Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Veeco and Leica Microsystems Announce Life Science Product Collaboration

Home > Press > Veeco and Leica Microsystems Announce Life Science Product Collaboration

Abstract:
Veeco Instruments Inc. (Nasdaq: VECO), a leading provider of instrumentation to the nanoscience community, and Leica Microsystems GmbH, a leading designer and manufacturer of optical microscopy imaging systems, have finalized a product collaboration to drive research in biological and nano-medicine communities. The initial phase of the collaboration focuses on the integration of Veeco's BioScope™ II Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) with Leica's DMI series of inverted microscopes. The alliance will yield high-resolution images for cell biology, enabling researchers to uncover positive ways to impact human disease and treatment. Veeco and Leica Microsystems will debut their collaboration at the AFM BioMed conference in Barcelona, Spain, April 19-21 ( http://www.afmbiomed.org ) with a common marketing campaign.

Veeco and Leica Microsystems Announce Life Science Product Collaboration

WOODBURY, NY | Posted on April 17th, 2007

"Veeco's work with Leica Microsystems provides a powerful opportunity to move the bioscience community forward," commented Francis Steenbeke, Veeco's Vice President and Life Science business development manager. "Now researchers from all specialties can integrate AFM technology with optical fluorescence and confocal microscopes. This first step, which involves the integration of our instruments, will greatly improve the future of research in the bioscience community."

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, and, when integrated with Leica's DMI series of inverted optical or, at a later step, confocal microscopes, will give the live cell researcher an intelligent and coded instrument.

"With its leading technologies in high resolution confocal microscopy and its broad range of application-driven solutions in fluorescence light microscopy, Leica Microsystems provides an excellent basis for further expansions and combinations of optical microscopy and AFM technologies," added Martin Haase, General Manager of Leica's Life Science Research Division. "This kind of collaboration underlines Leica's strategy to further extend its innovative product offering by open innovation projects."

The new integrated AFM optical microscope is appropriate 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. By being able to mechanically probe and manipulate cellular samples without complicated preparation, biologists can have a unique view into cell functionality and are able to conduct experiments which were impossible with traditional microscopy techniques.

Mr. Steenbeke added, "This collaboration with Leica Microsystems is the latest in a series of actions Veeco is taking to expand our commitment to the life science research community, which has included strengthening our life science engineering and applications support and partnering with global life science industry experts who can help guide us in our product development process."

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 Instruments Inc.
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/ .

About Leica Microsystems

Leica Microsystems GmbH is a leading global designer and producer of innovative high-tech precision optics systems for the analysis of microstructures. It is one of the market leaders in each of the fields Microscopy, Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, Imaging Systems, Specimen Preparation and Medical Equipment. The company manufactures a broad range of products for numerous applications requiring microscopic imaging, measurement and analysis. It also offers system solutions in the areas of Life Science including biotechnology and medicine, as well as the science of raw materials and industrial quality assurance. Comprising seven manufacturing facilities in five countries, sales and service companies in 19 countries and an international network of dealers, the company is represented in over 100 countries. With its workforce of 3,050 employees, it made a turnover of 651 million US$ in 2006. The international headquarters are based in Wetzlar, Germany. Additional information on Leica Microsystems can be found at http://www.leica-microsystems.com

To the extent that this news release discusses expectations 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 risk 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. Veeco does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect future events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

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Contacts:
Veeco
Financial Contact
Debra Wasser, +01 516-677-0200 x1472
SVP, Investor Relations, Corp. Communications
or
Trade Media Contact
Kerry Allen, +01 805-967-1400
Director of Marcom, Veeco Metrology
or
Europe Contact
Marion Lammertz, +49 (0)621 84210-68
Veeco Life Science Marcom
or
At Leica Microsystems:
Werner Kampe, +49 (0)6441 29-2441
Marketing Life Science Research