A mass spectrometer is an instrument which ionizes a sample, separates the ions depending on their mass-to-charge ratio, and measures the intensity of the ions present at different mass-to-charge ratios. This can be used to determine the elements or isotopes present in the sample. The technique of mass spectrometry can be best understood by considering…

Chromatography is a common laboratory technique used to separate a mixture into its individual components, or fractions. This can allow the components to be identified and quantified. The first stage in chromatography is to dissolve the mixture in a fluid solvent, which may be either a liquid or a gas. The fluid solvent is known…

Microwave assisted extraction is used to extract compounds from matrices, such as oils and other volatile natural products from plant matter. It can be used for both testing and routine extraction in areas including food testing, biofuel and medicine production, and the environmental analysis of soils, sludge and waste matter. Methods such as microwave assisted…

Chromatography is commonly used to separate mixtures into their individual components. Most commonly, this involves separating a mixture dissolved in a liquid solvent, by passing the solution over a solid surface, with the components moving at different rates depending on their affinity for the surface. In ion chromatography, ions and polar molecules are separated based…

Laboratory evaporators are used to vaporize a liquid sample or the liquid component of a preparation. This is typically in order to remove the liquid from a preparation that is required to be either concentrated or dry for analysis. Evaporation is often used to prepare samples before mass spectrometry, gas chromatography or liquid chromatography. Laboratory…

2022 has been a busy year for the R&D community, from the continuing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic to the repercussions on the economy and funding for future research. We’ve seen some amazing breakthroughs and innovations — and welcomed back the R&D 100 Awards banquet dinner. It’s been a busy year in the industry. Here’s…

By Gordon Feller With top-notch universities, federal research institutes, leading companies from nine major industry sectors, and 14 top-ranked hospital systems, Ohio is a “quiet giant” of innovation in industrial sectors and life science. Ohio has the fifth-highest number of Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies — and is home to more than 120 NYSE/Nasdaq…

The Winners of the 2022 R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide science and innovation competition, celebrating its 60th year, received entries from a dozen different countries and regions. This year’s esteemed judging panel included nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals from across the world. Finalists were announced last week.…

Finalists for the 2022 R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine. This renowned worldwide science and innovation competition, celebrating its 60th year, received entries from a dozen different countries and regions. This year’s esteemed judging panel included nearly 50 well-respected industry professionals from across the world. The Finalists are listed below by…

By Mark Jones I’ve discovered a new sport, one made possible by Erik Rintamaki. No, he’s not the inventor of pickleball — and the sport I found is not the fastest growing in the U.S. My new sport is a bit more scientific and, for R&Ders, it comes with a useful allegory. The sport I…

Pipettes are used to deliver small measured volumes of liquid. They include several manually operated instruments including a simple Pasteur pipette, graduated pipettes and the considerably more accurate volumetric pipettes. Pipette controllers are devices attached to a conventional pipette to allow more user friendly and accurate operation. They enable the user to rapidly fill and…

Nanocatalysts are catalysts made up of nanoparticles or some other nanostructure such as a nanofoam. A catalyst is a material which increases the rate of a chemical reaction, without itself being altered or changed by the reaction. Nanostructures are engineered structures with features at the nanoscale — between one and 100 nanometers. An obvious advantage…

Nanostructures are engineered structures with features at the nanoscale — between 1 and 100 nanometers. They include nanotextured surfaces, nanoparticles and nanotubes, as well as more complex nano-scale structures. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, which is just slightly larger than the atomic scale — individual atoms in a solid are between…

Graduated cylinders are a common type of laboratory glassware. They are an elongated cylindrical vessel, with graduations to indicate the volume of liquid held, and typically a spout to ease pouring. Graduated cylinders very similar to beakers, but while beakers are relatively short and wide to facilitate storage and mixing, graduated cylinders are taller and…

A flask is a common piece of laboratory glassware. They are used for storing, mixing and measuring liquids, a similar role to beakers and graduated cylinders. Flasks are available in various shapes but what makes them a distinct from other laboratory containers is that they have a wider body with a narrower neck extending to…

This year’s iteration of the esteemed R&D 100 Awards features a judging panel comprised of nearly 50 professionals from across the globe, who boast an impressive collection of accomplishments and honors. Finalists in this year’s 60th R&D 100 Awards will be announced on August 15th at rdworldonline.com. Winners of this year’s R&D 100 Awards, along…

R&D World editors Paul Heney and Aimee Kalnoskas have their minds blown — multiple times! — in this episode, which delves into Certara’s Simcyp COVID-19 Vaccine Model, a 2021 R&D 100 Awards winner. Paul interviews Piet van der Graaf, Senior Vice President and Head of Quantitative Systems Pharmacology for Certara and learns about the genesis…

Nanoparticles are engineered particles of between one and 100 nanometers in diameter, a size known as the nanoscale. To put this into context, a nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter, and the distance between individual atoms in a solid is between 0.1 nm and 0.4 nm. Nanoparticles therefore range in size from tens…

By Mark Jones Morel mushroom hunting is an interesting and enjoyable spring activity in Michigan. Finding morels is a challenge, but if you want to eat them, finding is close to the only option. It takes effort, knowledge of the woods, and a trained eye. Some friends, life-long morel hunters, introduced us to the morel…

Our co-hosts Paul Heney and Aimee Kalnoskas are talking pain in this episode — that’s some serious chronic pain. They investigate one of the most interesting recent inventions for treating this debilitating condition, something that many of us will deal with at some point in our lives. Paul and Aimee hear from Lee Hartley and Jonathan Ruais…

For 2022, U.S. industrial organizations are expected to collectively invest $447 billion in R&D efforts, or about 65.8% of the total R&D monies invested by the U.S. ($679.4 billion). That industrial investment is more than all other global countries except for China. The U.S. federal government is expected to invest $181.4 billion in R&D in…

By Mark Jones In a normal world, vodka, nickel, palladium, and neon would have nothing in common. In our current world, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, they do. All are currently experiencing supply chain disruptions due either directly to the fighting or to sanctions. Nickel and palladium come from mines. Russian mines produced about 10%…

A test tube, also known as a sample tube, is a clear cylindrical vessel with a closed bottom and an open top. Test tubes are very common in laboratory testing and experimentation. The exact design of test tubes depends on their intended use. Uses for test tubes include storing samples on the bench, refrigerator or…

Beakers are a common type of laboratory glassware used for preparing and holding solutions and other samples. A beaker is generally a cylindrical container with a flat bottom and an open top. This shape is similar to a drinking beaker. The straight cylindrical sides of a beaker distinguish it from a flask, which has sloping…

A pipette is a common laboratory tool used to transport and deliver small measured volumes of liquid. Pipettes now encompass a diverse range of instruments, with widely varying accuracy. The earliest pipettes were simple glass tubes with a narrowing tip at the bottom, and a separate a flexible bulb covering the top. Many more modern…