Molecular Bioanalytics Prize
The Molecular Bioanalytics Prize, endowed with DM100,000, is donated by Roche Diagnostics for outstanding work in the field of molecular bioanalytics. It is awarded biannually in association with Analytica. This year’s prize has been made to Professor Franz Hillenkamp (Institute of Medical Physics and Biophysics, Westphalian Wilhelms University, Muenster, Germany) and Professor Michael Karas (Department of Chemistry, Instrumental Analytical Chemistry, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Frankfurt/Main, Germany). The award was made in recognition of their pioneering work in the development of matrix-assisted laser/desorption ionisation (MALDI) mass spectrometry. |
| Winners of the Roche Diagnostics Molecular Bioanalytics Prize, Michael Karas (2nd from left) and Franz Hillenkamp (3rd from left) surrounded on the left by Manfred Baier (Roche Diagnostics) and on the right by Heino von Prondzynski (F. Hoffman-La Roche) and Professor Sandhoff (GBM). Photograph: Foto Meinen |
Shimadzu celebrates 125th anniversary
The year 2000 marks the 125th Anniversary of the Shimadzu Corporation. The company was founded in 1875 by Genzo Shimadzu, and began to produce physical and chemical apparatus for educational purposes. Shimadzu has grown to become a $2 billion multinational corporation employing over 5,000 people.Shimadzu has produced a number of firsts since the days of Genzo Shimadzu and his son, Genzo Shimadzu Jr, who was honoured by the Emperor as one of Japan’s great inventors. One year after the discovery of X-rays by Wilhelm Rontgen, the company produced the first medical X-ray machine in Japan. In 1934 Shimadzu entered the analytical instrumentation field with Japan’s first spectrograph. The company began producing electron microscopes in 1947, introduced the world’s first UV/vis spectrophotometer with a photomultiplier tube detector in 1952 and the world’s first gas chromatograph in 1957. www.shimadzu.com.
Analytica figures
Analytica 2000, which was held in Munich from 11 to 14 April, attracted 30,000 visitors to see 1000 exhibitors. The biotechnology sector was particularly strong with increased interest in it from visitors and more than 550 companies exhibiting biotechnology products. There was a 141% increase in the number of companies exhibiting entirely in biotechnology, from 71 in 1988 to 171 in 2000. The share of visitors from outside Europe increased from 10% in 1998 to 14%. Those from the USA increased from 4 to 5% and from Asia from 5 to 9%. The Analytica Conference also experienced good growth, from 2,700 participants in 1998 to 3,600.A survey by the organisers indicates that the overall market situation is much better than in 1998, and prospect for the future look good. 79% of all visitors rated the prospects for the market as “good” to “excellent”, compared to 61% in 1998. In a survey of exhibitors, 80% rated the market as “good” to “excellent”, compared to 61% in 1998. The next Analytica will be held from 23 to 26 April 2002. www.analytica.de.
Arnold Beckman 100
Arnold O. Beckman, founder and chairman emeritus of Beckman Coulter, celebrated his 100th birthday on 10 April 2000. He started what was to become Bekman Instruments in 1935 while teaching at California Institute of Technology. The first product was an “acidimeter” (now a pH meter) to measure acidity levels in lemon juice. The DU spectrophotometer was released in 1940, and Dr Beckman was awarded the National Medal of Science by US President George Bush in 1989.SensIR Technologies and PerkinElmer Instruments have announced an agreement to form a strategic partnership to market the TravelIR portable FT-IR spectrometer. www.sensir.com, www.perkinelmer.com.
A web site dedicated to modular optical spectroscopy has been launched by Sentronic. A discussion forum, specialised information, applications, tips on literature and products are featured. www.getspec.com.
Agilent Technologies and PE Biosystems have signed a cooperative marketing agreement concerning their LC/MS products. Agilent will supply BE Biosystems with the 1100 Series LC, and Agilent chromatography software will be combined and integrated with PE Biosystems MS software. www.agilent.com, www.pebiosystems.com.
Bio-Rad’s Sadtler Divison and Chemical Concepts have announced an agreement in which Sadtler will distribute Chemical Concepts spectroscopic databases through Sadtler’s direct and OEM sales channels world-wide. The partnership creates the single largest collection of spectroscopic libraries available from any company. www.sadtler.com.
Ian Pinn has been appointed to Head of European Bioresearch Division of Beckman Coulter.