Cloud security in a bioanalytical world: considerations for use of third-party cloud services for bioanalysis.

While using the cloud environment for various functions has become commonplace, relatively little attention has been given to considerations for the use of third-party cloud services for regulated bioanalytical workflow and data management. Little guidance has been provided as to how to utilize the cloud to support bioanalytical activities. It can be intimidating when considering how to go about using cloud services for data acquisition, but there are some general ideas to keep in mind when evaluating ways to accommodate regulated bioanalysis online.

Differential miRNA expression in inherently high- and low-active inbred mice.

Despite established health benefits of regular exercise, the majority of Americans do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity. While it is known that voluntary activity levels are largely heritable, the genetic mechanisms that regulate activity are not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that inhibit transcription by binding to a target gene, inhibiting protein production.

Differential gene expression in high- and low-active inbred mice.

Numerous candidate genes have been suggested in the recent literature with proposed roles in regulation of voluntary physical activity, with little evidence of these genes' functional roles. This study compared the haplotype structure and expression profile in skeletal muscle and brain of inherently high- (C57L/J) and low- (C3H/HeJ) active mice. Expression of nine candidate genes [Actn2, Actn3, Casq1, Drd2, Lepr, Mc4r, Mstn, Papss2, and Glut4 (a.

Development of a validated liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for a PEGylated adnectin in cynomolgus monkey plasma using protein precipitation and trypsin digestion.

A liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method has been developed and validated for a PEGylated adnectin therapeutic protein in cynomolgus monkey plasma. The validated method was performed using protein precipitation coupled with trypsin digestion, followed by LC-MS/MS detection of a surrogate peptide generated from the PEGylated adnectin protein. A tryptic peptide generated from a PEGylated adnectin protein analog was used as the internal standard to standardize the digestion, extraction, and quantitation processes.

Pharmacologic inhibition of MEK signaling prevents growth of canine hemangiosarcoma.

Angiosarcoma is a rare neoplasm of endothelial origin that has limited treatment options and poor five-year survival. As a model for human angiosarcoma, we studied primary cells and tumorgrafts derived from canine hemangiosarcoma (HSA), which is also an endothelial malignancy with similar presentation and histology. Primary cells isolated from HSA showed constitutive extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation.

Application of a design of experiment approach in the development of a sensitive bioanalytical assay in human plasma.

To support a first-in-human (FIH) clinical study in healthy volunteers, a human plasma assay, a 20-fold more sensitive method than the validated non-clinical LC-MS/MS assays, was requested. For the clinical assay, a LLOQ of 0.050 ng/mL for Compound A and 0.

Conference report: bioanalytical sessions at the 2011 Eastern Analytical Symposium.

The 2011 Eastern Analytical Symposium (EAS) and Exposition was held at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset NJ, USA, 14-17 November and marked the 50th anniversary of EAS, with a theme of 'Celebrating Innovation in Analysis'. The technical program was rich in presentations relevant to bioanalytical sciences, covering biomarkers, proteomics/metabolomics, small molecule and protein LC-MS bioanalysis, immunogenicity and biological sample preparation. This conference report highlights some of the lectures and short courses of interest to bioanalysts at the 2011 EAS.

Analysis of goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis L., and related alkaloids in urine using HPLC with UV detection.

A screening method was developed to extract and detect berberine and hydrastine alkaloids from goldenseal root powder and urine samples using HPLC with UV detection. The isocratic method was developed to detect alkaloids in 5 mL of urine prior to drug screening. Urine samples were spiked with the alkaloids at varying concentrations and extracted twice with 3:1 chloroform:2-propanol (CHCl(3):2-propanol).