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Acquisition strengthens Pall product line
NEWS The action alleges infringement of its patent (US 6682652), which covers an apparatus for withdrawing permeate using an immersed hollow-fiber membrane. The most recent action comes after a court ruling, mentioned in a statement by Zenon during November 2004. The company noted that it intends to appeal against the ruling at the first appropriate opportunity and is confident of success. In any event, the patent that is the subject of the newly filed action has claims that are not subject to the issues raised in the earlier ruling. Zenon filed its original suit against US Filter during October 2003. The company is seeking damages and an injunction to stop the sale, manufacture and use of US Filter’s MemJet and CMF-S products that infringe Zenon’s intellectual property, protected by patents issued in the US. Contact: Zenon Environmental Inc, 3239 Dundas Street West, Oakville, Ontario L6J 4Z3, Canada. Tel: +1 905 465 3030, Fax: +1 905 465 3050, Web: www.zenon.com
about 40% of the total biotechnology industry potential for filtration and purification technologies. Contact: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649, www.pall.com
Study of perchlorate occurrence in US An American Water Works Association (AWWA) study of perchlorate occurrence throughout the US has found the rocketfuel contaminant in 26 states and Puerto Rico, mostly at levels below 12 µg/l. Conducted by HDR Inc with funding from the Water Industry Technical Action Fund, the study – entitled ‘Perchlorate Occurrence Mapping’ – also found that: •
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Acquisition strengthens Pall product line In a move which strengthens its biotechnology product line, USbased Pall Corporation has acquired Euroflow of Stroud in the UK, a manufacturer of pilotscale and production-scale chromatography columns. Pall has held exclusive global marketing and distribution rights to Euroflow chromatography columns and associated technologies since 2002. Euroflow’s sales total around US$5 million a year. Pall recently broadened its position in the chromatography market place with its acquisition of the BioSepra Process Division from Ciphergen Biosystems last November (see the December issue of Membrane Technology, page 1). According to Pall, both acquisitions target the rapidly growing biotechnology industry. The US company estimates that the chromatography market represents
Membrane Technology March 2005
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The majority of detections were not associated with documented releases of perchlorate. Perchlorate was detected in approximately 5% of the nation’s large community water systems. Less than 1% of all drinking water systems would be affected by a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 µg/l, while that number would rise to 4% (10% in California) if the MCL were set at 2 µg/l. The highest densities of perchlorate occurrence were found in southern California, west central Texas, Massachusetts and along the East Coast between New Jersey and Long Island. No difference was found in the rate of perchlorate occurrence between surface water and groundwater.
Occurrence was analyzed and mapped geographically by compiling data from existing databases, including the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule and studies by the states of Arizona, California, Texas and Massachusetts. The report’s authors conclude that their estimates ‘under-
represent the impact of perchlorate on small systems and surface waters,’ and that the actual occurrence of perchlorate ‘is likely to be greater than currently estimated in this report.’ They say, however, that it is not anticipated that the percentage of systems affected by perchlorate will be significantly greater than that estimated by the new report. Contact: American Water Works Association, 6666 W. Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235, USA. Tel: +1 303 794 7711, Fax: +1 303 347 0804, Web: www.awwa.org
Vivascience offers adenovirus purification kit Vivascience AG, a subsidiary of Germany’s Sartorius AG, has introduced Vivapure AdenoPACK 100, a ready-to-use kit for adenovirus purification. The new kit includes all the reagents and devices necessary for clarification, purification and concentration of adenovirus from HEK293 cells. The rapid (2 h) purification protocol is based on Vivascience’s ion-exchange membranes incorporated in the kit’s syringe filter units. According to Vivascience, the device is unique in its ability to efficiently capture and remove large virus particles. Compared with chromatography media, membrane adsorbers provide large (3000 nm) pores, allowing unrestricted access and recovery of adenovirus from the charged adsorber surface. In a fast and simple procedure, recoveries of up to 1–5 × 1012 purified virus particles per milliliter can be obtained for in vitro transfections. The membrane adsorbers with porous matrices, high capacities, low differential pressure, high flow rates, and low unspecific adsorption show excellent performance in small-scale virus purification applications, says the company. Contact: Vivascience AG, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 21, D-30625 Hannover, Germany. Tel: +49 511 524 8750, Fax: +49 511 524 87519, Web: www.vivascience.com
In Brief Former US presidents view ITT installations in Sri Lanka As part of their tour of the regions devastated by last year’s deadly tsunami, former US presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush visited Koggala, a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. The site was selected to give the ex-presidents a first-hand look at exactly how equipment donated by ITT Industries is bringing clean water to tsunami survivors in the devastated country. The company’s systems include nearly 60 portable ST1 water treatment units and reverse osmosis desalination systems, which are being used throughout Sri Lanka to transform contaminated well water and sea water into clean drinking water. Whatman Schleicher & Schuell distributes Pepscan products Whatman Schleicher & Schuell has formed an agreement with Pepscan Systems to distribute its PepChip kinase substrate array products and services. The Pepchip array is a high-density peptide array containing unique addressable kinase substrates. The chip allows drug discovery scientists to profile over 80% of the human kinome. It enables broad kinase activity screening in complex mixtures, substrate profiling of known and unknown kinases, and specificity testing of kinase inhibitors. ‘The PepChip license will substantially improve the portfolio of micro-array services and products we offer our pharma partners and customers,’ says Dr Robert Negm, Director of Business Development at Whatman Schleicher & Schuell. Ener1 to acquire fuel cell business In the US, Ener1 Inc has signed letters of intent to acquire Giner Electrochemical Systems LLC (GES), a privately owned company based in Newton, Massachusetts which specializes in the development of fuel cell technologies and products. GES is currently owned by Giner Inc and General Motors Corporation. GES will maintain its existing multi-year contracts with GM.
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about 40% of the total biotechnology industry potential for filtration and purification technologies. Contact: Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649, www.pall.com
Study of perchlorate occurrence in US An American Water Works Association (AWWA) study of perchlorate occurrence throughout the US has found the rocketfuel contaminant in 26 states and Puerto Rico, mostly at levels below 12 µg/l. Conducted by HDR Inc with funding from the Water Industry Technical Action Fund, the study – entitled ‘Perchlorate Occurrence Mapping’ – also found that: •
•
Acquisition strengthens Pall product line In a move which strengthens its biotechnology product line, USbased Pall Corporation has acquired Euroflow of Stroud in the UK, a manufacturer of pilotscale and production-scale chromatography columns. Pall has held exclusive global marketing and distribution rights to Euroflow chromatography columns and associated technologies since 2002. Euroflow’s sales total around US$5 million a year. Pall recently broadened its position in the chromatography market place with its acquisition of the BioSepra Process Division from Ciphergen Biosystems last November (see the December issue of Membrane Technology, page 1). According to Pall, both acquisitions target the rapidly growing biotechnology industry. The US company estimates that the chromatography market represents
Membrane Technology March 2005
•
•
•
The majority of detections were not associated with documented releases of perchlorate. Perchlorate was detected in approximately 5% of the nation’s large community water systems. Less than 1% of all drinking water systems would be affected by a maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 µg/l, while that number would rise to 4% (10% in California) if the MCL were set at 2 µg/l. The highest densities of perchlorate occurrence were found in southern California, west central Texas, Massachusetts and along the East Coast between New Jersey and Long Island. No difference was found in the rate of perchlorate occurrence between surface water and groundwater.
Occurrence was analyzed and mapped geographically by compiling data from existing databases, including the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule and studies by the states of Arizona, California, Texas and Massachusetts. The report’s authors conclude that their estimates ‘under-
represent the impact of perchlorate on small systems and surface waters,’ and that the actual occurrence of perchlorate ‘is likely to be greater than currently estimated in this report.’ They say, however, that it is not anticipated that the percentage of systems affected by perchlorate will be significantly greater than that estimated by the new report. Contact: American Water Works Association, 6666 W. Quincy Avenue, Denver, CO 80235, USA. Tel: +1 303 794 7711, Fax: +1 303 347 0804, Web: www.awwa.org
Vivascience offers adenovirus purification kit Vivascience AG, a subsidiary of Germany’s Sartorius AG, has introduced Vivapure AdenoPACK 100, a ready-to-use kit for adenovirus purification. The new kit includes all the reagents and devices necessary for clarification, purification and concentration of adenovirus from HEK293 cells. The rapid (2 h) purification protocol is based on Vivascience’s ion-exchange membranes incorporated in the kit’s syringe filter units. According to Vivascience, the device is unique in its ability to efficiently capture and remove large virus particles. Compared with chromatography media, membrane adsorbers provide large (3000 nm) pores, allowing unrestricted access and recovery of adenovirus from the charged adsorber surface. In a fast and simple procedure, recoveries of up to 1–5 × 1012 purified virus particles per milliliter can be obtained for in vitro transfections. The membrane adsorbers with porous matrices, high capacities, low differential pressure, high flow rates, and low unspecific adsorption show excellent performance in small-scale virus purification applications, says the company. Contact: Vivascience AG, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 21, D-30625 Hannover, Germany. Tel: +49 511 524 8750, Fax: +49 511 524 87519, Web: www.vivascience.com
In Brief Former US presidents view ITT installations in Sri Lanka As part of their tour of the regions devastated by last year’s deadly tsunami, former US presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush visited Koggala, a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Sri Lanka. The site was selected to give the ex-presidents a first-hand look at exactly how equipment donated by ITT Industries is bringing clean water to tsunami survivors in the devastated country. The company’s systems include nearly 60 portable ST1 water treatment units and reverse osmosis desalination systems, which are being used throughout Sri Lanka to transform contaminated well water and sea water into clean drinking water. Whatman Schleicher & Schuell distributes Pepscan products Whatman Schleicher & Schuell has formed an agreement with Pepscan Systems to distribute its PepChip kinase substrate array products and services. The Pepchip array is a high-density peptide array containing unique addressable kinase substrates. The chip allows drug discovery scientists to profile over 80% of the human kinome. It enables broad kinase activity screening in complex mixtures, substrate profiling of known and unknown kinases, and specificity testing of kinase inhibitors. ‘The PepChip license will substantially improve the portfolio of micro-array services and products we offer our pharma partners and customers,’ says Dr Robert Negm, Director of Business Development at Whatman Schleicher & Schuell. Ener1 to acquire fuel cell business In the US, Ener1 Inc has signed letters of intent to acquire Giner Electrochemical Systems LLC (GES), a privately owned company based in Newton, Massachusetts which specializes in the development of fuel cell technologies and products. GES is currently owned by Giner Inc and General Motors Corporation. GES will maintain its existing multi-year contracts with GM.
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