Ge Healthcare UK Limited

Whatman Gmbh

Navin Deepal Pathirana

Matthew Baker

Neil Butt

Stevan Paul Tortorella

Geraint Seymour

The present invention provides a syringe for filtering a liquid comprising: a housing with a plunger slidable therein; an inlet for taking in liquid from a liquid source into the housing; an outlet for expelling liquid from the inside of the housing; a filter; and a rotatable valve member being rotatable between a first position and a second position; wherein rotation of the valve member to the first position permits liquid that is drawn through the inlet into the housing by pulling the plunger to bypass the filter, and rotation of the valve member to the second position forces liquid that is expelled from the inside of the housing by pushing the plunger to pass through the filter and out of the outlet.

Syringe filter

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a filtration device and method for filtering liquids. In conventional devices, a liquid is placed in a vial, and a plunger, having a filter membrane located at one end, is depressed into the vial, causing the liquid to pass through the filter membrane into the interior of the plunger, where it is stored until required for further processing. However, such plungers are typically made of a plastics material. It is undesirable to store the filtered liquid in contact with plastics for extended periods of time, as contaminants may leach from the plastics material into the sample. In embodiments of the present invention, a filtrate receptacle made from a different material to the plunger, such as a glass material, is located in the interior of the plunger and the filtered liquid collected in the filtrate receptacle after passing through the filter membrane. This allows the filtered liquid to be held isolated from the plastics material, thereby protecting it from contamination.

Filtration device and method

A composition for treating a nucleic acid duplex, wherein the composition is capable of inhibiting denaturation of the duplex, characterised in that the composition comprises a ubiquitin-like protein and/or a macroglobulin. It has been found that ubiquitin-like proteins (e.g. ubiquitin, NEDD8, RAD23, etc.) and macroglobulins (eg. &#x3b1;-macroglobulin) are able to stabilise nucleic acid duplexes. A nucleic acid duplex which has been contacted with the composition of the invention can be subjected to more stringent processing conditions, with denaturation of the duplex being inhibited, than would otherwise be possible. Corresponding methods and uses are also provided.

Stabilisation of double-stranded nucleic acids using proteins

A solution for treating a nucleic acid duplex having a pH of from 3 to 11, comprising a soluble protein or mixture of proteins; and 0.1 mM to 10 mM divalent cations; wherein the nature and concentration of the protein or mixture of proteins is selected so that the solution is capable of inhibiting heat denaturation of a nucleic acid product.

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Cape Elizabeth, ME, United States of America

Navin Deepal Pathirana