Contamination during critical DNA research reminds me of the movie, “The Fly”. Our would be hero decides to carelessly test his new teleportation device without safe guards. A fly enters the telepod with him and the confused computer splices their genes together. The resulting monster is rather horrifying and pathetic.

Nothing so dramatic is likely to happen in real life research; but the story illustrates a point about the importance of clean laboratory equipment. You don’t want to do genetic fingerprinting for a particular antibiotic producing germ and inadvertently introduce genetic material from a whole host of unrelated bacteria left over from a previous experiment. In an effort to prevent such mishaps, scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC)ensure clean laboratory glassware by having as many as twenty various Lancer glassware washer/dryers working daily.

Accurate results are particularly important when doing the kind of meticulous research DNA usually requires. The research labs at JIC in Norfolk continue to make critical contributions to the development of cancer drugs and antibiotics because of their high standards and integrity of conclusions. Over 800 staff at JIC carryout fundamental, strategic and applied research to understand how plants and microbes work at the molecular, cellular and genetic levels.

They found a new way to measure activity of enzymes called DNA topoisomerases. These help package genetic material into cells. Blocking of these enzymes may be key characteristics in future anti-cancer and anti-bacterial drugs.

In 2006, JIC researchers developed a technique to harvest bacteria from soil that allows them to quickly and accurately create antibiotics that kills it. This not only allows them to fashion more effective antibiotics, but also find ways to fight viruses such as MRSA. None of these important advancements would be possible without lab equipment that was completely disinfected.

Growing Company That Makes A World Of Difference

Lancer manufactures a broad range of glassware washer and dryer models and distributes them worldwide. Their customers include those from general research, petroleum, chemical, medical, and pharmaceutical industries. Customized options are available to meet their customer’s specific needs. Customers can choose from under-counter and freestanding models as well as industry specific ones.

Lancer Industrie SA was founded in 1970 and initially located in Toulouse, France through 1979. It quickly expanded in the 1980s and in 1983 created Lancer UK (United Kingdom). Lancer BV (Holland) launched in 1988 with the first washers for the hospital industry. Lancer Inc. (USA) started in 1989. They were the first to design and manufacture glassware washers specifically for the pharmaceutical market.

Manufacturing facilities continued to expand during the 1990s and its ISO 9002 certification (quality assurance standard) was awarded in 1995. In 2000, there was another big phrase of expansion for the manufacturing facility. It achieved the ISO 9001 version 2000 certification in 2003. Today there are representatives for the company in most every region of the world.

On their website, Lancer (advanced washing & disinfection solutions) has a mission and vision statement focused upon serving their customers as best that is possible. It is this history and record of reliability that JIC laboratories trusts with their professional glassware cleaning responsibilities. For more detailed information on the continued relationship between these two organizations, please click on LaboratoryTalk.