Mollusc monitoring
A new method for testing shellfish for toxins is being adopted more widely for use on oysters and scallops thanks to Food Standards Agency research undertaken by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). Previously a bioassay method was used for testing the toxins that are capable of causing serious illness in humans; however, this method involved the use of mice. In the new method no animals are used showing the agency?s commitment to adopting more humane methods for testing.
A new method for testing shellfish for toxins is being adopted more widely for use on oysters and scallops thanks to Food Standards Agency research undertaken by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS). Previously a bioassay method was used for testing the toxins that are capable of causing serious illness in humans; however, this method involved the use of mice. In the new method no animals are used showing the agency’s commitment to adopting more humane methods for testing.
In recent years, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) has been introduced into the official monitoring programme for the detection of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in mussels, cockles, razors and hard clams. In Britain, the method has been extended for other commercially important species of shellfish including whole king and queen scallops, oysters and four additional clam species with efforts being made in Northern Ireland to adopt this method for these other species. The UK is the first member state in the European Union (EU) to use this method as part of its statutory monitoring programme.
Liz Redmond, Head of Hygiene and Microbiology at the agency said, “The agency places great importance on reducing the use of mice in laboratory testing. It has taken many years of research to ensure the new chemical test is as effective at protecting public health as its predecessor. This effort has been worthwhile and we are very pleased the new method can now be extended to such a large proportion of the shellfish market.”
This story originally appeared in The Column. Click here to view that issue.
2024 EAS Awardees Showcase Innovative Research in Analytical Science
November 20th 2024Scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and other leading institutions took the stage at the Eastern Analytical Symposium to accept awards and share insights into their research.
Inside the Laboratory: The Richardson Group at the University of South Carolina
November 20th 2024In this edition of “Inside the Laboratory,” Susan Richardson of the University of South Carolina discusses her laboratory’s work with using electron ionization and chemical ionization with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to detect DBPs in complex environmental matrices, and how her work advances environmental analysis.
AI and GenAI Applications to Help Optimize Purification and Yield of Antibodies From Plasma
October 31st 2024Deriving antibodies from plasma products involves several steps, typically starting from the collection of plasma and ending with the purification of the desired antibodies. These are: plasma collection; plasma pooling; fractionation; antibody purification; concentration and formulation; quality control; and packaging and storage. This process results in a purified antibody product that can be used for therapeutic purposes, diagnostic tests, or research. Each step is critical to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of the final product. Applications of AI/GenAI in many of these steps can significantly help in the optimization of purification and yield of the desired antibodies. Some specific use-cases are: selecting and optimizing plasma units for optimized plasma pooling; GenAI solution for enterprise search on internal knowledge portal; analysing and optimizing production batch profitability, inventory, yields; monitoring production batch key performance indicators for outlier identification; monitoring production equipment to predict maintenance events; and reducing quality control laboratory testing turnaround time.
Infographic: Be confidently audit ready, at any time and reduce failures in pharma QC testing
November 20th 2024Discover how you can simplify the audit preparation process with data integrity dashboards that provide transparency to key actions, and seamlessly track long-term trends and patterns, helping to prevent system suitability failures before they occur with waters_connect Data Intelligence software.
Critical Role of Oligonucleotides in Drug Development Highlighted at EAS Session
November 19th 2024A Monday session at the Eastern Analytical Symposium, sponsored by the Chinese American Chromatography Association, explored key challenges and solutions for achieving more sensitive oligonucleotide analysis.
