Oct. 26, 2005 – Cepheid announced the launch of the GeneXpert System into the molecular clinical research field. The initial product for use on the GeneXpert System in this field is a research product for the identification of cells carrying the BCR/ABL chromosomal translocation.

This company says the application is for research only and is not for use in diagnostic procedures. The BCR/ABL product is part of a broader program directed at investigating its potential use for monitoring patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia. Both the GeneXpert system and the BCR/ABL product will be available for shipment on a research-use-only basis starting on November 15.

Oct. 26, 2005 — Bruker AXS Inc. announced an agreement to acquire the PGT X-ray microanalysis business from Princeton Gamma-Tech Instruments Inc. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed, and the acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2005. The business has annual revenues of $5 million to $6 million, according to Bruker AXS.

The PGT business features an X-ray microanalysis product line and distribution and service capabilities in the United States, the United Kingdom and France. Bruker recently also announced an agreement to acquire Roentec AG, an X-ray microanalysis company based in Berlin.

Oct. 25, 2005 — Advance Nanotech Inc. (OTC:AVNA), a provider of financing and support services for nanotechnology research and commercialization, announced the appointment of Tony Goncalves to its board of directors.

Mr. Goncalves joins Bill Milne, Peter Rugg and Virgil E. Wenger whose board appointments were recently announced. Goncalves is associate director at Purdue Pharma L.P., a pharmaceutical company. His primary areas of responsibility include financial planning and analysis, insurance, risk management, and internal audit activities.

Oct. 25, 2005 — Lux Research Inc., a nanotechnology research and advisory firm, announced a partnership with PowerShares Capital Management LLC to introduce the PowerShares Lux Nanotech Portfolio, a nanotechnology Exchange Traded Fund, or ETF.

The companies said they expect the fund to begin trading on the American Stock Exchange on October 26 under the symbol PXN. The fund is designed to track the Lux Nanotech Index, which includes 26 public companies. It is rebalanced and reconstituted on a quarterly basis.

Oct. 24, 2005 – Lehigh University opened the Smith Family Laboratory for Optical Technologies, a state-of-the-art optical research facility.

The new facility provides researchers the ability to make and analyze new classes of optical materials, and to model, design, test and fabricate new optical devices. The lab is intended to enable researchers from various fields to address a host of issues, including the use of novel photonic integration techniques for biomedical, military, pharmaceutical, and communication applications.

Oct. 21, 2005 — Microchip Biotechnologies Inc., a Dublin, Calif., company that is developing nanofluidic sample preparation and analytical instrumentation for the genomics and biodefense markets, announced that it named Barney Saunders as its chief operating officer.

Most recently, Saunders was with Agilent Technologies, where he held the positions of general manager and vice president for bioresearch solutions and senior director of science and technology. Previously, he had been with Amersham Biosciences.

Oct. 21, 2005 — Advance Nanotech Inc., a New York-based provider of financing and support services for nanotechnology companies, announced the appointment of Thomas Finn to the position of chief financial officer.

Finn was formerly financial controller of Advance Nanotech, where he was responsible for monitoring financial reporting and accounting controls for the company. As CFO, he will be responsible for designing and implementing the financial reporting infrastructure, policies and procedures. Finn replaces Linden Boyne, who will retire from the firm at the end of October.

Oct. 19, 2005 — Ovonyx Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based memory technology developer, announced that Intel Capital has made an additional investment in the company. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ovonyx memory technology uses a reversible phase-change memory process that has been previously commercialized in rewritable CD and DVD optical memory disks. The company says the technology can be used in mobile computing, communications, and information appliances, as well as embedded applications in microcontrollers and logic processors.

In February 2000, Ovonyx announced that Intel Capital had made an investment in the company and that Ovonyx had licensed its phase-change memory technology to Intel. The two companies have been working together since then to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of high-density, non-volatile memory based on the technology.