Thermo Fisher Scientific and BrainMet Centre Collaborate on Dementia Research

BREMEN, Germany — Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the world leader in serving science, today announced that it is collaborating with the BrainMet (Bioimaging of Metals in Brain and Metallomics) Centre at Forschungszentrum, Jülich, Germany to advance dementia research by studying

the effects of metals and metalloproteins in ageing and in the origin of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases and Wilson’s syndrome. To carry out the challenging research in the BrainMet laboratory (www.brainmet.com), a Thermo Scientific XSERIES 2 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) was installed, combining third-generation collision cell and protective ion extraction technologies with an ergonomic, compact design. Led by Dr. habil. Sabine Becker, the BrainMet Centre was officially opened in collaboration with Thermo Fisher by Juergen Srega, vice president global products, scientific instruments, Thermo Fisher Scientific in December 2009 to investigate new and powerful technologies for dementia research.

In most neurodegenerative diseases, abnormal accumulations of metals are observed in the brain, leading to the destruction of the neural network and subsequent cell death. Analysts at the BrainMet Centre are researching the quantitative distribution of essential and toxic metals in thin native tissue sections on the brain. When combining the studies on the bioimaging of metals to metallomics it is possible to explore the relationship between metal ions and metalloproteins in brain tissue and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease. The resulting data from these studies

are successfully combined by BrainMet with neuro-scientific imaging procedures (MRI, PET, auto-radiography, histochemical and optical imaging techniques) to enable high-tech biomedical research.

Dr. habil. J. Sabine Becker, head of the Analytical BrainMet Centre, comments: “We are delighted to have entered into this exciting collaboration with Thermo Fisher. The state-of-the-art XSERIES 2 has been extremely efficient for quantitative bioimaging of metals of healthy and diseased samples of brain tissue and also for investigating the growth of brain tumors and strokes. Our ultimate goal is to advance dementia research and help the pharmaceutical industry introduce new therapies. The XSERIES 2 is very reliable and easy to use while providing the high signal to background ratio and excellent sensitivity that is required for our research.”

For more information on the XSERIES 2 ICP-MS, please call +1 800-532-4752, email analyze@thermofisher.com or visit www.thermo.com/icpms.

Thermo Scientific is part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science.

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is the world leader in serving science. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. With revenues of more than $10 billion, we have approximately 35,000 employees and serve customers within pharmaceutical and

biotech companies, hospitals and clinical diagnostic labs, universities, research institutions and government agencies, as well as in environmental and process control industries. We create value for our key stakeholders through two premier brands, Thermo Scientific and Fisher Scientific, which

offer a unique combination of continuous technology development and the most convenient purchasing options. Our products and services help accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, and solve analytical challenges ranging from complex research to routine testing to field applications. Visit

www.thermofisher.com.

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