SHIMADZU BIOTECH SEES SUBSTANTIAL RISE IN SALES FOLLOWING RESEARCHER'S NOBEL PRIZE

31 January 2003. Shimadzu Biotech reports a considerable increase in sales enquiries for the mass spectrometers that Nobel prize winner Koichi Tanaka developed. Sales of the AXIMA™ range of mass spectrometers are expected to substantially exceed targets for this fiscal year if all the leads received so far are converted. Kratos Analytical, a UK subsidiary of Shimadzu Corporation responsible for the manufacture of the AXIMA™ systems, are increasing production capacity to meet demand.

Sales have been further boosted by the launch of the latest instrument, the AXIMA-CFR™plus, offering mass resolution of more than 20,000 and high mass accuracy crucial for protein identification by peptide mass fingerprinting. The significant improvement in both resolution and mass accuracy has been achieved without compromising sensitivity. A modified ion gate that enables deflection of low mass matrix ions and an ultra-fast (2GHz) transient recorder are among the enhancements made.

A substantial number of enquiries have also been generated by the AXIMA-QIT.TM Combining a quadrupole ion trap for high-resolution precursor ion selection and fragmentation with time-of-flight for high-mass accuracy measurement, the AXIMA-QIT offers unprecedented levels of structural information for biological molecules from the MSⁿ analysis and sequencing.

-ends-

For more information, please contact:

Shimadzu Biotech
Tetsuo Ichikawa, Chairman
Tel: 81-75-823-1148
Fax: 81-75-823-1364
email: tichi@shimadzu.co.jp

For press information, please contact:

HCC De Facto Group plc
Jacqui Dyson, Account Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7496 3300
Fax: +44 (0)20 7496 3355
email: j.dyson@hccdefacto.com