Inside Instrumentation

PerkinElmer buys services company

PerkinElmer has acquired U.K.-based Clinical & Analytical Service Solutions. C&A offers scientific equipment maintenance services for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and health care laboratories and had revenues of about $7.5 million in 2005. It will become part of PerkinElmer's OneSource service business, which consolidates customers' laboratory equipment service needs into customized programs. C&A staff joining PerkinElmer will expand the company's technical expertise for a wide range of equipment platforms.

Thermo adds to proteomic lineup

Thermo Electron has launched several new products for protein and metabolite analysis. The LTQ XL linear ion-trap mass spectrometer (shown) features multiple dissociation techniques for fragmenting proteins and can rapidly switch between positive and negative ion modes. The new LTQ FT Ultra includes an ion cyclotron resonance cell that allows routine attomole sensitivity over a wide dynamic range with high mass accuracy. Thermo has added FAIMS technology (high-field asymmetric ion mobility mass spectrometry), which improves analyte selectivity, as an option for the TSQ Quantum triple quadrupole mass spectrometer.

ENS chiral column uses nanomaterial

Evolved Nanomaterial Sciences (ENS) has developed a normal-phase, analytical-scale, chiral high-performance liquid chromatography column for separating small molecules. The Analytical NP Chiral column, which is based on a nanostructured biopolymer honeycomb with chiral channels, is the first of several new columns ENS plans to launch this year. The new column works across a broad range of molecular families, such as chiral alcohols, free amines, terpenes, alkaloids, and amino acid derivatives, and can be scaled up without requiring new method development.

Bruker launches chemical detectors

Bruker Daltonics is offering two new stationary chemical detectors, the RAID-AFM and RAID-S2, for the nuclear, biological, and chemical detection market. To create the new instruments, the company has redesigned and updated its existing technology using ion mobility spectrometry for detecting chemical agents and toxic industrial chemicals. The RAID-AFM (advanced facility monitor) is a slimmed-down instrument for critical infrastructure and facilities monitoring and has Web-based diagnostics and control capabilities. The RAID-S2 instrument has been made rugged for use on military missions.

Method separates protein aggregates

Wyatt Technologies' Eclipse Field-Flow Fractionation system can separate protein aggregates associated with neurodegenerative diseases, according to a new company application note. These protein aggregates, which range from small oligomers to large amyloid fibrils, have been challenging to separate with other separation methods. Researchers at an NIH laboratory used the Eclipse to separate prion protein aggregates. The aggregates were characterized by molar mass, radius, and shape using the company's light-scattering detectors.

Eksigent to work with Phenomenex

Eksigent, a provider of capillary highperformance liquid chromatography systems, and HPLC column manufacturer Phenomenex have signed a marketing and technology agreement. The companies will jointly develop columns optimized for use with capillary HPLC systems and thereby expand the range of columns that can be used on Eksigent's systems. According to the companies, the combination of Eksigent's microfluidic technology and Phenomenex's column chemistries will offer high-speed, high-resolution separations for pharmaceutical R&D.

Waters To collaborate with Chinese agencies

Waters Corp. has signed an agreement to collaborate with three Chinese governmental agencies to provide technology and expertise for food safety analysis and environmental regulatory compliance. The agencies' interest in the collaboration stems from China's entry into the World Trade Organization and its successful bid to host the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. "Waters is excited about having the opportunity to provide a range of robust technologies and expertise to complement the Chinese food safety and environmental agencies in ensuring that international standards are not only met, but exceeded," says Arthur G. Caputo, president, Waters Business Operations.