Thin layer chromatography (TLC) is a widely used chromatography technique to separate chemical compounds. It involves a stationary phase consisting of a thin layer of absorbent material, usually silica gel, alumina or cellulose immobilised onto a flat, inert carrier sheet. A liquid phase consisting of the solution to be separated dissolved in a solvent is drawn through the plate via capillary action, separating the experimental solution. It can be used to determine the pigments a plant contains, to detect pesticides or insecticides in food, in forensics to analyse the dye composition of fibres, or to identify compounds present in a given substance, among other uses

All the antibodies the immune system normally produces in response to a specific antigen are capable of marking (binding to) that antigen, but these antibodies-termed polyclonal-are varied & not identical. Monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) that share a specific antigenic target are identical and are more sensitive to that target than are polyclonal antibodies for the same antigen. MoAbs are the products of hybridomas-cells that result from the biotech fusion of bone-marrow tumor cells and B lymphocytes. Hybridomas can be geared to produce specific MoAbs continuously. Monoclonal antibodies represent a primary sector of the biopharmaceuticals market. The specificity of mAbs against antigens has tremendous clinical value, making them effective therapeutic agents. Many large-sized pharmaceutical companies are looking at mAb research more closely after the success of products, such as Remicade and Rituxan. Processes for the purification of these antibodies will have a significant impact on a company's bottom line. Monoclonal antibodies are used in many diagnostic kits as they provide the specificity, rapidity and ease required.

Validation is of paramount importance in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical devices industries. The person creates what he or she thinks is the best work, frames it & places it in the gallery to be shown. But, it should fulfill regulatory obligations and comply with internal quality requirements. The degree of validation performed must be based on code complexity, consumer base and carefully assessed risk factors. Regulatory agencies, such as the US FDA have long established validation as a core requirement of quality assurance for medical device manufacturers. Still, many companies fail to develop an adequate validation program which can prove to be costly, if discovered by an inspector. Validation is broadly applied across the organization to ensure that products, equipment, processes, software & systems operate, as designed and intended. Successful validation practices bring together engineering, manufacturing, regulatory compliance & quality assurance to develop test solutions that are unique to each application.

Mycorrhiza associations can be described as the symbioses between certain fungi, particularly Vesicular-Arbuscular (VA)-mycorrhizas, and the roots of vascular plants (trees, shrubs & certain plants like wheat, sorghum, cassava, soya, tea & coffee). A VA-mycorrhizal fungus is unspecific, it can infect a very wide range of host plants & it is assumed that more than 90% of all vascular plants are capable of forming mycorrhiza associations. In many circumstances, mycorrhizal infection can greatly increase the rate of uptake of nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, from deficient soils. Vesicular-Arbusculas mycorrhizas are known to solubilize iron phosphate in low fertility soils. In addition, they may mobilize other scarce elements like copper, zinc and possibly iron. Utilization of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) markedly increases the success of rehabilitation of disturbed & degraded lands, either in mesic or in moisture-deficient zones. It has been demonstrated that the presence of VAM is critical for the regeneration of natural ecosystems in arid lands.

Vermicompost (also called worm compost, vermicast, worm castings, worm humus or worm manure) is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by some species of earthworm. Vermicompost is a nutrient-rich, organic fertilizer and soil conditioner. The process of producing vermicompost is called vermicomposting. The earthworm species (or composting worms) most often used are Red Wigglers (Eisenia foetida) or Red Earthworms (Lumbricus rubellus). These species are commonly found in organic rich soils throughout Europe & North America and especially prefer the special conditions in rotting vegetation, compost & manure piles. Composting worms are available from nursery mail-order suppliers or angling (fishing) shops where they are sold as bait. Small-scale vermicomposting is well-suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil, where space is limited.