The Evidence Evolution: The world’s most advanced immunoassay analyser
The Evidence Evolution: The world’s most advanced immunoassay analyser
What sets the Evidence Series apart from its competitors is its flexibility across the range of immunoassay analysers. No other range of analysers has the capability in terms of throughput in comparison to the Evidence Series. With this established, we are delighted to introduce the latest in the Evidence Series range, the Evidence Evolution.
Join the Evolution
We believe that the Evidence Evolution is the world’s most advanced immunoassay analyser. The Evidence Evolution is the most versatile analyser Randox has ever produced. By utilising the same multiplex technology as the other Evidence Series analysers, the Evidence Evolution can process up to 44 results from a single sample, with a maximum throughput of up to 2640 tests per hour. With such a high volume of potential throughput, you may think that reporting time will be compromised, that is simply not the case. The Evidence Evolution can produce the first set of results in less than 36 minutes, with one sample of up to 44 results reported every minute after. The speed of reporting time distinguishes the Evidence Evolution from its competitors, and allows the analyser to further display its capabilities.
Innovation
By utilising patented Biochip Array Technology, the Evidence Evolution offers batch analysis, true random access and STAT testing capabilities. These, combined with retrospective testing, allows the user to build a more in-depth patient profile.
With such swift reporting times, the Evidence Evolution can boast of a true walkaway time of 2 hours, in a laboratory setting, this can be vital. With multiple daily tasks to be completed, time is of the essence, and the Evidence Evolution has been designed to lessen the workload of laboratory staff. By being able to offer a combination of continuous sample and reagent loading, plus automated on-board sample dilution, the Evidence Evolution will have a positive impact in busy laboratories.
Complete Picture
A fast reporting time and high throughput capabilities is just the tip of what the Evidence Evolution can offer. The analyser has the capability to test across multiple matrices, allowing for more flexibility in sampling. It also comes equipped with state of the art intuitive software and advanced precision bio-drive robotics, meaning the Evidence Evolution is an analyser that has been designed and developed to meet the needs of a modern, high throughput laboratory, by a company that has a deep understanding of laboratory needs.
About the Randox Evidence Series
The Evidence Series is set to revolutionise diagnostic testing forever. Offering unrivalled capabilities across all analysers, we truly believe that the Evidence Series range of immunoassay analysers can meet your diagnostic testing capabilities.
For more information on the Evidence Evolution, or any of the Evidence Series analysers, please visit http://www.randox.com/evidence-series/ or contact us evidenceseries@randox.com.
We Are Randox | Randox Apprentice Rory McCloskey Wins Gold at National Competition
A Randox Engineer and Northern Regional College apprentice has been recognised as one of the UK’s most talented young tradesmen at an event organised by Worldskills UK.
Rory McCloskey (21) from Antrim was a gold medal winner at the UK National finals in Birmingham. He was competing with over 500 apprentices, exponents of 55 disciplines – as diverse as Aircraft Maintenance to 3D Game Design, Cabinet Making, Plumbing to Beauty Therapy and Cyber Security.
Rory was recognised for his expertise in Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Milling which involves programming, setting and running a modern CNC milling machine to accurately produce a component in a given timeframe.
His journey to the national finals started earlier this year with local College competitions. From here, he progressed through the regional heats and national semi-finals where he finished in the top six in the UK to qualify for the National Worldskills UK 2017 finals which were held in Birmingham from 16 – 18 November.
Rory is a Higher Level Apprentice and works in the engineering department of Randox Laboratories. As a Foundation Degree student at the College’s Ballymena campus, he was trained on state-of-the-art CNC engineering machinery and taught how to program and operate machines such as Mazek, DMG Mori and Doonson, equipment used in modern manufacturing companies throughout Northern Ireland. The College provides education and training in this technology to a wide range of companies, including Ryobi Aluminium Cating, Linamar Montupet, Hutchinson Engineering, Randox Laboratories, McAuley Engineering.
Congratulating Rory on his success, Professor Terri Scott, Chief Executive of Northern Regional College said:
“The award is a great credit to Rory and all the engineering staff at the College and is just reward for all Rory’s hard work and dedication.
“The College has a proud and prestigious tradition of education and training in the field of engineering and I am delighted to see that our provision continues to deliver a consistently high standard.”
Dr Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, commented;
“We are incredibly proud of Rory and what he has achieved at the National Worldskills UK 2017 finals. Our apprentices from both the Northern and Southern Regional College are such talented individuals and so we are delighted to be able to offer them the opportunity to carry out ground-breaking research and development with us as they grow and develop in their careers.
“And the apprenticeship scheme is highly valued by the company – just as our students benefit from the time they spend with us, so too do we as a modern and innovative healthcare firm benefit from the fresh perspectives and forward-thinking ideas these students bring to Randox.
“Passionate and hard-working people like Rory make Randox what it is today. We’re extremely grateful for his contributions to the engineering team here and equally proud of his achievements. Congratulations Rory.”
Northern Regional College was well represented at the National Worldskills UK finals. Rory was one of seven students from the College’s Ballymena, Coleraine and Newtownabbey campuses to qualify for the final stage of the competition.
The other College finalists were: Dean Boyle, who was rewarded a bronze medal in CNC Milling; Matthew McLaughlin, who was highly commended in Graphic Design; Ryan Moon and Richard Woods (Mechatronics); James McCaughey (IT Software); Patrick McCloskey (Carpentry).
For further information about Rory’s award or to find our more about our apprenticeship programme please email randoxpr@randox.com
RTS – the whistle-blower
- RTS became a whistle-blower when it uncovered evidence of data manipulation in its laboratory and immediately alerted the authorities
- Samples themselves were not affected
- RTS was founded in 2014 and employed staff from the Forensic Science Service and elsewhere in the industry
- Industry practices were introduced into RTS and were accredited by the UK’s accreditation authority UKAS
- RTS is supporting the police investigation into the issue and as part of that is managing and financing the retesting process at external laboratories
- Initial results from re-testing have had no impact on crime cases such as homicide, sexual offences or violence
- Less than 10% of re-tests resulted in drug driving cases being discontinued
- A Parliamentary written statement today highlights how the same manipulation may also have occurred at Trimega Laboratories Ltd., which may affect child protection and family court cases.
- RTS is well-advanced in developing a revolutionary fool-proof testing system based around multiple technological advances by RTS
- RTS is not connected to Trimega Laboratories. Trimega went into administration in early 2014. After this date, RTS purchased pieces of laboratory equipment from the administrators KPMG and moved into the premises. RTS did not take over Trimega business.
In early 2017, the forensic testing company RTS became a whistle-blower when it exposed evidence of alleged data manipulation. Almost one year on, it remains committed to ensuring the police investigation will succeed in bringing those responsible to justice and protecting the criminal justice system.
When RTS was founded in 2014 it employed staff from the former Forensic Sciences Service and elsewhere in the industry. It discovered, through an internal investigation, evidence of alleged improper practice and brought it to an end by immediately alerting the authorities. A Parliamentary written statement has today highlighted how the same manipulation may have occurred – but crucially went unreported – in a now-defunct laboratory called Trimega Laboratories Ltd, between 2010 and 2014.
The alleged manipulation in RTS involved changing data in testing methods which had been accredited by the UK agency UKAS. The actual samples were not affected which has enabled re-testing, and there is no evidence to suggest that the core purpose of the manipulation was intended to create positive or negative results in any specific tests.
Throughout the ten-month investigation, RTS has worked alongside the police and appropriate authorities to help resolve the issue. It is currently managing the process and covering the costs of re-testing samples at appropriately accredited external laboratories.
Initial re-testing results have had no impact on crime cases such as homicide, sexual offences or violence. Less than 10% of re-tests resulted in drug driving cases being discontinued. The vast majority of these have been because of results consistent with degradation of the original sample resulting in a lower result, or due to insufficient sample being available to enable a re-test. Two road deaths have been referred to the Court of Appeal following the retest.
Two former employees – who had worked at other forensics laboratories before joining RTS – remain on police bail. The investigation is being led by Greater Manchester Police.
RTS Toxicology manager Dr Mark Piper said:
“We have acted as whistle-blower to ensure the integrity of the criminal justice system. We will continue to work with Greater Manchester Police and the appropriate authorities in the investigation. We will do all that we can to ensure this situation is resolved and deeply regret the distress that has been caused.
“We are now well-advanced in developing a fool-proof testing system which would enhance the security of our operations in the future, to provide the necessary level of confidence.”
For further information please email randoxpr@randox.com
Diagnosing diabetes with the RX series
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high.
If you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there’s either not enough insulin to move the glucose, or the insulin produced doesn’t work properly [1] which can lead to serious health complications.
The RX series range of analysers have one of the largest test menus available on the market which includes an extensive diabetes testing panel. Tests within the RX series diabetes panel allow for Diagnosis, Monitoring and Risk Assessment of Diabetes.
Adiponectin
An adiponectin test system is a device intended for the quantitative in vitro determination of adiponectin concentration in human serum or plasma.
Adiponectin is a protein hormone, produced and secreted by fat cells (adipocytes), which is normally found in reasonably high concentrations within the blood. Adiponectin regulates the metabolism of lipids and glucose and influences the body’s response to insulin and inflammation.
Adiponectin levels are inversely correlated with abdominal visceral fat (AVF) levels, which have proven to be a strong predictor of several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancers and cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is widely recognised that people who are overweight are at a higher risk of developing T2DM, however measure waist circumference and Body Mass Index (BMI) are not enough. As such adiponectin levels are a much more reliable indicator of at-risk patients.
A number of key publications have advocated the testing of adiponectin in clinical settings and concluded that higher adiponectin levels are associated with a lower risk of T2DM across diverse populations.[2]
Fructosamine
A fructosamine test system is a device intended for the quantitative in vitro determination of glycated protein (fructosamine) concentration in human serum or plasma.
Fructosamine is a mid-term indicator of diabetic control as it can provide information on a person’s averge blood glucose levels over the preceding 14-21 days.
Due to the shorter time span of fructosamine, it is often used to evaluate the effectiveness of medication changes and to monitor the treatment of gestational diabetes.
HbA1c
A Haemoglobin A1c test system is a device intended for the quantitative in vitro determination of Haemoglobin A1c concentration in whole blood.
In a diabetic patient, where blood glucose levels are abnormally elevated, the level of HbA1c also increases proportionally to the level of glucose in the blood and has been widely accepted as an indicator of the mean daily blood glucose concentration over the preceding 6-8 weeks. It is therefore, a long term indicator of diabetic control.
Diagnosing diabetes with the RX series
The RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers have many benefits when testing patients for diabetes. With analysers ranging from the RX misano semi-automated analyser to the RX modena which can perform up to 1200 tests per hour the RX series analysers offer a suitable platform for your laboratory, ensuring results are received in a time efficient manner. Windows based software and easily recognisable icons ensure that the RX series analysers are easy to use and allows for an enhanced laboratory productivity. Laboratory cost savings can also be achieved with a low water consumption available on each RX series analyser.
Other RX series analyser features include:
Diabetes Test Menu:
Consolidate your testing with a comprehensive diabetes testing panel available on the RX series analysers. A large number of tests can be carried out on one platform, including direct HbA1c testing, providing consolidation opportunities and real cost savings.
Accurate Testing:
High quality results are achieved first time, every time. This saves operator time and avoids unnecessary additional costs of repeat testing and reduces the possibility of patient misdiagnosis.
Unrivalled performance:
Built in inventory management system automatically calculates remaining reagent volume and the number of tests available. Superior performance means minimal downtime and swift reporting of results.
If you would like more information in relation to the RX series testing capabilities please contact us by emailing: theRXseries@randox.com
Randox Health to sponsor Aintree’s Becher Chase
Randox is pleased to announce that Randox Health will be sponsoring the Becher Chase at Aintree Racecourse in a three-year deal.
The £145,000 Randox Health Becher Chase is the centrepiece of Becher Chase Day at Aintree on Saturday, December 9, the only fixture outside of the Randox Health Grand National Festival to feature action over the Grand National fences.
Dr Peter FitzGerald, founder and Managing Director of Randox Health, emphasised Randox Health‘s commitment to both racing and the city of Liverpool.
He said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Becher Chase, which year-on-year is becoming a more prominent day in the racing calendar for high-calibre horses to compete. With the ongoing work being done by the team at Aintree, that’s no surprise.
“Aintree is a spectacular course and though we will obviously miss the return of One For Arthur, having an open field as we begin the run up to the most exciting race in the whole calendar – the 2018 Randox Health Grand National – will add an unexpected frisson for racing fans.”
As previously announced, Aintree’s Listed Chase over three miles and a furlong on Becher Chase Day, won last year by Many Clouds, has been re-named in honour of the 2015 Grand National winner and upgraded from Listed to Grade 2 level. It will be run as the £50,000 G2 188Bet.co.uk Many Clouds Chase.
John Baker, Managing Director of Aintree Racecourse, added: “We’re thrilled that Randox Health has decided to extend their sponsorship of the Grand National by adding the Becher Chase as well.
“Randox is a committed, valued and exciting partner for Aintree and Jockey Club Racecourses and we look forward to working closely with the team at Randox for many years to come.
“Becher Chase Day is going from strength to strength and with the quality of horses entered in both the Becher and Sefton Chase in recent years, we’re confident it’s going to be another fantastic day over the iconic Grand National fences at Aintree.”
The G3 Randox Health Becher Chase is a handicap chase over three and a quarter miles of the Grand National course. It serves as an early-season trial for the Randox Health Grand National.
Two winners have gone on to win the Grand National; Amberleigh House and Silver Birch. Earth Summit won the race in 1998 following his Grand National win the previous season.
The second race of the day over the Grand National fences on Becher Chase Day is the £70,000 188bet.co.uk Grand Sefton Handicap Chase over two miles and five furlongs.
In addition to Randox Health’s sponsorship of the Becher Chase and after a successful partnership for Sandown Park Racecourse’s Gents Day this summer, the company will also sponsor the Henry VIII Novices’ Chase at the Esher venue on Saturday, December 9. This is part of the three year agreement with Jockey Club Racecourses to sponsor Becher Chase day.
Entries for the 2017 Randox Health Becher Chase, plus the 188bet Grand Sefton Chase, which also takes place over the Grand National fences, close at noon today Tuesday, November 14 and will be revealed tomorrow, Wednesday, November 15.
Tickets for the 2017 Randox Health Becher Chase raceday are available to purchase at aintree.thejockeyclub.co.uk or by calling 0344 579 3001. Racegoers can also buy tickets directly from the sales office at Aintree Racecourse. Hospitality packages are currently available to purchase, please call 0151 522 2911 for more information.
Sharing our preventive health message this World Diabetes Day
One of the fastest growing health threats of our times is diabetes. Type-2 diabetes is now among the most common long-term health conditions affecting people right across the globe. On World Diabetes Day we want to raise awareness of this particular condition – because it’s possible to spot warning signs and take steps to prevent it.
THE BACKGROUND
Since 1996, the number of people living with diabetes has more than doubled and type-2 diabetes is by far its most prevalent form. Though it is potentially reversible, using more advanced diagnostics, clinicians can diagnose pre-diabetes and enable patients to make lifestyle changes to avoid the condition from developing in the first place.
THE FUTURE
Adiponectin is a biomarker which can powerfully predict the development of pathologies such as Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). This biomarker can be tested as an automated biochemistry reagent from Randox.
With the global prevalence of diabetes continually rising in adults over 18 years of age, from 4.7% in 1980 to 8.5% in 2014, adiponectin should be an integral part of every laboratory’s testing panel. Randox Adiponectin will enable physicians and clinicians to accurately evaluate more individuals, with a convenient format for routine clinical use.
When risk is identified via adiponectin measurement, it is essential for individuals to carry out lifestyle modification to lower T2DM risk. This will also help to prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. This indicates that Randox automated adiponectin should be a routinely run test across the world.
OUR CASE STUDY – SIR AP MCCOY
Earlier this year Sir AP McCoy came to Randox Health. After a career dedicated to becoming the world’s most successful jockey, he was never going to leave the next stage of his life to chance. It was lucky he did: our advanced test for adiponectin was within the panel of tests run and was able to identify that AP was pre-diabetic.
Don’t leave your health to chance. 70% of cases of type-2 diabetes are preventable by adopting a number of lifestyle changes, so take action today.
For further information phone the Randox PR Team on 028 9442 2413, or email randoxpr@randox.com
Randox showcases future-proofing diagnostic technology at MEDICA 2017
Randox Laboratories, the world-leading medical diagnostics manufacturer, is showcasing advancements in laboratory technology at the 2017 MEDICA – World Conference for Medicine conference, being held November 13-16 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Unveiling its state-of-the-art interactive exhibition stand, Randox will host a series of demonstrations of its innovative analysers including the Evidence Evolution and Rx modena, and a number of exciting advances in laboratory medicine, involving increasing the test menu available to clinicians and improving the connectivity of laboratories across the world to improve overall quality.
“Through our advancements in laboratory innovation, we’re driving an industry-wide evolution” said Randox CEO, Dr Peter FitzGerald.
“Our products are leading the way in innovation and enabling laboratories to transform the way they operate. We will be hosting demonstrations of a wide range of our fully-automated analysers, which are packed with cutting-edge technology and intuitive software. The goal is to provide future-proof diagnostic technology that will create the most efficient and effective laboratories.”
Paving the way is Randox’s patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT). This multi-analyte testing platform is the product of a £250 million research and development project. The ceramic tile measuring 9×9 mm can currently run up to 49 assays simultaneously,100 assays in the near future. This innovation allows the simultaneous quantitative or qualitative detection from a wide range of analytes from a single sample. It is suitable for use in a wide range of laboratories including clinical, research, hospital, veterinary and forensic and clinical toxicology.
To enhance the benefits of BAT, Randox introduced the Evidence Evolution to its stable of immunoassay analyser platforms. The Evidence Evolution is the world’s first fully automated random-access biochip testing platform, capable of delivering 2640 results in one hour, with the first delivered in just 37 minutes.
Joining the Evolution in Hall 3 stand A08 is the RX modena. This highly reliable, precise, fully automated clinical chemistry analyser can run 1200 tests per hour including ISE. When combined with its unrivalled RX series test menu, it offers a winning combination for all large, multi-disciplinary laboratories.
“We develop more new tests than any other diagnostics manufacturer, and one of the products that we’re showcasing at this year’s MEDICA is Adiponectin,” added Susan Hammond, Global Sales Manager at Randox.
“This novel biomarker is a powerful new weapon in the fight against some of the biggest health issues faced throughout the world including diabetes, cancers and cardiovascular disease. As it’s World Diabetes Day on Tuesday 14th November, it’s a great opportunity to draw attention to this array which labs can run as part of their routine testing panel.”
MEDICA attendees will also be among the first to experience the advancements delivered by the latest update for Randox’s Acusera 24.7. This online interlaboratory data management and peer reporting package is now smarter, faster and more powerful than ever before.
Acusera 24.7 is designed to help laboratories efficiently review QC data from all their lab instruments on one central platform, thereby allowing quick and easy identification of QC failures and emerging trends. Unique access to peer group data updated instantly in real-time from our global network of laboratory participants will speed up troubleshooting and help pinpoint the root cause of any QC failures by easily identifying if an issue is isolated or widespread.
The Randox team will be on hand throughout MEDICA 2017 at stand #3A08. To make an appointment in advance, contact them through the Randox MEDICA webpage.
Click here for more information on Randox, or to get in touch, phone the Randox PR Team on 028 9442 2413, or email randoxpr@randox.com
From Columbia to the UK: The trail that’s fuelling the worldwide cocaine epidemic
With the demand for cocaine in the UK rocketing, Top British Chef Gordon Ramsay has recently travelled to Columbia to the source of the problem, to learn more about this growing epidemic.
Having spent time with local farmers who own cocaine plants that resemble vineyards, and visiting Honduras, one of the most dangerous countries and known as the world’s warehouse of cocaine, he emphasized the urgent need to combat the drugs industry that is consuming this country.
Highlighted throughout the two-part series was the amount of cocaine that is being trafficked to the shores of the UK each year. Speaking with the metropolitan police who tackle up to 200 drug gangs in London alone, it was estimated that up to 300 tons of cocaine, with a street value of £10 billion, is being brought in to the country through a web of secretive routes used by drug traffickers.
Gordon commented that not only is cocaine a growing global problem, but it is one that is prevalent within the culinary world, including his own restaurants where he has been asked to dust the drug on top of soufflés as icing sugar, and found traces of this deadly drug in both his staff and customer toilets.
With the cocaine problem showing no signs of slowing down, Randox Toxicology are constantly working to develop the newest drug tests to meet the demands of the ever-growing drug market. The Evidence MultiSTAT was developed for use in non-laboratory settings such as workplaces, police stations and low throughput laboratories and to provide highly accurate qualitative as quickly as possible.
This revolutionary analyser enables on-site simultaneous detection of up to 21 classical, prescription and synthetic drugs from a single patient sample, reducing the burden on current systems, the risk of adulteration and helping the fight against the cartels who control the cocaine trade in South America.
For more information on our Evidence Analysers or any of our drug panels email info@randoxtoxicology.com
We Are Randox | Parkinsonās disease documentary leads to Film Festival Award for R&D Scientist Carol Naughton
Behind the doors of Randox, ground breaking scientific research is happening.
From Alzheimer’s disease to gastro-intestinal disorders, bladder cancer to cardiovascular disease, diabetes to kidney injury, our team of R&D scientists work on pioneering research projects in the areas of health that matter most, and ultimately, they save lives.
This week, we spoke to Carol Naughton, R&D Scientist in our Randox Teoranta team in Donegal, who has recently been part of an award-winning film documentary which aims to let people into the minds, the labs and the projects of scientists working on pioneering health research like that which takes place in Randox.
The film project, called ‘Feats of Modest Valour’, focuses on the lives of three individuals with Parkinson’s disease, Brian, Tom and Milena, and on a team of scientists working to find a cure for the condition. Aiming to bridge the gap between scientists and the very people the research will have the most impact on, Carol explains how working with Parkinson’s disease sufferers was the most humbling experience of her life.
Here’s Carol’s story.
The opportunity to be involved with Feats of Modest Valour (FOMV) was a gradual one. It was towards the end of my PhD when my supervisor, Dr. Eilis Dowd was awarded a grant as part of an EU consortium called Horizon 2020, with a new initiative to cure Parkinson’s disease. One of the remits of being in receipt of this grant was a community outreach programme called Science on Screen, and because of this, the Feats of Modest Valour documentary was born. It was commissioned by the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM) and the Galway UNESCO City of Film and Galway Film Centre.
Several projects were pitched to film makers to connect with the general public, and as a result of our pitch which revolved around the gene-environment interaction and increased susceptibility in Parkinson’s disease, ISHKA Films (Alice McDowell and Mia Mullarkey) production company decided to focus on our work. As part of the Horizon 2020 grant, the brain mattrain project is focussing on the development of a new biomedical device for Parkinson’s disease which will, for the first time, target the underlying cause of Parkinson’s disease rather than purely addressing the motor symptoms.
One of the most appealing aspects of the project was the platform for engaging with the general public. There is so much fascinating research being performed for a host of diseases all over Ireland but yet there sometimes seems to be a disconnect between that and the very people who the research will have the most impact on.
This was something we were very interested in when we hosted a conference in Galway in 2014. For the NECTAR (Network for European CNS Transplantation and Restoration) conference, which brings together a unique audience of clinicians and scientists from all over the world to disseminate their research and results of clinical trials. We wanted to do something different, to broaden the scope of the conference, so we integrated a patient-oriented focus into the programme. The founder of Cure Parkinson’s UK, Tom Isaacs (1968-2017), who was diagnosed with the disease when he was only 27, attended the event and spoke passionately about trying to bridge the gap between clinicians, scientists and patients. Being part of FOMV gave us the opportunity to do this, to merge science and real life.
It helped therefore that I had been spending quite a lot of time with Brian and with people from the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland. It has several branches all over the country so I spent quite a lot of time talking with them, organising charity walks, hosting information days and securing funding for speech and language therapists for them. Considering the wealth of knowledge that you can acquire throughout the course of a PhD, it is really rewarding being able to give something back.
When I look back, easily the best part about FOMV was spending time with people with Parkinson’s disease. It is quite easy to forget the bigger picture, the reason why you set out to do research in the first place. This was an opportunity for me to interact with people who were suffering with Parkinson’s disease and talk with them and explain to them about our research. The platform for relaying scientific research to the general public is definitely an under-utilised one. For the majority of research, people do not know what is going on. When the tailor for the documentary was first shown to people, the most common response you heard back was: “I can’t believe this is happening on our backdoor,” or “That was so easy to follow and to understand,” or “Why don’t more scientists do this to explain their research to us?”
Our documentary was recently submitted to a film festival in New York called the Imagine Science Films (ISF) festival, in collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The select jury included Nobel prize-winning scientist Professor Martin Chalfe, and award-winning science columnist for the New York Times, Professor Carl Zimmer.
We were absolutely delighted when FOMV won The Scientist Award, which is awarded to a film that portrays, accurately and importantly inventively, the life of a scientist. The goal of this award is to encourage more scientists to create films that let people into their minds, into their labs and into their lifestyle. In addition to the top science award, FOMV was also awarded runner up People’s Choice Award. This award is presented to the documentary that receives the most audience votes during the festival.
Being part of Feats of Modest Valour was definitely one of the most humbling experiences I have ever had. I have met so many people who suffer with Parkinson’s disease and in the face of such a relentless disease, they have such incredible resolve to make the most of their lives. We tend to take so much for granted and forget to appreciate the little things. And while that sounds very clichéd, Milena, Brian and Tom are no longer in a position to do that. They live a completely clockwork existence based around the particular time when they take their medication. And even then, their days are more bad than good.
That’s why the title of the documentary ‘Feats of Modest Valour’ is based on a poem called ‘No signs of struggle,’ by an American poet named Robin Morgan, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease;
“You can spot it in the provocation of a button, an arm poking at a sleeve, a balancing act at a night-time curb while negotiating the dark. Feats of such modest valour, who would suspect them to be exercises in an intimate, fierce discipline, a metaphysics of being relentlessly aware.”
Make sure to tune in to RTE One on Sunday 12th of November, when ‘Feats of Modest Valour’ is on at 10.35pm.
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
For current vacancies in our team, visit careers.randox.com
Randox Science Park partners with St. John Ambulance to provide emergency health response to Antrim
St. John Ambulance and global healthcare diagnostics company Randox have today announced an innovative new partnership to enhance the services provided by the first aid organisation in the Antrim area.
The Antrim unit of St. John Ambulance has moved its fleet of vehicles into Randox’s new headquarters, the Randox Science Park, to be able to provide its services from a central location in Antrim.
In addition to the new labs, offices and manufacturing space which have so far been installed at the former Massereene Barracks, St. John Ambulance will also now form part of the Randox’s Science Park renovation plans.
Dr Peter FitzGerald, Founder and Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, commented;
“It is particularly fitting that we are now working with St. John Ambulance, given that both of our organisations are built upon a commitment to improve health and wellbeing. We’re delighted to be able to offer space for the organisation’s fleet of ambulances, and look forward to working closely with them as we enter the next phase of our Randox Science Park renovation plans.”
As part of the partnership between Randox and St. John Ambulance, St. John’s will be offering first aid training to staff within the healthcare diagnostics firm through its corporate training team.
On moving the Antrim fleet of St. John Ambulances to the Randox Science Park, Alan McClean, Unit Leader for St. John Ambulance Antrim division, said;
“Working with an organisation as reputable as Randox, from a location as central within Antrim as the Randox Science Park, will not only ensure prompt emergency response times, but will also enhance the services we offer. We want everyone in Northern Ireland to be first aid trained and to be able to receive first aid from those around them. Moving our Antrim fleet of ambulances to the Randox Science Park brings us one step closer to delivering on that aim.”
For further information, please contact our Randox PR team by emailing randoxpr@randox.com or by phoning 028 9442 2413
Alan McClean, Unit Leader of St. John Ambulance Antrim division, and Robert Huddleston, from the Randox Science Park Management Team