Shimadzu and bioMerieux Enter into Partnership for Mass Spectrometry Applications in Microbiology

KYOTO, Japan and MARCY L'ETOILE, France, May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Shimadzu and bioMerieux announce today that they have entered into a partnership to commercialize a mass spectrometry system for bacterial identification in microbiology laboratories. bioMerieux will work with Shimadzu and their subsidiary, Kratos Analytical, to adapt their linear MALDI-TOF* mass spectrometry technology for optimized integration into the microbiology laboratory workflow. This new solution is planned for commercialization by bioMerieux in 2010, together with the microbial database acquired from AnagnosTec.  

Shimadzu has developed a broad range of technologies, encompassing analytical and measuring instruments, including liquid chromatographs, mass spectrometers, spectrophotometers and life science instruments, across many fields. The company has a long experience in mass spectrometry, including pioneering work in the development of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry technology.

As the world leader in microbiology, bioMerieux will bring its expertise in infectious diseases and extensive library of microorganisms. The company is constantly expanding its product offering to meet the diverse needs of microbiology labs and this new identification solution will be fully integrated with bioMerieux's VITEK®, the world's leading platform for identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST).

"We are very proud to announce our collaboration with bioMerieux, and we expect to make a significant contribution to the field of bacterial identification as a result," said Osamu Ando, General Manager for Analytical & Measuring Instruments Division at Shimadzu Corporation. "Over the past few years, MALDI-TOF MS has become a key part of our product range, and is driving the expansion of our life science business. This collaboration with bioMerieux represents a new phase in the evolution of our business by expanding it from the research market into diagnostic testing."

"We are very pleased to be partnering with Shimadzu, a leader in mass spectrometry and innovative technologies," said Thierry Bernard, Corporate Vice President, Global Commercial Operations at bioMerieux. "By combining Shimadzu's expertise and our unique understanding of the microbiology laboratory, bioMerieux will be the only company to provide a solution integrating mass spectrometry for bacterial ID with the market's fastest AST on VITEK® 2. This complete offer, including the new Myla™ middleware, clearly demonstrates bioMerieux's commitment to enhance productivity in the lab," he added.

*About Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

In MALDI-TOF, the sample to be analyzed is mixed with another compound, called a matrix. The mixture is applied to a metal plate and irradiated with a laser. The matrix absorbs the laser light and vaporizes, along with the sample, in the process gaining an electrical charge (ionization).

Electric fields then guide the ions into the time of flight mass spectrometer which separates them according to 'weight' (mass) and displays the results as a series of lines (spectrum) which correspond to different fragments that have broken away from the original molecule. By analyzing the pattern of fragments it is possible to deduce the structure of the molecule.

The system proposed in this collaboration takes this further by comparing the sample spectrum to a database of spectra from a growing number of bacterial species to allow the system to accurately identify the species in question.

About Shimadzu

Founded in 1875, Shimadzu Corporation, a leader in the development of advanced technologies, has a distinguished history of innovation built on the foundation of contributing to society through science and technology. Shimadzu presently offers a multitude of products, encompassing analytical and measuring instruments, medical systems and equipment, aircraft equipment, and industrial equipment, across a wide range of fields, as well as meticulous, responsive service. They maintain a global network of sales, service, technical support and applications centers on six continents, and have established long-term relationships with a host of highly trained distributors located in over 100 countries.

Other information can be found at www.shimadzu.com.

About bioMerieux

Advancing diagnostics to improve public health

A world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics for over 45 years, bioMerieux is present in more than 150 countries through 39 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors. In 2009, revenues reached euro 1.223 billion with 85% of sales outside of France.

bioMerieux provides diagnostic solutions (reagents, instruments, software) which determine the source of disease and contamination to improve patient health and ensure consumer safety. Our products are used for diagnosing infectious diseases and providing high medical value results for cancer screening and monitoring and cardiovascular emergencies. They are also used for detecting microorganisms in agri-food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

bioMerieux is listed on the NYSE Euronext Paris market (Symbol: BIM – ISIN: FR0010096479).

Other information can be found at www.biomerieux.com

SOURCE bioMerieux