York opens mass spectrometry centre

York University this week opened a new £1.6 million scientific Centre of Excellence in Mass Spectrometry, with funding from local inward investment agencies.

The new facility, which is a joint initiative between the university’s Biology and Chemistry departments, provides a range of mass spectrometers that is available to industry in only a handful of other locations. This week’s opening was attended by representatives of the chemical, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

Companies and organisations using the resource will be able to choose from a number of options, including hiring the equipment, paying on a fee-for-service analysis basis or entering into collaborative research.

Fay Treloar, Head of Operations at Science City York, said, “The Centre will play a key role in both retaining existing companies and helping to attract new businesses and income to the region.”

Vice-Chancellor Brian Cantor, said, “The Centre [...] will give business the opportunity to harness the university’s [...] research expertise and innovation for the benefit of the economy, both regionally and nationally, and the public good.”