The 23rd analytica, the International Trade Fair for Laboratory Technology, Analysis and Biotechnology, was successfully held in Munich on April 17-20, 2012, with 1.026 exhibitors from 37 countries and more than 30000 trade visitors from over 110 countries. After Germany, the countries with the largest numbers of exhibitors include the Unites States, Great Britain, France, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Norbert Bargmann, Deputy CEO of Messe München, was pleased about the stable number of exhibitors when he appeared on April 17th press conference: “The past six years all saw a decline due to the tough competitive situation. That trend is a thing of the past: The number of visitors at this year’s fair proves that analytica is the industry’s leading event”. 100 percent of the visitors were industry professionals, and according to a survey by the market research institute TNS Infratest, they came to the fair with intentions to make investments: 20 percent planned to invest EUR 25,000 to EUR 50,000 in laboratory and analysis equipment, 16 percent between EUR 50,000 and EUR 100,000, and 29 percent more than EUR 100,000. “Besides the research aspects of this event, no other trade fair focuses so intensely on business ties,” said Bargmann. Just less than one-third of all visitors were from companies with more than 1,000 employees. Based on the TNS Infratest survey, customer satisfaction in analytica is at its highest in the last 16 years. The countries with the largest numbers of visitors were Austria, Switzerland, Great Britain, Italy and France. There was also a significant increase in the number of visitors from the United States (just less than 14 percent). Organizers have expanded the fair’s concept by adding new elements such as the Live Labs. For the first time ever, visitors could gather information at three completely equipped laboratories on the topics of Forensics and Clinical Diagnostics, Plastics Analysis and Food and Water Analysis. Three times a day, experts from scientific organizations presented the latest methods and techniques and made reference to the equipment on display at the laboratory benches in the process. Exhibition Director Katja Stolle: “By introducing the Live Labs, we are establishing new elements that allow visitors to exchange information about products and discuss specific applications with manufacturers under actual working conditions directly at the fair”. One of the highlights was an appearance by Germany’s best-known criminal biologists, Mark Benecke, on the first day of the fair. He used DNA analysis to draw conclusions on fictitious crimes and criminals. At the food and water analysis lab instead experts explained the effects that chemicals have on people and the environment and the role that the interdisciplinary development of equipment systems and methods plays in the environmental sciences. The Live Lab on plastics analysis revolved around polymer analysis and examined developments in the fields of sample preparation, permeation measurements and blend analysis. The analytica Conference, organized by the German Chemical Society, the Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (GBM), and the German Society of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL), has been a permanent part of the international trade fair for years. More than 1.700 visitors - with an increase of 40 percent compared to the previous years - participated in more than 20 sessions and more than 115 lectures featuring renowned speakers from Germany and abroad. Besides the award ceremonies of the GDCh Working Group for Analytical Chemistry, highlights included lectures on x-ray diffraction techniques in drug testing, point-of-care diagnostics, applications for separation techniques in the life sciences, doping analysis, proteome research, nanoparticles in the environment and clinical metabolomics.
Besides the exhibition and the conference, visitors could also look forward to the practice-oriented program of related events including lectures at the Biotech Forum and the Laboratory & Analytics Forum, seminars for laboratory employees and, on Friday, analytica Job Day and Finance Day. Analytica Job Day served as a career springboard for future industry professionals. Finance Day gave visitors access to information about the latest financing trends in the life sciences.
Tekno Scienze Publisher (Chimica Oggi /Chemistry Today and Agro Food Industry hi-tech journals) was invited by the fair organizers to write a report of the event. During my short stay I managed to gain insights into the latest developments, technologies and products of a few companies exhibiting at the show. A brief description of products /technologies of these companies will be displayed below in alphabetical order.

Buchi
Buchi introduced the new NIRMaster Pro IP65, the first FT-NIR in the market to offer stainless steel construction. This unique Fourier Transform Near Infrared Spectometer is able to measure the quality of food and feed raw materials as well as finished product with 65 Ingress Protection Rating. It allows quality control directly at the production line whether it is production of milk/milk powder, baby food, cheese, meat or feed raw materials and formulations. The stainless steel system is now even more dust proof and water proof. It could measure moisture, protein, and fat content and other nutrients such as polyphenols on any type of solid and powder sample. Afterwards the spectrometer could be washed down quickly and easily like other production machinery, moving closer to “Quality Control Safety in Production”. The Buci IP65 solution combines the accuracy of a FT-NIR system with a robust stainless steel housing to allow accurate optimization of Foof and Feed production processes at the production line in conjunction with intuitive touch screen interactions.

FOSS
FOSS announced the NIRS DS2500 dairy analyser, a high performance near infrared (NIR) analyser offering new opportunities to fine-tune production of dairy powder for reduced energy consumption and improved profits. Accurate analysis results for a range of parameters such as protein, moisture, fat, ash and colour in milk powder in under a minute give quality controllers the information they need to tighten-up the powder process. For instance, just 0.1% less moisture in powder in the drying unit can save producers €50,000 per annum at typical production rates. The more efficient drying can give comparable savings in electricity usage. Careful monitoring of moisture content in powder as it goes into drying can typically save Euro 24,000 for a 10,000 ton/year production. The NIRS DS2500 helps to realize such gains with a new design that captures all the latest developments in quality control with NIR, including intuitive usability, instrument standardization and seamless transferability of calibrations from exis
ing NIR solutions and across multiple installed units.

Grace Davison Discovery Sciences
Grace showcased their innovative and ground breaking RevelerisTM flash chromatography systems. These use RevealX™ detection technology to overcome the limitations of traditional UV-based purifications. Their new Reveleris® NavigatorTM software is designed to help maximize compound purity, shorten run times, and reduce costs. Available on all Reveleris® flash chromatography systems, the software is an advanced method optimizer (patents’ pending) that automatically generates flash gradient profiles using minimal TLC/LC input which can reduce purification run times by as much at 70%. Grace also featured their full spectrum of chromatography columns, instrumentation, media, accessories, and consumables.

Malvern
Malvern Instruments’ new Mastersizer 3000 laser diffraction particle size analyzer made its debut at Analytica. This state-of-the-art, small footprint instrument is designed for smart particle sizing, delivering precise, high-resolution wet and dry sample measurement from 10 nm to 3.5 mm. New sample dispersion units provide a solution for every application, including the dry dispersion of fragile particles, while simple intuitive software drives user-defined measurements and simplifies method development. Raising particle sizing to a smarter level, the new Mastersizer 3000 delivers unique performance and productivity advantages, wrapped in a stylish, compact and practical instrument design. The Mastersizer 3000 delivers precise, robust wet and dry measurements right across the milli-, micro- and nano-meter size ranges. Smart design of the new optical core packs this high performance into a small footprint system that boasts equally well-engineered sample dispersion accessories, including an entirely novel dry powder dispersion unit. Such flexibility makes the system ideal for the multitude of particle sizing applications for which laser diffraction is now the technique of choice.

Metrohm
Metrohm presented the 899 Coulometer, the most compact and flexible Coulometer yet from Metrohm. Besides a footprint the size of just a DIN A4 sheet of paper, it comes with a Power Box for its own independent power supply. The 899 Coulometer does not need much space because it has its own magnetic stirrer built in. There is no need for a support rod either. An integrated holder keeps the titration cell safely standing on the upper side of the instrument. Users can rely on the instrument’s independent power supply that comes with an optional Power Box containing a set of rechargeable batteries. This means users can perform coulometric determinations of the water content almost anywhere they want. At the same time, the 899 Coulometer provides the capabilities of a full-grown Metrohm Coulometer. Thus, it can be linked to a manual oven (860 KF Thermoprep) or to an 885 Compact Oven Sample Changer for fully automated thermal sample preparation and subsequent coulometric determination of the water content.

Oxford Instruments
Oxford Instruments, supplier of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) solutions for QA laboratories in the food, agricultural, healthcare, polymer, and energy sectors, announced the launch of the AffirmoEX Electron Magnetic Resonance (EMR) system to add to its family of benchtop instrumentation solutions. With applications in the foods sector, the AffirmoEX is a natural complement to Oxford Instruments’ well-established MQC nuclear magnetic resonance systems. It will also provide the perfect solution to the academic market place where the EMR technique has become under-used due to the obsolescence of existing instrumentation, and the (until now) prohibitively high cost of buying a new instrument. The AffirmoEX is an affordable system occupying minimal bench space, and does not require the large magnets and cooling systems needed by older style systems. It will be offered with a curriculum package for teaching professionals to bring the technique back into the laboratories of the 21st century with a modular program backed with online and written documentation.

PANalytical
PANalytical has changed the game in multi-purpose X-ray diffraction (XRD) with the launch of its Empyrean high-performance diffractometer. Every major element of Empyrean is new: the X-ray source, the state-of-the-art goniometer, the sample stages and the radiation enclosure. Importantly, the instrument also introduces the world’s first 3D detection system, PIXcel3D. As a result, Empyrean is unique in its ability to measure all sample types - from powders to thin films, from nanomaterials to 3D objects - on a single instrument. Users can switch between application setups in a fast and cost-effective way using PANalytical’s proven PreFIX modules, with no compromise on the quality of diffraction data. Moreover, PIXcel3D detector can be used as a CT scanner allowing non-destructive analysis of pharmaceutical formulations (tablets, capsules), electronic components (batteries, ICs, capacitors) and geo- and archaeological samples, to name a few. Empyrean is easy to use too. Dedicated hardware, software and regulatory expertise incorporated in pre-defined programs, and a customizable desktop and batch sample capabilities help make advanced functions accessible to all.

PerkinElmer
PerkinElmer, Inc.showcased several analytical solutions for environmental, food, pharmaceutical and forensic applications, including the new AxION® Direct Sample Analysis (DSA) system. The AxION DSA system represents a technological breakthrough that eliminates sample preparation steps in addition to the need for front-end gas or liquid chromatography separation, as samples can be directly introduced to a mass spectrometer. This allows for faster and greatly simplified analysis, helping lead to faster decisions. With the AxION DSA system, sample prep time is now reduced to twenty-five seconds – down from twenty-five minutes. Designed to introduce samples to PerkinElmer’s AxION Time-of-Flight (TOF) mass spectrometer, the complete integrated system allows for the direct analysis of liquid, solid and gas samples. The system was designed with productivity and flexibility in mind, providing for sample analysis in seconds and a seamless switch from a DSA to a liquid chromatography system in less than two minutes. The integrated AxION DSA system is entirely enclosed to prevent atmospheric contamination of samples, ensuring exceptional sensitivity, and fully automated for fast data acquisition.

Phenomenex
Phenomenex Inc., introduced Aeris™ – core-shell HPLC/UHPLC columns specially designed for the analysis of proteins and peptides. These new high-performance columns deliver higher resolution and peak capacities than other bioseparation media, producing sub-2 micron results on any LC instrument. With virtually no bleed, Aeris columns are highly compatible with MS. Aeris columns are offered in wide- and small-pore configurations. Aeris WIDEPORE 3.6-micron core-shell columns are optimized for the separation of intact proteins and polypeptides. Because the 3.6-micron core-shell particles produce lower backpressures than traditional media, longer or coupled columns can be used to increase resolving power on both HPLC and UHPLC instruments. Aeris PEPTIDE 3.6-micron and 1.7-micron columns, designed with a small pore size, are recommended for the separation of low molecular weight peptides and for peptide mapping. Aeris PEPTIDE 3.6-micron particles offer ultra-high performance at backpressures compatible with both HPLC and UHPLC instruments.

Retsch
RETSCH ‘s new cyclone mill TWISTER is specially designed for the processing of foods and feeds for subsequent NIR analysis. The optimized form of rotor and grinding chamber generates an air jet which carries the ground sample through the integrated cyclone into the sample bottle. The air jet prevents the material from heating up, thus preserving the moisture content. The provided sieves guarantee an optimum particle size distribution so that it is not necessary to recalibrate the NIR spectrometer. The rotor speed can be adjusted in 3 steps allowing for perfect adaptation to the sample requirements. Cleaning the mill is quick and easy as the air jet effects a complete discharge of the material from the grinding chamber. This new cyclone mill in proven RETSCH quality optimizes the reproducible sample preparation to NIR analysis thus allowing for meaningful and reliable analysis results.

Shimadzu
For its 60th anniversary in UV-VIS-NIR spectroscopy, Shimadzu presented the new UV-2700 scanning
spectrophotometer series – a true double-beam double monochromator system in a compact and attractive design. The installation space requirement of the instrument is 28% less than the UV-2550 predecessor model. The new compact spectrophotometers ensure high-precision analysis of a wide range of samples, such as organic and inorganic compounds, biological samples, and optical and photovoltaic materials. The high performance level of the optical system is based on Shimad-zu’s LO-RAY-LIGH® diffraction grating, combining maximum effi-ciency with minimum levels of stray light. The UV-2700 operates in the wavelength range of 185 to 900 nm and enables challenging appli-cations such as direct measurement of high-density samples of up to 8 absorbance units without dilution. Shimadzu has always manufactured the optics of its UV instruments and now exhibited these for the first time during Analytica 2012. The highly efficient customer-specific components distinguish themselves by their low level of stray light, ensuring maximum quality with highest accuracy of the results measured.

Thermo Fisher Scientific
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc showcased the Thermo Scientific Gallery Plus discrete photometric analyzer, with a broad menu of industrial and environmental analytes, during Analytica 2012. The easy to operate bench-top instrument allows food, beverage and water analysis laboratories to simplify their testing and improve productivity. The Gallery Plus analyzer enables rapid analysis times and lower cost per analysis by offering powerful features such as simultaneous analysis of several parameters from one sample, automated dilutions and various blanking possibilities. It offers superior analytical performance for colorimetric and enzymatic measurements. Laboratories can measure conductivity and pH with an optional electrochemical (ECM) unit and the Gallery Plus analyzer offers very low detection levels, particularly important in laboratories performing water quality testing. Ready-to-use liquid reagents eliminate reagent preparation and save time, while the volume- optimized system kits minimize reagent waste. With a wide selection of system reagents for different sugars and acids, for example, the Gallery Plus analyzer is an ideal system for economically and easily monitoring fermentation processes. For water analysis, the system reagent menu covers the most important parameters such as sulphate, phosphate, calcium, magnesium, chloride, nitrite and nitrate.

Waters
Waters Corporation exhibited its ACQUITY UPC(2)™ System for the first time in Europe at Analytica. Waters® ACQUITY UPC(2) System was selected for the Pittcon Editor’s Gold Award for Best New Product at Pittcon 2012 in March. Waters ACQUITY UPC(2) System expands the boundaries of reverse phase liquid chromatography (LC) and of gas chromatography (GC) separations and offers a replacement option for normal phase chromatography applications. Employing the principle of UltraPerformance Convergence Chromatography™, Waters ACQUITY UPC(2) System is a novel analytical system that gives laboratories an indispensable tool for tackling tough-to-analyze compounds including hydrophobic and chiral compounds, lipids, thermally-labile samples and polymers. Compressed carbon dioxide, the primary mobile phase for UPC(2), offers numerous major advantages over liquid mobile phases or carrier gases that are used with LC and GC. For one, carbon dioxide alone, or combined with a co-solvent, is a low viscosity mobile phase that achieves higher diffusion rates and enhanced mass transfer than liquids used in HPLC. For another, when compared to GC, carbon dioxide alone is a mobile phase that allows separations to occur at a much lower temperature.

YMC
Chromatographers always seek to push the limits of HPLC columns to greater extremes to allow them to perform day-to-day with ever-changing pH, buffers and temperature ranges. The column for the laboratory of today must be suitable for harsh pH conditions in combination with high temperature ranges without sacrificing selectivity. Additionally narrow, symmetric peak shapes are necessary in order to cope with rapid analysis of demanding samples. In order to meet these goals, YMC have developed a new particle technology. This is based on a multi-layered particle produced via a well-controlled granulation technology. The revolutionary production technique provides a multilayer silica-organic hybrid stationary phase, with an outstandingly narrow pore size and particle size distribution which, in turn, results in low back pressures and high loadability. In addition, a proprietary multi-stage endcapping technique provides outstanding peak shapes, even for basic compounds. The innovative endcapping process also allows very high LC-MS sensitivity to be obtained which makes YMC-Triart an excellent choice for residue analysis or any routine method development.