The VOVK valve is a miniature all-rounder in diagnostic and point-of-care devices, whether employed as a pilot valve or used to directly control small gas flows.

ISLANDIA, N.Y. (PRWEB)
January 12, 2021

Festo introduces the new VOVK valve for high-density small-footprint manifolds or for single valve duty. The VOVK delivers a wide pressure range, including vacuum, fast switching time, and low power consumption.

The VOVK is suitable for many applications, including in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) and small point-of-care (POC) devices such as portable oxygen regulators. These miniature valves can actuate multiple diaphragms on a lab-on-a-chip (LOC) cartridge that contains the analysis process and reagents. VOVK valves can control the flow of liquid in dialysis machines, turning on diaphragm switches that isolate contaminated liquids, and can serve in pilot valve applications. Non-medical related applications include controlling small gas flows in the electronics or semiconductor industry.

Low power consumption of .5 W with voltage of 12 or 24 V DC and fast switching time of .6 milliseconds at 6 bar enable tight packing on a manifold. The VOVK comes in three versions: the VOVK-FB offers a flanged connection underneath used for mounting up to 10 valves on a manifold block; the VOVK-FF, with a flanged connection at the front, connects up to 20 valves side by side; and the individually mounted valve VOVK-Q3F features a barbed fitting. These valves have a pressure range of -.9 to 7 bar and are suitable for vacuum.

Email life.sciences.nam@festo.com and visit the Festo Life Sciences webpage for more information. The Festo general information number is 800-993-3786.

###

About Festo    

Festo is a leading manufacturer of pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and controls for process and industrial automation. For more than 40 years, Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing and processing equipment.

Connect with Festo: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube

Share article on social media or email:

WESTMINSTER, Colo. (PRWEB)
January 13, 2021

Today the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and two of its regional affiliates released details on their upcoming virtual annual meetings – each focused on research, innovations and best practices in weed control.

Details are below, listed in chronological order.

• Southern Weed Science Society (SWSS), January 25-26, 2021

First up will be the SWSS annual meeting, based on the theme “Moving Obstacles.” The session will kick off on January 25 with a day of virtual talks by student weed scientists. A general session on January 26 will feature speakers from various backgrounds who will share the challenges they’ve faced in their careers, the paths they’ve traveled and the passions that have driven their success. A business meeting and annual awards presentation will wrap up the event. Registration information and further details are available online.

• Weed Science Society of America, February 15-19, 2021

WSSA’s annual meeting will include an annual awards presentation, oral and poster presentations, a business meeting, and special networking sessions for both graduate students and women in weed science. Five special symposia will be offered, including:

• Advances in sensor-based weed detection and precision management
• A history, overview and plan of action on PPO-inhibiting herbicides
• Beyond the boom – benefits of weed and brush management in grasslands
• Optimizing invasive aquatic plant management, monitoring and outreach efforts to meet regional needs
• Sustainable weed management – what is it and how are we doing?

Prerecorded presentations will be followed by live question and answer sessions. Further details and conference registration are available online.

• Western Society of Weed Science (WSWS), March 1-4, 2021

WSWS will host a joint meeting with the Western Aquatic Plant Management Society. Three symposia are planned for the joint event:

• Updates from weed biocontrol: an unsung component of integrated weed management on land and in water
• Annual invasive grass management
• Are herbicide-resistant crops the solution to herbicide-resistant weeds?

The meeting will maintain popular components of previous face-to-face gatherings, including student contest presentations, student night out, an opening reception, awards presentations, a general business meeting and networking opportunities. Further details will be posted online as they become available.

About the Weed Science Society of America

The Weed Science Society of America, a nonprofit scientific society, was founded in 1956 to encourage and promote the development of knowledge concerning weeds and their impact on the environment. The Society promotes research, education and extension outreach activities related to weeds, provides science-based information to the public and policy makers, fosters awareness of weeds and their impact on managed and natural ecosystems, and promotes cooperation among weed science organizations across the nation and around the world. For more information, visit http://www.wssa.net.

Share article on social media or email:

River Farm has been the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society since the early 1970s.

“River Farm is indeed a unique and special property and we are thrilled to now be receiving offers from entities interested in owning both the property and its legacy.” – Terry Hayes, AHS Board Chair

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (PRWEB)
January 11, 2021

The American Horticultural Society (AHS) is pleased to announce that it has officially begun receiving offers from prospective buyers interested in purchasing the nonprofit’s historic property in Alexandria, Virginia. The pristine 27-acre River Farm was placed on the market in late 2020, with AHS setting January 4, 2021, as the date it would begin to receive offers from interested parties. No formal deadline for offer submissions has been established.

River Farm is located on the banks of the Potomac River and was once part of George Washington’s original farmlands. The property includes open fields, beautiful gardens, sweeping views of the river, and a stately 1920’s manor house which has served as AHS’s headquarters since the 1970s.

The sale offers a once in a lifetime opportunity for a new steward to take ownership of River Farm. River Farm is listed for $32.9 million by Sue Goodhart of The Goodhart Group, Compass Real Estate. The listing price is based on fair market rates and was set following a competitive analysis of other properties for sale in the area. The AHS board will carefully review all offers submitted and hopes to identify a suitable buyer in the next few months. The ideal buyer will be a nonprofit, organization, or individual dedicated to preserving and maintaining the property’s historic integrity.

“River Farm is indeed a unique and special property and we are thrilled to now be receiving offers from entities interested in owning both the property and its legacy,” said Terry Hayes, AHS Board Chair. “We have had great interest from a number of potential buyers and welcome all interested parties to submit their offers in the coming weeks.”

AHS, a national nonprofit dedicated to sharing the art and science of growing plants throughout the United States, plans to utilize funds from the sale to establish an endowment for their nearly 100-year-old organization, which has faced difficult economic challenges in recent years, including lost revenue in event rentals and AHS programming during the pandemic, and the costs of maintaining River Farm. An endowment will provide essential financial stability to the organization and allow it to continue and grow its programming across the country.

Details on the listing are available here. For inquiries, contact Sue Goodhart at sue@thegoodhartgroup.com or (703) 362-3221. For more information on the American Horticultural Society, please visit http://www.ahsgardening.org.

IMAGES AND VIDEO AVAILABLE HERE.

Share article on social media or email:

VHS Learning offers computer science career pathways in middle school and high school through our innovative teacher-led online program. We want all students, regardless of their geographic location or economic circumstance, to discover the opportunities available to them through computer science.

BOSTON (PRWEB)
December 16, 2020

VHS Learning renewed its commitment to expand access to computer science education for all students at the 2020 CSforALL virtual showcase held recently. The showcase took the place of the annual summit, which was postponed until 2021. During the virtual event, CSforALL announced this year’s CSforALL Commitments from its member community.

VHS Learning, a nonprofit leader providing world-class online programs to schools and students globally, has embraced the CSforALL movement since its inception in 2016, and has made an ongoing commitment to expand access to computer science education for all students. This year, the nonprofit partnered with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) to offer free enrollments in its AP® Computer Science Principles course to high school students in rural areas.

Participating schools from at least five rural districts will be able to enroll students in the AP® program at no charge, beginning in the 2020-21 school year. The aim is to provide more opportunity within the field of computer science and help close the education gap. Students will enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, explore the world of computer science and its STEM applications, and better understand the opportunities available and skills needed for a future career in computer science.

“CSforALL aims to make computer science an integral part of the educational experience for all K-12 students and teachers,” said Carol DeFuria, President & CEO of VHS Learning. “VHS Learning offers computer science career pathways in middle school and high school through our innovative teacher-led online program. We want all students, regardless of their geographic location or economic circumstance, to discover the opportunities available to them through computer science.”

Technology courses currently offered by VHS Learning include CAD, Video Game Design, Java Programming, Programming in Visual Basic, and Creative Programming with Scratch. VHS Learning also offers a computer science certificate program. Students may enroll in any VHS Learning course of their choosing, as long as they meet course prerequisites. Students can choose to enroll directly in VHS Learning online courses or enroll through their school’s participation in the program.

About VHS Learning

VHS Learning is a nonprofit organization with 25 years of experience providing world-class online programs to students and schools everywhere. Offering more than 250 unique online courses, including 24 AP® courses, credit recovery and enrichment courses, and a selection of dual-credit options, VHS Learning is accredited by Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS), Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), and Cognia. Courses are approved for initial eligibility by NCAA. For more information about VHS Learning please visit https://www.vhslearning.org/ and follow on Twitter at @VHSLearning.

Share article on social media or email:

Dr. Pa,ela Weiss, MD, MSCE

I am delighted to have been selected as MSAB Chair.

ENCINO, Calif. (PRWEB)
December 16, 2020

Dr. Pamela Weiss, MD, MSCE has been appointed Chair of SAA’s Medical & Scientific Advisory Board (MSAB). Dr. Weiss is an attending physician in the Division of Rheumatology and a Core Faculty Member of the Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She is also an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Weiss has a distinguished history of awards, honors, fellowships, and appointments. Her research focus is on the early diagnosis, accurate phenotyping, and targeted treatment of children with spondyloarthritis (SpA). She has over a decade of experience leading clinical research endeavors, including multicenter research and research involving international collaborations. She engaged rheumatologists from around the world to develop the Juvenile SpA Disease Activity (JSpADA) measure that reflects SpA in the pediatric population and encompasses peripheral and axial disease. In 2014, she received the SAA/Bruckel Early Career Investigator (ECI) Award in AxSpA for her award-winning research that demonstrated that children with ERA (enthesitis-related arthritis) have worse function, poorer quality of life, and higher pain intensity than children with other categories of JIA (juvenile idiopathic arthritis).

“I am delighted to have been selected as MSAB Chair,” said Dr. Weiss. “I have a long-standing relationship with SAA including receipt of the ECI Award, participation in juvenile arthritis webinars and podcasts, research funding, and serving on SAA’s Medical & Scientific Advisory Board since 2018. I am thrilled to be able to expand my role and give back to SAA in this important way,” she added.

“Members of SAA’s Medical & Scientific Advisory Board devote their time and medical expertise to improving the lives of people impacted by spondyloarthritis, and we are so thrilled that Dr. Weiss is stepping into this pivotal leadership role as our Chair,” said SAA’s CEO Cassie Shafer.

About the Spondylitis Association of America

Since our founding in 1983, the Spondylitis Association of America has been the leading national nonprofit providing educational resources, connections, and the critical emotional support that people living with spondylitis need. SAA is committed to increasing awareness of spondylitis, providing information and support to patients and their families, and funding research to ultimately uncover a cure for the disease.

SAA has a wealth of information, educational materials, and resources for medical practitioners, the newly diagnosed, people who are seeking a proper diagnosis, and people who have already been diagnosed and living with the disease.

Share article on social media or email:

AODocs for Life Sciences provides organizations with a flexible and easy to deploy SaaS platform to control their quality documents and business processes that can be deployed in weeks, not months or years.,” said Stéphan Donzé, CEO, AODocs.

ATLANTA (PRWEB)
December 15, 2020

AODocs, one of the fastest-growing content services platform providers, today announced the latest edition of AODocs for Life Sciences, a modern cloud-native quality management solution (QMS) designed to accelerate the delivery of business solutions for FDA-regulated companies.

With this new update, AODocs for Life Sciences delivers enhanced capabilities for document control, change management, training and acknowledgement, management of corrective and preventative actions (CAPAs), and audit management. The latest release also features capabilities for managing non-conformities, customer complaints, governance and retention, reporting and analytics, and more.

AODocs for Life Sciences is a QMS that medical device manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and other research organizations can leverage to confidently build and administer their quality program, reduce the cost of computer system validation & assurance (CSV&A), and provide traceability during audits. The AODocs QMS framework, which is based on ISO 9001:2015, GAMP5, ASTM E2500, FDA 21 CFR Part 11, and EudraLex Annex 11, enables enterprises to deliver managed services that meets and exceeds the expectations of regulatory agencies in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.

“This year has dramatically illustrated the need for agility in the life science industry, and the importance of medical devices and drug manufacturers being able to react quickly to new situations and put their products to market in record time,” said AODocs CEO, Stéphan Donzé. “Quality management systems are a critical and foundational component of the IT stack for life science organizations, and AODocs for Life Sciences provides them with a flexible and easy to deploy SaaS platform to control their quality documents and business processes that can be deployed in weeks, not months or years.”

AODocs for Life Sciences employs a continuous validation approach to alleviate time and challenges often involved with meeting validation requirements, and helps to provide the path to a smooth, secure, and compliant move to the cloud.

“Cloud solutions must be validated for life sciences companies to use them, and every time a cloud vendor makes an update to their software, it needs to be re-validated. Unfortunately, many life science firms still conduct validation testing manually, which is time consuming and prone to error. AODocs leverages a ‘Continuous Validation’ framework to mitigate these risks and ensure that AODocs libraries and applications are maintained in a validated state,” added Donzé.

About AODocs

AODocs is the only business process platform tightly integrated with Google Drive’s collaborative, user experience-focused platform, allowing organizations in all industries to easily implement their business-critical processes, control their documents, and meet compliance requirements without burdening users. Headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in San Francisco, Paris, and Milan, AODocs was founded in 2012 by software veterans with decades of experience at organizations including Exalead, Actelion, and Logica. Built to automate business workflows in full compliance with various regulations, AODocs’ patented content services platform is a Google Recommended Partner Solution for G Suite. For more information, visit AODocs.com or follow @AODocs.

Share article on social media or email:

“Will Geist is an extraordinarily talented and accomplished executive with an impressive track record of success in operations, sales, marketing, and business development leadership roles,” said Slone Partners CEO Leslie Loveless.

SOUTH RIDING, Va. (PRWEB)
December 15, 2020

Slone Partners, a nationwide executive search firm for life science, biotechnology, and diagnostics companies, has announced the placement of Will Geist as Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Quanterix Corporation. In his new role, Geist will build on Quanterix’ track record of strong execution as the company expands globally and continues to disrupt pharmaceutical development and diagnostics research.

Geist brings more than 25 years of experience to Quanterix, most recently serving as Vice President and General Manager for two of Thermo Fisher Scientific’s largest business units – Protein and Cell Analysis (PCA), and qPCR. He also served a key leadership role in Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Biosciences Division COVID-19 Task Force. Prior to joining Thermo Fisher Scientific, Geist held several other top leadership titles, including Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Business Development at QIAGEN’s Quanta BioSciences.

“Will Geist is an extraordinarily talented and accomplished executive with an impressive track record of success in operations, sales, marketing, and business development leadership roles,” said Slone Partners CEO Leslie Loveless. “He will be a welcome addition to the very strong Quanterix executive team at an important time in the company’s evolution.”

“Quanterix is experiencing strong momentum across numerous digital biomarker platforms supporting drug development and non-invasive, early disease diagnostics research,” said Kevin Hrusovsky, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Quanterix. “We are fortunate to attract Will into Quanterix at this important time given his wealth of operating experience and track record for growing revenue and profitability, both commercially and operationally.”

“I am very excited to join Quanterix during this phase of growth and expansion,” said Geist. “I have long admired the company’s mission and welcome the opportunity to further operationalize and scale the innovation that Quanterix continues to achieve as part of its vision for precision health.”

Geist holds a B.A. in Biology from Dartmouth College.

ABOUT SLONE PARTNERS

Slone Partners delivers the leaders who build amazing and diverse life sciences organizations – People Are Our Science®. Founded in 2000, Slone Partners specializes in delivering world-class C-suite leadership, executive, and upper management talent to the most promising and established biotech, diagnostics, research tools, healthcare, precision medicine, CRO, and laboratory services companies. With coast-to-coast presence in the most active healthcare industry hubs of Boston, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Research Triangle Park NC, and Washington DC, Slone Partners uniquely and precisely provides an array of executive search and advisory services, including diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, to innovative life sciences companies. To learn more about Slone Partners’ value proposition and processes, visit http://www.slonepartners.com or call 888.784.3422.

ABOUT QUANTERIX CORPORATION

Founded in 2007, Quanterix is a company that’s digitizing biomarker analysis with the goal of advancing the science of precision health. The company’s digital health solution, Simoa, has the potential to change the way in which healthcare is provided today by giving researchers the ability to closely examine the continuum from health to disease. Quanterix’ technology is designed to enable much earlier disease detection, better prognoses and enhanced treatment methods to improve the quality of life and longevity of the population for generations to come. The technology is currently being used for research applications in several therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious disease. For additional information, please visit https://www.quanterix.com.

Share article on social media or email:

The 2021 PDA Board of Directors and Executive Committee

The diversity of our all-volunteer board of directors helps PDA continue to meet the needs of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical professions around the globe.

BETHESDA, Md. (PRWEB)
December 11, 2020

The Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) today announced the results of the 2020 Board of Directors Election for the term beginning January 1, 2021. Members chose from a slate of candidates to fill three director positions, as the composition of the 2021 Executive Committee was determined in the 2019 BoD election.

The 2021 Board of Directors and Executive Committee is the most diverse in PDA’s 70-year history, and features the only all-female team of Officers in the industry (winners of the 2020 election indicated in parentheses):

Executive Committee

• Chair: Jette Christensen, Novo Nordisk
• Chair-Elect: Susan Schniepp, RCA
• Treasurer: Melissa Seymour, Biogen
• Secretary: Emma Ramnarine, Genentech/Roche
• Imm. Past Chair: Rebecca Devine, Regulatory Consultant

Directors

• Barbara Allen, Eli Lilly and Company
• Michael Blackton, Adaptimmune
• Bettine Boltres, West Pharmaceutical Services (reelected)
• Tia Bush, Amgen
• Javier Camposano, Celltrion (appointed)
• Ghada Haddad, Merck & Co.
• Joyce Hansen, Johnson & Johnson
• Stephan Krause, AstraZeneca Biologics
• Mary Oates, Pfizer (reelected)
• Mathias Romacker, Pfizer (ret.)
• Anil Sawant, Merck & Co.
• Osamu Shirokizawa, Lifescientia (elected)

“I want congratulate the new officers and directors and thank the many members who took the time to vote.” said Richard Johnson, PDA President & CEO. “The diversity of our all-volunteer board of directors helps PDA continue to meet the needs of pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical professions around the globe. I also want to thank the other candidates for their commitment to PDA.”

PDA thanks outgoing directors Masahiro Akimoto, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Factory, Inc. and Stephan Roenninger, Amgen who will end their term at the end of 2020.

###

About PDA – Connecting People, Science and Regulation®

The Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) is the leading global provider of science, technology and regulatory information and education for the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical community. Founded in 1946 as a nonprofit organization, PDA is committed to developing scientifically sound, practical technical information and resources to advance science and regulation through the expertise of its 10,000 members worldwide. Go to http://www.pda.org/footer/about-pda to learn more.

Share article on social media or email: