To successfully scale up a biomagnetic separation process is necessary to understand the key parameter governing it. To move a magnetic bead we need to apply a magnetic force over it. This force would make the bead move in a direction and be in equilibrium with the drag force generated by the viscosity of the buffer. The result would be a constant velocity (if the magnetic force is constant).
In an attempt to improve upon current options for detecting pathogens and viruses, scientists in Beijing, China have created a new method that employs a combination of magnetic separation (MS) and magnetic relaxation switching (MRS). This new MS-MRS sensor is more rapid and portable than previous methods such as ELISA and PCR.
Circulating tumor cells or CTC's are becoming an important target for early diagnosis of cancer. These cells leave the site of a primary or secondary tumor, circulate through the blood, and can potentially lead to metastasis. If doctors are able to detect these cells early it may be possible to stop the spread of cancer before it takes hold. In order to realize this idea it is necessary to capture these cells and keep them viable for in vitro cultures in order to understand gene expression, growth patterns, and catalog identifying surface markers.
When biomagnetic separation is used in production processes, quality control becomes a priority. The first step is to define and validate the process, but then the key point is checking the repeatability of every single batch.
Iron-oxide nanoparticles are widely used in isolation techniques, diagnostics, and therapeutic treatments. This large range of applications naturally introduces variability in the way the particles are used and in desired properties and behavior. Luckily, iron-oxide nanoparticles are not all made alike, and one can select nanoparticles based on size, coating, aggregation tendencies, and behavior in magnetic fields. These properties are determined by synthesis methods.
The purposeof monitoring a biomagnetic separation is to obtaina record of different processesto be able to compare the results. Using homogenous magnetic force, changes can easily be related toany modifications made tothe suspension. Changes tothe magnetic bead specifications(diameter, magnetic moment), concentration, andvariations in buffer viscosity suggest different separation process dynamics.
Human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) are multipotent cells that can proliferate rapidly and are able to follow a variety of differentiation pathways including adipogenesis, chondrogenesis, osteogenesis, or myogenesis depending on environmental cues.
The traditional way to check whether a Biomagnetic Separation Production process is complete is by sight. The technician/researcher looks at the suspension. At the beginning of the process the suspension is homogenous and opaque. When the separation process is complete, the magnetic beads are left on the walls of the vessel and the supernatant is transparent. When the suspension is ‘transparent’, the technician stops the process by extracting the supernatant, leaving the magnetic beads in the bottle. After repeating the same process several times, a separation time can be defined and used as a benchmark. With the traditional method, the only quality control record is the OK/no OK signed by the person handling the vessel with no supporting data. In case of a quality issue with the product, this may not be detected until a later stage, and there is no data to show whether the problem occurred before, during or after the biomagnetic separation.
The Institute of Physics (IOP) has just released a new book of the series IOP-Concise-Physics. ‘Designing Hybrid Nanoparticles’ provides a new insight into one of the most promising 'bottom-up' techniques, the modified magnetron-sputtering-based inert-gas-condensation (MS-IGC) system. The book, authored by Dr. Maria Benelmekki, SEPMAG’s scientific advisor, starts with an introduction to nanoparticles and nanotechnology. The chapter providesinteresting examples of their use to obtain different end-products –not just state-of-the art, but also looking back until classical times-. The most relevant of the chapter is the proposed classification of the nanoparticles based on their dimension, morphology and chemical composition. For the people interested on magnetic application, it isworthy to pay attention to the discussion on nanoparticle uniformity and agglomerations.
One of the problems of working with small tubes and classical magnetic separators (or simple magnets) is the lack of definition of the magnetic force. As the magnetic field and its gradient changes with distance, the force on the magnetic beads is not constant and variations in the behavior of the suspension are difficult to interpret.
