Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy can distinguish between neurological diseases in patients without clear symptoms.

Read more: Research Heralds Potential for Early Diagnosis of Degenerative Brain Disorders

Water molecules are continuously forming short-lived networks called clusters. These can in turn bind positively charged protons, and such clusters can provide active functional groups in proteins. Using infrared spectroscopy, it is possible to determine the bond strengths, geometrical structures and chemical properties of protonated water clusters. In order to measure the spectrum of molecular vibrations in clusters it is, however, necessary to use other molecules as messengers. A team of physicists and chemists including Dr Gerald Mathias of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich and Professor Dominik Marx of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum has, for the first time, described how these messengers influence the assignment of spectral bands by infrared spectroscopy.

Read more: Mapping the Structure of Protonated Water Clusters

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology, GA, USA, have attained very promising results on their initial investigations of a new test for ovarian cancer. Using a new technique involving mass spectrometry of a single drop of blood serum, the test correctly identified women with ovarian cancer in 100% of the patients tested.

Read more: Initial Trials on New Ovarian Cancer Tests with Mass Spec Exhibit Extremely High Accuracy

Bruker Corporation has signed an agreement to acquire the Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) and Optical Industrial Metrology (OIM) instruments business from Veeco Instruments, Inc. for $229 million in cash. The transaction has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies and is expected to close during the fourth quarter of 2010, pending regulatory review and subject to customary closing conditions.

Read more: Bruker to Acquire Veeco's Scanning Probe Microscopy and Optical Industrial Metrology Scientific Instruments Business