Bruker Corporation and Agilent Technologies have announced that they have entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement. Pursuant to this agreement, Bruker will acquire certain product lines of Varian Inc., which Agilent has committed to divest in connection with obtaining regulatory approval for Agilent's previously announced acquisition of Varian.

AB Sciex has acquired the liquid chromatography business of Eksigent Technologies. This acquisition provides the company with a significant entry into the liquid chromatography market through the ability to provide instrumentation and consumables and to couple them with mass spectrometry instruments to form complete workflow solutions.

Agilent Technologies have introduced the 5975T Low Thermal Mass (LTM) gas chromatography/mass spectrometry detector (GC/MSD), that provides laboratory-quality analysis. The proprietary LTM technology has enabled the 5975T LTM to be smaller, more rugged and to consume less power than in-lab GC/MS instruments, yet capable of the same performance in the field. The LTM technology eliminates the conventional GC oven by wrapping the GC column(s) with a heating element and temperature sensor. This provides rapid heating and cooling of the column for higher throughput.

Agilent Technologies have introduced the Agilent 6150B Series single quadrupole LC/MS, a new generation of their workhorse instrument. The 6150B Series LC/MS is well-matched to the latest fast chromatography systems, able to scan at 10,000 amu per second, while maintaining data quality. It is equipped with Agilent Jet Stream Technology, a sample inlet design that uses super-heated sheath gas to focus the ion stream entering the mass spec. The benefit is enhanced sensitivity from a stronger signal with lower relative standard deviation at the limit of detection.

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments’ web-based Open Solution software permits viewing analysis results and outputting reports for liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry testing from any networked PC. Users can start and observe analysis in three easy steps. Log in to a secure network; set parameters for sample registration and analysis method; and hit start. Open Solution displays analysis progress in real time or through e-mail notification. Open Solution software enables control of the Shimadzu HPLC Prominence, UFLC Prominence and the LCMS-2020 mass spectrometer via open access without direct contact with the equipment.

The Hapsite ER from Inficon is a person-portable GC/MS for on-site investigation and analysis of volatile organic compounds in air, water and doil at ppt levels for most analytes. New features include shorter run time and low consumables usage. Instant air analysis can be conducted using the mass spectrometer only. Various sample inlet options are are available for different sample matrices with pre-installed operating methods for each sampling device.

A European research project has shown how to build optical sensors directly into the structure of labs-on-chips. The breakthrough paves the way for on-the-spot medical diagnostics.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has opened a new facility in Runcorn, Cheshire, UK. Located at Tudor Road, Manor Park, it is a significant investment for Thermo Fisher Scientific in the North of England.

Waters has announced that the Taiwan Bureau of Food and Drug Analysis has purchased and installed four Acquity UPLC systems and nine Xevo TQ tandem quadrupole mass spectrometers to monitor domestically produced and imported food sold within the country. The new instruments will be placed with regional laboratories throughout Taiwan and with the Divisions of Food Chemistry and Food Microbiology to add to existing capacity and provide access to modern analytical technology.  www.waters.com

Thermo Fisher Scientific has created a new online LC/MS information resource for environmental and food safety scientists. They provide a gateway to tools and advice that can assist individuals and companies in their research.  www.thermo.com/lcmsfood,  www.thermo.com/lcmsenviro

PerkinElmer and Gilson have announced a mass spectrometry collaboration to support pharmaceutical and biotech scientists, which will enable the two companies to provide new and enhanced solutions for fraction collection and liquid chromatography. As part of the agreement, PerkinElmer will develop a dedicated single quadrupole mass spectrometer to be incorporated into Gilson’s preparative chromatography systems.  www.perkinelmer.com,  www.gilson.com

Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced the new National Scientific Mass Spec Certified Vials, which are cleaned and tested as standard. These low-particulate chromatography vials are cleaned in a GMP compliant, fully-validated clean room environment to minimise the occurrence of any contamination.

PerkinElmer has announced a suite of hyphenated solutions for evolved gas analysis, providing laboratories ranging from pharmaceutical and polymer to academia and chemical, with solutions for enhanced safety and quality. Hyphenated technologies for EGA enable scientists to determine how materials respond to heat.

The European Commission has cleared, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Varian Inc. by Agilent Technologies Inc., both US companies, by way of purchase of shares. The decision is conditional upon the divestment of Agilent's entire micro/portable gas chromatography instrument business and Varian's entire laboratory gas chromatography, triple quadrupole gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry instrument businesses. In view of the remedies proposed, the Commission has concluded that the operation would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.

Two new nitrogen generators, the ABN2ZA and the AB-3G, have been introduced by Peak Scientific. Both are specifically designed to operate LC-MS instruments manufactured by Applied Biosystems/MDS Sciex, producing nitrogen and dry air through three independent outputs at the required flow rates, purities and pressures.

Thermo Fisher Scientific have introduced a new programme of upgrades and discounts for single quadrupole and ion trap LC-MS users wishing to move to linear ion traps. www.thermo.com/tradeup

Agilent Technologies has announced their new Complex Proteomics Standard, created to help researchers with protein biomarker discovery by validating mass spectrometry-based workflows for protein identification. It is applicable to a wide range of LC/MS- based applications and can be used with the Agilent 1200 series LC and 6000 series MS systems as well as MS instruments from other suppliers. The standard contains more than 1500 proteins covering a wide range of protein sizes/molecular weights, pI and hydrophobicity. Genetic distance between Pyrococcus furiosus and human—or other organisms typically subjected to proteomic studies—helps avoid erroneous protein identification.

Agilent Technologies Europe Issue: 21/05 RSN: 116 More information via

A new application note entitled Direct Analysis of Red Wine Using Ultrafast Chromatography is now available from Thermo Fisher Scientific. It explains the capabilities of ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled to an Orbitrap mass spectrometer for use in the identification and quantitation of antioxidant constituents in red wine. It demonstrates the potential of a direct analysis of red wine using the high resolving power of both the Accela and the LTQ Orbitrap XL. Researchers identified phenolic compounds responsible for most health benefits associated with red wine, such as quercetin and observed variable content across two different harvest years. Comparative analyses were performed using SIEVE 1.2 software. The features were filtered for statistical significance, with significant change defined as a minimum of two-fold concentration difference between the two years. The results presented in the application note show statistically significant changes for individual compounds detected. The concentration differences for some compounds, particularly quercetin, were considerable. The combination of the two systems provides a means of profiling complex mixtures as well as identification and advanced structural characterisation of detected compounds without prior sample preparation

Thermo Fisher Scientific Issue: 21/05 RSN: 132 More information via

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the introduction of a new forensic toxicology application, High Throughput Confirmation and Quantitation of THC in Oral Fluids Using the TSQ Quantum GC, which demonstrates the analytical capabilities of its triple-stage quadrupole mass spectrometer for monitoring marijuana in oral fluid. The TSQ Quantum GC is capable of performing quick and reliable confirmation and quantitation analyses, achieving good quantitative precision and linearity. Oral fluid analysis is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to blood and urine testing for the detection of drugs such as marijuana as it can be collected and monitored without embarrassment, pain or the extensive training required to draw blood. Since THC, the pharmacologically-active compound found in marijuana, is one of the most commonly used illegal drugs, its analysis in oral fluid has become increasingly important. This analysis can be very challenging due to the low concentration of THC found in oral fluid and the low volumes of fluid that are available. Methods were developed for sample preparation, acquisition and analysis for this forensic toxicology assay. Results demonstrate that the analyser, operated in multiple reaction monitoring mode, is both selective and sensitive enough for accurate trace THC measurements. Coefficients of variation of 6% or less at 0.8 ng mL–1 and 2.5 ng mL–1 are achieved with linearity and accuracy from 0.2 ng mL–1 to 20 ng mL–1 with no significant carryover.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Issue: 21/05 RSN: 136 More information via

Hamamatsu Photonics supply a wide variety of xenon flash lamp products, offering a wide range of solutions for various UV-vis applications. A new head-on 5 W xenon flash lamp module, similar to the side-on module, has now been added to their range. The L11035/L11036 series are compact modules integrating a 5 W xenon flash lamp with a dedicated power supply and trigger socket. They have a 2000 hours life and the output per flash is higher than a 50 W halogen lamp for less of the wattage. The modules are available with or without a fibre output, making it easy to choose the right lamp for the right application and are suitable for UV-vis spectroscopy, fluorescence spectrophotometry, HPLC and microtiter plate reading.

Hamamatsu Photonics (UK) Ltd Issue: 21/02 RSN: 160