” letters are now part of the lexicon.

Whether a scientist must transition to a new department or leave the position completely, moving on is difficult. Kevin schwenker, principal of schwenker & associates, a human resources consultancy, compares being let go to being dumped.


The feelings that arise are similar. “There is a standard reaction: shock, anger, resistance and then finally acceptance.”

For some, according to shayda Kassam, a consultant at PeopleLink Consulting, losing your job is like losing a family member. “it’s an important life change in a sense, so humans react to that through a range of emotions.”

For the newly laid off, getting back into the groove or finding your new groove can be tricky. “Generally, a vacation is not recom-mended. You may be misjudging the job market, your ability to secure a comparable position somewhere else and potential employers may not be impressed with a six-month gap in your resume,” says schwenker. instead, he says, take stock. Find other opportunities and question if it’s time for a career change. “sometimes people think about career changes when they’re let go, so you need to sit and work through some facts.”

schwenker acknowledges that there’s not just stress on the employee that’s leaving, but stress on the manager that has to do the firing. How should managers handle these emotionally charged situations? “When you go into a situation where you’re firing someone, make sure you bring answers. The person being let go is likely to have a lot of questions and concerns,” says schwenker. He also suggests managers listen and be present with the person in the room as there will be a lot of emotion surfacing. “You need to listen and not react,” says schwenker. LB

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Kevin Schwenker, principal of Schwenker & associates, shares his advice on how to handle being let go.

• Let people know. “The first thing we want to do is crawl into a hole and say, ‘I lost my job.’” Schwenker says that’s the shock, anger and resistance speaking. Instead, be open and let the people in your life know that you have been laid off.

• Network. Get together with people in your field. Circulate your resume and learn about new jobs.

• Search. Google is your friend. Check out websites such as labjobs.net, ca.indeed.com, and Workopolis.

• Move. For talented research scientists, the whole world is an opportunity. If you’re unable to move to another city, prov-ince or country, virtual work plus occasional travel can be a substitution.

• Deal. Find healthy ways to deal with emotions—stay busy, keep on schedule, exercise and spend time with family. “Try to focus on positive aspects of the transition,” says Schwenker.

• Plan. Create a financial plan so you can watch your spend-ing until you find a new job.


The fatal flaw with some proteins is that they misfold, and when they misfold they can cause diseases like mad cow disease.

How proteins misfold is a mystery. and how prions relate to alzheimer’s, aLs and a host of other brain diseases is also unknown.

into this mystery wades science journalist Jay ingram in his new book Fatal Flaws. as a former host of the Discovery Channel and a bestselling science writer, ingram digs deep into the science and history of prions and delivers a book worth reading—espe-cially for readers who want to know more about an emerging field of science that could solve the mysteries of so many brain diseases.

LAB Business spoke to ingram about his book.

the jacket of your cover calls the book a “scientific detective story.” i’m wondering, what’s the mystery, who did it and what’s the crime?

ingram: What is the crime? i guess the diseases caused by prions are the crime. The most significant is the tragic deaths of nearly 200 people who had eaten meat contaminated with mad cow disease in the uK in the 1980s. The most tantalizing mysteries are the relationships between prions and the big neurodegenerative diseases like alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lou Gehrig’s disease, and CTe, the disease that seems to be striking ex-nFL players and even some ex-nHL players. The reason prions are a mystery is that for quite a long time biologists thought the idea of prions causing these diseases was completely absurd because prions are not a virus, not a bacterium, not a parasite. it’s just a protein mol-ecule. and it was thought impossible that something relatively simple like that could be an infectious agent.

Who discovered prions?The triggering event was a publication by a guy named stanley Prusiner in 1982 where he not only named them prions, but argued that proteins were causing disease. From a scientific point of view it was just hard to swallow. every other disease agent we know about has its own genome, its own set of genes that allows

Unfolding the mystery

By Robert Price

Jay ingram discusses prion diseases and his new book, Fatal Flaws

it to multiply and cause disease. but a prion is just a protein mol-ecule. it doesn’t have its own genes. it can’t reprogram human cells to make more of them. so it just seemed impossible that some-thing as simple as that could actually multiply.

So what happens? once you get prions into the brain, they recruit others. Proteins have to fold to work properly. Prions don’t fold as they should, they misfold, and they have this uncanny ability to trigger normal proteins to become misfolded. so prions do multiply, but in a weird sense, more like recruitment, and if you introduce a few hundred of them into a cow’s brain and those hundred persuade many other hundreds to misfold, then suddenly you’ve got a growing number of prions. but it takes a long time. The time from actually eating meat contaminated with prions to dying is probably years. but once the process starts it can’t be stopped. so the biologists were right in a sense; these things don’t multiply in the traditional biological sense, like say splitting in two or any-thing like that. but they recruit and so their numbers grow.

critical perspectives


do we know how this recruitment works?The whole mechanism of how a misfolded protein can convert a normal protein to that same misfolded form is actually still not understood. People think that the two prions—and of course we’re operating here on the ultra-micro-scopic level, you can’t see these things in the microscope—come together and somehow the protein that was already misfolded causes the other one to slip, or twist, or do something that turns it into a misfolded version. The other thing is that the mis-folded proteins tend to clump together with other misfolded proteins so it’s impossible to deal with them the way you normally would. so nobody really knows exactly what a misfolded protein looks like.

is there a message to policymakers in your book?not a direct message. but one area the book examines is how the british government didn’t want to believe that this disease in cows, which arose in the mid-1980s, was actually like the disease they already knew about in sheep. They didn’t want to believe the connection because they were afraid it would hurt british beef exports, and so for at least two years when scientists were uncover-ing more and more cases, the government actually suppressed publication of information. i got a big laugh out of one reason why they denied its existence: because they were afraid that people other than government scientists would get the credit for it. so it became one of these tug-of-wars.

any time scientists are discovering new things that govern-ments don’t want to admit, and the government suppresses that information, the outcome is usually bad. it’s not exactly a policy advocacy point but i think it’s generally true.

How has the science of prion research changed since the emergence of the field? i think the major difference today from five or even 10 years ago is that people are taking a broader perspective and looking at not just diseases caused by prions, but the whole issue of proteins misfolding. That is what drags in the alzheimer’s connection. if you if you look at brains at autopsy of people who died with alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, aLs, the common characteristic is misfolded protein. now they’re not the same proteins. every disease has its own protein that seems to go wrong. so they all involve misfolded proteins and i think this leads to two very clear research questions. First, why do proteins misfold at all? and the second part of the question is, if we understand exactly how it happens, can we prevent it? or even reverse it? but those are big, big questions.

Why did you write this book? i met some prion scientists and i was intrigued by the diseases. There was a human disease in new Guinea that was spread by

cannibalism. That was kind of a prelude to thinking about mad cow because mad cow disease was essentially cows cannibalizing other cows. it wasn’t their choice, but that’s how it happened. and today there is a chronic wasting disease in Western Canada, the

only prion disease ever found in wild ani-mals, and it’s spreading in 18 states and two provinces. it’s in deer and elk right now but the concern is it will intersect with caribou migration routes. and if caribou are susceptible, you could have something truly disastrous on your hands.

What did writing this book teach you about scientists?People have this incorrect idea that science is somber. You go into a lab and people are wearing lab coats and doing these really

rote kind of experiments. it’s completely different. it’s hugely creative. it’s a human pursuit. This is a science that only started 40 years ago. We’re seeing it grow and develop and in some sense becoming revolutionary. LB

Fatal Flaws is published by HarperCollins.

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In a wet lab, pipettes are as common as pencils in an artist’s studio. so common, in fact, they might become invisible. until the pipette stops working and corrupts the results of an experiment. Then it’s time to throw out the results. sharpen the tools. Try again. Like anything, what comes out depends on what goes in. Purchase a shoddy paint brush,

paint a shoddy picture. buy the cheapest pipettes, cheapen the results.

four questions to ask a sales rep

Purchasing Pipettes

to get more from each pipette purchase, start by asking the right questions.

What’s the right pipette for the job? The answer to this question is, “What’s the job?” Broadly, labs have to choose between manual and automatic pipettes. For labs conducting regulated clinical trials and spending lots of money on getting the right results, electronic pipettes offer greater accuracy because they don’t have the user variability of a manual pipette. With the costs of reagents rising, using pipettes that can handle the fluids with greater accuracy matters to all labs.

What size pipette does the lab require? One of the mistakes labs make when purchasing pipettes is buy-ing multiples of the same pipette. But there’s a problem with this approach to purchasing. All pipettes have an “optimal range,” the range where the pipette works best, and this optimal range is around 35 per cent to 100 per cent of the volume. To optimize performance, buy a range of sizes. Buy the sizes required for most experiments in the lab, and the buy a set of unusual size pipettes. These unusual sizes will help the lab tackle strange volumes that fall outside the optimal range.

How easy is it to maintain the pipette?Pipettes need regular maintenance, particularly the piston. The piston uses a seal to create the vacuum that moves liquid through the pipette tip. A good seal will move the liquid properly, but if the piston changes size, wears or dirties, the pipette loses accuracy. Labs should ask their sales rep to demonstrate how to access the inside components. Ideally, the pipette is easy to take apart and easy to put back together.

On the subject of maintenance, pipettes with high quality parts, like stainless steel, last longer than plastic parts. Steel doesn’t change shape and interfere with the vacuum seal. Materials matter. Labs should know where their pipettes were manufactured and what steps the manufacturer has taken to maintain the stan-dards of the materials they use.

How ergonomically sound is the pipette?Lab workers who pipette for more than an hour a day without an ergonomic pipette put themselves at risk for repeti-tive stress injuries, a common lab injury. In some labs, the idea of pipetting for an hour sounds like a breeze—in clinical labs, for example, it’s not unusual to pipette for four hours in a day.

Features like a finger hook and a vol-ume lock improve the comfort of the pipette. But when it comes to ergonomics, the two most important features are the pipette’s plunger and tip ejector. The more pressure the pipette requires from the user to sink the plunger or eject the tip, the more likely the pipette can injure a lab worker, over the long term. There are good reasons to purchase less ergonomic pipettes—for example, older pipettes have a more solid zero position—but many ergonomic pipettes have features to compensate for what they lose.

For more information on pipettes, safety and ergonomics, visit www.save-the-hands.com.

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ization. sureFisH probes are graded as Class i analyte specific Reagents and designed to meet clinical cytogenetic standards from the american College of Medical Genetics. agilent’s oligo FisH are characterized by their ability to analyze previously difficult genomic regions, accommo-dating the needs of every cytogeneticist. www.agilent.com

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tech watch

DNA ReagentsWhat do you want to hear when you hear about reagents, Dna reagents and associated

equipment? accuracy, efficiency, ease-of-use. so, good news: the latest generation of reagents delivers what the lab needs with greater precision and selectivity than ever before. With the costs of reagents climbing ever upward, labs working on tighter budgets will likely see this next generation of reagents as a blessing. but if there’s a problem, it’s size. The mar-ket is vast and knowing what to buy takes expertise, not just the time to wade through the huge selection of products on the market. For the curious, here is a selection of what’s new in the world of Dna reagents.

Phusion High-Fidelity Dna Polymerases are an upgrade on the Phusion Dna Polymerases, which were successfully used for a number of challenging PCR applications, including the creation of the first functional synthetic genome. The unique fusion technique of the Phusion High-Fidelity Dna Polymerases allows them to generate PCR products with accuracy and speed that cannot be reached with a single enzyme, even on the most difficult templates. The poly-

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The new eZ Dna Methylation-Lightning Kit from Zymo Research was designed to perform a complete bisulphite conversion of Dna before it underwent methylation analysis by PCR, MsP, array, or next-Gen sequencing. Lightning Conversion Reagent comes as a ready-to-use liquid. it can be added to a Dna sample as low as 100 pg. The unique spin col-

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Rubicon Genomics has announced the release of the first product in its new ThruPLeX series of sample preparation kits, which sup-port next generation sequencing (nGs). Rubicon’s patented Dna repair and ligation methods enable them to deliver faster and more sensitive sequencing of plasma, forma-lin-fixed, ChiP and other fragmented Dna while increasing throughput. The innovative enzymology allows repair, ligation and ampli-

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lab ware

Logger Measures Current Directly From the OutputT&D Corporation’s new RTR-505-mA Wireless Current Logger can measure 4 to 20 mA currents. This logger can be used to measure cur-rent directly or from the output of a wide variety of sensors. The unit has accuracy of ±0.05mA and resolu-tion of 0.01mA. The RTR-505-mA features a large LCD display, capacity for 16,000 read-ings, IP64 water resistance and up to four years’ battery life with the “L” version. Compatible with all TandD RTR-500 Series Wireless Data Collectors, the RTR-505mA can be seamlessly integrated into a wireless network with other logger types. They can be monitored locally, through a cellular phone system, or anywhere in the world over the Internet. Advanced features include real-time monitoring and warning notifica-tions. The communication range is up to 500 feet, which can be extended with the use of a repeater.www.tandd.com

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LED Flashlight is Intrinsically SafeLarson Electronics’ LXFlashlights.com released the EXP-LED-FX2 explosion-proof LED flashlight. This flashlight pro-duces impressive output and the versatili-ty of multiple operating modes and is compliant with UL and ATEX standards for hazardous locations. The EXP-LED-FX2 is Class 1 Division 1 certified intrinsi-cally safe and well suited for use as an inspection or work light in locations where flammable gases, vapours and chemicals present an explosion or fire hazard. Designed for durability with a lightweight resistant ABS plastic housing and equipped with a shatterproof LEXAN lens, the flashlight contains powerful LEDs that produce an impressive 160 lumens of illumination with up to 14 hours of runtime on a single set of batteries.www.lXflashlights.com


Autosampler Incorporates into Existing OEM SystemThe Accudynamics autosampler can be incorporated into existing OEM systems, increasing throughput and automation of gas sample preparation for chromatography. Its fluid handling and motion systems work together seamlessly for precision aspiration and dispense. Accudynamics produced the first new autosampler less than six weeks after its design was created. The design was then converted to be based from a cast assembly, reducing complexity and cost while improving reliability.www.accudynamics.com

Two-Stage Regulators Offer Precision Control Designed for gas control applications requiring precise and constant outlet pressure, Victor Professional EST4 EDGE Series two-stage regulators provide improved control capabilities compared to the previous VTS 450 regulator. They incorpo-rate the innovative EDGE design and safety features, including SLAM (Shock Limitation and Absorption Mechanism) technology built into the adjusting knob, which provides addi-tional strength, safety and protection of the regulator internals. EST4 EDGE heavy duty, high capacity regulators are available for acetylene, oxygen, inert gases, carbon diox-ide, methane and hydrogen. Victor continues to offer its VTS 250 (medium duty) and VTS 700 (extra heavy duty) two-stage regulators.www.accudynamics.com

Calibration for Sulfur Impurities in Carbon DioxideThe FlexStream computer-controlled, Gas Standards Generating System dynamically blends calibration gas standards for trace sulfur compounds in food-grade carbon dioxide. Trace Source permeation tubes add low ppb concen-trations of typical sulfur species including COS, H2S, mercaptans directly to a controlled flow of purified, beverage-grade CO2 to create trace concentration calibration standards. Calibration is based on the known difference in sulfur compound concentration due to the addition from the Trace Source permeation tubes. A secondary dilution feature gives ppt concentrations. Concentration is adjustable over a wide dynamic range. www.kin-tek.com

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scientist profile

From scuba diving in tropical waters such as the Great barrier Reef and Cook islands to investigating calcium channels in the lab, Dr. Terrance snutch seems to have an appetite

for exploration. in June 2012, Pfizer Canada announced snutch as one of the recipients of the 2011 neuropathic Pain Research awards, an annual grant competition for independent research in the areas of basic biomedical, clinical and health service and systems sciences.

snutch received the award for his research into the effectiveness of pregabalin, a drug thought to block neuronal calcium channels, as a preventative treatment for chronic migraine sufferers. For the two to five per cent of those in the Western world who suffer from chronic migraines (more than 15 migraines per month), his work is promising.

snutch’s lab has cloned nine of the 10 types of calcium channels in the mammalian genome. He now works to determine what calcium channels do physiologically. in his work with the n-type calcium channel he spun off a biotechnology company from the university of british Columbia called neuromed Pharmaceuticals (now Zalicus). “neuromed is, i believe, the first and probably the only spinoff company to ever get an oral drug approved by the FDa, which is a quite a feat actually. That drug is called exalgo and it’s on the market in the u.s.,” says snutch. at his lab, he and his team also study epilepsy and the roles of these calcium channels in cancer and heart disease.

on the award“it’s a prestigious award in Canada and they only give out a few every year, so i’m very pleased to have been accepted. We have a very interesting project that we’re going to be carrying out on this research award and i think it’s actually going to prove to be very enlightening as to the possible use of pregabalin for the prophylactic treatment of chronic migraines.”

complications of getting drugs to market“The drug discovery process is very long. it can take 10 to 14 years and it requires a lot of money. and the kind of money it takes to get a drug onto the market can’t come from government, it needs to come from venture capital and people investing their money to make a profit, and also from the pharmaceutical industry who invest in drugs and new approaches to drug therapeutics. at the level of the government, i don’t think you can change this other than to make the regulations and the tax structure favourable for venture capitalists and encourage pharmaceutical companies to put their money into these sorts of ventures, these start-up companies. since the market meltdown in 2008-2009, there’s been a real decrease in the amount of venture capital money put into start-up biotechnology companies in Canada. anything that can encourage that kind of funding to come back would be useful.” LB

By Julia Teeluck

Dr. terrance snutch Canada Research Chair in Biotechnology and Genomics-Neurobiology and Professor at University of British Columbia

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