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For a nice overview of some basic questions to ask before you select your liquid filtration medium, take a look at this two page paper from the American Filtration & Separations Society. It starts with clear definitions of permeability and efficiency, and then segues into the importance of compatibility between the filter material and the liquid. One of their good points worth repeating here is that for many types of sampling there are pre-existing industrial or organizational standards to guide you. With most of our membrane, syringe, and capsule filters, you can find this information under the “Application” tab for a particular item. Our resources section is another good place to research this information. Want more help? You can always ask one of our technical personnel for added assurance.

On the eve of the Nobel Prize announcements, last week the people over at Improbable Research handed out their annual Ig Nobel Prizes to recognize some peculiar scientific achievements. If you’re unfamiliar with the group or the prize, their stated criterion for winning this award is, “For achievements that first make people LAUGH then make them THINK.” Examples of award worthy research from this year include: finding out how our decision process is affected when we have a strong urge to urinate, discovering a type of beetle that mates with a certain type of beer bottle, and a special Peace Prize to the mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania, for running over illegally parked luxury cars with a tank. This tongue-in-cheek approach may put the Ig Nobel on par with something like the Razzies, except that the Improbable Research group isn’t (usually) mocking their recipients as many Ig Nobel winners are highly respected leaders in their fields. In fact, Andre Geim has the unique honor of having received

Our newest product category features several items with different methods for determining if your lab materials have been properly sterilized. So to avoid confusion in what can be a life-or-death matter, we’ve pulled together some resources from the manufacturer of this line, 3M Health Care. This product line can be broken down into three categories: Physical monitors, chemical indicators, and biological indicators. Because each type has its own unique advantages and disadvantages, the organizations that publish guidelines for sterilization, such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and AAMI (Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation), recommend a combination of these monitoring types to get a clear picture of the sterilization process. Let’s break down each type of sterilization monitor and its pros and cons:

• Physical monitors – Includes gauges, electric readouts, etc.
  • Pros – Provides real time information.
  • Cons – Can only monitor one location at a time.

In searching for new weapons in their fight against the destructive mountain pine beetle, scientists at the USDA Forest Service are experimenting using filtration techniques to create more effective insecticide treatment. It is estimated that 8% of forests in the United States are at risk to insect or disease outbreaks; among this percentage the mountain pine beetle is considered the biggest threat.

It’s necessary to find new solutions to protect these trees because of concerns about the future availability of one of the most commonly used insecticide chemicals, carbaryl, for environmental reasons. A study published this year examined the effectiveness of different concentrations of carbaryl along with two other known insecticides, cyantraniliprole and Cyazypyr (30 Scrabble points!). For this experiment the researchers performed two different assays, one involved exposing the beetles to insecticide with filter paper and one through a topical treatment. For both tests they used 1 mL of various

We just updated our shipping options so now you can use your own shipping account for online orders! This was another feature that quite a few of our customers have asked about and we’re glad we could get it up and running this week. Just select “Use My Own Shipping Account” when checking out to choose your carrier (UPS, FedEx, DHL) and your method. Quick, simple, and there’s no handling fee so it’s a completely free option if you wish to use it! Please note however that entering incorrect account information can result in a delay with your shipment and maybe a scolding from me…Happy ordering!

Scientists in Germany recently published a study in which they took a new approach to analyzing nanofiltration membranes. They used a methodology called “Thinking in terms of Structure-Activity-Relationships” (AKA T-SAR) that was first introduced in 2003 to determine the properties and the effects of different substance classes on biological systems. T-SAR was applied here to see if it could provide them with a better understanding of the NF membrane as well as predict the membrane’s performance for the recovery of ionic fluids. T-SAR analysis makes it possible to analyze a chemical compound using only its three-dimensional chemical structure, but the process is made more difficult and complex as the size of the molecule increases. This characteristic of T-SAR creates a problem for NF materials. In order to overcome it, the researchers combined T-SAR methods with traditional membrane characterization procedures to gather more conclusive evidence on the importance of chemical structure