News

Company Announcements

In November, Agilent Technologies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with GI Innovation (GII), a Korean clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The MOU establishes a framework in which the two companies will enter into a strategic partnership to explore potential genomic biomarkers of the tumor microenvironment in an early-phase trial of the investigational compound GI-101. This is Agilent's first partnership of this kind in Korea. The Agilent NGS panel tumor profiling assay that will be used enables genomic profiling of more than 500 cancer-related genes in a single assay with measurement of tumor mutational burden (TMB) including microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H), as well as variants characterization in tumor suppressor genes and genes involved in homologous recombinant repair (HRR), important emerging biomarkers in immuno-oncology.

The Access to Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Coalition (ACGP) announced that seven diagnostics and lab service providers have joined: Exact Sciences, Foundation Medicine, Illumina, LabCorp, QIAGEN, Roche Diagnostics and Thermo Fisher Scientific. The goal of the organization is to collectively advocate for appropriate broad US health insurance coverage of comprehensive genomic profiling for patients living with advanced cancer.

In November, clinical genomics company PierianDx and executive search firm Bench International announced the appointment of Mark McDonough as CEO and a Board member. He most recently served as CEO and board member for Immunis.AI. He succeeds Chairman and Interim CEO Joe Boorady, who remains as Chairman.

PerianDx announced in December an expanded partnership with Illumina to enable PierianDx genomic reporting solutions for use with AmpliSeq for Illumina Focus Panel, AmpliSeq for Illumina Myeloid Panel and the TruSight Hereditary Cancer Panel.

In December, Illumina announced that its NextSeq 550Dx NGS System received approval from China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for genetic testing and diagnosis. The NextSeq 550Dx is Illumina's second clinical-grade sequencer to receive NMPA regulatory approval, following the 2018 approval of the MiSeq Dx. The NextSeq 550Dx has been cleared for IVDs in more than 40 countries.

In December, Illumina announced that Australia's Victorian Government collaborated with the University of Melbourne and Illumina to secure a $60 million investment for the Illumina–University of Melbourne Genomics Hub. The Hub combines Illumina's industry expertise with the support of the University of Melbourne's research and student body. According to Illumina, it is the first hub of its kind.

In December, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Illumina announced a collaboration to sequence the complete human genomes of thousands of consenting patients in order to identify genetic alterations driving disease and potentially reveal previously unidentified therapies for treatment. The initiative, which also includes a collaboration between Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the New York Genome Center (NYGC), aims to evaluate the diagnostic potential of whole genome sequencing at scale. Under the initiative, which originates from Weill Cornell Medicine's Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, doctors at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center will offer qualifying patients the option to have their genomes sequenced as part of their diagnostic workups.

Illumina and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care announced in December a risk sharing agreement to make whole genome sequencing (WGS) available to certain Harvard Pilgrim members, effective January 1, 2021. The program will leverage WGS to support faster diagnoses of genetic diseases in children. Through this agreement, Harvard Pilgrim and Illumina will work together to evaluate how insurance coverage of WGS impacts patient care and healthcare costs. During the term of the agreement, Harvard Pilgrim will cover WGS through their network of lab providers for pediatric patients meeting specific criteria. Illumina and Harvard Pilgrim will share the risk on genetic testing costs.

TwinStrand Biosciences announced in November it entered into agreement to sublicense two foundational patent families to molecular information company Foundation Medicine and its affiliates relating to TwinStrand Duplex Sequencing error-correction technology. Duplex Sequencing increases the accuracy of NGS as much as 10,000 times, according to the company, allowing the detection of ultra-low frequency mutations.

Omniome, a developer of a novel DNA sequencing platform, appointed Robert Wicke as CEO in November. He served most previously as CEO of Halo Labs.

Third quarter revenues for HTG Molecular Diagnostics, a life science company whose mission is to advance precision medicine fell 67.1% to $1.8 million (see Bottom Line). Product and product-related services sales declined 60.5% to $1.7 million, while Collaborative development services revenue was down 93.0% to $0.76 million. The company ended the quarter with $30.5 million in cash, cash equivalents and short-term available-for-sale securities.

In November, HTG Molecular Diagnostics announced that as a result of its 1-for-15 reverse stock split, its common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the Nasdaq effective November 23. Holders received a cash payment in lieu of fractional shares.

According to a November report on Nordic9, Single Technologies, developer of the Theta 3D sequencing platform, raised $6.1 million, adding to the $3 million previously raised. The platform utilizes confocal scanning and nanofluidic technology to combine NGS and spatial genomics.

OHMX.bio, a provider of omics solutions, and IVD testing firm Fujirebio Europe were awarded a €720,000 ($872,771) research grant from Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to develop a clinical IVD platform incorporating third-generation sequencing technologies. The IVD-seq project will initially focus on a cost efficient, accurate and portable IVD modular solution for highly polymorphic regions.

Product Introductions

Twist Bioscience, a company offering high-quality synthetic DNA using its silicon platform, announced in November the availability of the Twist Comprehensive Viral Research Panel, an NGS panel that includes more than 3,000 viral genomes. The panel is bundled with an analysis platform from OneCodex to enable an end-to-end workflow.

In November, Twist Bioscience and Biotia, a company that uses analytical software for infectious disease diagnostics, made available the RUO SARS-CoV-2 NGS Assay. The Assay is a highly sensitive nucleic acid hybridization capture–based assay used for detection, characterization and environmental monitoring of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The test spans both diagnostic methods and vaccine research.

Oxford Nanopore released in November the MinKNOW App for iOS and Android devices. MinKNOW is the operating software that drives nanopore sequencing devices. It carries out several core tasks, including data acquisition, real-time analysis and feedback, local base calling and data streaming, while providing device control including selecting the run parameters, sample identification and tracking, and ensuring that the platform chemistry is performing correctly.

In December, Oxford Nanopore announced several new releases, including improvements in its PromethION flow cells that have enabled a new 10 Terabase sequencing record, modal single-read accuracy of 99.1% using a new sequencing chemistry currently in development, high-accuracy variant calling tools and automation options for nanopore sequencing experiments at any scale. In November, Oxford Nanopore started to ship PromethION flow cells that incorporate a number of iterative improvements in yields and consistency. These improvements have culminated in a 10 Tb internal run using all 48 Flow Cells, a 25% improvement over the previous record.

HTG Molecular Diagnostics launched in December an Early Access Program for its whole transcriptome panel using the HTG EdgeSeq technology. It features the ability to run small sample sizes without requiring RNA isolation and purification and the ability to successfully process low-quality samples.

Sales and Orders of Note

In December, Agilent Technologies announced its clinical informatics platform Alissa Interpret was adopted by the North West Genomic Laboratory Hub (NW GLH) based in Manchester and Liverpool, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, England. The NW GLH and its partners are responsible for delivering genomic testing across the whole of the North West. Alissa Interpret, which enables clinical genetics labs to standardize and automate variant triage, review, classification and reports on NGS data, becomes 1 of 2 platforms the NW GLH will use to analyze genomics data.

Pacific Biosciences of California, a provider of high-quality sequencing of genomes, transcriptomes and epigenomes, announced in December that the UK's Edinburgh Genomics, Oxford Genomics Center and University of Liverpool Centre for Genomic Research each added Sequel II or Sequel IIe Systems to expand the delivery of highly accurate long-read sequencing services.

Company Announcements

In November, Megadalton Solutions, an early-stage biotech with expertise in large-molecule analysis by Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry (CDMS), announced the expansion of a collaboration with Waters to bring CDMS technology to a broader set of applications and potential customers in biopharma. The CDMS detector provides a high-throughput analytical tool for the cell and gene therapy sectors. Waters became a strategic investor in the firm in 2020.

In December, Waters formally expanded its long standing collaborative relationship with Dr. Sunghwan Kim of South Korea's Kyungpook National University to further explore the use of Waters' ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) in the investigation of compounds in complex mixtures, such as oil. In addition, they will work to characterize complex advanced materials used in high-technology products, such as those found in electronics.

Lipidomics Consulting, together with scientists at the University of Wollongong (UoW), Maastricht MultiModal Molecular Imaging Institute (M4I), MOBILion Systems and Merck & Co., announced in November that they have received a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF) and its partner, the Shake It Up Australia Foundation. The group will work to identify alterations in the metabolism of selective glycosphingolipids in specific brain regions that contribute to early Parkinson's onset and accelerated progression rates. MOBILion Systems' high-resolution ion mobility (SLIM) technology will provide glycosphingolipid measurements.

In November, JEOL USA, a supplier of mass spectrometers, electron microscopes, and NMR spectrometers, announced that it began collaborating with Think20 Labs to provide improved and more precise analytical techniques to the cannabis testing market. Think20 Labs is a start-up company based in California that is licensed by the California Bureau of Cannabis Control to test cannabis, hemp and cannabis-related consumer products for regulatory requirements. The strategic partnership aims to develop cannabis-specific methods for the analysis of trace pesticides and terpenes in cannabis products based on the capabilities of JOEL's TQ-4000 MS system.

In November, Banner Industries, a flow component distributor for high-purity and industrial manufacturing, announced a partnership with Atonarp, effective October 15 for application in fields such as semiconductors. Atonarp's miniature MS products cater to processes that require advanced molecular analysis for a variety of markets, including pharmaceutical, semiconductor, industrial and biological applications.

In December, Newomics, a biotech company developing and commercializing MS solutions for molecular detection applications, announced the closing of a $7.9 million Series B financing, led by MSA Capital. Joining the round were new investor LDV Partners, and existing Series A investors, including the Berkeley Catalyst Fund and the Photon Fund.

Product Introductions

In November, Shimadzu Scientific Instruments launched the RUO Amyloid Mass Spectrometry Service for early screening of amyloid-positive subjects in the US. This simple blood analysis method enables early and accurate prediction of amyloid pathology in the brain, according to the company. The blood analysis works using a combination of immunoprecipitation and MALDI-TOF MS (IP-MS)

Company Announcements

In November, Agilent Technologies announced that a collaboration with SGS resulted in a new GC/TQ method, the SGS AXYS Method 16130, approved by the US EPA as an alternative method for the future regulation and detection of dioxin. The previous US EPA dioxin testing method, EPA 1613B, required the use of magnetic sector instruments.

Third quarter sales for Repligen, which develops and commercializes bioprocessing technologies and systems, grew 35.4% to $94.1 million, including 31% organic growth, with COVID-related revenues accounting for approximately 14% of total sales. Non-COVID organic sales grew 17%, including more than 30% growth related to gene therapy. By product line, process analytical sales rose approximately 30%, protein sales were up close to 20% and filtration demand grew over 50%.

Repligen raised its full-year revenue forecast to $348–$352 million and overall revenue growth to 29%–30%, including 23%–24% organic growth, up from July's estimate of 18%–21% growth. COVID-related sales are expected to represent 10% of 2020 revenues. For the year, on an organic basis, Repligen expects filtration sales to be up 35%, 15%–20% growth from the OPUS product line, 25%–30% pro forma growth for process analytics, and protein sales to grow 15%–20%.

In December, Repligen announced the closing of an underwritten public offering of an aggregate of 1.725 million shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $181 per share. The offering of the shares is expected to result in approximately $298 million in net proceeds to Repligen after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and other estimated offering expenses payable by Repligen.

In November, Alpha MOS named John Morris Group as a distributor for Australia and New Zealand.

In December, Bormioli Pharma acquired ISO Arzneiverpackungen, a German company specializing in the production of pharmaceutical packaging, including tubular glass vials designed for the injectable drugs and chromatography vials.

In December, Global Allied Processing Solutions (G-APS) announced its strategic focus on the global organic material industry. Founding members RotaChrom Technologies, the developer of an industrial-scale centrifugal partition chromatography technology platform, and Heidolph Instruments, a provider of premium laboratory equipment, created G-APS to further establish best practices for the processing of raw materials. G-APS' goal is to provide businesses with one-stop-shop access to multiple solutions for their processing and manufacturing infrastructure needs, with a specific focus on the extraction and purification of botanically derived compounds and molecules.

Product Introductions

In November, Shimadzu launched the Advanced i-Series HPLC, encompassing the LC-2050 and LC-2060. Compared to the i-Series, the Advanced i-Series boasts increased pressure resistance and additional functions to support remote work including working from home. Since its release in 2014, the original i-Series HPLC has achieved sales of over 20,000 units.

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments debuted in November the ELSD-LT III evaporative light scattering detector. It uses a high-power semiconductor laser as the light source, which enables sensitivity approximately 10 times higher than that of conventional products, the highest level of sensitivity for an ELSD, according to the company. The ELSD-LT III achieves a wide dynamic range of 5 orders of magnitude, providing simultaneous determination of high-concentration and trace components without gain switching.

PerkinElmer launched in November the LC 300 platform and SimplicityChrom software, bringing together advanced HPLC and UHPLC capabilities with intuitive instrument control and data analysis for the food, cannabis, pharmaceutical and chemical arenas. The versatile platform features multiple detector options and third-party driver support for commercially available CDS systems.

In November, Alfa Chemistry, a supplier of analytical chemistry reagents, announced the release of a variety of chromatography standards, mainly for the purpose of calibration.

Activated Research Company (ARC) unveiled in November a stop-flow modulation solution for comprehensive GCxGC, allowing it to be an attainable configuration for any analytical laboratory, according to the firm. ARC's solution takes advantage of stop-flow modulation and allows for low cost implementation; simple, easy installation; increased peak capacity through comprehensive analyte transfer; unattended or remote operation; streamlined operation through dedicated software; and straightforward switching between 1D and 2D GC.

In December, Orange Photonics launched the LightLab 3 Cannabis Analyzer Law Enforcement Version, specifically designed to support rapid presumptive and quantitative cannabis analysis by non-technical personnel in a non-laboratory setting. LightLab 3 Cannabis Analyzer, compliant with US Department of Agriculture hemp testing technology requirements, is the only portable HPLC on the market, according to the firm. In quantitative mode, it measures up to 11 cannabinoids including D9THC and CBD, with a limit of detection of 0.5%–0.05% depending on sample type.

Sales and Orders of Note

AgraFlora Organics announced in November that it added an Agilent Technologies HPLC for its 51,000 ft² (4,738 m²) automated edibles manufacturing facility in Winnipeg, Canada.

Purolite, a manufacturer of resin-based separation, purification and extraction technologies, announced it will supply its Protein A capture resin, Praesto Jetted A50 to WuXi Biologics. WuXiBiologics, a global company with leading open-access biologics technology, will utilize Praesto Jetted A50 to provide its customers with additional choices for affinity chromatography resins for a range of downstream processes for mAb purification. The Praesto line of agarose-based chromatography resins are currently utilized in over 200 screening projects and ongoing clinical trials.

Cape Business News reported in November that WearCheck, a condition monitoring lab, purchased four new chromatography systems from PerkinElmer for its transformer division labs in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town, South Africa.

Company Announcements

Gemini Bioproducts, a supplier of cell culture solutions and a portfolio company of Bel Health Investment Partners, announced in August a US distribution agreement with Scinus Cell Expansion Netherlands for the Scinus Cell expansion bioreactor system.

In October, life sciences firm Cytiva announced it plans to open its new 80,000 ft² (7,432 m²) manufacturing facility in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, by the end the year as part of its five-year, $500 million investment to expand its global manufacturing capacity. The facility will significantly increase Cytiva's capacity to manufacture Xcellerex Bioreactors and will free up capacity in its Westborough facility to manufacture complementary single-use technologies. The new facility will have five manufacturing lines operating 24/7, a new clean room and an R&D lab.

In November, Cytiva announced deals pledging to invest in fields of manufacturing, bioprocess development and research to accelerate the development and manufacture of therapeutics and benefit patients in China and beyond. Cytiva and manufacturer Wego announced plans to triple single-use manufacturing capacity in Asia Pacific to produce bags, components and other customized products. A comprehensive strategic partnership with vaccine producer Zhifei allows the pair to work on process development, raw material supply, service and personnel training. Under the upgraded partnership with Clover Biopharmaceuticals, Cytiva will help the global clinical-stage biotech company add two more 2000 L bioreactors for a total of 4 x 2000 L manufacturing capacity through the Cytiva FlexFactory (see below). Cytiva also committed to creating a "Joint Lab on Human Collagen New Material" with pharmaceutical company Jinbo.

Cytiva expanded its offering at its Fast Trak research and training facilities in December in South Korea, Japan, Cambridge, UK, and Uppsala, Sweden. The expanded offering will support the growing cell and gene therapy industry, complementing current services provided in Shanghai, Toronto, and Marlborough, Massachusetts. Process development, media and assay development, and contract development services for preclinical through Phase 1 manufacturing will now be offered at all locations.

Erbi Biosystems, a microfluidic bioprocess instrumentation company, announced in October that it closed a finance round which brings the total investment received to nearly $4 million. The round was led by Jaguar Biotech. The funding will be used to expand manufacturing, sales and support of the 2 mL TruePerfusion Breez bioreactor and also to support further technology and product development. Erbi's technology will expand to cover all scaled down unit operations in bioprocessing.

In November, MilliporeSigma and biotherapeutics company Transcenta, announced a strategic technology collaboration to implement continuous manufacturing for protein therapeutics. The unique model of collaboration brings the teams together in real time to converge single-use, continuous and digital bioprocessing technologies for the further development of Transcenta's integrated continuous bioprocessing (ICB) platform. As part of the initiative, MilliporeSigma and Transcenta will co-develop a first-of-its-kind, single-use flow-through polishing system. This highly collaborative relationship leverages MilliporeSigma's BioContinuum Platform.

MilliporeSigma announced in December the broadening of its manufacturing footprint in Massachusetts. One expansion will add 65,000 ft² (6,039 m²) of space to its Danvers single-use assembly operations, adding to the existing 120,000 ft² (11,148 m²) facility. The expansion will add the capacity across several portfolios, including MilliporeSigma's Mobius single-use consumables. The total investment in Danvers is about $25 million and will add approximately 400 jobs throughout 2021. Jaffrey expansion plans include adding 25,000 ft² (2,323 m²) to the existing 260,000 ft² (24,155 m²) facility. The additional capacity will support filtration devices and membrane products, specifically Durapore filters, Express filters and the Viresolve product lines. The total investment in Jaffrey is about $22 million and is expected to bring nearly 275 roles by 2022, once completed.

In December, RoosterBio, a supplier of cellular therapy bioprocess tools and scalable manufacturing solutions for regenerative medicine, entered into an exclusive agency agreement with Sartorius Korea Biotech for its advanced platform of RUO and cGMP-grade hMSC working cell banks, optimized paired media and hMSC bioprocess systems.

In December, CRO Evotec and Sartorius entered into a partnership with Curexsys, a German firm specializing in therapeutic exosomes. Curexsys delivers an isolation technology for exosomes based on a traceless immune-affinity process. Evotec and Curexsys will collaborate with the production of hMSCs, which serve as a source for exosomes. Evotec and Sartorius have formed a consortium to jointly invest in Curexsys' €8.2 million ($9.9 million) seed financing round with Evotec acquiring an equity stake of approximately 37% and Sartorius acquiring an approximately 21% stake. The partnership combines Evotec's industrial-grade iPSC and PanOmics platforms with Curexsys' exosome isolation technology and Sartorius' ability to translate these into a fully GMP-compliant process.

Sales and Orders of Note

ABEC, a provider of integrated solutions and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, announced in October it is delivering process systems to CDMO Ology Bioservices (Ology Bio) to support their production of critical vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19. ABEC is providing these systems to Ology Bioservices' Medical Countermeasures Advanced Development and Manufacturing (MCM ADM) facility in Alachua, Florida.

In October, ABEC announced it will be providing CSR single-use mammalian cell culture and microbial fermentation systems, including the industry's first 6,000 L single-use bioreactor, to BioInno Bioscience's new contract development and manufacturing facility in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. The facility is expected to be operational by mid-2021.

In November, ABEC announced that New England Biolabs (NEB) selected ABEC to expand production capacity at their manufacturing facilities in Ipswich and Rowley, Massachusetts. NEB will utilize multiple customized stainless-steel fermenters for high-density Escherichia coli fermentation. Delivery of the ABEC 400 L and 1000 L fermenters is expected by mid-2021.

ABEC announced in November that Qilu Pharmaceutical again selected ABEC to rapidly expand production capacity at Qilu's cGMP manufacturing facility in Jinan, Shandong, China. ABEC is delivering several sets of large-scale, stainless steel, cell culture bioreactors. ABEC's large-scale bioreactors previously installed at Qilu are currently the largest in operation in China.

In October, Cytiva announced it will provide its FlexFactory to Akron Biotech, a provider of cGMP-compliant solutions to support advanced therapy development. FlexFactory is a flexible, single-use platform that will enable Akron Biotech to manufacture plasmid DNA. This will be the first Cytiva FlexFactory to be used in the manufacture of plasmid DNA. There are more than 70 FlexFactory installations worldwide.

In November, Cytiva announced it is installing its first FlexFactory in the Middle East and North African region as part of Saudi Vax's planned Saudi Vaccine and Bioprocessing Center (SVBC), a Saudi government-funded project led by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology and the National Industrial Development Center. The SVBC will use Cytiva's FlexFactory to manufacture halal vaccines and biologics in-region, for-region.

In November, life science firm Cytiva announced it is supporting Clover Biopharmaceuticals, a global clinical-stage biotechnology company, to help accelerate the development and manufacturing of a protein-based S-Trimer subunit vaccine candidate. Clover aims to quickly expand its current 2 x 2000 L capacity of the Cytiva FlexFactory, which went into service in January. Cytiva will help Clover add two more 2000 L bioreactors for a total of 4 x 2000 L manufacturing capacity through the Cytiva FlexFactory.

Product Introductions

In October, Shimadzu introduced the TOC-1000e, the first analyzer in the eTOC Series of online TOC analyzers designed for pure-water applications. The TOC-1000e has the world's smallest and lightest cabinet, according to the company, with a detection limit of 0.1?g/L, making it ideal for fields requiring high-purity water, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, food & beverages, chemistry and precision equipment.

Company Announcements

This summer, Element Materials Technology, a materials and product qualification testing firm, made a strategic investment in Plastometrex, a start-up developing technical and software-led solutions for testing in material science. Pastometrex is pioneering alternative techniques to conventional mechanical testing methods that utilize advanced numerical modelling, optimization algorithms and machine learning to accurately predict plasticity, residual stresses and creep parameters from indentation test data. 

In August, CANNON Instrument, whose products include viscometers, rheometers, flash point testers and physical property testing equipment, announced a 12,000 ft² (1,115 m²) addition to its facility, expanding it to 50,000 ft² (4,645 m²).

In October, Stanhope-Seta, a supplier of petroleum analyzers, announced that the Canadian General Standards Board confirmed the inclusion of ASTM D8073 (WSI) in mandatory Table 1 of the Canadian Jet fuel specification, CGSB 3.23-2019 of its Water Separation Instrument (WSI) SA-9000-0>.

In November, Halo Labs, a life science instrumentation company developing tools for biologics researchers, named Rick Gordon as CEO and Board member. He replaces Robert Wicke who resigned in October but remains on the Board. Mr. Gordon most recently served as the Vice President of Global Sales for Halo Labs.

H.E.L Group, a developer and manufacturer of innovative laboratory tools for process optimization, safety and scale-up including the BTC 500 adiabatic calorimeter, announced in November full regulatory compliance for its battery testing protocols and equipment in China associated battery packs for electric vehicles, with a focus on mechanical, electrical and thermal stress.

Product Introductions

In September, NanoTemper Technologies, which creates tools that address challenging characterizations, introduced the Prometheus Panta, a multi-parameter stability characterization instrument. It combines dynamic light scattering for particle size determination with nanoDSF (a label-free version of differential scanning fluorimetry), for thermal unfolding and back reflection for aggregation. Applications include biologics formulation optimization, developability or comparability assessments. According to the company, for the first time, researchers are able to correlate particle sizing, thermal unfolding and aggregation results collected throughout an entire thermal ramp.

In September, CANNON Instrument launched a new model to the CANNON TESC lineup, model TESC-5133. The compact, economical TESC-5133 (Thermoelectric Sample Conditioner System) integrates and automates the ASTM D5133 process of conditioning and testing low–temperature viscosities of engine lubricants. Incorporating a Brookfield DV2T digital viscometer, with an easy lift system to simplify positioning of the viscometer head, and a thermoelectrically controlled sample chamber, the TESC-5133 automates the entire conditioning and testing process, recording sample temperatures and viscosities throughout the test then computing the temperature (Gelation Index Temperature) at which there is a rapid change in viscosity (Gelation Index).

Setaram announced in September the THEMYS ONE is an accessible and versatile thermal analysis platform for temperature, mass variation, heat and heat flow, and evolved gas measurements. The THEMYS ONE+ version offers high throughput with its 32-position autosampler. It can reach temperatures as high as 1150 °C or 1600°C.

In October, Halo Labs introduced the Aura BMI, a non-fluorescence version of its Aura particle characterization platform. It adds improved optics for greater sensitivity, increased linear range and the option to upgrade to fluorescence particle identification for full Fluorescence Membrane Microscopy. The Aura BMI option delivers the ability to meet requirements of both low-volume and large-volume testing.

In October, Buehler released its newest Rockwell Hardness Tester, the Wilson RH2150, an updated more advanced Rockwell tester with easy programmability, advanced calculations and even verification reminders to ensure compliance. The RH2150 is available in two different sizes, with a vertical capacity of 10 in and 14 in (254 mm and 356 mm), respectively.