Symyx Technologies Unveils New Symyx Tools Benchtop Systems

Symyx Technologies, Inc. today announced the release of Benchtop Systems - - a self-contained, software-driven, system for automating multiple steps of experimental procedures.

Benchtop Systems increase testing capacity by 10–100 times and take labor-intensive, repetitive work away from scientists, freeing them to better utilize their training and talents. The system automates multiple steps of experimental procedures and comes with standard configurations and applications that are designed to accelerate R&D while reducing costs. Symyx Benchtop Systems are available immediately and are being showcased at the 2007 Lab Automation Conference in Palm Springs, California, January 28 -31.

“In today’s market, resource-constrained R&D labs are tasked with achieving breakthrough results in less time and with fewer resources,” said Paul Nowak, chief operating officer of Symyx. “Symyx Benchtop Systems are designed to help these teams excel and deliver the step-change performance required to remain competitive. Unlike any offering currently on the market, our Benchtop System allows researchers to implement a set of discrete modules for a specific project, and then add to those modules over time to build out an integrated workflow to automate complete lab processes, without replacing existing elements.”

Scalable, Cost-effective Performance

Symyx Benchtop Systems build on the company’s proven expertise in speeding and improving R&D execution, and provide a self-contained station and standard hardware and software configurations to carry out multiple steps of discrete experimental procedures. It utilizes the hardware framework of the Symyx Core Module Robotic Base Station. Benchtop Systems include miniaturized materials preparation capabilities (dual dispensing capabilities for both liquids and powder), sample processing capabilities (heating, cooling, mixing, and filtration), and sample analysis capabilities (weights, pH, imaging) - - all combined with automated instrument control. The offering is powered by Symyx Software, providing a single experiment design and execution environment that reduces instrumentation set-up and data-handling overhead. The system hardware and software are upgradeable to perform automated experimentation for complete lab processes which would include integration with lab equipment and the ability to support document browsing and searching, enterprise-level security and auditing, and configurable document workflow.

The first Benchtop Systems applications currently available include:

• Analytical Sample Preparation
• Coatings
• Crystallization
• Excipient Compatibility
• Forced Degradation/Stability
• Formulations and
• Solubility.

Dual-dispensing Capabilities Engineered in Europe

Benchtop Systems is the first Symyx Tools offering to be developed at the Company’s new European headquarters in Geneva. This offering signifies the successful integration of the acquisition of the global market-leader in powder-handling equipment by Symyx in June 2006. Benchtop Systems combine powder-handling technology with the liquid-handling expertise of the Symyx Core Module.