Clear success - on a plate

Scientist at a British company have discovered a way of making the glass plates used in laboratories 200 times more effective.

Plasso, a spin-off company from Sheffield University in England, has discovered that the application of certain chemicals to the surface of slides improved the way they 'capture' the biological molecules they are trying to detect.

In ordinary terms it is a film that can be applied to any shape or material, from plastic through to ceramic, and that will increase the sensitivity of diagnostic tests used for diseases. The technology is also being applied to the developing markets of micro arrays and drug discovery.

Chief executive Sameer Kothari explained: "Biotechnology is revolutionising the diagnostics industry, which increasingly depends on our understanding of diseases at a molecular level. We believe this technology has the potential to make a huge impact on the life sciences industry and help the diagnosis of diseases to be made much earlier, which may provide a better prognosis."