The New Microscopes in the Astbury
Centre for Structural Molecular Biology Will Enable Transformation
of Research at the University of Leeds, and Building of New
Collaborations in Cryo-EM With Academic and Industrial Researchers
Across the U.K. and Europe
HILLSBORO, Ore., Nov. 09, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
FEI (NASDAQ:FEIC) today announced the receipt of a significant
order for two Titan Krios(TM) cryo transmission electron
microscopes (cryo-TEMs) from the University of Leeds, based in the
United Kingdom. The Titan Krios is the most powerful
high-resolution electron microscope for two-dimensional (2D) and
three-dimensional (3D) characterization of protein structures and
protein complexes.
"The Titan Krios is an amazingly
powerful tool for structural biology that is in huge demand by
researchers right now," said Dr. Neil Ranson, Associate Professor,
School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds.
"Currently, there are only two Titan Krios systems in the U.K.,
with a couple more on the way. There is an insatiable demand for
time on microscopes with these capabilities, and access is very
difficult to come by. We are very excited to be able to purchase
two Titan Krios systems with direct electron detecting cameras;
they will help to establish Leeds as one of the leading centers for
cryo-TEM research in the U.K. and in the world."
"Cryo-TEM is undergoing unprecedented
growth because improvements in microscopes and detectors now enable
close-to-atomic resolution structures for many biological systems,"
said Professor Sheena Radford, Astbury Professor of Biophysics and
Director of the Astbury Centre. "However the full potential of
cryo-EM will come as a result of the synergy with other
technologies, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) and nuclear magnetic
resonance spectrometry (NMR). The University of Leeds is also
acquiring a new, state-of-the-art 950MHz NMR instrument dedicated
to biological research in the Astbury Centre."
Peter Fruhstorfer, FEI's Vice
President and General Manager of the Life Sciences business,
stated, "We are delighted that the University of Leeds has selected
the Titan Krios TEM, and we anticipate great results from the
University's combined use of cryo-TEM, with XRD and NMR
technology." He adds, "The ability to purchase two systems is
significant and will give the University the flexibility to conduct
not only its own structural biology research, but also to build
collaborations with researchers at other universities and
institutions."
The two Krios systems were purchased
as part of a £17M investment from the University's strategic
reserves, an indication of the highest priority given to the
acquisition by the University's leaders. The initiative is also
supported by a £1M award from the Wellcome Trust to support
biomedical discovery.
The installation of the systems will
begin in March 2016. For more information about the structural
biology solutions from FEI,
visit http://www.fei.com/life-sciences/structural-biology.
About the University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education
institutions in the UK, with more than 31,000 students from 147
different countries, and a member of the Russell Group
research-intensive universities. We are a top 10 university for
research and impact power in the UK, according to the 2014 Research
Excellence Framework, and positioned as one of the top 100 best
universities in the world in the 2015 QS World University
Rankings. www.leeds.ac.uk
About FEI
FEI Company (Nasdaq:FEIC) designs, manufactures and supports a
broad range of high-performance microscopy workflow solutions that
provide images and answers at the micro-, nano- and picometer
scales. Its innovation and leadership enable customers in industry
and science to increase productivity and make breakthrough
discoveries. Headquartered in Hillsboro, Ore., USA, FEI has over
2,600 employees and sales and service operations in more than 50
countries around the world. More information can be found
at: www.fei.com.
FEI Safe Harbor Statement
This news release contains forward-looking statements that include
statements regarding the performance capabilities and benefits of
the Titan Krios TEM. Factors that could affect these
forward-looking statements include but are not limited to our
ability to manufacture, ship, deliver and install the tools,
solutions or software as expected; failure of the product or
technology to perform as expected; unexpected technology problems
and challenges; changes to the technology; the inability of FEI,
its suppliers or project partners to make the technological
advances required for the technology to achieve anticipated
results; the inability to develop a workflow between the Titan
Krios TEM and other technologies such as XRD and NMR; and the
inability of the customer to deploy the tools or develop and deploy
the expected new applications. Please also refer to our Form 10-K,
Forms 10-Q, Forms 8-K and other filings with the U.S. Securities
and Exchange Commission for additional information on these factors
and other factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from the forward-looking statements. FEI assumes no duty
to update forward-looking statements.
For more information contact:
Sandy Fewkes (media contact)
MindWrite Communications, Inc.
+1 408 224 4024
sandy@mind-write.com
FEI Company
Jason Willey (investors and analysts)
Investor Relations Director
+1 503 726 2533
jason.willey@fei.com