EPSOM, England, August 20, 2009 – Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, today announced that celebrations have taken place to mark 20 years of expertise in high-precision plastic injection moulding at its centre of excellence for plastics and tool making in Ashford, Kent, England. Used and relied on by life scientists worldwide, Thermo Scientific ABgene™ PCR plates and tubes, which are made at the site, are known worldwide for their quality, reliability and innovative and problem-solving designs.
The precision-engineered, superior quality Thermo Scientific ABgene PCR plastics range, which has been developed and produced in Ashford since 1990, came under the Thermo Fisher Scientific umbrella in November 2006. Manufacturing expertise at the facility has enabled the company to introduce many important design features to PCR plates over the past two decades, including thin-walled wells that allow rapid and uniform heat transfer for reduced cycle times and improved sensitivity. Optically clear wells, with an exceptionally smooth surface to prevent binding of enzymes, primers and templates, and raised well rims, which ensure a good seal and protect valuable samples from cross-contamination and loss through evaporation, are examples of other innovative products developed and manufactured at the facility.
The state-of-the-art ISO class 8 (100,000) injection moulding cleanroom also ensures that the quality of Thermo Scientific ABgene PCR plastics remains the best in the industry. Plates are sampled every hour for detailed physical and biological inspection. These strict manufacturing controls result in high-quality products that are certified free from nucleases, contaminating DNA, and endotoxins, giving laboratories valuable assurance that their experimental results will not be compromised.
The close relationship between research and development, manufacturing and in-house tool making expertise at Thermo Fisher Scientific has enabled the company to bring new plastic products to market rapidly and consistently, including specialist PCR plastics such as the ABgene SuperPlate and the new ABgene Diamond Ultra 384-well PCR plate. These ultra-rigid PCR plates are ideal for the high-throughput, robotic-handling needs of today’s high-throughput molecular biology laboratories. The expert tool-making facility at Ashford is now a centre of excellence for Thermo Fisher Scientific worldwide, producing precision engineering tools for other divisions within the global organisation.
For full product details or to request a Thermo Scientific ABgene Resource Guide, visit www.thermo.com/abgene.
Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science.
About Thermo Fisher Scientific:
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science, enabling our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With 2008 revenues of $10.5 billion, we have approximately 34,000 employees and serve over 350,000 customers within pharmaceutical and biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as environmental and industrial process control settings. Serving customers through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, we help solve analytical challenges from routine testing to complex research and discovery. Thermo Scientific offers customers a complete range of high-end analytical instruments as well as laboratory equipment, software, services, consumables and reagents to enable integrated laboratory workflow solutions. Fisher Scientific provides a complete portfolio of laboratory equipment, chemicals, supplies and services used in healthcare, scientific research, safety and education. Together, we offer the most convenient purchasing options to customers and continuously advance our technologies to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, enhance value for customers and fuel growth for shareholders and employees alike. Visit www.thermofisher.com
