NanoSight wins Technology World's 2011 Business Innovation Award

NanoSight, leading manufacturers of unique nanoparticle characterization technology, are winners of this year's Technology World's 2011 Business Innovation Award in the category of Energy & Environment. These annual awards are sponsored by the PA Consulting Group.

Now in their 4th year, the Business Innovation Awards showcase the very best of British innovation. After receiving a record number of entries, NanoSight has been named winners in the Energy & Environment category in recognition of their position as world leading providers of instruments for the optical detection and real time analysis of sub-micron particles.

NanoSight's unique nanoparticle tracking analysis systems have enabled more than 400 research teams around the world to better understand the behaviour of materials on the sub-micron scale. It delivers the world's most versatile and proven multi-parameter nanoparticle analysis in a single instrument by visualizing, measuring and characterizing virtually all nanoparticles. Particle size, concentration, aggregation and zeta potential can all be analyzed while a fluorescence mode provides speciation of labeled particles. NanoSight provides real time monitoring of the subtle changes in the characteristics of particle populations with all of these analyses uniquely confirmed by visual validation.

Picture: NanoSight CEO Jeremy Warren receives the 2011 Business Innovation Award from Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills and President of the Board of Trade.

Jeremy Warren, CEO of NanoSight, commented: "The products we sell are unique, and we estimate we are currently only in single digits in terms of percentage of market penetration. The recognition of this prestigious award further underscores our self-belief in that we are being successful in delivering cutting edge technology solutions in fields which impact directly on the quality of life. Applications that enable the production of better, more consistent vaccines to showing the ability to measure events that detect cancerous diseases earlier than ever before give us a lot of confidence for the coming years of more growth."

For further information about particle characterization using NanoSight's unique nanoparticle tracking analysis solutions, view website: www.nanosight.com and register to receive the next issue of NanoTrail, the company's electronic newsletter.  Refer to page 313

Anasys Instruments receives Microscopy Today's 2011
Innovation Award for their breakthrough AFM-IR platform

Anasys Instruments' AFM-IR system has been recognized by Microscopy Today in the receipt of the 2011 Innovation Award. It was presented to CEO, Roshan Shetty, at the 2011 M&M Annual conference held this year in Nashville, TN.

The AFM-IR technique was developed by Dr. Alexandre Dazzi at the University of Paris-Sud. It uses an AFM probe as the IR absorbance detector and hence obtains IR spectroscopy at up to 2 orders of magnitude better than traditional IR spectroscopy. It also provides the AFM with true chemical ID capability which has long been the 'holy grail' for this community.

Commenting on the impact of AFM-IR which led to the award, internationally-recognized spectroscopist, Dr Curtis Marcott, Senior Partner at Light Light Solutions and the 2011 President of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy, said "the combination of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy as manifested in the new technique of AFM-IR is one of the most important recent developments in the important field of IR microspectroscopy and chemical imaging."

He went on to say, "the importance of IR spectroscopy to our scientific infrastructure needs no introduction given the size of the industry and the breadth of its application. However, the fundamental physical limit imposed by diffraction has prevented the use of this important technology to applications requiring high spatial resolution which is the case for many of the exciting new issues in polymers and the life sciences."

Potential nanoIR application areas include polymer blends, multilayer films and laminates, organic defect analysis, tissue morphology and histology, subcellular spectroscopy, and organic photovoltaics. For further information, view website: www.anasysinstruments.com  Refer to page 293

Agilent Technologies introduces Microarray
Scanner offering greater sensitivity, streamlined workflow

Agilent Technologies' SureScan Microarray Scanner, is it's latest innovation in scanner technology and provides the foundation of Agilent's complete microarray solution for both gene expression and CGH/cytogenetics research applications.

The new SureScan system delivers the highest sensitivity, widest dynamic range and exceptional resolution, providing researchers with the greatest degree of confidence in their microarray results.

In addition, the manufacturing process used on the SureScan Microarray Scanner is ISO 13485 certified, demonstrating Agilent's commitment in assuring controlled processes.

The SureScan system offers a streamlined workflow, allowing researchers to continuously load microarray slides while the instrument is operating. With the system's random scanning capability, they can also reprioritize and rearrange the scan queue order at any point during the operation.

Raw image data is automatically loaded into Agilent Feature Extraction software, eliminating manual transfer.

The compact Agilent SureScan Microarray Scanner (16.5 in. high, 17 in. wide and 26 in. deep) conserves bench space. The system also combines a newly designed slide cover and a built-in ozone barrier system to minimize dye signal degradation, protecting valuable samples.

Extremely sensitive results are achieved by the unique dynamic autofocus mechanism in conjunction with a detection limit of as low as 0.01 fluorophores per square micron. These enable users to capture quality data from samples with both low and high signals.

"Researchers can be confident that the new SureScan system will deliver consistently good microarray results for many years to come," said Robert Schueren, Agilent vice president and general manager, Genomics. "With our market-leading portfolio of microarrays, custom microarrays, reagents and software, our customers can invest in one platform knowing that it will fit a wide range of research needs."

For further information, view website: www.agilent.com/genomics/surescan  Refer to page 289

Thermo Scientific HyperSep SLE range
provides greater sample purity from Biological samples

Thermo Scientific HyperSep SLE chromatographic sample preparation provide an option for processing and simplifying extraction of samples from complex biological matrices. The new sample preparation format offers a fast, effective method to reduce sample background and concentrate the desired analytes. The HyperSep™ SLE technology gives greater reproducibility and reliability in sample preparation compared to Liquid/Liquid Extraction (LLE). And, unlike protein precipitation techniques, it removes contaminants such as phospholipids. The solid supported liquid/liquid extraction (SLE) solution offered by HyperSep SLE also provides a platform for greater automation and analyte purity, reduces solvent requirements and can prevent complications such as emulsification of the separate phases.

Biological samples are frequently in the form of complex liquids that contain a wide variety of compounds and chemistries. Reducing the complexity of the sample matrix significantly diminishes background interferences, and this increases the sensitivity of the separations technique. With a treated diatomaceous earth stationary phase, and formats to handle a number of sample volumes, the HyperSep SLE range provides optimized solutions for sample extraction from biological matricies.

For further information about the Thermo Scientific HypSep SLE portfolio, view website: www.thermoscientific.com/SPE  Refer to next page

The NanoChemistry group at the Technical
University of Denmark (DTU) uses NanoSight's
NTA system for nanoparticle characterization

NanoSight, leading manufacturers of unique nanoparticle characterization technology, describes how the Nano Chemistry group at DTU Copenhagen is utilizing nanoparticle tracking analysis, NTA, in its research and teaching programs.

Picture: The leading user, Christian Engelbrekt from the NanoChemistry group at DTU Chemistry, using the system for his research.

The NanoChemistry group at the Department of Chemistry at DTU in Kongens Lyngby near Copenhagen, is led by Professor Jens Ulstrup.

Chemistry at the nanoscale deals with the observation and manipulation of Nature's tiniest chemical building blocks, and with the design and exploitation of new properties that arise from nanoscale objects. The NanoChemistrty group at DTU Chemistry uses new and untraditional technologies which has helped us to open a whole new world of "ultra-small" chemical and physicochemical systems of great importance for future technology. One of the current projects dealing with nanoparticles in solution is the SAMENS project.

The main objective of NanoChemistry's SAMENS project (saccharide-based approach to metallic nanostructure synthesis) is to develop methods for the preparation of novel exciting nanostructures. These include very small, (i.e. less than a few nanometers) metallic and metal oxide nanoparticles, core-shell hetero-nanostructures of metals and metal oxides and highly anisotropic nanostructures. These are thoroughly characterized by a variety of methods and applied in electrochemistry and electrocatalysis. The research is built on a strong "green" foundation (i.e. harmless chemicals, aqueous environment and mild synthesis conditions) with constant efforts also within nanotoxicology. The properties of the nanostructures depend strongly on their size and shape, so it is critical that we have precise knowledge about these parameters.

Several techniques for size and shape characterization have been used in the project. These include TEM, AFM, STM, UV-Vis, SEM and Zetasizing. Most recently, a NanoSight system providing particle-by-particle nanoparticle tracking analysis, NTA, was acquired. The leading user, Christian Engelbrekt from the NanoChemistry group at DTU Chemistry, describes his thoughts on using the system for his research:

"From my experience, NTA is superior to the majority of nanoparticle characterisation techniques and complementary to others. Compared to other light-scattering techniques in solution, the NTA user is much closer to the raw data. This provides a strong basis for analysis and interpretation of the results. This is especially important when working with hybrid and anisotropic nanostructures where very careful data analysis is needed. The other techniques are all based on dried or immobilized samples which introduces other challenges regarding interpretation. We furthermore often look at coated nanostructures and with NTA we can "see" the overall size including the coating layer which is not visible in TEM. And another advantage is that NTA is really fast and inexpensive to run."

For further information about the company and to learn more about particle characterization using NanoSight's unique nanoparticle tracking analysis solutions, view website: www.nanosight.com and register to receive the next issue of NanoTrail, the company's electronic newsletter. Refer to page 313