Biotechnology equipment is important to the 21st century study of living organisms and cells. Medical, pharmaceutical, food processing and agricultural industries all make use of biotechnology equipment and supplies. Companies must continuously strive to increase biotechnology equipment and supplies education and training in order to keep up with the fast pace progress of technology. New ideas, techniques, and equipment continue to become available.

Laboratory workers and managers, biotech equipment designers, biotechnology equipment manufacturers and biotechnology suppliers all benefit from biotechnology equipment and supplies education and training. These workers learn about biotech equipment through training courses, seminar, and publications. Try some of the options listed below to help your business learn more about instruments used in research.

1. Biotech programs at educational institutes offer information about using biotechnology supplies.

2. Training seminars keep lab workers and distributors up to date on new products and biotech equipment usage methods from biotechnology equipment suppliers.

3. Publications offer information pertaining to biotech instruments.

Action Steps
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Complete a biotechnology program to learn more about using biotechnology equipment

Biotech programs offer information about the biotech industry. Courses focus on biotechnology practices, biotech research and biotechnology lab equipment. Laboratory workers and managers learn about the various types of biotech equipment available. They get hands-on experience and practice safety skills using biotechnology equipment and supplies.

I recommend: The Univerisity of Houston's Center for Life Sciences Technology describes different biotech programs available for gaining more information about equipment and supplies used in biotechnology. The programs begin at the high school level and advance through graduate level of study. The Utah Education Network also offers biotech courses. One course in the program teaches the proper use of biotech equipment.

Attend a biotechnology equipment seminar for enhanced biotech equipment information

Biotechnology equipment and supplies seminars offer detailed information for manufacturers, suppliers and users of biotech equipment. Manufacturers learn the needs of the future of biotechnology. Distributors discover upcoming products and techniques. Laboratory equipment managers learn about purchasing biotech supplies.

I recommend: ComplianceOnline offers a 60-minute live online seminar of biotechnology. One may also view a recorded session of the seminar on a training CD that can be shared with a group of employees. The Biotechnology Calendar offers a list of events and trade shows where research lab employees and equipment suppliers learn about the newest biotech products and services.

Study publications featuring information about biotechnology equipment

Publications offer up-to-date information about biotechnology equipment and supplies. Learn tips and techniques for purchasing used biotech equipment from a biotech equipment auction. Understand the various features performed by biotech instruments in laboratory research. Learn safety and precaution methods for lab research equipment and supplies.

I recommend: Subscribe to the newsletter from Arizona Biotech News that offers articles and news from the biotech industry. Look for articles discussing trade shows and biotech equipment manufacturers. Paradigm Publishing features a manual for working safely with biotech equipment in labs. One may purchase the manual from the site.

Biotechnology equipment and supplies include items, such as bioreactors, bioprocess plants, biological safety cabinets, water purification, autoclaves, analytical instruments, separation plants, analyzers, cleaning equipment, scientific doors, and heat exchangers. A successful biotechnology business requires biotechnology supplies that have passed rigid quality assurance tests and represent current technology. Your company can purchase these supplies new or used. Equipment comes directly from the from biotechnology manufacturer or from a dealer.

Before buying your company's biotech equipment, consider several important factors:

1. Biotech equipment is constantly changing, as new technology produces new and more efficacious equipment.

2. Purchasing used equipment, that's still in good condition, can save you money.

3. Biotech equipment auctions sometimes offer quality biotech supplies at an auction price.

Action Steps
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Stay informed about biotech equipment and biotechnology equipment suppliers

Biotech equipment is constantly changing. To identify the best equipment for your company, you'll need to stay abreast of new technology as it emerges.

I recommend: Highbeam Research offers the Biotech Equipment Update, which is a monthly newsletter that provides information about biotech equipment and vendors. Subscribe to their RSS publication feed. In addition, talk with other industry insiders by joining in the discussion at the Thomas Publishing Company forum known as, "Tools of the Trade."

Find used biotech equipment

Used biotech equipment can be purchased through an online forum with postings from various sellers or directly through a biotech supplier. Used biotech suppliers sell products ranging from slightly used items to 'scratch and dent' items to items that came from a company's overstock.

I recommend: Blue Lion Biotech specializes in buying and selling lab equipment. While they sell some slightly used and refurbished equipment, they also seek high quality equipment that is brand new and still in it's original packaging. Biolytic is a company which has been in business for over 14 years. They specialize in refurbishing and updating used biotech equipment. Specifically, they converted an old Cyclone DNA Synthesizer to the CyCleave 12, a 12 column automated oligo column cleavage station. Grizzly Analytical, a Northern California company, also sells used, reconditioned and rebuilt biotech lab equipment. Peruse their online index for a list of their current supplies.

Shop at a biotech equipment auction

Biotech auctions are great places to find good deals on biotech instruments used in research.

I recommend: Cowan Alexander is a national auction company that offers clients WebCast and 24 x 7 auctions. Contact them for information about current and upcoming auctions. GoIndustry-DoveBid is an industrial auctioneer and appraisal group. Check out their auction list for upcoming sales sorted by date.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Beware of a price that seems too good to be true on used biotech equipment. Even though the equipment is in good shape and from a reputable manufacturer, it may be outdated and relatively useless in current research.
• •  When buying used equipment, inquire about the biotech supplier's standards for procurement of equipment. Products should come from established biotech manufacturers with strong maintenance and decontamination procedures.
• •  Liquidate biotechnology equipment and supplies that aren't being used by your company. Use a biotech equipment auction company to assess the value of your product and market it to potential buyers.

Biotechnologists need a number of unique supplies in order to conduct their research. Knowledge of some of the key vocabulary that companies use when discussing biotechnology equipment and supplies can help biotechnologists to purchase the supplies that they need at a price they can afford. For example, you may want to purchase new bioprocess plants or bioreactors but may be able to get by with scratch and dent glassware. You can save even more money with used and refurbished equipment, but you must make sure that it is not outdated.

Action Steps
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Bioreactors

Bioreactors are containers that a biotechnologist uses to conduct experiments. Because the scientists can control the environment inside the container, it is ideal for measuring results. Companies typically make bioreactors from stainless steel.

I recommend: Visit BioNewsOnline.com for a more detailed description of bioreactors.

Scientific doors

Because biotechnologists are often working with dangerous substances, they need to ensure that these substances do not leak into the general population. Companies specially design scientific doors with antifungal and weather-resistant qualities. Scientific doors are steel and used in clean rooms.

I recommend: Steel Tech Industries produces scientific doors. They include a description and photos on their website.

Environmental management

Biotechnology companies create a lot of waste, and much of it is hazardous to the environment. These companies must pay attention to environmental management to ensure that they are properly disposing of dangerous materials so that they are not released into the environment.

I recommend: The U.S. Department of Energy discusses environmental management and has information about how companies can stay within the law when disposing waste.

Autoclaves

Biotechnologists use autoclaves to sterilize their equipment, getting rid of bacteria and other microorganisms that could negatively affect experiments. Autoclaves can sterilize using steam or dry heat.

I recommend: Iowa State University offers advice about how to use an autoclave.

Heat exchangers

A heat exchanger transfers heat from one medium to another. The biotechnology industry typically uses shell and tube heat exchangers.

I recommend: Che Plus gives instructions for how to create a heat exchanger.

Biological safety cabinets

Biotech companies often use biological safety cabinets. These specially designed cabinets can prevent scientists from being harmed by microorganisms or they can ensure that outside contaminants do not disturb an experiment.

I recommend: The Baker Company offers an extensive description of biological safety cabinets, including descriptions of the different classes of cabinets and how scientists should use them.