Micralyne and MDS Sciex Announce Microfluidics R&D Agreement
Edmonton and Toronto, Canada, January 25, 2001 - Micralyne Inc. - a leader in the emerging field of microfluidics, or lab-on-a-chip technology, and MDS Sciex, a global leader in the research, design and production of mass spectrometers, today announced they have reached a multi-year agreement to jointly develop microfluidic technology for use in drug discovery instrumentation.
In the agreement, Micralyne will both license existing microfluidic technology and develop new technology for use in frontal affinity chromatography, a very high throughput protein analysis technique currently being developed by MDS.
Frontal affinity chromatography allows rapid and precise characterization of mixtures of proteins, and allows the proteins to be screened for their affinity to potential drug candidates. Micralyne's microfluidic technology enables miniaturization and parallelization of biochemical analysis. The two technologies together have the potential to enable rapid, inexpensive, and accurate identification of new drug candidates.
"We are very excited about strengthening our business relationship with a leader in the mass spectrometry field like MDS Sciex", said Chris Lumb, CEO of Micralyne. "This collaboration enables microfluidic technology to contribute to the creation of valuable new instrumentation and possibly to new pharmaceuticals."
Bill Davidson, Vice-President of Science and Technology at MDS Sciex, echoed Mr. Lumb's enthusiasm, saying, "We consider microfluidics to be an important new technology that has the potential to be a major contributor to biotechnology. Micralyne has long been a leader as a microfluidics developer and manufacturer, and we expect this relationship to lead to important new products for MDS Sciex."
About MDS Sciex
MDS Sciex is the analytical instrumentation division of MDS Inc., an international health and life sciences company. MDS Sciex was acquired by MDS Inc. in 1981. Founded in 1974, MDS Sciex is a global leader in the research, development and production of mass spectrometers that enhance the quality of life for people around the world. In partnership with Applied Biosystems Inc. and PerkinElmer Inc., MDS Sciex exports its products to more than 60 countries. MDS Sciex technology plays a key role in the creation of new pharmaceuticals, diagnosis of disease, environmental protection, testing procedures for water and soil contamination, screening for impurities during manufacture of computer microchips, metal alloys and chemical and industrial products. MDS Sciex employs more than 400 highly skilled people at its state-of-the-art facility just north of Toronto, Ontario.
About MDS Inc.
MDS Inc. (TSE: MDS; NYSE: MDZ) is an international health and life sciences company focused on fighting disease. Its products and services include: laboratory testing, imaging agents for nuclear medicine testing, sterilization systems for medical and consumer products, research and clinical development services to speed discovery and development of new drugs, therapy systems for planning and delivery of cancer treatment, analytical instruments to assist in the development of new drugs, and medical/surgical supplies. Detailed information about the company is available at the MDS Web site at
www.mdsintl.com or by calling 1-888-MDS-7222, 24 hours a day.
About Micralyne
Micralyne develops and manufactures microfabricated and MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical-Systems)-based products. Micralyne is one of the largest independent companies in the world that manufactures MEMS in high volumes. MEMS technology is built on the premise of making industrial components smaller, faster and less expensive and facilitates radical improvements in the miniaturization of electronic and mechanical devices. These types of devices are used in many industries including communications, automotive, aerospace, and life sciences. More specifically, Micralyne’s micron-scale solutions (i.e. 1000 microns = 1 millimetre) are found in automotive emission sensors, optical switching technology in telecommunication networks, lab-on-a-chip devices for drug discovery, and commercial press equipment for printing today’s most popular magazines. Micralyne is a profitable and growing company headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
For further information contact:
Mr. Chris Lumb
President & CEO
Micralyne Inc.
1911 - 94 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
Canada T6N 1E6
Phone: 780-431-4400
clumb@micralyne.com
