News and Events
News and Events
DCN IS MOVING
DCN is moving to its new 8000 square foot facility on 9 November 2009. The address is 6354 Corte del Abeto,Suite B, Carlsbad, CA 92011. Other contact information will remain the same. (Telephone +1-760-804-3886. Fax +1-760-804-3866.) Watch for more details on the new facility and for the upcoming Open House to celebrate the move.
LATERAL FLOW WORKSHOP
DCN will be presenting and exhibiting at BioDot’s workshop on “Materials and Methods to Develop and Produce Quantitative Rapid Tests,” 9 - 11 November 2009. The workshop will be held in San Francisco, CA. This 2½ day course focuses on innovative technologies for quantitative rapid tests used in diagnostics. Dr Brendan O’Farrell will be presenting on a variety of topics including Development and Manufacture of Quantitative, Highly Sensitive Lateral Flow Assays based on fluorescent labels. Please enquire at info@dcndx.com for details.
MEDICA 2009
DCN will be exhibiting at MEDICA 2009 in Duesseldorf, Germany, 18-21 November. DCN will be exhibiting in association with Biodot, Ltd in Hall 2 and will be presenting our range of products and services, including the SymBioSysTM assay development, device design and reader integration program for rapid diagnostics. Please contact Dr Brendan O’Farrell at bofarrell@dcndx.com to arrange a meeting to discuss your application.
NEW WEBSITE
Please check out our freshly relaunched website at www.dcndx.com. The site has a new look and feel, and has additional content relative to our newly expanded Consulting Services, Affiliates’ Network and SymBioSysTM assay development, cassette design and reader integration program. Please let us know your impressions of the new site at info@dcndx.com.
DCN CONTINUES TO EXPAND
DCN is in the process of expanding our development teams, with the addition of several Research Scientist and Research Associate positions. DCN also offers ongoing opportunities for consultants in diagnostic industry-related fields. Please see dcndx.com/services/consulting for details.
AACC 2009: Announcing the SymBioSys™ Program for complete diagnostic assay system development
DCN will be exhibiting at the AACC in Chicago, July 21-23, 2009 where we will be proudly unveiling our SymBioSys™ program for developers of diagnostic products. SymBioSys™ is a collaboration between DCN and Symbient Product Development, our long-standing partner in product development for our rapid diagnostic product clients. This program is designed to provide a modular menu of services related to the science and engineering of rapid assay development and manufacturing. It combines the development, rapid prototyping and manufacturing expertise of DCN and SPD related to the biology, chemistry and mechanics of rapid assay testing and sample handling devices into a single point of contact for companies developing complex, high performing rapid assay systems. This service provides a complete solution for the OEM development of rapid assay systems that may include novel labels such as fluorescence or magnetic particles, reader development and integration, and the design of multi-functional cassettes and sample handling systems. Whether you are interested in re-formatting your existing assay system or developing from first principles, this service can provide a fast, efficient route to commercializing your assay concepts. This service can be combined with DCN’s other services, including our Education and Training Courses in Lateral Flow and Flow Through Assay Technology, Contract Manufacturing service, or consulting services. Please come by our booth to be introduced to this new program.
Consulting Program Expansion
DCN is also pleased to announce the expansion of its consulting services. With over 20 highly experienced industry professionals available for consultation, DCN can now offer cross-functional consulting teams to rapidly and efficiently address your product development, manufacturing, troubleshooting, regulatory, technology evaluation, due diligence, quality or commercialization needs. All of our consultants have in excess of 10 years of high level industry experience in their respective fields. Whether you need board level advice, a single consultant to address a particular problem or a team assembled to contribute to your company in a cross-disciplinary way on an ongoing basis, DCN can provide the expertise to meet your needs. Please contact us at info@dcndx.com for more details or stop by our booth at the AACC.
New Facility
DCN continues its growth and development with the signing this month of the agreement for our new facility, which will be located in Carlsbad, CA. At over 8000 square feet, with integrated class 10,000 clean room, environmentally controlled (dry) rooms, and extensive laboratory and conference facilities, this building will allow DCN to continue to expand our range of education, product development, manufacturing and system integration programs, as well as the expansion of our custom latex conjugation, colloidal gold and other reagent manufacturing capabilities. Stay tuned for announcement of our moving date in early Autumn 2009.
Lateral Flow Workshop – Amsterdam
Dr Brendan O’Farrell will be presenting at BioDot’s Hands On Workshop on Lateral Flow Technologies in Amsterdam, May 18th-20th 2009. He will be presenting a range of presentations on topics including assay design for manufacturing, validation of point of care assays, and developments leading to high sensitivity and quantification in point of care assays. He will also be hosting elements of the practical hands-on training sessions on lateral flow and flow through technologies. For registration information, see BioDot’s website at www.biodot.com, or contact Trish Morley at Trish.Morley@biodot.com (Tel: +44-01243-572044)
Estapor Conference
Dr Brendan O’Farrell will be presenting at Estapor’s upcoming conference in London on May 6th, 2009, where his topic will be Development of next generation assay performance through the use of Fluorescence in Lateral Flow Technologies. For registration information, please see http://www.merckchimie-communications.fr/estapor/seminar
March 2009
ISO Certification
DCN is pleased to announce that it has received its certification for ISO 9001-2000 through Underwriters Laboratory. This represents a further step in DCN’s ongoing commitment to providing the highest quality services and products to our clients for assay development, education and training, contract manufacturing and associated products and consulting services.
Continued Expansion
We are pleased to welcome our two newest employees, Danielle Loughran and Margaret Cohan, both of whom bring a wealth of experience in the development and manufacturing of rapid immunoassays. Their addition to our assay development teams adds to DCN’s growing capacity for performing rapid assay development and coupled with the expertise of our VP of R&D Dr Roy Chung and existing development staff, gives DCN the internal capability for handling ever more complex development programs.
Growing Service Catalog
We are pleased to welcome several new members to our Network of Affiliates. Through our core expertise within DCN and through our network partners, DCN can address virtually all elements of point of care assay system development, including:
Assay design and development
Project Management
Plastics/device design (cassettes, sample handing, novel microfluidic chip design)
Contact manufacturing
-Molding
-Packaging
-Reader design and development
-Label design and provision (fluorescent, visual and paramagnetic)
-Dry chemistry assay development
-Novel platform provision
-Manufacturing equipment design and provision
We offer additional services in related areas including:
-Regulatory affairs
-Market evaluation
-Branding
-Intellectual property
-FMEA and Risk Analysis
-Manufacturing process design
Please contact info@dcndx.com to enquire about our services and see our website at www.dcndx.com for more information on our Network.
Upcoming Events
DCN will be presenting at the following events:
March 2009:
IVD Technologies Webcast: Dr Brendan O’Farrell will be presenting in a webcast sponsored by IVD Technologies journal on March 26th, 2009 related to issues and developments in the design and manufacture of high quality point of care immunoassays. His presentation will be on technical challenges typically encountered in the development of point of care immunoassays. For details and to register, see http://www.devicelink.com/ivdt/webcasts/poc.html
BioDot San Diego Workshop on Rapid Assays: Dr Brendan O’Farrell will be presenting at BioDot’s workshop in San Diego, March 31st – April 2nd, where his topic will relate to the use of novel label and reader technologies in overcoming variation and sensitivity issues in point of care technologies. Also on display at this workshop will be DCN’s range of readers for lateral flow and flow through technologies, as well as information on DCN’s broad range of technology development services and our Network of Affiliates. To register, please see www.biodot.com, or contact Barbara McIntosh at Barbara.mcintosh@biodot.com
July 2009
AACC, Chicago. DCN will have a large presence at this year’s AACC, showcasing our expanded Network of Affiliates and our growing capacity for development of complex point of need assay systems.
Appointments at Events
To make an appointment for a meeting at any of these events, please contact Brendan O’Farrell at bofarrell@dcndx.com or by phone at +1-949-872-8589.
Please see www.dcndx.com for more news, events and details of our services and products, and visit our library section for copies of the materials presented by DCN at these events.
DCN receives ISO 9001-2000 Certification
DCN is proud to announce that it has received its ISO9001-2000 certification through Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL). The formalized implementation of our Quality System underscores our commitment to providing the highest quality services and products to all of our customers and is part of our ongoing policy and practice of continuous improvement and growth as a development and manufacturer of the highest quality and performance rapid immunoassays.
Rapid Methods Europe
DCN will be exhibiting at the Rapid Methods Europe (RME) conference in Noordwijkerhout in Holland, January 26-28, 2009. We will have our full range of lateral flow readers, disposables, materials and services on show and will be available for discussion and consultation on your assay development programs. If you would like to set up a time and date for a meeting, please email Dr Brendan O’Farrell at bofarrell@dcndx.com. For information on the conference, please follow this link: http://www.bastiaanse-communication.com/html/rme2009.html
Lateral Flow Immunoassay Textbook
Dr Brendan O’Farrell has contributed two chapters to the latest textbook relating to lateral flow immunoassays. The book , edited by Raphael Wong and Harley Tse is entitled : Lateral Flow Immunoassay and is available from Humana Press (www.springer .com/humana). Dr O’Farrell’s chapters are on the Evolution in Lateral Flow Based Immunoassay Systems and Manufacturing the Next Generation of Highly Sensitive and Reproducible Lateral Flow Immunoassays (co-authored with Dr Tom Tisone from BioDot Inc.). The book contains contributions from a number of well recognized experts in the field of rapid immunoassays and should prove an invaluable addition to the library of all developers and manufacturers of these kinds of tests.
Medica 2008
DCN will be exhibiting at the Medica Trade Fair, November 19-22, in Dusseldorf, Germany. DCN will be sharing a booth with BioDot; Booth number 2B48, hall 2. For information on the event please visit http://www.medica.de
To arrange a meeting with DCN at the show, please email Dr Brendan O’Farrell at bofarrell@dcndx.com or call +1-949-872-8589.
August 2008
DCN’s new website came online on August 1st. The site includes new features including full search capability, market information on a variety of applications, and a library of appropriate publications and presentations for anyone interested in lateral flow technologies, colloidal gold, fluorescent labels and readers.
June 2008
AACC 2008: DCN presented a variety of workshops and talks at the AACC in Washington DC this year. The presentations can be found in our Library section
Industry Workshop: Presented by DCN and ESE: Application of Fluorescence in Next Generation Lateral Flow Assays
Abstract: In this workshop, attendees were introduced to a variety of portable handheld and benchtop fluorescent and visual lateral flow assay readers, and to a variety of custom labels designed specifically for use in high sensitivity lateral flow applications. A variety of clinically relevant assay systems were presented that demonstrate the increase in sensitivity that can be achieved with these custom fluorescent labels, compared to standard visual labels such as colloidal gold.
Whatman / GE Healthcare Workshop and Reception: The New Frontier for Lateral Flow Assays
Abstract: Dr Brendan O’Farrell presented on “Evolution in Rapid Assays” at this special event and reception sponsored by Whatman /GE Healthcare.
OEM Lecture: Development of a novel lateral-flow assay for Bacillus anthracis protective antigen
Abstract: DCN’s Vice President of R&D, Dr Roy Chung, presented data from a highly sensitive assay for Bacillus anthracis that combines novel fluorescent labels with a low cost, field use reader.
Jan 2008
Dr Brendan O’Farrell’s presentation from the Rapid Methods Europe 2008, entitled: “Pushing Lateral flow to the limits: Generating rapid highly sensitive field tests suitable for food testing” is available for download here! (12 Mb)
December 2007
DCN’s Charitable Fund made contributions to 6 charities in 2007. Visit the DCN Charitable Fund page to read more!
October 2007
DCN’s Dr Brendan O’Farrell recently presented at BioDot’s workshop on Next Generation Point of Care Diagnostics in San Diego, CA. His presentation, entitled: “Pushing lateral flow to the limits” can be downloaded here. (12mb)
September 2007
DCN will be exhibiting in association with BioDot at this year’s Medica meeting in Dusseldorf, November 13-17th, 2007. Come see us at Booth B48, Hall 2.
September 2007
Dr Brendan O’Farrell has written the introduction to the Consulting section of this year’s IVD Buyer’s Guide. You can find the article at http://www.devicelink.com/ivdt.