The general synthesis lab con-tains and houses all the neces-sary equipment for nanopar-ticle synthesis and basic characterisation.
The sensors lab houses the equipment needed for the development and miniaturisa-tion of electrochemical sen-sors.
As support to the production facility housed in the ISO level 5 cleanroom, the developmen-tal lab houses smaller versions of the production scale equip-ment for POC development.
The tissue culture lab houses the NicTox™ facility and main-tains a sterile environment for cellular growth and toxicity testing.
The peptide synthesis lab is home to the MinPeptide™ facility and houses the Sym-phony peptide synthesiser for peptide and peptoid synthesis.
The water lab contains all the necessary equipment for the production of filtra-tion membranes and absorbents and the equipment needed to test their effi-cacy toward water purification.
The Mintek ISO 3 cleanroom is a clean-est environment of the cleanroom and is designed to combine “top down” and “bottom up” approaches to construct novel electronic and microfluidic devices with micro and nanoscale sizes and to understand their behaviour including quantum phenomena.
The ISO 5 and BSL 3 cleanroom facility is designed to develop and manufacture high quality, point-of-care rapid diagnos-tic devices (such as the lateral flow and biosensor devices) for the detection of human and animal diseases, as well as the containment of biological reagents.
The characterisation lab houses the HRSEM, TEM and AFM needed for the detailed characterisation of nanoma-terials.
Characterisation
The FEI Nova Nano-SEM 200 Field Emission HRSEM enables both high and very low kV imaging and analytical capabilities of specimens in and below lens configurations. It is equipped with an Everhardt Thornley Detector (EDT), backscattered electron detector (BSED), through-the-lens detector (TLD) for high resolution imaging and a X-ray spectro-meter (EDXS) for X-ray analysis.
The NIC has a JEOL JEM-2100F, Field Emission Gun (200kV), Transmission Electron Microscope (FEG-TEM) capable of providing high spatial resolution, atomic imaging and micro- and nano-structure analysis of materials.
The NIC owns both a Nanoscope and Enviroscope multimode Atomic Force Microscope. The multi-mode AFMs use both contact and tapping modes to ana-lyse samples, with nanometer range resolution. The samples can be analysed under high vacuum and various condi-tions, like temperature can be altered whilst the analysis is performed.
It is used to separate, identify and quantify components in a mixture. It relies on pumps to pass a pressurised solvent, containing the sample mixture, through a column filled with a solid adsorbent material. Each component in the sample interacts slightly differently with the adsorbent material, leading to the separation of the components.
A spectrophotometer is an instrument which measures the reflection or absor-bance characteristics of a sample. Here the absorbance can be captured in the ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared wavelength ranges (300 - 3200 nm).
A thermo-analytical technique, in which the difference in the amount of heat re-quired to increase the temperature of a sample and reference, is measured as a function of temperature. This particular instrument has a temperature range of (-140°C - 600°C).
It is a vibrational technique for identifi-cation and analysis of molecular spe-cies. The science is based on the detec-tion and processing of the scattered radiation produced from a molecule when it is irradiated with a monochro-matic laser light.
It is a modular, fully integrated, para-meter analyzer that performs electrical characterization of materials, semicon-ductor devices and processes.
Basic spectroscopic absorption done in the visible and ultraviolet ranges (300 - 765 nm). A sample is irradiated and the absorption of the light recorded as a function of the wavelength.
It measures mass and viscosity in processes occurring at or near surfaces, or within thin films. The instrument reads the resonant frequency and resistance of a 5 MHz, AT-cut quartz crystal. The resonant frequency changes as a linear function of the mass of material deposited on the crystal surface. The resistance at resonance chan-ges with the viscosity / elasticity of the material (film or liquid) in contact with the crystal surface.
The Zetasizer Nano Z system is dedicated to the mea-surement of zeta potential and electrophoretic mobility of colloids and nanoparticles, in aqueous and non-aqueous dispersions, using Laser Doppler Micro-Electro-phoresis.
Analysis
The TOC analyser adopts the 680°C combustion catalytic oxidation method, developed by Shimadzu. While providing an ultra-wide range of 4 μg/L to 30 000 mg/L, these analysers boast a detection limit of 4 μg/L through coordination with NDIR.
This high end, high current potentiostat /galvanostat, with a compliance voltage of 30 V and a bandwidth of 1 MHz, combined with our FRA32M module, is specially designed for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.
A feed solution passes to the filter membrane in the cross-flow membrane cells. Molecules or materials which are smaller than the cross-flow membrane's molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) or porosity pass through the membrane as permeate.
A feed solution passes through the filter membrane directly, with pressure applied from above. Molecules or materials that are smaller than the membrane pore size pass through the membrane.
Synthesis and testing
The Symphony® is a 12-channel peptide synthesizer, with production from 0.005 - 7.5mmol. It is versatile, has fast multi-plex operation, with low coupling cost, variable synthetic scales, automated cleavage and customisable protocols.
Freeze-drying is a dehydration process, typically used to preserve a perishable material or make the material more convenient for transport. Freeze-drying works by freezing the material and then reducing the surrounding pressure to allow the frozen water in the material to sublimate directly from the solid phase to the gas phase.
The xCELLigence Real Time Cell Analysis MultiPlate instrument uses non-invasive electrical impedance monitoring to quantify cell proliferation, morphology change and attachment quality in a label-free, real-time manner.
A variety of Biodot equipment is available for the basic development of Lateral Flow Point of Care (LFPOC) devices. The setup includes a Frontline HR™, BioJet HR™ and AirJet HR™.
Production and development
From research to development, these instruments produce the nano-enabled products. The products range from nanoparticles to membranes to screen printed electrodes to later flow point of care kits.
PVD uses a physical process (under vacuum), such as heating or sputtering, to produce a material vapour, which is then deposited on an object that requires a coating.
The NEU Nanofibre Electrospinning Unit uses electrospinning techniques to safely and easily produce nanofibers with diameters of 50 to 800 nm.
The Gardco Automatic Drawdown Machine was designed to draw down membranes with a high degree of reproducibility.
Spin coating is a procedure used to deposit uniform thin films to flat substrates. The substrate is rotated at high speed in order to spread the coating material by centrifugal force.
Used for the production of Screen Printed Electrodes (SPE's). The screen printer is supported by DEK printing technology, with camera alignment, for exact XY positioning and consistent results.
The RR120 is a modular, in-line processing system that includes, web feed, dispensing with web tracking, vision inspection/bad part marking, impregnation, drying and take-up in a controlled humidity environment. The system provides processing of webs from 5-120 mm widths.
The LM6000 Continuous Laminating System is a modular design to accommodate various numbers and types of materials. Each material is fed, from adjustable spindles, through guides and under a pressure capstan roller, to assure complete adhesion to the plastic support backing.
The CM4000 Guillotine Cutter is a robust, fully automatic workstation that provides high quality precision cuts. Blades are made from hardened steel and specially coated to improve ejection of cut strips and reduce glue build up.
Used in the final stages of packaging, the heat sealer ensures a sterile environment within the storage pouch, extending the produced devices' shelf life.
