SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
INSIDE INSTRUMENTATION TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS NEWS FOR THE LABORATORY WORLD
Instrument, software companies partner
probes. Called Bio-MAS, the probe was developed with collaborators at the Uni versity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
PROTEOME SYSTEMS WILL MAKE ITS GLY-
Microscope achieves sub-Α resolution
comlQ software for mass spectrometric analysis of protein-associated polysaccha rides compatible with Agilent Technolo gies' XCTline of ion trap mass spectrom eters. Similarly, PerkinElmer will offer Nonlinear Dynamics' entire line of proteomics software, including its ProMST MS bioinformatics package and its Progenesis image-analysis software for gel elec trophoresis. Meanwhile, Waters will in corporate Matrix Science's Mascot MS data-based search engine into its protein informatics platform—ProteinLynx Glob al SERVER 2.2—for automated protein identification and characterization.
FEI HAS ANNOUNCED THE TITAN 8 0 - 3 O O
scanning/transmission electron micro scope, which yields atomic-scale resolu
Better detection for elemental mass spec THERMO ELECTRON HAS INTRODUCED THE
Varian offers new bio-NMR probes VARIAN HAS DEVELOPED TWO NEW PROBES
for nuclear magnetic resonance studies of biological systems. The first is a cryogenically cooled probe that tolerates salty samples, such as plasma, urine, and other biological fluids. It offers 2 0 % higher sen sitivity than existing probes for samples that mimic physiological conditions and as much as 4 0 % more at higher salt con centrations. The Salt Tolerant Cold Probe has been designed for use with 500- and 600-MHz N M R spectrometers. For sol id-state studies of proteins and other biomolecules, Varian is offering an N M R probe incorporating a scroll coil design to reduce unwanted heating by three orders of magnitude compared with standard
tion of below 0.7 Â inTEM mode and just under 1Â in STEM mode. The system is designed to allow upgrades with monochromators and aberration correctors, which further improve the resolution.
Improved mass specs introduced APPLIED BIOSYSTEMS AND MDS SCIEX HAVE
announced two new mass spectrometers developed through their joint venture. The 3200 QTRAP, ahybrid triple-quadrupole linear ion trap, and the triple-quadrupole API 3200 LC/MS/MS systems incorporate
ACQUISITIONS HELP EXPAND BUSINESSES Beckman Coulter will acquire Agencourt Bioscience, a provider of genomic services and nucleic acid purification products, for $100 million in cash. The deal includes another $40 million in payments through 2007 contingent on product development, revenue, and profit milestones. Agencourt, with revenues of $27 million in 2004, will become a Beckman subsidiary and retain its management team and approximately 100 employees. The two companies will also spin off a separate company, Agencourt Personal Genomics, to accelerate the development of a "sequencing by synthesis" approach to personal-genome sequencing. Separately, ESA Biosciences has acquired Richard Scientific, a distributor of specialty liquid chromatography products to the pharmaceutical, biotech, and academic research markets. Richard Devereaux, founder of Richard Scientific, will join ESA as manager of sales for the West Coast and Latin America. ESA will keep the Novato, Calif., facility open and retain the company's technical staff. WWW.CEN-0NLINE.ORG
SCIEX's Turbo V ion source. The 3200 Q TRAP system is more than twice as sensitive as its predecessor. The API 3 2 0 0 LC/MS/MS offers better performance than earlier versions, especially at high flow rates. Meanwhile, Agilent Technologies has launched its LC/MSD Trap XCT Ultra. The new system's improved scan time allows it to collect spectra up to three times faster than its predecessors.
Finnigan Element XR I C P mass spectrometer, which can detect analytes over a broader concentration range than previous systems. The instrument, which is used for elemental analysis, is targeted at the geological, environmental, clinical, and industrial markets. The system uses two different kinds of detectors to increase the dynamic range and features automatic selection of the detection mode.The increased dynamic range makes it unnecessary to use multiple instruments for elemental analyses over a wide concentration range.
Companies name new executives TWO SMALL INSTRUMENTATION COMPA-
nies have named new managers. Infinitesima—maker ofthe VideoAFM atomic force microscope that delivers images at video frame rates or 1,000 times faster than conventional AFMs—has appointedJeffLyons, 41, as CEO. Lyons has 19 years of technology industry experience, primarily in the semiconductor area. He is the first CEO of the company, a spin-off from the University of Bristol, in England. Meanwhile, Protiveris, a Rockville, Md.-based bionanotechnology company, has named Gregory Kellogg, 43, as its chief technology officer. Kellogg, aPh.D. physicist, was formerly vice president of research at Network Biosystems. Protiveris develops biochips that use arrays of microcantilevers to detect biomolecular interactions. Inside Instrumentation is written by Celia M. Henry and Ann M. Thayer. Contact them via e-mail to
[email protected]. C & E N / MAY 9. 2005
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