Agilent Technologies Joins UC to Study Impact of Metals in Biology and the Environment

SANTA CLARA, Calif., and CINCINNATI, Jan. 19, 2007 -- Agilent Technologies and The University of Cincinnati today announced the opening of a center at which research teams throughout the Americas will study the impact of metals on biological systems. The University of Cincinnati/Agilent Technologies Metallomics Center of the Americas will research such applications as the role of metal compounds as predictors of stroke damage and new detection methods for chemical warfare agents.

The center’s charter is to support research in all fields related to the analysis of metals and metal species and their interactions within biological and ecological systems. Applications include neurological research, metalloproteomics, metal tags for ultra-trace-level organic compound determination, and environmental monitoring, among many others, by using liquid chromatography (LC) paired with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LC-ICP-MS) and mass spectrometry (LC-MS).

“We’re excited about the launch of this international collaboration, which promises to bring cutting-edge technology to our research labs that will benefit both our students and our faculty,” says UC President Nancy L. Zimpher. “This important center is a perfect fit with UC|21, our strategic vision, which positions us as an urban research university that works to put students at the center of all we do, and to build on Agilent’s excellence in research, academics and community partnerships.”

“Agilent has worked with the University of Cincinnati for the last five years in providing mass spectrometry and related equipment so that the campus could begin moving into metallomics research,” adds Agilent’s Chris Toney, vice president and general manager, Chemical Analysis/Mass Spectrometer Systems. “Today’s opening marks a key milestone toward continued research to help address critical diseases and environmental concerns.”

Spearheading the establishment of the Center — with the strong support of Karen Gould, dean of UC’s McMicken College of Arts & Sciences, and Sandra Degen, vice president for research — chemistry professor and center director Joe Caruso, says, “The Metallomics Center of the Americas is the first of its kind in the world. The establishment of this center portends great things for a wide spectrum of colleges at the university and for the center’s many partners throughout the Americas.”

The roster of partners, expected to expand globally in the future, currently includes

• Argentina Atomic Energy Commission;
• Indiana University (U.S.);
• National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina;
• National Research Council (Canada);
• Research and Development Center for Industrial Fermentation (Argentina);
• Laboratory of Environmental Research and Services (Argentina);
• University of Guanajuato (Mexico);
• University of San Luis (Argentina); and
• University of Sao Paolo Nuclear Energy Center (Brazil).

“My team has been collaborating with Dr. Caruso since 2001, with an emphasis on various metallomics approaches in a variety of biological materials,” says researcher Kasia Wrobel of the University of Guanajuato (Mexico). “Being a part of the Metallomics Center will help us leverage our resources and knowledge pan-regionally to speed the path to insight and scientific discovery.”

The University of Cincinnati has had a long history and a worldwide reputation in metals research, starting in 1930, when the Kettering Laboratory (now the Department of Environmental Health) was established for analyzing research on lead. Agilent Technologies provides vital chemical analysis and life sciences tools for researchers around the world. For further details, visit www.chem.agilent.com.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $5.0 billion in fiscal 2006. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.