Picometrics Announces Agreement with Agilent for Sales of Capillary Electrophoresis Instruments

Toulouse , France

February 26 th, 2007

Picometrics S.A. today announces a nonexclusive Value Added Reseller (VAR) agreement for the sale of the Agilent Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) system.

Under the terms of the agreement, Picometrics will be able to provide the Agilent CE system coupled with the Picometrics Laser Induced Fluorescence detector. This will allow customers a single source for CE-LIF solutions. A new flow cell arrangement provides for integration of the LIF inside the Agilent CE cassette to maintain temperature control and allow for minimum capillary length. “We are excited to have the opportunity to provide a complete CE-LIF solution for our customers”, says Pierre Naccache, Vice President Picometrics, S.A. He adds,” This VAR agreement will provide easy access to CE-LIF for pharmaceutical and biotechnology customers”.

This agreement will enable the development and marketing of existing and new CE-LIF applications. The Agilent CE instrument is well regarded for its research flexibility and performance as well as its robustness in quality control. The Picometrics ZETALIF detectors are the most sensitive and modular LIF detectors available. The company offers 14 excitation laser sources for a wide range of applications. The Agilent CE is easily coupled to the LIF detector using the new Discovery flow cell. The LIF signal is integrated into the ChemStation process using an A/D converter. The same LIF detector with no modification can be used as well, coupled to a wide range of LC separation systems. Another advantage of the new flow cell design is the ability to install the flow cell immediately before a mass spec for minimum offset of detection.

About Picometrics

Based in Toulouse, France, Picometrics S.A. specializes in the design and application of capillary Laser Induced Fluorescence (known as LIF) for the detection of very low concentrations of molecules in very small biological samples (from a few nanoliters to microliters). The company's ZETALIF detectors are employed coupled to capillary electrophoresis and to high-performance liquid chromatography systems as well, in a broad range of industrial, government and academic laboratories worldwide.