February 28, 2008 — /WEST LAFAYETTE, IN/ — Researchers have developed a new technology that can simultaneously screen thousands of samples of food or water for several dangerous food-borne pathogens in one to two hours.

The technique, which has potential biosecurity and food safety applications, also can estimate the amount of microbes present and whether they pose an active health risk. This could help neutralize potential threats and improve food processing techniques, according to Arun Bhunia, a professor of food science at Purdue University. “For food safety and biosecurity purposes, you need a quick test – a first line of defense – to be able to tell if there is something pathogenic in the food or water,” Bhunia says.

The technology utilizes live mammalian cells that release a measurable amount of a signaling chemical when harmed. Optical equipment and computer software can then analyze this quantity to estimate the amount of harmful microbes present.

“This is very important,” Bhunia says. “With many toxins or pathogens, there is an effective dose or threshold you must pass before you have to worry. By providing information on quantity, this technology gives you a higher degree of confidence in the test and what steps must be taken to alleviate the problem.”

The technology can recognize very small amounts of Listeria monocytogenes, a bacterium that kills one in five infected and is the leading cause of food-borne illness. It also recognizes several species of Bacillus, a non-fatal, but common cause of food-poisoning.

According to Pratik Banerjee, a Purdue researcher and first author of a study detailing the technology published in the February issue of Laboratory Investigation, the cells are suspended in collagen gel, a useful substance for capturing particles of a desired size, and put into small wells within multi-well plates. Each well can test one sample, so tests can be expanded to quickly analyze as many samples as desired. By using live cells, called biosensors, this technology can identify actively harmful pathogens, but ignore those that are inactive, or harmless. Some analogous tests lack this capability, making them prone to false alarms and entailing a relatively lengthy incubation period to grow out any living microbes. The new technology’s discerning power also could help optimize processes to kill harmful microbes or deactivate toxins.

Another advantage to the technique is its mobility and versatility. The multi-well plates, and their contents of gel-suspended mammalian cells, could be efficiently prepared in a central location. When desired, the plates could then be shipped to the test location, like a food processing plant, so that analysis could take place on-site.
This technology tests for bacteria and toxins that attack cell membranes. For this reason, researchers employed cells with high amounts of alkaline phosphatase, the signaling chemical released upon damage to the cell membrane. Researchers could conceivably employ other types of cells within this framework to detect additional types of pathogens.

Samples of food and water are added to biosensor wells before being incubated for one to two hours. To each well, a chemical is added that reacts with the biosensor’s alkaline phosphatase, yielding a yellow product quantified by a special camera and a computer. A precise calculation may be unnecessary sometimes, however.

“When a large amount of pathogen is present, you can literally see the color change taking place before your eyes,” Banerjee says.

The suspension of live mammalian cells within a collagen gel is unique, according to the researchers.

“This is the first time that anybody has trapped these kinds of cells alive in a collagen framework,” comments Bhunia.

Researchers are trying to get these cells to live within the gel beyond four to six days, a current limitation, but Bhunia says this time-span could be expanded to two weeks, the shelf-life he deems necessary for the technique to have commercial value.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Purdue’s Center for Food Safety Engineering.

“This paper outlines two key accomplishments: one, we found a way to immobilize cells, which is a necessary and difficult prerequisite for further study. Two, we are able to simultaneously perform multiple tests on a large number of samples,” Bhunia says.

February 28, 2008 — /L

February 26, 2008 — /WILMINGTON, MA/ — Watson-Marlow, the world’s leading peristaltic pump manufacturer for the biopharmaceutical industry, has acquired Flexicon A/S, a leading manufacturer of peristaltic-based aseptic filling systems, through its parent company Spirax-Sarco Engineering. The acquisition includes Flexicon America, the company’s U.S. based subsidiary.

Watson-Marlow, well known in the biopharmaceutical industry for its expansive range of production-duty peristaltic metering and transfer pumps, now greatly expands its capabilities in filling applications. Flexicon has been marketing peristaltic-based aseptic filling and capping equipment for the past 22 years, specializing in filling systems for clinical-trial production. The company’s product portfolio ranges from stand-alone units for hand filling to fully automatic filling, stoppering and capping machines. The fully automatic systems are customized to fit any container, be it a vial, bottle, test tube, or non-self-standing micro-tube. Utilizing peristaltic pump and tubing technology, Flexicon filling systems provide a completely disposable flow path, enhancing productivity and traceability while reducing maintenance as compared to piston type or time/pressure fillers.

About Watson-Marlow

Watson-Marlow is the world’s largest manufacturer of peristaltic tube pumps for biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, and process applications with the widest range of pumps, pumpheads, and tubing available for end-users and OEMs. As the pumped fluid does not come into contact with the pump itself – only with the tube

February 26, 2008 — /BLOOMSBURG, PA/ — Kleerdex, CO., LLC, manufacturer of KYDEX^R thermoplastic sheets, announces it has attained the exclusive right to produce thermoplastic sheets with Microban^R, an antimicrobial product protection for the production of healthcare equipment enclosures and airline interior components. Microban protection is built-in to continuously fight the growth of microbes such as odor and stain causing bacteria, mold and mildew, keeping products cleaner between cleanings. It doesn’t wash or wear off. Increased consumer awareness of microbes, coupled with the importance of maintaining a cleaner environment, makes KYDEX sheet an ideal option for thermoformers and fabricators in these and other industries.

Under this arrangement, Kleerdex will offer Microban protection as an option for the following thermoplastic sheets marketed under the KYDEX name: KYDEX T MB, KYDEX XD MB, KYDEX 150 MB, and KYDEX 5555 MB products.

“Microban protection is an important addition to support the KYDEX sheet portfolio. We are pleased that Microban International has chosen Kleerdex to be the exclusive provider of microbe-resistant thermoplastics for the airline industry and in selected healthcare product applications,” says Michael Karr, North American business manager. “The benefits to our clients and to consumers are substantial. The use of Microban protection in airline interior products is particularly advantageous to keep items made from thermoplastic sheets, including meal trays, arm rests, and monitor shrouds cleaner between cleanings.”

“In addition, the potential for KYDEX sheets to support microbe-resistant environments in other applications is enormous,” continues Karr. “Our manufacturing clients can now provide antimicrobial protection using KYDEX thermoplastics in a wide variety of applications including furniture in hospitals, nursing homes and medical offices, self-serve kiosks, food processing machines, serving counters, retail facilities, orthotics, and more.” While Microban protection is not a substitute for normal cleaning practices, it will keep these products cleaner for the useful life of the product.

Companies using KYDEX thermoplastics in exclusive applications can market their products with the Microban trademark.

About Kleerdex

Kleerdex Co. LLC is a U.S. based manufacturer of proprietary thermoplastic sheet products marketed worldwide under the trademark KYDEX. The company’s headquarters, major manufacturing operation, customer service, and R&D facilities in Bloomsburg, PA are certified to the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system and the ISO 14001 environmental management system. Additional administrative offices are in Mount Laurel, NJ, and Reno, NV. Technical service, customer service, and sales representatives provide technical advice on designing and manufacturing components with KYDEX sheet products.

Visit www.kydex.com

About Microban International, Ltd.

Microban International, Ltd. is a global technology and marketing company dedicated to enhancing high quality consumer, industrial and medical products with branded built-in protection from microbes. Microban International licenses the Microban global brand name, sells custom-engineered compounds, and provides a range of services, including regulatory and marketing support. The Microban brand promises continuous and durable antimicrobial product protection, built-in during manufacture to not wear out for the useful life of the product. Microban International is headquartered in North Carolina with operations in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Visit www.microban.com

February 21, 2008 — /BUSINESS WIRE/ — BILLERICA, MA — Millipore Corp. (NYSE:MIL) today announced that it has entered into a worldwide, non-exclusive license agreement with Bayer HealthCare AG, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, to use Millipore’s UCOE^TM (ubiquitous chromatin opening element) technology to manufacture its biologic drugs. The license will enable Bayer to more efficiently manufacture recombinant proteins in mammalian cells by generating higher protein yields in its upstream bioprocessing operations. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Bayer HealthCare is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the animal health, consumer care, diabetes care, and pharmaceuticals divisions. It plans to expand the use of the UCOE technology from small scale use in research and development to large scale manufacturing in order to help reduce the high cost of manufacturing recombinant protein-based drugs.

The process of manufacturing biologic drugs such as recombinant proteins often begins with growing mammalian cells in a bioreactor. These cells act as factories and produce the proteins that form the basis of biologic drugs. Millipore’s UCOE technology helps biopharmaceutical companies to effectively identify which cells will be the most effective in producing proteins during large scale manufacturing. By more effectively isolating these stable and highly productive cell lines, biopharmaceutical manufacturers can improve the yield and consistency of their manufacturing processes. The cost of manufacturing recombinant protein-based drugs makes quick identification of cell lines a critical factor in improving productivity.

“We have built successful relationship with Bayer over a number of years, and we are excited about their commitment to the UCOE technology,” says Andrew Bulpin, PhD, vice president of Millipore’s Upstream Bioprocessing Business Unit. “This license is another example of how we can help pharmaceutical and biotech companies efficiently manufacture biologic drugs for both commercial use and for use in clinical development.”

Millipore’s UCOE technology, which was licensed from the laboratory of Dr. Michael Antoniou at King’s College, London, can be used for the fast and simple generation of proteins at small scale for drug discovery and research, as well as for identifying stable and highly productive cell lines suitable for larger scale manufacturing. Other applications of the UCOE technology include gene therapy, transgenics, and generation of cell lines for drug screening. UCOE technology has been licensed by over 50 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in North America, Europe, and Japan, including Medarex, Novartis, and Maxygen.

About Millipore

Millipore is a life science leader providing cutting-edge technologies, tools, and services for bioscience research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. As a strategic partner, we collaborate with customers to confront the world’s challenging human health issues. From research to development to production, our scientific expertise and innovative solutions help customers tackle their most complex problems and achieve their goals. Millipore Corporation is an S&P 500 company with more than 6,100 employees in 47 countries worldwide.

Visit www.millipore.com

February 26, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — BURLINGTON, MA — Hyaluron Contract Manufacturing (HCM), a leading provider of pharmaceutical development services, continued to expand its business in 2007 with revenues increasing greater than 75 percent and staffing increasing greater than 60 percent to support past and anticipated future growth. Additionally, HCM acquired additional space at its Burlington, MA facility to expand its analytical chemistry, microbiology, and engineering laboratories, as well as to provide additional manufacturing capacity.

“We are very proud of our recent growth,” Shawn Kinney, president of HCM states. “It’s a reflection of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvements and to providing high quality products and services to our customers.”

HCM has continued to strengthen its management team with the appointment of Susan McNamara to the newly created position of director of quality, Christopher Paolillo to the position of director of contract administration and legal affairs, and other key hires.

Susan McNamara has over seventeen years of experience in the biotechnology industry, bringing novel recombinant proteins into clinical and commercial production. Before joining HCM, McNamara was associate director, QC microbiology at Wyeth Biotech. Prior to that, McNamara was employed by Fisons Pharmaceuticals and SmithKline.

Christopher Paolillo has over twenty-seven years of experience as corporate counsel and as an attorney in private practice and with the office of Air Force Judge Advocate. He brings to HCM substantial experience in contracts, licensing, intellectual property, and commercial transactions. Prior to HCM, Paolillo was employed by ACI Worldwide (formerly P&H Solutions) as vice president and corporate counsel.

Located in Burlington, MA, HCM has been offering aseptic formulation and filling services to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. At the core of HCM’s business is a commitment to quality, regulatory compliance, and on-time delivery.

Visit www.hyaluron.com

February 26, 2008 — /FDA/ — FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations announced that two Chinese nationals and the businesses they operate, along with a U.S. company and its president and chief executive officer, were indicted by a federal grand jury on Feb. 6, 2008. The indictments are for their roles in a scheme to import into the United States products they claimed were wheat gluten. The products were contaminated with melamine and used to make pet food.

A federal grand jury in Kansas City, MO returned a 26-count indictment against:

• Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co., LTD. (XAC), a Chinese firm that processes and exports plant proteins to the United States
• Mao Linzhun, a Chinese national who is the owner and manager of XAC
• Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts I/E Co. LTD. (SSC), a Chinese export broker that exports products from China to the United States
• Chen Zhen Hao, president of SSC and a Chinese national

Also charged in a separate, but related, 27-count indictment were:

• ChemNutra, Inc., a Las Vegas corporation that buys food and food components from China to sell to U.S. companies in the food industry
• ChemNutra owner Sally Qing Miller
• Chem Nutra owner Stephen S. Miller, husband of Sally Qing Miller

ChemNutra contracted with SSC to purchase food-grade wheat gluten, according to the indictment. SSC then entered into a separate contract with XAC to supply the wheat gluten it needed to fulfill its contract with ChemNutra.

Among the charges against all seven defendants are: delivering adulterated food that contained melamine into interstate commerce, and introduction of a misbranded food into interstate commerce.

The indictments allege that more than 800 tons of purported wheat gluten, valued at nearly $850,000, were imported into the United States between November 6, 2006, and February 21, 2007.

Melamine can be used to create products such as plastics, cleaning products, glues, inks, and fertilizers. Melamine has no approved use as an ingredient in human or animal food in the United States.

Wheat gluten is a natural protein derived from wheat or wheat flour, which is extracted to yield a powder with high protein content. Pet food manufacturers often use wheat gluten as a thickener or binding agent in the manufacture of certain types of pet food.

On March 15, 2007, a pet food manufacturer alerted FDA to the deaths of 14 cats and dogs. The animals were reported to have developed kidney failure after eating pet food that had been manufactured with the purported wheat gluten.

Visit www.fda.gov

February 26, 2008 — /GLEN ALLEN, VA/ — Materials for use in thin-film and organic photovoltaics will reach $3.8 billion by 2015, according to a new study by industry analyst firm NanoMarkets. According to the firm’s analysis, the thin-film and organic photovoltaic market is becoming a source of opportunity for both traditional electronic chemicals suppliers and innovative materials firms. In addition, innovations at the material level will have a profound impact on the future of PV as a whole.

Some of the main points in the report include:

• Thin-film PV is no longer a niche consumer of electronic materials. By 2015, amorphous silicon PV will use more than $900 million in silane gas and other silicon-based materials. A few years ago, producers of crystalline silicon found that conventional photovoltaics was a major new business opportunity. Thin-film PV is bringing the same kind of opportunity to the leading suppliers of electronic chemicals
• CIGS promises all the advantages of thin-film PV, but with conversion efficiencies almost as high as conventional PV. However, whether or not CIGS can keep this promise will depend on innovative materials firms. For example, the CIGS industry is looking for better formulations of selenium that avoid the volatility problems experienced in high temperature manufacturing processes. CIGS cell construction also makes the choice of materials for the top contacts highly demanding. NanoMarkets believes that such problems will be overcome in the next few years and that by 2015, the CIGS PV sector will consume a total of $1.1 billion in materials.
• New materials are the key to PV. In the near future, thin-film materials will provide entirely new directions for PV. Silicon inks will soon be available that will combine the manufacturability advantages of organic PV, but with much higher conversion efficiencies. Slivers of crystalline silicon have been developed that combine the high efficiency of crystalline silicon with the flexibility and ease of fabrication of thin film; this technology is already being used in a pilot plant. Further off lies the commercialization of inorganic nanocrystals designed to overcome the one electron per solar photon limitation in solar energy conversion. CdSe, CdS, and CdTe nanocrystals have all been employed in this way in the lab and hint at a thin-film PV of the future with energy conversion ratios well into the double digits.

  About the report

  NanoMarkets’ new report, “Materials Markets for Thin-Film and Organic Photovoltaics,” provides a complete analysis of the commercial opportunities in thin film and organic PV materials markets. The report includes detailed eight-year forecasts of thin-film and organic materials broken out by material functionality and chemistry, as well as reviews of the latest research and the corporate strategies of firms active in the sector. Photovoltaic technologies covered include amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride, CIGS, dye cells, and pure organic approaches. Key firms mentioned in the report are: Air Liquide, BASF, Dow Corning, Evonik, Indium, Konarka, Linde, Nanosolar, Mitsui Toatsu Chemicals, Nanoco, Plextronics, Praxair, REC, Redlen, Sanyo, Sputtering Materials, Sulfurcell, Umicore, and Voltaix.

  About NanoMarkets

  NanoMarkets analyzes emerging market opportunities in electronics created by developments in advanced materials. The firm has published numerous reports related to organic, thin film, and printable electronics materials and applications. The firm also publishes a blog found at www.nanotopblog.com. NanoMarkets research database is the industry’s most extensive source of information on top electronics.

  Visit www.nanomarkets.net