by Peter Nollert
May 15, 2012 01:40
If I buy a reagent kit for my research, I need to know what's inside. Of course, how else can you carry out an experiment? I can not agree more with Anna Git's complaints in an Nature Comment that there is a lack of transparency imposed by some reagent manufacturers. (see Git, A. (2012). Research tools: A recipe for disaster Nature, 484 (7395), 439-440 DOI: 10.1038/484439a). Here are her grievances:
'For the most part, [reagent manufacturers] do not provide full details about the contents of their chemicals,…''...to try to decipher the ingredients of commercial products, my colleagues and I have tested pH and conductivity, signed confidentiality agreements to receive extra information not on the label and discarded experiments in which unknown ingredients impeded subsequent reactions. We are on first-name terms with many sympathetic scientists who work in research and development (R&D) for commercial vendors, and who occasionally whisper crucial details off the record.'
So here's our stance on this subject: Emerald Bio customers can get all recipe data that goes into any of our reagent kits. Most of this data is supplied in the various tech sheets. For instance, see here for a description of the 96 Wizard III/IV protein crystallization formulations. Should this information not be sufficient for you, call us toll free at 1-888-780-8588 and ask us what else you need. We're glad to share with you more detail on any of our protein crystallization formulations. For instance, recipes for formulations in any of our protein crystallization screens, down to the CAS number if you need, and even raw material supplier information. No need to whisper or sign any confidentiality agreements.
Why are we doing this? Service to our customers who trust us as a no-formulation secrets manufacturer. And in the long run this openness is in our own interest: Your success in reproducible protein crystallization is our business.
Thank you for your continued use of our products,
Peter