Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Veeco’s BioScope II AFM Supports Cell Biology Research at University of Pennsylvania

Home > Press > Veeco’s BioScope II AFM Supports Cell Biology Research at University of Pennsylvania

Abstract:
Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO), a leading provider of instrumentation to the nanoscience community, today announced that its new BioScope™ II Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is aiding in advanced biophysics research at the University of Pennsylvania. The university's Nano-Bio Interface Center, based in Philadelphia, focuses on research at the intersection of biology and nanotechnology - how the science of "small" can have a positive impact on human disease and treatment.

Veeco’s BioScope II AFM Supports Cell Biology Research at University of Pennsylvania

WOODBURY, NY | Posted on March 12th, 2007

Dennis E. Discher, Ph.D., a professor in the university's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, was one of the first customers to receive Veeco's BioScope II when it was introduced last year. Since that time, his group has found it to be a particularly useful instrument in their study of neurons, the long branched cells that make up much of the nervous system.

"The BioScope II mounts directly on an inverted optical microscope, so we were able to get high-resolution images of a neuron's growth cone using AFM that complement and extend the information from fluorescence microscopy," commented Dr. Discher. "The marriage of high-resolution structural data with fluorescence immuno-staining that can identify the location of specific proteins of interest is opening new avenues of research in cell biology. Since AFM can also be used to sensitively probe a cell's stiffness and the stiffness of the matrix it sits on, this kind of combined instrument is sure to have an increasing impact in cell biology and biophysics, especially as the link between mechanics and cell function is strengthened."

The innovative, high-performance BioScope II AFM has been engineered specifically to facilitate advanced bioscience. The revolutionary design of the BioScope II enables novel in-situ techniques for measuring biological samples in three dimensions, while integrated with an inverted optical or confocal microscope. It is ideal for a wide-array of cutting-edge bioscience applications, such as spatial identification of protein molecules and cellular structures, investigations of cell response to mechanical stimulation and nano-manipulation, and in-situ pharmacological studies of live cells.

Steve Minne, Senior Director of Worldwide Applications, Veeco Metrology & Instrumentation, commented, "Veeco's BioScope II AFM integrated with an optical microscope offers users new capabilities of simultaneous fluorescence and atomic force microscopy, enabling scientific breakthroughs and tremendous flexibility for biological and nano-medicine research. By being able to mechanically probe and manipulate cellular samples without complicated preparation, our users have a unique view into cell functionality and are able to conduct experiments which were impossible with traditional microscopy techniques. We are pleased to see the early successes that Dr. Discher's group at the University of Pennsylvania is having with our instrument."

Veeco is the world leader in atomic force and scanning probe microscopy, with an installed base of over 8,000 systems at university and research/nanotechnology centers worldwide.

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About Veeco
Veeco Instruments Inc. provides solutions for nanoscale applications in the worldwide semiconductor, data storage, HB-LED/wireless and scientific research markets. Our Metrology products are used to measure at the nanoscale and our Process Equipment tools help create nanoscale devices. Veeco’s manufacturing and engineering facilities are located in New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Arizona and Minnesota. Global sales and service offices are located throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia Pacific. Additional information on Veeco can be found at http://www.veeco.com .

To the extent that this news release discusses expectations about market conditions, market acceptance and future sales of Veeco's products, Veeco's future financial performance, future disclosures, or otherwise makes statements about the future, such statements are forward-looking and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These factors include the challenges of volatility in end market conditions and the cyclical nature of the data storage, semiconductor, HB-LED/wireless and scientific research markets, risks associated with integrating acquired businesses and the acceptance of new products by individual customers and by the marketplace and other factors discussed in the Business Description and Management's Discussion and Analysis sections of Veeco's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. Veeco does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

About the Nano/Bio Interface Center at The University of Pennsylvania

Research in the Nano/Bio Interface Center at the University of Pennsylvania exploits Penn's internationally recognized strengths in design of molecular function and quantification of individual molecules. The study of the ethics of nano-bio technology is an integral part of the program. The Center unites investigators from ten departments in three schools (School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, School of Medicine, and School of Arts and Sciences) to provide, not only new directions for the life sciences, but also for engineering in a two-way flow essential to fully realizing the benefits of the intersection of biology with nanotechnology. The research program is structured around two major themes (Biomolecular Function and Molecular Motions) and two cross cutting initiatives (Single Molecule Probes and Ethics).

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Contacts:
Veeco Instruments Inc.
Financial:
Debra Wasser, 516-677-0200 x1472
SVP, Investor Relations, Corp. Communications
or
Trade Media:
Kerry Allen, 805-967-1400
Director of Marcom, Veeco Metrology

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