Waters Redefines Molecular Characterization Science at ASMS 2007

MILFORD, Mass., May 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Waters Corporation will highlight new mass spectrometry (MS), proteomics and software innovations focused on characterizing and visualizing molecules at the 55th annual American Society for Mass Spectrometry, June 3-7, in Indianapolis, Ind. Complete characterization ensures that a biological or chemical compound identity, purity, potency and stability are well-documented in order to identify molecular variations, safety and efficacy features, effective production processes, and/or product consistency.

Highlighting new product introductions is the ASMS premiere of the Waters(R) MALDI Synapt Mass Spectrometer and the IdentityE High Definition Proteomics System for complex analysis of biological molecules. Further, Waters will demonstrate its new BiopharmaLynx(TM) software which can automatically characterize intact proteins and peptides. Finally, new partnerships with Rosetta Biosoftware and Dotmatics Limited address system software compatibility and small molecule structural elucidation software respectively.

Creating New Opportunities with MALDI Synapt(TM) and IdentityE

The Waters MALDI Synapt(TM) HDMS System the first commercially available MS system to incorporate matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization (MALDI) together with ion-mobility and time-of-flight (Tof) technology to redefine how biologically-significant molecules from drug metabolites to intact proteins are characterized. The second HDMS System to be introduced by Waters in the last 12 months, the system is intended for researchers working at the limits of conventional MS who need to further characterize and define their samples.

The Waters MALDI Synapt HDMS System is a dual ionization mass spectrometer featuring both MALDI and atmospheric pressure ionization (API) capability as standard features giving scientists maximum analytical power for discovery research challenges. The system is operable in both time-of-flight (Tof) mode for exact mass UPLC(R)/MS/MS experiments, and ion-mobility/Tof mode for performing novel ion mobility separations-based investigations.

Interest in the Waters Synapt HDMS System has been building since its introduction. On May 23 more than 600 scientists registered for a webinar on Synapt. The link for the recorded webinar is: http://www.spectroscopynow.com/waterswebinar

At this year's Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, Waters won the prestigious 2007 Pittcon(R) Editors' Gold Award for best new product with its Synapt(TM) High Definition MS(TM) (HDMS(TM)) System. It also won the First Place Award from Instrument Business Outlook for Best New Product at Pittcon.

Waters is also showcasing its new IdentityE System, a UPLC/MSE system for qualitative proteomics. The IdentityE High Definition Proteomics(TM) System is an UltraPerformance LC(R) (UPLC)/High-Bandwidth Mass Spectrometry (MSE) system solution suitable for confident protein identification designed to meet stringent requirements as outlined by leading scientific journals.(1)

The new Waters IdentityE High Definition Proteomics System catalogs complex protein digest mixtures containing tens of thousands of peptides. The system features a Waters nanoACQUITY(R) UPLC System for high chromatographic peak capacity and retention time reproducibility, together with an electrospray tandem mass spectrometer - Waters Q-Tof Premier(TM) or Waters Synapt HDMS system - for high dynamic mass resolution and consistent over- sampling of complex protein digests - two hallmarks of high definition proteomics.

Waters comprehensive peptide ion accounting informatics mine deeper into UPLC/MSE data to identify more peptides/proteins with greater sequence coverage and statistical rigor than conventional LC/MS/MS methods.

This system solution is fully supported with quality control standards, defined methods, training and support to ensure reproducible operation and consistent results.

New Waters Software and Partnerships Provide More Power for Scientists

Waters is also introducing at ASMS BiopharmaLynx(TM) software, a new application manager for Waters MassLynx Mass Spectrometry software. With this new software, scientists can automatically characterize intact proteins and peptides by LC/MS, and automate data processing, analysis and assignment of protein and peptide LC/MS data.

Developed in collaboration with leading biopharmaceutical characterization scientists, BiopharmaLynx gives scientists the ability to automatically:

-- Deconvolute intact protein mass data intelligently -- Annotate deconvoluted intact protein mass data with protein identities and their modifications -- Calculate the percentage of each intact protein variant -- Identify ions in a peptide map and automatically perform intra and inter-sample relative quantitation -- Assign ions to expected and modified peptides from a defined protein sequence and determine sequence coverage -- Determine biopharmaceutical identity, purity, and stability accurately and precisely

Waters is demonstrating BiopharmaLynx Software at ASMS in its hospitality suite.

Waters Forms Partnerships with Rosetta Biosoftware and Dotmatics Limited Waters and Rosetta Biosoftware will collaborate to develop interfaces that promote compatibility between their software platforms and Waters mass spectrometry-based systems. Specifically, the companies will work together to ensure that Rosetta Biosoftware's solution for protein expression data management and analysis, the Rosetta Elucidator(R) system, will process and analyze mass spectrometry data generated from the Waters(R) Q-Tof Premier(TM) and Synapt(TM) High Definition Mass Spectrometry (HDMS) Systems.

The collaboration will focus on developing software interfaces between the Elucidator system and Waters software and instruments that will give scientists the capability to perform comprehensive qualitative and quantitative profiling of complex biological mixtures.

Waters and Dotmatics Limited will develop an integrated advanced structure elucidation tool to complement Waters time-of-flight (Tof) mass spectrometers and the Waters (R) Synapt(TM) and MALDI Synapt High Definition Mass Spectrometry (TM) (HDMS) Systems. The agreement will focus on developing a fully-integrated solution for structural elucidation of small molecules based on Dotmatics and Waters MassLynx(TM) MetaboLynx(TM) Application Manager software.

The new software tools will give scientists the ability to comprehensively identify ion fragments by more accurately interrogating small molecule ms/ms, or MSE, data when doing qualitative discovery, development, and manufacturing analyses in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Waters Partnerships with Academic Institutions

Earlier this year, Waters expanded on its existing partnership with Northeastern University in Boston when it opened the new Waters Mass Spectrometry Laboratory at the renowned Barnett Institute of Chemical and Biological Analysis at the University.

The new laboratory is dedicated to studying protein shapes and characteristics to provide pharmaceutical and biotechnology innovators with the tools necessary to develop new treatment options for some of the world's deadliest diseases, like AIDS and cancer.

Researchers interested in learning more about the work being done at Northeastern University may want to attend the ASMS interest group on Hydrogen Exchange and Covalent Labeling run by John R. Engen (NU) and Robert L. Hettich (Oak Ridge National Laboratory). The group will meet on Tuesday, June 5 from 5:45-7:00pm in marked rooms located in the Indiana Convention Center, 100 South Capitol Ave. The topic of the workshop is "Tips and Tricks in Hydrogen Exchange and Covalent Labeling."

Waters ASMS Offerings Users' Meeting

The Waters' ASMS Users' Meeting will be Saturday, June 2, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Westin Indianapolis Hotel, Grand Ballrooms, 2nd Floor. There will also be a Waters Canadian Mass Spectrometry Users' Reception on Tuesday, June 5, from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m., at the Marriott Hotel, Ballroom Six.

The keynote speakers at the Users Meeting will be Professor Jim Scrivens from the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick, UK, who will speak on "Shape: The Final Frontier"; Dr. Sabine Bahn, Director of the Cambridge Centre for Neuropsychiatric Research at the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Cambridge, who will speak on "A Combined Multi-Omics and Exploratory Bioinformatics Approach to Investigate Disease Mechanisms in Complex Neuropsychiatric Disorders"; and Paul Schnier, Principal Scientist from the Department of Molecular Structure at Amgen, who will speak on "Advancements in the Structural Characterization of Pegylated-Protein Therapeutics Using Ion Mobility Tandem Mass Spectrometry."

ASMS Posters and Presentations

Waters will host 12 oral presentations and 39 poster sessions that will provide the ideal environment in which to share knowledge, expertise and the latest application approaches to solving analytical challenges using the most advanced mass spectrometry technology.

Waters posters will be available for downloading shortly after ASMS at http://www.waters.com/posters.

Hospitality Suite and Exhibit

The Waters' Hospitality Suite will be at the Marriott Hotel, ballroom six, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. from June 4-6.

Waters is consolidating its instrumentation, chemistry, and informatics products into Booth 95.

For more information on Waters' conference offerings, please visit: http://www.waters.com/asms

About Waters Corporation ( http://www.waters.com/ )

Waters Corporation creates business advantage for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.28 billion in 2006 and 4,700 employees, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

(1) *Guidelines for the Next 10 Years of Proteomics, Proteomics 2006, 6, 4 - 8.

Waters, UPLC and nanoACQUITY are registered trademarks, and High Definition Mass Spectrometry, HDMS, Synapt, MetaboLynx and MassLynx, Q-Tof Premier, UPLC/MSE, IDENTITYE , BiopharmaLynx and High Definition Proteomics are trademarks of Waters Corporation. Rosetta Elucidator is a are U.S. registered trademarks of Rosetta Inpharmatics LLC.

Investor Contact: Media Contact: Gene Cassis Brian J. Murphy Vice President, Investor Relations Manager - Public Relations +1 508.482.2349 +1 508.482.2614 Gene_Cassis@waters.com Brian_J_Murphy@waters.com