HiMediaLaboratories™ e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

THANK YOU HiMedia

FOR VEG BASED MEDIA...

..AND ENSURING OUR CHEERFUL FREE LIFE

MICROBIOLOGY - AGAR 40 YEARS OF HiMedia MOLECULAR BIOLOGY - The PCR Profile I'M COOL EVEN WHEN I FEEL THE HEAT. HiMedia IN EUROPE

Message from CEO

Dear Friends,

THE VISION TO “SERVE THE USERS WITH

A HOMEGROWN SUBSTITUTE WITHOUT
COMPROMISING ON QUALITY”
GOT US THIS FAR.
HiMedia started manufacturing Culture Media 40 years ago,
expressly as an import substitute to serve the Indian users.
Later the global response to the quality culture media over the
years has enabled us to win the support of distinguished users Dr. G. M. Warke
around the globe.
European response has empowered us to set up a centrally located warehouse in Frankfurt, Germany. This has
enabled our material to reach any part of Europe within Eight days. With your support we can stock more - we
can send our representative for more information and interaction. We have prepared a separate catalogue for
the European market for your convenience.
At HiMedia we are invested in finding ways and means to improve our services offerings.
Do send us an email at info@himedialabs.com with your recommendations and requirements so that we could
design and put into action newer plans that’ll serve you better.

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 Lab to Tab™ | e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

MICROBIOLOGY - AGAR
FIRST IT MADE ITS PLACE IN MICROBIOLOGY.
THEN IT MADE ITS PLACE IN HISTORY.
AGAR - T
­ HE HEART OF MICROBIOLOGY
Known to be at the center of most microbiology labs, the towering stacks of agar plates stand tall to welcome
you into the charmed world of microbiology. In here each plate is an island like home to a menagerie of
microorganisms.

Scientifically speaking Agar is a jelly-like substance derived from seaweed species of the group Gelidium,
Gracilaria, Pterocladia etc., and It is perhaps microbiology’s most important substance. For the longest time
Agar has been used as a solid substrate to culture and isolate bacteria.
Besides that Agar is used in a wide range of foods making it an important commodity in the nutrition and food
industry. But that’s not all. Additionally agar can also be used as a laxative, an appetite suppressant, a vegetarian
substitute for gelatin, a thickener for soups, a preservative in fruit preserves, ice cream, and other desserts, a
clarifying agent in brewing, and for sizing paper and fabrics.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT AGAR

1. Composition : It is a complex mixture of polysaccharides composed of two major fractions -­agarose, a
neutral polymer, and agaropectin, a charged, sulfated polymer.
2. Properties : It is insoluble in cold water, but it swells considerably, absorbing as much as twenty times its
own weight of water. It dissolves readily in boiling water and sets to a firm gel at concentrations as low as
0.50%.

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3. Sources :
Biological Source -
i. Gelidium species
ii. Pterocladia species
Family - Gelidiaceae, Rhodophyceae (red Algae).
Geographical Source - Japan, Korea, South Africa, U.S.A., China, Indonesia, Australia and India.

THE JOURNEY
HE FORGOT.
AND THEN MADE AN UNFORGETTABLE DISCOVERY.
Agar was accidentally invented in Japan during the 17th century when a forgetful innkeeper left seaweed extract
out in the cold. Since then Agar has been used for centuries as a thickener, and to make all manner of deliciously
wobbly desserts.
The revolutionary use of Agar as solidifying agent was thought first by Angelina Fannie Hesse, wife of Walter
Hesse, who joined Koch’s laboratory to do studies on air qualities. The observation by Angelina as to why her
jellies and puddings stayed solid even in the hot summer temperatures, made her to tell her husband about agar.
She had learned about this heat resisting agent while growing up in New York from a Dutch neighbor who had
emigrated from Java. Development of the new agent by Angelina led to a resounding success & today agar is the
lifeline of any microbiological study. The best example of Science from Kitchen to Lab.

In December 2015, Nature News reported that agar supplies have been affected by a global shortage of Gelidium
seaweed. Because it grows on rocky sea beds and requires turbulent water for a steady supply of nutrients and
oxygen, Gelidium cannot be farmed. Instead, it’s harvested by divers, or collected when washed ashore by the
tide.

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 Lab to Tab™ | e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

Dwindling seaweed populations and overharvesting have led Morocco, currently the world’s largest Gelidium
supplier, to restrict annual harvests and place quotas on foreign exports. As a result, wholesale agar prices have
nearly tripled to US$ 35-­45 per kilogram - an all-­time high. Thermo Fisher Scientific and Millipore Sigma, two
major suppliers of laboratory reagents, have already stopped selling some agar products.
If the situation worsens, it’s likely that many microbiology labs will have to scale back on experiments. And they
might not be the only ones affected.
The global agar market revenue is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of over 4.9% in terms of value and 2.6%, in
terms of volume during the forecast period. The global agar market is currently witnessing major trends like the
usage of agar in bakery industry
A global shortage of certain seaweed is causing agar laboratory supplies to go on backorder. The shortage can
be traced to newly enforced trade restrictions on the seaweed, arising from environmental concerns that the
algae are being overharvested. It is unclear how deeply the dearth will hit researchers, but it has already pushed
wholesale prices of agar.

HiMedia is looking out for cultivation of competitive species of sea-weeds and creating a long-term sustainable
and high quality resource of agar. The scientists at HiMedia are also in the quest to screen hydrocolloids that can
act as economical substitutes for agar. This may reduce dependency on agar.

PRODUCT LISTING
» Dehydrated Culture Media
Powder and Granulated Forms
HiEncap™, HiVeg™ and HiCynth™
» Ready Prepared Media
» Animal and Vegetable Hydrolysates
» Antimicrobial Susceptibility Systems
» Culture Media Supplements and Bases
» Bacteriological Differentiation Aids
» Range of Chromogenic Media
» Lyophilised Microbial Strains
» Food Safety Diagnostic Kits

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PLANT TISSUE
CULTURE

WHAT IF YOUR CHOICES CAN HELP

REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HUNGRY
BEINGS ON THIS PLANET
MOLECULAR
BIOLOGY

The world may not be able to feed itself by year 2050 if it does not
increase food productivity says a recent report by Global Harvest
Initiative. Micropropagation, the widest used Plant Tissue Culture
technology helps increase crop productivity by delivering superior
quality plants with clonal uniformity.
BIOCHEMICALS
CHEMICALS &

Choose from our comprehensive range of Plant Tissue Culture products

for commercial production and research. Choose… to make a difference.
INSTRUMENTATION
LAB AIDS &
MICROBIOLOGY
ANIMAL CELL
CULTURE

PLANT TISSUE CULTURE

Media, Plant Growth Regulators, Antibiotics, Gelling Agents, Plant Tissue Culture
Tested Chemicals. For more details contact your local HiMedia sales
representative.
www.himedialabs.com

Copyright © 2016 - HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.

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 Lab to Tab™ | e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

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40 Years of HiMedia
A JOURNEY OF 40 YEARS.
AN EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME.
READ ABOUT THE MILESTONES OF HiMedia LABORATORIES
We forayed into the field of BioSciences in 1976. Most players in culture media and ingredient manufactures at
the time were based out of India and the complexity of technology was yet to be established in India.
It has been 40 years since, and we have established ourselves as one of the most recognizable and respected
names in the BioSciences Industry. In India, we have 85% of the market share and globally we rank among the
top 3 major suppliers of dehydrated microbiology media.

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 Lab to Tab™ | e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

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 Lab to Tab™ | e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY - The PCR Profile

A TECHNIQUE THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE
TO THE SMALL THINGS.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is one of the
most remarkable technique which has helped
advance the field of Molecular Biology. PCR
allows researchers to make a million copies of
sparse DNA samples in an efficient and cost
effective way. Soon after its discovery, this
technique became an integral part and basis of
various Molecular Biology experiments, with the
Human Genome Project benefitting the most.

KARY MULLIS GAVE BIRTH

TO AN IDEA. OTHERS
MADE IT A REALITY.
Kary Mullis, PhD, a scientist at Cetus Corporation
first perceived the idea of PCR as a technique to
copy and synthesize fragments of DNA in the year
1983. Soon after the team of Scientists at Cetus
Corporation turned this theoretical idea into a
reality over a period of a few years..

IT IDENTIFIES THE SMALLEST MICRO ORGANISM BUT HAS

THE BIG IMPACT ON THE WORLD.
The PCR has completely revolutionized the research in the fields of Biological Sciences, Medicine, Law and
Criminology. The positive impact of this technique is reflected by its widespread use in our day to day lives where
this technique is used from establishing a paternity or family relationships to matching organ donors to recipients.
PCR has played a very important role in exonerating a wrongly accused person, identifying endangered species,
detecting microorganisms that pollute soil, air and water, identifying uncultivable microbes in the environments,
identifying catastrophe victims etc.

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The contribution of PCR is tremendous in the field of
Molecular Diagnostics which could progress in terms of
faster disease diagnosis. In the field of diagnostics, the
level of automation has reached a point where Molecular
Techniques like PCR has replaced the traditional culture
based detection to improve speed, accuracy and sensitivity
of detection in developed countries. With healthcare
becoming increasingly available to a large number
of people there is a greater need for faster molecular
detection techniques as the number of samples have
increased significantly.

PCR NOTES FROM HiMedia’s DESK

At HiMedia Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., with an endeavor to be at the cusp of cutting-edge research we have launched
a series of Semi quantitative (Prima Series- Prima-96, Prima-Duo, Prima-Trio and Prima 96Plus) and Quantitative
PCR Thermal Cyclers (Insta Q96 and Insta Q 48 M4 and Insta QM2). These Thermal Cyclers cater to the varied
needs of researchers and scientists. The multiple blocks in the Prima Series provide flexibility and the machine’s
excellent ramping rates, owing to the Peltier blocks, help finish the assays faster with a great uniformity and
accuracy. The Insta Q Real Time systems are an open platform with PMT based bottom detection systems for the
most sensitive detection. These detection systems with a seamless switchover from SYBr chemistries to Probe
based chemistries provide a great ease for usage and designing of assays.
As a futuristic approach for disease diagnosis, HiMedia launched a mobile Thermal Cycler- Palm PCR™- which
is portable, stand-alone, battery operated and ultra-light which can be operated under different conditions at
various geographical locations. This device has cut down the time required for PCR assays from hours to mere
minutes.

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 Lab to Tab™ | e-Newsletter Volume 4 | November 2016 Issue

HiMedia in Europe

HiMedia proudly announces the creation of a logistics base and warehouse in Europe. With very soon a stock of
more than 1,000 available products. This investment will enable HiMedia to supply a wide range of media and
reagents within a couple of days through a large network of distributors.

EUROPE
Logistics - Tel : +49 6251 989 24-26 | Fax : +49 6251 989 24-27 | Email : infoeu@himedialabs.com
Marketing and Sales - Tel : +33 6 11 76 49 24 | Fax : +33 1 48 85 69 94 | Email : ajruiz@himedialabs.com

CORPORATE OFFICE
A-516, Swastik Disha Business Park, Via Vadhani Indl Est, LBS Marg, Mumbai - 400 086, India.
Tel : 00-91-22-6147 1919 / 2500 3747 | Fax : 00-91-22-6147 1920 / 2500 5764
Web : www.himedialabs.com
Email : hdmexpo@himedialabs.com / info@himedialabs.com

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