+44(0)1284 765566

The Industrial Genotoxicology Group

If you’re not at the IWGT this month, consider attending the IGG meeting!

The Industrial Genotoxicology Group (IGG) was founded in 1987 and was originally called the Industrial GeneTox Discussion Group. The IGG is a focus group for the discussion of issues that primarily affect industrial genetic toxicologists. If you’re interested in joining the IGG, please visit their website: https://www.theigg.co.uk/

The IGG welcomes anyone who is interested in topics regarding industrial genotoxicity. In addition to being a focus group, the organization seeks to co-ordinate collaborative work as needed to support areas of interest.

The IGG organizes annual meetings covering topics relevant to genotoxicology in an industrial context. The meetings aim to achieve a balance between formal presentations and practical discussions around data interpretation and risk assessment.

The next annual meeting will take place Monday 11th to Tuesday 12th December 2017 in London, UK. The meeting will cover all the topics discussed by the focus groups at IWGT* and is a great way to hear what went on for those unable to attend the IWGT in person. The agenda for the 31st Annual Meeting has now been finalized and you can register to attend at the website: https://www.theigg.co.uk/

Instem/Perceptive Instruments will be there, so if you have any questions about any of your systems for genetox, please chat with us at the networking event.

*International Workshop on Genotoxicity Testing – the meeting takes place in November 2017 in Japan. You can find more information about this meeting here: http://www.iwgt2017.org/

Perceptive Instruments Name Change

Same Great Solutions & Services, Now Under the Instem Name

As you may be aware, Perceptive Instruments has been part of the Instem group for almost four years, following Instem’s acquisition of Perceptive Instruments in November 2013.

Following this very successful acquisition and subsequent integration, we are now planning to formally retire the Perceptive Instruments brand name and bring the Perceptive Instruments suite of leading Genetic Toxicology solutions under the Instem umbrella.

Although the name may be changing, there has been no change in management and we will continue to provide the same high-quality solutions and services – just fully positioned under the Instem banner. As a reminder, these market-leading solutions include:

·         Comet Assay IV – live video imaging system for fast, accurate and reproducible single-click slide comet scoring

·         Cyto Study Manager – integrating data acquisition, auditing, reporting & study management into a single system – includes modules for the comet assay, micronucleus test and chromosome aberrations

·         Sorcerer Colony Counter – instant, automatic plate counting for GLP laboratories

·         Ames Study Manager – integrated Ames plate counting, study management and reporting

The changes, which will begin to take effect in January 2018, will include the retirement of the Perceptive Instruments website and the transfer of all Genetic Toxicology web content to the Instem website.

Please feel free to share this information with your colleagues and bookmark the URL above. If you have any questions or comments, please contact your usual representative or reply to this email and we’ll get right back to you!

Kind regards

The Perceptive Instruments Team

Instem Reports Growing Demand for Cyto Study Manager Software Solution

Leading Organizations Select Cyto Study Manager to Streamline Genetic Toxicology Study Workflows

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA (BUSINESS WIRE)– October 2, 2017 – -Instem, a leading provider of IT solutions to the global early development healthcare market, is pleased to announce it has seen increased demand for its unique Cyto Study Manager (CSM) genetic toxicology software solution.

Leading R&D organizations across the globe, including Roche and Charles River Laboratories, have selected Cyto Study Manager to help them streamline genetic toxicology study workflows, reduce costs, increase efficiencies and improve regulatory compliance.

Cyto Study Manager, originally developed by Perceptive Instruments and now part of the Instem solutions portfolio, integrates data acquisition, auditing, reporting and study management processes into a single intuitive system that greatly improves efficiencies while ensuring data integrity during genetic toxicology studies. CSM includes modules for the comet assay, micronucleus, chromosome aberrations and more.

To support this increased demand, Instem is hosting an Express Webcast on Thursday October 5th titled “How to Create More Efficient GeneTox Study Workflows”. Webcast attendees will learn how:

  • CSM is replacing multiple genetox systems with one comprehensive, easy to use solution
  • CSM combines experimental set up, data collection and automatic report generation
  • CSM is helping clients reduce paperwork and deliver results sooner

REGISTER HERE

Gregor Grant, Executive Vice President Preclinical Solutions, Instem, said “We are delighted to see an increasing number of clients recognizing the potential of Cyto Study Manager to deliver dramatic efficiency gains in their genetic toxicology operations. CSM is an extremely flexible solution that can be easily customized to meet our clients’ individual genetox workflows.”

About Instem

Instem is a global provider of leading software solutions and services that are helping over 500 clients bring their life enhancing products to market faster. We enable clients in the life sciences to more efficiently collect, analyze, report and submit high quality regulatory data, while maintaining compliance for their products around the world.

Instem solutions are in use by customers worldwide, meeting the rapidly expanding needs of life science and healthcare organizations for data-driven decision making, leading to safer, more effective products.

Instem supports its global roster of clients through offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, China and India.

Press Contacts

Instem
Julie Jones (UK HQ)
julie.jones@instem.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1785 825600

Gary Mitchell (US HQ)
gary.mitchell@instem.com
Tel: 610-941-0990

SOT 2018

We’ll be exhibiting at the ToxExpo during SOT 2018 – see you there! Come see our genetox solutions at booth 730.

San Antonio, Texas, USA

IGG annual meeting

We will be attending the Industrial Genotoxicology Group (IGG) 31st Annual Meeting.

London, UK

Join us at the International Comet Assay Workshop next week!

The International Comet Assay Workshops are a series of scientific conferences dealing with practical and theoretical aspects of the Comet Assay, aimed at both experienced and new users of this popular technique.  We will be showcasing all our genetox solutions, including Comet Assay IV, a this event.

The programme will include oral and poster presentations depicting the highlights of the past, the present and especially the future of the Comet Assay; discussing the latest advances in the development and application of the Comet Assay. Different applications are discussed, including: genotoxicity testing, human biomonitoring, DNA repair studies, environmental biomonitoring and clinical studies. The programme will also include an open discussion session to exchange thoughts about practical issues and the latest innovations. This will encourage the exchange of information between specialists from both the academic and industrial sectors.

We very much look forward to seeing you in Pamplona at the 12th International Comet Assay Workshop hosted by the University of Navarra.

For more information, please visit the ICAW conference website.

Express Webcast: Cyto Study Manager – Revolutionizing GeneTox Study Workflows

Register for the Cyto Study Manager Express Webcast

Tuesday July 25th
9:30am – 10:15am US Eastern
1:30pm – 2:15pm US Eastern

One System. One Single Repository. One Clear Set of Results!

Join us for a live webcast to learn how the Cyto Study Manager (CSM) solution is revolutionizing GeneTox Study Workflows and helping clients to reduce costs, increase efficiencies and improve regulatory compliance.

Join our webcast and in just 45 minutes you will learn how

  • CSM is replacing multiple genetox systems with one comprehensive, easy to use solution
  • CSM combines experimental set up, data collection and automatic report generation
  • CSM is helping clients reduce paperwork and deliver results sooner

You will also hear how one of our European Pharma clients is harnessing the power of Cyto Study Manager to turn studies around significantly faster; while maintaining strict GLP and 21 CFR compliance.

Unlike any other system, Cyto Study Manager integrates data acquisition, auditing, reporting and study management into a single system, which means

  • No risk of transcription errors
  • No copying and pasting
  • Increased data traceability
  • Increased efficiency
  • Increased regulatory compliance

Register now!

Can’t attend? Can’t attend the webcast but want to learn more about Cyto Study Manager? Contact us and we can share the webcast with you!

Next Webcast Coming October! This session marks the first in our series of Cyto Study Manager webcasts. Our next webcast, scheduled for October, will outline how clients can custom tailor their user experience to achieve maximum return on their investment in CSM. Watch this space!

Touring with UKEMS

At the end of this month, we’ll be “on tour” when the Belgium, Dutch and UK Environmental Mutagenesis Societies meet together in Leuven, Belgium – Sunday 25th to Wednesday 28th June 2017.

The meeting will cover all aspects in relation to DNA damage and mutations caused by environmental agents and will focus on new technologies and innovative modalities. The program consists of a large variety of invited speakers and keynote lectures. Special symposiums will be organized by the societies Industrial, Molecular Epidemiological and Genome Stability groups, along with a dedicated “new investigator symposium”.

Join us at our booth!

We will be exhibiting at the conference and look forward to showing you our range of software for GeneTox applications.  Our flagship solutions include:

  • Comet Assay IV
  • Sorcerer Colony Counter
  • Ames Study Manager
  • and Cyto Study Manager – which has modules for the comet assay, micronucleus test and chromosome aberrations!

Also, if the electronic submission of data interests you, be sure to talk to us about SEND!

We look forward to meeting you there and we will be happy to discuss the benefits our solutions can give to your laboratory.  If you are unable to attend the conference, but would like to talk with someone about our systems please email us at genetox@instem.com

Cyto Study Manager (CSM) revolutionizing your study workflow!

Have you watched our 90 second explainer movie yet?  Learn how CSM can help you deliver results sooner.

CSM has modules available for:

  • comet assay
  • micronucleus test
  • chromosome aberration test

Get in touch to see how CSM can help your genetox laboratory:

  • save time and resources
  • turn studies around faster
  • increase efficiency
  • maintain GLP and 21 CFR compliance
  • remove experimental bias
  • increase data traceability
  • automatically generate reports

We look forward to hearing from you!

The future of the comet assay

The International Comet Assay Workshops (ICAW) are a series of scientific conferences dealing with practical and theoretical aspects of the comet assay.  After the meeting, a publication featuring the major themes and ideas of the workshop was produced.

Check out our round-up of the themes in the latest ICAW entitled: The future of the comet assay.

If you’re doing the comet assay, check out our comet scoring solution: Comet Assay IV.
Comet Assay IV is the professional choice for those seeking accuracy, reproducibility and GLP compliance.
Contact us to get your free one week trial of Comet Assay IV today!

 

Abstract deadline for UKEMS/BEMS/DEMS Joint annual meeting Leuven 2017

There are only three days left to submit your abstracts and apply for bursaries for the UKEMS/BEMS/DEMS Joint annual meeting Leuven 2017.  According to the organisers, there will not be any further extensions after the 28th April so get those applications in!  Also, the early bird registration offer also ends on 5th May.  For information can be found here: http://www.nebeukems.org/

 

Stop by our booth at GTA!

The Genetic Toxicology Association (GTA) will hold its annual scientific meeting May 11-12, 2017 on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark, DE. USA.

We will have a stand in the exhibition hall, John M. Clayton Hall Conference Center, and will be demonstrating all our latest GeneTox solutions, including the comet, micronucleus and chromosome aberration modules of Cyto Study Manager.

Stop by our booth if you are interested in learning more about our image analysis and study management solutions for genetic toxicology! See you there!

If you are unable to attend the conference, but would like to talk with someone about our solutions please email us at genetox@instem.com

See you at the SOT & ToxExpo – Booth 1933

Next month, we’ll be at the Society of Toxicology 56th Annual Meeting & ToxExpo.

“Approximately 6,500 toxicologists from more than 50 countries are expected to share their research and expertise during the 160+ Scientific Sessions, featuring nearly 2,500 abstracts.”  It is sure to be a great show! For more information and a short explainer movie, please visit the SOT website.

For product demos and a chance to chat with us about our systems for GeneTox, please drop by booth 1933! We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

Comet Assay IV Case Study: Vitamin D & DNA damage – is there a connection?

Recently, a global team of experts (from The University of Oslo, Norway, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University & The Chinese University of Hong Kong) have been investigating “Vitamin D and oxidation-induced DNA damage: is there a connection?”

The scientists used our image analysis solution Comet Assay IV to investigate!  Read the full article on our scorecomets.com website 🙂

If you have a Comet Assay IV paper you’d like to be featured on scorecomets.com, please get in touch.

7th IWGT 2017

The 7th International Workshop on Genotoxicity Testing (IWGT) will be held at the National Cancer Centre in Tokyo, Japan. This workshop will, as usual, be organized as a satellite meeting to the International Conference on Environmental Mutagens (ICEM), held every four years. See you there!

Tokyo, Japan

JEMS 2017

See you there!

Tokyo, Japan

UKEMS “on tour” in 2017 – website now live!

UKEMS will be ‘on tour’ in 2017 and will be joining the Belgium and Dutch EMS in the old Burgundian town of Leuven, near Brussels in Belgium for our annual meeting this year.

This joint meeting will be held on 25-28 June at the Park Inn Hotel, a short walk from Leuven central train station. This is the first time UKEMS is being held outside the UK and the organisers anticipate a healthy turnout with good opportunity to mix with an international audience of delegates, speakers and sponsors.

More information about this meeting can be found on the UKEMS 2017 website.

Season’s Greetings!

Season’s Greetings from everyone at Perceptive Instruments (an Instem company)!

Wishing you the very best for the Festive Season and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

View our festive e-card!

Novel high throughput method for comet slide processing

Researchers from the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at Florida International University have published a paper in Scientific Report which details a novel, patent pending, method for the high-throughput (HT) processing of slides for the comet assay.  We have been privileged to work with The Cooke Lab in writing this report.  Check it out, and all our other case studies, on scorecomets.com.

Instem Exhibiting and Presenting at American College of Toxicology Annual Meeting

Instem, a leading provider of IT solutions to the global early development healthcare market, is pleased to announce it will be exhibiting and presenting at the 37th Annual Meeting of the American College of Toxicology (ACT) in Baltimore, November 6-9th.
Visitors to Instem’s booth #206 will learn about:

  • Submit™ – the most widely deployed set of SEND tools and services, adopted at 45 sites across 15 countries. Learn about the newest member of the submit™ suite, SEND Explorer®, the intuitive web-based application that provides advanced single and multi-study visualization and analysis capabilities for nonclinical study data in SEND format
  • Provantis® – the undisputed leading software solution for preclinical study management

Instem will also be holding the following Exhibitor Hosted Presentation:

Best Practices for Creating Submission-Ready SEND packages
Wednesday, November 9th, Kent B-C
12:00 p.m. – 12:55 p.m.
Lunch will be provided

Attendees to this session will hear first-hand experiences and insight from an industry panel about:

  • Challenges of SEND for Bioanalysis Labs
  • Effective SEND Communications between CROs and Sponsors
  • A Sponsor’s Perspective on SEND in the Submissions Process
  • Use of SEND Datasets for Submissions and Regulatory Responses

No advanced registration is required for this session. If delegates would like more information, they can contact Instem at submit@instem.com or visit the staff during the exhibition at stand 206.

Each year, ACT welcomes over 900 attendees from more than 20 countries around the world and hosts over 70 exhibitors. More information on ACT and their Annual Meeting can be found at www.actox.org.

About Instem

Instem is a leading supplier of IT applications and services to the early development healthcare market delivering compelling solutions for data collection, analysis and regulatory submissions management. Instem solutions are in use by customers worldwide, meeting the rapidly expanding needs of life science and healthcare organizations for data-driven decision making leading to safer, more effective products.

Instem’s portfolio of software solutions and consulting services increases client productivity by enhancing product development processes while offering the unique ability to generate new knowledge through the extraction and harmonization of actionable scientific information.

Instem supports over 500 clients through offices in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Japan, China and India.

Press Contacts

Instem
Beth Concordia (US HQ)
beth.concordia@instem.com
Tel: 610-941-0990

Julie Jones (UK HQ)
julie.jones@instem.com
Tel: +44 (0) 1785 825600

Running regulatory chromosome aberration studies?

Then you’ll be interested to know that Cyto Study Manager (CSM) now accepts Chromosome Aberration data!

Following on from revolutionising comet assay and micronucleus test data acquisition and reporting, all the benefits of CSM are now available for chromosome aberration tests too!

CSM makes data collection and processing fast and paperless. Aberrations (and other assay specific data) are captured electronically at the microscope using a tablet and securely stored in CSM. Then, reports are created on demand.

By removing paper scoring sheets and manual copying/pasting processes, CSM makes performing chromosome aberration tests faster, easier, and more regulatory compliant.

Lengthy quality control checks are significantly reduced because there’s no manual data processing. CSM, like all our Perceptive products, is comprehensively designed to work in 21 CFR and GLP environments.

Are you using a flow cytometer for the micronucleus test?
Great! CSM works with your data, however you choose to acquire it! CSM is routinely accepting data from third party sources such as flow cytometers or automatic imaging systems. 

Find out more…
Get in touch now to learn more about CSM. We’d love to answer your questions and discuss how CSM would work for you.

 

Check out our poster

Visit us at the annual conference of the Environmental Mutagenesis and Genomics Society (EMGS)!

The theme of the EMGS 47th Annual Meeting is “From Environment to [Epi]Genome and Back Again,” encompassing areas of current genome research that converge on issues of environmental exposure, how cells and organisms respond to such challenges, and how this information can be used to promote human health.

We have an exhibition booth and a poster!  Our poster is a collaboration we’ve done recently with F. Hoffman La Roche entitled “Consolidating Study Processes with Cyto Study Manager”.  You can view it at the poster session: LB–120, 17:00-19:00, 26 Sept 2016.  Or if you’re not able to make it to the poster session, get in touch and we’ll email you a copy.

 

Find us at Booth 26 at Eurotox 2016!

Next week, we’ll be at the 52nd Congress of EUROTOX in Seville, Spain, 4th-7th September 2016.  The theme is “Protecting Public and Environmental Health by Understanding and Communicating Toxicology.”  Significant developments and achievements in the field of toxicology will be presented by the delegates and speakers.

Please come and visit us at Booth 26.  We’ll be happy to give you a demo of any of our solutions for Genetic Toxicology.

If you’re not able to make it to EUROTOX 2016, we can arrange an online meeting.  Please contact us to arrange this.

Late-Breaking Abstracts at EMGS 2016

There is still time to submit an abstract for EMGS 2016! Although the original abstract deadline was June, there is still an  opportunity to submit an abstract for poster presentation during the 2016 meeting. Full details regarding ‘late-breaking’ abstract submission can be found on the EMGS website.

See you at the EMGS meeting… in the Century C Ballroom!

scorecomets.com – our resource for the comet assay

The comet assay has been used in a wide variety of publications; from Turkish folklore to silver nanoparticles, we have the interesting applications of the comet assay covered!

Frequently asked questions, information on performing the comet assay and a free one week trial of our comet scoring software, Comet Assay IV, can all be found at scorecomets.com. Check it out!

 

See you at UKEMS 2016!

Later this month, we’ll be at the United Kingdom Environmental Mutagenesis Society Conference (UKEMS) 2016.  The conference will run from Sunday 26th June to Wednesday 29th June at King’s College, London.  The UKEMS meeting will covers all aspects in relation to DNA damage and mutations caused by environmental agents.

As always, Perceptive Instruments Ltd will be exhibiting at the conference and look forward to showing you our range of software for GeneTox applications. We will be happy to discuss the benefits our systems can give to your laboratory!

Join us at the 55th SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo

If you’re attending the SOT next week, come and visit us at booth 1418 where we’ll be discussing the following:

We’ll be also be showcasing our automated data collection and reporting systems for genetic toxicology including Cyto Study Manager, Ames Study Manager, Comet Assay IV and Sorcerer Colony Counter.

When

9:15am Monday, March 14th 2016
to 4:30pm Wednesday, March 16th 2016

Where

New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Booth 1418, Exhibition Halls B & C

Contact

Please get in touch if you would like to schedule in a time to meet us at our exhibition stand.

Link

Visit the SOT website for more information.

Cyto Study Manager selected by BioReliance

Perceptive Instruments is proud to announce that BioReliance has chosen to use Cyto Study Manager to streamline their genetic toxicology services.

Cyto Study Manager integrates data acquisition, auditing, reporting and study management processes into a single intuitive system that greatly improves efficiencies while ensuring data integrity during genetic toxicology investigations.

Cyto Study Manager enables clients to combine comet and micronucleus data management processes within an easy-to-use system. Fully integrated with the software, researchers can now transfer data directly from automated slide scoring platforms, allowing them to seamlessly produce consolidated study reports.

Data can also be collected by using computerised tally counters or by importing data collected from a flow cytometer. For collection of comet data, Cyto Study Manager links directly to Comet Assay IV.

Key facts

  • Long-standing client expands use of Perceptive Instruments technologies with purchase of Cyto Study Manager software system
  • Integrated study setup, data collection and reporting will speed up processes and improve client response times
  • Cyto Study Manager provides BioReliance GLP and FDA 21 CFR part 11 compliance for electronic signatures, comprehensive auditing, archiving and historical control features

Ames Study Manager selected by WuXi AppTec

Instem, a leading provider of IT solutions to the global early development healthcare market, announced today that WuXi AppTec (WuXi), a leading Chinese CRO, has selected Ames Study Manager from Perceptive Instruments as part of a major investment in Instem solutions to support its ongoing growth plans. Instem’s article on the purchase can be found: here.

Ames Study Manager offers an integrated suite of software for conducting the Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test according to regulatory guidelines e.g. OECD 471, ICH S2A etc. It has been designed to fulfil the requirements of safety assessment laboratories in pharmaceutical, medical device and chemical companies as well as contract research organisations. Ames Study Manager together with Sorcerer Colony Counter offers a complete solution for conducting Ames investigations.

Key Facts

  • WuXi to implement the Ames Study Manager (ASM) software suite together with a  Sorcerer Colony Counter and associated implementation services
  • WuXi to implement the Provantis Reproductive Toxicology module to support the management, performance, analysis and reporting of all reproductive study types
  • Wuxi to upgrade to Provantis 9, the latest version of Instem’s world-leading preclinical software solution, adding further user licenses
  • Comprehensive package of services purchased to facilitate quick implementation and a rapid  return on investment

Perceptive Instruments celebrates 25 years in business

We are proud to be celebrating our 25 year milestone in business!

Since we began in 1990, we have developed a truly global customer base.  Organisations on every continent use Perceptive Instruments’ image analysis and data processing solutions.  More recently, we have focussed our development on creating bespoke data management systems designed specifically for genetic toxicology assays.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers over the past quarter of a century and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Perceptive Instruments at GTA next week

Next week, Perceptive Instruments will be demonstrating the latest software systems at the Genetic Toxicology Association (GTA) annual scientific meeting May 6-7, 2015. New for this year are optional workshops on May 5 and 6 preceding the start of this year’s annual meeting, which offers a comprehensive program focusing on important emerging issues in genetic toxicology.

As always, Perceptive Instruments Ltd will be exhibiting at the conference and look forward to showing you our range of software for GeneTox applications. Please email sales@perceptive.co.uk if you would like to schedule in a time to meet us at our exhibition stand for a free demonstration of one (or several) of our products.

Find out more by visiting the conference website – http://www.gta-us.org/scimtgs/2015Meeting/index.html

11th International Comet Assay Workshop

Online registration for the 11th International Comet Assay Workshop is now open.

The meeting will take place in Antwerp, Belgium; September 1-4th 2015.

More information on abstract submission, registration and accommodation can be found on the meeting website (http://icaw.vito.be).

Those who might be interested, also check-out the hands-on training session which will be preceding the meeting.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Belgium!

Visit us at the SOT – booth 1404!

Visit us at the SOT’s 54th Annual Meeting, March 22–26, 2015, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California!

The SOT Annual Meeting is the largest meeting of its kind. This annual event features a broad range of scientific sessions and a thematic program that provides participants with a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge in topical areas and interact with leaders in their respective disciplines.

As always, Perceptive Instruments Ltd will be exhibiting at the conference and look forward to showing you our range of software for GeneTox applications.

  • Please email us if you would like to schedule in a time to meet us at our exhibition stand (#1404) for a free demonstration of one (or several) of our products. See you there!

Mutagenesis Special Issue: The Comet Assay

On January 1st 2015, the “Special Issue: The Comet Assay” of Mutagenesis was published. This edition was guest edited by comet assay expert Andrew Collins and features contributions from comet assay scientists from around the world.

“The contributions to this special issue of Mutagenesis have been selected to cover the main research areas served by the comet assay, namely genotoxicology, environmental toxicology, human biomonitoring and fundamental investigations into mechanisms of DNA damage and repair. Innovative methods are described, technical issues are explored, and guidelines are given for venturing into relatively new or unexploited areas of research. The popularity of the comet assay in a historical context is illustrated by a bibliometric survey.” – Andrew Collins

We recommend that if you are interested in the comet assay, you look at this excellent collection of commentaries, reviews and original manuscripts.

We are delighted to see that in many of the scientific investigations quote Comet Assay IV in their methods sections.

For full information, please visit the mutagenesis website.

If you have any question about using Comet Assay IV for your investigations and publications, please contact us.

Instem present Comet Assay IV at NCDSER’s GeneTox event

Instem, a leading provider of  IT solutions to the global early development healthcare market, is pleased to announce that Mrs. Bing Li, Business Development Consultant, Instem, will present at the 2014 National Workshop on Non-clinical Safety Evaluation and Quality Management in Shanghai, November 27th – 29th.

The presentation,“Comet Assay IV and Systems for Genetic Toxicology” will discuss techniques for automating the collection and reporting of the comet assay and other genetic toxicology studies, including an overview and brief demonstration of the world-leadingComet Assay IV system developed by Perceptive Instruments, now a part of Instem.

The workshop, which has been organized by the National Shanghai Center for Drug Safety Evaluation and Research (NCDSER), will feature 3 full days of presentations, workshops and panel discussions. Instem is also proud to be the Gold Sponsor of this event.

Mr. Neil Donaldson, VP Sales, Europe & Asia said “We are extremely honored to have been invited to speak at this prestigious national meeting. Instem is firmly committed to supporting the growth of the preclinical R&D market within China and we recognize the importance that workshops such as this bring to the region.”

Instem was the first western toxicology/pathology software supplier to enter the Chinese market, deploying its initial China-based system in one of the largest and most advanced vivariums during 2006.  As the Chinese preclinical market continues to grow, Instem is leading the market with Instem solutions deployed at more sites within the region than any competing product.

Acknowledging analyst projections that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is on pace to becoming the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world, Instem has an established full-service office in Shanghai and has localized the Provantis product suite into Mandarin Chinese.  Instem supports organizations serving the PRC through traditional on-site systems as well as through their SaaS delivery model from a secure, professionally managed data center based in Shanghai.

Recommended comet assay method

There can be substantial inter-laboratory variations in the levels of DNA damage measured by the comet assay in different laboratories. Researchers from 14 different laboratories across Europe took part in an inter-laboratory variation in DNA damage using a standard comet assay protocol.

We were pleased to see that the majority of the labs were using Comet Assay IV for scoring their comet samples. The report concluded that the biggest areas for variation between the laboratories were within the experimental procedure (e.g. electrophoresis, gel substrate, different equipment). However, further attempts to reduce variation may focus on the analysis of images in the software systems. This study indicated that future comet assay validation trials should take steps to evaluate the implementation of standard procedures in participating laboratories.

We recommend that if you are new to the comet assay, you consider using the method defined in this publication, which can be found within the supplementary information.

Read the full report: Inter-laboratory variation in DNA damage using a standard comet assay protocol.

If you would like us to feature your comet assay method on our website, please contact us.

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

We would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and all the best for 2013. Instead of sending cards out this festive season, Perceptive Instruments will be making donations to our chosen charity of 2013: the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Instem Acquires Perceptive Instruments

Instem, a leading provider of IT solutions to the global early development healthcare market, announced today that it has acquired Perceptive Instruments as it continues to consolidate the life sciences IT marketplace.

Located in Suffolk, United Kingdom, Perceptive develops, manufactures and supplies image analysis and data processing solutions that are primarily focused on the areas of genetic toxicology, microbiology and immunology. Perceptive solutions are deployed in 49 countries at leading universities, research institutes and are supporting various government programs such as those at the National Center for Toxicological Research, a Food & Drug Administration division. Perceptive products also serve small and medium-sized companies along with many of today’s leading multinational organizations, including all of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

Operating as part of Instem, Perceptive Solutions include:

  • Comet Assay IV; live video-based system for scoring cells supporting DNA damage and repair studies and genetic toxicology testing
  • Ames Study Manager; comprehensive suite of software for conducting and reporting Ames studies in accordance with OECD 471
  • Cyto Study Manager; system for integrating all data acquisition, reporting and management during genetic toxicology investigations for individual and combined comet and micronucleus assays
  • Sorcerer Systems
    •  Colony Counter; combining image processing and analysis with an innovative Petri-viewer providing fast and accurate counts for bacterial and mammalian colonies for a wide range of applications
    • Image Analysis System; live video-based analytical tool for research and quality control
    • UDS; complete system for Unscheduled DNA Synthesis assays using live-video cell images and software for creating studies, randomization and slide scoring

Perceptive solutions are frequently referenced in scientific journals, during industry conferences and are featured in numerous case studies. All Perceptive products are designed to fulfil the requirements of Good Laboratory Practice, FDA 21 CFR Part 11 and other international regulatory guidelines. Perceptive remains one of a handful of image analysis & data processing companies worldwide whose management processes have been officially registered to ISO 9001:2008.

“The team here at Perceptive is excited and eager to join Instem,” states Colin White, Managing Director at Perceptive. “Various assays such as comet are playing an increasingly important role in the drug development process. Instem’s leadership position will allow us to further our mission of providing quality solutions and excellent after-sales service to a growing set of clients.”

“This acquisition is another win for our market,” comments Phil Reason, CEO at Instem. “Our clients will now have the ability to turn to one global supplier for their data management needs across broader segments, providing them with greater efficiencies. Many of the tests Perceptive products support are a required part of the regulated study process and our commanding position across early development will enable us to help users better collect, manage, review and extract data while transitioning information into valuable insight.”

As part of the Instem group, the staff at Perceptive will now have access to additional capabilities in marketing, sales, management and software development. Current Perceptive clients can also expect additional regional support services before and after purchasing a solution from Instem offices around the globe.

Perceptive solutions will enhance Instem’s Study Workflow and Automation Suite, enabling organizations of all sizes to collect, manage, review and submit study data that streamline processes, increase quality and enhance development programs.

Instem has been developing, releasing and introducing a stream of technology solutions to the market as part of their mission to deliver compelling solutions for data collection, management and analysis across the R&D continuum. Earlier this year Instem entered the early phase Clinical Market through another strategic acquisition and is planning to remain active in expanding the reach of its product portfolio into related scientific domains.

About Instem 

Instem is a leading supplier of IT applications to the early development healthcare market delivering compelling solutions for data collection, management and analysis across the R&D continuum. Instem applications are in use by customers worldwide, meeting the rapidly expanding needs of life science and healthcare organizations for data-driven decision making leading to safer, more effective products.

Instem’s portfolio of software solutions increases client productivity by automating study-related processeswhile offering the unique ability to generate new knowledge through the extraction and harmonization of actionable scientific information.

Instem supports its clients through full service offices in the United States, United Kingdom and China with additional locations in India and a full service distributor based in Japan.

To learn more about Instem solutions and its mission, please visit www.instem.com.

Two meetings in Japan: JEMS 2013 and BMS

Next week, Perceptive Instruments will be demonstrating the latest software systems at both the Bacterial Mutagenicity Study Group (BMS) meeting at Shujitsu University, Japan and the JEMS 2013 conference, Okayama Convention Centre, Japan.

Stop by our booth if you are interested in learning more about our image analysis and study management products for genetox applications.  In particular, Ames Study Manager is an integrated suite of software for conducting the Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test according to regulatory guidelines e.g. OECD 471 and ICH S2A.

Please email sales@perceptive.co.uk if you would like to schedule in a time to meet us at our exhibition stand for a free demonstration of The Ames Study Manager.

We will be happy to discuss the benefits our systems can give to your laboratory.

11th International Conference on Environmental Mutagens

Next week, we’ll be at the 11th International Conference on Environmental Mutagens.

The conference themes include:
A. Environment, genes, and health;
B. Environmental “OMICS”, Bioinformatics and beyond;
C. Consequences of DNA damage and mutations: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and aging;
D. DNA damage responses;
E. Mechanisms of DNA repair;
F. Mutational and epigenetic mechanisms;
G. New approaches to genotoxicity testing;
H. Antimutagenesis, Anticarcinogenesis and Nutrigenomics;
I. Prevention of mutation-related diseases;
J. Risk assessment and regulatory issues.

…and with an exciting selection of speakers and symposium topics, Perceptive Instruments looks forward to attending!

Stop by our booth if you are interested in learning more about our image analysis and study management products for genetox applications.

If you are unable to attend the conference, but would like to talk with someone about our systems please email us at sales@perceptive.co.uk

Find out more: http://www.icembrazil.org/icem/

Celebrating 30 years of comet assay research

The first paper on the single-cell gel electrophoresis assay was published in 1984 by O. Ostling and K.J. Johanson (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. Vol.123: 291-298).  Next August will mark the 30th anniversary of the comet assay.

To celebrate, Frontiers (a community-oriented open-access academic publisher and research network) will be publishing a special edition ‘Frontiers in Genetics: 30 years of the Comet Assay: an overview with some new insights’.

The deadline for abstract submission is 30 Nov 2013 and we urge all our Comet Assay IV users to submit an abstract detailing their latest comet assay research or opinions.

Different applications of the comet assay will be discussed, including: genotoxicity testing, human biomonitoring, DNA repair studies, environmental biomonitoring and clinical studies. Furthermore, the edition will consider, and where possible answer, some of the fundamental questions surrounding the comet assay.  This ‘Frontiers in Genetics’ research topic will be written for beginner and experienced comet assay scientists.

For more information please visit:

http://www.frontiersin.org/Genomic_Assay_Technology/researchtopics/30_years_of_the_Comet_Assay_an/1978

Or contact the editors:

Amaya Azqueta, University of Navarra, Spain

Sabine Langie, Flemish Institute for Technological Research, Belgium

10th International Comet Assay Workshop

Last week, Perceptive Instruments was at the 10th International Comet Assay Workshop (ICAW) in Porto, Portugal.

Delegates arrived from across the globe (Russia, Iraq, Norway, Mexico and Hong Kong, to name a few) and were treated to three days of oral presentations, posters, exhibitors and poster mini-talks with one common theme: the comet assay.

It was an excellent opportunity to talk with Comet Assay IV customers and hear about the latest comet assay research.

We are already looking forward to seeing everyone again at the 11th International Comet Assay Workshop (ICAW 2015) in Belgium.

Read our full report.

Comet and micronucleus management and reporting software

Cyto Study Manager is a secure, web-based, GLP compliant software system that integrates the data acquisition, reporting and management of your genetic toxicology data.

The software is modular, allowing you to purchase only the modules needed by your company. The latest module is for those conducting the Micronucleus (MN) Test (in vivo or in vitro, visual scoring), adding to the existing module for the Comet Assay.

We can do live, online presentations to show you how the MN data collection will function within Cyto Study Manager. We’d love to show it to you and hear your thoughts on the future of MN scoring and data management.

Soft agar MLA data processing

Working with Mouse Lymphoma Assay (MLA) experts at various contract research organisations, we have developed a new Excel spreadsheet specifically for soft agar MLA investigations. The workbook is supplied for FREE to all new customers and existing customers with maintenance contracts or a valid warranty on their Sorcerer Colony Counter system.

Speed and accuracy

The spreadsheet seamlessly integrates with our Sorcerer colony counter and allows accurate colony counting with instant size distribution information.

Automatic mutant frequency calculation

The spreadsheet can be used to record daily culture maintenance data and by counting both mutant plates and viability plates, the spreadsheet will automatically calculate the mutant frequency, mutant index and relative plating efficiency.

Bespoke configuration

Before you begin counting colonies, the spreadsheet can be configured for your experimental set-up. The number of positive/negative controls and test cultures are easily chosen and the spreadsheet is instantly created with the correct number of rows and columns.

Part of the package…

This new soft agar MLA data processing spreadsheet is included with every Sorcerer purchase.

Existing customers with maintenance contracts or a valid warranty on their Sorcerer system should contact us for a free copy.

 

Free demo of Cyto Study Manager available now

The Cyto Study Manager is a software system that integrates all your data acquisition, reporting and management needs into one neat little package.

During your genetic toxicology investigation, the Cyto Study Manager integrates the following processes for individual and combined comet and micronucleus assays:

  • Experiment design
  • Sample coding and decoding
  • Data acquisition
  • Reporting and statistics
  • Auditing and user control
  • Archiving and historical data

With your own free trial, you can log in to a secure exclusive demo site and see the benefits of Cyto Study Manager for yourself.

For more information contact us or visit www.cytostudy.com

New MLA data processing spreadsheet

Working with Mouse Lymphoma Assay (MLA) experts at various contract research organisations, we have developed a new Excel spreadsheet specifically for soft agar MLA investigations.

Speed and accuracy

The spreadsheet seamlessly integrates with our Sorcerer colony counter and allows accurate colony counting with instant size distribution information.

Automatic mutant frequency calculation

The spreadsheet can be used to record daily culture maintenance data and by counting both mutant plates and viability plates, the spreadsheet will automatically calculate the mutant frequency, mutant index and relative plating efficiency.

Bespoke configuration

Before you begin counting colonies, the spreadsheet can be configured for your experimental set-up. The number of positive/negative controls and test cultures are easily chosen and the spreadsheet is instantly created with the correct number of rows and columns.

Part of the package…

This new soft agar MLA data processing spreadsheet is included with every Sorcerer purchase.

Existing customers with maintenance contracts or a valid warranty on their Sorcerer system should contact us for a free copy.

42nd EEMS in Poland

Next week, we’ll be at the 42nd EEMS in Poland.

The scientific program will include mechanisms of DNA damage tolerance, versatile functions of DNA repair proteins, chromatin structure in the control of genetic stability, human diseases and DNA repair, markers of human exposure to genotoxic agents, environmental aspects of toxicity of nanoparticles, epigenotoxicology including miRNA as cellular response to DNA damage, oxidation and deamination of nucleobases as a new epigenetic instrument in the control of mutations and carcinogenesis.

Please drop by our booth to see the latest GeneTox systems from Perceptive Instruments. Please email sales@perceptive.co.uk if you would like to schedule in a time to meet us at our exhibition stand for a free demonstration of one (or several) of our products.

We will be happy to discuss the benefits our systems can give to your laboratory!

Find out more: http://www.eemseu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&layout=blog&id=8&Itemid=29

See you at EMS!

Visit us at the 43rd Environmental Mutagen Society annual meeting!

The theme of the EMS Meeting is “EMS: The Next Generation

The Society’s Annual Meeting is unique in bringing together scientists who carry out basic research with those involved in risk estimation and regulatory concerns related to the consequences of exposure to environmental, industrial, and pharmaceutical agents.

Perceptive Instruments Ltd will have a stand in the exhibition hall and will be demonstrating all our latest GeneTox systems.

Please email sales@perceptive.co.uk if you would like to schedule in a time to meet us at our exhibition stand for a free demonstration of one (or several) of our products.

See you there!

Find out more: http://www.ems-us.org/AM2012/index.asp

UKEMS 2012 – “Next Generation Genotoxicology”

The 2012 Annual UKEMS Meeting in Swansea was an excellent display of the most recent findings and developments in genetic toxicology.  Representatives from across the world delivered first class presentations and led intriguing discussions.  Researchers, academics and people from industry joined to discuss ‘Next Generation Genotoxicology.’

The conference kicked-off with a pre-conference event; an educational session entitled ‘Essentials of Genetic Toxicology’.  Here, delegates were treated to interesting presentations about the history and development of genetic toxicology.

Over the next three days, we saw fascinating presentations on many different areas of genetic toxicology.  Firstly, delegates attended exciting presentations on ‘in silico predictive toxicology,’ which was followed later in the day by a session on ‘new technologies’ where new techniques, such as the pigA assay, were discussed.  The conference included interesting sessions on ‘genotoxic tolerance & thresholds,’ ‘genotoxic impurities,’ and ‘nanogenotoxicology.’

The first plenary lecture was delivered by Michael Fenech, who works at the CSIRO Food & Nutritional Sciences in Adelaide, South Australia. His current research focus is investigating which nutrients are required for genome health maintenance and how genetic background influences nutritional requirement for preventing deterioration of the genome.  The second plenary lecture was presented by Ed Calabrese, Professor & EHS Concentration Director, Department of Public Health, University of Massachusetts.  He is one of the leading experts on hormesis, the term given to a dose-response phenomenon, and shared some of his opinions on the subject.  Both presentations were captivating and raised excellent questions and discussions between the delegates for the remainder of the conference.

The UKEMS Young Scientist Award winner was George Johnson, who presented an excellent talk on mutagenicity and clastogenicity. Other early career scientists were given the chance to present their work in the ‘young scientist’ session and nearly 50 posters were presented at an evening poster session at the Oxwich Bay Hotel, which featured a hog roast for the delegates!

Although it rained most of the time the UKEMS delegates were in Swansea, the scientific opinions and spirits were not dampened and the quality of all the presentations was excellent.  The delegates enjoyed a conference dinner at the Waterfront Museum and danced the night away.

Perceptive Instruments Ltd would like to thank the local organisers, Gareth Jenkins, Shareen Doak and George Johnson, and the rest of the UKEMS committee, and we look forward to attending the 36th UKEMS annual meeting next year in Bristol!

Submit your abstract

Registration is now open for the 2012 UKEMS annual meeting in Swansea (15th-18th July). The conference theme is: ‘Next Generation Genotoxicology’ and with an exciting selection of speakers and symposium topics, Perceptive Instruments looks forward to attending! We urge our Comet Assay IV customers.

It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

The ComNet Project

The international multi-disciplinary journal, Mutagenesis, has published a commentary detailing the launch of The ComNet (comet network) Project.   The publication follows discussions on the comet assay in human population studies during the International Comet Assay Workshop meeting in Kusadasi, Turkey (September 13–16, 2011).

The ultimate aim of the network, ComNet, is to establish the comet assay as a reliable trusted biomarker assay.  This project has the potential to bring together comet assay data from across the globe and improve the quality of comet assay data within research investigations.

The main priorities of the ComNet project are:

  • to establish the comet assay as a reliable biomonitoring tool for human studies and
  • to define the relevance of DNA damage (as measured with the comet assay) for human health and disease.

You can read the full report here.

And find more at www.comnetproject.org.

Submit your abstract for a chance to present at UKEMS 2012

*** ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL 1ST JUNE ***

Registration is now open for the 2012 UKEMS annual meeting in Swansea (15th-18th July).

The conference theme is: ‘Next Generation Genotoxicology‘ and with an exciting selection of speakers and symposium topics, Perceptive Instruments looks forward to attending!

We urge our Comet Assay IV customers to submit abstracts for this conference and look forward to seeing their poster (or oral) presentations this year.  The deadline for abstract submission is 7th May 2012.

As always, Perceptive Instruments Ltd will be exhibiting at the conference and look forward to showing you our range of software for GeneTox applications.

For further details and to register or submit an abstract please go to the conference website:

http://www.swansea.ac.uk/conferences/events/ukems/

Perceptive Instruments at the Sixth International Conference on Environmental Mutagens in Human Populations (ICEMHP)

Next week, Perceptive Instruments will be demonstrating the latest software systems at the Sixth International Conference on Environmental Mutagens in Human Populations (ICEMHP) in Doha, Qatar, 26-29 March 2012.

This is a must-attend event for researchers, scholars, students, policy-makers and all those interested in identifying the environmental causes of DNA damage and in finding solutions to their consequences to human health.

Stop by our booth if you are interested in learning more about our image analysis and study management products for genetox applications!

If you are unable to attend the conference, but would like to talk with someone about our systems please email us atsales@perceptive.co.uk

Cyto Study Manager released

New from Perceptive Instruments, the Cyto Study Manager has been designed to combine all your comet and micronucleus data management processes into one simple, easy-to-use system that can be accessed securely from both the laboratory and the office via your organisation’s own internal network.

Data acquisition and scoring systems such as Comet Assay IV are fully integrated with the system, sending data straight to the Cyto Study Manager database. All your reports can be generated from the within the system and automatically combined into your final study report.

Because all of this is achieved within one system, there is no risk of transcription errors, no import/export, no file transfers and no copy and paste.

To find out more, visit the Cyto Study Manager website.

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