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Must-Have Tools & Lab Equipment for Your Cannabis Business

cannabis testing

It’s no secret that the cannabis business has taken a big step forward in recent years. More and more states are voting to legalize the use of marijuana, and businesses are working hard to carve out their piece of the pie. If you are already involved in the cannabis business, or you are planning to get involved in the near future, you’ll need to have the right tools and cannabis lab equipment in order to succeed. Let’s take a look at some of the key items that you will want to consider while getting up and running.

Indoor Lighting for Plants

This is a pretty easy place to start. If you are going to be growing indoors, you are going to need the right lights to get the job done. Of course, there are plenty of growing lights available on the market today, so plenty of research will be needed before you make your purchase. Keep in mind things like electricity rates and the space you will need to light as you decide on the type of bulbs to use.

Worker Protection

Staying on the topic of lights, those who are consistently working around the lights should be wearing the appropriate UV protection. It can be harmful to be exposed to UV rays, so having things like sunglasses, hats, clothes, and more – all of which are rated for UV protection – is important. If your grow takes place outside rather than inside, the same concerns will be in place, only with regard to the sun rather than the lights.

HVAC Equipment

For an indoor growing environment, temperature control is one of the most important tasks you’ll need to manage. It’s essential to have the right equipment in place so you can control the temperature within the building with the necessary precision to keep the plants on track. Not only will poor HVAC equipment make it hard to maintain the right temperature, you also may find that your energy costs are higher due to the inefficiency.

Pest Management Gear

You are obviously going to need to keep pests at bay if you are going to have a successful crop when all is said and done. However, you can’t just pick up the first pesticide you find at the store and start spraying away. You will need to be sure to comply with legislation that applies to cannabis plants. Do a bit of research on this topic and have the right equipment and products on hand to manage pests effectively.

Security Equipment

To finish our list, we would like to discuss one point that probably will come up pretty early in your process. This is a business which naturally comes along with security concerns, so high-quality equipment to protect your property and your plants is essential. Cameras are a great start, but you will need to make sure they are installed properly if you are going to capture valuable information during a theft. In addition to security cameras, a secure vault where you can place plants is another vital piece of the puzzle.

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The Best Places for Jobs in Biotechnology

biotech jobs

If you want to work in biotechnology – or, if you already work in biotech and are looking to advance your career – you may be interested in knowing where the best locations are to find opportunities in this field. Fortunately, some of the best areas for biotech are also simply great places to call home, meaning you should find no shortage of attractive options. Let’s take a look at some of the current hotspots in the biotechnology world.

The Bay Area

You probably won’t be surprised to see the Bay Area included in this list. With an extremely active technology scene in and around Silicon Valley, you have probably already considered making a move to this region. In addition to the job opportunities, there is tremendous natural beauty and culture to enjoy within San Francisco and the surrounding areas.

North Carolina

Again, this is one which isn’t going to come as a surprise to anyone working or studying in this field. As you might suspect, many of the best options are located in the so-called ‘Research Triangle’. It is estimated that more than 60,000 jobs exist in this area within the biotech field, meaning there is plenty of opportunity to pursue your professional passion.

Southern California

It doesn’t take much to sell most people on the idea of moving to Southern California. First, there is the weather. With sunny skies and moderate temperatures nearly all year long, it’s an easy place to picture yourself living. In addition, there is more to see and do than you could ever check off in a lifetime. Thanks to the fact that more than 1,000 companies in the life sciences field call the San Diego region home, there are almost certainly going to be opportunities here for you to explore.

The Pacific Northwest

This may be one of the more surprising entries on our list, but it shouldn’t be if you think closely about what the Pacific Northwest has to offer these days. The greater Seattle area is a hotbed of technology, with huge companies like Amazon and Microsoft (and others) making their home by the Puget Sound. If natural beauty and an outdoor way of life are high on your list, you’ll certainly want to consider job opportunities that come out of the upper left-hand corner of the country.

The Midwest

Along with the Pacific Northwest, this is the other entry on the list that may be a bit surprising. Most people associate the Midwest with farming and the like, but there is plenty of tech work being done here, as well. If you include nine states in this area, you can count up an incredible total of more than 350,000 people working in this field. While much of the Midwest does offer a quiet, rural charm, there are also big cities which offer a faster-paced way of life. One of the best things about picking the Midwest as your landing spot is the ability to choose what kind of lifestyle you will lead away from the office.

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BaneBio and BioSurplus Conduct A Collaborative Online Auction

From October 15th-18th, BaneBio in conjunction with BioSurplus will conduct a collaborative and timed online auction of lab assets from Aeras-USA based in Rockville, Maryland. Discover over 300 lots of flow cytometers, ultralow freezers, biosafety cabinets, microscopes, refrigerated centrifuges, consumables, and many other laboratory essentials at this unique and exciting event!

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How to Quickly & Safely Prepare Samples

scientists with lab equipment

It’s hard to keep up with the flow of work in a busy lab, as some tasks simply take a long time to complete. The preparation of samples is one of those tasks in many cases. Depending on the type of sample being prepared, it might be hard to get the job done in time to keep up with everything else that needs to be done. Fortunately, there are methods available that can help to quickly and safely prepare samples. One such technique – the use of ultrasonic energy – is a popular option. Using the ultrasonic process can help with a variety of tasks, such as dispersing, emulsifying, mixing, dissolving, and more.

Following the Steps

As with everything that takes place in a lab, there are specific steps which should be followed when trying to prepare a sample quickly and properly. Once the samples are placed in an appropriate container, along with the right solvent, the ultrasonic process can begin. It is important, of course, to completely understand how to use the equipment involved in this process, as the results will only be accurate when the ultrasonic bath is employed in the correct manner.

One key point to consider when using ultrasonic energy is the matter of heat. Should your samples be heat sensitive, it will be necessary to use lab equipment which is capable of keeping the samples at an acceptable temperature during the process. For instance, some ultrasonic cleaners can use cooling coils to avoid the rising temperatures that would normally come with the use of ultrasonic energy.

Finding the Right Equipment

Purchasing new or used equipment for a laboratory is always a tricky job, and that is certainly the case when looking for gear that will permit you to prepare samples quickly and safely. For starters, you need to be able to find the right equipment for the specific jobs you need to complete, as your needs may vary even from similar labs. Also, you are going to have to remain within your budget, of course, as all purchases are subject to budgetary limitations of some kind. Only when you find equipment that both serves your needs and fits in your budget will you be able to move forward.

Once said equipment is purchased and put into action, regular cleaning and maintenance is necessary to get the most out of the investment. Machines which are capable of helping lab technicians quickly prepare samples are highly technical in nature and must be cared for properly. The key here is to pay close attention to the manufacturer’s instructions on cleaning and care. Each piece of equipment is unique, so it would be a mistake to assume that the care provided to one unit is going to be right for the others in the lab.

In a perfect world, you would have all the time you needed to prepare a sample without any sense of urgency. That is usually not the case, however, so using technologies which permit the rapid and safe preparation of samples is reality for many labs.

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Four of the Latest Lab Equipment & Technology Trends

Just like every other field, laboratories are always evolving and changing. What was cutting edge just a few years ago may now be seen as behind the times. If you are going to be competitive in this line of work, you need to make sure your lab is staying in touch with the latest and greatest that the market has to offer.

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Life Sciences Trends to Watch Over the Next 12 Months

Nothing is permanent in business. Just when it seems that there is an obvious trend or pattern to the way things work, someone comes along to disrupt the market and change the way everyone operates. With that in mind, it is worthwhile to take a look at the trends to watch over the coming year in the life sciences market.

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The Best Pipette Types for Chemical, Biology, & Medical Work

Doing lab work is all about accuracy. No matter what kind of work you are doing specifically, it should go without saying that your results need to be as accurate as possible. While part of that accuracy is going to come down to your personal performance, a large part is going to be up to the equipment that you use in the lab. With the right gear available, precise results will be far easier to achieve.

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Tips for Buying Liquid Handler Systems

Buying a piece of equipment for a lab is never an easy task. Such equipment tends to be rather costly, so you don’t want to make a mistake. Even if you have years of experience working in your field, you may still get a little nervous before committing to an order. While this could apply to any of a number of different types of laboratory equipment, we are talking specifically about liquid handlers in this article. Continue reading Tips for Buying Liquid Handler Systems

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Continuous Manufacturing & How It Affects Pharma

Traditionally, pharma manufacturing has been performed using a batch approach. This has been the standard for decades, but that appears to be changing. More and more, pharma companies are looking to continuous manufacturing as the way of the future. Many other industries have long since switched to continuous manufacturing, but pharma has been slow to make the change, for a variety of reasons. Thanks to the development of technology and other factors, the time seems to be right for pharma to fully embrace continuous manufacturing.

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