Businessweek

antitation during drug discovery. Its ion trap systems are used for structural analysis of biomolecules, such as proteins, as well as structural characterization of small molecules, such as drugs and drug metabolites. The company’s hybrid (liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry) mass spectrometers combine linear ion trap, quadrupole, and Orbitrap technologies to provide mass capabilities for both research and applied markets, and are suited for drug metabolism, proteomics, environmental analysis, food safety, toxicology, and clinical research applications. Inorganic mass spectrometers include four product lines, including isotope ratio mass spectrometry; multi-collector mass spectrometry; inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry; and high resolution trace mass spectrometry. These products are primarily used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of inorganic matter in a range of applications, including environmental analysis, materials science, and earth sciences. Chromatography is a technique for separating, identifying, and quantifying individual chemical components of substances based on their specific physical and chemical characteristics. The company’s chromatography product line includes liquid chromatography, ion chromatography, and gas chromatography systems, all of which are supported by its Chromeleon chromatography data system software. Its range of consumables and environmental sampling products complete the workflow solution. Liquid chromatography systems analyze complex sample matrices in liquids. The company’s high pressure liquid chromatography and ultrahigh pressure liquid chromatography systems offer sensitivity and are sold either as systems or integrated with its mass spectrometers (liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry). These systems are used for a range of applications, from complex proteomic analyses to routine industrial QA/QC. Ion chromatography systems separate ionic (charged) or polar molecules (sugars and carbohydrates), found in water-based solutions, and detect them based on their electrical conductivity. The company’s ion chromatography products are used in a range of applications, including scientific research and environmental testing, as well as quality control in pharmaceutical, food and beverage, and other industrial processes. Gas chromatography systems analyze complex sample matrices in gases, comprising both separation and detection technology. Separation technology is common to various gas chromatography analyzers, and is paired with either a conventional detector (gas chromatography) or with various types of mass spectrometers (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry). The company’s gas chromatography/mass spectrometry offering includes a triple stage quadrupole, a single stage quadrupole, and an ion trap, for a range of applications, including food safety testing, quantitative screening of environmental samples, and complex molecular analyses. The company’s elemental analysis spectrometers include two product lines, such as atomic absorption and ICP systems, which use atomic spectroscopy techniques to identify trace concentrations of elements in liquid and solid samples primarily in environmental, petrochemical, food safety, metallurgical, geochemical, and clinical/toxicology research applications. These products are used in growth markets, such as China, India, and Latin America. Chemical Analysis The company’s chemical analysis products fall into three primary categories, including materials and minerals; molecular spectroscopy; and portable analytical instruments. Customers use these products to analyze the composition of materials in small samples to optimize workflows in academic, life sciences, pharmaceutical, and industrial applications. Its product lines range from those used in the laboratory for research or forensics, to those used on the production line to improve quality and efficiency, to portable systems for identification in the field. Materials and minerals products include systems for a range of industrial applications. The company’s laboratory