May 2015

Volume 10 Number 4

LabManager.com

LATEST LAB APPS ALLOW RESEARCHERS

TO ACCESS THEIR INSTRUMENTS FROM
ALMOST ANYWHERE

CONTROL

SECRETS OF A
SUCCESSFUL START-UP LAB

Selecting a SaaS LIMS

DO

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contents
May 2015

LabManager.com

10

22

26

30

feature
10

leadership & staffing

Remote Control
While this years new app releases have added even more benefits
to those working in the lab, the most recent trend has been all about
helping laboratory professionals even when they are outside the
lab. Rachel Muenz

26

business management
22

Secrets of a Successful Start-Up Lab

Many labs start out as entrepreneurial ventures to develop new technology. As such, a start-up lab has entrepreneurial requirements that
must be met in order for it to successfully develop into a full-fledged
business. Lina Genovesi

Rewards and Recognition

Laboratory leaders are tasked with the difficult responsibility of not only
attracting but also maintaining talented individuals as satisfied employees.
To alleviate workforce stress levels and boost morale, those in charge must
acknowledge their employees contributions. Sara Goudarzi

technology
30

Selecting a SaaS LIMS

Before you can start deciding on which LIMS to get, you first have to determine what type of LIMS you want. Price, access, reliability, and more must be
considered before making the final decision. John Joyce

health & safety

34

Blown Away!
The chemical fume hood is probably the single most-used piece of equipment
in research laboratories. This months column covers proper use of a fume
hoods design features along with proper operational setup. Vince McLeod

Lab Manager

May 2015

LabManager.com

You pick. You succeed.

Our pipettor selection is unsurpassed in meeting your needs
for a variety of applications and techniques. Put the trust of
Gilson quality and reproducibility in your hands.

instruments accessories software solutions www.gilson.com

Download Speaking Volumes, our interactive publication for your tablet!

May 2015

laboratory product reports

LabManager.com

6CE
201
UR

R E S OI D E
GU

analytical tools & techniques

38

42

Key benefits make this technology

indispensable in health care.

Rachel Muenz

Mike May

Browneld Assessment & Remediation

WDS Canadian return: P.O. Box 216, 478 Bay Street,

Midland, ON Canada L4R 1K9.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Lab Manager, PO Box 2015, Skokie, Il 60076.

48

UV-Vis Survey
Find out which applications are most
popular and more in our latest survey
results. Trevor Henderson

Angelo DePalma

life science tools & techniques

52

54

58

Ask the Expert

Microplates for Cell-Based Assays

A discussion of trends in high-content

screening.

Balancing assay speed, reading sensitivity, and culture conditions.

Tanuja Koppal

Angelo DePalma

60

GMO Detection

Pipettes Survey
Learn which types are most common
and more in our latest results.

Those in favor and those against all

need sophisticated technology.

Trevor Henderson

Mike May

laboratory tools & techniques

62

64

Hydrogen Generators

66

Cold Storage Survey

The most abundant element is not always easily captured.

Find out what our readers purchasing

plans are and more in these results.

Mike May

Trevor Henderson

To LIMS or Not to LIMS?

Assessing needs, avoiding pitfalls.

Lab Manager (ISSN: 1931-3810) is published 11 times

per year; monthly with combined issues in January/February, by LabX, P.O. Box 216, 478 Bay Street, Midland,
ON Canada L4R 1K9. USPS 024-188 Periodical Postage
Paid at Fulton, MO 65251 and at an additional mailing
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reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
without permission from the publisher.

MS for Clinical Microbiology

A discussion on analyzing and interpreting mass spectral data.

A tangled web of custody, access, and

analysis.

WHATS NEW WITH OUR PRODUCT

RESOURCE GUIDE?
We here at Lab Manager have already gotten
a head start on our upcoming Product Resource
Guide, which will hit mailboxes and inboxes
in August. Keep an eye out for a cleaner, more
streamlined layout to make finding key product
purchasing information even easier than before,
along with updated Questions to Ask lists
to help deliver even more factors to consider
when buying lab products. This years guide
will include a new manufacturer directory at the
back of the book, making tracking down product
vendors a snap. Youll also find the most up-todate survey data on the products featured in the
guide, as well as information about our online
Product Finders to help you find the right product for your lab.

46

Ask the Expert

Angelo DePalma

67

Vacuum Pumps Survey

Learn the most common types our readers use and more in the latest results.
Trevor Henderson

in every issue
18

Lab Manager Academy

20

Science Matters

68

How it Works

70

Technology News

The Art of Selling Yourself for Success Mj Callaway, CSP

Great Brand Recognition Is Its Own Reward Mark Lanfear

An Online Lab Equipment Rental Marketplace

The latest equipment, instruments, and system introductions to the laboratory market.
This month, we highlight companies that will be exhibiting at ASM 2015 and ASMS 2015.

89

Pre-owned Equipment Marketplace

89

Advertisers Index

90

Lab Manager Online

FIND OUR FAKE AD AND WIN! More info on page 88

Lab Manager

May 2015

LabManager.com

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data, workflow and sample management for the entire product lifecycle. T his means
comprehensive and synergistic scientific information management capabilitieswithout
the complexities and cost associated with todays LIMS solutions. To achieve a holistic data
system with enhanced stability testing, streamlined sample submission, multi-vendor
software connection and robust scientific search, visit waters.com/NuGenesis

INFORMATICS
AND SOFTWARE

PHARMACEUTICAL

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2015 Waters Corporation. Waters, NuGenesis and The Science of Whats Possible are registered trademarks of Waters Corporation.

editors note

wherever, whenever
Those of a certain age remember talking on the telephone in one
room attached to a very short cord. And if you were a teenager in
those days, it meant stretching that cord far enough so that your
conversation was out of earshot of parents and siblings. While
this scenario might be showcased in the Smithsonian Institutions
olden days gallery, so too will current laboratory equipment
operations. This months cover story delivers the not surprising
news that the use of smartphones and tablets to remotely manage
laboratory equipment and operations is accelerating at a remarkable rate. If you purchase something without this level of network connectivity, you could be without its capability for possibly
ten or more years. The impact on workflow, lab budgets, and the
timely delivery of results will increase over time, says Beckman
Coulters Randy Pawlovich.
If your plans are of a more entrepreneurial nature, such as
starting a new lab, turn to this months Business Management
article on page 22. Here author Lina Genovesi explains the basics
of getting that process started. She also describes a trend toward
starting a lab as a virtual enterprise, using contract services and
only a few key employees. The virtual and partially virtual models, which offer an alternative for efficient use of resources while
accomplishing key milestones, have gained favor in the past ten
years, says biotechnology entrepreneur James Sharpe.

When it comes to programs for rewarding and recognizing your

staff, one size definitely does not fit all, as we learn in this months
Leadership & Staffing article on page 26. From public recognition,
to cash, to paid time off, to parties, to tuition reimbursement, there
is a myriad of options to choose fromthe success of which
depends on your labs unique culture.
Software as a Service (SaaS), a software licensing and delivery
model in which software is centrally hosted and licensed on a subscription basis, has been available for many years, with demand for
this model growing. To find out whether SaaS might be the right
LIMS option for your lab, turn to page 30.
Technology insights this month look at the tools and techniques
used in brownfield assessment and remediation and GMO detection, while product focus articles look at mass spec for clinical microbiology, microplates for cell-based assays, hydrogen generators,
and LIMS. More laboratory product information can be found in
our Technology News section, which this month introduces a new
laboratory services category.
We hope you find all of this months offerings interesting and useful.
Best,
Pamela Ahlberg
Editor-in-Chief

editor-in-chief

art director & production manager

account managers

Published by LabX Media Group

Pamela Ahlberg

Greg Brewer

June Kafato

president

pam@labmanager.com

gregb@labmanager.com

International

Bob Kafato

973.729.6538

888.781.0328 x241

junek@labmanager.com

bobk@labmanager.com

705.812.2332

888.781.0328 x223

associate editor

senior designer

Rachel Muenz

Danielle Gibbons

Larry Frey

managing partner

rachelm@labmanager.com

danielleg@labmanager.com

Southeast, Midwest & West

Mario Di Ubaldi

888.781.0328 x233

888.781.0328 x237

larry@labmanager.com

mariod@labmanager.com

845.735.5548

203.227.1390

technology editor

business coordinator

Trevor Henderson

Andrea Cole

Alyssa Moore

general manager

thenderson@labmanager.com

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Mid-Atlantic

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contributors

list rental

Angelo DePalma, PhD

Mark Lanfear
Sara Goudarzi
Tanuja Koppal, PhD
F. Key Kidder
Joe Liscouski
Vince McLeod, CIH
Ronald B. Pickett
Bernard Tulsi
Mike May, PhD

Jen FellingStatlistics

Stephanie McFadden

publisher

203.778.8700

Northeast

Edward Neeb

smcfadden@labmanager.com

edwardn@labmanager.com

888.781.0328 x300

860.350.2761

Lab Manager

custom article reprints

The YGS Group

labmanager@theygsgroup.com
800.290.5460
717.505.9701 x100

May 2015

subscription customer service

P.O. Box 216, 478 Bay Street,

info@labmanager.com

Midland, ON, Canada L4R 1K9

LabManager.com

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remote control

LATEST LAB APPS ALLOW RESEARCHERS

TO ACCESS THEIR INSTRUMENTS FROM
ALMOST ANYWHERE BY RACHEL MUENZ

ver the past few years that weve covered laboratory gadgets and apps, weve continued to see
this area grow and become more accepted in
the lab. While this years releases have added even more
benefits to those working in the lab, the most recent
trend has been all about helping laboratory professionals
even when they are outside the lab.
One recent example is Beckman Coulters MobileFuge app for its Optima XPN and Avanti JXN centrifuges
that allows users to keep an eye on the status of up to 16
centrifuges from anywhere with an Internet connection.
Once their centrifuges are configured so that they are always connected to a labs IT network, users can monitor
and modify speed, run time, and temperature. MobileFuge also enables users to monitor diagnostic information.

Beckman Coulters
Avanti JXN-30 centrifuge is one of the models
that can be controlled
and monitored remotely
through the companys
MobileFuge app.

10

Lab Manager

May 2015

Randy Pawlovich, director of product management,

centrifugation, at Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, says
the company had three main goals in designing the app,
with freeing up scientists time being the main one.
The MobileFuge does this by enabling scientists not
only to prep runs at any time but [also] initiate them
from wherever they are located, Pawlovich explains.
The second objective was to provide additional workflow support for production or cGMP environments, so
that scientists can receive an immediate electronic notification if an issue occurs with the instrument during a
run, such as a problem caused by a power outage.
Last, the company saw the use of personal technology as a means of extending the facilities of the lab by
bringing some functions to the customers, wherever they
were located, and at a time to suit them.
Similarly, Panasonic launched the cold storage industrys
first app-based lab monitoring system, LabAlert, at the end
of 2014, allowing users to keep an eye on their laboratory
freezers or biorepositories 24/7 from their homes or smartphones. This means that if disaster strikesa freezer failure,
for exampleusers are notified right away and given the
information they need to make the best decisions possible.
With LabAlert, an infinite number of probes can be installed in equipment such as biorepositories or freezers, pulling together data from diverse geographic sites, Panasonic
says in a recent Lab Manager How It Works article. LabAlert
equipment independently logs continuous temperature,
CO2 readings, opened doors and more. Each probe sends
data to a local receiver, and the data is then transmitted to
the cloud and accessible through a web-based platform.
LabManager.com

remote control

Panasonic launched its app-based lab monitoring system,

LabAlert, at the end of 2014.
The system also sends specific alarms to a users
smartphone or tablet, depending on the severity of the
emergency, detailing how the user should respond and
how quickly he or she should do so. Apps like this could
mean the difference between losing or saving hundreds
of critical, irreplaceable samples.
LabAlert and MobileFuge arent the only remote
monitoring options out there, as SCIEX launched its
StatusScope service in June 2014 that supports most
SCIEX mass spectrometers and Eksigent Micro and Nano
LC products. With three user levelslab manager, lab
director and technicianthe system enables users to view
instrument performance and workflow status remotely
from their smartphones, capturing errors quickly to minimize downtime.
Like LabAlert, StatusScope features a variety of different
alarm triggers, though users can choose these themselves,
and notification processes that are communicated to the
SCIEX Technical Assistance Center, where the SCIEX
team can help quickly resolve any problems.

SCIEXs StatusScope service, launched

in summer 2014, supports most SCIEX
mass spectrometers and Eksigent Micro and
Nano LC products.
This service was built from the ground up with input
from our customers, explains Andy Wight, director of
the service product portfolio for SCIEX. Users can ac-

12

Lab Manager

May 2015

cess and monitor their instruments from anywhere, via a

smartphone or other device over the Internet, in addition
to having instrument history at hand.
Steve Sylvester, a researcher at Astra Zeneca, was
pleased by his experience with the service.
Having a holistic system to incorporate all peripheral devices and to document system maintenance and
changes (e.g., switching of peripheral devices) is the
holy grail for our regulated environment, he says.
Most recently, at Pittcon 2015 in New Orleans, LECO
announced that it will be including an option for mobile
viewing with its Cornerstone brand software for its new 832
series of sulfur/carbon analyzers. Cornerstone Mobile provides access to data, plots, and instrument status from the
users smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer, and works
with either Android or Apple smartphones or tablets.

LECOs Cornerstone
Mobile option for its
832 series of sulfur/
carbon analyzers
provides access to data,
plots, and instrument
status from a users
smartphone, tablet, or
desktop computer.
Those concerned about security issues with such mobile
access apps can rest easy, as the majority have security features such as password protection built in, allowing lab managers to restrict access to certain information and provide
controls to only those with the proper security clearance.

Inside and out

While remote/mobile access is a key trend weve
identified in this years crop of apps, there have also
been several releases that help lab professionals within
the lab as well. Just last month, MaestroGen released a
smart lab device called iTrack, a pipetting tracking tool
that is completely controlled and powered by an 8" Android tablet. The device is smart since it aims to solve
pipetting errors by knowing actual pipetting locations
through the use of optical sensors to detect the locations, then flagging those locations with sounds and lights
and recording every pipetting movement in a log file.

LabManager.com

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remote control

Apps like this could mean the difference

between losing or saving hundreds of
critical, irreplaceable samples.
Smart devices are usually controlled by hand gestures, says
Andrew Lin, marketing manager for MaestroGen. Like human
fingers, pipettes can be detected by optical touch-screen technologies. He adds that the Android tablet can be used as a standalone tablet for other lab tasks.

MaestroGens iTrack smart pipetting tracking tool.

Another recently released gadget that helps
both in and outside the lab is Micronics
handheld wireless 1D/2D code reader, the
MINI, which allows users to read 1D and 2D
tube and rack codes almost instantly. The systems high-capacity lithium-polymer battery
provides a minimum of 15,000 2D scans or
approximately 17,000 1D scans per charge (10
to 12 hours of continuous use) and is easily
recharged through a USB connection. It is also
Bluetooth-enabled for iOS, Android and Windows compatibility, meaning the instruments
output can be read directly into a LIMS, a PC
Excel spreadsheet, or Notepad.

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Micronics handheld wireless 1D/2D code reader,

the MINI.
Other apps released over the past year focus
on providing users with more information about
possible equipment purchases or other changes
to their labs. Sartorius ambr15 iPad app, for
instance, provides users with an iBrochure that
provides an overview of TAP Biosystems new
ambr15 micro bioreactor, giving bioprocess professionals a chance to familiarize themselves with the
system before purchase, no matter where they are.
Bioprocessing professionals like to share
information on their iPads with colleagues and
LabManager.com