As we prepare to move into a new year, let’s take a look back at Laboratory Equipment’s most popular news of the year, while reflecting on how far science has come in the last 12 months.
1. Eyes are the Windows to Your...Kidneys
Researchers demonstrated that 3D eye scans reveal vital clues about kidney health and can track disease progression. Advanced eye monitoring may support earlier diagnoses than the current screening test options that rely on loss of kidney function.
2. Anthony Fauci Describes his Next ‘Nightmare’
The pandemic may be over, but Fauci is still fearful. Not of SARS-CoV-2, nor of the next “inevitable pandemic,” he says. No, Fauci is most concerned that the public will forget just how deadly the COVID-19 pandemic was.
3. Study Links Food DNA to Cancer Risk
Researchers have discovered a surprising and potentially significant reason why eating foods frequently cooked at high temperatures, such as red meat and deep-fried fare, elevates cancer risk. The alleged culprit: DNA within the food that’s been damaged by the cooking process.
4. Previous Genetic Studies of People with European Ancestry May be Inaccurate
Researchers have found that previous studies analyzing the genomes of people with European ancestry may have reported inaccurate results by not fully accounting for population structure.
5. Fungus-fighting Protein Linked to Autoimmune Diseases
Scientists discovered that the protein DECTIN-1 in its mutated state limits the production of T regulatory—“guardian” cells in the immune system. DECTIN-1 typically helps fight fungal infections, but this mutated state is responsible for exacerbating severe autoimmune disease such as irritable bowel disease, type 1 diabetes, and eczema.
6. Bug with Spit-like Urine Spreads Disease to Record-breaking Number of Plants
The research team calculated the number of hosts and discovered that the spittlebug feeds on more than 1,300 species of plants across 117 families. This number of plant hosts is a world record for insects.
7. Study Suggests Paxlovid Made People More Susceptible to COVID-19 Reinfection
A March 2023 study suggested Paxlovid therapy increased susceptibility to COVID-19 reinfection during the pandemic. The findings also explain why COVID-19 subvariants spread rapidly among people previously infected.
8. ‘Patch’ Could Fix Disc Herniation, Prevent Degeneration
Combining years of work from many different projects, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have created a biologic “patch” that is activated by a person’s natural motion. The patch could be the key to fixing herniated discs in backs.
9. Study: PhD Researchers Forced to Grant ‘Guest Authorships’
PhD students say powerful researchers are using their position to gain co-authorships on papers they have not made any significant contributions to.
10. 250 M-Year-Old Pollen Suggests Radiation Played a Role in Mass Extinction
A research team examining 250-million-year-old rocks found pollen that contains compounds that function like sunscreen. The compounds are normally only produced by plants to protect themselves from harmful ultraviolet (UV-B) radiation. The authors say the findings suggest that a pulse of UV-B played an important part in the end Permian mass extinction event.
But research is only part of the equation—first, scientists need the instruments to supply the results. Laboratory Equipment’s sister site, Labcompare, features a Santa-sack of products (and product reviews) that are essential to the work scientists are completing in the laboratory. Here are the top five products and top five product reviews of 2023 from Labcompare.
1. StatStrip Hospital Glucose Monitoring System from Nova Biomedical
2. BD Phoenix Automated Microbiology System from BD Diagnostics
3. CELL-DYN Emerald 22 Hematology Analyzer from Abbott
4. ESR STAT 6 Sed Rate Analyzer from HemaTechnologies
5. ADM 1000 Flowmeter from Agilent Technologies
Our audience overwhelmingly visited and revisited these five-star product reviews to get the scoop on the technology from fellow lab professionals.
1. Impressive Handheld Raman Spectroscopy- BRAVO Handheld Raman Spectrometer (Bruker)
“I recently had the opportunity to test out the BRAVO Handheld Raman Spectrometer from Bruker Optics, and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed with its performance and capabilities. This instrument offers a portable solution for Raman spectroscopy, making it suitable for various applications in various fields.”
2. Distillation for Every Experimental Laboratory- NanoPure Water Purification System (Thermo Fisher Scientific)
“This is an excellent water purification system and provides great results for whatever chemicals or reagents you have to prepare using the distilled water. We are using this machine in almost every lab and would highly recommend this product if you need purified water for your lab work.”
3. Expensive to Maintain, but Performs Great- 6546 LC/Q-TOF (Agilent Technologies)
“In my opinion, this is an unmatched spec. Super accurate, super reliable. My only drawback on it would be if you need to get a repair done or anything, it is definitely not going to be cheap. That goes with the tech though.”
4. Digital Microscope for Cell Culture- EVOS XL Core Imaging System (Thermo Scientific)
“This is a great microscope to use for viewing suspension or adherent cell cultures. The large real-time digital screen is much easier to view than staring through the eyepieces of a traditional microscope. This makes it much easier to show your cells to someone else, as you can connect a mouse and point to specific areas in the field of view.”
5. Effective Media Sterilizer- MEDIACLAVE Media Sterilizer (INTEGRA Biosciences)
“This autoclave makes good quality medium that ensures the growth of bacteria. You can make up to 30L of medium which is enough to do at least 1 full experiment and most of the time more.”