How does Randox contribute to science?
Last week marked British Science Week 2016, an annual campaign that aims to inspire innovation and celebrate science. To mark the occasion, thousands of events took place across the UK. Randox Laboratories got involved, celebrating the innovation of Randox scientists, and the complementary work of our teams, through a series of tweets and articles. Read on to find out more about our teams, and how we contribute to science!
What are the different divisions within Randox?
The Randox team encompasses our clinical chemistry teams Randox Reagents, Randox QC and the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers; our niche divisions including Randox Food Diagnostics, Randox Toxicology and Randox Biosciences; and, our service divisions including Randox Testing Services and Randox Health. The contribution each team has made to science is simply marvellous.
How do we contribute to science?
We contribute to the innovation of diagnostic technologies
At the forefront of the Randox success is our investment in R&D. Beginning our journey in 1982 with a small selection of reagents, our test menu now comprises of over 116 biomarkers. Today our reagents and QC products are used to ensure the accuracy of patient diagnosis across the world; even American astronauts use Randox reagents to test their antioxidant levels before going into space!
On par with this is our RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers. Launched in 2003, the RX daytona was the first in the range of flexible analysers; still in circulation, the RX daytona is currently used by GB athletes to ensure their health and wellbeing in the run up to Olympics 2016.
We are paving the way for personalised, preventative healthcare
From the creation of our revolutionary Biochip Array Technology (BAT) and launch of our first Biochip analyser in 2002, our thirst for innovation and creativity has continued to grow. Dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, drug development and diagnostics; the Randox Biosciences team pave the way to the future of healthcare with tailored solutions for clinical and research use.
From personalised healthcare to preventative healthcare, our succession to improving healthcare continues to expand; with our own Randox Health clinics we utilise our own innovative materials and technologies to provide private health care across the UK, soon to be the world with our acquisition of 10 new international clinics!
We are pioneers in the industry of drug and alcohol testing
As the first company to bring to market synthetic cannabinoids, Kratom and Bath Salts, Randox Toxicologists pioneer to strengthen 21st century drug testing. Sharing in this vision, the Randox Testing Services team recently helped the UK Home Office to shape the drug driving law that was passed in 2015; they created the tests needed to enforce the law. These tests can detect even the smallest amounts of illegal drugs in the body, and since then, drug drive arrests have soared by 800%.
And our innovation does not stop there!
Randox entered the realm of food and wine screening with the Randox Food Diagnostics team, a team of specialists who aim to improve the standards of global food safety with the development of superior screening solutions. Exported all over the world, our products, including dedicated kits for wine analysis, are utilised on such a large scale that our Randox Food Diagnostic scientists analyse enough wine to fill 40 Olympic swimming pools every year!
Maintaining the Randox goal to improve health worldwide is what motivates our R&D scientists, who work hard to help this be achieved!
What do Randox do to inspire others to enter a career in science?
Inspirational in itself is the success of Randox; founded in 1982 in Northern Ireland, it is now a global success with presence in over 145 countries. The company’s success is largely due to the determination of founder Dr Peter Fitzgerald. In fact, in 2010 Dr Peter Fitzgerald was appointed as CBE for services to business in Northern Ireland.
In addition to the company’s awe inspiring success, the Randox Careers team aspire to inspire, and attend careers fairs and presentations, along with Randox scientists and engineers, to share their experiences of working in the industry; most recently our ‘Women in STEM’ initiative has focused on encouraging women to enter careers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
To celebrate British Science Week 2016, we shared the story of two Randox scientists; read Michael Mullan’s interview ‘A day in the life of a Molecular Biologist’ or listen to Clinical Analyst Emmet Donnelly in our ‘Interview with a Randox R&D scientist’.
So what does the future hold for Randox?
As the future of science continues to prosper, so does the future of Randox! With the new Randox Science Park in the works, exciting developments in the areas of manufacturing, R&D, and healthcare awaits; accelerated development of products will be facilitated with further investment in R&D, and next generation medical diagnostics manufacturing. In addition a Transformative Healthcare Centre from the Randox Health division will also be included. Randox Science Park will advance our efforts of improving health worldwide!
Support World Kidney Day with Randox Renal Function Tests
World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health. It aims to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
The main objectives of World Kidney Day are to educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), particularly in high risk populations, and to stress the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic. On World Kidney Day all governments are encouraged to take action and invest in further kidney screening.
World Kidney Day highlights the need for more accurate kidney function testing for better diagnosis and monitoring of kidney function to assist in the development of appropriate treatment plans. As such, Randox have invested in the development of more sensitive and specific renal function tests such as cystatin C, which may be requested if kidney function is found to be borderline using the more routinely run creatinine test. Doctors may request cystatin C to check for early kidney disease and/or to monitor known impairment over time.
Cystatin C is a particularly useful marker of renal function in patients where creatinine measurements are not suitable e.g. individuals who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass. Importantly, unlike creatinine, cystatin C does not have a ‘blind area’ – up to 50% of renal function can be lost before significant creatinine elevation occurs. Cystatin C is extremely sensitive to very small changes in GFR and is therefore capable of detecting early stage kidney dysfunction.
Both World Kidney Day and Randox are working towards improving healthcare worldwide. With a comprehensive panel of high performance reagents, Randox are helping with the detection and characterisation of renal function problems. With early diagnosis it will be possible to keep kidney problems from getting worse, therefore lowering the number of those diagnosed with CKD worldwide.
If you are a clinician or lab interested in running renal function assays, Randox offers a large range of high quality routine and niche assays including: Cystatin C, Creatinine Enzymatic and Jaffe, Microalbumin, Urinary Protein, Urea, Sodium, Potassium, Albumin, Ammonia, β2- Microglobulin, Calcium, Chloride, Glucose, HbA1c, IgG, LDH, Magnesium, Phosphorus (Inorganic), and Uric Acid. These can be run on most automated biochemistry analysers.
For more information, download our Reagents Brochure or email reagents@randox.com.
Immunoturbidimetry vs nephelometry for protein detection
Immunoturbidimetry methods have become the main technique for performing protein tests. The transition from nephelometry has been cautious but is increasing as laboratories enjoy the comparability and flexibility of immunoturbidimetry.
Immunoturbidimetry and nephelometry both measure the turbidity of a sample to determine the level of an analyte. Upon addition of the assay reagent, antibodies and antigen cluster to form an immune complex that precipitates, increasing the turbidity of the sample. When light is passed through the reaction solution, some light is scattered by the sample, some light is absorbed by the sample and the rest passes through the sample.
Immunoturbidimetry measures the absorbance of the light by the sample, nephelometry measures the light scattered at a fixed angle. The level of analyte is determined by comparison with a calibrator of known concentration.
Immunoturbidimetry is ideal for the detection of proteins, where the analyte concentration is inversely proportional to the transmitted light signal. Historically nephelometry has been more sensitive than conventional immunoturbidimetry. In latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry, inert microscopic particles enlarge the immune complexes, amplifying the reaction and significantly increasing the sensitivity of the reaction.
Nephelometers are dedicated analysers only capable of performing this type of assay. In addition, they are:
- slow
- have high consumable costs
- require highly trained personnel
Immunoturbidimetric tests are carried out on routine biochemistry analysers that are:
- versatile
- fast
- cost-effective
- offer longer reagent stability
- sensitive
The main advantage of nephelometry was its sensitivity; however latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry has closed this gap. Immunoturbidimetric tests are an increasingly accepted alternative to nephelometry for specific protein assays, and studies have shown a close correlation between Randox immunoturbidimetric tests and nephelometry.
If you are interested in running your protein assays on a routine biochemistry analyser, Randox offers a large range of high quality routine and niche protein assays that can be run on most automated analysers, including: Alpha-I acid glycoprotein; alpha-I antitrypsin; anti-streptolysin O; apolipoprotein A-I; apolipoprotein A-II; apolipoprotein B; apolipoprotein C-II; apolipoprotein C-III; apolipoprotein E; ceruloplasmin; complement C3; complement C4; CRP; cystatin C; ferritin; haptoglobin; HbA1c; IgA; IgE; IgG; IgM; lipoprotein (a); microalbumin; myoglobin; rheumatoid factor; transferrin and transthyretin (prealbumin). For more information, download our Reagents Brochure or email: reagents@randox.com.
Randox Manufacturing Teams celebrate success at Annual Manufacturing Awards Dinner
On Friday 26th February, over 100 staff from 18 manufacturing departments of Randox gathered together at The Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick, to connect with colleagues, celebrate the success of Randox Manufacturing, and enjoy a delicious meal, at the annual Randox Manufacturing Awards Dinner.
David Martin, Senior Manager Manufacturing began the evening with his opening address, and thanked all attendees for their hard work;
“Each year our manufacturing department grows in strength and this is thanks to the people working in it. I am proud to be standing here to recognise our collective capabilities as a team and to celebrate our hard work – with good food and great company.”
Manufacturing Lean Co-Ordinator, Mark Campbell, then shared an overview of the year’s manufacturing successes, and looked forward to the activities for the year ahead.
On the night, Department of the year 2015 was awarded to the Auto Dispense team, and Zuzana Crossan from the Packing Department won Employee of the Year 2015.
David closed the night by congratulating Zuzana, and the Auto Dispense team;
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our award winners this evening – the Auto Dispense team and Zuzana Crossan – and to thank you all for the important part you play in making Randox a global leader in the diagnostics industry – manufacturing our products that we distribute all over the globe. Let’s look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2016 together, and I hope you enjoy the evening!”
Local Crumlin community enjoy annual Farmers’ Breakfast at Randox
This weekend marked one of the highlights of the Randox Events Calendar – the annual Farmer’s Breakfast, which took place on Saturday 20th February.
Local farmers, friends and neighbours arrived to share a delicious breakfast together in the Randox headquarters in Crumlin.
Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, commented;
“Our Farmers’ Breakfast is enjoyed every year by members of the local farming community, and this year was no exception. Old friendships were rekindled, and new ones made, as we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast from our headquarters in the beautiful Crumlin countryside. I would like to thank everyone who attended on Saturday, and hope that you enjoyed the morning as much as we did. Same time, same place next year!”
Randox Laboratories: Future in the Making
On Friday 15th January 2016, Randox staff from across the UK and Ireland gathered together for a special day to learn the story of our heritage, connect with colleagues across the company, and share our vision for the future.
Almost 1000 Randox employees were invited to the beautiful Spires Assembly Building Conference Centre in Belfast to celebrate our achievements, our diverse workforce, our new product developments, and how far we have come as an organisation – from a small team of scientists to a fast-paced and multifaceted organisation with over 1300 staff globally.
When Randox was founded, almost thirty-four years ago, our objective was to research, develop, manufacture and market highly innovative diagnostic products to improve diagnosis, save lives and increase healthcare efficiency. In doing so we would create employment and provide valuable career opportunities.
Since then we have gone from strength to strength – today we employ some 1300 staff globally and our products are used in over 145 countries, by Hospital Laboratories, A&E Departments, Doctor’s Laboratories, Pharmaceutical Companies, Forensic Laboratories, Food Testing facilities, Veterinary Clinics and for Workplace Drug Testing.
Our people are key to this success, and on Friday we were proud to recognise the collective capabilities of all our staff from across the globe.
We are Randox: from R&D and Manufacturing to Sales and Marketing, Finance and Human Resources to Dispatch, Logistics and Travel, QA and the Environmental Team to Engineering, IT and Customer Support to Facilities Management and Receptionists, everyone plays an important role and contributes to our global mission of saving and improving lives.
To everyone who attended our Future in the Making event; we hope you enjoyed the afternoon and that you were inspired by the Randox story, by our capabilities and by our exciting plans for the future.
We hope that you look back on the day with fond memories, and take time to reflect on the team effort that is Randox, and of which you are an important part.
Thank you for all your hard work over the years. Let’s look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2016 together.
What was your favourite moment of our Future in the Making event? Did you enjoy seeing colleagues from your team on the big screen? Were you inspired by how far we have come? Please let us know your thoughts by using the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
CYFRA 21-1 External Quality Assessment
The RIQAS CYFRA 21-1 EQA programme is designed to cover the analysis of CYFRA 21-1 in clinical laboratories when monitoring the response to treatment of cancers such as non-small cell lung carcinoma, cervical, breast and bladder cancer.
- Lyophilised samples
- Monthly reporting
- Testing covers the full range of clinically relevant decision levels
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.net
- 12 month subscription
- Cycle Starts – March 2025
| Cat No | Kit Size | Frequency | Parameters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ9175 | 12 x 1ml | Monthly | 1 | |
Parameter
- CYFRA 21-1 (Cytokeratin 19 fragment)
Please note, product availability may vary country to country.
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Anti-TSH Receptor External Quality Assessment
The RIQAS Anti-TSH Receptor EQA programme is designed to cover the analysis of Anti-TSH Receptor in clinical laboratories when thyroid dysfunction is suspected.
- Lyophilised samples
- Monthly reporting
- Testing covers the full range of clinically relevant decision levels
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.net
- 12 month subscription
- Cycle Starts – March 2025
| Cat No | Kit Size | Frequency | Parameters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ9174 | 12 x 1ml | Monthly | 1 | |
Parameter
- Anti-TSH Receptor (TRAb)
Please note, product availability may vary country to country.
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Immunosuppressant External Quality Assessment
The RIQAS Immunosuppressant EQA programme has been designed to cover the analysis of Immunosuppressants in clinical laboratories. Immunosuppressants are primarily used after transplant operations to prevent the host body from rejecting donor organs.
- Lyophilised samples
- Monthly reporting
- Testing covers the full range of clinically relevant decision levels
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.net
- 12 month subscription
- LC/MS reference values provided enabling participants to compare results to an accurately assigned value
- Cycle Starts – March 2025
| Cat No | Kit Size | Frequency | Parameters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ9159 | 12 x 2ml | Monthly (1 x 12 month cycle) | 4 | |
Parameters
- Ciclosporin
- Everolimus
- Sirolimus
- Tacrolimus
Please note, product availability may vary country to country.
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Sweat Testing External Quality Assessment
The RIQAS Sweat Testing EQA programme has been designed to cover the analysis of Sweat Testing in clinical laboratories measuring the concentration of Chloride and Conductivity in sweat, used in the testing of Cystic Fibrosis (CF).
- Liquid ready-to-use samples
- Monthly reporting
- Testing covers the full range of clinically relevant decision levels
- Submit results and view reports online via RIQAS.net
- 12 month subscription
- Cycle Starts – March 2025
| Cat No | Kit Size | Frequency | Parameters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ9173 | 12 x 2ml | Monthly | 2 | |
Parameter
- Chloride
- Conductivity
Please note, product availability may vary country to country.