Mapping the history of human migration

Applied Biosystems has joined the Genographic Project as a supporting sponsor for the generation of one of the world's largest databases of information, which will reveal the sources of humankind's diversity. The company has signed a multi-year agreement to provide laboratory research equipment and services to each of the ten participating global research centres. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Through this collaboration the project will use Applied Biosystems' DNA analysis technologies to enhance its ability to analyse DNA from more than 100000 individuals. In this study researchers will be collaborating with people from indigenous and traditional populations. The laboratories that will perform the DNA analysis for the project are located at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA), the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (Brazil), the Institute Pasteur (France), the Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain), the American University of Beirut Medical Center (Lebanon), the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (Russia), the La Trobe University (Australia), the Fudan University (China), the Madurai Kamaraj University (India), the National Health Laboratory Service (South Africa) and the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide (Australia).

The DNA samples that will be analysed at these global research centres contain key genetic markers that have remained relatively unaltered over hundreds of years. These markers should help researchers understand humankind's diversity resulting from approximately 60000 years of global migration.

For more information visit Applied Biosystems' website at http://www.appliedbiosystems.com or for more information about the project visit www.nationalgeographic.com/genographic

"Mesures" of innovation

French magazine "Mesures" has recognized Agilent Technologies at its 11th annual Palmars Technologique awards. The Paris-based monthly magazine highlighted the company's series of six microwave instruments that are based on the LAN extensions for instrumentation (LXI) standard.

Each year the magazine editors identify the top products featured in the publication, with an emphasis on innovative new products. Agilent's winning instruments are the first to comply with the Class A LXI standard and they support the US Department of Defence NxTest vision of flexible, modular and compact instrumentation. Individual hardware and software modules are linked within the design to emulate standard test instruments in a compact form. Additionally, the functional modules can be reused or replaced thereby extending system longevity.

More information about Agilent can be found on the website at www.agilent.com and the French magazine Mesures can be found at www.mesures.com

Solve separation problems on-line

Thermo Electron has developed a new information-rich web-based chromatography resource centre for tools and technical advice on separation problems. It is an all-inclusive resource that focuses on HPLC, GC and SPE consumables and their application in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, environmental, chemical, and food and beverage industries.

A technical library is featured in the resource centre, which contains technical guides, numerous application notes and recent scientific posters that are mostly available for immediate download. Additionally, there are 400 applications categorized according to each specific industry of interest.

For more information visit the company's website at www.thermo.com

The future is bright

The 38th annual International Chemistry Olympiad took place in Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea from 2–11 July 2006 and was the arena for 67 countries to compete. Each team was made up of four top high school chemistry students from each country who competed against each other during the week-long event, which was sponsored by the American Chemical Society (ACS).

China, the US, New Zealand, the UK, Canada, Russia, Taiwan and Denmark all earned four medals with the Chinese team at the top winning four gold medals. The US team that consisted of students from New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Dakota won three silver medals and one bronze.

For more information visit the society's website at http://acswebapplications.acs.org