BILLERICA, Mass., Sep 07, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ: BRKR) announces a major order from the University of Maryland School of Medicine for its ultra-high field AVANCE(TM) III 950 US2 NMR spectrometer. The 950 MHz Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) magnet and spectrometer will help University of Maryland researchers to unravel the mysteries of molecules and develop new agents to treat cancer, AIDS and other diseases. This will be only the second 950 MHz actively shielded NMR magnet in North America.
The $7.9 million federal grant to fund the purchase of the AVANCE III 950 US2 is among the largest of its kind ever awarded by the National Center for Research Resources, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. The funds were made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The AVANCE III 950 US2 spectrometer delivers very high sensitivity and broad spectral dispersion. Remarkably, the 950 US2 magnet features a 5 Gauss radial stray field of only 3.3 meters (less than 11 feet), making it convenient to site within the existing NMR lab at the University of Maryland. The AVANCE III spectrometer is the fastest and highest performing NMR spectrometer on the market. Its architecture delivers an unprecedented level of digital control, speed, flexibility and exceptionally pure NMR frequency generation. The AVANCE III second-generation (2G) digital receiver (DR) technology delivers improvement in NMR detection, enhancing the University of Maryland's effort to further uncover information about cancer and AIDS and the design of new drugs to treat them.
The spectrometer will be housed in the NMR core facility at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB). Under a partnership, the instrument will be used by researchers from UMB and two other campuses - the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and the University of Maryland, College Park.
"Being able to observe molecules at the atomic-level eliminates a great deal of guessing when you're conducting complicated molecular experiments," says David J. Weber, Ph.D., professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and director of the NMR core facility at UMB. "We will have a much better ability to look at larger molecules and protein complexes with this powerful magnet - it's like working in a room with the lights turned on."
Dr. Weber's laboratory is developing small-molecule inhibitors geared to a family of calcium-binding proteins called S100 proteins, including one that is being tested in a clinical study as a possible treatment for melanoma. Other cancer researchers are studying ways to help repair the DNA in cells that have been damaged by cancer.
Michael F. Summers, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UMBC, who will use the spectrometer to continue his research into HIV/AIDS, commented: "Over the past several years, we have been pushing the limits of our existing NMR facilities in our studies of the molecular interactions that occur when HIV molecules assemble in infected cells. The 950 MHz NMR instrument will allow us to visualize the interactions that occur during the earliest stages of assembly, when the protein molecules are first beginning to bind and organize themselves on the virus' RNA genetic material."
About Bruker Corporation
Bruker Corporation is a leading provider of high-performance scientific instruments and solutions for molecular and materials research, as well as for industrial and applied analysis. For more information about Bruker Corporation, please visit http://www.bruker.com.
BRUKER CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
Any statements contained in this presentation that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on current expectations, but are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including, but not limited to, risks and uncertainties relating to adverse changes in conditions in the global economy and volatility in the capital markets, the integration of businesses we have acquired or may acquire in the future, changing technologies, product development and market acceptance of our products, the cost and pricing of our products, manufacturing, competition, dependence on collaborative partners and key suppliers, capital spending and government funding policies, changes in governmental regulations, realization of anticipated benefits from economic stimulus programs, intellectual property rights, litigation, and exposure to foreign currency fluctuations and other risk factors discussed from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the SEC, including, without limitation, our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009, our most recent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and our current reports on Form 8-K. We expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements other than as required by law.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6418054&lang=en
SOURCE: Bruker Corporation
Bruker Corporation
Dr. Thorsten Thiel, +49 721 5161 6517
Director Marketing Communications, Bruker BioSpin
thorsten.thiel@bruker.com