Author: Alana

PFAS in South Africa: Should We Be Worried?

Imagine a chemical so persistent that it resists breaking down in the environment, earning it the nickname “forever chemical.” Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are just that—synthetic compounds found in everyday items like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, and firefighting foams. While their durability made them industrial favourites, this same resilience has led to widespread environmental contamination. In South Africa, the presence of PFAS in water sources is becoming an increasing concern, prompting questions about their impact on health and the environment.

Unpacking the PFAS puzzle

PFAS have been linked to various health issues, including hormonal disruptions, immune system effects, and certain cancers. Their ability to accumulate in the human body and the environment makes them particularly worrisome. In South Africa, studies have detected PFAS in water sources, raising alarms about potential exposure. However, detecting and analysing these compounds is no simple task. Their chemical stability and low concentrations in environmental samples pose significant challenges for laboratories, necessitating advanced analytical techniques and instruments.

 

🖥️ Watch the Analysis of PFAS in the Food Chain webinar and explore the latest advancements in sample preparation for PFAS determination.

 

 

The analytical challenge of PFAS detection

Traditional analytical methods often fall short when it comes to detecting the vast array of PFAS compounds, especially at trace levels. Non-targeted analysis (NTA) and suspect screening have emerged as crucial approaches, allowing scientists to identify both known and unknown PFAS compounds in various matrices. However, these methods require high-resolution mass spectrometry and sophisticated data analysis capabilities. In South Africa, the adoption of such advanced techniques is still in its nascent stages, highlighting the need for enhanced laboratory infrastructure and expertise to effectively monitor and manage PFAS contamination.

 

📚 Download the Streamlined PFAS Annotation and Visualisation with FluoroMatch Flow and Visualiser poster and explore how unidentified organofluorine chemicals account for a significant percentage of organofluorine content in food contact material samples.

 

Enhanced detection

The Agilent Ultivo LC/MS system offers a compact yet powerful solution for PFAS analysis. Designed for high-throughput laboratories, it combines sensitivity and robustness, making it ideal for detecting low levels of PFAS in complex environmental samples.

 

Key benefits:

  • Compact Design: Saves valuable laboratory space without compromising performance.
  • High Sensitivity: Detects trace levels of PFAS, ensuring accurate quantification.ScienceDirect
  • Robust Performance: Handles complex matrices with minimal maintenance requirements.
  • User-Friendly Interface: Simplifies operation and data analysis, reducing training time.

 

Chemetrix provides comprehensive support for the Ultivo LC/MS, including installation, training, and maintenance services, ensuring laboratories can maximise the instrument’s capabilities.

 

Comprehensive analysis

For laboratories seeking advanced capabilities, the Agilent 6546 LC/Q-TOF system offers high-resolution mass spectrometry for both targeted and non-targeted PFAS analysis. Its accurate mass measurements and fast acquisition rates enable the identification of a wide range of PFAS compounds, including emerging contaminants.

 

Key benefits:

  • High-Resolution Detection: Accurately identifies and quantifies known and unknown PFAS compounds.
  • Fast Acquisition Rates: Enhances throughput, allowing for the analysis of more samples in less time.
  • Advanced Data Analysis: Facilitates complex data interpretation with integrated software tools.
  • Versatility: Suitable for various applications, from environmental monitoring to product safety assessments.

 

Chemetrix offers expert guidance and technical support to integrate the 6546 LC/Q-TOF into laboratory workflows, ensuring optimal performance and data quality.

 

Building a safer future

By adopting advanced analytical instruments like the Agilent Ultivo LC/MS and 6546 LC/Q-TOF, South African laboratories can significantly enhance their PFAS detection capabilities. These tools not only improve the accuracy and efficiency of analyses but also empower scientists to better understand and mitigate the risks associated with PFAS contamination. With Chemetrix as a trusted partner, laboratories gain access to cutting-edge technology and dedicated support, fostering a proactive approach to environmental health and safety.

 

🖥️ Watch the Effective Use of ‘Direct-Injection’ Techniques webinar to explore streamlined workflows and expert strategies for more efficient, compliant bioanalysis.

 

 

Partner with Chemetrix for PFAS solutions

Addressing the challenges posed by PFAS requires collaboration, innovation, and the right tools. Chemetrix is committed to supporting South African laboratories in their efforts to detect, analyse, and manage PFAS contamination. Contact Chemetrix today to learn more about our solutions and how we can assist your laboratory in safeguarding public health and the environment.

Next-Gen mRNA Vaccines: What’s on the Horizon

The rapid development of mRNA vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic showcased the transformative potential of this technology. Now, scientists are exploring its applications beyond infectious diseases, venturing into areas like cancer treatment and personalised medicine. The horizon is expanding, and with it, the promise of more targeted and effective therapies.

 

Navigating the complexities of mRNA vaccine development

While mRNA vaccines offer numerous advantages, including rapid development and adaptability, they also present unique challenges.

 

Ensuring stability, efficient delivery, and robust immune responses are critical hurdles.

 

Moreover, as applications diversify, there’s a growing need for advanced tools to monitor cellular responses and metabolic changes in real-time. Laboratories require integrated solutions to streamline workflows and enhance data accuracy.

 

📚 Download the Infectious Disease Applications application note that highlights how mRNA is reshaping not just immunology, but oncology, rare diseases, and more.

 

🖥️ Watch the Rapid Analysis of mRNA 5’ Capping and Poly-A Tailing with High-Resolution LC-MS webinar and learn how innovative approaches can help you extract deeper insights and boost your lab’s efficiency.

 

The science behind the innovation

Recent advancements have led to the development of self-amplifying RNA (saRNA), which can replicate within host cells, producing higher protein levels with lower doses.

 

This innovation holds promise for more efficient vaccines and therapies. Additionally, novel delivery systems, such as lipid nanoparticles, are being refined to improve mRNA stability and targeting. These scientific strides necessitate sophisticated laboratory instruments capable of detailed cellular analysis and metabolic profiling.

 

📚 Download the Analysis of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles in Human Plasma using SEC-Static Dual-Angle Light Scattering and Refractive Index Detection application note, a behind-the-scenes look at the journey from bench to breakthrough – highlighting the instruments required at each stage of next-gen mRNA research.

Visualising cellular responses

The Agilent BioTek Cytation 7 Cell Imaging Multimode Reader is a versatile instrument that combines automated digital microscopy and conventional multi-mode detection. This integration allows researchers to capture high-quality images and quantitative data from live cells, providing insights into morphological changes and protein expression levels.

 

Key benefits:

  • High-Resolution Imaging: Captures detailed cellular images, facilitating the observation of morphological changes and intracellular processes.
  • Multi-Mode Detection: Combines fluorescence, luminescence, and absorbance detection methods, enabling comprehensive analysis in a single platform.
  • Automated Workflows: Streamlines experimental procedures with automated plate handling and image acquisition, increasing throughput and reproducibility.
  • Environmental Control: Maintains optimal conditions for live-cell imaging, ensuring cell viability during extended experiments.

 

Chemetrix offers full support for the Cytation 7, including installation, training, and maintenance services, ensuring laboratories can maximise the instrument’s capabilities.

 

 

Flexible detection for evolving demands

The Agilent BioTek Synergy H1 Multimode Reader is a powerful and flexible instrument designed to adapt to the evolving needs of modern laboratories. It supports multiple detection modes including fluorescence, luminescence, and absorbance, making it ideal for a wide range of mRNA-related assays. With its monochromator-based optics, the Synergy H1 allows precise wavelength selection without the need for filters, offering both sensitivity and versatility. Whether you’re quantifying nucleic acids, monitoring protein expression, or validating assay performance, this platform delivers high-quality data with ease. Chemetrix provides full local support for the Synergy H1, ensuring optimal integration into your lab’s workflow.

Monitoring real-time cellular dynamics

Understanding how cells respond to mRNA-based interventions over time is crucial. The Agilent xCELLigence RTCA eSight system provides real-time, label-free analysis of cellular events, combining impedance-based measurements with live-cell imaging. This dual approach offers a comprehensive view of cell health, proliferation, and cytotoxicity.

 

Key benefits:

  • Real-Time Monitoring: Tracks cellular responses continuously, providing dynamic insights into treatment effects.
  • Label-Free Detection: Eliminates the need for fluorescent or luminescent labels, preserving cell integrity and reducing assay complexity.
  • Integrated Imaging: Combines impedance data with high-quality images, offering a multifaceted perspective on cellular behaviour.
  • Flexible Experimental Design: Accommodates various cell types and assay formats, supporting a wide range of research applications.

 

Chemetrix ensures seamless integration of the xCELLigence RTCA eSight into laboratory workflows, providing expert guidance and technical support.

 

Empowering research for a healthier future

By leveraging advanced instruments like the Cytation 7 and xCELLigence RTCA eSight, researchers can gain deeper insights into cellular mechanisms and treatment effects. These tools not only enhance data quality but also accelerate the development of next-generation mRNA vaccines and therapies. With Chemetrix as a trusted partner, laboratories are well-equipped to navigate the evolving landscape of biomedical research.

 

🖥️ Watch the Analytical Strategies for Complete Characterisation and Purification of Synthetic Oligonucleotides webinar, perfect for analysts keen to sharpen their skills and boost lab performance.

 

Collaborate to advance your research

Stay at the forefront of mRNA vaccine development by integrating cutting-edge technologies into your research. Contact Chemetrix today to learn how our solutions can support your laboratory’s goals and drive scientific innovation.

Unlocking Cancer’s Metabolic Secrets: The Power of Real-Time Cell Analysis

While cancer’s visible symptoms capture our attention, it’s the invisible metabolic processes within cells that truly drive the disease. Cancer cells reprogram their metabolism to fuel rapid growth, resist treatments, and evade the immune system. Understanding these metabolic changes isn’t just academic curiosity; it’s the key to developing more effective, targeted therapies that can outsmart cancer at its most fundamental level

The challenge: Decoding cancer’s metabolic complexity

Cancer metabolism is far more intricate than simply “cells growing fast.” Tumour cells undergo profound metabolic reprogramming, switching energy production pathways, altering nutrient consumption, and even changing how they communicate with surrounding tissues. This metabolic flexibility makes cancer particularly challenging to treat.

 

Traditional research methods often provide only snapshots of cellular activity, missing the dynamic changes that occur over time. What researchers need are technologies that can monitor these metabolic processes as they happen, providing real-time insights into how cancer cells behave and respond to potential treatments.

 

🖥️ Explore cutting-edge strategies in our Cell Analysis Webinar Series to discover how advanced technologies are revolutionising cancer metabolism research.

 

 

The solution: Real-time metabolic monitoring

Modern cancer research demands technologies that can capture the full picture of cellular metabolism in real-time. Two revolutionary platforms are transforming how scientists study cancer metabolism, offering unprecedented insights into cellular behaviour and treatment responses.

 

Comprehensive metabolic profiling with Seahorse technology

Oxygen Consumption Rate(OCR) and Extracellular Acidification Rate(ECAR) are key indicators of mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis and these measurements provide a systems-level view of cellular metabolic function in cultured cells. The Agilent Seahorse XFe96 Analyzer represents a breakthrough in metabolic analysis, allowing researchers to measure both OCR and ECAR simultaneously in live cells.

 

Key capabilities for cancer research:

  • Real-Time Metabolic Measurements: Monitor how cancer cells switch between different energy production pathways, revealing metabolic vulnerabilities that could be targeted therapeutically.
  • Drug Response Analysis: Agilent Seahorse XF technology provides critical functional measurements in live cells to identify potential druggable gene and protein targets, and to validate their role in cancer cell proliferation, adaptation, and survival.
  • High-Throughput Screening: The 96-well format enables researchers to test multiple conditions simultaneously, accelerating the pace of discovery in metabolic drug development.

 

📊 Learn more about Live Cell Metabolism Solutions for Cancer Research to discover comprehensive approaches to studying cancer metabolism.

 

Dynamic cell behaviour analysis with xCELLigence technology

The Agilent xCELLigence RTCA eSight is an advanced real-time cell analysis system that enables comprehensive insight into a cell’s health, behaviour, function, and biological processes using live, simultaneous, and real-time biosensor-based and image-based measurements.
This innovative platform combines impedance-based monitoring with live-cell imaging, providing a complete picture of cellular responses to metabolic interventions.

 

Key advantages for cancer metabolism studies:

  • Label-Free Monitoring: The xCELLigence RTCA instrument uses noninvasive electrical impedance monitoring to quantify cell proliferation, morphology change, and attachment quality in a label-free, real-time manner, allowing for continuous observation without disturbing cellular processes.
  • Multi-Modal Analysis: Simultaneous impedance measurements and fluorescence imaging provide complementary data on cell viability, proliferation, and metabolic activity.
  • Treatment Response Tracking: Monitor how cancer cells respond to metabolic inhibitors or combination therapies over extended periods, revealing both immediate and delayed effects.
  • Morphological Changes: Observe real-time changes in cell morphology that accompany metabolic reprogramming, providing visual confirmation of cellular responses.

 

🎥 Watch our 3D Immune Cell Killing Demonstration to see how xCELLigence eSight technology monitors immune cell interactions with tumour spheroids in real-time.


The Impact: Transforming cancer treatment

By combining these advanced technologies, researchers can now:

  • Identify Metabolic Vulnerabilities: Discover specific metabolic pathways that cancer cells depend on for survival, revealing new therapeutic targets.
  • Optimise Combination Therapies: Understand how metabolic inhibitors work in combination with traditional treatments, potentially improving efficacy while reducing side effects.
  • Personalise Treatment Approaches: Characterise the metabolic profiles of different cancer types and subtypes, enabling more precise treatment selection.
  • Accelerate Drug Development: Rapidly screen potential metabolic inhibitors and validate their mechanisms of action in relevant cellular models.

 

📚 Download our 3D Spheroid-Based Tumour Invasion technical overview to explore how these technologies are being applied to study cancer metastasis and invasion.

 

Your gateway to advanced cancer metabolism research

The future of cancer treatment lies in understanding and targeting the metabolic engines that drive tumour growth and resistance. Chemetrix provides researchers with access to these cutting-edge technologies, along with the expertise needed to unlock their full potential.

 

Our comprehensive support includes:

  • Expert consultation on experimental design and methodology
  • Technical training and ongoing support
  • Method development and optimisation
  • Data analysis and interpretation guidance

 

Ready to advance your cancer metabolism research?

The battle against cancer requires the most sophisticated tools science can provide. With Seahorse and xCELLigence technologies, you have the power to see cancer metabolism in real-time, revealing new possibilities for treatment and hope for patients.